June Invite & May Replay: "Reading with Wonder" Book Club

+ Discussion Qs for These Summer Storms, our next book club pick

Joanna Phoenix and Evelyn Skye

Jun 02, 2026

∙ Paid

Hello, Protagonists! In this post, you’ll find:

🎥 The video replay of our May meeting
📚 Your invitation + discussion questions for our next book pick, These Summer Storms
🗓️ Upcoming Book Club Picks
💛 RSVP & Zoom link (below the paywall)

xo, Joanna & Evelyn

The “Reading with Wonder” Book Club is for our community members who want to dive even deeper into how great books work. Come nerd out with us! 🤓

🎥 Replay: Writing Creativity and Soul

If you missed our last Book Club meeting, you can now watch the full replay above.

We had a beautiful discussion of Writing Creativity and Soul. We talked about:

Writing as a Spiritual Act: We talked about how art requires one’s whole being and discussed the difference between the subconscious and the soul during those “aha” moments in creation. We wondered if the state of flow—requiring patience and expansion—could be synonymous with accessing the soul or spirit, and contrasted this with the brute-force state of thinking through a problem.

Maya Angelou’s Three Pillars: We talked about how writers need something to say, the ability to say it, and the courage to say it. We shared how we found different pillars challenging at different times in our careers. Struggling with the courage to call oneself a writer at the beginning. Having a hard time finding something to say when the well is dry. And learning how to say it by studying craft.

Protecting Creative Space and Time: The group talked about our own units of “self-ordered pattern of time” to write. Evelyn shared how author Laurie Halse Anderson gave her permission to “say no” to PTA requests, validating that her time to write as a young mom, even before publication. We talked about how avoiding distractions is essential to preserving energy and attention for our creativity. A participant recommended Chris Hayes’ The Siren’s Call about the attention economy.

Chaos and Order in Creative Process: Several of us felt the comfort of structure and the need to allow more space for the chaos. We shared ways we allow unstructured space in our creative process, including walks, showers, daydreaming during the in-between times of the day, and the essentialness of boredom and rest.

Hurrying Slowly: Kidd’s phrase “hurrying slowly” about plot pacing and the process of writing resonated with participants. Several members write fast and noticed that some slowness might be an area of growth, allowing the scenes or drafts space to breathe, especially in later drafts.

We also chatted about how many books we read in a year, reading speed, audiobook recommendations, and, of course, our June Book Club read, These Summer Storms.

During the Mini Creativity Coaching portion, we did a Future Self Visualization.

Joanna led a guided meditation (based on Tara Mohr’s Playing Big) where participants traveled 20 years into the future to meet their future selves and ask questions about what matters, how to write their truth, and receive other guidance. Many found deep guidance and reassurance from the experience.

As always, the replay is available to paid subscribers to keep our discussions cozy and private.

📚 You’re Invited: These Summer Storms

Whether you’re a curious reader or a fellow writer, we’d love to have you join us. No need to be “an expert”—just bring your thoughts and your love of books.

Our next Book Club pick is:

These Summer Storms by Sarah MacLean
An estranged billionaire’s daughter returns to a private Rhode Island island for a memorial, only to find her late father has left the family in a manipulative inheritance game. This was one of our favorite reads late last summer, so we obviously want to talk all about it with you!

Meeting Date:

Sunday, May 31st, 2026
8pm ET / 5pm PT
Zoom link below

💬 During the book discussion, we’ll chat about:

Constraints - MacLean uses the “one week on an island” premise as a creative constraint. Did the bounded time and place make the story feel tighter, more theatrical, more artificial, or more emotionally pressurized? Is the container of the book the island, the will, the storm, the week, Alice’s return, or the family reckoning?
Birth Order - In our podcast interview with MacLean, she talked about taking pleasure in turning birth order tropes on their heads. How well did she accomplish this? Which characters transformed and which characters failed to transform?
Posthumous characters - MacLean also talked about her decision to never have Franklin alive on page, so the character is absent but still structurally powerful. How did she keep a dead character active in the plot?
Reveals - Which secrets landed because they were carefully seeded, and which surprised you through timing or emotional context?
Wealth - The Storm family’s wealth creates spectacle, but also emotional distortion. How did the book make you feel about family wealth?
Career Transitions - This novel is a transition for MacLean, going from Historical Romance to Book Club Fiction. Did this feel like a debut? Where did you feel her romance-genre roots most strongly: banter, pacing, emotional legibility, sensuality, character arc, or payoff?
- Do you perceive traditional publishing as supporting or inhibiting the creative evolution of authors?
- What other authors have successfully transitioned to other arenas?

💬 During the Mini Creativity Coaching portion, we will talk about:

MacLean stands for the power of pleasure and joy in our world. How does pleasure have power in your creative life? How can you invite more pleasure into each day?
In our podcast interview with MacLean, she talked about her admiration of Jennifer Lynne Barnes (whose most popular series is called The Inheritance Games) and her advice to find your “id buttons,” which are the small and big things that you adore, and fill your book with them. We will take time to list our personal “id buttons” in writing and life.