Reading has always been a sort of solitary pursuit. While it still is, the internet has made it so much easier to find community, read together with others, and always know about the latest publishing trends and sleeper hits.
In this list, we gathered some of the most interesting book newsletters on the internet. We especially encourage you to give these a try if you’ve only been hearing about BookTok or BookTube!
BookMail — The best of both worlds
Reading has become a trendy hobby in the public eye. Love it or hate it, BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram are all part of social media trends.
Whether you are new to the world of romantasy, 400-500-page sci-fi trilogies, or weird literary fiction, social media algorithms make it hard to keep up. Content from your favorite creators may disappear from your feed, and following several accounts just to stay up to date with everything going on in the literary world quickly becomes overwhelming.
With email newsletters, on the other hand, you are sure to receive the latest and greatest about books and engage when you have the time. We’d say people should keep an eye out for a new literary channel — BookMail. It’s algorithm-free, personalized, and often beautifully designed. We’ve compiled this list of the most interesting book newsletters to showcase exactly that!
Use the navigation bar to choose the section of this article you’re the most interested in, or just read about everything in order. And if you want to better understand Substack — the platform many use to send out newsletters, check out our overview!
Our top 5 newsletter picks (and a little extra)
Big lists like this one can be overwhelming to both you and your inbox! So here is the cream of the crop — 5 newsletters we recommend. Choose any of these (or all of them!) and enjoy your reading. These picks are, of course, very subjective, but they at least offer a place to start!
- A Reading Life — beautifully designed with thought-provoking notes on the reading process
- What to Read If — very specific book recommendations across genres
- Read More Books — great book picks for the current times
- Five Books — book recommendations on specific topics from experts
- NPR Books — succinct book reviews and news
Book review newsletters
If you want to learn about other people’s opinions on books, see what they are reading and how, these newsletters are just right for you!
Books on GIF
Classics and contemporary books, reviewed using GIFs! Made possible by only two people, Mike and Donna, and enjoyed by 4,000 subscribers, this newsletter is fun and informative. You’ll find book excerpts, monthly discussions, and lists.
Emails biweekly
Recently featured:
- Conquest of the Useless by Werner Herzog
- Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
- The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey
By the way, did you know that using GIFs is a great email marketing strategy? They add interactivity and effectively break up text.
The Millions
The Millions is first and foremost a books, arts, and culture blog. The newsletter helps readers to keep up with new posts, including reviews, essays, and interviews, and receive recommendations of the selected archive pieces from the blog’s 20+ year history.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Seeing Further by Esther Kinsky
- Over to You: Letters Between a Father and Son by John Berger and Yves Berger
- Context Collapse: A Poem Containing a History of Poetry by Ryan Ruby
Spark
Spark is an essay and book reviews newsletter by the writer Elizabeth Marro. In each email, the author shares a personal story or musings inspired by a book, recommendations, and a moment of Zen by the newsletter subscribers.
Emails biweekly
Recently featured:
- The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
- Moonwalking with Einstein: the Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer
- Dispossessed by Désirée Zamorano
Book Post
This newsletter by a distinguished editor, Ann Kjellberg, is dedicated to book reviews by writers. Free subscribers get several emails from the Reviews, Diaries, and Notebooks categories, while paying subscribers get every email plus access to the archive and more benefits.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
- The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
- Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane
A Reading Life
Petya K. Grady describes A Reading Life as “a newsletter for book people who’ve lost their way.” The author shares her thoughts on reading when the circumstances are interfering with the process and posts about the books she read and enjoyed. This newsletter comes from a UX strategist, no wonder all the emails look aesthetically pleasing!
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
- The Odd Woman and the City by Vivian Gornick
- Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett
Book recommendation newsletters
Looking for your next read? These newsletters will help you find a book (or several!) to occupy your mind and free time.
Also, did you know that reading books can be part of a dopamine detox? A while back, members of the Selzy team attempted to cut their smartphone addiction to hopefully boost productivity and find time for important, fulfilling activities. Take a look at the results via the link above to learn more!
