Books I read this summer

I read a bunch of different books over summer from a memoir to a Japanese novella. I even read a psychological thriller by accident! Here's a quick round-up:

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
My friend Kristy sent me a copy of this Japanese novel from 1987 that includes the novella Moonlight Shadow. I got into the story straight away, it's reminiscent of Haruki Murakami novels from the same era. It's a mysterious and lovely story that had me craving a katsu curry.

Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me by Bill Hayes
I love books set in New York City and this one was particularly special. I received it a few days after my grandfather died and it brought me a lot of comfort and joy. It's about moving to a new city and starting again while grieving. But it's a love story too - the writer starts a relationship with Oliver Sacks. It's a book I want to buy for friends and it comes out in April.

The Mothers by Brit Bennett
I enjoyed the quiet drama of this book, the characters and the writing too. It was surprisingly addictive, which meant it was over all too quickly. It reminded me of Modern Lovers, except with a little more action.

The Art of Frugal Hedonism by Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb
I spotted this book on Anne's Instagram (which is great for book recommendations) and was immediately intrigued by the title. It's a fun and practical read that's helped changed the way I spend (and think about) money. Tony enjoyed it too. The chapters are short, so it's a good one to read on lunch breaks or while travelling.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
This book featured in two of my go-to reading lists but I panicked when I picked it up from the library -  'Unsettling, psychological horror...' was printed on the cover. I finished it quickly (I can't handle suspense) but it's not a genre I'll be returning to anytime soon.

I'm starting Messy tonight. I normally read novels (non-fiction sometimes makes me feel like I'm still at work) but I've heard a few podcast episodes with Tim Harford and could learn to live with a bit of chaos :) If you're curious, he pops up in these episodes of Hidden Brain and Planet Money.

I am always on the hunt for recommendations - especially for novels. Are you reading anything great at the moment? My sister-in-law recommends The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

P.S Here's how to find more time to read.

Miranda July's first novel

Do you like Miranda July? I'm a big fan of the wildly imaginative artist, writer and director and have just finished her new book, The First Bad Man.

Like her earlier films and books, The First Bad Man is packed with offbeat characters who are surprisingly relatable at times. There are some beautiful and hard truths in this novel, and while I found it a bit perverse to begin with, it became a tender story about falling in love and becoming a parent that I didn't want to end.

I've been trying to save money and borrowed a copy from the library but I will probably cave soon and buy it, to complete my collection of Miranda July books :) And just for fun, here's a clip that came out with her 2011 film The Future. I loved it, talking cat and all:



The film's companion book It Chooses You is really great too, it's non-fiction and you can read excerpts here.

P.S - It's finally warm enough to read outside again and I've recently found a sweet new cider that doesn't make me go bright red!

An adventure blog + mini interview

I'm reading the best blog at the moment. Kasey Koopmans is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and posting an addictive day-by-day account on her blog The Importance of Elsewhere. She started in Mexico in mid April and will hike all the way to Canada, the PCT's northernmost point.

I knew nothing about the PCT until I read Wild a few years ago, Cheryl Strayed's memoir that details her 1995 solo hike. The book divided my friends but I loved it and found it unexpectedly empowering. It also made me really curious about camping - I've never been before!

If you're reading Kasey's blog, resist the temptation to start with latest post and go back to Day 1 and read until you're up to date. I recommend this because it's a joy to follow her progress in what feels like real-time. She posts most days and is funny and candid about her experience of the trail so far. The photos are stunning too and it's amazing how much the trail and scenery can change each day.

Kasey also does a great job of conveying the simple things that make can her day, from encountering puppies to a bowl of homemade spaghetti, which sound awesome, even to non-campers like me :)

There seems to be a lot of generosity, community and trust on the trail. I love reading about the different Trail Angels Kasey's met in the first month of her trip, generous folk who live in towns along the trail and open their homes to PCT hikers. Many of them are happy to cook for their guests, and drive them back to the trail when they're ready.

This family even came up with Kasey's trail name - Double Happiness, or DubHaps as she's now known.

