A few weeks ago, my best friend from high school and I hopped on a 42-minute flight from Oahu to Kauai for a girl’s trip. We left behind assorted kids, husbands, and dogs to embark on a three-day writing retreat—just the two of us, some inspirational reading, and our laptops.
We’ve known each other since 7th grade, but bonded over angst-filled poetry in a 10th grade creative writing class. Since then, we’ve both written professionally at different stages of our careers and kicked around book ideas, but neither of us had ever committed the time and effort required to write fiction.
Now in our mid-forties with (mostly) self-sufficient children, we made a pact to get it done. We rented a condo and planned a schedule: wake early, hike/run/swim, write, eat, write, and break for happy hour. We set writing goals, talked about characters, and held each other accountable to a daily word count. We didn’t read the headlines or check work email. We didn’t have a TV, just books to read and shitty first drafts to write.
I returned from that long weekend feeling more balanced and rejuvenated than I had in ages. Yes, I felt the stress of traveling during a Covid surge—we masked on the plane, ate outdoors, avoided crowds—but the trip felt like an escape from the crushing weight of the pandemic. The combination of nature, exercise, friendship, and productivity filled all my buckets.
If summertime gives you an opportunity to escape from your daily grind, take it. Even if that escape is just turning off the news firehose, putting away your screens, and disappearing into a good book (or a fun movie). Your mental health will thank you.
To help build out your summer reading list, we asked a few of our local SBC organizers to share some of their recent favorites. Divya, the founder of SBC SoCal and now a virtual host in North Carolina, recommends Part of Your World, by Abby Jimenez:
The story is fun, romantic, magical, and still feels so real & believable—the tough subjects handled in such a delicate, subtle manner—completely and thoroughly enjoyable, heart wrenching, fun read! I can’t wait for the next character’s book coming next year.
Angie, host of SBC Vancouver, Washington, picked three faves:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab
Wraeththu, by Storm Constantine
Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
And from Ayesha, host of the Cardiff Silent Book Club in Wales:
I just finished reading Will and Testament by Vigdis Hjorth, which is a really powerful book about the effects of childhood trauma. I recommend it to anyone drawn to stories that explore family dynamics.
Let’s be clear, right up front. The Lost City is ridiculous. Sandra Bullock is a washed out romance novelist who gets kidnapped on her book tour by evil Harry Potter—I mean, Daniel Radcliffe—an eccentric billionaire on a quest to find the buried treasure she describes in her latest book. And the only one who can save her is, wait for it, the wannabe-Fabio cover model from her novels. Also known as Magic Mike. I MEAN, Channing Tatum.
Sorry, this is why I review books rather than movies. I have a very hard time separating fictional characters from real people. Which is basically the premise of this movie. What is fact? What is fiction? Why is Brad Pitt so handsome? (His actual reply from the film: “My father was a weatherman.”) So, yes, The Lost City is ridiculous, but it's also feel-good and funny and a great escape from the real world. Which is exactly what a good romcom—novel or film—should deliver.
Bookmarks
Book-related links and other good stuff online
Ad: Rassa is online learning for Anthony Bourdain fans—explore the world’s culture, food, and history in live online courses. Get 20% off with the code SBC22
13 New LGBTQ Books by AAPI Authors to Read ASAP BookRiot
AAPI-owned bookstores to support Libro.fm
Zelensky and the art of storytelling Wired
Just switch it off: Why Australians are quitting the news The Guardian
“Happily ever after” endings are a form of self care LitHub
Did the pandemic change summer reading for good? The New York Times
Before Bookstores, There Was the Door-to-Door Book Canvasser Off the Beaten Shelf
Readers for Reproductive Justice: 20% of sales will be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds Books are Magic
The librarians are not okay Anne Helen Peterson
A third of all libraries in England have closed amid a 44% reduction in spending by conservatives since 2010 The Guardian UK
The big summer reading list The New York Times
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Books we loved this month
This month’s book recommendations come from SBC member, former indie bookseller, and Instagrammer @briefbookreviews
Young Mungo, by Douglas Stuart
Book Lovers, by Emily Henry
The Hurting Kind (Poems), by Ada Limón
What are you reading? Paid subscribers can share recommendations with us and comment on Substack posts. Become an SBC VIP here to support Silent Book Club.
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