Hot Girls Read Podcast

Julia

I am well and truly in my indie mag era! I have just come back from the Indie Conn independent magazine festival in Hamburg, Germany and I am so amazed by all the incredible mags I have come across and the people behind them. But, before I dedicate a post to that, I have to mention a couple of magazines I picked up recently outside of Indie Conn.

The first one is Famous for my Dinner Parties, a Berlin based magazine that I actually found in my local Shakespere & Co. coffee shop. If you know me then you know I love a foodie mag, and this one is so different than any other that I have come across. First of all, the design is so simple but effective, and the smaller size is perfect for reading on the go. The articles are less recipes and more thought pieces on food as it relates to politics, history, and global pop culture. As the editors mention in their note, they ‘aim to use food as a lens through which to look at larger cultural issues.’ 

The second magazine that I have just finished is Pipette, a natural wine magazine (issue 9) that I picked up at Coffee Table Mags in Hamburg. Once again, this magazine is about far more than just wine, but about how wine can be a lens to view the world, whether that be learning about different cultures, craft and tradition, or socioeconomics. The content is intriguing, but somehow also inherently cosy, and it definitely made me want to settle in at a low-lit natural wine bar somewhere and enjoy a drink that was a labour of love to create. I also really enjoyed the section of the magazine dedicated to how the magazine was produced, for the initial idea, to the graphic design, all the way to the printing process – it was very inspiring to say the least.

Ayesha

Maybe it’s the new job or perhaps it’s all the time spent commuting on the bus (shoutout to the tube strikes and road diversions) that I’ve gotten a fair amount of reading in. Yesterday, I started and finished Hardly Strangers, the second romance release from 831 Stories. Another normal person x famous musician romance, I liked the pacing of this story in that it took place mostly over one evening. I liked the story but didn’t love it. I couldn’t really connect with either the FMC or MMC which is not necessarily something I need but I want to be able to understand them and that just wasn’t there.

I don’t think I’ve shared here but I’ve started a new job at a literary agency (woohoo)! This means more access to books – we love – and with that, I started The Great When by Alan Moore. Already listed as one of Waterstones’ top September reads, I’m really excited about this book for an entirely different reason. When I left my previous role, the team held a going away party where they had to come prepared with a book recommendation for me. Someone recommended I find a historical fantasy set in London (since that’s where I’ve moved to) and I think The Great When is perhaps the best book to match that recommendation!