Hi readers, I’m excited to share that our September & October book club pick that you voted for is… Isola by Allegra Goodman! With over 600 votes, it was a close call between Isola and The Safekeep, but Isola came out on top.

͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more I hoped to send today’s book club pick email out earlier, but I clearly had planned poorly with my end-of-August vacation that rolled into a three-day weekend! Sorry for the delay here, but I hope you’re as excited as I am about our pick. Our September & October Book Club Pick Is… Alisha Ramos Sep 2   READ IN APP   Hi readers, I’m excited to share that our September & October book club pick that you voted for is… Isola by Allegra Goodman! With over 600 votes, it was a close call between Isola and The Safekeep, but Isola came out on top. This book, which came out in January, has gotten quite a bit of buzz this year, so I’m thrilled to read it together. I can’t think of a better way to dive into fall than to get lost in a work of historical fiction. Grab your copy: As a first step, if you don’t have a copy already, you can purchase a copy of Isola from your local bookstore, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon. For audiobook listeners, you can also find the book on Libro.fm. Friendly reminder that you can opt out of posts about book club and books right here in your email settings. it was a close call in our reader poll! About Isola “A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this lushly painted historical epic of love, faith, and defiance.” Heir to a fortune, Marguerite is destined for a life of prosperity and gentility. Then she is orphaned, and her guardian—an enigmatic and volatile man—spends her inheritance and insists she accompany him on an expedition to New France. That journey takes an unexpected turn when Marguerite, accused of betrayal, is brutally punished and abandoned on a small island. Once a child of privilege who dressed in gowns and laced pearls in her hair, Marguerite finds herself at the mercy of nature. As the weather turns, blanketing the island in ice, she discovers a faith she’d never before needed. Inspired by the real life of a sixteenth-century heroine, Isola is the timeless story of a woman fighting for survival. Blurb is from the publisher. Suggested Isola Reading Schedule Isola is divided into 42 chapters and is 339 pages long, according to my copy.* While you’re more than welcome to read at your own pace, I’ve divided this into roughly 50 pages per week in case you’d like to make sure you’re “on track” for finishing the novel on time. I know this email is going out late (sorry!), so I’ve shortened our Week 1 reading length a bit. September – October 2025 Reading Schedule: Week 1 (Sept 1–7): Pages 1–42, Chapters 1-6 Week 2 (Sept 8–14): Pages 43–92, Chapters 7-11 Week 3 (Sept 15–21): Pages 93–141, Chapters 12-18 Week 4 (Sept 22–28): Pages 142–188, Chapters 19-23 Week 5 (Sept 29–Oct 5): Pages 189–227, Chapters 24-28 Week 6 (Oct 6–12): Pages 228–277, Chapters 29-35 Week 7 (Oct 13–19): Pages 278–321, Chapters 36-40 Week 8 (Oct 20–26): Pages 322–339, Chapters 41-42 (Finish!) *I have an “advance reader’s edition,” so the pages may be slightly off…I’ll plan to compare mine with a fresh hardcover copy from the bookstore soon and will send out an update if needed. Want to meet other readers in your city to discuss the book? After some brainstorming, I think the following will be the easiest way for readers to connect and self-organize, however you’d like… Click here to join the Downtime Geneva chat. It’s accessible via their web app or their mobile app.** Members need to be approved by me, Join the book clubs and meetups channel. Post a thread on what city you’re in, where/when you’re looking to meet, or say hi to gauge interest. Please let me know if you’ve got any questions, or have thought of a better way to organize things! **Note: Geneva has been acquired by Bumble, so it might show up for you as “BFF” if you’re on your phone/the app.) What’s next? The plan is to share a few reading check-ins in our reader chat every other week. At the end of October, I’ll send out a post with my thoughts on the book and invite you in for a discussion in the comments. We’ll also have a chance to share questions with the author - more details to come on that! Happy reading, all! — Alisha Friendly reminder that you can opt out of posts about book club and books right here in your email settings. You’re currently a free subscriber to Downtime. For the full experience, consider upgrading your subscription. Upgrade to paid Paying subscribers get the good stuff: weekly recs and links sent every Friday, entry into monthly reader giveaways, access to our reader chat, and the full archives. If you have a moment, please tap the heart button, a *free* way to show appreciation. ❤️ It helps others find my work. Also: refer a friend, get free months!   Like Comment Restack   © 2025 Alisha Ramos 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe