Women's Health October 20, 2026 0 Comments

Ann Patchett’s Current Reading List: 4 Books That Could Transform Your Mindset and Boost Your Hustle—Find Out What’s Fueling Her Fire Right Now!

Nashville turned into a literary hotspot this weekend, buzzing with over 200 authors all mingling and sharing stories at the Southern Festival of Books. Imagine the energy of a room packed to the brim with readers clutching their favorite novels—and not just any novels, but Ann Patchett’s latest 2026 hit, Whistler. Now, what’s the magic ingredient that makes a book not only fly off shelves but speak to the complex dance of family, history, and human connection? Ann Patchett, together with C. Cybele Raver from Vanderbilt University, dove deep into this question, sparking a conversation that resonated far beyond the pages. And here’s a thought: in a world where book banning and cancel culture are shouting loud, could the real revolution be simply letting readers choose their own stories? Because, as Patchett reminds us with a spark in her voice, “Every book is a gateway drug.” Pick up anything—yes, even what someone else calls “junk”—and you’re already part of something bigger: a beloved, thriving community of readers. Curious what’s on her bookshelf right now? Hold on tight—we’re about to unpack her top picks that’ll inspire your next page-turner obsession! LEARN MORE

Nashville was booked and busy this weekend! More than 200 authors gathered for the annual Southern Festival of Books, including headliners Kathryn Stockett, Tia Williams, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Jayne Anne Phillips and Ann Patchett. On Saturday afternoon, the festival’s Cumberland Tent was packed to the brim as hundreds of readers gathered—with their cherished copies of Whistler in hand—for Patchett’s conversation with C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Vanderbilt University.

As Patchett and Raver took the stage, the audience erupted in cheers—and Woman’s World was there! They covered a range of bookish topics, from Patchett’s 2026 bestseller, Whistler, to the complexity of writing about family dynamics, recent book recommendations—and, of course, the power of reading itself. “I was talking to J.T. Ellison at the party last night and she said something so smart and so important,” Patchett told the crowd.

“She said we need to stop talking about the books we hate…and I love saying this: Banning books in schools and pulling them off the shelves is bad bad bad, but also cancelling books is bad bad bad. Let everybody make their own choice and read what they want to read.”

She continued encouraging people to pick up whatever books speak to them, reminding the crowd that any book can spark a true love of reading. “Every book is a ‘gateway drug.’ If you read nothing, you will read nothing,” she said. “If you read something that somebody else thinks is ‘junk,’ I don’t care—you’re reading and you’re building the confidence of a reader. And the next time you’re going to read something else then something else, then you are part of a beloved community.”

That beloved community she was referring to is the reading community. In Patchett’s eyes, you don’t have to be a lifelong bookworm or read the classics to be part of the club. You just have to pick up a book and, well, start reading.

Keep scrolling to find out what Patchett is reading and recommending right now!

Who’s your favorite author attending the Southern Festival of Books?

‘A Children’s Bible’ by Lydia Millet—a chilling dystopian novel

Ann Patchett Southern Festival of Books recommendations — W. W. Norton & Company

Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible is a National Book Award finalist and one of The New York Times’ ‘10 Best Books of the Year’—and Patchett raved about it during her Southern Festival of Books appearance! The story follows a group of 12 eerily perceptive children spending the summer at a lakeside mansion with their self-absorbed absent parents. When a destructive summer storm hits, the kid group’s ringleaders―including Eve, who narrates the story―decide to run away. As apocalyptic chaos unfurls, the events start to mimic scenes from the Bible that Eve’s little brother carries around. A haunting, thought-provoking dystopian novel.

What Patchett said about it: “Right now I’m reading Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible,” she told the crowd. “It’s a few years old and it was a finalist for the Pulitzer.”

What other readers are saying: “Millet’s writing is gorgeous. It’s tinged with magical realism, especially at the end. I don’t know how this book can be categorized. It’s part thriller, part horror, part young adult novel. Whatever it is, it’s a fantastic book that highlights the atrocity of crimes against nature and the sole pursuit of money and how those actions affect younger generations.”

‘Fair Ones’ by Lydia Millet—an ode to midlife friendships

Patchett is reading and loving more than one novel by Lydia Millet this month! Her other recent read, Fair Ones, is a fast-moving double novel that follows two Brooklyn women in their forties reeling from the unexpected passing of their friend Claire. Fair, Mara’s account, begins as the initial news of Claire’s baffling death. Meanwhile, Ones is told from Jen’s point of view. Jen’s story picks up a year later as she and Mara face new relationships and long-buried secrets.

What Patchett said about it: “I recently also read Millet’s new book which came out a couple of weeks ago called Fair Ones, which I love. You would love Fair Ones,” she continued.

What other readers are saying: “Millet weaves in all the emotions and sprinkles everything with humor (like life!). These characters are vividly human, and we meet them at a time of shocking crisis and then follow them through the grieving process. Every word uttered, or thought unsaid, feels true and real.”

‘Middlemarch’ by George Eliot—Patchett’s desert island pick

First published in 1871, George Eliot’s Middlemarch is often celebrated as one of the greatest novels in English literature. Fun fact? It’s also the book Patchett said she’d bring with her to a desert island! (But not for the reason you might think!) Set in a fictional English town in the early 1830s, this richly detailed story follows the lives, loves and ambitions of a cast of memorable characters in a tight-knit community. Filled with sharp insights about the complexities of everyday life, the novel explores marriage, idealism and the desire to make a difference. More than 150 years later, Middlemarch remains a timeless classic that highlights a community and the people trying to find their place in it.

What Patchett said about it: “I am also listening to Middlemarch right now which is a book I probably won’t finish,” Patchett added. “I keep trying and getting right around page 250. Middlemarch is great but I keep not finishing it. …When they ask what book would you bring to a desert island, I say Middlemarch because it’s the only way I’ll finish it.” [laughs]

What other readers are saying: “I am spoiling myself with my literary discoveries! I enjoyed George Eliot’s Middlemarch again, which is nearly 1,000 pages long. It is a fantastic story about a small village in England where several locals’ destinies meet and we embark on a grand adventure from the very first page!”

‘Cool Machine’ by Colson Whitehead—A crime caper Patchett loves ‘passionately’

Cool Machine is the third novel in Pulitzer winner Colson Whitehead’s bestselling Harlem Trilogy. In this final installment, readers are transported to 1980s New York as the city emerges from financial decline. In Harlem, a successful business owner and master fence—an expert receiver and seller of stolen goods—is trying to help his wife, Elizabeth, get a loan for her new travel agency. He decides to gamble on one last heist and finds himself caught up with a legendary criminal mastermind.

What Patchett said about it: “I cannot tell you how much I love Cool Machine. It doesn’t matter if you haven’t read the other two Harlem Shuffle books—read Cool Machine.”

What she’s said about Whitehead’s other books: “I love Colson Whitehead’s writing. I think nobody touches him. He is the genius of our age…the last three books he has written are the Harlem Shuffle series and they’re kind of crime caper thrillers. Not my usual jam, but I love these books passionately. Every single sentence makes you stop and rethink everything you knew. They are so beautifully constructed. It’s like the best writing ever but with a thriller propulsion…it makes it an extraordinary reading experience!”

What other readers are saying: “Colson Whitehead brings his Harlem Trilogy to a magnificent close in Cool Machine, capturing the weight of passing time with incredible heart. It was deeply moving to follow along as these iconic characters reckon with getting older while navigating an ever-shifting New York City.”