Book Girl: The Pilot

Hi, I'm Morgan :) here's what I read, wrote, and did in August, plus we play The Game.

“Start writing…” Substack says, as it opens up this wide open space that I should be filling with words. I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to leap into this particular virtual frontier, but start a substack has sat on my to-do list for months and months, consistently filed away as “future Morgan’s problem.” Nevertheless, my agent said it was time and so away we go.

So much of my life has changed since I last blogged (because that’s what this really is, right? The 2024 version of blogging?). We made it through lockdown. I learned to cook. I got engaged and then married. I wrote and sold a book. I gave up coffee (and slowly welcomed it back into my life). I took up flying trapeze as a hobby. I changed jobs more than once. I turned thirty.

Today, I’m going to include the sections that make sense to me, but you tell me what you want to see (and I’ll promise to consider it while still maintaining complete control because I am, after all, a Virgo.) I’ve also just decided I’m going to write about August, as taking this a month at a time feels like a framing device that will work for me (for now) (maybe I’ll love this so much, we’ll do it weekly?) (literally one step at a time, Morgan.). All I know for sure is that at the end of each installment, we will play The Game.

What I’m reading (August edition):

August was a stellar month of reading with hugely important developments, as you will see below.

• Sandwich by Catherine Newman was a gift of a book to read while on Cape Cod, a place I have been lucky to spend every summer of my life. This book made me both desperate to be a mother and terrified of what time does to our (women’s) bodies. I laughed out loud more times than I could count. I think I could reread this book each decade of my life and get something new out of it (I was still 29 when I read it, so we’ll give that one to my twenties). Plus, there’s a great cat character.

• The Wedding People by Alison Espach is absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. I listened to this one on audio, which was a delightful experience. I have already convinced both my mother and my husband to read it and they both loved it, thus proving my point that this book is for so many people.

• I am proud to announce I am entering my Elin Hildebrand era. Before this summer, I had only read (and loved) The Blue Bistro. In the span of 6 days, I devoured both The Perfect Couple and 28 Summers, the latter of which I read at the recommendation of my friend Tim over Labor Day Weekend because it is set over a series of Labor Day Weekends. I loved 28 Summers in particular; there is something so affecting about the stories Elin is telling, I’m still thinking about it almost a month later. I now want to read everything she’s ever written, but I think I will hold myself to only reading them in the summer because then I’ll have a little something to look forward to each year. See you in June, Elin.

• I know I am late to the boat for Loot by Tania James as it was long listed for last year’s National Book Award, but I loved it SO much, I’m sad I almost let it pass me by! A must for any historical fiction lovers.

• I read Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy because I wanted to read something set in the Scottish Highlands while we were in the Scottish Highlands and BOY, did this one hit the spot. This is a suspenseful, atmospheric novel about a biologist who moves to the highlands with a team of scientists, working to revive a diversity of wildlife in the area. But there are so many secrets being kept and there is a VERY satisfying moment where they all start to unfold.

What I’m writing:

The last two weeks of August were dedicated to the copyedits on my first novel, The Art of Vanishing (publishing summer 2025). I turned in my final draft at the end of May, so I had taken a two month break from the story. And I was SO happy to be back. That’s the best part of writing a world you can’t get enough of: it’s always good to return.

Copyediting is much more than grammar and punctuation — copyeditors are also looking for any holes in your logic and details that don’t sync up. They are there to make sure your timeline makes sense. They are there to catch you when Mark pushes his sunglasses up onto his head, even though he put them in his pocket two paragraphs ago.

I liked this part of the process — it really feels like a conversation in the comments. It is fun to see what stands out to the team, where they get certain clues, and when things click for them. I also added in my epigraph, dedication, and acknowledgments at this stage, which made it feel VERY real.

There are some other extremely exciting things that made it feel EVEN MORE real this month and I cannot wait to SHOW you (hint hint) next month :).

What I’m listening to:

I cannot stop listening to the new Sabrina Carpenter album. I also made this quite unhinged playlist for my 30th birthday party that featured at least one song from every year I’ve been alive.

What I’ve been up to:

August was the grand finale of a summer filled with travel. We kicked it off with a big trip to Scotland (the itinerary of which I’ve broken down into a series of TikToks). This was a vacation that has been on my bucket list and WOW, did it live up to the hype. And yes, I met a highland cow.

I spent a lot of the rest of the month on Cape Cod with my family. I love to be there, not just because it’s the most beautiful place in the world and my family is there, but also because I find it very easy to concentrate there, away from my apartment and the constant desire to by tidying a room or organizing a closet or trekking to a workout class in another borough. I cranked through my copyedits (and my full time job) while I was up there. We also did a Nantucket day trip for my birthday, which was very joyful and celebratory.

Speaking of my birthday, I celebrated turning 30 in one of my favorite new bookstores, Liz’s Book Bar in Brooklyn. There was pizza, cake, and a white elephant bookswap that has gone a little bit viral on Instagram.

I committed hard to summer this year, leaning into every chance to travel or bask in the warm weather, my editing schedule lining up in a way that really allowed me that freedom. Because of how much I embraced this time, September has truly felt like back to school season as a result, even though I neither am nor have a child. But more on that next month!

The Game

In case you’ve missed it, The Game is a series I’ve created for my Instagram stories. I ask my followers to give me something they love: a song, a movie, a place, a person, an era of history, a time of the year, a feeling, etc and I pair it with a book rec. I put the call out on my Instagram stories yesterday so here are a few pairings. Come back next month for even more!

1. Adopting a new puppy — Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

2. Emily in Paris — The Margot Affair by Sanaë Lemoine

3. The Tortured Poets Department (song) — Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

4. Iconic Times Square Kiss — The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

5. The sound of treetops shooshing in the breeze — Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

6. Anticipation of something great — Housemates by Emma Copley Eisenberg

Until next time!

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