Summer holidays are almost here and we’ve put together the perfect reading list to vacay the right way — no matter where you go. Do we have your attention?
Cover photo: Alice Kotlyarenko
J’attends toujours le printemps by Robert Doisneau
In this collection of letters to musician Maurice Baquet, which could be translated as “I always look forward to spring”, the photographer delves into his touching daily life, where he finds inspiration around every corner. Correspondence that tells the story of a sincere friendship.
Photo: @alexane.pelissou
Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden
How well do you know your spouse? When Belle Burden learns that her husband cheated on her and is leaving her, everything that she thinks she knows crumbles apart. By examining her marriage in painful detail, she carries out a meticulous exploration to search for preliminary signs.
Photo: @primedtobuy
Voir Venir by Lucile Novat
After her essay De grandes dents, literally “big teeth”, which we recommended last summer, Lucile Novat completed her first singular novel, whose title Voir Venir literally means “to foresee” or “to be wise to someone’s game”. In it, we follow Vanessa, a warden at the Maison d’éducation de la Légion d’honneur (a boarding school for descendants of Legion of Honour recipients). There, she meets four boarders: their lives become increasingly entangled until a tragic event occurs.
Photo: @leonorechirolperrain
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Perhaps you’ve seen the film but haven’t read the book? This is your sign. For anyone who hasn’t discovered this story yet, here’s a short summary: we follow Agnes, her marriage, the birth of her three children and the tragedy that marks her life forevermore. A moving tale that everyone should read.
Photo: @annawithabook
La bonne mère by Mathilda Di Matteo
La Bonne Mère, meaning “the good mother”, is a story of a mother and daughter, told in two voices: that of Clara, the daughter, and Véro, her mother who has never left Marseille. A book that’s both nostalgic and funny, perfectly adapted to heat waves.
Photo: @gwen13july
On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle
The first volume in a series of seven, this novel follows Tara Selter who, for some mysterious reason, finds herself trapped in a time loop — she relives a November 18th over and over forever. Good news: several volumes have already been released if you want to continue to savour this story.
Photo: @kyg.docx
The Postcard by Anne Berest
A novel that you can nibble on all summer at the beach. It all begins with an anonymous postcard sent to the author, containing only the first names of her mother’s grandparents, aunt and uncle, all of whom died at Auschwitz. Who could have sent it? And why? A personal investigation to shed light on so many mysteries.
Photo: @_clairoute_
Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda
In this collection of interlinked short stories, the author explores the daily lives of 13 Mexican women, punctuated by various acts of violence. A social criticism tinged with dark humour and a fascinating exploration of anger.
Photo: @zoreadsbooks
Serving the Wealthy: the Exploitation of Domestic Workers in France by Alizée Delpierre
In this well-documented essay, the sociologist takes us through the day-to-day existence of the staff in homes of the ultra-wealthy. Between those who found a position in caring families and those who are less lucky and knocked on the wrong door, these stories are steeped in domination and resistance.
Photo: @editionsladecouverte
Capitale de la douceur by Sophie Fontanel
Off the coast of Porquerolles Island is another small island known as Levant Island. Here, in the “capital of easy-going life” as one might translate the title, two worlds coexist: the military, which occupies 95% of the territory, and people who visit in order to walk around naked. In today’s world, what would an easy-going life look like exactly? At the core of this intimate novel, nudity becomes a means of baring oneself in a new way, and without filters.
Photo: @juste_un_chapitre
AMV Journal is a space dedicated to encounters, discovery and travel. Every week, explore the musts, portraits and inspirations of American Vintage and its creation studio.