I read some great books worth recommending this month, so let’s get into it….

(Books are in no particular order.)

In July, I read two books set on or near the sea: Wild Dark Shore and A Marriage at Sea.

WILD DARK SHORE by Charlotte McConaghy
Buy on Bookshop or Amazon

This book was so unputdownable, I sprinted back to the pool to retrieve my copy after realizing I’d left it abandoned next to the baby splash pad. A dramatic rescue, but necessary.

Wild Dark Shore is about the Salt family, who live on a remote island off Antarctica that has been used for climate research. Dominic, the patriarch of the family, has become the de facto caretaker of both the island and the world’s largest seed bank, which is safely housed in an underground vault on the island. The sea levels are rising, and the Salts are the only remaining inhabitants of the desolate island — until a woman named Rowan mysteriously washes up ashore and changes everything.

Wild Dark Shore is moody, lyrical, and stuffed with twists, some of which caught me totally off guard (always fun), others that more seasoned thriller readers might spot from a mile away. At its core, it’s also a work of climate fiction: the premise of the book relies on the fact that the Earth is getting warmer, and both animals and humans are in danger.

I can see why this one’s gotten so much buzz and praise (shout out to who first put this on my radar). The core message feels appropriate for These Times: that with love, even the worst is survivable. Or that anything terrible is worth surviving because of love.

For me, the beauty of the book was its ability to pit our most human tendencies against one another. Where there’s grief, there’s also joy. Where there’s paranoia, there’s also blinding trust. Where there are ghosts, there’s life-affirming dancing. Where there is fear, there’s wild courage. Where there is death, there is life.

What I loved most were the book’s vignettes of sparkling natural life, familial love, raw regret, and unbounded awe. For instance, in this scene, Rowan observes Dominic pausing to listen to his son Raff play his instrument:

“The eerie sounds continue and we stay to listen. It is a searching call and within the notes I can see the whale, swimming a deep and endless ocean, seeking another of its kind. I think Dominic Salt will stand here for as many minutes, hours, days as his son plays. That bond I can see in the man's eyes, that love, the universe of it: I have chosen not to know that.

I thought I had made peace with that fact—I thought I wanted it that way-and then I came here.”

The novel continues in this way, leaving you with clipped cliffhangers from the narrator’s POV that leave you wondering. “And then I came here”…and then what? McConaghy doesn’t tell you; instead, she keeps the story rolling forward as she switches perspectives, sprinkling more incomplete thoughts throughout. It will draw some readers in as it did for me, and I can see how this writing style might frustrate others who want to be handed the full picture, immediately.

Most touching were the passages describing Dominic’s love for and fierce protection of his children, in conjunction with his grief over losing his wife, who died of cancer many years ago:

“What I miss most is not any of the things I expected. It's having someone to talk to about our children. The hilarious things they say and do, the insights with which they blow my mind and the ways they change frequently and without mercy. I need her to help me process and deliberate and delight in. I want to laugh with her. To be awestruck with her. I want her to look at me in wonder, acknowledging what profound creations we have made together.

What I miss is having someone to look at in moments like these, someone who understands not just the talent or cleverness of our children but the wisdom, the immensity of feeling they hold within. Instead I marvel at them alone.”

How can you not feel all the emotions while reading a passage like that?

With all this said, one thing kept pulling me out of the spell of Wild Dark Shore: the thematic repetition. The prose occasionally veered into “just so we’re all clear, here’s the metaphor” territory, which made the message feel a little too tidy. I’ve realized I prefer a looser grip—books that leave room for ambiguity and multiple interpretations. (Audition by Katie Kitamura comes to mind as a perfect example of this: slippery in the best way.)

Still, I’m glad I read Wild Dark Shore. It’s a beautifully crafted novel that knows how to deliver an emotional gut punch, even if it occasionally underlines its own insights a bit too eagerly.

In summary: Loved, with minor reservations.

A MARRIAGE AT SEA by Sophie Elmhirst
Buy on Bookshop or Amazon

A rare nonfiction read for me. The premise of this one immediately caught my attention: a couple decides to set sail in the 1970s. Their boat gets hit by a whale (really) and sinks. They climb onto a dinghy and a life raft and survive 117 days at sea. Alone.

The book delivers on sharing the “did they really do that” moments that you might imagine for anyone who has to survive at sea in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. (This book is not for the squeamish; the de-shelling and eating of turtles is shared in detail, for instance.) With that said, the latter half of the book, which details the couple’s life after they are rescued, was a snooze. I almost want to recommend skipping the latter half, as it didn’t provide any additional value, themes, or takeaways in my opinion.

Re: format, I ended up listening to it on audio. The narration was okay, but it worked for me as I preferred that format, as I tend to absorb nonfiction better when it’s in audio form.

And in case you’re like, wow, this sounds interesting but I probably won’t read it—this NYT Book Review podcast ep with the author will give you the gist.

In summary: Liked and would recommend if you need a quick, entertaining, jaw-dropping read

I read two books about intimacy in July: one, a zine about a writer’s experience of pregnancy, and the other, a novel about a woman who finds out her husband is having an affair, while simultaneously grappling with her breast cancer diagnosis.

