What we loved: July 2025
Favourite authors continue to delight us and we finally read stuff the other has recommended...
Hello, Michelle here! July has passed in an absolute whirlwind for me – bookended by a week in Cornwall and London and filled with lots of family time as both my mother and mother-in-law came to stay with us from Australia.
Sandwiched in the middle of those holidays was three weeks at the Buxton International Festival pop-up book shop. It’s always fun (but chaotic) to put together a whole mini bookshop and work somewhere new for a few weeks. I’ll be honest, my bandwidth is so very low at the moment for most things – although the wonderful memories of the month make up for that!
As anyone in the UK will know, July has been filled with sunshine and I spent some wonderful days off reading in our suntrap of a garden and on the beach in Cornwall. I’m not quite ready to welcome autumn yet, so I’ll be spending as much time in the sun as August allows. Hopefully with some very good books.
What did you enjoy reading, watching and listening to in July? Leave us a comment and tell us what you can’t stop thinking about!
*denotes review copy
Reading
The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman*
Podcast listeners and readers of this newsletter should know by now that I am a big fan of Richard Osman. So I was delighted to receive a proof of the new Thursday Murder Club book and writing “he’s done it again!” doesn’t do justice to the joy I felt reading it. Yet, it feels like the best place to start a review – reassuring fellow fans that The Impossible Fortune will be the treat you’re hoping for.
I love the way Osman has developed each of the characters over the series and shows how we all have the capacity for growth and change (even if we’re seemingly very set in our ways). He has a way of observing life and character that just feels so wise and reassuring – perhaps the element that makes me so keen to return to the books for multiple re-reads.
Once again, I was swept away in a delightfully mysterious story with characters I love and little moments that made me reflect on life. And what more can you ask for when you sit down to read? If you’re already a TMC fan, you’ll love this. If you’re not? Do yourself a favour and meet the gang.
– Michelle
What Did I Miss? by Holly Brunnbauer*
Makayla’s newly divorced and about to turn 30. Determined not to waste what’s left of her twenties, she makes a list of all the experiences she feels she’s missed out on. Doesn’t exactly go to plan when her one night stand, Beau, turns up as the new teacher she has to train at school. Will she stick to the plan of staying single and checking things off the list? Or will Beau change her plans?
This debut Australian romantic comedy is witty, feisty, steamy, heartfelt, and warm all at once. The exploration of Makayla’s family, best friend, and the breakdown of her marriage touches on some delicate topics and is all written about beautifully. The romance and list shenanigans are a lot of fun. Overall this novel is just so FUN and I look forward to reading more from Holly in the future.
– Caitlin
That Island Feeling by Karina May
Karina May is a past guest/friend of the podcast and I was delighted to be able to spend an afternoon in Notting Hill with her during a recent visit to London. This was the push I needed to finally read That Island Feeling, which is a truly delightful rom-com perfect for summer. You may recognise it because Caitlin also recommended it back in January when it was released in Australia.
Andie is on a girls trip to Pearl Island when she meets Jack, an island local. Sparks fly between the two but can this be any more than just a holiday fling? As with the brilliant Duck a l'Orange For Breakfast, there is of course so many more emotions bubbling beneath the banter and I very quickly fell in love with both these characters. Pure delight!
– Michelle
Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
Finally read Swept Away! When Michelle reviewed this book in our May newsletter she said ‘‘it pushes the boundaries of emotional rom-com with a brilliant dash of adventure.” That dash of adventure is that Lexi and Zeke are trapped together on a houseboat and lost at sea after a one night stand. Beth really writes with such skill, as I was able to fly through this book in a weekend and be simultaneously rooting for Lexi and Zeke to fall in love and so concerned for their safety. I don’t think I’ve ever been so worried about characters while reading a romance! But of course, as always, Beth O’Leary totally nails it.
– Caitlin
Watching
Mad Men
I have been planning to re-watch this iconic series for years. If you’re not familiar, it follows the ad men of New York through the 1960s. It’s beautifully shot and fairly slow-moving in some ways, but I adore the way our characters develop through the series. This kind of ensemble cast with dozens of plot points is seemingly my favourite kind of on-screen drama. If you’ve never seen Mad Men, it truly was worth the hype and still well worth watching (if only for the incredible fashion).
– Michelle
Fake
For international friends, this is a Paramount+ original, but for Aussie friends it is also currently on 10play. Starring national treasures Asher Keddie and David Wenham, this series is inspired Fake by Stephanie Wood (which I’ve now added to my TBR). Following Keddie’s character Birdie as she meets and begins a relationship with Wenham’s character Joe. He seems great, but sometimes things don’t add up or he doesn’t show. But there’s always an explanation and everything works out and then Birdie feels silly. Crazy. What if he’s not who he says he is? This brilliant show is perfectly creepy and compelling, even though it’s so frustrating to watch Birdie fall for and be trapped by Joe’s lies. Highly recommend!
