I've got a great recommendation. Maurice and Maralyn. True story about a couple who sell up to sail round the world and omg what happens to them. Sort of book you are straight in and hooked all the way through. Fascinating and horrifying and gripping.
Thanks for these recommendations, all noted. I've got COVID so am only up to re-reading old favourites between naps -The Cazelet Chronicles. But then I've always been a re-reader - I think it's how I learnt to edit books in the first place.
*Listening to Jessie Buckley read 'Long Island', Colm Toibin's sequel to Brooklyn. Her voice is so good, and his writing drags you right into the moment, which is great as I don't mind being stuck on the A406 half as much as I would otherwise when driving home, and am also walking a bit more for short journeys for that extra time.
*I found out on X that a Spotify Premium subscriber is entitled to 10 hours of audio book per month. They have to be marked 'included in Premium', so mostly recent books. You can buy more hours for extra listening.
I work in a health service charity so am v interested to see what Wes Streeting (for it's likely to be him) plans for the NHS and thought that reading his memoir might be interesting at this point. All I can say is that in One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up he shows why he will genuinely understand where the less advantaged folk among us are coming from as his background was grindingly poor yet because of his heroic mother he came through - not least because she always ensured he had books to read. His first headteacher at primary school was astonished at his reading age.
I can’t get enough of Catherine Newman who writes about familial relationships so well. We All Want Impossible Things was one of my favourite ever books, and I’ve just finished her new one, Sandwich which was great. Also her Substack!
If you don't know her already, I think you might like Emma Straub, for fairly easy reads that are very well-observed and pretty cutting. Dry humour, New York lifestyles, that kind of thing. I've just started her newest one 'This Time Tomorrow' and really enjoying it so far, even though I don't usually love anything remotely fantastical. My apologies though - I began this comment thinking it was indeed brand new but I've checked and I'm wrong (2023 pub). It is, however, newly just 99p on Kindle.
Thanks for the recs Esther! All I want to talk about at the moment is Miranda July’s All Fours. I’ve been pressing it into the hands of every 40+ woman I know. It’s extraordinarily wild and I adored it. A sort of peri menopausal manifesto?! And while it’s sexual love/lust heavy, July’s takes/observations on female friendship are just spine tingling. Would love to hear other thoughts and takes on it.
Close To Home by Michael Magee fed my current obsession with Irish fiction but it’s a brilliant book in its own right. Sean, the young boy at the center of it, is a gentle soul in a tough world and in so many scenes I just wanted to give him a hug and cook him a big breakfast. He finds his way (without either) and it makes me believe others will too ..
‘Cloistered’ is next on my list. I, too am a relapsed catholic… I absolutely loved ‘In Memorian’ by Alice Winn which you recommended Esther, thank you. I read they’re going to make a film of it too.
I can recommend Maurice & Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst. An amazing true story about a couple in the 1970s who were ship wrecked and left drifting on a raft in the Pacific.
Kim I've just seen this after I recommended the same. What are you reading now as we must be on same wavelength and so hard to find good book recs as I tend to give up 100 pages in most books others rave about
Caroline, I too struggle to find books. Many, particularly top of best seller lists, are a disappointment and I end up abandoning! Recently picked up, by chance, The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes. A novel but inspired by true events surrounding family life of the portrait artist Thomas Gainsborough. Let me know what you’re reading.
Thanks Kim. Just added The Painter's Daughters to my list. So been through my Kindle and here are a few books that I didn't abandon and actually managed to lose myself in from the start: Demon Copperhead, I'm Glad My mom died, I'm sorry you feel that way, French Braid, Simple Pleasures and At the Table. Hit rate is about 1 in 30 of every book started. What's going on?
Purchased Cloistered on your recommendation, thank you (you mentioned it elsewhere I think, but can’t now recall where) - as a thoroughly lapsed and disillusioned Catholic I am engrossed! Am going to pass it on to my mother afterwards, who grew up in a very much NOT lapsed Catholic family (portraits of the Pope on the lounge walls), went to a school run by (occasionally sadistic) nuns from an Italian order and despite having lost her faith in the organised religion aspect of Catholicism many moons ago, still nearly passes out if she hears anyone take the Lord’s name in vain. Can’t wait to see what she makes of it.
I read The Wager by David Grann, which came out in paperback in January and OH MY WORD!! It's the true story of a navy shipwreck in the early 18th century, with a true crime element and I cannot fathom how any of them survived. Normally the sort of book I would buy for my dad, but I absolutely loved it.
Thanks Caroline for the recommendations. I’m going to start with At the Table.
I've got a great recommendation. Maurice and Maralyn. True story about a couple who sell up to sail round the world and omg what happens to them. Sort of book you are straight in and hooked all the way through. Fascinating and horrifying and gripping.
Thanks for these recommendations, all noted. I've got COVID so am only up to re-reading old favourites between naps -The Cazelet Chronicles. But then I've always been a re-reader - I think it's how I learnt to edit books in the first place.
*Listening to Jessie Buckley read 'Long Island', Colm Toibin's sequel to Brooklyn. Her voice is so good, and his writing drags you right into the moment, which is great as I don't mind being stuck on the A406 half as much as I would otherwise when driving home, and am also walking a bit more for short journeys for that extra time.
*I found out on X that a Spotify Premium subscriber is entitled to 10 hours of audio book per month. They have to be marked 'included in Premium', so mostly recent books. You can buy more hours for extra listening.
Another brilliant article Esther! About to start The Complications. Thank you!
I work in a health service charity so am v interested to see what Wes Streeting (for it's likely to be him) plans for the NHS and thought that reading his memoir might be interesting at this point. All I can say is that in One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up he shows why he will genuinely understand where the less advantaged folk among us are coming from as his background was grindingly poor yet because of his heroic mother he came through - not least because she always ensured he had books to read. His first headteacher at primary school was astonished at his reading age.
I can’t get enough of Catherine Newman who writes about familial relationships so well. We All Want Impossible Things was one of my favourite ever books, and I’ve just finished her new one, Sandwich which was great. Also her Substack!
If you don't know her already, I think you might like Emma Straub, for fairly easy reads that are very well-observed and pretty cutting. Dry humour, New York lifestyles, that kind of thing. I've just started her newest one 'This Time Tomorrow' and really enjoying it so far, even though I don't usually love anything remotely fantastical. My apologies though - I began this comment thinking it was indeed brand new but I've checked and I'm wrong (2023 pub). It is, however, newly just 99p on Kindle.
This sounds right up my street thank you. I like Jay McInerney too ‘Bright Lights Big City’ set in 1980s New York.
Thanks for the recs Esther! All I want to talk about at the moment is Miranda July’s All Fours. I’ve been pressing it into the hands of every 40+ woman I know. It’s extraordinarily wild and I adored it. A sort of peri menopausal manifesto?! And while it’s sexual love/lust heavy, July’s takes/observations on female friendship are just spine tingling. Would love to hear other thoughts and takes on it.
Close To Home by Michael Magee fed my current obsession with Irish fiction but it’s a brilliant book in its own right. Sean, the young boy at the center of it, is a gentle soul in a tough world and in so many scenes I just wanted to give him a hug and cook him a big breakfast. He finds his way (without either) and it makes me believe others will too ..
‘Cloistered’ is next on my list. I, too am a relapsed catholic… I absolutely loved ‘In Memorian’ by Alice Winn which you recommended Esther, thank you. I read they’re going to make a film of it too.
I can recommend Maurice & Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst. An amazing true story about a couple in the 1970s who were ship wrecked and left drifting on a raft in the Pacific.
Kim I've just seen this after I recommended the same. What are you reading now as we must be on same wavelength and so hard to find good book recs as I tend to give up 100 pages in most books others rave about
Caroline, I too struggle to find books. Many, particularly top of best seller lists, are a disappointment and I end up abandoning! Recently picked up, by chance, The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes. A novel but inspired by true events surrounding family life of the portrait artist Thomas Gainsborough. Let me know what you’re reading.
Thanks Kim. Just added The Painter's Daughters to my list. So been through my Kindle and here are a few books that I didn't abandon and actually managed to lose myself in from the start: Demon Copperhead, I'm Glad My mom died, I'm sorry you feel that way, French Braid, Simple Pleasures and At the Table. Hit rate is about 1 in 30 of every book started. What's going on?
Thank you for my summer reading list Esther.
I have nothing to add - (I am in the pits of a reading lull ) - I’m hoping some of these pull me out of it…
Purchased Cloistered on your recommendation, thank you (you mentioned it elsewhere I think, but can’t now recall where) - as a thoroughly lapsed and disillusioned Catholic I am engrossed! Am going to pass it on to my mother afterwards, who grew up in a very much NOT lapsed Catholic family (portraits of the Pope on the lounge walls), went to a school run by (occasionally sadistic) nuns from an Italian order and despite having lost her faith in the organised religion aspect of Catholicism many moons ago, still nearly passes out if she hears anyone take the Lord’s name in vain. Can’t wait to see what she makes of it.
Kevin Kwan books are my guilty pleasure and I have just ordered his latest one which will hopefully not disappoint.
I read The Wager by David Grann, which came out in paperback in January and OH MY WORD!! It's the true story of a navy shipwreck in the early 18th century, with a true crime element and I cannot fathom how any of them survived. Normally the sort of book I would buy for my dad, but I absolutely loved it.