PRIVACY BY Molly Young
Buy on Young Blanks

Another nonfiction read! And this is cheating a little, because this was a zine rather than a book. But I enjoyed it and think it’s worth discussing. It made me laugh out loud many times, which is no small feat!

Privacy is a zine by Molly Young that explores the absurdity and body horror of pregnancy, presented over 40 weeks and 80 pages.

The zine is laid out into chapters corresponding with the week of pregnancy. It felt like, in essence, taking a peek at someone’s diary, which is one of the best kinds of writing to read.

Young is funny and unsentimental about pregnancy in a way that feels both bracing and accurate (“participant-observer,” as she notes). It’s the only way to view pregnancy: an otherworldly phenomenon to be observed and carefully examined. Privacy reads like an anthropological take that only a writer like Young could pursue. For instance, she buys nineteenth-century pamphlets on pregnancy, a charming if oddball act. Molly notes how there’s still no explanation for nausea in pregnancy. A crime!!

The reader is along for the ride as each stage of the pregnancy grows more absurd and physical:

“Everyone recognizes the form of a pregnant woman except the woman herself, who is constantly catching herself in a reflective surface and thinking: What the fuck.”

“After 20 weeks you’re supposed to huddle on your side at night like a Pompeii casualty.”

A breath-catching finale of sorts leaves the reader in suspense, horror, then finally, relief. A pretty good summary of pregnancy itself as a whole, if you ask me.

The focus of Privacy is on Young’s observations of her physical, internal, and social changes, specifically how others react to her being visibly pregnant. The fetus → baby itself is almost a secondary, clinical abstraction in this text (“The child has been emitted,” she writes after giving birth), which adds to the absurdity of it all. You’re telling me there’s been a child in there this whole time?? When you’re pregnant, you almost forget the fact as you’re consumed by all the symptoms, systems, preparation, and so forth that the final act of birth can seem like a dream, or even a joke.

Privacy is asking us to look at pregnancy for what it is: totally weird, totally cool, totally not understood by anyone, not even the person to whom it’s happening.

In summary: Loved. Recommend if you’re into absurdist prose and/or if you’re in the throes of pregnancy and want to feel seen.

MAGGIE; OR, A MAN AND A WOMAN WALK INTO A BAR by Katie Yee
Buy on Bookshop or Amazon

A woman learns her husband, Sam, is having an affair. Shortly after, she’s diagnosed with breast cancer. She names the tumor after the woman her husband is sleeping with. It’s darkly funny, observational, and surprisingly tender.

The book recounts the dissolution of the narrator and Sam’s marriage and the various appointments, biopsies, and treatments the narrator endures.

From its opening pages, I was most struck by how well the author depicts motherhood, marriage, and what it’s like to live with and take care of kids. (I was surprised to learn later that the author does not have any children of her own.) Her husband is what we might call the “classically fun parent.” He likes to make up zany bedtime stories for their two kids, where characters crossover into other stories, like Strega Nona wandering into the world of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. In this way, the narrator feels like the odd one out, the one not telling the jokes and the stories that make her children giggle like they do with Sam; the one harboring a terrible secret of her own, a tumor that could destroy everything.

The novel is less interested in plot than in power, control, and storytelling—who gets to narrate what happens next. I found myself rooting hard for the narrator as she slowly reclaims that authority. Rather than share silly bedtime stories, she shares folktales passed down to her by her Chinese mother, which she now passes down to her kids. It’s her way of imbuing her children with an important piece of her (and their) heritage. And it’s her way of wresting control back in a situation where she felt she had none.

I had a soft spot for the narrator’s best friend, Darlene, throughout the book. She’s the cool DGAF friend, the ride-or-die bestie, a ceramicist who has zero time for games when it comes to relationships. She accompanies the narrator to every appointment, lets her starfish out on the floor of her apartment as she vents about her husband’s affair.

The theme of race added a touch of nuance to the book and what it says about relationships and having kids. The narrator notes that Maggie is a white woman who likely comes from a background similar to Sam’s—a well-off, WASPy family with multiple vacation homes scattered along the coasts, who would likely describe their financial situation as “comfortable” and quickly move on to the next topic.

“Of course it wasn't lost on me that Maggie was white. It added another layer to the betrayal. On the other hand, would it have been better if she were Chinese? Of course not. While choosing another Asian woman would have screamed fetish, the fact that it was a white woman begged the question of regret. Did he feel that in choosing me, he had chosen wrong?”

There is the notion that race will always be a thing that separates even the two closest people within a relationship. There can be understanding and empathy, but the lived experience is a whole different beast. This added a complexity to the divorce that the author was able to explore a bit. I would have liked more!

“For me, there was the question of whether I could bring a baby into the world who looked like me; who I could not protect from casual racism; who I was certain would one day step into a classroom with a kid who would mockingly tug at the corners of their own eyes; who I knew would have people guessing what country they were really from all their life; who would, more likely than not, hurt in the same small ways I had hurt. To this, my white friends would mmm thoughtfully and say, ‘Fair,’ though it was anything but.”

