August 2024

This is a little bit late being posted and I don’t really have an excuse asides from being equally busy and exhausted. I changed jobs at the start of the summer and my annual leave got a little messed up due to differing calendars at the two companies. This meant that I haven’t managed to have a proper break this summer, when I usually take two full weeks off to rest and recharge.

I told my friends recently that I feel like I’m dragging my own carcass toward my holiday, but the good news is that it’s happening next week! We’re heading to Boston and Salem, and I think there’ll be lots to share and talk about, given we plan on doing lots of fun literary things, as well as eating our way around the place.

I also turned 35 in August, and I’m really feeling grateful and full of love. Anyway, onwards to what I read!

The Singles Table by Tasmina PerryI bought this one on Kindle to see me through a quick visit back to Ireland for my friend Sheila’s hen party, and it was perfect. I always find Tasmina Perry’s books really fun, and this one, about a single woman navigating a disability and attending her ex-boyfriend’s wedding, alongside his Peter Pan-esque best man was easy to keep me distracted. As an aside, am I the only single person who actually really enjoys weddings?!

A Year of Nothing by Emma GannonThis one really hit home, because I am currently VERY TIRED. Emma Gannon suffered crippling burnout and used her savings to literally spend a year doing nothing. This thoughtful essay explores hustle culture and our own inability to switch off. Even as I write this, I had set aside today as a nothing day, but have managed to find lots of little jobs that I need to do, including writing this, instead of actually leaning into rest. A really fascinating read for any of us who struggle to switch off.

The Coin by Yasmin ZaherDo any of my posts count if I don’t mention The West Kirby Bookshop? They hosted Yasmin Zaher to talk about this novel, and I had to pick it up after hearing her be equally articulate, intelligent and hilarious. She also spoke about her love of reality TV. This book is so odd, but completely compulsive. It’s about a wealthy Palestinian woman who is navigating New York where she works as a teacher. My favourite part was close to the end, where things reach an unimaginable conclusion. I know that lots of us are looking for ways to support Palestinian artists at this time, so I’d really recommend picking this one up.

It Ends With Us by Colleen HooverI also went to see the film of this book, but the less said about that steaming pile of shit, the better. This book is really bad, but also oddly compelling? I went in fully expecting to make fun of it, and I did, but I also read it in two sittings and didn’t want to put it down. I don’t want to say that it’s so bad it’s good, cos it’s quite obviously bad, but something keeps you turning the pages. The film, however, is just bad and boring. Avoid.

The Eighth House by Linda SegtnanThis was a pick that was kindly gifted to my book club by the publisher. It’s technically true crime, but I’m reluctant to label it as that as it feels a lot more personal and sensitively handled than most true crime out there. The author learns about the unsolved murder of Birgitta Sevander right before she is due to give birth to her second child, and as she navigates the case, along with the arrival of her daughter, she reflects and investigates with humanity and sensitivity. I’d recommend it to any new parents out there.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond CarverIt feels a bit wild that I’d never read any Raymond Carver before picking up these short stories and consuming them in one sitting. I had no expectations going in, but the stories are spare, thought-provoking, and devastating in equal measure. He seems able to give you the deepest parts of his characters, without spending too many words in making them feel overdrawn. I’m really looking forward to reading more of his work.

Gossip Girl by Cecily von ZiegesarMy loyal fans will know that I have re-read a couple of series that I enjoyed as a teenager, and Gossip Girl is the latest one that I’ve managed to pick up relatively cheaply on eBay. It’s so silly and fun, and reminds me of a lot of the trashy books I read now in how the details about the clothes, shoes and accessories are so fun. I still haven’t see the TV show, so maybe I’ll try that once I finish the series.

SCUM Manifesto by Valerie SolanasThis is a controversial pick that was recommended to me by my sister. I didn’t know a lot about Valerie Solanas, asides from her attempt to murder Andy Warhol, but this piece is an excoriation of men and her belief that there is no place for them in contemporary society. It was oddly refreshing, having studied psychoanalysis and just living in the world, to read a perspective that views men as incomplete women, as opposed to the other way around. It’s shocking, brutal and oddly funny. Worth your time if you’ve ever read gender, queer or psychoanalytic critical theory.

Minor Detail by Adania ShibliMy second Palestinian read of the month was a long-time recommendation of Sara’s. It’s a short story that goes between the 1949, and a group of Israeli soldiers, and a woman in more contemporary times who is searching for answers as a Palestinian under occupation. It gives incredible voice and insight into the truth of what the creation of Israel means, and what it continues to mean as their brutal genocide of Palestine trundles on. Essential reading.

Kids Run the Show by Delphine de ViganThis was September’s book club pick, and it’s one of the ones I’ve enjoyed most in recent memory. It’s a translation of a French book about a famous mummy blogger whose child is kidnapped and the detective who is tasked with helping to find her. It’s an interesting polemic on using children to create social content, and has echoed a lot of how I’ve felt about the topic, despite not being a parent myself. I’m really interested in what the future holds, when these chronically online children will have to look back and reckon with their fact that their most personal moments were consumed by millions without their express consent.

Second Act by Danielle SteelYou didn’t think I was going to skip my gal Danielle this month, did you?! I listened to this one on audio, and it has all the hallmarks we’ve come to expect from our gal DS. An age gap romance with an older man and younger woman. Rags to riches. Unrealistic success in the entertainment industry. It’s got everything! The only thing that made me stop was when the main character’s love interest had a husband who was from “the slums of Liverpool”. As someone currently living in the slums of Liverpool, it was nice to see myself represented in Danielle’s books, even if it was via an evil man who stole money and was responsible for the death of his child. Oh well!

My August playlist is below. Onto the next adventure with the rest of September!