Retired librarian living in Tallahassee, Florida. I came to Substack in search of Heather Cox Richardson. I found her and then I found Simon. Two-fold bliss. Year Two for me. 2026 is going to be a stellar reading year for all of us!
Awesome. That's the great thing about Substack: you go in looking for something, and come out with that plus something else entirely! Here's to another year!
Hello, fellow readers. I have been following Simon's excellent Wolf Crawl Project for the past year, and have found his commentaries on the week's reading, together with the additional background material, have really enhanced the experience of close reading Mantel's novels. Next year, I plan to contribute posts on Hilary Mantel's superb writing techniques to the Wolf Crawl of 2026, and I also plan to follow some of Simon's other 2026 Group Reads. I am particularly looking forward to Regeneration and Treacle Walker. I am an avid bibliophile with a background in Theatre and Academia, who is now happily devoting my retirement to reading as many books as possible, and close reading and re-reading the best of them, in addition to doing some writing: mainly book reviews, but I have also dabbled in scriptwriting and trying to write my own Historical novels. I love studying Theatre and Social History, and I am a devoted Joycean.
I am loving the Wolf Crawl and I’m saddened that it’s ending and especially how it’s ending. This is now my fourth reading of those books, my favourite books of all time. My former favourite when I was younger, was Gone With the Wind which I read when I was 16 years old and then it was overtaken by A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I would love to read that one again after 40 years or so and perhaps you could consider it for another slow read.
I have signed up for the War and Peace, slow read and I’m looking forward to it. I have bought the recommended translation and I am happy that the French parts are still
in French because I can read French as a proud Canadian.
Happy holidays, Simon and see you one more time for the last Wolf Crawl submission.
Thank you for all you do to make us readers happy.
I also loved A Fine Balance! You should check out The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, which I read a couple years ago and quickly became one of my favourite books. It has a lot of the same themes, taking place in northern India in the mid-80s, so I'd recommend it if you like A Fine Balance!
Wonderful. I read A Fine Balance at a similar time to when I first read Midnight's Children. I remember really enjoying and maybe I'll come back to some Mistry at some point! Best wishes to you for 2026 and slow reading War and Peace.
War and Peace has been on my to-read list for five decades. Finding your stack was the ideal prompt to dive in. I’m reading the Maude-Mandelker translation.
Ditto to all of this! Third year here (War and Peace was the best part of 2024 and I still can't stop recommending it and this group), and can't wait for Midnight's Children!
Hello Simon and all. I am another 3 year slow reader and have read every book so far (just finishing off the Blue Flower. Its been a great experience. Its introduced me to new books, and let me enjoy old favourites in a deeper way. The extra context and resources provided by Simon and colleagues are the best part for me as I love getting extral background to let me understand more these different times and countries we are spending some time it. Looking forward to Midnights Children (a re-read but I am sure I have missed so much on previous time). I do tend to read too quickly and not really take it all in so Slow Reads helps me savour the books better. Thank you to Simon, Bea Matt and all, and to every commenter who add even more. See you all in 2026
Amazing. I feel this great responsibility picking these slow reads, although I have to remember that not everyone will love every book. Still, slow reading offers a new way of seeing all these books. Looking forward to the next year ahead of us. Best wishes.
Hi everyone! I aimed to participate in this community last year, but as a new mom freshly postpartum, time became warped and I lost my footing! I hope to get my reading bearings back and rediscover my love for slow reads. Looking forward to connecting with fellow readers!
Hi everyone! I’m a retired kitchen designer living in CA. Reading has been a lifelong part of my life, just as quilting was for my mother. She quilted for decades and continued almost until her unexpected passing this year. Reflecting on her devotion to what she loved has shaped how I think about holding onto what matters most in my own life. For that reason, being active in this group feels important to me, as a way of honoring how she lived.
Very sorry for your unexpected loss this year Sharon. It's a great privilege to me that you consider this a way of honouring your mother, and I hope the year gives you plenty of time for reflection and renewal. Best wishes.
I like the idea of doing shorter novels (for example Regeneration and Treacle Walker). It offers people choice (especially when more shorter novels are added) and take a few weeks off when life knocks too loudly on your door.
Thank you for creating this incredible community. I can’t believe i actually finished war & peace & what a wonderful way to do it! Looking forward to Wolf Crawl in 2026!
As a lifelong reader and educator, who loved to share quality children's literature with students curiosity is my friend. Upon retirement, I am reading more than ever. I stumbled upon your slow reads through a podcast. I was open for the challenge of War and Peace. I am beyond thrilled with the depth reading slow has taken me. I will be continuing in 2026 with the Wolf Crawl. Thank you immensely. Happy Holidays. Patricia Berkery
Hi, Patricia, As a fellow retiree, past educator and lover of reading, I would definitely say curiosity is my friend, too. I look forward to meeting you again at the 2026 Wolf Crawl.