Overall, the writing style reminded me of Katie Kitamura or even Miranda July. Observational, a bit wry, with exploration of themes like control and power in relationships, race, and motherhood. I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for a plot-driven book; it’s a bit more vibes, vignettes, and dashes of humor. It’s about 200 pages and was a quick read.

In summary: Loved and would recommend.

Lastly, I read two very popular blockbuster books in July: one brand new, and one that’s been out since January.

ATMOSPHERE by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Buy on Bookshop or Amazon

First things first, I’m not a diehard TJR fan. I thought Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was just okay. (Sorry!!) I couldn’t finish any of her other books… I think it’s the overall writing style for me; I tend to enjoy more literary, emotional works of fiction. Reid almost has an old school, matter of fact style of writing I find hard to connect with. Her dialogue doesn’t sound like things real people say.

With that said!! From the jump, this book had me hooked, and it was propulsive throughout. The book centers on Joan Goodwin, a fictional astronaut in NASA's Space Shuttle program in the early 1980s. The opening scene depicts a harrowing moment when a mission in space has gone wrong, and just one astronaut is remaining standing. (Not really a spoiler, this all happens within the first few pages.)

The book then backtracks to the years prior to the tragic mission. We follow Joan and her fellow astronauts-in-training throughout the program as they learn how to do daring things like withstand zero gravity without getting sick, or parachute out of a helicopter and swim onto a boat. There’s a love story in here, too. Joan meets fellow astronaut trainee Vanessa, who might help Joan break out of her shell just a bit and discover more parts of herself.

What I loved most about Atmosphere was the clever structure that left me wondering what the heck happened on that mission and will the remaining astronaut survive?! If there’s one thing TJR knows how to do, it’s to structure her novels in a way that makes you want to keep turning the pages. I just wish the writing held up to the clever structures.

Ultimately, I felt that Atmosphere was trying to do and be too many things. Is it a space novel? Is it a romance? Is it historical fiction with a feminist lens? Is it actually about family? Based on the marketing, it seems the publisher really wanted this to be a romance story. While I appreciate the important themes of exploring queer identity and love, I also wanted more scenes set in space! Lastly, I’ve mentioned this before, but I felt that the final scene should have been the alternative ending. Not because I’m a terrible person, but because I think it would have communicated the author’s intent around Joan’s and Vanessa’s character development a bit better.

Overall though, I’d still recommend this book to anyone who needs help getting out of a reading rut.

In summary: Liked it enough

ONYX STORM by Rebecca Yarros
Buy on Bookshop or Amazon

*mild spoilers ahead*

This is the third and most recent installment of Rebecca Yarros’s insanely popular Empyrean series (Fourth Wing is the first in the series). I’m ashamed to say that this book came out in January, I bought it in January, and I’ve only just finished it. It’s been a “before bedtime” book, which means I read for about ten minutes before snoozing. But I finally did it! I finished it!

Overall, I loved this book so much more than the second in the series, Iron Storm, which I felt was repetitive in its storytelling. Onyx Storm felt more like an exciting adventure as we follow Violet Sorrengail and her “quest squad” across the isles in search of a special breed of dragon, the irids, who may have the secret to curing Xaden of his veninism. I enjoyed meeting new characters, getting to know old ones a bit better, and that final battle scene kept me reading ‘til very late. I love teenage Andarna!

Rebecca Yarros knows how to end on a massive cliffhanger, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next when the next book comes out.

In summary: Liked it.

Let me know what you’ve been reading in the comments.

Today’s conversation is with Carley Fortune, whose novels have become shorthand for a particular kind of contemporary romance: emotionally precise, rooted in place, and deeply attuned to memory. Her lake settings aren’t just backdrops; they’re engines for longing, regret, and transformation.

Her newest novel, One Golden Summer, was published earlier this month and has already landed on the New York Times bestseller list. We spoke during a brief pause in her book tour — about writing through motherhood, adapting her work for the screen, the difference between nostalgia and sentimentality, and what she’s reading when she has the time.

— Alisha

For readers new to your work, how would you describe the premise of One Golden Summer?

Alice Everly spent one magical summer on a lake in Barry’s Bay when she was seventeen. It’s where she took her first great photo—of three teenagers in a yellow speedboat—the photo that launched her career as a photographer. Now in her thirties and in a creative rut, she decides to go back to the lake with her grandmother, who she’s helping after a hip replacement surgery.

Her plan is to relax and unwind—but her peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow speedboat and the man driving it, Charlie Florek. Charlie first appeared in my debut novel, Every Summer After, and readers have been asking me for a story about him since that book was published.

Your second novel, Meet Me at the Lake is currently being adapted for the screen. What has that process been like so far, and how do you decide how involved to be as an author?

My first three books are all at different stages of development. Every Summer After is being adapted into a series with Amazon MGM Studios, and the first season will begin shooting soon. Meet Me at the Lake is in development with Archewell Productions for Netflix, and things are moving along nicely behind the scenes.

