We started Substack Reads as a place to dive into some of the best writing and writers on Substack. Recently, you’ve been telling us about your favorite writing in the comments.
This week, we want to hear more from you! Tell us about a writer you love, or a recent post or podcast episode you enjoyed, in today’s open discussion thread. Who should we be reading, listening to, and getting obsessed with?
Drop your suggestions in the thread by leaving a comment, and please share the name of the writer and a link to their recent post.
Our team will be scouring your recommendations and will add our favorites to our next installment of Substack Reads, and we encourage you to comment on each other’s choices.
A home for writers and readers. Our team is focused on allowing writers to do their best work, supported by their readers. That includes creating a beautiful reading experience for readers. Read this post by Hamish McKenzie, Substack’s Chief Writing Officer, about the Substack reader experience.
I would like to boost Good Book, Good Bread by Hannah Griffin. Every post pairs a book rec with a baked good inspired by the book, always with a thoughtful review and pretty photos.
I'd like to recommend the very unusual and very lovely 'Noted' by Jillian Hess, which focuses on the notes and documents left behind by writers. It's lovely: https://jillianhess.substack.com/
So many! Como como Kiki by Kiki; Scone Archives by Jess; The Cairo Dispatch by Samantha Childress; Can we Read by Sarah Miller; Non-Boring History by Annette Laing; Kate McDermott’s Newsletter; Between the Layers by Anne Byrn; Buona Domenica by Domenica Marchetti; Wordloaf by Andrew Janjigian; Fog Chaser by Matt; Ingredient by Rachel Phipps; Ruth Talks Food by Ruth Stroud; Sinù’s Venice Newsletter :)
Heather's Substack is insanely popular. Politically, Heather leans Left but everyone can read her musings because her "Letters" are suffused with human warmth.
Less well known is Claire Berlinski's, Cosmopolitan Globalist
Claire is ridiculously intelligent - her depth of knowledge and understanding across a panoply of topics is fearsome but always engaging. If you enjoy and value intelligent content, the Cosmopolitan Globalist is for you.
Sep 24, 2022·edited Sep 24, 2022Liked by Hannah Ray
I'd like to share 2 Substacks I've recently come across that more people should know about.
The first one is Infinite Noise Project. Most of us spend our days surrounded by white noise in one form or another. This Substack takes individual sounds and loops them. It's made me a little more intentional about the spaces I'm in as I go about my day, and I've noticed I'm paying attention to what I'm hearing as well.
If nothing else, it makes for great background sound as you're working.
The second one is "Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture" by Robert Leonard. Leonard covers life in Iowa. On the surface, that might seem like a strange pick, but there are very real people leading very real lives in flyover country.
Leonard writes the way small town AM radio sounds (I say that as high praise). If you have any interest in micro journalism, the Midwest, or just stories about life, this is a good one to add to your content diet.
This is a genuinely striking and well-written philosophy/psychology substack (written by a junior Cambridge academic) who among other things discovered he was conceived by sperm donor in his thirties: https://ideassleepfuriously.substack.com/
Take a look at Rebecca Holden Dear Reader, I'm lost: vulnerable, honest and charming. She's doing an upcoming guest post for me, too. For a super, intellectual take on essays on literature and politics, do look at Sam Kahn Castalia. And I love Michael Mohr for commentary on literature and his short stories. He's doing an upcoming guest post for me! Excellent writers all. Breakthroughs for Substack.
As a food and stories writer, I get really obsessed with two newsletters, that it is almost impossible for me to choose in between them: From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy features amazing writing about food and everything around eating; the other one is Craft Talk by Jami Attenberg, who shares on a weekly basis her recent emotions and feelings towards the craft of writing.
I’m always excited to read a post from Ted Gioia. It might sound corny but he truly is a very wise and intelligent guy. He specialises in commentary on the music business. His insight is razor sharp!