I really enjoyed reading about the origins and the entire trajectory of "Footnotes & Tangents." Thank you for sharing the story behind it; it has only reinforced my belief that the upcoming slow reads of War & Peace and Midnight's Children will be incredibly rich, perhaps even transformative, literary experiences.
My name is Sofia; I was born in Portugal and now live in Italy. I discovered your Substack while browsing the top literature Substacks on the platform—and I am so glad I did!
It was also wonderful to learn that 2026 will be "The Year of Reading" in the UK; what a truly commendable initiative (I hope more readers get to know your work).
Essentially, what I'm seeking in 2026 is to embrace slow reading as a way to cultivate deeper observation, curiosity, and reflection.
It’s so good to be here with you all!
Wishing you and everyone in this wonderful community a joyful holiday season!
Thanks Sofia! Lovely to hear more about you. I'm looking forward to next year – and feel very grateful to be able to gather so many like-minded readers together in this corner of the internet. Best wishes!
This will be my second year. Just winding down the Wolf Hall trilogy—these last weeks are hard to do given how it all ends. Really looking forward to next year’s selections. All are new for me. Thanks for all your hard work and creating this space
Merry Christmas, Simon and family! While nothing could match War and Peace as a slow read, I finished Wolf Hall this year completely out of synch with the readership. I have yet to finish The Blue Flower, but again, I seem to be off in terms of timing my reading. My plan is to go back and read through commentary so nothing is lost.
It's been a different kind of reading year for me. I am still working my way through Middlemarch and I have picked up Chesterton out of curiosity. I want to read more of him next year. It was a great year for picking through library book sales for me and I picked up some Jane Gardam, Rumer Godden, and Susannah Clarke for 2026. Best wishes for another fruitful reading year!
Retired librarian living in Tallahassee, Florida. I came to Substack in search of Heather Cox Richardson. I found her and then I found Simon. Two-fold bliss. Year Two for me. 2026 is going to be a stellar reading year for all of us!
Awesome. That's the great thing about Substack: you go in looking for something, and come out with that plus something else entirely! Here's to another year!
90 year old reading slowly. I'm so looking forward to to this experience.
Hello Marjorie! We need to ask around and see if you're out eldest reader! Either way, I'm overjoyed you're with us.
Hello, fellow readers. I have been following Simon's excellent Wolf Crawl Project for the past year, and have found his commentaries on the week's reading, together with the additional background material, have really enhanced the experience of close reading Mantel's novels. Next year, I plan to contribute posts on Hilary Mantel's superb writing techniques to the Wolf Crawl of 2026, and I also plan to follow some of Simon's other 2026 Group Reads. I am particularly looking forward to Regeneration and Treacle Walker. I am an avid bibliophile with a background in Theatre and Academia, who is now happily devoting my retirement to reading as many books as possible, and close reading and re-reading the best of them, in addition to doing some writing: mainly book reviews, but I have also dabbled in scriptwriting and trying to write my own Historical novels. I love studying Theatre and Social History, and I am a devoted Joycean.
Looking forward to your posts on Mantel and craft next year!
I am loving the Wolf Crawl and I’m saddened that it’s ending and especially how it’s ending. This is now my fourth reading of those books, my favourite books of all time. My former favourite when I was younger, was Gone With the Wind which I read when I was 16 years old and then it was overtaken by A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. I would love to read that one again after 40 years or so and perhaps you could consider it for another slow read.
I have signed up for the War and Peace, slow read and I’m looking forward to it. I have bought the recommended translation and I am happy that the French parts are still
in French because I can read French as a proud Canadian.
Happy holidays, Simon and see you one more time for the last Wolf Crawl submission.
Thank you for all you do to make us readers happy.
I also loved A Fine Balance! You should check out The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, which I read a couple years ago and quickly became one of my favourite books. It has a lot of the same themes, taking place in northern India in the mid-80s, so I'd recommend it if you like A Fine Balance!
I have just started reading A Fine Balance and am already feeling this is going to be one of those books that stays with you always!
Wonderful. I read A Fine Balance at a similar time to when I first read Midnight's Children. I remember really enjoying and maybe I'll come back to some Mistry at some point! Best wishes to you for 2026 and slow reading War and Peace.
War and Peace has been on my to-read list for five decades. Finding your stack was the ideal prompt to dive in. I’m reading the Maude-Mandelker translation.
Bob—Pittsburgh, PA.
Fantastic. I hope you have a great year reading War and Peace! My favourite translation as well.
Ditto to all of this! Third year here (War and Peace was the best part of 2024 and I still can't stop recommending it and this group), and can't wait for Midnight's Children!
Welcome back! Looking forward to it!