I’m an executive producer on both projects, which doesn’t have an official job description. I see my role as being a voice for the readers—advocating for what they love about the worlds and characters.

What part of the adaptation are you most excited to see come to life on screen?

Meet Me at the Lake is set in Toronto and at a resort in Muskoka. A lot of film and TV is shot in Toronto—we Torontonians are accustomed to seeing our city dressed up as New York, Boston, or Chicago. So I’m really looking forward to seeing Toronto play itself and to seeing Brookbanks Resort come to life.

There’s a scene in Every Summer After that I refer to as the “You came home” scene—it’s one of fans’ favourite moments in the book. I can’t wait to see that on screen.

What was it like transitioning from a highly structured, managerial environment [Note: Carley was the head of Refinery29 Canada] to one that’s highly unstructured, creative, with no managers at all? That must have been a massive shift for you.

In some ways, it’s very similar, as there was very little structure in my role at Refinery29, except for what I implemented. I oversaw the editorial, design, and social, so it was also an extremely creative role—but there was a lot of agonizing corporate BS that I am happy to be done with. I miss my colleagues tremendously, and sometimes, like during the recent Canadian federal election, I’m nostalgic for when I had a journalistic outlet to tackle subjects that I’m passionate about. We had started working from home during the pandemic, so I was already accustomed to the live-work situation when I switched to writing full-time. Being an author is lonelier work, but it’s also so much fun and deeply rewarding. I love it.

You’ve spoken vulnerably in the past about your motherhood journey—the demands of your job, your experience with postpartum anxiety and OCD, and being a creative and a mother. As a new-ish mom who also works in the creative field, I’d love your best advice on how to make it all work without burning out. It’s so hard.

It is so hard! I’m not sure I’m the best source for advice on this since I often find myself on the edge of burnout. And sometimes it doesn’t all work! My son sobbed for two hours when he found out I was going to miss something at his school while I was on book tour. On the other hand, I have readers who are upset that I’m not getting out to the West Coast this year on my tour.

You just can’t do all the things. But I do think it’s important to claw out time for yourself—with your nails and teeth and whatever strength you have—to do what makes you smile.

What do you do in moments of self-doubt, or when you’re feeling stuck?

If I’m able to, I go for a walk or a run. I find getting exercise—and ideally fresh air—is the best way to handle pretty much everything.

Who/what are your biggest literary influences? I’ve read that Anne of Green Gables is one. Any others?

I love L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables so very much. Anne Shirley is one of literature’s greatest heroines, and the DNA of that story is part of who I am as a person as well as an author.

I was also a huge V.C. Andrews reader as a young teenager, and I think the twisting, turning messiness of her books, as well as her ability to bring her settings to life, left a lasting impression on me.

What, to you, makes a really good romance novel vs. a just-okay one?

It all comes down to emotion and characters. I need to understand why these two people are falling in love, why they’re attracted to each other, why this is the right moment for them to come together, and what they need to overcome to find happiness with another person.

Basically, I want to feel like I’m snooping on real people. I want to laugh, cry, gasp, and feel my chest ache. I’m also a sucker for gorgeous writing and a sense of place.

Is there anything you’ve been enjoying lately that you’d recommend?

Camellia Rehab Oil from Canadian natural skincare brand Pure + Simple. This has saved my dry, sensitive skin.

About Carley’s Reading Rituals

What does your reading routine look like?

I have two young children, and there’s nothing routine or ritualistic in how I read. I squeeze in books in the gaps of time when they are occupied or when I have enough energy after they’ve gone to bed.

What's your ideal/dream reading setup?

Summer. Late afternoon. By the lake. Wine. Children occupied. Husband preparing something delicious for dinner.

What’s your favorite indie bookstore?

Munro’s in Victoria, BC has a special place in my heart. I lived in Victoria for a year following university and used to wander around the store, imagining that I had a book on its shelves. It feels both grand and warm.

How and where do you discover new books to read?

I often get recommendations through social media—looking at what other readers and authors are loving. But my favourite way to learn about a new book is at dinner with friends, when the conversation naturally turns to books we love. I would love to bottle the energy of someone desperately trying to convince you to read a book they love.

Carley’s Book Recommendations

• A book you’d recommend to all your friends: Sandwich by Catherine Newman

• A book that impacted you during your childhood: Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

• A book that would make a great book club pick: This Is It by Matthew Fox

• A book that recently made you think or stayed with you: The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

• A book that gave you all the feelings: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

• A book you’d pack on vacation: The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

• A go-to comfort read: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Lightning-round questions

Favorite food spots in Toronto?

Le Swan, Bar Vendetta, Rol San.

If you could invite any of your three characters to dinner, who would they be?

Sue Florek (Every Summer After), Aunt Stacy (This Summer Will Be Different), and Nan (One Golden Summer). All wise women with a ton of personality and stories to tell.

What’s something that’s on your wishlist?

Writing the screenplay for one of my book adaptations.

Bonus Round: Questions from Downtime Readers

When working through your writing, do you normally start with the love story, the setting, or maybe even a specific scene? —Melissa K.