Check out “Unsettled Science” by Nina Teicholz. If you’ve ever heard the term “trans fats,” you have Nina to thank. Her Substack picks up where her NYT Bestseller “Big Fat Surprise” left off, digging into the politics and science (or lack thereof) behind current dietary dogma and official government recommendations. It’s the most important and, well, unsettling writing in the health space today.
I'm a fan of Kevin Alexander On Repeat. https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/p/milky-chance. He writes about music he likes, music he doesn't like but which has some saving graces, such as the one I linked to. His tastes are omnivorous, he does deep dives, swims laps, floats, dog paddles, writes varying lengths and styles, genre agnostic. He's persuasive, argumentative with himself, always interesting.
I love Dr. Robert W Malone's Substack. He writes as one of the most genuine, brilliant, yet humble men I have come across on Substack. I also have great admiration for Dr. Pierre Koury, who has lost much in order to save lives and fight for truth, yet is there on the front lines day after day. And I also must read Steve Kirsch every day, the most non-fatigueable man on earth. He is unrelenting in his efforts to educate and sway people to stop the travesty caused by these "clot shots" and expose bad science.
I personally like to read Alex Berenson, Bari Weiss, and Glenn Greenwald. I really don’t like people writing junk about Trump it simply points to deranged thinking where the threat of Trump sets up shop in the heads of writers.
Did your local newspaper foolishly dump all of your favorite arts and entertainment writers? Miss reading well-informed movie reviews and essays by an experienced writer? Please check out Screen Time with Philip Booth https://philipbooth.substack.com/p/dont-worry-darling-is-this-the-real
Aside from reading authors and books, for now, or ever since Rush Limbaugh passed away, I trust very few sources, authors, for news and commentary. I enjoy reading "Coffee & COVID," or Jeff Childers everyday her on Substack. On glad he is here. He news and commentary is funny, sarcastic, but most of all informative, and almost true most of the time.
I don’t do this often but plugging myself here for crisis reasons. I’m a queer nuyorican writer, currently working and living in Puerto Rico and as some of you may know, Hurricane Fiona hit us last Sunday and most of the island has been without power since. No power, no wifi, spotty service, many still don’t even have water. I wrote a essay this week for my newsletter about the abuse of power by LUMA energy (PR’s power grid provider) and I encourage you all to check it out if you can. Also written fully on my phone (I should be sponsored by google docs honestly...)
The people of Puerto Rico are seriously suffering right now and the only thing I’ve been asking of folks is to keep boosting and talking about what’s going on here. We need to shine a light on the corruption so things can change.
I love Austin Kleon’s newsletter--he sends out “10 things worth sharing” every Friday. Books about creativity and art, music and podcast recommendations, but mostly just a wonderfully curated list of quirky interesting things to look at, try, think about... subscribers get more content on Tuesdays. https://open.substack.com/pub/austinkleon
I recently discovered Micha Boyett and her beautiful newsletter. Warm, insightful, gentle, and so, so good. Find The Slow Way. https://michaboyett.substack.com
If you like Personal Finance💰 and ways to grow your money, then you might be interested in The Tobin Report. It's written with some humor and meant to help everyday people learn to be better with their money.
We put out a weekly podcast which is all about reframing life’s big and small problems- hosted by two very different sister- and an accompanying newsletter that comes with a recipe! https://reframeables.substack.com/ because eating and talking!!
Are there others doing a podcast/newsletter combo that people could hip me too? Thanks!!
My fave here is Sue Lani Madsen who writes worthy and even educational creations EVERY time ! You read and absorb her writings , you will learn something and be given true facts and even feel better because of it . Sue Lani will never disappoint. 😎👍
Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Bari Weiss, Alex Berenson.
