Novis Newsletter - July Edition
Happy August to all who celebrate! I hope the air is salty and your doors are rusty. This was the first month this year where I stayed put in the city, so expect less vacation shots and more book recs
My Personal Blue Plaque Tour of London
My best friend from middle school came to visit me at the start of the month (and subsequently learned how to work the Substack app, you might notice her spamming the comments section) and requested a personalised tour of the city. This wasn’t her first time in London, so we skipped Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, and I took her on a tour of all my old apartments, favourite coffee shops and places I’ve cried in public. We kicked off her local experience with my favourite pub quiz, where we came dead last. I’m blaming it on the fact that we hadn’t seen each other in two years and were busy catching up, and not on our lack of British pop culture knowledge. Over the years, I’ve loaded her up with London Merch, including a Daunt Books tote and kilos of Fortnum and Mason tea and shortbread (in exchange, I own more merch from the University of Florida than I do from either of the universities I have attended), so she wanted to see these places for herself and stock up. My biggest flex for three years was living on the same street as Virginia Woolf, so we made a mandatory photo-op stop before heading to my old flat. Clara also got a photo in front of Jeremy Bentham’s auto-icon and was pointing out the BT tower from various areas of the city by the end of the week, so I think that makes her an honorary UCL alumna. I wanted to give her the full British Summer experience, so queueing for Wimbledon was ticked off her list. Clara wasn’t too fussed about the tennis, but she did enjoy getting lots of pictures and making some damage at the gift shop (though I have to admit Wimbledon merch is always impeccable), and I was equally excited about having Pimms (I’m usually a Campari or Aperol girl all summer long, but will make an exception for tennis traditions). Finally, we headed to a 4th of July party (on the 5th) wearing matching Budlight Cowboy hats, which got us some interesting looks on the overground.
So many July Babies and my hot girl gift guide
I had several birthday parties to attend this month, which highlighted how predictable I am when it comes to gift-giving. My general go-to for every twenty-something woman in my life is Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts About Being a Woman. For the ones who have already read it and are looking for something in the same vein, I recommend Vivian Gornick’s The Odd Woman and The City. For my friend who’s great in the kitchen and not easily offended, I bought French Cooking for One. Finally, for the hostess with the mostest, I recommend any of these Ichendorf tumblers (I have one with a little goldfish, and it brings me joy every morning when I drink from it) or a set of silver coupes (I have been influenced and now am convinced I need these in my life). I’ve also become obssessed with making watercolor birthday cards (they might look a little rustic but it’s the thought that counts), which tells you how much time I have on my hands.
A lot of small things have been bringing me joy
I know the listicle has become a plight on Substack, but as I have been texting my friends about all the ridiculous things I have been obsessed with lately, I figured I’d also share here (this is what happens when I’m in the same place for thirty days in a row). On the kitchen front, I have rediscovered my love for Maldon Smoked Salt as the temperatures rise and my blood pressure drops. I also recently bought a Scrub Daddy, and dishwashing will never be the same (I hate being an adult). I have also become obsessed with cosplaying as a woman in STEM by conducting “research” via Instagram polls.
Julia’s July Recommendations - To Read, To Watch and To Eat
To Read - Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
The perfect summer beachside read (or the perfect escape if you’re stuck in the stifling heat of the city). A coming of age story with a side sex and scandal (it is French after all). A slim read that packs a punch, if you want to feel bad about your writing I'll remind you that Sagan herself was only eighteen when she wrote it.
To Watch - Frances Ha by Noah Baumbach
I will forever defend being late to the party for the sake of reading/watching/trying things at the right time. I’ve been a fan of Greta Gerwig for ages so I’m not sure what took me so long. It was the perfect watch for feeling a little less alone about not knowing what to do with my life.
To Eat - A feast to share at Carmel
I had dinner with a friend and ordered the Mixed Mezze, Sabich and Buratta flatbread (the flatbread was a standout), and the Coconut & Lime malabi for dessert. I’ve made it my mission to make my way down their flatbread offerings and had my eyes on the sea bream on the table next to us (in case you’re not ready to exchange your firstborn for a dinner reservation at BRAT but still want to share a whole fish as a bonding experience).
Honourable Mentions
I also read The Bell Jar this month, which may not have been the best choice considering my mental state, but it enhanced the experience. Shorter reads I enjoyed include My Mom Has No Friends on the Cut, The Death of Partying in the U.S.A.—and Why It Matters by Derek Thompson, and So everyone's a smoker now? by Luciana Cole they/them. On the TV front, I am back on the Summer I Turned Pretty train and thoroughly enjoying my group chats blowing up every Wednesday. I said it last month, but the San Rocco pizza from Santa Maria is still one of the best things you can eat in this city, and I had it three times this month. I know I’m late to the party, but I finally hit up The Dreamery for ice cream this month and have already become a repeat offender (and the cheese toasties next door at Goodbye Horses are also worth a shout out). So far, I’ve tried their Chocolate Olive Oil, Cherry Ricotta and Blueberry Salted Ricotta flavours, and will forever rave about anything Ricotta flavoured. I have been inspired by Angelina Hazzouri ’s Ode to the Ice Cream and now consider a weekly Ice Cream outing an act of self-care.
What I Wrote This Month
I left my family and friends slighly concerned I might be going through something by writing In Defense of Messiness and A Spiralling Girl’s Guide to Low Effort Self-Care. In an effort to keep things lighthearted I called for Bringing Back Public Shaming — and other fun ideas for Girls’ Night. And finally, I pulled together the responses to my various Instagram polls and discussed the current dating landscape in “My friend thinks you’re cute” and were our middle school selves onto something?
I can’t wait for my personalized London tour 🥹