The Happiest Hour – 8/30/19

Like your favorite fall show, we’ve returned from our summer hiatus and are back to our regular schedule (not that we had much of one to begin with). I took the last week off to decompress in the Adirondacks, where, with the help of copious amounts of rosé and fresh mountain air, I returned to the sludge of Manhattan feeling refreshed. Which is why I’m going to pretend today that summer is not over by soaking up the last remaining rays and Aperol spritzes.

Here’s what you missed this week:

  • Nearly 40% of women in the UK say they have been criticized for their taste in books. We see you, snobs. (The Bookseller)
  • Um, when are we all getting waterproof books? (Travel + Leisure)
  • Indulge in this delightful review of a book about books, and all the ways the printed book remains essential (for example, a cutting board). Also, there’s a mention of our girl Sylvie. (The New Yorker)
  • The Nervous Nellies of 1900 and I have very different ideas about what a Great Book Scare would be. If they were alive today, they’d be the people with a suite of Lysol products in their trunk. (Smithsonian.com)
  • Did anyone else know celebrity bibliophile was a viable career path? (Town & Country)

 

Cheers,

EV

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The Club Has No Time for Book Snobs

I know this relationship we have, dear reader, is still in its fledgling state, but I’m sure even you can deduce that there is not a book snob among us. We can’t get our shit together to all read the same book each month–you really think any of us is making the time to dive into Swann’s Way, or sniff out the most esoteric of reads on the shelves of our local indie?

This is not to say we don’t have opinions. We have strong opinions. Very strong opinions. MM’s ride or die is magical realism. However, we are diverse in the genres and authors we read and appreciate, and enjoy forcing them on each other until someone caves and ends up with a new addition to her bedside table.

Which is why I’m sharing this lovely article from Bustle on the strategies to disarm a book snob. This flannel-wearing species is intent on proving their own intelligence by belittling yours. And the club has no time for it. We read what we love, and and we want you to. It’s that simple.

So share with us your favorite read of the moment, or what you do when a book snob tries to tell you how [insert old white man] is obviously way better than any author you’ve read. My go-to strategy is #6, but I’m looking to expand my repertoire.

snob

 

— E

EVLeave a comment