Happy Friday! Welcome back!

Thanks for bearing with me for these past couple of weeks. It’s been overwhelming. I’ve been calling on a lot of stored up resilience, and the existence of words like agathism, as pictured above.

The arrival in California came with a bumpy landing. Two of our suitcases didn’t make the connection, and a box that I shipped arrived torn to shreds. All but one of my favourite childhood books got lost in transit, along with a bunch of my favourite and signed editions. It was rough.

But I’ve established a new business, put a deposit down on a car and am working on getting my new life on track here. As with all of my big life moments so far, I’d intended to journal or blog or write about the experience but, in the moment, there’s so much admin and so many miniature anguishes to deal with on a moment to moment basis that I haven’t succeeded on that front. Some things are better viewed in a longer lens.

All this to say, I’m back, and life is getting there, and I hope you’re well too.

So, how’s about some links for your weekend?
 

 

–– SUMMER’S END ––

The Guardian reports Gloom in Hollywood as reports indicate top blockbusters lost $1bn this summer. I think the massive shrink in my personal average summer cinema trips is indicative of this trend.

In related, Manhola Dargis on The Race to Save the Films We Love – covering a topic that the industry panicked about 5 years ago. I hope they’re making good progress.

I sometimes wonder how much I’d charge, or how much people would be willing to pay, for my services if I were a man. Then this week I learned that the Gender Wage Gaps in the UK Arts Sector is wider than the national average. So, probably more.

On the brighter side of Scottish arts and culture, my friend Rosie covered some lovely and surprising Women’s histories in Glasgow’s place names.

De-Monetization began in 2012, but YouTube only began notifying creators this week. Does that make things better? Or does it make things worse? Super inside baseball, but, ooft, yeah.
 

 

–– BOOKISH DELIGHTS ––

Eimear McBride: ‘Writing is painful – but it’s the closest you can get to joy’.

I’m super keen to read Sons & Daughters of Ease & Plenty soon, and really enjoyed The Saturday Rumpus Interview with its author, Ramona Ausubel.

In a recent Bookends feature, Leslie Jamison and Ayana Mathis answered the question, Why Do Debut Novels Command So Much Attention?

Speaking of debuts, Katie Khan’s new novel, Hold Back the Stars, is forthcoming. She wrote this charming little piece for Penguin about choosing the perfect name for a novel.
 

 

–– RECENT READS ––

Despite almost losing one of these in the move, I’ve managed to finish both of these books for review: The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick and The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride. One was one of the most rapturous reads I’ve had in some time; the other was pretty good. You’ll find out more in the next issue of The Big Issue ?

After that, I’m thinking Sons & Daughters of Ease & Plenty, as mentioned above, and maybe some Jenny Diski essays. You? Which books are on your nightstand?

 

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Your turn! Read anything good this week? Hit reply or tweet me, won’t you?

Have a lovely weekend!
Nicola x
 

Happy Friday!

It’s been another one of those decluttering, shipping, working weeks and I have absolutely nae chat. But I did go to Millport, hang with friends and enjoy one last book club before we ship off. My husband’s and my Bon Voyage party is tomorrow night and when the reminder pinged on my phone I freaked out a wee bit. Friends and Freecyclers are coming to collect furniture. It’s getting real.

 

 

–– IT’S ALL MISCELLANEY ––

When someone kindly points out my knack for sharing thoughtful reads, I accept it not in a self-deprecating, “oh gee thanks I don’t put that much thought into it” kind of way, but more in an, “I spend most of my time reading so I’m really relieved you think that” sense of honor.

If you read Rosie Spinks on why Reading lists are the new mixtapes via this newsletter, it might give you something like déjà vu.

ICYMI, on last week’s Bookish Blether: How to Declutter Your Book Collection.

Kate’s advice on how to support a friend who is transitioning, including how to avoid deadnaming and misgendering.

When there’s a heat wave, I often wonder about life Before Air-Conditioning. Thankfully, New Yorker re-published Arthur Miller’s piece on the topic.

Austin Kleon and Corita Kent on Seasons and their role in the creative life has calmed my nerves today.

I really enjoyed Jane’s recent review column on The Seamstress and the Wind by Caesar Aíra (which I loved) and Don’t Let my Baby Do Rodeo by Boris Fishman (which sounds great).

This Is What’s Missing From Journalism Right Now – and how Mother Jones funds groundbreaking longform articles like My Four Months as a Private Prison Guard.

 

 

–– READING UPDATE ––

This past week I read Play it As it Lays by Joan Didion for book club. It was a great book that I hated the experience of reading. But I came away from book club having discussed it at length and… I kind of what to read it again.

Next, I’ve two books on the docket for review: The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick and The Lesser Bohemians by Eimear McBride. They’re both gorgeous editions, which doesn’t hurt.

In the coming week, I’m heading to a few events at the Edinburgh Book Festival to see Álvaro Enrigue, Tom Gauld, and Eula Biss. I might do some damage.

Which books are on your nightstand?

 

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Your turn! Read anything good this week? Hit reply or tweet me, won’t you?

Have a lovely weekend!
Nicola x
 

Happy Friday!

My brain is so full of moving abroad: cancelling accounts, shipping and packing boxes and passing off old belongings, that there hasn’t been much room in there for anything else.

BUT I read some really good articles, so how’s about some links?
 

 

–– HOMEY ––

New Bookish Blether: On – surprise! – moving, getting rid of books, and how to pare down your personal library in a pain and guilt-free way.

Just as I’m getting rid of most of my worldly belongings, Lee Randall is writing about the opposite: For the love of stuff.

Soon to be my home: America loves ice so much that Heidi Julavits wrote about how it captures a distinctly American spirit.

 

 

–– WORLDLY ––

An Isolated Tribe Emerges From the Rain Forest. I’m fascinated by stories about uncontacted and isolated tribes. This tribe, in Peru, is called the Mashco Piro. Jon Lee Anderson investigated their contact with the outside world after an unsolved murder.

The Audacious Plan to Save This Man’s Life by Transplanting His Head made me feel slightly physically ill but it’s quite a tale.

Over in Olympics world: Lindy West wrote a handy guide on How to talk about female Olympians without being a regressive creep – which also works for identifying questionable assessments. The New Yorker profiled The Refugee Olympians in Rio.

And in otherworldliness, Sy Montgomery on the octopus and its Deep Intellect.

 

 

–– BOOKILY ––

Feels like I haven’t read much lately, but it’s been two weeks since I wrote. In the meantime I read the excellent domestic drama The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss as well as Stranger on a Train by Jenny Diski which I’ve been savouring for months now.

Next up: this month’s book club pick is Play it As it Lays by Joan Didion, and I haven’t had the mind-space for anything else yet.

What about you? Which books are on your nightstand?
 

 

–– DIGITALLY OR OTHERWISE ––

Why Won’t Facebook Release Me From Overnight Oats Hell? Funny, frustrating.

On human behaviour – Set It and Forget It: How Default Settings Rule the World.

Evan and I finished our marathon of The Good Wife, so we read up on what it was really about.

 

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Your turn! Read anything good this week? Hit reply or tweet me, won’t you?

Have a lovely weekend!
Nicola x