Happy National Book Lovers Day to one and all! At Midas, we’re all about embracing the magic of storytelling and the world of words. Therefore, to commemorate this special day, we decided to ask the office a series of questions to dive deep into their bookish souls and share their thoughts on all things literary.
From favourite books that stole our hearts to the most captivating fictional worlds we’ve explored, prepare to be swept away as the bookshelf-filled minds of some of our team reveal their book-related musings and recommendations for your next tread this National Book Lovers Day.
What is your favourite book?
Tina Mories (Account Director):
The campus novel to end all campus novels – The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
Fiona Marsh (Director, New Business):
Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin. A funny, moving, intimately told story of a woman who believes obstinately in happiness.
Tom Neilson (Senior Account Manager):
The Song Machine by John Seabrook or Tacky by Rax King
Madison Sotos (Account Executive):
My absolute favourite book is My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. I love everything by Elena Ferrante, but especially the Neapolitan Novels – I think this series captures the experience of being a woman so well and particularly the complexities of female friendship (which in my opinion hasn’t had enough attention in literature, so I really like when it’s a main focus).
Henrietta Richardson (Senior Account Executive):
This is a really hard question as there are loads of fantastic books out there, but Little Women has got to be up there, and they made it into a great film!
Anna Zanetti (Account Director):
Almost impossible question! A book I loved recently is Pure Colour by Sheila Heti. The right blend of fiction, philosophy and insanely good writing.
Louis Jaffa (Digital Marketing and Social Media Trainee):
That’s almost as difficult as picking your favourite song or movie, but if I had to go with one it would be Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
What is something you are currently reading and why are drawn to it?
Tina:
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors is a sweeping big city romance with a gut-wrenching punch of reality. It’s positively inhalable and I will be the first in line for Coco’s new novel Blue Sisters publishing next April.
Fiona:
Booth by Karen Joy Fowler. A theatrical, historical family saga that gives us feeling on a grand scale this book contains all the ingredients I look for in a book.
Hamidah (Trainee):
I’m nearing the end of Nicole Flattery’s Nothing Special and I think I’ll be reading it again very soon. Flattery puts into sharp clarity the deep angsts of adolescence which I remember all too well: preoccupations with being watched, with watching others, with how one constructs an image to put out into the world. All of this is set against the tense click of a typewriter and the constant thrum of transcribing tapes. It’s a book hissing with words and they circulate the pages in a way that can drive a reader mad (in a good way). It’s zippy, incisive, and captures sentiments cleanly- I’m jealous of how she writes.
Tom:
Grime Kids by DJ target. I grew up with grime music so its nostalgic to read the history of something I was there from the start for. I also love understanding how creatives approach projects – especially music.
Madison:
I am currently reading I’m A Fan by Sheena Patel. I picked it up after seeing it all over Bookstagram and also seeing that it had been shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. I’m really enjoying it! I’m particularly enjoying its exploration of the dynamics of desire and ownership in relation to class and race.
Henrietta:
Heartburn by Nora Ephron – she’s a fantastic writer and she turns a heartbreaking real-life story into a funny, relatable story for women.
Anna Z:
I’m reading Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. Took me some time to get round to it, but I’m loving every page, much like I did with Shuggie Bain.
Jane Lau (Senior Account Executive):
I just finished Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann and Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe. I’ve always enjoyed reading non-fiction, particularly well-researched historical and biographical deep dives.
Louis:
I’m currently reading a series called The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, an incredibly witty and humorous set of stories about the complex process of finding, experiencing, and navigating love, highly recommend! Simsion dives deep into the psyche and consciousness of his protagonist with great use wit and humour, something I find very refreshing.
What makes reading the ultimate immersive experience?
Tina:
In one of many pivotal and devastating scenes within George R. R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice series I have been known to shout and throw books down the aisle of the bus on my morning commute. Not sure you can get more immersive than that! I am currently making my way through Robin Hobb’s spawling fantasy catalogue, and I have a feeling I will need to keep my book throwing tendencies in check…
Fiona:
Books provide a respite from day-to-day life. They take you out of yourself and allow you to explore a different place, a different world, a different time, a different emotion, a different culture. There really is nothing better than becoming completely consumed and forgetting all about your own reality.
Tom:
I think it’s harder to get distracted when reading that when you’re consuming any other media. You can follow a show’s plot whilst you’re sporadically texting.
Madison:
Good question! For me, there are a few factors in a book that make the reading experience most immersive. One is well-developed, well-rounded characters – if a character feels flat, I am not likely to really be able to ‘lose myself’ in their story. The more complex the character, the more immersive I find the read! Also, physical description – I like to be able to imagine the scenes I’m reading about in order to feel fully immersed in the book’s world.
Henrietta:
Get cosy on the sofa with a good book, peppermint tea and chocolate – what more could you want? I love being taken into someone else’s word for a while and forgetting all about your own!
Anna Z:
It’s hard to explain, but you get a sense of it when you manage to reach that state where your phone beeps with a notification but you’re too immerse in your book to care. That’s why books are magic.
Louis:
Reading, in my opinion, is one of the last few surviving mediums where one must actively engage with their imagination to explore and world build the written story on the page. Unlike the mediums of: cinema, film, television, radio and even, to an extent, theatre, where phones go off and you are involved in a collective experience, every written story looks different in the mind of each individual reader. Unlike the former mediums whereby one is a passive receptor to the sights and sounds in front of them, reading is a meditative and individual journey - there can be no distraction – meaning you have to be completely active in order to benefit most from books. Therefore, reading becomes the ultimate immersive experience!
We hope you enjoyed and found value in the insights and reflections shared by some our Midas office members. Our celebration extends beyond the narratives themselves, encompassing the meaningful connections and discussions they initiate in our day-to-day office life. We encourage the ongoing appreciation of the solace and wisdom books provide, enabling us to navigate unexplored territories and expand our viewpoints. Here’s to a contentedly enduring journey of literary exploration and delight. Happy National Book Lovers Day!
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