desk notes: July

a monthly recommendation roundup: books, podcasts, and other assorted bits and bobs

Hello hello! Somehow - really, can somebody explain how? - we have made it to the July ‘26 edition of desk notes, a series of curated monthly recommendations spanning books, podcasts, TV/film and other assorted bits and bobs that I’ve been loving over the last few weeks.

If the year is passing quickly (and it definitely is!), July in particular has been a whirlwind, my calendar packed with outings and activities that left little time, in the end, for writing. As well as all the lovely highlights, though, if I am honest I have also found myself plagued with some sizeable AI-related despair, a tech fail to end all tech fails, and I’ve been feeling a little less than enamored with my job, too. Still, it’s not all doom and gloom: Nigella was at the restaurant I ate at last night, which is possibly the chicest I’ve ever felt. Here’s hoping there’s more where that came from in August!

Reading list 📚 everything I finished this month

Flesh by David Szalay - I raced through the majority of Flesh, the 2025 Booker Prize winner, when flying to Rome and back at the start of the month. Flesh tells the life story of István, a young man from Hungary who finds his life developing in unexpected directions after a series of chance events irrevocably alter the course he was on. A short, gripping read, written in a minimal style that I grew to really enjoy, despite finding it a little hard to get into at the outset.

Permanence by Sophie Mackintosh - Sophie Mackintosh’s latest novel had been on my radar for ages, as its premise had me captivated the first time I heard it. Permanence tells the story of Clara and Francis, a couple who are very much in love yet, due to Francis’ marriage to somebody else, have to keep their relationship a secret. When they wake one morning in an unfamiliar yet beautiful town inhabited solely by adulterers, they begin to experience living openly as a couple. Soon though, as you might imagine, there’s trouble in paradise. Really recommend this one!

Into a Star by Puk Qvortrop - I picked this up in the Oxfam bookshop in Notting Hill, drawn in by a quote on the cover likening it to Joan Didion’s Year of Magical Thinking. Into a Star is a beautifully rendered blend of autofiction and memoir, narrating the period after the author lost her husband in his late twenties, leaving her a single mum of one, soon-to-be-two. An unimaginable loss recounted with openness, and in places, humour, I devoured this in the space of a couple of days.

Open tabs 🖱️ articles & essays I’ve enjoyed this month

I’ve just started reading Little Weirds by Jenny Slate and I thought her essay Restaurant was a beautiful reminder that the minutiae of everyday life is downright absurd when you stop and think about it. A perfect, bite-sized piece of human-made art that landed in my lap just when I needed it. Luckily, it’s available to read for free via The New Yorker.

More thoughts on the film below, but I was thrilled to find out more about the process of filming The Odyssey in this GQ piece.

Martha Adams interviewed Stacey about the realities of being a debut author in the social media age - a must-read for all aspiring writers (and if you don’t follow Martha yet, you should - she shares some of the best literary essays on here!)

Soundbites 🎧 podcasts, mainly, but sometimes music?

I officially upgraded my subscription to Diabolical Lies this month and have mainly found myself working through their back catalogue - highlights include Lily Phillips & the Politics of Sex Work and How ‘The Botox Pysop’ Broke our Brains in the Name of Beauty.

If anybody reading has a favourite podcast that we should be listening to, can you let me know in the comments? 💓

Screen time 📺 what I’m watching

I Kissed a Girl, BBC iPlayer - we need more queer representation when it comes to dating shows, not less, so it’s heartbreaking to hear that IKAG has met the same end as Queer Ultimatum (RIP) and been cancelled despite excellent viewing figures. I inhaled the second series of IKAG, despite the unbelievable youth of the cast making me feel closer in age to my retired parents than the singles on the show. Somebody commission a new queer dating format, ASAP! Maybe one for thirty somethings? Just a thought!

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Amazon Prime - my girlfriend and I popped this on one evening when we couldn’t decide what to watch, and it was such a great reminder of how truly creepy this story is. I have a sinking feeling I donated my copy of the book when we moved earlier this year, so I may have to repurchase it for a well-overdue reread…

The Odyssey - I absolutely loved The Odyssey, in particular falling head over heels for Robert Pattinson’s portrayal of sleazy Antinious. The original epic, it’s a captivating three hours of movie magic… if you haven’t got around to it yet, book your tickets!

You’ve Got Mail 💌 icymi, a selection of newsletters past

Word count 📝 an update on my novel-in-progress (emphasis on the in-progress)

Last month, I happily reported that I’d made some good headway with my novel. This month, I have to reckon with the fact that I did not. Moving forward, I think I’m going to draw up a redrafting timetable for myself, like I did when I had to revise for exams, and see if that helps. It’s so frustrating, because I do have a real sense that the project could turn out just as good as I hope, but I am finding it incredibly hard to put one foot in front of the other to get there. Any tips or advice on this would be very welcome!

Desk drawer📎 some miscellaneous favourites for the month of July

frida mania 🎨 I adored visiting the Tate Modern’s Frida: Making of an Icon exhibition this month. I am not very familiar with Mexican art outside of her work, and loved the chance to learn more about the artists that were both her inspiration and her contemporaries, as well as to see some of her iconic works in the flesh. I am hoping to visit Mexico early in the new year, and this very much whet my appetite for the trip!

braut summer ⚽ - I’m usually fairly agnostic when it comes to football, but I was drawn into the World Cup with a sprinkle of algorithmic intervention. Like most of the internet, I became a Haaland megafan in the space of about 36 hours, and things progressed from there until I eventually found myself watching the final on a big screen in my neighbourhood. A great time all around, actually!

from the world cup to mr. worldwide 🎤 I didn’t go to church, but I was blessed to worship at the altar of Pitbull himself at BST this month. Thousands of women sporting beautiful bald caps is a sight I will remember forever. Dale!

roman holiday 🍝 - a whirlwind weekend in la citta eterna for my girlfriend’s birthday earlier this month was 72 hours extremely well spent! We walked miles, ate incredibly well and saw some breathtaking art… la dolce vita!

Through my lens 📸 my month in snaps (@emjameswrites on IG if you would like to see dog pics on a more regular basis!)

Thank you for reading! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful July, and that August has lots of good things in store, too: I am hoping to squeeze in a trip to the seaside with my girlfriend, as well as a sweet girls weekend in Hay-on-Wye. I’m back to my regular posting schedule now - an email will be with you every Monday morning, hopefully starting off your week with something a bit nicer than a work notification. Next week I’ll be sharing my recommendations for women in translation month - I’ll see you then! x

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