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My 2024 Cosy Girl Autumn / Anti-Summer Reading List
Summer reading. The publishing industry’s second wave of marketing and sales. A chance to target the flip-flop-laden, hand-luggage-wheeling, airport shoppers. It’s also the time we tend to go away, free ourselves from distraction and supposedly start chomping down on our ‘TBR’ piles between applying our SPF.
Whether we pay Ryanair an extortionate twenty-five pounds for a trolley case full of books; quickly Kindle download whatever is free in Prime Reading the night before we take off; or panic purchase the one book we read a year from the WHSmith next to the departure gate, there is a holiday reader in all of us.
In summer, we are meant to have the time, space and motivation for turning the pages. Yet, for me, summer reading didn’t feel light and sunny the whole time. I got easily distracted by the three pound Prosecco at the local public pool. The thirty-five degrees left the words bubbling into my brain and out of my memory at the same rate as the fizz in my cup. I seemed to spend longer on Instagram, or taking pictures of my idyllic surroundings to post at a later date. I drafted Substack ideas in my iPhone notes, and attempted to catch up on my Whatsapp admin during the time I set aside for reading. Due to all of this, I often ended up reading and re-reading the same chapter six times. I did not make it through most of my TBR pile.
Sometimes, the summer reading list can feel like pressure. Perhaps it is the tick-list control freak I am, using reading to ‘decompress’, yet still finding a way to transfigure the joy into a results-based accolade. I furiously update my percentages read on Goodreads as I will the stats on my reading challenge to change. I pack a set number of books in my case, then feel disappointed if I don’t get through them all. I download titles to my e-reader, using the Kindle’s calculation of my reading speed to challenge myself to finish the words on the page faster than the prediction. You can take the corporate girly-wirly out of the office and attempt to de-programme the type-A control freak in me but my Hermione Granger alter-ego lives on. Expectation vs. Reality Patronum.
Having spent eight weeks in the mountains with ‘no distractions’ (trust me, there are distractions everywhere if you look for them) I did less reading than I thought I would. Perhaps it was the mountain backdrop: the large scale but intricate detail of which helped me pass the time mindfully staring into space for hours? Perhaps it was driving long and winding roads instead of sitting pretty on trains and planes? Perhaps, it was fear of reading a book so brilliant it would lead me to accidentally plagiarise the writing style or, fill me with the inadequacy I could never write a book anywhere near as good? Or maybe, it was, whether alone or with friends and family, I wanted bask in the silence; notice the sound of the swifts swooping overhead and let the local village church bells reverberate through my bones. Each chime and chirp signifying a new mini-era in my life, rather than a new chapter on the page in front of me. (Harder to do when my family were around, mind you).
All this said, I have done a fair amount of reading this year. It just so happens not a lot of it was this summer. I write a recommendation in Sunday’s Add to List but after forty of these, even I have lost track of which were my favourite.
So, whilst you settle into Autumn: the season of turning leaves, and taking stock, I’ve harvested the fruits of my Goodreads account. Who cares if you didn’t read anything this summer!? You can make up for lost time now. Here’s a summary of my favourite ten books of the year (so far).
I believe storytelling is a vessel for perspective-shifting and creating empathy. All these books do just that; filled to the brim with human heart and soul, I hope you can cosy up, bed in and, sip on the magic of these words as much as I did this Autumn.
This is one of the most powerful debuts I’ve read in years. The book is centred around Jade, a girl who is sexually assaulted by a colleague after a legal work party, and we follow the heart-breaking unravelling that accompanies her life after the event. There are so many cleverly paralleled moments that ask you to step back and reflect on identity, class, toxic workplace culture and the female experience.
I am in awe of this deeply moving, utterly compelling read. Brilliant dialogue and true-to-life character contradictions make this a rousing, anger-inducing, unputdownable read. It’s nuanced, balanced and intelligently written, tackling so many difficult themes yet never feels try-hard or ambitious. Important reading.
I have a firm life rule: always read the book before watching the film.
This deeply compelling memoir about rock-bottom and restoration is out in cinemas now, staring Saoirse Ronan. The first-person narrative follows Amy Liptrot, returning to her home in Orkney, following a difficult decade battling alcohol addiction in London. As she reconnects with the natural world and as a result, herself, the sheer contrast between her London and Orkney lives feels dream-like. She flits between present and past thoughts, taking us with her on her path to self-discovery and self-acceptance with her poetic prose. The book is a love letter to the natural world. It’s honest, wise and moving. As well as sharing how she visibly sees the impact of global warming on our world, we are taught, through Amy Liptrot’s vulnerability just how connecting with the wild is the place we should all look to find stillness.
Navigating the familial bonds in the wake of their sibling’s unexpected suicide, this is a beautifully written, gorgeously balanced story of the Blue sisters, Avery, Bonnie and Lucky. Avery, a laywer living in London, Bonnie a boxer living in Los Angeles and Lucky, a model between Paris and Japan. Each sister holds the keys to their own magic and melancholy; finely positioning them on the edge of great things or the start of their demise. The book explores what it means to grow up as modern independent woman deeply connected to your siblings, who you might not like or aspire to be like, but fundamentally appreciate and understand. Tackling addiction, grief, and the messy, human existence, this book, akin its three perfectly balanced plot lines is equal parts moving, uplifting and heart-breaking.
An emotional exploration on the way love builds us, makes us, breaks us and shapes us.
Each chapter cleverly revolves around a significant love for our protagonist, Margot. Through Roxy’s fluid, sentimental, second-person writing we are achingly forced into the shoes of Margot on the brink of a big life decision looking back at her life and love affairs. Filled with comedic dialogue and intricately human characters, this compelling book will make you relate to the nostalgia, joy, insecurity and shame that come with looking back on past loves. It will also leave you staring down the terrifying uncertainty of the future with hope, heartache and courage.
