It’s kind-of-a-long-weekend.
And there is no better excuse than reading on a kind-of-a-long-weekend. Right?
On the latest episode of Mamamia Out Loud, Mia, Jam and Monz give some great recommendations about what you should be reading right now.
From essays to long reads, it’s reading that will restore your faith in language, ideas and humans in general.
Listen to the full episode here:
Subscribe in iTunes here.
The Clasp, Sloane Crosley (Book)
“She’s the female David Sedaris” says Mia, and we say SHUT UP AND TAKE OUR MONEY SLOANE. That’s about the only recommendation we need. Part comedy of manners and part treasure-hunt, it comes highly recommended by all who cast their eyes upon it.
Purity, Jonathan Franzen (Book)
This hefty tome is Jonathan Franzen’s latest book. He’s apparently the next Great American Novelist. In any case, Monz just liked it because the last book she read was Girl On The Train. And that did not go well.
She says: ‘It’s a big hefty book. And you’ll look at it and think ‘oh god – I’ll never get through it.’ But it’s very much worth it, Franzen is a wonderful character writer.”
The Nation He Built, Edel Rodriguz (Essay)
Remember when Obama was elected President and he was all like “Hope!” yada yada “Change!” yada yada. Well, if that’s about when you stopped paying attention, you might be interested in this. It’s a potted summary of what Obama has achieved as POTUS and leader of the free world, which, when you read it, is a lot. If you are like Jam, and you love politics so much you have a picture of Obama glued onto the front of your diary that you secretly pash when your husband isn’t in the room, you’ll bloody love it.
The Big Sleep, Julie Medew (Essay)
Spoiler alert: emotions. This essay is about two Australian scientists who died in October last year as part of a suicide pact. It’s an interview and discussion with their daughters who talk about their parents lives, and the fact they had this pact for a very long time.
Jam says: “It’s beautifully put together visually by The Age online, and such a beautiful read.”
Nora Ephron essays.
Our podcast spirit animal Lena Dunham is ALWAYS going on about Nora Ephron, like she’s some kind of writing and life virtuoso. Well, Lena, you would know. This essayist wrote a pretty famous book in the 1980’s, called Heartburn, and her more recent book I Feel Bad About My Neck was critically acclaimed. Mia says: “I’m just really enjoying essays from female authors that I admire.” Right on, sisters.
What are you reading this weekend?