Life’s a beach.
Welcome, summer.
This past week marked the final days of school for my children, and now the promise of a leisurely summer yawns before us. Well, leisurely for them. Chaotic for the rest of us trying to get shit done.
Of course, I am incapable of experiencing any leisure until my never-ending To-Do list is well under control. My pre-summer strategy is to schedule dentist appointments, purge and organize books and toys, and complete any outstanding projects. If I’m going to be with the kids at the beach, feel spontaneous enough to pop out for a stroll and an ice cream, or enjoy an evening picnic in the park, I don’t need my anxiety (or phone!) coming along for the adventure.
I hope you’re all creating summer plans for yourselves to look forward to. Anticipation is half the fun!
As always, your recommendations for what to watch, listen to, and read are below. Reply to this email anytime with feedback or requests - your emails come straight to me.
Sending hugs (and SPF),
Emily @ Hard Copy
📺 Watch
If you haven't indulged in Carême yet, it's absolutely time. For lovers of food, romance, and period dramas, this show is a sensory delight. (AppleTV+)
As a Matthew Goode fan, I had to give Dept Q a try. Friends, I was hooked. A very gripping, fun whodunnit. I need season 2!!! (Netflix)
Two documentaries worth your time: TITAN: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster and America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Season 2 are both available now. (Netflix)
🎧 Listen
A rare rap entry to my recommendations: Little Simz's latest album Lotus is truly special. With incredibly deft production, the UK artist delivers a fresh offering that entertains from start to finish.
Lauren Duffus is an inspiring artist who refuses to be bound by a single genre. Her experimental approach yields her latest EP, Can's Gone Warm, a fun (if at times odd) collection of tracks that could fall anywhere along the pop-R&B-electronic spectrum.
A unique album of complex musical layering, Lyra Pramuk's Hymnal is just as haunting, eerie, and meditative as the title suggests.
📚 Read
Catherine Lacey's The Biography of X, which dabbles in meta-narrative and alternate history, enchanted readers with its distinctive structure. The Möbius Book is equally mind-bending. Existing in fragments, dipping into both fiction and memoir, it reflects on heartbreak and Lacey's ever-evolving relationship with spirituality.
The Grey Wolf is the 19th mystery in Louise Penny's bestselling Armand Gamache series. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for the head of homicide and Chief Inspector Gamache reading "this might interest you," a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list―and then a murder? You won't be able to put it down.
Leila Mottley made history with her 2022 debut, Nightcrawling, becoming the youngest Booker Prize nominee (she was just 20 when the book came out). Now 23, she's back with The Girls Who Grew Big. The book follows a group of teen mothers who band together to raise their children against the backdrop of a judgemental community in Florida. Teen pregnancy has been so sensationalized with the rise of 21st-century reality TV—it's great to see a young woman sincerely exploring the subject.
✨ Indulge
As the weather warms up, I drag the family outside for meals whenever I can. After picking up a few durable items, dinner al fresco is easier than ever.
Eat to Love, Mikaela Ruben. Blanket, Yeti. Bluetooth speaker, BOSE. Cooler, Yeti. Reusable dishes, Hlsicnalm.
The Yeti picnic blanket is heavy-duty, waterproof, and my favourite summer gear purchase ever. The runner-up is this lightweight and packable camping dish set, which we use for dinner al fresco.
Okay, yes, the Yeti backpack soft cooler is a bit bougie, but I've had it for years and am glad to have a hands-free option. I buy things to last, and between this cooler and the blanket, I've been golden for several summers. To set the mood, we usually tug along our durable and portable Bluetooth speaker.
After following her for years, I spotted private chef Mikaela Reuben's in a hotel, and I'm sure I scared the crap out of her as I ran up to be a massive fangirl. She is charming talented, and just published her exquisite cookbook, Eat to Love. It's filled with great, tasty, healthy recipes that are great for picnics! You'll love it.