The Slow Readers Society

Episode 4: Grief, Romance & Recent Reads

Welcome back to The Slow Readers Society. After a little time away, I’m back with a more personal episode about life, loss, comfort reading and the books that help shape us. In this episode, I talk about the passing of my lovely Nanna Jean, her love of reading, and how her passion for Mills & Boon (especially Medical romances) became part of my own bookish story. I also explore why comfort reads matter, what Mills & Boon Medical romances are all about, and why we should never underestimate the joy of knowing exactly what kind of story makes us happy. There’s also a spoiler-free reading catch-up, including my thoughts on finishing The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare, reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, the 2009 film adaptation, and my current read Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens. Plus, I open the doors of The Slow Readers Society to new applicants, with personalised recommendations for readers who love gothic fiction, introspective literary novels, English landscapes, emotional pain, beautiful prose and atmospheric old houses. Books mentioned in this episode * How to Date a Doc in Barcelona by Juliette Hyland * Paramedic’s Full-Throttle Fling by Alison Roberts * Nurse’s Vegas Vows by Karin Baine * The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare * The Road by Cormac McCarthy * Briefly, A Delicious Life by Nell Stevens * Persuasion by Jane Austen * To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf * A Family Matter by Claire Lynch * The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters * Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver * The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt * Real Life by Brandon Taylor * On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong * Normal People by Sally Rooney Follow me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekennystory/ [https://www.instagram.com/thekennystory/]TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thekennystory [https://www.tiktok.com/@thekennystory] About The Slow Readers Society The Slow Readers Society is my cosy, community-led book podcast for people who refuse to rush their books or their lives. Whether you read slowly, read sporadically, or simply use books as a way to slow the world down, you are very welcome here. Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe [https://thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 3: Mythology, Literary Fiction & Dark Romantasy

Welcome back to The Slow Readers Society! This is my cosy little corner of the internet for people who refuse to rush their books or their lives. In this episode, I’m catching you up after a few weeks of being ill, talking about slowly getting back into reading, continuing my Shadowhunter journey and sharing a recent second-hand book haul filled with “essential reads” and modern classics. I’m also taking you with me on a literary trip to Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, the stately home often associated with Pemberley from Pride and Prejudice. From the Cavendish family’s centuries-long love of literature to the library’s rare books and manuscripts, I explore why places like Chatsworth feel so magical to readers. Then, of course, I open this week’s applications to the Society and recommend books for three wonderfully different readers: * Hero, a mythology and philosophy-loving annotator * Melina, a thoughtful international literary fiction reader * Martina, a fantasy and dark romantasy mood reader wanting to step into horror Books mentioned include:A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth OzekiElektra by Jennifer SaintThe Penelopiad by Margaret AtwoodThe House of the Spirits by Isabel AllendeDrive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga TokarczukThe Days of Abandonment by Elena FerranteMexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaNettle & Bone by T. KingfisherOne Dark Window by Rachel Gillig Put the kettle on, get comfortable and welcome back to the Society. Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thekennystory/?hl=en-gb] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thekennystory] Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe [https://thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 2: Diverse, Nostalgic and Atmospheric Reads

Hey everyone! Welcome to another cosy episode of the Slow Readers Society. In this episode, we explore what it means to be a slow reader and how you can join our lovely community. We have a chat about my reading life at the moment (I am working my way through a HUGE book series) and I also share some heartwarming reader application stories and offer tailored book recommendations. Here’s a list of the books we mentioned in this episode: * The Night Circus * A Discovery of Witches * Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell * Remarkably Bright Creatures * Tom Lake * Prodigal Summer * If We Were Villains * Our Wives Under the Sea * The Essex Serpent I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed making it. Keep sharing your stories and setups, and let’s continue to grow this wonderful community together! Connect with Me Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thekennystory/?hl=en-gb] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@thekennystory] Substack [https://thekennystory.substack.com/] Happy reading, everyone! Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe [https://thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode One: Welcome to The Slow Readers Society

Episode 1: Welcome to The Slow Readers Society Welcome to the very first episode of The Slow Readers Society Podcast! This is a cosy, community-led book podcast where readers write in, share their reading lives, and receive thoughtful, personalised book recommendations. In this first episode, I’m introducing the podcast, what The Slow Readers Society stands for, and welcoming in the very first applicants to the society. We hear from three readers with very different reading lives and tastes, and together we explore the kinds of books that might suit them best. If you’ve ever felt like you read too slowly, too messily, too moodily, or just not quite the “right” way, this is for you. In this episode I introduce The Slow Readers Society Podcast We talk about what it means to build a softer, slower, more joyful reading life I read the first three applications to join the society I recommend books for each new member based on their reading taste and personality Follow me Instagram: @thekennystory [https://www.instagram.com/thekennystory/] TikTok: @thekennystory [https://www.tiktok.com/@thekennystory] Books mentioned Books already loved by this week’s applicants I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman Red Rising by Pierce Brown Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy Heart the Lover by Lily King Talking at Night by Claire Daverley The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling Recommended in this episode Piranesi by Susanna Clarke Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel The Wall by Marlen Haushofer Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Circe by Madeline Miller Still Life by Sarah Winman The Offing by Benjamin Myers Babel by R. F. Kuang Join The Slow Readers Society If you’d like to apply to join The Slow Readers Society and be featured in a future episode, drop me your application on Instagram or TikTok! Thank you for being here for the very first meeting of The Slow Readers Society. Get full access to The Slow Readers Society at thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe [https://thekennystory.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]