on the shelf: end of summer

august slipped away into a moment in time...

It breaks my heart to be writing this. It truly does. Yet, the fading sunlight and the increased rarity of bright days can only point me to one conclusion - the summer is ending. Of course, I will only be accepting that fact of life on the Autumn Equinox (18 days left!!), but I have to acknowledge that summer as I know it is gone. Gone are the hot, hedonistic days of July. Gone are the days of the sun beating down on my chest as I savor a new read. Summer love is brief and whirlwind, so here are the bits of media that captured my heart this summer <3.

books

I am a voracious reader during the summer months. Below are just some of the reads that I tore my way through as I lay on the beach (most of my copies are sea-soaked and sun-dried).

The Idiot - Elif Bautman

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long, long time. It came into my life right when I needed it. Selin’s incredible propensity for academia, paired with her complete hopelessness in social situations spoke to a part of myself I try very hard to keep hidden. It is the fear that, as the last line of the book reads, “I hadn’t learned anything at all.” It is the fear, that as the world around me changes, I will stay stagnant in a liminal space - everywhere and nowhere all at once.

Penance - Eliza Clark

I finished this book in one sitting as I sunbathed - I have the sunburn to prove it. Even the unbearable summer heat couldn’t pry me away from this. Eliza Clark has such a deep understanding of what it is to be a young woman nowadays. I have never seen online communities represented in such an accurate way. As somebody who has an ambivalent relationship with true crime, I appreciated the nuance that Clark embodies as she explores the topic. This was one of my favorite reads of the year.

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain

My summer love this year was Anthony Bourdain. Having seen his quotes littered all over my social media feeds (my favorite being, “The next life cannot possibly be better than this.”), I resolved to check out his work. I started with a Parts Unknown episode taking place in my mother’s hometown, and I immediately fell in love. I purchased this book the next day. Bourdain’s love for food is apparent, but what really shines through is his appreciation for the human condition - warts and all - and his genuine love of different cultures.

Blue Sisters - Coco Mellors

In all honesty, I hated Coco Mellors’ debut novel. With Blue Sisters, I did in fact judge a book by its cover. It was a positive surprise. Mellors’ love of flowery language lends itself well to this novel. As somebody who has no sisters, but has always longed for them, this novel felt like a portal into a secret, magical world. It’s a heartbreaking novel and the themes of addiction particularly affected me. I think this was a delicate, tender novel on the nature of love, generational trauma, and moving forward with grief.

films + tv

My Letterboxed account has been painfully dry this summer. My HBO watch history has not. Below are all of the things I’ve been feasting my eyes on this summer.

The Holdovers (2023) - Dir. Alexander Payne

The one film I watched this summer was more than worth it. While it may have been a total seasonal opposite from when I watched it, The Holdovers cemented itself as my second favorite movie of all time. The cinematography is distinctly reminiscent of classic films, and the themes of humanity, connection, and found family are similarly timeless. I adore this film. Also! Dominic Sessa will be portraying Anthony Bourdain in a biopic! So that movie is made for me!

The Sopranos (1999) - David Chase

This show took up so much of my time this summer, and it was SO worth it. For two months, I found myself totally engrossed in the dynamics of the Soprano family and their associates. I have no words to describe this show. It’s a classic for a reason; if you haven’t seen it - you must.

p.s

thank you so much for taking the time to read this! it would mean the world if you considered subscribing to this blog for similar content. all my love always <3