The setting is what comes first for me. The protagonist follows, and her love interest grows out of who she is and what her journey is. But that all got upended with One Golden Summer, because I already had the setting and Charlie as the hero. It took a very long time figuring out who the protagonist would be, why she and Charlie were a good match, and her larger character arc outside of the romantic relationship.

Is there a romance trope you haven’t written yet but really want to try next? —Jess T.

I’m not really motivated by tropes—the trope itself isn’t at all what I think about when I’m thinking about a new story and a new romance. Tropes can be a tool in your kit, but they are also these broad archetypes that can be applied to narratives, and that’s how I think of them. I develop a romantic story, and it naturally falls into certain tropes.

Your love stories always feel like they’re about more than just the central couple—do you remember a turning point when you decided to build richer worlds with family and community at the heart? —Claire F.

I guess it’s always been there. I set out writing my debut novel, Every Summer After, as a project for myself. I love love stories and, since I was writing in 2020, I needed it to have a happy ending.

And while that book is a romance—as are my other books—it was also a way for me to grapple with all these other things girls and women face in terms of our relationships with our friends, family, money, work, ourselves, mental health, grief. I love that I can tackle big life questions while also delivering a happy ending to readers. You are safe with me.

Thank you so much, Carley.

Don’t forget to grab your copy of One Golden Summer, out now. You can follow along with the book tour and updates over on @carleyfortune.

©️ All photography by Steph Martyniuk for Downtime. Please do not use photos without permission.

MORE READS FROM DOWNTIME

Today, Alisha chats with Dorset-based author Nikki May about her latest novel, THIS MOTHERLESS LAND.

I’ll start with a confession: This Motherless Land by Nikki May is one of my favorite reads this year. The book is a reimagining of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, set between London and Lagos, and it adds something necessary and nuanced for our current world. It’s not only a story class, but also race, privilege, friendship, identity, love, and belonging. I could hardly put it down.

You may already know Nikki from her debut novel, Wahala, a sharp and funny exploration of female friendship (that’s soon to be adapted into a major BBC series!). With This Motherless Land, she delivers yet another masterful story, full of wit, heart, and unforgettable characters.

I’m convinced that by the end of this interview, you’ll be so charmed by Nikki’s humor and insight that her book(s) will shoot straight to the top of your to-read pile. Her sparkling, engaging voice shines throughout the novel, and as you’ll see, it’s just as delightful in conversation. Enjoy!

–Alisha

P.S. I’m thrilled to share that this is the first Bookmarked to feature stunning, original photography shot exclusively for Downtime. This has been a dream of mine—to elevate our author interviews with visuals as captivating as their stories. You can expect to see more of this in 2025. All photos here were taken by Dan Wilton.

Upgrades like this are possible thanks to paid subscribers—thank you for your support! If you’d like to help bring more of this to Downtime in 2025, you can sign up here. I hope you love the photography as much as I do.

Get to Know Nikki May, Author of “This Motherless Land”

Hello, Nikki! For readers who aren’t familiar, how would you describe This Motherless Land in your own words?

This Motherless Land is a deeply personal novel about identity, belonging, culture, and the meaning of home. Spanning two decades and crossing continents, it tells the story of two extraordinary cousins, Funke and Liv, as they navigate love, loss, and the shadows of their mothers’ choices.

When Funke’s mother dies in a tragic accident in Lagos, she’s sent to England to live with her maternal family. She finds the food tasteless, the weather gray, and her relatives aloof—except for her cousin Liv. Free-spirited Liv, desperate to escape her joyless family, finally finds an ally in Funke. The two give each other what they need most: love.

But the past casts long shadows, and their mothers’ choices shape their adult lives in profound ways. At its heart, this is a story about both of my homes—and how privilege and prejudice are, unfortunately, universal.

What inspired This Motherless Land, and how did you decide it would be a Mansfield Park retelling? Is that your favorite Austen?

My story is inspired by my life. Born in Bristol, I moved to Lagos before I was one, and then to London at twenty. Shifting between cultures and code-switching to fit in made me obsessed with identity. I always knew I’d write about these themes, but reading Mansfield Park for the umpteenth time gave me my 'aha!' moment. The idea of a girl ripped from her home and thrust into an alien world where she must constantly prove herself was irresistible—I had to explore it through my lens.

I’ve always been a Janeite. Austen’s observations of people, relationships, and societal pretensions are unmatched. Mansfield Park is underrated—possibly her most complex novel. Fanny is often dismissed as insipid, but she had no choice; she was poor and had to be meek and grateful. I also wanted to decolonialize the story. The Bertrams’ wealth was built on slavery, yet no Black people appear in the book. It felt like the right time to turn that on its head.

Retellings can take many forms—what was your approach, and did you face any unexpected challenges?

My story is a reimagining, not a direct retelling. I used Mansfield Park as scaffolding to build a very different, personal story.

Once I decided on this direction, I put Mansfield Park back on the shelf—I didn’t want to feel constrained by the text. Some elements are close to the original, like Margot, my Mrs. Norris, who is Jane’s only thoroughly wicked character.

