I need YOU
I’m putting together my summer reading lists. Exciting! I’m going to publish a couple, maybe three, and for one of them I’d love to canvas you for your favourite holiday reads. When I say holiday reads, there doesn’t have to be a pink cocktail and a pair of sunglasses on the cover. Of course I just mean any absorbing book that you think is worth saving for a summer treat, preferably to read on a sun lounger with a cool drink in hand.
So, please do contribute to the first ever, crow-sourced, In Case You Missed It reading list. All you need to do is reply in the comments with the title, author and a couple of sentences extolling the virtues of the book. There are no rules. It just has to be something you’ve loved. Then I’ll round them all up in one handy place in an upcoming newsletter. In return, you will receive a killer summer reading list and my heartfelt appreciation. I call that a fair trade.
Speaking of books
Everyone seems to be talking about Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus at the moment and for good reason. It’s delightful. I’m not sure it set my world alight like it has some ardent fans but I found it extremely pleasant and sometimes pleasant is just what you need.
The novel is about 30-year-old Elizabeth Zott, a scientist in the 1960s contending with a daily avalanche of sexism and misogyny. Zott is a fun protagonist: frank, formidable and supremely accomplished in the face of the teeth-grinding adversity she faces by virtue of being a woman in the world.
My friend Lisa was less impressed, asking me: “Didn’t you find it all a bit, ‘Ooh sexism was really bad, can you believe it?’” Lisa is not wrong. But I still liked it.
There is rage and sadness in this book but also rebellion, love, food and a charming dog.
And there are some entertainingly droll observations:
“That was the other revolting thing about him. Like so many undesirable men, Mr. Sloane truly believed other women found him attractive. Harriet had no idea where that specific brand of self-confidence came from. Because while stupid people may not know they’re stupid because they’re stupid, surely unattractive people must know they’re unattractive because of mirrors.”
Zott is also a mother and this book captures the agonies and bewilderment of new motherhood nicely.
“‘What’s wrong?’, Elizabeth begged for the millionth time. ‘Just TELL me!’
But the baby, who’d been crying non-stop for weeks, refused to be specific.
This novel is assured and stylish and extremely neat, pleasingly so if you’re not up for anything too fraught or upsetting which is me right now.
I just read that Brie Larson is set to produce and star in a TV adaptation which seems like very good casting.
In my inbox
I wanted to share a few of the newsletters I subscribe to that I think are worth your attention. As someone who’s spent much of their career in magazines, I’m sad that the platform where I discovered so many wonderful writers is diminishing. The good news is, you can now get your kicks from the abundance of newsletters out in the world.
The Bluestocking by Helen Lewis
The journalist and author “reads the internet so you don’t have to”. Covering history, feminism, the culture wars and much more, this newsletter is always fascinating and illuminating and I devour it every week.
The Spike by Esther Walker
Esther is the OG of online blogging. She’s been writing her newsletter for years - back in the day it was called Recipe Rifle - and whatever she writes about, I want to read it. Life hacks, anxiety, fake tan, what to wear for a wedding - it’s all great. Opinionated, gossipy, funny and always entertaining.
Emma Straub’s Newsletter
The bestselling novelist and bookshop owner already comes with an In Case You Missed It endorsement. She writes about her own writing (she’s currently on the book tour for her superb new novel, This Time Tomorrow), offers brilliant reading recommendations and can be relied on to share lots of pictures of food. What more could you want?
In Writing With Hattie Crisell
If you’re an aspiring writer or just curious to learn more about the writing process, this newsletter is for you. It’s also worth checking out Hattie’s podcast of the same name where she’s interviewed lots of interesting authors.
Well Well Well by Rosamund Dean
“How to do wellness without being a joyless bore” is the kind of wellness writing I can get behind. Knowing and non-judgemental, Ros is a breast cancer survivor on a quest to be as healthy as possible but in a totally relatable way.
One last thing…
You know how last week I was equivocating about the new TV adaptation of The Time Traveler’s Wife? Well I watched episode 3 this week and it was DREADFUL. Agh, it’s such a shame! I’ll keep watching because I obviously have no self-respect but I won’t be happy about it.
Don’t forget to put your book recommendation in the comments below!
See you next time.
Hannah
For me the dream holiday-read formula is something genre-y (crime/romance/dysfunctional family fireworks) but still stylishly written. They’re not new but Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie books fit my brief perfectly. More recently, The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen. Crime fiction for people who don’t like crime fiction.
The paper palace