July 2024

July, July! We’re finally in Leo season (my starsign), the sun has made it to Liverpool (albeit very late), and I’m grateful to be reading and causing mischief. July was hectic, but very fun. I went to Girls Aloud with Sara at the tail end of June, which was beyond fabulous. I visited York with Clare, Sara and Tara to celebrate Clare’s big birthday, I went to the disappointing Van Gogh Experience and I saw The Importance of Being Earnest outdoors at Speke Hall. How did I even find time to read nine books? I’m a miracle, that’s how.

Good Material by Dolly AldertonI read this on Kindle when it came out, and decided to re-read it on audiobook after a friend told me that it was really well narrated. I hugely enjoyed it. The actors embodied the characters perfectly, and I feel I got much more out of it than I did before. This is another book that has really made me appreciate the art of audiobooks and how they can offer a different perspective from reading in the traditional sense.

Play Boy by Constance DebreWe read the book that follows this one, Love Me Tender, at book club a few months ago, and I really enjoyed learning more about the author’s journey from upper-middle class barrister, wife and mother, to penniless writer and lesbian about town. The town happens to be Paris, and she travels to other locations, forgetting mostly about her domestic responsibilities and leaning fully into what I would describe as fuckboy behaviour. It’s unusual to read the perspective of a woman who sexualises and objectifies other women how Debre does, and I found it oddly fascinating. I’m not really concerned about the morals of her story, but I found her story deeply compelling.

The Numbers Game by Danielle SteelI’m turning 35 this month, and I don’t really subscribe to the traditional path in life, so thank goodness for this DS story that reassured me that you can pretty much do anything at any age, once you’re rich. It’s about a family who tussle between what is expected of them, and what they should do. I’m no expert, but getting married in your early twenties, and having to get married if you get pregnant seems unwise to me, but I’m one of the evil childless cat ladies that JD Vance seems so worried about in the US, so what do I know. In terms of my own progress, I’m working on the rich part, but once I have enough money for my astrology certification, everything is going to be different.

The High Notes by Danielle SteelThe reason I read this is because I’d convinced my friend Sara to read a DS, and this is the one she picked up. I feel bad, cos it’s a really terrible example of her work, and is a bit lazy. It also has an age gap relationship that’s questionable, even for DS who really leans into that trope. I’m trying to convince Sara to pick up another, and hopefully I can choose for her, so she gets a good read. This one tells the story of a young girl who gets used by her father and various seedy managers until she uses her incredible voice to hit the big leagues in the music industry. You won’t believe how many times one writer can type out “the high notes” in one book.

Help Yourself by Curtis SittenfeldI always really enjoy Curtis Sittenfeld, and picked up this small collection of three of her short stories on Sara’s recommendation. They’re spiky and clever observations on class, race, modern society and our assumptions about ourselves within these spaces. I laughed out loud on a couple of occasions, which is relatively rare for me when I read, so I’d highly recommend this short trio if you want some thought-provoking entertainment.

Piglet by Lottie HazellI really wanted to like this one more than I did, but its deliberate opacity left me cold. It’s about a woman who is living her dream life. She’s just bought a house and is engaged to the love of her life, but ten days before the wedding, he reveals a secret that shatters their veneer of respectability. I struggled to understand the motivation of the characters, and there was several details deliberately left unrevealed that just left me frustrated at the end. I also have to add a massive trigger warning for disordered eating.

Without a Trace by Danielle SteelI’ve been hard on DS this month but this one was an absolute smash. Listened to it on audio (naturally) and then narrated it to Sara, who remained rapt throughout. Clare wasn’t as convinced but there’s no point trying to win over a hater. This one tells the story of Charlie, a man in Paris who works a soul crushing job to support his gold digging wife who spends most of her time in their chateau in Normandy. While he is driving to the chateau, he careens off of a cliff, and everything changes.

The Centre by Ayesha Manazir SiddiqiThis one is the August book club pick and it’s such a fascinating little oddity. It’s about a Pakistani translator in London who begins a relationship with a fellow translator, who opens her up to a mysterious school called The Centre, where you can learn any language with native fluency in two weeks. It’s completely compulsive and went in a direction I never expected it to. I’m really excited to discuss it with the group.

The Flatshare by Beth O’LearyI didn’t really have high expectations for this one, but got it on Kindle when it was on sale. It really wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. I knew a few people in book club had read it and that it had been adapted for a series, and I was expecting something cliched and fluffy. It’s about two strangers who share a flat, one using it from 9am to 6pm and the other using it 6pm to 9am and on weekends. It’s an unusual arrangement that leads to charming and believable relationship dynamics, and the supporting cast of characters are fun, and easily loved or hated. I think this would be perfect for an elevated beach read.

July Spotify playlist is below. It’s a lot of Girls Aloud, but who can be mad at that?