Get much holiday reading done this summer? If you’re anything like us, you took with you approximately 400% more books than you ever had a chance of finishing. But whilst we’re inundated with articles about the books people have packed for holiday, we rarely then get feedback on which they actually enjoyed.
And so, after our European CEO, Greg Jones, was one of the industry leaders asked to pick his latest read in PR Week’s brilliant ‘Summer Reads’ series, we thought we’d canvas the Smarts bookworms to find out what books they got stuck into this summer, so you can add them (or otherwise) to your own reading list…
The Castle by Jon Ronson
It’s a brilliant non-fiction book that starts out as a story about Jon’s son being invited to a party by a mysterious man at his gothic castle and then transitions into a wider study about the way in which more and more men are opting out of society completely.
It’s a really interesting look at how the decline of traditional white and blue collar jobs in the US and the growth of social media have combined to unleash a new type of masculinity on the world.
Highly recommended.
Will Holloway, Creative Director
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
I’ve been (re)reading Four Thousand weeks by Oliver Burkeman. I have an intellectual crush on the man. The premise is that every human has about 4000 weeks on earth – and that’s if they’re lucky. He argues against productivity and “fitting everything in”; instead, we must make really deliberate choices about what truly matters. Despite the depressing title, it’s uplifting and super compelling, so he helps me recalibrate my busy brain.
Helen Rainford, Managing Partner
A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke
I can’t stop talking about Kathy Burke’s memoir. Why? Well apart from the fact I am obsessed with memoirs generally and I just want to be Kathy’s mate… In an age of people being constantly performative online, Kathy just reminded me of the importance of just being yourself, following your interests and not becoming an arsehole. It felt like a time when you weren’t chasing clicks, likes or millions and you just wanted to create with your mates and have a pint after. Sounds lush, right?
Jess MacIntyre, Brand Futures Director
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
Possibly my favourite book of the year, and genuinely unlike anything I’ve read before.
At its heart it’s a love story, built on the idea of two people being able to find each other through instinct, emotion and performance, being so attuned to another it borders on something supernatural. The book plays with ideas of collective consciousness, which is almost a character in their own right; “The mind thinks, but the body knows.”
As the story stretches across years, the line between performance and reality becomes increasingly blurred, creating something magical, obsessive and at times quite toxic.
“Your scene partner is your life. If this is to work, you must follow them wherever they go. You must follow them to the end, into death if necessary.”
It’s truly a bit strange, incredibly immersive, completely original, and one I genuinely cannot stop thinking about. I highly recommend going in blind to the finer points!
Maria Macfarlane, Senior Creator Manager
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Probably the most hyped book of the summer – everyone had it on their list, 15 publishers fought over it before it even came out, and the fact it may or may not be loosely inspired by Ballerina Farm made it even juicier.
A tradwife influencer gets yanked into the actual 1800s and has to survive without her ring light and sourdough starter – dark, fast, funny for most of it.
But I felt a little disappointed in the ending, it just didn’t stick the landing the way the setup promised.
Leanne Scott, Chief Growth Officer
The Score by C. Thi Nguyen
It was the subtitle on the cover that made me lift it from the shelf: ‘How to stop playing someone else’s game.’
It’s a book that leaps from throwing critical light on the metrics that we end up chasing (instead of more meaningful goals) to moving reflections on why we play, the value of games and what satisfies us as human beings. It’s about numbers. It’s about life. It’s philosophy for our excessively measured age. You should read it.
Simon Richings, Executive Creative Director
Circe by Madeline Miller
For all of those among us who endured (and mostly enjoyed) 3 hours of Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey this summer but every once in a while craved the sound of a female voice amidst all the gruff, bearded running-away-from-scary, Miller’s exploration of Circe will absolutely scratch that itch. It’s beautifully and poetically written but super accessible and features a whole parade of other familiar characters from the myths (oh hi Minotaur, I see you there Prometheus, we must stop meeting like this Athena). If you came out of the cinema wondering… why pigs? You’ll definitely get your answer.
Nat Moores, Brand Futures Director
The Compound by Aisling Rawle
Pegged as Lord of the Flies meets Love Island, I genuinely didn’t know what to expect from this one – was it going to be beachside rubbish or something of substance? Definitely the latter – just when you thought you knew what was coming next, another spanner was thrown into the works. Kept me gripped until the very end and left me with my mouth agape.
Kaitlin Allen, Communications Executive
Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan
As someone born and bred in Islington and Hackney, I recognised so many of the characters, places and experiences.. sometimes a little too well! I couldn’t help wondering how much of the central character is O’Hagan himself, which added another layer to it for me. It’s sharp, funny and uncomfortable in places, and a brilliantly observed take on class, money, power and modern London.
Katie Bannon, Growth Director
Fulfillment by Lee Cole
A story about two half-brothers who couldn’t be more different – one a self-indulgent academic with his life seemingly all planned out, the other a bored blue-collar warehouse worker stuck in a rut. They reconnect at their family home in Kentucky and begin to slowly destroy their own – and each others’ – lives.
It’s a character-driven tale exploring the emotions, ambitions and often banality of everyday life. A story of class and politics and the things that unite and divide us.
I really enjoyed how satisfyingly unsatisfying the story becomes. It’s of those tales where you’re never entirely sure who you should be rooting for – if anyone at all. It’s both hopeful and depressing in equal measure. A novel fit for the modern age.
Matt Williams, Group Marketing Director