I would like to boost Good Book, Good Bread by Hannah Griffin. Every post pairs a book rec with a baked good inspired by the book, always with a thoughtful review and pretty photos.
https://open.substack.com/pub/goodbookgoodbread/p/sesame-sourdough-rogues?r=5v9y&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I'd like to recommend the very unusual and very lovely 'Noted' by Jillian Hess, which focuses on the notes and documents left behind by writers. It's lovely: https://jillianhess.substack.com/
There's always something interesting at 'Works in Progress': https://worksinprogress.substack.com/
Paul Kingsnorth’s Abbey of Misrule is excellent! There’s a fortnightly essay and lovely snippets of writing in between.
Who can beat Edward G. Robinson and Orson Welles?
We just published "The Stranger"
The whole movie!!!
https://pdmovies.substack.com/p/the-stranger-1946-orson-wells-directs
So many! Como como Kiki by Kiki; Scone Archives by Jess; The Cairo Dispatch by Samantha Childress; Can we Read by Sarah Miller; Non-Boring History by Annette Laing; Kate McDermott’s Newsletter; Between the Layers by Anne Byrn; Buona Domenica by Domenica Marchetti; Wordloaf by Andrew Janjigian; Fog Chaser by Matt; Ingredient by Rachel Phipps; Ruth Talks Food by Ruth Stroud; Sinù’s Venice Newsletter :)
I think (by now) everyone reads Heather Cox Richardson's, Letters from an American
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/
Heather's Substack is insanely popular. Politically, Heather leans Left but everyone can read her musings because her "Letters" are suffused with human warmth.
Less well known is Claire Berlinski's, Cosmopolitan Globalist
https://claireberlinski.substack.com/
Claire is ridiculously intelligent - her depth of knowledge and understanding across a panoply of topics is fearsome but always engaging. If you enjoy and value intelligent content, the Cosmopolitan Globalist is for you.
I'd like to share 2 Substacks I've recently come across that more people should know about.
The first one is Infinite Noise Project. Most of us spend our days surrounded by white noise in one form or another. This Substack takes individual sounds and loops them. It's made me a little more intentional about the spaces I'm in as I go about my day, and I've noticed I'm paying attention to what I'm hearing as well.
If nothing else, it makes for great background sound as you're working.
A recent favorite: https://infinitenoiseproject.substack.com/p/industrial-doppler#details
#####
The second one is "Deep Midwest: Politics and Culture" by Robert Leonard. Leonard covers life in Iowa. On the surface, that might seem like a strange pick, but there are very real people leading very real lives in flyover country.
Leonard writes the way small town AM radio sounds (I say that as high praise). If you have any interest in micro journalism, the Midwest, or just stories about life, this is a good one to add to your content diet.
A recent fave: https://rleonard.substack.com/p/a-trip-to-perry
Where's Perry Iowa? Beats me, but this story is relatable regardless of your zip code.
I’ll recommend two musical substack :
https://bradkyle.substack.com/
https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/
They both make quality content !!
This is a genuinely striking and well-written philosophy/psychology substack (written by a junior Cambridge academic) who among other things discovered he was conceived by sperm donor in his thirties: https://ideassleepfuriously.substack.com/
This is the first part of the sperm donor conception story: https://ideassleepfuriously.substack.com/p/on-discovering-that-i-was-sperm-donor#details
Jeremy Anderberg writes his notes/tips/thoughts after having read 1000+ books: https://open.substack.com/pub/readmorebooks/p/what-to-read-next-no-244-some-thoughts?r=1hyyt9&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
Take a look at Rebecca Holden Dear Reader, I'm lost: vulnerable, honest and charming. She's doing an upcoming guest post for me, too. For a super, intellectual take on essays on literature and politics, do look at Sam Kahn Castalia. And I love Michael Mohr for commentary on literature and his short stories. He's doing an upcoming guest post for me! Excellent writers all. Breakthroughs for Substack.
