August 2025

Now I am 36, my first birthday without my mum. Due to the nature of her illness, my mum would often forget my birthday, which would really upset me, and this year, I would have given anything to be able to tell her what day it was. This year also felt odd because my mum was 36 when I was born, and I realised I’d never be able to ask her so many things about me, about her pregnancy with me and countless other things.

Life and grief are so funny because amongst all these things, August and my birthday were so wonderful. I feel odd even continuing to bring up my sadder feelings because I am mostly happy, but the truth is that grief is an odd hum that just exists in the background, in good times and bad times. Life goes on and builds itself around your grief, but it doesn’t really go away. It has been an intense learning experience, but ultimately one I am grateful for.

In true Leo fashion, I had two birthday celebrations in August, with one more to come in September. This is the positive side of having lived in multiple cities - You can make pretty much any excuse for a party. I also attended a wonderful wedding of a family member, which marked my first time back in Ireland since mum died. Joy is truly everywhere.

Onto the books! I read a lot at the start of the month, and trailed off slightly toward the end. I also did a clearout of some of my books, so if you’re interested in being nosy and maybe making a purchase, check out my Vinted.

The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up by Andy Cohen
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - Andy Cohen’s diaries are essential for any Bravo fan to read. They’re so much fun and contain so many great anecdotes about your favourite housewives. This one tracks his path to welcoming his second child, and it’s so fascinating to see how his life has changed as he’s become a dad. Of course, it helps that he’s disgustingly rich, but it’s always fascinating to see how the other half lives.

I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel
I loved this book when I read it as it was first released, and this time I listened to it on audio. I’m not sure if it was the medium shift, or the fact that I’ve made some significant changes to my personal life, but it felt like a totally different experience. Before, I completely related to the unhinged perspective of the narrator, but now, it feels unfamiliar. I’m grateful that I’m in this new place, and I still adored the writing, but it showed me why it’s always worth a re-read of books you love.

Audition by Katie Kitamura
Katie Kitamura is perfect. I love her, and her latest book is an essential read. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before, and I don’t even want to say much about it, or it’s plot. In simple terms, it’s about an established older actor, and her relationship with a younger man, and the impact it has on their wider lives. Compelling, completely fascinating and unafraid to get into the discomfort of interpersonal relationships. It might be my favourite of hers, and that’s a tough contest.

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
I read/listened to a lot on grief this month, perhaps unsurprisingly. This was an audiobook, and I listened to it a lot while I was in bed, either getting ready to go to sleep, or being unable to sleep. I really enjoyed it. It’s about a man and his two sons as they navigate the loss of their wife and mother, under the watch of a crow, who acts as a mirror for their grief. It’s surreal and shifts perspectives. I enjoyed the thoughts of the crow who watches the family as they muddle through.

Long Story by Vicki Notaro
I read Vicki Notaro’s debut, and this one follows on in the same vein. It’s about two best friends - one a Hollywood actress, and the other a journalist with a small, local following as a podcast host. When the former’s life implodes, the latter swoops in to look after her, but it exposes tensions in their relationship. It’s fluffy, super fun, and references characters from Vicki Notaro’s debut. A perfect beach read.

Isolation Island by Louise Minchin
I am famously not allowed to borrow books from my friend Clare, as she’s much more careful with them than I am, so I was very excited to take this one as it had been ruined by being her poolside read on a recent holiday. It’s a gripping, albeit predictable, thriller about a journalist who takes part in a reality show filmed on a remote Scottish island. As things begin to go wrong, the group are forced to do things they’d never expect. Another good beach read if you prefer a thriller to something more fluffy.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
The next three are all audiobooks based around grief. This one felt a little close to the bone because it’s about the author and her mother, and their relationship as she is diagnosed with cancer and then dies. Her mother even had the same type of cancer as mine! I thought I would find it difficult, but it felt oddly comforting. The narration is calming and beautiful, which is maybe informed by the fact that Michelle Zauner is a musician. I think anyone would enjoy this book, but it came to me at a time that I really needed it.

The White Book by Han Kang
Han Kang is such a fascinating writer, and the most recent Nobel Prize for Literature winner. This novella is about the death of a sibling, but also a meditation on white objects. An odd piece on grief, but its prose is really creative and interesting. It’s short but worth your attention.

From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
I don’t really buy into the Elvis hype, but was drawn to this for obvious reasons. Lisa Marie Presley had recorded audio interviews to prepare to write her memoirs, then got stuck in how to execute it. She had asked her daughter Riley Keough to help her before she died, and Riley finished the book after her mum died. It’s a fascinating work as an audiobook, because it shifts the dual perspectives of Lisa Marie (narrated by Julia Roberts) and Riley, interspersed with pieces of the interviews Lisa Marie did. As well as being an incredible insight into one of the world’s most famous families, it’s a beautiful meditation on addiction, love and grief. I loved it.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
At the time of writing, my friends and I are preparing for a trip to Haworth, where the Brontes lived. None of us had ever read Agnes Grey, so we decided to do a little group read before we went. I’m a die hard Emily fan, and a Charlotte hater (team Bertha for life!), so this was a fun new avenue for me. It is a great story that tells the story of the titular Agnes, who works as a governess for wealthy families and their awful children. It’s an interesting look into life for the kind-of middle class of the age, and the people they work for. An overlooked classic, that I can’t believe has never been adapted for film or TV!

Your Neighbour’s Table by Gu Byeong-mo
Is it just me, or are there too many books about miserable mothers? I have many close friends who are mums, and none of them seem as miserable as contemporary literature would have you believe. Of course, there are unique struggles, and society does not support parents, especially mums, but these narratives need to be balanced. This is my book club’s choice for this month and I am so excited to discuss it because it seems as if we all hated it. It’s about a group of families who move into government housing in South Korea with the aim to popularise communal living and boost the birth rate. The characters aren’t believable, the narrative makes no sense, but it’s easy to read and quite short. This isn’t one I’d recommend.

Death Valley by Melissa Broder
I’m conflicted by how I feel about this book, because I loved Melissa Broder’s previous novels - Milk Fed and The Pisces. Death Valley is about a woman who flees to the California desert to try and be inspired for her next novel, while dealing with her father who is in ICU following a life threatening heart attack, and her husband, who has a chronic illness which saps his energy and causes him constant pain. She gets comfort from a large cactus she discovers that seems to give her unique insight into both relationships. The story lagged a little for me, and I didn’t feel any kind of closure when it finished. I promise I’m not someone who needs a neat little ending, tied up in a bow, but I just wasn’t sure what the author was trying to say. Either way, I’d probably read another novel by her, so what do I know?