Three short classic readalongs to anchor your summer reading

Read Wharton, Shakespeare, and Larsen with me this summer!

My summer reading has changed a lot over the last decade. In 2015, I read one book every day during my first summer break as a high school English teacher. I wish I had kept a record of my reading back then, but I know I devoured a lot of mysteries, domestic thrillers, WWII historical fiction, and young adult novels.

By 2018, I was more plugged into new releases and invested my summer reading time in buzzy contemporary fiction. I dabbled in literary fiction, nonfiction, and the romance genre in lieu of vetting YA books for my students.

Over the last three years, my summer reading has revolved around one big book: Lonesome Dove, The Odyssey, and Les Misérables. I doubt I would have picked these up outside of work, but I loved recording recap episodes and guiding the Novel Pairings community through lengthy, dense—yet entertaining—classics.

This year, I was tempted to slot in a big book of summer to keep up my usual routine, post-Novel Pairings, but it would make me too sad to go it alone without our fabulous community and without my discussion partner, Sara. I’m also finally getting back into a regular reading rhythm after having my second baby, so pushing myself into a big book project feels like setting myself up to fail.

However, I am craving classic literature, close reading, and a memorable summer learning experience. I am curious to see how some of the work I loved doing with Novel Pairings over the last few years might translate to Substack. I am a happier, more content mom when I engage in an intellectual pursuit that fuels my curiosity and utilizes my skill set.

So, this summer I am reading three short classics. I would love for you to join me.

Short Summer Classics

Short classics are great for summer reading because they leave plenty of room for all of the buzzy beach reads on your TBR, but they anchor your reading life with timeless themes, close reading opportunities, and thoughtful analysis. For summer 2025, I’ve selected three compact classics by authors I adore.

Following basic classroom reading strategies for each selection, I will share a pre-reading newsletter full of historical context, text previews, and recommended resources to get us in the zone before entering each classic. Since the books are short, I will break them into two parts for during-reading discussion, sharing my thoughts on the section and questions for all of us to answer in the comments. The final newsletter will contain post-reading analysis, reflections, and further reading recommendations in order to cement our comprehension and leave space for even more discussion of the full texts.

Readalong Schedule

She had always thought of love as something confused and furtive, and he made it as bright and open as the summer air.

June: Summer by Edith Wharton

June 6th: Pre-Reading Newsletter

June 13th: Discussion for Ch.1-10

June 20th: Discussion for Ch. 11-18

June 27th: Post-Reading Reflection

And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.

July: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

July 4th: Pre-Reading Newsletter

July 11th: Discussion for Act I-II

July 18th: Discussion for Act III-V

July 25th: Post-Reading Reflection

But there was, she knew, something else. Happiness, she supposed. Whatever that might be. What, exactly, she wondered, was happiness. Very positively she wanted it.

August: Quicksand by Nella Larsen

August 8th: Pre-Reading Newsletter

August 15th: Discussion for Ch. 1-12

August 22nd: Discussion for Ch. 13-25

August 29th: Post-Reading Reflection

---

Which version should I read?

Any version will work perfectly well for our summer readalongs, but of course I have recommendations and links for you.

Summer by Edith Wharton

• I’ll be reading the Oxford Classics edition and its bonus materials, along with The Modern Library edition and its introduction by Elizabeth Strout. Penguin Clothbound has a cute little yellow version, and you can’t go wrong with a Penguin paperback.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

• I have an old Signet Classics copy, but I’m treating myself to the Norton Critical Edition. I really like the Pelican Shakespeare version for annotating. Some Shakespeare readers have strong opinions about which text to read, but give me the play with room in the margins, and I’m happy.

Quicksand by Nella Larsen

• This is also available in the Norton Critical line, but there are great copies from Penguin and Union Square, too.

How to join

This summer’s short classic readalong newsletters will go to paid subscribers each Friday. In addition to readalongs, paid subscribers receive a monthly edition of Eclectic Recs to keep their TBR lists overflowing with excellent books from every genre. You can join for as little as $5 per month or $35 for a full year (the 30% sale ends June 13).

When I started my teaching career, I never imagined translating my work to the internet for fellow book nerds and literature lovers. I’m so grateful to have found a community of curious, kind, and insatiable readers to learn with—and I cannot wait to read with you this summer.

P.S. Want to get to know me better before embarking on a readalong with me?

Some of the links in this newsletter are Bookshop affiliate links. If you shop these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way.