Worth Reading: Summer Reading + A Bonafide Substack Gem
And maybe the most random recommendation of all time. 😬
Worth Reading: Summer Reading Lists Round-Up
When I was designing the graphics for Summer Getaways and procrastinating on actually writing the stories, it occurred to me that I should compile a summer reading list to complement the series. Smart!
But I’m not going to do it. One, it should have come out a couple weeks ago, at least. Two, there are so many excellent summer reading lists that already exist, and I don’t know what I would add to the conversation. Particularly because I still haven’t read a book yet this year… eek.
You may still be looking for some summer reading inspiration, so instead, allow me to humbly offer you this round-up of the summer reading lists I like:
Zibby Summer Reads by / This lengthy list is meticulously organized by emotion, genre, release date, etc. I loved digging into this - it was a journey!
Summer Reading List by / Katie’s list is tighter and offers more context for her recommendations. And she includes a few summer cocktail recipes to close. I’m new to Katie, but I’m really enjoying her sunny vibe.
Hot Ones: Readers' 80 Most Anticipated New Summer Books by GoodReads / GoodReads perhaps publishes too many lists, but if you pay attention to a few, you’ll get what you need. This is organized by genre, and I find they do a good job describing the books to get you hooked.
Summer Reading Game by / This is not a list, sure. But remember the games libraries used to host when we were younger? This is a nostalgic throwback!
Worth Reading: Substacks
When I joined Substack, I hoped I would discover other creators in the fiction world. Specifically, I anticipated there would be little gems of newsletters that awed me for their talent and voice. There are so many incredible people on here, so many incredible newsletters, and I know I’ve only scratched the surface, but I found one (via
). I found a bonafide gem. And you need to know about it.
Every Friday on Receipt From The Bookshop,
reports in with a real-time recap of the day’s happenings from her bookshop in Lancashire, England.IMMEDIATELY YES.
English wit meets my “You’ve Got Mail” bookshop-owning dreams. It’s no wonder Katie is experiencing a little viral moment, after only 95 of her weekly updates. This is going to be the email I will either drop everything to devour or save until I can properly savor.
I love how effortless this idea is. Her voice is brilliant - case in point, her about page makes me want to giggle and then weep from envy. HER ABOUT PAGE. It’s just not fair. But it’s also deeply inspiring. Anyways, just go check her out already. You’ll love it.
Story Behind The Story: “Strangers In Paradise”
Last week, we kicked off our new series, Summer Getaways, with a visit to Harbour Island in the Bahamas via “Strangers In Paradise.” Harbour Island is my favorite place on the planet to visit, and you’ll see it photographed often on my Instagram, where I also host all my tips on where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc.
“Strangers In Paradise” pulls a few inspirations together:
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce visited Harbour Island a few months after I was once there, so it sparked the question: “What would you do if you ran into a favorite celebrity?” Just imagine that run-in! That’s what this story is.
And obviously I brought in my favorite Traylor stand-ins, Alison Stone and Griffen Jaymes, from “A Meet Cute For Christmas.” It’s possible you’ll get more stories from their universe during Summer Getaways… 🤫
On my trip, we didn’t see Taylor and Travis, but we did see Eli Manning and his wife, as well as walk by a Ralph Lauren beach photo shoot.
During my celeb wrangling days in NYC, I once rescued Leighton Meester and her boyfriend at the time, Sebastian Stan, from an over-zealous, drunk fan (also a colleague… awkward) by interrupting their conversation by telling her I needed for another interview. I pulled her away and then set her free. I used that interaction as inspiration for this move here.
Want to hear more of my celeb-wrangling stories from my NYC days? I’ve got something fun in the works…
I’ve often thought about doing PR for The Ocean View, my favorite place to stay on Harbour Island, but I’ve decided I don’t want the place to get so popular that I can’t go anymore! This is the most you’ll see me promoting it.
Don’t forget, next week, we’re heading to the Hamptons!
One Thing
one quick recommendation
I’m nervous about sharing this, but ultimately, I’m going back to the golden rule as a guide. I would want to know about this, so I hope you do too!
I like nice things, from clothes to travel to my home. I try also to be smart about my money, so I buy from higher-end brands when on sale. I book first-class flights with points.
A year ago, I signed up for Rakuten to earn cash back on my online shopping with a couple easy clicks. I’ve since received $1,055 cash back.
Yes, the name is horrible. No, I don’t know how they’re using the data they collect from your shopping habits. How/why are they giving money away? They’re essentially splitting their referral commission with you for sending you to shop with that retail partner.
Rakuten is easy, they partner with relevant sites I frequent, and it saves me money. That’s all I needed to know to sign up.
If you sign up with my referral link, we stand to each earn $30 (sharing for disclosure, not really incentive). I’ve signed up a few friends recently, and they’ve been enjoying it, so I wanted to share with you as well.
A few Rakuten pro-tips:
The cash-back percentages can fluctuate. Meaning, they can go up, particularly over holidays but any time.
For example, my parents bought an LG fridge over Memorial Day Weekend, and instead of 3%, the LG.com cash back was 20%. That resulted in a $400 savings.
If your purchase doesn’t register but your shopping trip did, you can manually request your cash back in the app. It’s a little buried, but once you find it, it’s super easy, just a few clicks.
I find Rakuten easier to use/apply to my shopping trips when working on a desktop.
Instead of cash, you can get paid out in Amex points. I should have mentioned that, in addition to my $1,055, I also earned almost 40,000 Amex points.
I can’t believe I’m on Substack talking Rakuten. Please tell me if this is helpful or if this is cringe; I can handle it, I promise. Moving on…
Parting Shot
sharing some of my Cameron Wilder’s photography from over the years
Cameron Wilder is a longtime collaborator friend of mine, a talented photographer and the kindest of humans. He and his sweet wife Tolly joined my friends and family and me in Harbour Island in 2023 to photograph my 40th birthday. Here are a few of his shots from that trip that capture the beauty of this majestic place.
Each week of Summer Getaways, I’ll share some shots from that location here.
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And after you like today’s post, take a quick spin through Plot Twists’ homepage. I gave it the teeniest of design refreshes! Just wait until we have more of Summer Getaways and From The Library Of posts populating those sections. 🤌🏻