June gloom was my ever-present companion this month. I wanted happy hour outside, but Los Angeles gave me cloudy and gray. What’s a girl to do?
Pages Turned
The Shippers by Katherine Center
My very first Book of the Month pick! I ended up getting this as an audiobook, and it was the best companion on my drive home to the Bay this month. The book follows JoJo Burton as she decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all during her sister’s cruise ship wedding, roping in her childhood bestie, Cooper, as they team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, and answer long-held questions. I loved the characters in this book so much, and by the end, I had tears welling in my eyes as I drove down I-99 to Los Angeles. This is the perfect sweet, summer romance to get you through the upcoming heat waves! I also need to mention how FUNNY this book was. I was laughing out loud in some parts and swooning in others. I seriously can’t recommend it enough.
The Beautiful Summer by Cesare Pavese
Not all books are going to be winners, and I was severely disappointed in this one. The novel follows Ginina, a 16-year-old girl, during a 1930s Italian summer. She’s desperate for adventure and soon finds herself wrapped up in the dazzling world of bohemian artists and entrenched in a doomed love affair. For me, a coming-of-age novel about a girl experiencing love for the first time is usually an immediate high ranking for me, but this one didn’t deliver. I’m going to chalk it up to the simple fact that this man has absolutely no idea what it’s like to be a teenage girl and all the complex emotions that come with it. Instead, I found myself reading a choppy story with half-baked characters and a main character that simply would never exist in real life.
On the Nightstand
I am currently reading To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf. The novel surrounds the Ramsay family’s summer holidays on the Isle of Skye, exploring family dynamics, the passage of time, and the search for meaning. This is definitely a heavier book than I would normally gravitate towards in the summer, but Virginia Woolf has a way with words I can’t resist. I’ve only just begun the book, but I am extremely intrigued by the way she has thrown away the traditional plot for a more poetic exploration of the characters. I have a feeling this book is going to tear me open and leave me raw for days, so stay tuned for my review on Goodreads!
Not a Book, But –
I finished watching the BBC adaptation of The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow and consider me obsessed! That was truly one of the best page-to-screen adaptations I have seen in a long time, and I will be rewatching it over and over again for the rest of the year. The casting was absolutely impeccable – Ella Bruccoleri as Mary and Dónal Finn as Mr. Hayward should both be winning awards for their performances. It was also so beautifully shot and well-written that I think every single crew member deserves a raise. This is your warning that it is going to be my whole personality moving forward.
A Quote I’ve Been Sitting With
“A daffodil might look plain next to a lily, but on its own, there is much to be admired.”
Mrs. Hill in The Other Bennet Sister on the BBC
The central theme of The Other Bennet Sister is learning to shine in your own unique way and finding the people who appreciate you for those qualities. Mary is surrounded by talented, beautiful, charming sisters who make her feel less than, but on her own, Mary is smart, empathetic, and honest. Mrs. Hill says this quote to Mary during a moment where she feels like she will never be a woman who can compare to her sisters, but Mrs. Hill already sees the qualities in Mary that make her special. With social media, the ozempidemic, and increasingly unrealistic beauty standards, I’ve often felt like I can never compare. Yet that doesn’t mean I’m not beautiful and special in my own way. I might not be a daffodil, but I would be proud to be considered a lily alongside Mary.
See you next month!
Xx,
Liv
I need to watch The Other Bennet Sister!!