Summer reading
some brilliant, funny books to read this August
August is nearly upon us, and this newsletter will go on hiatus for the month. We leave you with a few summer reading recommendations…
A funny book
Black Bag by Luke Kennard is the novel that made me laugh, over and over again, this year. It’s more than just funny: philosophical, sexy, mysterious and with a human warmth that is never sentimental. Kennard is a poet with delicious control over language and imagery, and a sly eye for telling and amusing detail. He also reads the audiobook beautifully. One to savour - and a deserving inclusion on the Booker longlist.
A literary thriller
The Runner by Scarlett Thomas allows you to imagine someone else sweating while you lie in the shade, enjoying an impeccably written chase that is twisty, surprising, often hilarious and sometimes even supernatural. Assassins and dictators with terrifying private islands are joined by would-be exorcists and an aspiring nun on the run. Between breaths, Thomas also finds time for meditations on the roles of money, religion and altruism. A satisfying whirlwind of a book.
A century-old classic
Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend-Warner turns 100 this year, but Laura’s story of escape from gloomy aunt-dom to the woods of Great Mop never gets old. Every time I return to this beautiful, dreamy classic I spot new details to fall in love with, and find extra dimensions to Laura and her triumphant self-possession (or is it?). This novel’s defiance of many contemporary conventions, alongside Laura’s, is part of the pleasure, and it is also, often, very funny.
Open for booking:
On September 26th, psychotherapist and trauma-informed writing guide Katie Watson is teaching her masterclass, Writing our Way Back. Join Katie for a 2.5-hour session of creative writing for therapeutic purposes using a trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive process.