Although this gorgeous debut book is titled, As Young as This, Roxy Dunn’s masterful storytelling positions her as a break-through voice, wise beyond her years.
Everything You Need to Know About the Pill (but were too afraid to ask), Kate Muir
A demystifying, compelling read. This well-researched and revealing call for women to understand their biology and take agency of their own bodies is the book every person should read this year.
Female reproductive health is a topic close to my heart. But, if science isn’t your thing, don’t panic. Through Kate’s epidemiological statistics, brilliant historical context- setting and anecdotal, personal case studies all written in a clear, accessible narrative, the only intimidating thing about this book is the sloppy-scientific history and scale of the contraception experience for women worldwide. Essential reading.
For Such A Time as This, Shani Akilah
This debut collection of short stories set in London is a beautiful, connected snapshot of relationships, friendship, race and isolation.
Shani Akilah is a unique and sparkling storyteller who uses small details to tell much bigger pictures. Seemingly simple, standard moments evolve soulfully and with perfect pace to show us the gripping complexity of human connection. Shifting between different narrative voices, each story is interconnected in subtle but emotionally-provoking ways. This collection is masterful, intelligent and totally unique. I cannot recommend this enough.
In the latest book from literary icon, David Nicholls, we follow Marnie and Michael on a walking holiday on Alfred Wainwright’s coast- to- coast path in northern England. Both unhappily stable in their solitude and recovering from failed relationships, they build a firm understanding of each another as they adventure along the path’s rocky terrain. Through the beauty of elongated conversation and time together in the natural world, they are able to push each other outside of their comfort zones and teach each other some of the small, simple pleasures in life.
David has a real gift for crafting perfect characters. Marnie and Michael are astutely observed and their blooming relationship is filled with heart-warming humour and melancholic moments of all-too-familiar truth. Uncovering the very human notions of miscommunication and insecurity leading to delayed gratification, he builds a love story which wraps us in the messy yet wholesome reality of real-life romance. Tender, truthful and tempting to read in one sitting.
I got to meet the man himself for an author interview earlier this year. He was the dream to interview: honest, hilarious, painfully clever, notably humble and, wonderfully insightful about his writing process. You can read the highlights on Amazon Editors’ Choice here.
I am indeed, a big, big fan. Sheena Patel has created a provocative and pulsing, narrative voice that is addictive, beguiling, hilarious and profound. Part confession, part stream of consciousness, our narrator is totally compelling in her chaos.
Every pacy section is filled with dark, confetti-sprinklings of genius.
‘Vienetta really is the epitome of luxury’ is my favourite chapter title but there are so many good ones.
Sheena Patel embodied Brat before anyone knew was Brat was. Not demure, not mindful but, an utterly compelling read.
I think this is one of the most truthful memoirs I’ve read in years (outside of the aforementioned, The Outrun).
Amy is an inspirationally honest writer who leaves so much fear aside to call our romantic ideals into question. It’s terrifying, touching and, liberating to read.
This fearless and frank memoir of love, loneliness and longing is like nothing else in the first-person romantic memoir space. Bravely putting into words the difficult, conflicting psyche of woman looking into a future of potential solitude in a society fuelled by coupledom, Amy Key may just be the start of a revolution for people to see the world through a new lens. Through the melodic backing track of Joni Mitchell, she tackles both the internal monologues and external realities that come with the question of motherhood, self-love, self-worth, friendship and intimacy.
It is written tenderly, fluently with Amy balancing her heart on a tonal plate of poetry and conversational prose fearlessly for us to consume. This book feels, at times, like a call to action, for us all to question what it means to exist as a woman in today’s world.
I particularly enjoyed this opening to the chapter, FLOWERS:
“The rhetoric that you must love yourself before you can expect anyone else to love you can feel like a terrible burden. I know I've felt in a double bind: one of self-loathing, as culture tells me I will not be loved until that is overcome, and then one of dispossession, because I've listened to too many songs that tell me I am no one until somebody loves me. In that framework - the war between self-love as realisation and being loved as self-realisation - I lose on both sides. While self-care - in a superficial sense - can come easy, self-love can feel as remote a possibility as romantic love. If romantic love isn't a key that will unlock my esteem, and self-love feels threatening in its difficulty, I still need to find a shape for my life. Not just for my daily routines of care, but for what I'd like to see, feel and experience in my future.”
Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe
This book is weird and wonderful.
I am astounded at how many niche topics of interest overlap in one place in this aberrantly brilliant novel. The book follows Margo, a struggling single-mother as she lives with her ex pro-wrestling, ex-drug addict dad. Looking to make ends meet, and through a series of bizarre events, she starts an OnlyFans to fund her life. Alongside this, there’s LARPing, TikTok viral activity, US social services, Vegas weddings, bad bars, online flirtation and student-teacher relationships. Submerse yourself in this brilliant world of offbeat topics and kooky characters.
Rufi Thorpe writes forcibly with flair, all while empathetically humanising extreme characters. She questions traditional views on parenting, sex work and shame. Despite its whacky premises, it’s a deeply human novel which asks us to reflect on our judgement of others. Via this bunch of interesting, flawed but incredibly loveable characters, we are made to question what it is that makes any person redeemable from their ‘poorer life decisions’.
Great shot of you and David! I’m assuming that’s been your home screen ever since? 😉👏
You're such a good writer <3 I too would have been distracted by the £3 prosecco, what an absolute bargain