September Pick (Book Drop Day 2025)
Book About Books
Welcome to Reading Revisited, a place for friends to enjoy some good old-fashioned book chat while revisiting the truth, beauty, and goodness we’ve found in our favorite books.
Before we get to the books we wanted to remind you that this is not just a really good book list (even though it is a really good book list). Reading Revisited is a group of in person and virtual Book Clubs. If you love these books and want to read them feel free to follow along on Substack. We would love to have you.
But, if you would like to go deeper and have real community and deep conversation and meaningful friendships, consider joining or starting a Reading Revisited Book Club.
Here’s what one of our in person book club members has to say….
Reading Revisited and our monthly meetings are among some of the biggest blessings of my adulthood, both intellectually and socially. There’s always a beautiful balance of a warm, welcoming attitude, no matter if or what you’ve read, and deep enough conversations that have given me more to think about than four years as a literature student ever did. I’m a proud friend and a grateful participant of the remarkable community that these women have created, and I am heartily looking forward to another year of reading together.
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Now to the books…
I am so excited to (finally) be announcing these books after much anticipation on your part and ours! If you don’t know what Book Drop Day is, check out this post.
Now, without further ado, let’s get to the books!
Every September to start off our reading year we read a Book About Books. I like to do this because I think it is a helpful reminder about why reading is important and how to read well. I hope that this enriches our experience with the rest of the books to follow. It has been such a helpful experience to have shared language to use when talking about our fiction books the rest of the year.
Some Books About Books we have read in the past are1…
Walking on Water by Madeleine L’Engle (RR 2024)
A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by
(RR 2023)The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs (RR 2022)
Mystery and Manners by Flannery O’Connor (RR 2021)
An Experiment in Criticism by C.S. Lewis (RR 2020)
This year we are going to read Why Literature Still Matters by
!
You have probably heard his name a million times or so if you have been around Reading Revisited at all in the past year.
and I have been reading his A Beginner’s Guide Dante’s Divine Comedy and I have raved about The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis. My husband was also in a graduate school class with him as the professor this spring. So, to say that we are fans would be an understatement.Even with all of that already said, I cannot wait to introduce you to this gem of a book! Do you ever know reading matters yet still have trouble when someone asks you why you do it? Do you ever feel guilty for the amount of time you spend reading? Do you ever want to express how books have changed you, but can’t quite put words to it?
Enter Why Literature Still Matters! Clocking in at only 77 pages this little book packs a punch. Baxter does exactly what the title says he will do. By the end of the book you will know and believe why literature still matters. This slim volume is full of references to books that feel way above my pay grade as a reader, and yet, the book is so accessible. He describes feelings and thoughts that I have had while reading or experiencing beauty that I recognize, but struggle to put words to. I think you are all going to enjoy this one immensely. And because it is so short you might just get to squeeze in a few extra “just for fun” books that month!
Because this is such a new book we don’t have an introduction from another author. Instead I will offer you this Literary Life Podcast episode w/ Jason Baxter introducing the book.
Tentative Schedule
Wednesday, August 20th: Introduction and Reading Schedule
Monday, August 25th: ep. ##: Intro to Why Lit Still Matters
Wednesday, August 27th: Read Along Guide Part 1 (Notes and Quotes)
Wednesday, September 3rd: Read Along Guide Part 2 (Notes and Quotes)
Wednesday, September 10th: Read Along Guide Part 3 (Notes and Quotes)
Thursday, September 25th: Virtual Book Club
Monday, October 6th: ep. ##: Revisiting Why Literature Still Matters
Stay tuned for October’s Pick coming up next, just a hint, it’s going to be American….
Until next time, keep revisiting the good books that enrich your life and nourish your soul.
In Case You Missed It:
On the Podcast:
ep. 55: Introduction to Trust and Contemporary Novels w/
Sean Johnson
ep. 57: Bookish Bio of Griffin Gooch (a Bookish PhD Student)
ep. 58: One Year Anniversary of the Reading Revisited Podcast
What We’re Reading Now/Next:
June
Trust by Hernan Diaz
July
Everything Sad is Untrue by Khosrou Daniel Nayeri
August
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
A Few Reminders:
If you are wanting to get in on the in person or virtual community please contact us!
We have turned on paid subscriptions which will allow you to support the work we are doing here as well as receive Read Along Guide PDFs each month and voice recordings of the Read Along Guides.
If you would like to make a small contribution to the work we’re doing here at Reading Revisited, we invite you to do so with the Buy (Us) a Coffee button below. We so appreciate your support!
*As always, some of the links are affiliate links. If you don’t have the books yet and are planning to buy them, we appreciate you using the links. The few cents earned with each purchase you make after clicking links (at no extra cost to you) goes toward the time and effort it takes to keep Reading Revisited running, and we appreciate it!
I’m very excited to have Jason Baxter as a counterpoint to Mary Oliver! He should give us just the tools we need to critique AND appreciate her!
I loved his Dante commentary so I’m very excited to be reading something else of his this year!