As a food and stories writer, I get really obsessed with two newsletters, that it is almost impossible for me to choose in between them: From the Desk of Alicia Kennedy features amazing writing about food and everything around eating; the other one is Craft Talk by Jami Attenberg, who shares on a weekly basis her recent emotions and feelings towards the craft of writing.
https://www.aliciakennedy.news/
https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/
I’m always excited to read a post from Ted Gioia. It might sound corny but he truly is a very wise and intelligent guy. He specialises in commentary on the music business. His insight is razor sharp!
https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/youtube-may-force-you-to-watch-10
Check out “Unsettled Science” by Nina Teicholz. If you’ve ever heard the term “trans fats,” you have Nina to thank. Her Substack picks up where her NYT Bestseller “Big Fat Surprise” left off, digging into the politics and science (or lack thereof) behind current dietary dogma and official government recommendations. It’s the most important and, well, unsettling writing in the health space today.
https://unsettledscience.substack.com/
I'm a fan of Kevin Alexander On Repeat. https://thekevinalexander.substack.com/p/milky-chance. He writes about music he likes, music he doesn't like but which has some saving graces, such as the one I linked to. His tastes are omnivorous, he does deep dives, swims laps, floats, dog paddles, writes varying lengths and styles, genre agnostic. He's persuasive, argumentative with himself, always interesting.
Alex Berenson, Bari Weiss, Glenn Greenwood.
I love Dr. Robert W Malone's Substack. He writes as one of the most genuine, brilliant, yet humble men I have come across on Substack. I also have great admiration for Dr. Pierre Koury, who has lost much in order to save lives and fight for truth, yet is there on the front lines day after day. And I also must read Steve Kirsch every day, the most non-fatigueable man on earth. He is unrelenting in his efforts to educate and sway people to stop the travesty caused by these "clot shots" and expose bad science.
I look forward to reading Jeff Childers Coffee & Covid every day. Love him!
I am sure anyone involved in the markets will enjoy reading Heard on the Trading Floor’s newsletter. Written by seasoned credit and options traders.
hotf.substack.com
Dumss from Vizible! She spotlights interesting African startups.
vizible.substack.com
Joe Posnanski is a sportswriter. https://open.substack.com/pub/joeposnanski/p/dayton-moore-and-the-power-of-belief?r=d6kjz&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
George Conway: dog lover and a funny lawyer
“Coffee & Covid” is my favorite daily read! Jeff Childers is bright, articulate and deliciously sarcastic!
Sari Botton of Oldster Mag, Stephanie K. Smith of Slant Letter
Aging makes camping harder with every passing year. So why do I keep popping a tent despite the hardship? https://noonatthepark.substack.com/p/camping
I personally like to read Alex Berenson, Bari Weiss, and Glenn Greenwald. I really don’t like people writing junk about Trump it simply points to deranged thinking where the threat of Trump sets up shop in the heads of writers.
A few of my favorites:
Elizabeth Aquino: https://elizabethaquino.substack.com/
Release and Gather: https://hollyrabalais.substack.com/
Jill Filipovic: https://jill.substack.com/
Dinner: A Love Story: https://dinneralovestory.substack.com/
All in Her Head: https://jessica.substack.com/
Mike Snowden “Everything is Amazing” (https://everythingisamazing.substack.com/),
Katie Hawkins-Gaar “My Sweet Dumb Brain” (https://mysweetdumbbrain.substack.com/),
Kelton Wright “Shangrilogs” (https://shangrilogs.substack.com/),
Chris Latray “An Irritable Métis “ (https://chrislatray.substack.com/),
Sari Botton “Oldster Magazine” (https://oldster.substack.com/),
Antonia Malchik “On The Commons” (https://antonia.substack.com/),
Ken Lamberton “The Big Yard” (https://kenlamberton.substack.com/),
Winston Malone “Storyletter” (https://storyletter.substack.com/),
Robyn Ryle “You Think To Much” (https://robynryle.substack.com/)…
I could list ten more easily! So many good publications not enough people know about.