Book Riot newsletters
Book Riot is a large North American book website aiming to feature diverse voices and literature. The platform offers 40+ newsletters from news and deals to genre-specific recommendations. Some of our favorite options are The Headline (expert opinions and deep dives), Read This Book (one book recommendation), and Literary Activism (tips and tools to fight against censorship).
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada
- Necessary Fiction by Eloghosa Osunde
- A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
What to Read If
This newsletter by writer Elizabeth Held is read by more than 9,000 people. Readers can submit their queries and possibly find personalized recommendations from a variety of genres in one of the next newsletters.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Can You Solve the Murder? by Antony Johnston
- The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Five Books
This website asks experts to recommend 5 books in their field of work and explain each pick. Each week brings at least two new interviews, and the newsletter is a great way to stay up to date on the new posts and updated book lists.
Twice a week
Recently featured:
- Grendel by John Gardner
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
- Native Nations: A Millennium in North America by Kathleen DuVal
Reading List
Reading List is a hugely popular newsletter by the writer, marketer, and bookshop owner Ryan Holiday. The author sends over 5 to 10 book recommendations with short reviews and connections to similar or related books. As stated on the website, it’s now read by 300,000+ people!
Emails monthly
Featured books:
- Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
- What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg
- The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant
Read More Books
This newsletter offers weekly recommendations across genres curated by Jeremy Anderberg. One of the unique features of the newsletter is the In the News section, where the author recommends a book to make sense of the recent headlines. The emails are succinct and are read by 14,000+ people.
Two times a week
Recently featured:
- Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- Fire Weather by John Vaillant
- The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World by Christine Rosen
BookBrowse
BookBrowse is a platform for the best contemporary fiction and nonfiction book recommendations. The main focus is on exceptional publications that can deepen a reader’s understanding of themselves and the world around them. The newsletters include Highlights with some of the most important posts and discussions on the platform, and Publishing this week, exploring new releases with expert ratings.
Two times a week and two times a month
Recently featured:
- First Time, Long Time by Amy Silverberg
- Girl, 1983: A Novel by Linn Ullmann
- Greenwich: A Novel by Kate Broad
Genre-centered newsletters
Are you fond of one particular genre? These newsletters will offer recommendations and reflections based on one book category.
Literary fiction: FictionMatters
FictionMatters is run by the educator Sara Hildreth. The newsletter offers book reviews and also musings on the reading process, like ways to contextualize what you are reading, how to think deeply about books, literary elitism and literary egalitarianism, etc.
Several times a week
Recently featured:
- Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates
- A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst
- The Antidote by Karen Russell
Romance: Romancing the Phone
This newsletter by Alyssa Morris is a loving and clever analysis of BookTok trends, recommendations, and musings on the state of modern romance novels. It’s a must-read for anyone looking to better understand this popular genre, bringing in enormous book sales and loud internet discussions.
Several times a month
Recently featured:
- Silver Elite by Dani Francis
- Lights Out: An Into Darkness Novel by Navessa Allen
- Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
Suspense fiction: Present Tense
From personal perspectives on writing to book recommendations, this is the perfect newsletter for the avid readers (and writers) of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense stories. It’s co-written by two genre authors — Caitlin Wahrer and Andromeda Romano-Lax.
Weekly
Recently featured:
- Youthjuice by E.K. Sathue
- The Housewarming Party by Kristin Offiler (upcoming)
- The Detective Byron Mysteries by Bruce Robert Coffin
Children’s books: Can we read?
This newsletter by Sarah Miller is all about raising reading kids and choosing books they will enjoy. It’s read by 6,000 subscribers, and who knows how many of their kids!
Weekly
Recently featured:
- Fiesta Babies by Carmen Tafolla, illustrated by Amy Córdova
- My Friend May by Julie Flett
- The Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg
The Austen Connection
This newsletter doesn’t fit neatly into any of the categories we devised for this article, but it’s an expertly made and fun one, so we couldn’t miss it! It aims to explore the many connections modern life and culture have to Jane Austen. The author uses a Plain Jane pseudonym and works as a public radio producer and journalism professor.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
- Jane Austen: The Original Romance Novelist by Janet Lewis Saidi
- Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly
Book newsletters from media outlets
Many news outlets have newsletters dedicated to books and reading, and in this section, you’ll find a couple of the notable ones.
