18 Comments
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Peter C. Meilaender's avatar

Good luck to your daughter as she begins college, Matthew!

I’m planning to check out the Strong Sense of Place podcast on your recommendation.

Melissa Joulwan's avatar

I hope you enjoy our show!

Peter C. Meilaender's avatar

Thanks, Melissa! I listened to the trailer for your upcoming season. Sounds good. I've been trying over the past several years to expand my reading beyond the English-speaking world, so I look forward to hearing your explorations of other places.

Melissa Joulwan's avatar

We have so many fantastic books in translation this season! I hope you enjoy the shows.

Peter C. Meilaender's avatar

Thanks! If you're interested, I just now posted about a Swiss book myself (https://frommybookshelf.substack.com/p/tradition-modernity-and-the-vanishing).

Stacy Boone's avatar

Empty nesting ... there is a story to be ...

Kate Jones's avatar

Thank you for the mention, Matthew!

We faced the "empty nest" for the first time in 26 years last September. It is definitely a time of transition.

Mary Roblyn's avatar

Thank you, Matthew, for the mention, I’m honored to be included in such stellar company. And you know how much I enjoy your thoughtful comments, graced with generosity. I deeply appreciate you, my friend.

Teri Adams's avatar

Matthew! I look forward to checking out all of your recommendations. For some reason, your Substack hasn't been coming up in my feed—I will have to check my settings, but it may be the algorithm deciding what I should read.

Hot, humid weather is one of my nightmares—if it goes on for very long, I start to feel claustrophobic. ❤️☺️

Kim's avatar

I am well and truly ready to be done with summer, and I have been so since about May. Fortunately, it looks like the heat will be breaking here in the next day or so. Now to get rid of the high humidity.

Ann Kennedy Smith's avatar

‘The dog days of summer’ is a great phrase to describe that feeling of having a little too much of the heat, and looking forward to the change of season with fresh starts in prospect. Thanks for mentioning my Substack, Matthew - I feel honoured to be included in such good reading company, and feel the same about yours!

A. Jay Adler's avatar

Thank you for the recommendation, Matthew. Pleased to be in the company of that exceptional Ted Gioia piece I recall reading three years ago. I, too, recommend it to others, at the beginning of Notes.

Lucy Hearne Keane's avatar

Did you enjoy Whistler? I haven't got to it yet. Reading mixed reviews about it.

Matthew Long's avatar

I liked it a lot. Ann Patchett has been hit and miss for me but this was my favorite of hers.

Lucy Hearne Keane's avatar

My favourites are The Dutch House and Bel Canto

Susie Mawhinney's avatar

Good luck to your daughter Matthew. I think our children fleeing the nest are life changing events, my daughter left 10 years ago, I am still missing her and now I am dreading the day my son leaves too.

I sympathise greatly with the oppressive heat summer 2026 has sent us. It has been reminiscent of Covid at times here, complete confinement every afternoon or cook!

I never long for cooler weather but this year… I cannot wait for autumn!

Melissa Joulwan's avatar

Matt! Thank you so much for your kind words about our podcast! We're very excited about this new season. So far, the destinations have me reading very broadly, and I'm loving it. I can't wait to share the books with all of you. The books I've read for South Korea have been fantastic: fun to read, but with plenty to think about... and I read a book for Michigan that BLEW MY MIND.

Maria Hanley's avatar

Thank you so much for the mention, Matthew. It means a lot to me! We are preparing to drop our oldest off at college this week, so I can relate to some of the feelings surrounding these big family transitions. (Pretty sure my next post is brewing in this experience!) I’m sure it’s a little different when it’s your last, but either way it’s very emotional. Always wishing you the best… and cooler days!