This week, Jay names Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter: A Romance to his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in English. Even though it’s one of the most banned books in the United States, there is a lovable novel to be read here, one that closely considers America’s Puritan past in a way that is still relevant today. Chaos Reader shares her progress in The Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor.

Jay joins Ernest Hemingway and many others in his love of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and this week it gets added to his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language. He and Stacey discuss its lovability and its “bannability” as one of the most banned novels in the United States. Chaos Reader finally joins the party for a very popular novel she hasn’t picked up until now.

Jay puts his second Dickens novel on the list this week, Bleak House, published in 1853. The looooong book uses many characters, two narrative points of view and several suspenseful plots to keep the reader turning pages to travel deeper and deeper into early industrial England, in which cultures are clashing and litigants are fighting in a decades-long lawsuit in Dickens’ masterful social criticism that still remains a delight to read. Chaos Reader picks up a new novel for a trip she’s taking soon.

Jay adds Anthony Trollope’s The Way We Live Now to his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in English this week. This long Victorian novel, which was initially serialized and then published in 1875, focuses on the greed and dishonesty of all facets of life in the second half of the 19th century in Great Britain by following a financial scammer and his marks. Chaos reader talks about a New York Times listicle that is currently running her life.

Named for the Dark Lord who created the One Ring, this trilogy is about the individuals who work together to save their society when the power to destroy them and their communities is building. Two of the smallest, least worldly characters embark on a journey only they can make, compelled by duty, and motivated by love. LOTR is one of the best-selling books of all time, and Jay and Stacey have plenty to say on this trilogy, that was originally conceived as one book (which is Jay’s defense for putting three books on his list as one entry). Chaos “Reader” has been doing a series rewatch and talks about why she loves Sex and the City.

A note on the sound: We had some file issues with the production, so listeners may notice a change in the sound in the last few minutes of the episode. We apologize.

Jay shares with Stacey why he selected Dashiell Hammett’s classic detective novel The Maltese Falcon for his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language, and they continue their discussion from last week’s talk about the hardboiled detective novel and how Hammett helped create the genre. Chaos reader introduces Henry James to the chat.

This week, Stacey and Jay discuss the 50th book on Jay’s list of the Most Lovable Novels in the English Language, Raymond Chandler’s hard-boiled detective novel The Big Sleep. Our culture’s dark and complicated detective trope comes from this brilliantly written crime story. Chaos Reader dips into a how-to book for a big life change.

Jay adds Lewis Carroll’s companion novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass to his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in English. He and Stacey talk about the delightful prose in the children’s book and some of the reasons it’s enchanting for adults, as well. Chaos Reader talks to Jay about his Substack, which is one of her newest reading pleasures.