Initially, I considered making Jojo the Edmund character and pairing him with Funke, but my editor was right to veto that. Cousin romances worked in Georgian times, but they’d give modern readers the ick! Besides, I find female bonds much more compelling to write about than romantic ones.

How did your experiences shape this novel?

This Motherless Land isn’t a memoir, but parts of it are deeply personal. Funke’s childhood mirrors my own—riding my green Chopper, living in my Lagos house, and even her mother teaching art at school. But it’s still fiction! My mom is alive, well, and doing yoga with me every Tuesday.

Writing about race, class, and identity demands authenticity, and my experiences with both prejudice and privilege shaped this story. My maternal grandparents disapproved of me and my siblings because our father was Black. Yet I also had a privileged, middle-class upbringing, and being light-skinned gave me advantages in both my homes. These nuances of belonging—never feeling wholly one thing or the other—are central to the story.

Which character’s voice came most naturally to you? Which was the most challenging?

Funke came to me fully formed—her resilience, introversion, and mixed-race experience felt natural to write. I understand what it’s like to belong to two cultures and also belong nowhere. From the start, I knew she was the best of them, and I felt awful for making her life so difficult. But that’s my job as a writer: throw trouble at your characters and see if they sink or swim.

Liv was harder. Privilege can be an unlikeable trait, but over two years, I grew to love her complexity. She makes one devastating mistake and pays a heavy price for it. Privilege can be a burden, and no one wants to own up to having it. In the end, I came out thinking it’s better to have a wonderful mother who’s dead than a terrible mother who’s alive.

Why did you choose to center Funke and Liv’s relationship?

I’m obsessed with stories about female friendships—they’re rich, layered, and endlessly interesting. Shared history is incredibly valuable; there’s something comforting about not needing to explain backstory.

Initially, I thought I was writing Funke’s story, but characters have a way of surprising you. By the end of the first draft, it was clear this was about two women intrinsically tied by love and history. Their bond is the heart of the story.

Without giving too much away, how did you decide on the story’s resolution?

Thank you—I sobbed while writing that last scene! I originally planned for The Ring to burn to the ground, but when the time came, I couldn’t do it. I guess I’m a romantic at heart. [Editor’s note: “The Ring” is the name of the family’s estate.]

The ending is also a homage to Jane Austen—every one of her novels concludes with a sense of resolution, and that felt fitting here.

Are there retellings or adaptations of Austen—or other classics—you particularly admire?

I’m obsessed with the BBC Pride & Prejudice adaptation starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. I binge-watch it at least twice a year! For modern adaptations, Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding is unbeatable. I also adore Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull—it’s pure joy, and I can’t wait for the follow-up.

What do you hope readers take away from This Motherless Land?

I explore weighty themes like race, greed, and culture, but I set out to entertain, not preach. I want readers to race through the pages, to laugh, gasp, or cry—ideally all three.

Deep down, I hope it makes readers think about how much we share as humans. Melanin isn’t a character trait. If this story makes even one person reflect on the absurdity of prejudice or recognize their own privilege, I’ll be thrilled.

On Her Writing Process and Routines

When starting a new novel, do you begin with characters, setting, a theme—or something else entirely?

Characters and setting, always together. I don’t worry about plot or theme until I’ve figured out who and where.

And because I’m a lazy writer, it’s always a setting I’m familiar with. I like to put my characters in places and times I know well—it lets me focus my creative energy on their motivations and personalities rather than the finer details of their surroundings.

Right now, I’m working on book three. It’s set in an advertising agency (I worked in advertising for 30 years), and I’ve got three strong, spiky women taking shape in my head. The best part? Re-watching all ninety-two episodes of Mad Men and calling it research. I love this phase of the process!

What does your typical writing day look like?

My best ideas come on dog walks, so my ninety-minute morning walk with my Standard Schnauzers, Fela and Lola, is the most important part of my day. Rain or shine (and I live in South West England, so it’s mostly rain), we head out. They stop to stare at squirrels; I stop to send myself plot voice notes.

Back home, I seal myself in my office with an iced coffee and aim for my 2,000-word target. I’m a morning person, so by 2 p.m., my brain is fried. I have to write in complete silence—my poor husband knows even his breathing can throw me off!

When I’m drafting, I try to write at least four days a week, but life happens, and you can’t force creativity. I’ll admit I’m also a master procrastinator!

Do you have any advice, go-to rituals, or routines for getting past creative blocks?

A wise author once told me, “Your muse is your bitch. She works for you.” She doesn’t get to decide when to show up—you’re in charge. It doesn’t always work, but I try to sit at my desk for three hours every day when I’m drafting. Some days are brilliant; others, not so much.

Distractions are the enemy, so I’ve pinned a note above my desk that says: STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA. Unfortunately, I don’t follow my own advice as much as I should!

I’m goal-oriented, so I use a chart with daily word count targets and love ticking them off. My biggest tip is just to keep going—don’t let perfection be the enemy of good. When I get stuck, I leave a placeholder in red type: “THIS IS CRAP! COME BACK AND FIX IT LATER.” Then I move on. The real work begins in the editing stage, and until you’ve got a complete draft, there’s nothing to edit.