Hello Simon and all. I am another 3 year slow reader and have read every book so far (just finishing off the Blue Flower. Its been a great experience. Its introduced me to new books, and let me enjoy old favourites in a deeper way. The extra context and resources provided by Simon and colleagues are the best part for me as I love getting extral background to let me understand more these different times and countries we are spending some time it. Looking forward to Midnights Children (a re-read but I am sure I have missed so much on previous time). I do tend to read too quickly and not really take it all in so Slow Reads helps me savour the books better. Thank you to Simon, Bea Matt and all, and to every commenter who add even more. See you all in 2026
Amazing. I feel this great responsibility picking these slow reads, although I have to remember that not everyone will love every book. Still, slow reading offers a new way of seeing all these books. Looking forward to the next year ahead of us. Best wishes.
Hi everyone! I aimed to participate in this community last year, but as a new mom freshly postpartum, time became warped and I lost my footing! I hope to get my reading bearings back and rediscover my love for slow reads. Looking forward to connecting with fellow readers!
Warmly,
Ani
Ani: Hope you find your bearings and the slow read works out for you this year.
Thank you for the kind words, David!
Wishing you all the best Ani in 2026 – being a new parent is such a huge curveball. Best wishes and have a fantastic year.
Hi everyone! I’m a retired kitchen designer living in CA. Reading has been a lifelong part of my life, just as quilting was for my mother. She quilted for decades and continued almost until her unexpected passing this year. Reflecting on her devotion to what she loved has shaped how I think about holding onto what matters most in my own life. For that reason, being active in this group feels important to me, as a way of honoring how she lived.
Very sorry for your unexpected loss this year Sharon. It's a great privilege to me that you consider this a way of honouring your mother, and I hope the year gives you plenty of time for reflection and renewal. Best wishes.
I like the idea of doing shorter novels (for example Regeneration and Treacle Walker). It offers people choice (especially when more shorter novels are added) and take a few weeks off when life knocks too loudly on your door.
“Life knocks too loudly on your door”….don’t it just sometimes. I liked that sentence.
Well put!
Thank you for creating this incredible community. I can’t believe i actually finished war & peace & what a wonderful way to do it! Looking forward to Wolf Crawl in 2026!
Congratulations! What an amazing achievement. I hope you enjoy next year with a very different but also excellent writer.
As a lifelong reader and educator, who loved to share quality children's literature with students curiosity is my friend. Upon retirement, I am reading more than ever. I stumbled upon your slow reads through a podcast. I was open for the challenge of War and Peace. I am beyond thrilled with the depth reading slow has taken me. I will be continuing in 2026 with the Wolf Crawl. Thank you immensely. Happy Holidays. Patricia Berkery
Hi, Patricia, As a fellow retiree, past educator and lover of reading, I would definitely say curiosity is my friend, too. I look forward to meeting you again at the 2026 Wolf Crawl.
Wonderful, Patricia! Here's to life long curiosity! Glad you found us. Happy holidays and best wishes.
Hi Simon,
I really enjoyed reading about the origins and the entire trajectory of "Footnotes & Tangents." Thank you for sharing the story behind it; it has only reinforced my belief that the upcoming slow reads of War & Peace and Midnight's Children will be incredibly rich, perhaps even transformative, literary experiences.
My name is Sofia; I was born in Portugal and now live in Italy. I discovered your Substack while browsing the top literature Substacks on the platform—and I am so glad I did!
It was also wonderful to learn that 2026 will be "The Year of Reading" in the UK; what a truly commendable initiative (I hope more readers get to know your work).
Essentially, what I'm seeking in 2026 is to embrace slow reading as a way to cultivate deeper observation, curiosity, and reflection.
It’s so good to be here with you all!
Wishing you and everyone in this wonderful community a joyful holiday season!
Thanks Sofia! Lovely to hear more about you. I'm looking forward to next year – and feel very grateful to be able to gather so many like-minded readers together in this corner of the internet. Best wishes!
This will be my second year. Just winding down the Wolf Hall trilogy—these last weeks are hard to do given how it all ends. Really looking forward to next year’s selections. All are new for me. Thanks for all your hard work and creating this space
Thanks Sandy! I hope you enjoy next year's reads. Best wishes!
This is my first slow read and first time with War and Peace. I am super excited and can’t wait to start!
You are in for a wonderful experience!
I hope you enjoy! Welcome to Footnotes and Tangents Polly!
Merry Christmas, Simon and family! While nothing could match War and Peace as a slow read, I finished Wolf Hall this year completely out of synch with the readership. I have yet to finish The Blue Flower, but again, I seem to be off in terms of timing my reading. My plan is to go back and read through commentary so nothing is lost.
It's been a different kind of reading year for me. I am still working my way through Middlemarch and I have picked up Chesterton out of curiosity. I want to read more of him next year. It was a great year for picking through library book sales for me and I picked up some Jane Gardam, Rumer Godden, and Susannah Clarke for 2026. Best wishes for another fruitful reading year!
Thanks Joanne! Sounds like you've got great plans for next year. Best wishes!