- Caitlin
The Bombing of Pan Am 103
I always find it interesting when several shows about the same topic come out in quick succession. This is the second drama to be released this year about the tragic plane crash over the small Scottish town of Lockerbie in December 1988. This BBC mini-series mostly follows the investigators from Scotland, the FBI and CIA as they work to track down the people responsible for placing a bomb in the luggage hold of a flight from London to New York. But it also explores the impact on the families of victims and those living in the town, working together to help families find justice. It’s a heartbreaking story, but told in such a compelling and thoughtful way.
– Michelle
The Four Seasons (Netflix)
Tina Fey adapted a new show? I’m there! This series follows a group of friends, three couples, as they have holidays/weekends away together four times a year. The cast is amazing, with Tina Fey’s character married to Will Forte and Steve Carell and Colman Domingo also in the group. The group dynamic is complicated when Nick (Carell) and Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) get divorced everyone else tries to remain friends with them both while it highlights the cracks in their own marriages. It’s funny, bit dramatic, heartwarming, moving, and so enjoyable. Netflix have renewed for season 2 and I can’t wait.
- Caitlin
Listening
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
I seem to be using this to sneak in another book recommendation more regularly now, but I couldn’t resist the opportunity to once again recommend an all-time favourite novel of mine. This was my first time listening to the audiobook and it brings the story of Julie and Maddie together to life so perfectly.
Code Name Verity tells the story of two young women becomming best friends during the Second World War. Maddie is a pilot ferrying planes to various airfields, while Julie’s work is highly classified. We meet Julie through her ‘confession’ to the Gestapo after she’s caught as a spy in Nazi-occupied France. It is a gorgeous story of friendship and the lengths we will go to for all the people we love.
– Michelle
Andy Samberg on Good Hang with Amy Poehler
I adore Andy Samberg. Before I’d even listened to this episode a friend asked me if I had yet, and I said ‘not yet but I know it’s going to make me want to rewatch Brooklyn 99’ and she said ‘It will, I just started rewatching!’ In this episode, Amy and Andy talk about how Andy’s guest spot on Parks & Rec lead to B99 and how Amy encouraged him to do the sitcom. He also speaks beautifully about Andre Braugher. Plus Seth Meyer’s dog, The Lonely Island, his wife and kids. It’s just such a joy! (And yes, I am rewatching.)
- Caitlin
Just For One Day cast recording
Okay, so technically I haven’t been listening to this all month, but it allows me to talk about a brilliant musical I saw in London. Just For One Day is the incredibly moving and powerful story of the Live Aid concert. I’ve been keen to see it ever since I heard it described by writer John O’Farrell on the We Are History podcast – sadly no longer running, but I will include a bonus recommendation of the episode below because the story of Bob Geldof creating Band Aid is fascinating. The way these iconic songs have been blended and performed in new ways is stunning, a jukebox musical that feels entirely fresh and exciting.
– Michelle
Taylor Swift
Perhaps my most useless recommendation ever. But an honest reflection of what I’ve been listening to. Since Taylor Swift reclaimed her original masters for her first six albums I have made a conscious effort to listen to each of them and then their re-recording (if applicable) in order. It’s an interesting project as a fan, I hadn’t listened to the original Fearless, Speak Now, Red or 1989 since their Taylor’s Version counterparts were released.
– Caitlin
Something else
Mrs Warren’s Profession
While in London I also managed to snap up cheap tickets to Mrs Warren’s Profession starring mother-daughter duo Imelda Staunton and Bessie Carter. This Bernard Shaw play explores how the on-stage relationship between mother and daughter is dramatically altered once young Vivie learns what her wealthy mother does to earn a living. The reason tickets were cheap was because it was one of a set of filmed performances and I highly recommend watching through National Theatre Live if you get the chance!
- Michelle
Renee Rap’s Vanity Fair Lie Detector Test
This is one of the best lie detector test videos I’ve ever watched. Renee Rapp is an ICON, known for being a bit chaotic while doing press and inspiring many a meme about media training. I can’t wait for more to come as she continues to promote her new album ‘BITE ME’.
- Caitlin
Imagine my utter delight this morning to be reading your newsletter and seeing MY book in it!!! Thank you for reading & sharing What Did I Miss? ❤️🩷✨What a fantastic start to my day. Happy tears 🥹