# Ann Patchett Shares 4 Books She’s Reading Right Now > Ann Patchett recommends 4 books she’s currently reading, including Lydia Millet’s dystopian novel and a desert island pick. - Title: Ann Patchett Shares 4 Books She’s Reading Right Now | Shortify - Summary: Ann Patchett recommends 4 books she’s currently reading, including Lydia Millet’s dystopian novel and a desert island pick. Ann Patchett recommends Lydia… - Keywords: ann patchett, lydia millet, george eliot, middlemarch, colson whitehead, cool machine, southern festival of books, whistler, Ann, Patchett, Shares, Books - Source: Woman's World — https://womansworld.com/entertainment/books/ann-patchett-recommends-4-books-shes-right-reading-now - Author: Melissa D'Agnese - Published: 2026-10-20T01:45:58+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: ann patchett, lydia millet, george eliot, middlemarch, colson whitehead, cool machine, southern festival of books, whistler ## Ann Patchett’s Current Reads Ann Patchett shared four books she’s currently reading at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville this weekend. ## Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible Patchett recommends Lydia Millet’s National Book Award finalist 'A Children’s Bible', a dystopian novel about children at a lakeside mansion during a storm. > Right now I’m reading Lydia Millet’s A Children’s Bible ## Lydia Millet’s Fair Ones Patchett also loves Lydia Millet’s 'Fair Ones', a double novel following two Brooklyn women grieving the loss of their friend. > I recently also read Millet’s new book which came out a couple of weeks ago called Fair Ones ## George Eliot’s Middlemarch Patchett calls George Eliot’s 'Middlemarch' her desert island pick, a 1871 classic about a small English village’s community. > I am also listening to Middlemarch right now which is a book I probably won’t finish ## Colson Whitehead’s Cool Machine Patchett passionately recommends Colson Whitehead’s 'Cool Machine', the final book in his Harlem Trilogy set in 1980s New York. > I cannot tell you how much I love Cool Machine. ## Southern Festival of Books Over 200 authors, including Ann Patchett, gathered at Nashville’s Southern Festival of Books this weekend. ## Patchett’s Book Recommendations Patchett encourages readers to pick books that spark a love of reading, calling every book a 'gateway drug' for readers. > Every book is a ‘gateway drug.’ If you read nothing, you will read nothing ## Book Banning Debate Patchett argues against book bans, stating that banning books in schools is bad but also that cancelling books is bad. > We need to stop talking about the books we hate…Banning books in schools and pulling them off the shelves is bad bad bad, but also cancelling books is bad bad bad ## Reading Community Patchett emphasizes that anyone can join the reading community by picking up a book and starting to read. > You don’t have to be a lifelong bookworm or read the classics to be part of the club. You just have to pick up a book and, well, start reading. ## Whistler Patchett’s 2026 bestseller 'Whistler' is a novel she’s currently reading and promoting. ## Parnassus Books Ann Patchett opened Parnassus Books in Nashville in 2011, an independent bookstore serving as a book lover’s beacon. ## Key takeaway Ann Patchett recommends Lydia Millet’s 'A Children’s Bible', 'Fair Ones', George Eliot’s 'Middlemarch', and Colson Whitehead’s 'Cool Machine' as her current reads.