Did your local newspaper foolishly dump all of your favorite arts and entertainment writers? Miss reading well-informed movie reviews and essays by an experienced writer? Please check out Screen Time with Philip Booth https://philipbooth.substack.com/p/dont-worry-darling-is-this-the-real
#SHAMELESS PLUG
I am new to the Substack community, and had written a couple of articles this week.
I call it "Dispatches from an American Patriot," and you can find it at https://rickbulow.substack.com/
Toby Rogers is my favorite! I highly recommend his account
I’m reading Heartbeat for lovely romantic short fiction: https://open.substack.com/pub/theheartbeat?r=43da&utm_medium=ios
Hi all! Here’s a recent post I enjoyed by Wunkerful: https://open.substack.com/pub/wunkerful/p/worry-not-over-trauma-or-karma?r=1hz15g&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post
I'm really enjoying Sarah Wood's Liminal Space https://limminal.substack.com/p/choosing-the-life-you-want
Aside from reading authors and books, for now, or ever since Rush Limbaugh passed away, I trust very few sources, authors, for news and commentary. I enjoy reading "Coffee & COVID," or Jeff Childers everyday her on Substack. On glad he is here. He news and commentary is funny, sarcastic, but most of all informative, and almost true most of the time.
Please consider visiting “Everything is Personal” a literary book in posts by Laurie Stone lauriestone.Substack.com/p/space-odyssey
Neal Bascomb's Work/Craft/Life: https://open.substack.com/pub/workcraftlife/p/thorpe
Glenn Greemwald
Letters From An American, by Heather Cox Richardson, EVERY DAY
https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/
I just subscribed to Common Sense.
I don’t do this often but plugging myself here for crisis reasons. I’m a queer nuyorican writer, currently working and living in Puerto Rico and as some of you may know, Hurricane Fiona hit us last Sunday and most of the island has been without power since. No power, no wifi, spotty service, many still don’t even have water. I wrote a essay this week for my newsletter about the abuse of power by LUMA energy (PR’s power grid provider) and I encourage you all to check it out if you can. Also written fully on my phone (I should be sponsored by google docs honestly...)
The people of Puerto Rico are seriously suffering right now and the only thing I’ve been asking of folks is to keep boosting and talking about what’s going on here. We need to shine a light on the corruption so things can change.
https://theradicalnewsletter.substack.com/p/48-maldita-sea-otro-apagon
I must say I like all your writers, even the ones I disagree with. This is much better than government media/newspapers.
I love Austin Kleon’s newsletter--he sends out “10 things worth sharing” every Friday. Books about creativity and art, music and podcast recommendations, but mostly just a wonderfully curated list of quirky interesting things to look at, try, think about... subscribers get more content on Tuesdays. https://open.substack.com/pub/austinkleon
I recently discovered Micha Boyett and her beautiful newsletter. Warm, insightful, gentle, and so, so good. Find The Slow Way. https://michaboyett.substack.com
My personal favourites are Aimee Vanderpool, Judd Legum and Steve Schmidt.
If you like Personal Finance💰 and ways to grow your money, then you might be interested in The Tobin Report. It's written with some humor and meant to help everyday people learn to be better with their money.
https://ehyde.substack.com/
If you are interested in a deep dive, high level macro economics, then I recommend Alf's newsletter The Macro Compass
https://themacrocompass.substack.com
We put out a weekly podcast which is all about reframing life’s big and small problems- hosted by two very different sister- and an accompanying newsletter that comes with a recipe! https://reframeables.substack.com/ because eating and talking!!
Are there others doing a podcast/newsletter combo that people could hip me too? Thanks!!
Want some punchy and fun writing? I really love Lauren John Joseph's substack, Them Fatale https://laurenjohnjoseph.substack.com/
My fave here is Sue Lani Madsen who writes worthy and even educational creations EVERY time ! You read and absorb her writings , you will learn something and be given true facts and even feel better because of it . Sue Lani will never disappoint. 😎👍