Summer reading list
And some sale finds.
I’m on holiday, so this letter will be short and sweet, as I’m far too busy tanning myself and breaking up fights between my children. You might know that reading is my second greatest passion after fashion, so I thought I’d share a list of books I’d recommend for summer. Don’t expect any light reading—I don’t really do that. I love high-quality literature, although I’ll perhaps save Franzen for the autumn, depression-inducing reading list. Plus, there are a few finds from the sales, which are starting to crop up across brands.
READING LIST
The Song of Achilles, Circe and Galatea by Madeleine Miller - These are perhaps the lightest reads on this list, but I absolutely adore the way Madeline Miller retells the ancient Greek myths that are so familiar to most of us. In The Song of Achilles, the story of the siege of Troy is told through the lens of the love story between Achilles and his closest companion, Patroclus. Circe is a feminist tale about a courageous woman who chooses to defy her father and stand up for herself, and the same is true of Galatea. When I think of these books, I get the feeling of a warm summer day on the beach, eating a ripe, juicy peach and feeling salt on my skin. For me, they are the ultimate summer reads.
Things I don’t Want To Know, The Cost Of Living, Real Estate, The Position Of Spoons by Deborah Levy - The autobiographical trilogy and the collection of essays make for a wonderfully meditative read on the experience of being a woman in the modern world. I find Deborah Levy’s writing deceptively simple yet full of meaning, imbued with the kind of melancholy that comes from paying close attention to life and lingering over its details. It’s the sort of writing that appeals to anyone who likes to observe, reflect and ponder.
The Little Virtues by Natalia Ginzburg - A collection of stories by an outstanding Italian writer, exploring the lives of ordinary people during Fascist rule and in the aftermath of war in Italy and across Europe.
Outline, Transit, Kudos and The Last Supper by Rachel Cusk - I love the restraint of her writing, the precision of observation and the way she manages to say so much through what remains unsaid. There is something deeply meditative about these books: they are about marriage and divorce, freedom and loneliness, identity and reinvention, but above all they are about listening. The Last Supper is an autobiographical account of the writer moving with her family to a small town in Tuscany for a few months. A summer in Italy—what could be better?
Them: A Memoir Of Parents by Francine Du Plessix Gray - The daughter of Tatiana du Plessix—the muse of Mayakovsky and a celebrated milliner in 1950s and 60s New York—and the stepdaughter of Alexander Liberman, the legendary artistic director of Condé Nast, Francine du Plessix Gray tells the story of her remarkable family against the backdrop of some of the twentieth century’s most dramatic upheavals: the flight from the Russian Revolution of 1917, Paris in the 1920s and 30s, the escape from Nazi occupation, and the golden age of Manhattan. Filled with stories about some of the era’s most outstanding intellectuals, artists and social figures, it offers an extraordinarily detailed glimpse into a world shaped by immense political change and populated by people of almost unbelievable eccentricity.
Collected Stories by John Cheever - This is what I’m actually reading at the moment. A brick of a book filled with the most delectable stories by one of the great American masters of the short story form. Slow and reflective, sometimes sad, but always deeply moving and impossible to put down, these stories are about ordinary men and women in the 1930s, 40s and 50s—their worries about money, marriage and making a life for themselves. So real, so familiar, and so beautifully observed.
Capote’s Women by Lawrence Leamer - The story of Truman Capote and the women he adored, used, admired and ultimately betrayed, it is a fascinating look at New York high society in its golden age. Babe Paley alone is worth the price of admission. Filled with fashion, gossip, social climbing, fabulous apartments and terrible behaviour, it is also surprisingly sad—a reminder that even the most beautiful lives tend to crack under scrutiny.
Walk Through Walls: A Memoir by Marina Abramovic - Marina Abramović writes about her childhood in post-war Yugoslavia, her complicated relationship with her parents, love, obsession, endurance and the strange ways in which we shape ourselves into who we become. What fascinated me most was not even the art itself, but the sheer intensity with which she approaches life. Everything feels heightened—pain, beauty, discipline, desire. There is something almost mythological about the way she tells her story, as though she has spent her entire life testing the limits of both body and mind.
All Fours by Miranda July - Miranda July takes what could be a fairly ordinary midlife crisis and turns it into something strange, funny, uncomfortable and unexpectedly profound. A woman sets off on a cross-country road trip and, instead of continuing to her destination, checks into a motel a few miles from home and begins to dismantle her life—or perhaps rebuild it. It is a slightly unhinged exploration of marriage, desire, ageing, motherhood, freedom and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are supposed to be.
Slow Days, Fast Company and Eve’s Hollywood by Eve Babitz - My two favourite books by one of the most underrated female writers, Eve Babitz, who moved in the same circles as Joan Didion but presents a very different picture of the reality they observed. Babitz is sharp, funny, fast and honest. Do not read Babitz & Didion — it’s an absolutely one-sided version of events by an author who does not even try to conceal her dislike of Didion.
Happy reading!
You are reading the free version of the newsletter, and I hope you’re enjoying it. For 8€ a month, you can get access to the full version, which includes my weekly curated wishlist, access to chat where I am sharing more immediate finds to shop, including resale and vintage, and where you can ask me questions on styling ot suggest a theme for a newsletter. You will also gain access to a monthly issue available only to paid subscribers.
Style No Substance is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You can also request a personalised consultation or a styling session.
Thanks for reading Style No Substance! This post is public so feel free to share it.
SALES
Dear Frances is doing a private sale and all you need to do is sign up with your email and you can get my favourite mesh booties and their bestseller mesh ballerinas with 50% off.
Staud is doing a sale and I love this open back dress, this easy t-shirt dress, these shorts, the layered evening dress is sublime, this little tank top is cute, these trousers, these plisse mini and maxi dresses, and my god, this coat is so Prada!
The Row started its sale too, there are plentu of Liisa pumps, a few bags and a lot of good quality basics with nearly 30% off.
Neous has a selection on sale and I love the Hamal slingbacks, the Alnair mules with a curved heel, which is a micro trend for the next season, and the timeless Diske kitten heel slingbacks.
Keep going for my 10 Pieces Curated Wishlist…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Style No Substance to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.