Announcing...This American Lit

I have some housekeeping to manage before I get into today’s excited announcement. I am running my traditional end-of-year sale on annual subscriptions. If you become a paid subscriber between now and January 3rd1, you can get an annual subscription for $40. This year I’m offering this as a 20% off forever option rather than 20% off for the year. That means by subscribing now, you’ll lock in this price point for as long as you subscribe. I really like this option because I value building community in this space and that means having readers who stick around and talk about books with me for the long haul!

***Note: I believe Substack automatically limits this deal to new paid subscribers with no option to override on my end. You can still take advantage of this offer by canceling your subscription and resubscribing BUT you should only do this if you are a monthly subscriber or your annual subscription is about to end as canceling your current subscription is effective immediately and forfeits the remainder. Sorry for the inconvenience! Additionally, I recommend upgrading your subscription in a computer web browser rather than in the app. In app purchases come with additional fees paid to Apple or Google.

I know an annual paid subscription—or any paid subscription—isn’t right for everyone. As always, I hope I’m adding value to your reading life whether you subscribe at the free or paid tier, or just come by once in a while to check in.

And if you are interested in upgrading your subscription, now is a great time. In the near future, you’ll get bonus best-of-the-year content, a special superlatives podcast episode with Liz Hein, and A Mood Reader’s Almanac coming in January. Throughout the year, paid subscribers get an extra Friday newsletter (typically filled with thematic book recommendations) and two podcast episodes per month: Ranked Reading Recaps and This Month in Books with Liz.

Additionally, I have a very exciting special project happening in 2026, which is my other big announcement for the day. In the new year, I am rolling out…This American Lit.

When I was hired out of grad school to teach high school English, I was given a teaching schedule of four sections of 11th grade American Literature and one senior elective. I was not thrilled about these assignments. I considered myself a Brit Lit kind of girl and