“If I had my way, I’d remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead.”
Roald Dahl
And so we’re in July – the best of all the summer months for me, this one is named after that most well known of Roman Generals, Julius Caesar. He is the one to thank for the both the expansion of the Roman empire, and for the introduction of leap years into calendars, what a set of talents he had! July marks the midway point of the year – normally July 2nd – and interestingly enough, always starts on the same day of the week as April.
I am, in true form, catching up on this summary long past July, and well into Autumn but it’s nice to revisit the pages and see which ones have really stuck with me. Thanks goodness I take notes as I go! I did go back and check my Kindle too, there were a lot of books I read on holiday that aren’t reflected here. One standout was The Year of Less by Cait Flanders – a memoir of a year that encompassed an almost complete shopping ban, hand in hand with giving away almost 70% of her possessions. It’s a brilliant look at how life can be simplified whilst still being full of the things we actually love.
So, this months list looks something like this:
Books Read:
| Title | Author |
| Create Dangerously | Albert Camus |
| I Love Capri | Belinda Jones |
| Wabi Sabi | Beth Kempton |
| Ready Player One | Ernest Cline |
| Ready Player Two | Ernest Cline |
| Tap to Tidy | Stacey Solomon |
Total keeping: 3 out of 6
Half staying, half going – It’s interesting, I thought that I would have read a lot more books this year than I actually have, even accounting for the ones I’ve read on Kindle. But as long as some of them are leaving the shelf I’ll take it as a win.
Amongst the books in this months pile are Ready Player One and Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline. These two are all time favourites of mine – but controversially, I actually think Ready Player Two is even better than Ready Player One! Set in 2045, in a world where people live out their lives inside the Oasis – we follow the story of Wade as he takes part in a world wide search for an Easter Egg embedded in the virtual realm. Ready Player Two continues the story in the aftermath of the competition of a lifetime having finally come to an end. I love the world that Ernest Cline has built, his integration of pop culture references from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s add such a nostalgic feel to the story. Even if you’re not a gamer, there’s still a lot to get your teeth into with this one and I’d highly recommend it – the film is worth a watch, but the books are so much richer in description and world building!
Wabi Sabi by Beth Kempton was very kindly gifted to me and is an absolutely beautiful read, in addition to looking gorgeous on my bookshelf! Beth has spent a lot of time in Japan, immersing herself in the culture and environment and its clear throughout her writing that there is a deep respect for what she has learned.
There was one key takeaway, above all else for me, that being the idea of soulful simplicity – “decluttering and styling your home with love, without making it clinically minimal or trying too hard“. This really resonated with me, I’m drawn to the idea of simplifying time and time again, but in reading around the ideas of minimalism and simplifying – it so often it becomes such an extreme idea that I immediately feel overwhelmed. The idea of simplifying from a place of love, of still having a home that is beautiful and filled with the most important items to me is immensely appealing.
As someone who would love to visit Japan, this book certainly added to the daydream of what I might find should I ever make it. Definite keep.
Total heading for new homes: 3 out of 6
I Love Capri by Belinda Jones is a perfect summer read, it’s basically made for sun loungers and beaches. It follows the story of Kim as she visits the gorgeous island of Capri, it’s a fun story with romance, cocktails and exploring – and is great escapism if you’re simply dreaming of those beaches and not actually there! I really enjoyed this, I have a vague recollection that I may have read it a number of years ago, but it didn’t feel like a reread. I’ve passed this one for donation, it deserves the chance to brighten someone else’s day.
Tap to Tidy by Stacey Solomon is a great introduction to tidying, and organising in and around your home. If you’ve ever watched Sort Your Life Out, you’ll recognise many of the methods she uses, albeit on a more approachable scale. I loved this read, Stacey brings a lot of sunshine to a topic that can feel a little boring and oversaturated at times. Having read a lot around simplifying and organising – I would say this is more of an entry book, it’s not intimidating and she clearly understands that people struggle to get organised so avoids being patronising. One thing I absolutely loved in this book, is that it’s not stacked with picture perfect rooms, rather beautiful illustrations – for me that makes it feel a little more approachable for anyone who may be slightly overwhelmed in their home. I’ve passed this one on to my Mum, her house is already beautiful but I know she’ll enjoy the read.
Create Dangerously by Albert Camus was, a little bit of a struggle if I’m honest. I hadn’t realised prior to reading that it was the transcript of a speech he gave in 1957, and on learning this afterwards, it made sense why I didn’t immediately connect. I would love to see this as a spoken piece, I think a lot would click into place. From reading it, it felt very of its time, which is obviously – a time that I have never been part of. Albert clearly saw artists and creators as the disruptors, and felt they had a responsibility in challenging society – I would say that’s still an incredibly relevant idea even today.
July was a little erratic in the genres and books I read, but it was enjoyable nonetheless, I always find I read more as the nights grow longer, so hopefully I’ll have a few more in the pile in the cooler months.
Nx
bleached_books 