Nikki’s Reading Rituals

What does your reading routine look like?

I’ve had insomnia most of my life, so I’m a nighttime reader. I’ve even been known to head to bed at 7 p.m. just to dive into a good book. My favorite setup is reading in bed, snuggled under the covers in complete silence—except for the occasional snores from my dog.

What's your ideal reading setup?

The only thing better than reading in bed is reading on holiday. Put me on a sun lounger by a turquoise pool with a slushy margarita in one hand and a bowl of salty popcorn in the other. And don’t forget to top up my glass every so often!

Do you have a favorite independent bookstore?

Right now, it’s Liz’s Book Bar in Brooklyn, NYC. It’s the perfect combination—a bookshop and a wine bar. I was lucky enough to have my book launch there in November, and it made me want to move to New York!

How or where do you discover new books to read?

Word of mouth is my go-to. I’m in three book clubs, which keeps me busy, and my mum and I swap books constantly. Bookstagram is terrible for my bank balance—it always convinces me I need another book. Plus, I often get sent advanced copies of upcoming titles. All of this adds up to a completely out-of-control TBR pile!

Nikki’s Book Recommendations

Nikki’s must-reads include some modern classics, a true British classic, and a few new titles to put on your radar.

Paid subscribers of Downtime can see the rest of this post. Join in for $5/month here to unlock this section and other bonus content each month.

Read more

Quick note: Apologies for the late send today! I served on jury duty (no regrets! civic service is cool!), which messed with my schedule. x

As a self-confessed slower reader, I’ve made peace with not chasing the latest, buzziest titles. Instead, I read what feels right in the moment—even i…

Read more

In this conversation, I chat with Rufi Thorpe about how she researched OnlyFans w…

Read more

Hi! I'm writing to you with a glass of sparkling rosé in hand (too basic?) and blasting Chappell Roan (I know, I know, I’m late) because I’ve had a week (of solo parent duties), and I’m ready for some weekend fun. I hope you’re able to unwind soon, too.

The one-year anniversary of this newsletter is coming up in just a few days. !! Time has flown by, and I feel like last June was a lifetime ago. I'm deeply grateful to each and every one of you who opens this newsletter weekly. It’s mind-blowing in the best way when I meet a reader in the wild or when I receive a nice note from one of you. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope to share a deeper reflection on my first year soon…

To mark the anniversary, I’m excited to offer a special promo: 20% off for an annual paid subscription, which makes the paid tier just $4/month. This is the largest discount I’ll share this year!

Get 20% off for 1 year

As a reminder, paid subscribers gain access to exclusive content, the full archives, and our subscriber chat. Most importantly though, you’ll have the knowledge that your support is (literally) what keeps the newsletter going. Thanks for reading, either way.

Three FUN plugs:

• I’m on the latest episode of Bad on Paper, sharing two summer reading picks. Thanks to and for having me!

• D.C. friends, I’m interviewing Katherine Lewin of Big Night at Bold Fork Books next Tuesday about her fun new book. There will be snacks and a spritz bar. 🫒

• I mentioned the celeb-loved haircare brand ROZ here a few months ago, and so many of you bought it. I tested out their products and can attest that they are fantastic. Everything smells incredible—very luxe. I’m doing a giveaway of their *entire* collection for 5 of my paid subs—scroll down to the bottom for more. Ok - now on with it!

x Alisha

Things I noted this week…

Read more

Read more

Journalist Marisa Meltzer explores this question in her juicy new book Glossy: Ambition, Beauty, and the Inside Story of Emily Weiss's Glossier. It’s the result of countless interviews with Weiss and other industry insiders, with insights on beauty, business, privilege, and the girl boss motif. In this special audio post, she discusses with Alisha what it was like going deep on Weiss and Glossier. Read on for some highlights from the conversation, and listen to it all at the top of the post.–Aliza

Thanks to the supporting sponsor of this week’s newsletter, Liquid I.V.:

Better-for-you hydration: Recover from a workout or the heat with Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier, science-backed to be more hydrating than water alone. Each portable, actually-tasty packet delivers 3x electrolytes of the leading sports drink.

On choosing to write a book about Glossier

“I originally wanted to write a book broadly about the beauty industry. I was fascinated by its rise as a business power that wasn't getting as much credit, because, of course, it's targeted to women and often involved companies run by women. At that same rise of the beauty industry, there were things like the girl boss movement, change in aesthetics, rise of DTC (direct to consumer) business. All these things were happening culturally, aesthetically, financially—and beauty was at the center of it.

I always knew I wanted to talk about Glossier because I had written about them a lot and they were the most notable company of that era. And once I started writing and reporting, I realized that Glossier was the story. What we really want out of books is to feel like we're reading a tight narrative. You can lose attention, you lose track of characters, and this was a story that had a 10 or 15 year timeline from Emily Weiss founding Into The Gloss—the blog that later becomes the brand Glossier—to her eventually stepping down last year. It was a way to look at this company, but also look at this era.”

