Let's Talk About Books With Brooke Lea Foster
a passionate reader and bookstore lover who wanted a place to share tidbits about her fictional travels, both on and off the page
Hello readers!
Welcome to another edition of my series that features my favorite kind of online writers ~ those who write about BOOKS! Just like my series What Writers Read, this series introduces you to new writers and their favorite books. I do hope you enjoy it!
Today I’m excited to introduce you all to someone who meets the criteria of both of my interview series ~ Brooke Lea Foster is an author AND someone who writes extensively about books and writing. I can’t even express my delight when I read her piece about teaching writing to young girls using Taylor Swift Lyrics ~ where do I sign up??? And her list of the all-time greatest summer novels is such a treasure trove! I also have an early digital copy of her forthcoming novel on my Kindle and I can’t wait to dig into it!
I hope you enjoy meeting Brooke ~ let’s jump right in!
A Bit About Brooke
I am a mom, a sister, a daughter, a wife, a feminist and a friend. I’m also a longtime journalist (NYT, Boston Globe, People mag) who began writing novels eight years ago when my little girl was 6-months-old. After writing long form articles for magazines and newspapers for two decades, I was intimidated to make the switch to fiction. It felt like a very big risk. I would have to find my voice; not just write in the voice of whatever publication I was assigned to, and I wasn’t even sure I could do it. But I’m glad I worked my tail off those first few years writing in between my kids naps. My first historical fiction novel, Summer Darlings, came out in May 2020, and my second, On Gin Lane, released in June 2022. My latest book All the Summers in Between (June 4 2024!) is a dual-timeline historical novel set in East Hampton, New York in 1967 and 1977. It follows two best friends (rich girl, poor girl) who reunite unexpectedly after ten years apart and are forced to reckon with a dark secret.
What inspired you to start writing about books online?
I started Dear Fiction for a few reasons. First, I’m a passionate reader and bookstore lover and I wanted a place to share tidbits about my fictional travels, both on and off the page. Second, writing a novel is a slow (and sometimes lonely) process, and I wanted an outlet to write about topics other than my own characters. Dear Fiction gives me a place to come out of my imaginative world and enter back into the real one. Lastly, I love connecting with people who have read my books and want to get a behind-the-scenes look at my writing process.
Tell us about your bookish newsletter or blog!
I publish every Tuesday, and I write about what I'm reading, what I'm writing, travel destinations paired with book recs. I also offer insight into the publishing industry and a behind the scenes look at my novels. Sometimes I write about essays about issues faced by women, like when I recently did an issue devoted to why moms are always expected to care for a sick child or what to do with a box of old diaries. I also feature the work of authors whose work I respect in a column called Author Confessions. Here, I interview authors like Fiona Davis and Kristy Woodson Harvey about their writing process and secrets.
Which of your newsletters / blog posts / book lists are you most proud of?
I loved this piece that I did called “Let’s Talk About Author Swag.” In this story, I interviewed myriad authors about what they’ve done (or not done) to promote their books to bookstagrammers or booktokers. An article titled “Would You Join a Couples Book Club?” is a favorite, mostly because I never considered asking husbands in my book club and I found it interesting to explore why. In a recent post called “Do You Still Read Magazines?” I wrote about how much glossy magazines still figure in my life and why; the issue had a huge response.
Brooke recommends ……
If I'm picking my most recommended books of all time, I'd probably have to say The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams, The Secret History by Donna Tartt and Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. I'm always passing those along to readers!
These are the books I've been obsessed with in the last year:
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Something about the cover turned me off of this book but when it came out in paperback, I picked it up. I should not have judged it by its looks though because this story is POWERFUL. It's about a brother and sister whose mother dies and leaves behind a six hour recording telling them the secrets she's kept while alive. Not only did I admire the writing, plot and pacing, there was heart on every single page. I adored the characters.
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Told from alternating points of view from four members of a single family, The Bee Sting will suck you in with its fascinating take on what makes people tick, what draws them close and what tears them apart. It's a tome, so dig into this one but I read it so fast because it was that good.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter. Set in mid-century Italy, this story captivates with its movie star main character and quirky Italian cast. It's atmospheric but also the kind of book that makes you feel utterly transported. LOVE. There was just something about Walters’ writing...
I hope you loved meeting
! If her work seems like it fits your reading style, definitely subscribe to so you can get more of her recommendations.
Do you write about books? Are you interested in being featured in this series?
Please take a look at the submission form and see if it’s a good fit for you!
Thanks for reading,
I love to hear from readers, so please do reach out to me with questions or feedback at mindfullibrarian@substack.com . If we aren’t already connected on Goodreads, I would love to see you there as well!
This was so fun! Definitely going to have to check out Beautiful Ruins!
Love, love Brooke and her newsletter. I've enjoyed getting to know her along my Substack newsletter journey. Thanks for providing such a great newsletter--one that I look forward to reading everytime I see it in my inbox. :)