Over the weekend I emailed Kasey to see if I could share some of her photos here, and snuck in two short questions. Here's her reply from somewhere in California:

How are you writing and posting your blog from the trail? 

I take little notes through out the day - funny things I overhear, songs that are stuck in my head, memorable views, run-ins with fauna - and then before I go to bed I string it all together in the comfort of my sleeping bag. Whenever I have good enough service, I upload to the blog which is usually in towns.

What are you most looking forward to at your next town stop?

What am I looking forward to most?! Big breakfasts, pizza and washing my hands in hot running water.

Thank you Kasey! I hope you can check out her blog, and here's something fun, you can send trail mail or virtually shout her breakfast.

Photos by Kasey Koopmans.

What will you read next?

I can't decide what is more exciting - finishing a book or choosing a new one. I'm hoping to finish my third book for the year (!) this week and have already picked out what I'll read next.

I'll be reading Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. It's on loan from the library and ready to go. I first heard it mentioned by Annabel Crabb on her podcast and have also become curious about Joan Didion who pops up as a frequent reference on this style blog.

This year, aside from trying to finish a book per month, I'm also trying really hard to read more broadly and sample authors and titles I might not ordinarily. Currently I'm reading Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North, which appeared on my desk at work last month just as I was finishing up a novel. My friend Larry loved it and passed it on.

P.S Here's what I was reading in January and here's how to find more time to read.

How to find more time to read

My friend Amy read a whopping 64 books last year (and 14 in the holidays just past!) in between working full-time and raising three kids. Here are her tips for fitting more reading into everyday life:

1. Always carry a book with you and fill any waiting time with reading

'Not just the obvious waiting-at-the-doctors,' she says, 'But waiting for your coffee, for your lunch in the microwave, for a lift. Read while the pasta water boils, while you're stirring your risotto, while your husband watches American Pickers and American Restoration - insert the boring shows that are watched in your household!'

I'd love to read more articles in my spare time and have started using the 'Save for later' feature on Facebook and the Pocket app so that I have a bunch of digital options ready too. Borrow Box has also been a bit of a game-changer for me, I'm currently reading a library e-book on iPad and my phone, which is always the book I read while I'm waiting for my coffee or standing in a queue.

2. Have several books on the go that way you'll always have one to suit your mood

I love the idea of picking up a book based on your mood, even if I've always been a one-book-at-a-time reader. To me, it also means I have fewer excuses. Currently I'm reading Far from the tree by Andrew Solomon (dense, non-fiction), Delicious! by Ruth Reichl (fun and easy to read) and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami (short stories that I can finish in one sitting).

Here's a tip from me, I've started taking my lunch break later in the afternoon, so I can sit in a quiet cafe and read for awhile. If I was more organised, I'd love to do this before work.

Finally, Amy recommends asking yourself whether you'd rather be reading in those moments when you're on Facebook or Instagram, or looking for something to watch on TV.

Thanks Amy! And now a confession, all of the books I've snapped sitting on my shelf are ones I own but am yet to read or finish.

Just read: Worn Stories

Every year my friend Vanessa sends me a book for Christmas, just in time for the holidays. This summer she sent Worn Stories by Emily Spivack. In it, ordinary people and famous folk share the story behind a special item of clothing and the memories it holds, inevitably revealing something about their past.

You get to see what people wore when they were invited to meet Barack Obama and what they happened to have on when they picked up an unlikely hitch hiker en route to the Grand Canyon.

The book is curated very cleverly and does a really great job of telling bigger stories about life in America, from stories of migration (and the acquisition of someone's first pair of Cons), to the impact Super Fly had on the every day street fashion of Harlem.

It is such a fun book to read and I tried to savour it as much as I could.  As I read, my eyes kept darting between the item of clothing and its story. I'm already itching to buy this book for friends, if only their birthdays would hurry up!

P.S Last year, Vanessa sent Letters of Note for Christmas and I loved it so much that two of the letters ended up becoming readings at my wedding.