On interviewing Emily Weiss in the era of #girlboss take downs…

“My last book, This Is Big, is about Weight Watchers, but it's also about my issues with my own body and dieting. So I've certainly put myself out there, which I don't think is a prerequisite for writing about people, but it's something. And then I also just think that Glossier is a really significant company—they raised a ton of money, they are worth a ton of money, and they really did change the beauty industry.

My job as a journalist is telling compelling stories, and I've always been interested in stories of women in business. It's my life's work. So this is a story that I wanna tell and you can be uncomfortable about it happening, but sometimes you also have to look beyond maybe your own discomfort that someone is writing about your life and think this is a really important story to tell and hopefully this is the right person to do it, which I felt that I was. The short answer is that I took my job really seriously and, without wanting to sacrifice any fun, I tried to weigh that responsibility. Every day.”

Thank you, Marisa!

• Subscribe to Marisa’s newsletter:

• Follow Marisa on Instagram: @marisameltzer

• Subscribe to

• Follow Alisha on Instagram: @alisharamos

Subscribe now

You can’t visit a Sephora or any other online or IRL beauty retailer these days without stumbling into a whole aisle of Korean beauty products. The Korean beauty industry is known for innovating far beyond other manufacturers, from the "10-step" skincare routine to CosRX snail essence—one of the most-purchased beauty products on Amazon of all time. While it’s got many fans globally (myself included), one could argue that K-Beauty has a bit of a dark side, too.

Seoul is sometimes called the “plastic surgery capital of the world,” and tourists flock to the city each year for beauty tourism. The beauty standards placed on Korean women are intense and varied. The government pours money into the industry, due to its success, creating an endless cycle of superficial “problems” to “fix” with products and procedures.

The origins of the booming K-Beauty industry and its societal and global impact are on full display in Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital, recently published by Elise Hu, a longtime NPR reporter who was their founding Korean bureau chief. As a half-Korean woman who grew up in Seoul in the 90’s and early aughts, I’m well acquainted with K-Beauty, albeit it was on the earlier side of the boom. Naturally, I was pumped to chat with Elise about how her own experiences shaped her book.

Our chat highlights the fascinating complexities of beauty standards in South Korea (like the coveted “V” face shape and “porcelain skin”), the impact of the booming K-Beauty industry, how tech plays into all this, the broader societal implications of appearance-related expectations, and how ajummas (older Korean women) just might have the secret key to more affirmative beauty standards.

You can listen to our full conversation on audio at the top of this newsletter (for paid subscribers, with a teaser excerpt for free subscribers too), plus read a few highlights from Elise below. We’re also giving away five copies of Flawless to Downtime readers. Paid subscribers will be automatically entered into the giveaway, and we’ll announce a winner next week. Enjoy!  –Alisha

What inspired you to write your book, Flawless?

It was unfinished business! South Korea is in so many ways the future when it comes to entertainment and cultural content, technology, and body modification. At the same time, when I lived there I noticed so much gender disparity, viscerally felt the pressure of beauty ideals (and the costs of opting out), and only got to peripherally pay attention to the growing women's rights movement in the country. I wanted to read about all these threads in a single book and it didn't exist yet, so I ultimately wrote one.

What’s one big takeaway you want readers to have from the book?

Something that we should remember is that beauty and appearance aren't the same thing, and we so often easily conflate the two. I think of beauty in the same way that I think of truth or love, as a concept that's really spiritual. It's something that we look for in art, for example, but these days, because of the makeup, skincare, and cosmetics industry, we end up conflating beauty and appearance. I think it's really important that we go out into the world and remember that beauty and appearance are not the same.

Have you watched or read anything that’s shaped your perspective on work and play lately?
I am such an evangelist for a book called 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Berkman. It sounds like it's a book about time management, but it's actually a philosophical take arguing against a bunch of optimization and productivity hacks. I think about it all the time.

Read more

In today’s audio edition, I chat with Thao Thai, author of our summer book club pick: Banyan Moon. As our recent book club discussion thread shows, there’s a lot to get into! Think: Thao’s research and writing process, how her personal experiences informed the book, and even a bonus chapter by Thao explaining how the Banyan House came to be. Today we explore it all, and I hope you’ll enjoy!

Audio posts of Downtime are for paid subscribers. If you’re not yet subscribed, consider signing up for the paid tier to enjoy perks like bonus content, chat threads, and audio posts!

Subscribe now

🎧 Writing a Matriarchal Story: A Chat with Thao Thai, Author of Banyan Moon

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO:

Read more

My recent essay on my own complicated journey with ambition kicked off some great discussions. Clearly, this topic is something on a lot of our minds. I’m excited to continue that thread with this chat with Rainesford, whose work I’ve admired from afar. She’s recently pushed the topic to the forefront of many people’s minds thanks to her timely book and pieces she’s written for outlets like The Guardian, ELLE, and Esquire. Enjoy!

Audio posts of Downtime are for paid subscribers. If you’re not yet subscribed, consider signing up for the paid tier to enjoy perks like bonus content, chat threads, and audio posts!

Subscribe now

How to Rethink Ambition: A Chat with Rainesford Stauffer, Author of All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO:

Read more