Summer reads, switching to physical books and thoughts about Amazon
I've recently come across a book I really want to read this summer - it's The American Lover, a collection of short stories by Rose Tremain. Anything love related makes for perfect summer readfare imho. I think Katie Clapham's fantastic Substack newsletter, Receipt form the Bookshop, is where I first encountered Tremain, but don't quote me on that (do subscribe though!).
As per usual, I downloaded a free extract on my Kindle app first - you know just to make sure I really want to commit - and postponed decision time after a first dip. Let me tell you, the initial pages were a joy to lose myself in. What wonderful writing - deep, visceral, powerful. Of course I'm buying it - I thought.
Rose Tremain is completely new to me, and I'm so glad I found her. Maybe you're already familiar with her work?
Anyway, I was so excited all I wanted to do was to keep reading! The instant download button had my name all over it in big capital letters. But I refrained.
Now that Francesca is 10 months old, I'm slowly carving out some night time for reading in bed... actual physical tomes! Not being constantly nursing means I can take adavantage of both of my hands at once and hold a real book, rather than scrolling an endless page on my Kindle... one handedly, of course. So, instead of the ebook, I confidently opened my Amazon Prime account and almost ordered the actual book there. Then I stopped - again.
If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember that, about a month ago, I shared some thoughts about Bezos's wedding in Venice via Stories. I admitted that, as a physically weak, mentally overwhelmed new mom, I couldn't have survived without Amazon next-day delivery - especially during the first 6 months since giving birth. I said I wish there were more online shopping options that are mom-friendly (I hardly left the apartment for months. Running errands was out of question for me). And that Venice is not for rent and that we don't want Bezos and his court of charlatans (and dirty money) here.
Since sharing that — i.e. since going clean publicly about my heavy use of Amazon — I felt some sort of relief. Admitting to something I'm not proud of was liberating. And now I find myself reflecting on small changes I can make to use the Amazon ecosystem less and less (a system that is so unfair to book authors and its own workers). So, today I'm headed to our only remaining indie bookshop - Il Giralibri - to place an order for The American Lover with them. I'm excited and I cannot wait. It feels like a little adventure.
Four books I'm reading this summer (all physical copies and non-Amazon purchases):
- Fresh Water for Flowers by French author Valérie Perrin - A beautiful story of life and death. I started reading it last summer. Halfway through the book I had to press pause... something happens within those pages that a hevily pregnant mom should not read or dwell on. Exacty one year later, I returned to it and finally reached the last page. It felt good to literally close a chapter of my life. Beautifully written but emotionally taxing.
- Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote - a fast paced, entertaining read that is fantastic for the summer months. If you've only watched the movie, then the original book's ending will surprise you. Well done Capote!
- Summer by Edith Wharton - We're entering female sexual awakening territory here... in the early 1900s nonetheless. I'm picking this up from the bookshop this evening, and I cannot wait to dig in.
- The American Lover by Rose Tremain - a collection of short stories where "... Beth remembers a transgressive love affair in 1960s Paris. The most famous writer in Russia takes his last breath in a stationmaster’s cottage (...) And in the grandest house of all, (...) the Polish housekeeper catches the eye of an enigmatic visitor" - sounds just about right.
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| In this post's pictures: @ilgiralibri, Mestre's last indie bookshop. |
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