As the cogs behind RUSSH, reading forms a large part of what we do. As a result, not every book we pick up is for pleasure. All that changes when summer comes along. With time stretching out before us and long languid days on the horizon, reading for enjoyment fits nicely into our diet of swimming, napping, summer drinks and hazy lunches. Below, we share book recommendations, some old favourites and others new hopefuls, for summer reading.
Olivia Repaci
Creative Studio and Campaigns Manager
A reminder of the power of the ocean, and the way in which nature can make or break us, which is something I try to remember every time I try to surf or interact with the ocean in any way.
Elyssa Kostopoulos
Content Director
The only thing I want to be thinking about this summer is food, so it feels appropriate that the number one book on my holiday reading list is Dinner in Rome: A History of the World in One Meal.
Jahlia Solomon
Digital Writer
Let Tom Robbins transport you with his unique and gripping tone on a roller coaster of a journey. This book has one of the best dust cover blurbs I’ve read, so I’ll let that convince you to pick up this book asap: “sort of a love story that takes place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes. It reveals the purpose of the moon, explains the difference between criminals and outlaws, examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism, and paints a portrait of contemporary society that includes powerful Arabs, exiled royalty, and pregnant cheerleaders. It also deals with the problem of redheads.”
Megan Nolan
Digital Operations Manager
A forever favourite of the RUSSH team, it’s a book that needs no introduction. I’m leaving this here simply as a reminder that it exists and that it will never not be as beautiful as the first time you read it.
For those who are yet to experience this wonder, it is set in a restless summer in 1980’s northern Italy and follows the story of an unexpected, powerful attraction between 17 year old Elio and his parents’ summer guest. Every time I read it it teaches me something new about intimacy, desire and most importantly, the power of the written word to transport you.
Jasmine Pirovic
Arts & Culture Editor
Lately, I've been doing my best to veer away from buzzy new fiction with pretty covers and stories about modern dating. Instead, I'm angling for books that have always been there, but have so far been invisible to me. This is one of them, and I intend to read it outdoors in a park or horizontal on a beach during the Christmas break. Back in June, Sally Rooney wrote about what makes it the perfect book for The Guardian, and she describes the plot, which follows a woman named Anna during the rise of fascism in Italy, far better than I ever could.
Ella O'Keeffe
Fashion & Brand Features Editor
These are the two books I’ve packed in my suitcase for my holiday this year. I’ve not read The Inseparables yet, however the first few pages have been quite gripping, and I’m in need of a good story. Joan Didion's collection of essays feels like year round essential reading, but I never got through the full collection (life gets in the way, do not crucify me). This summer, it’s my moment.
Image: @books.in.films: Jane Birkin in La Piscine, 1968.