The Guardian — Bookmarks
If you like the Guardian’s coverage, you should probably subscribe to this newsletter with expert reviews, interviews, and news stories. It’s more of a digest and roundup than a separate resource, but it can help you keep up with their coverage.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Put Your Shoes On by Polly Dunbar
- Fair: The Life-Art of Translation by Jen Calleja
- Drayton and Mackenzie by Alexander Starritt
The New York Times Books
This newsletter is dedicated to all the latest articles on The New York Times Book Review, including reviews, news, and features. Each email features a short editor’s note and recent recommendations from the publication.
Twice a week
Recently featured:
- Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
- A Beautiful Family by Jennifer Trevelyan
- Hum by Helen Phillips
NPR Books
This newsletter offers a variety of book recommendations, reviews, author interviews, and more. The emails are some of the best-designed ones with book covers alongside short descriptions.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Audition by Katie Kitamura
- The Naming of the Birds by Paraic O’Donnell
- On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters by Bonnie Tsui
Book publishing newsletters
Ever wondered what’s going on behind the scenes? These newsletters from publishers and about publishing will help you understand more about the other side of books. They are also a great source of recommendations and insights for aspiring writers.
Publishers Weekly newsletters
PW is an international industry news resource that has several newsletters to help readers navigate the world of publishing and book deals and find out about the best new releases. PW also has specialized resources for librarians and educators.
Emails range from daily to semi-monthly
Notes from a Small Press
A newsletter by Anne Trubek, the founder of Belt Publishing, writer, and editor. Emails feature new releases from the publishing house, musings on book collecting, economic realities of publishing, common misconceptions, etc.
Emails several times a month
Recently featured:
- Be Not Afraid of My Body by Darius Stewart
- O Pioneers!, My Antonia and other works by Willa Cather
- The Trouble With Loving Poets and Other Essays on Failure by Elizabeth Zaleski (upcoming)
Agents and Books
If you’d like to learn more about the world of literary agents, this newsletter by Kate McKean is a great resource. It’s dedicated to the process of finding an agent and writing a book, and is read by more than 32,000 people.
Emails twice a week (one free, one paid)
Recently featured:
- I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol
- Write Through It by Kate McKean
- I Want to Burn This Place Down by Maris Kreizman
Authors’ newsletters
Many writers have their personal newsletters where they share reflections, recommendations, or updates on the writing process. If you like their books, chances are, you’ll also enjoy their newsletters!
Austin Kleon
The author of Steal Like an Artist emails 10 things worth sharing every Friday and also publishes regular posts for paid subscribers with extras like interviews. Although not technically a book newsletter and more of a creativity one, it also sometimes features books.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- The Real World of Technology by Ursula Franklin
- The family travel diaries of architect Carlo Aymonino
By the way, you can find this newsletter along with many other interesting picks in our list of the best newsletters to subscribe to.
Roxane Gay — The Audacity
The writer behind The Bad Feminist has a newsletter audience of over 150,000 subscribers. The emails are dedicated to essays from emerging writers and book club discussions. The newsletter is paid, but the content is available for free during the month of publication, after which it goes under the paywall.
Emails weekly
Recently featured:
- Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson by Tourmaline
- “The Maggot” by Emese Ilyé
- “Inner Thigh Business” by Lauren Leonardi
Miranda July
subscribers get occasional emails about everything, ranging from outfit recommendations to dance videos, and paid ones receive more intimate and personal writing and videos.
Emails several times a month
Recently featured:
- Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Other picks
Some extra recommendations we can give are:
- The Elif Life by Elif Batuman (paid newsletter)
- Birds Before the Storm by Margaret Killjoy
- Dear Fiction by Brooke Lea Foster
- Story Club with George Saunders by George Saunders
In conclusion
If you’re in a reading slump or want your reading to feel more exciting, book newsletters can be just right. And if you ever feel like creating an email newsletter yourself, Selzy is here for you!
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