November Edition

Hey friends,

It’s a short and sweet one this month but I hope December’s will be full of great reads from over Christmas. Would love to know the best books you’ve read this year - I’ll do a short round up of mine!

Lots of love,

Izz

Books

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

I wasn’t sure I’d read this after not having loved Fleishman Is in Trouble (though the Disney series is definitely worth a watch), but the reviews were brilliant so I gave it a go as an audiobook. And I ended up really enjoying it - I think the narration fully brought it to life for me. It follows the Fletchers, a wealthy Jewish family from Long Island, and how its different members are shaped by a pivotal event that happens at the start of the book: the kidnapping of the head of the family, Carl. It’s funny and outrageous - but it did feel a tad long.

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

I really loved this. A mammoth cowboy novel that revolves around a group making their way from Texas to Montana to be the first whites to settle cattle on the northern Native American plains. The stories are artfully interwoven and you feel very satisfied at the revelations and plot twists along the way.

TV

After The Party, Channel 4

I watched this after my mum shared the Guardian review which called it the ‘best acting all year’ and it did not disappoint. Penny has to confront the return of her ex-husband Phil to their hometown in New Zealand, whom she divorced four year prior after suspecting him of abusing a child. As you’d expect it’s heavy and intense at times, but also very funny. The cast is incredible and they do an impressive job at letting uncertainty hang over each episode, with the tension building throughout. Will have you yelling at the tv!

Article

A must-read, beautifully written article about a woman’s first-hand experience of having an abortion in the UK.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/nov/28/abortion-rights-women-donald-trump-us-britain