Five Minute Catch-Up

I'll tell you what I've been reading, in the time it takes you to make a cup of tea 👀

Welcome to Five Minute Catch Up – the super speedy, from-the-frontline-of-motherhood version of Crib Notes, written especially for my paid members. Here, I’ll tell you what I’ve been reading (in the margins of motherhood) recently, in the time it takes you to make a cup of coffee.

If you’d like to read the most recent issue of my signature Crib Notes newsletter, featuring book reviews for new/busy/knackered mothers, you can find it here:

Hot Mum Summer Reading List 2025

First, a little announcement:

Crib Notes will be on holiday for the rest of July, until August 15th. Paid subscribtions will be on pause from the end of this week until that date.

I pour my heart into everything I write for this newsletter, and work hard to curate and craft high quality book reviews for my readers. I don’t have any formal childcare during the summer holidays, and so instead of trying to juggle Crib Notes and full-on days with my boys and burning myself out, I am going to take a break.

I’m planning a really exciting issue of Crib Notes for late summer – and I want it to be as good as both you and the books I’m writing about deserve it to be!

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And now let me tell you what I’ve been reading (in the margins of motherhood) recently:

What I’ve Been Listening To

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the end of term upheaval (sports day! school trips! meeting new teachers!) and have been taking refuge in revisiting E.M. Forster’s, A Room with A View, on audio (and yes, like all my favourite audiobooks it is read by the peerless Juliet Stevenson). I was inspired to revisit this Edwardian-era classic when I interviewed Francesca Segal about her essential reading recommendations. I’ve been loving what Francesca describes as Forster’s unintimidating ‘ease and elegance’, as well as the eccentric cast of characters and the luscious, sunbaked Florentine setting.