New Year New Us

In Which We Invite You To Our Book Community

Hello and Happy New Year!

Photo Credit: Kristee Mays Photography

For a decade between 2008 and 2018 we (

Ariel Lawhon

and

Marybeth Whalen

) ran a book site called She Reads. 

We shared the best novels and author essays that we could find. We had a book club and ran live events and did our best to connect authors and readers. We loved it. But in 2018 we began to feel that She Reads, in that iteration, had run its course. So we retired the site and went about raising our families and writing our books. The one thing that never changed, however, was the core of what made She Reads work: a friendship founded on the love of reading and sharing books. We still called and texted and gossiped about the world of publishing. And we still recommended all of the best books that we read to anyone who would listen. When the dust settled, we realized that we missed this. We missed you. So here we are as The Book Tide (think of it as She Reads 2.0). A bit more unfiltered, relaxed, and a whole lot more fun. But still dedicated to helping readers find books they’ll love and authors find a loyal, supportive audience.

So…is this ANOTHER book club?

Yes-But.

Yes, there will be a book club aspect. But this is our personal book club. This is where we gather to chat about the books that we have actually bought and loved. We are simply opening it to a wider audience. Welcome aboard!

Okay fine, but is this ONLY a book club?

Nope. The Book Tide is more than that. Yes, we will select one great book to chat about every month. But there will two tiers of content that we provide:

Free: Our monthly book announcement will always be free. As will our weekly column, This Week In Books—a lighthearted, reader-centric take on the all the juicy book drama of the week. We will also post the occasional review and host regular book chats (think Bring Your Own Book Club).

Paid: Ariel and Marybeth will host an in-depth video conversation about the chosen book each month. We will include the author whenever possible. You can also expect essays, author interviews, and guest posts from those in and around the publishing industry (agents, editors, audiobook narrators, etc).    

Wait, this won’t be free?

At first, everything will be free. We’d never ask you to sign up without knowing what you’re getting. Go ahead and take this thing for a test drive!

That said, a paywall is the most effective way to keep out the trolls. Listen, we’ve all been on the internet for a long time. It can be hairy. And since we’re inviting people into our living room (albeit virtual) we want to know who those people are so that we can ensure a warm, safe, and encouraging space. Those joining us are our friends. Real-life friends. Online friends. Industry friends. We have no interest in throwing them to the wolves.

Also, the three of us write full time for a living. Two of us are currently on deadline. One of us has a toddler and a puppy. We have fourteen children between us. Yes, fourteen. (You have to admit that’s impressive). Time is valuable. But so is knowledge. And we’ll be sharing a great deal of both with you.

The onus is on us to provide the content you didn’t know you needed. The incentive for you is a great bookish corner of the internet with no ulterior motive, no advertising, and no trolling. We will turn on the paywall in March. But if you believe in what we are doing, feel free to pledge your support early! You won’t be charged until we start accepting payments.

How much are we talking about?

A paid subscription will be $8 per month or $80 per year. Less than your weekly Starbucks, but enough to make it worth everyone’s time.

But remember there will always be free content each week as well if you want to ease your way in.

Why are you doing this on Substack?

Because this platform allows us to easily build a reading community in an authentic and meaningful way. It’s all here. Podcasting. Video. Blog. Newsletter. We won’t have to send you all over the internet to engage with us.

But are you on social media?

Of course. We’re not recluses. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. And of course there’s thebooktide.substack.com

What kinds of books will you pick?

We firmly believe that people read for four reasons: to be entertained or to escape, to be edified or educated. Every one of those reasons is valid. And they build the foundation for our own reading lives.

We will pick books following one simple rule: we have to love them (for any of the reasons listed above). Like most readers, we don’t have a particular genre that we exclusively read. Our tastes vary. We read everything. Fiction and non-fiction. Memoir and biography. Ariel’s taste in books differs from Marybeth’s which differs from Abby’s. We will embrace that diversity here just like we do in your daily lives. We will NOT pick books based on any agenda—social, political, or otherwise. No one will be made to feel guilty for what they do or do not like.

Our discourse will always be civil. If you don’t like a certain book, even one of the books we choose, no big deal. We just ask that you don’t trash it here. There are other places for that (ahem, Goodreads). We understand that no single book appeals to everyone. But we are also authors, and we have a lot of skin in this game. When books get bombed, it hurts. We don’t want to hurt our colleagues. So we’ll keep the conversations positive.

We genuinely hope you will join us in the coming year. Ariel will be our guinea pig for January. Helpful since her latest book—The Frozen River—just published last month. This is your chance to ask all of those burning questions about That Scene At The End! Stay tuned for the official announcement post and how to join the conversation.

About our team. 

Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her novels include: THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS; FLIGHT OF DREAMS; I WAS ANASTASIA; CODE NAME HÉLÈNE; THE FROZEN RIVER; and WHEN WE HAD WINGS (co-written with Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner). Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Good Morning America, Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. She splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of This Secret Thing, as well as Only Ever Her, When We Were Worthy, The Things We Wish Were True and five previous novels, which have sold over half a million copies. Marybeth received a BA degree in English with a concentration in Writing and Editing from NC State University a long time ago and has been writing ever since. Her tenth novel will be out October 1, 2024. Marybeth and her husband Curt are the parents of six children, ranging in age from young adult to teen. A native of Charlotte, NC, Marybeth now calls Sunset Beach, NC home. You can find out more about her, including a link to the pantyhose commercial she starred in at the age of five, via her linktree. 

Abby Belbeck is Ariel’s sister and the editor here at The Book Tide. She lives outside of Nashville, TN with her husband, four kids, and two rescue dogs.  She is an avid reader and book lover with a penchant for bossing people around. Let’s be real, somebody needs to keep the wheels on the bus and that honor goes to Abby. 

Much love from Ariel, Marybeth, and Abby. 

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