It feels like ages since I've devoted time exclusively to books, although that being said I managed to finish one of these books which was close to five hundred pages in about a week. We're certainly going to be spoilt for choice very soon with new releases, as booksellers rush to load their shelves with fresh ideas and pages for the holiday season. Today, as with all the other bookdate posts I'm waxing lyrical on books I've read recently, some extra literary things and what's currently atop my wishlist. Enjoy...

Recently Read: / What Happened x Hillary Rodham Clinton. First things first, I've seen a lot of people reading this book, ladies and gents which pleases me no end. That aside, I was really keen to get into what was dubbed Hillary's most candid memoir yet. She's published two previously, one of which I have and need to get to asap. As the title would suggest, this book chronicles the leadup and aftermath of that election. It is at times bleak reading, as is to be expected but it is also full of hope and positivity. Hillary is one amazing woman and I highly recommend giving this a read.  / Paris x Megan Hess. I've long been a fan of Megan's illustrations, ever since spying them in the pages of Fashion Quarterly magazine way back when. Despite that, I actually owned none of her books and only gifted them to friends, until now. Her book on Paris is just exquisite; broken down into places to see, shop and eat. This is a book you'll want to display proudly on your coffee table or in a guest room. It's far too beautiful to be hiding away on a shelf.  / How To Be A  Grown Up x Daisy Buchanan. It's taken me a while to read this for the key reason that I am a serial reader. I wish I'd not left it so long though. Buchanan's book is an essential for every twenty-something. It's full of wisdom, humour and is like reading something from a non-condescending best friend or older sister. I'm about to lend my copy to Britney but I am also considering it for people's Christmas gifts this year too.  / The Secret History x Donna Tartt. Now this is a re-read for me, although really it may as well be a first-time read because it turns out I'm remembering little of it. To be fair, I did read it three years ago. The Secret History is Tartt's debut novel and it is intoxicating and breathtaking all in one go. Her writing is decadent for lack of a better word. Just read it. It's hard to do Tartt justice if you've not experienced it yourself. 

Pages of Note: Childhood and teenaged Sophie would be horrified at the fact I now take to regularly underlining and post-it noting passages in my books. I mean, I did that in school but it served a different purpose then. Anyway, lately I have taken to doing this more frequently and then when I've finished a book going back to the sections I loved. One thing I've noticed is particularly vivid descriptions get an underline from me. For instance, the way in which Donna Tartt writes about clothing in The Secret History is particularly powerful so I've underlined a lot of that. I also end up writing some of these out in my diaries too. I dunno, this is just a random thing I do and enjoy. 

The Wishlist: *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban-illustrated edition x JK Rowling. As my favourite book in the Harry Potter series, I was always going to be lusting after this one. I had a chance to flick through this yesterday with a friend and we were both gazing heart-eyed at it. Pssst, Santa if you are reading. This 9 25 year old would not say no to this.  *#girlgaze x Amanda De Cadenet. The #girlgaze tag and project are one of my favourites on Instagram. Established to celebrate female artists and photographers. It's supported by the likes of Amanda De Cadenet, Sam Taylor Johnson and other inspiring women. This new book is a showcase of some of that talent so therefore it'll be a visual love fest. Another for the Christmas wishlist. *The Catcher In The Rye x JD Salinger. I've read an incredibly slim list of classic literature. A fact I'm not proud of. This book and Franny & Zooey have captured my attention for the longest time but I am yet to read either of them. I figure starting with the most renowned is the best way to go.  *Untitled poetry collection x Indy Yellich O'Connor. I don't have a link for this one as it's yet to be released or up for preorder. If you follow Indy on Instagram  or any of her platforms, you will know she is quite the wordsmith. I'm really excited to see her first published work. Once I know more about it I'll share links etc on Instagram. 

Totes Y'All: The Nook and Burrow ladies sell some freakin' awesome wares but this tote at the moment might just take the cake. The sentiments; coffee, cats, books and feminism are all extremely relatable and any books, magazines, or an abundance of notebooks (if you are me) would be well housed in this canvas fabric home. 

-What have you been reading lately?

Hello, happy Monday and happy Auckland Writers Festival week. It's a good week for literary greatness. To kick off the week I'm back with a third installment of my bookish series that I share around these parts. As per usual we have an update on Oprah Sophie's Book Club, a digital recommendation, some things I've read and not discussed elsewhere and, for once, a very slim wishlist...

Book Club: Now for May and June I've selected two books to read and write up on. First we have The Cows* by Dawn O'Porter. Harper Collins very kindly sent me a copy (or two, more on that another time) but I was alway going to read and devour this regardless. I've set this one aside for May and haven't had much of a chance to read it yet. It is addicting and hilarious so far though. Next up we have Too Much and Not the Mood by Durga Chew-Bose which comes at the recommendation of Lena Dunham and Tavi Gevinson, among others. Side note: Tavi interviewed Durga for her ROOKIE podcast and it's worth a listen. I grabbed this when I was in Wellington last month and according to the blurb, Chew-Bose captures 'the inner restlessness that keeps her always on the brink of creative expression'. 

What Olivia Did: Some of you will probably know of Liv as a fashion and beauty extraordinaire but she also dabbles in the odd spot of book themed content. Today I am alerting you all to her channel because she does share the occasional book video and often a recommendation in her monthly favourites. Her Spring Reading List was particularly brilliant and had me jotting down names of the few books I had not read. We have similar taste apparently. You should also all subscribe to Liv because she is lovely and her videos are fantastic. She deserves so much more subscriber love.

Recently Read: / The Clothing of Books by Jhumpa Lahiri. I will be honest, this was on my to-read list but I also could not resist this cover. Look at it! This is a short but idea-laden translation of a speech Lahiri gave in 2015, initially in Italian. It explores the nuances of book covers and how for a writer, they mark the tangibility of ideas and the finality of work. It also talks about the disconnect between cover designer and writer, especially because a lot of the time that side of things isn't a collaborative process.  / The End by Lemony Snicket. So I finally finished my re-read of A Series of Unfortunate Events. It's only taken a few years. Anyway, I did not remember this book or how the series 'ended' as such at all. The Baudelaires and Olaf wash up on an island, where everything ends up eventually. It's home to a tribe of sorts and an almost cornucopia-like array of objects. It also contains many a reference to The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Namely the characters being named after those from the play but also other subtler anecdotes. I really enjoyed it and I'll be curious to see how it is adapted for Netflix eventually.  / Archival issues of Lula magazine. See visual aid. When a follower of mine on Twitter got in touch with me to say she had some Lulas to rehome, I had to grab the issues she had from the Leith Clark era. They have not disappointed either, although I am only reading the Sweet Sixteen issue right now. I want to make their magic last. Also read this for more Lula greatness.

/ Tavi photographed for The Coveteur, see the full story here

The Wishlist of Re-Reads: Instead of making a wishlist of books this month, I want to give mentions to books I hope to revisit soon. / An Extraordinary Theory of Objects by Stephanie Lacava. Objects and their associations+significance has always been something that fascinates me. I pore over what my friends and family display in their homes for this reason. With my eyes people, I'm not a world class sleuth. Lacava's writing explores much of that and the anxieties and feelings of relocating to Paris after a childhood spent in the United States. It's been a while since I read this, maybe three or four years back and it was only after stumbling upon an interview in one of the Lulas I was sent that I remembered I own it.  / The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Secret societies, universities that conjure images of the halls of the school in Dead Poets Society, flawed young men and women. Perfection in other words. I bought this on a whim and was mesmerised by it like everyone who read it before me. It's about time for a reread.  / The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This book is one of my all time favourites so I tend to read it annually. At least once or twice actually. The way it is written as letters and the way it gets into the psyche of teenaged outsiderness without the romanticism is something I really relate to. As somebody who never felt like they fit in during high school and adolescence in general, this book is so comforting.