Weekly Catalogue: July 1st

Summer is in full swing in Florence, and along with a cold gelato and a gleaming tan, a good book by the pool / ocean is a must.

I have a rather ambitious reading goal for 2025 that I’m already slightly behind on, but I’m eager to share what I’m reading this summer in hopes of providing some inspiration to explore a new read that perhaps wasn’t on your radar, to keep myself accountable, and, of course, to encourage all Hotel Earth 360° residents to follow our Book Club!

1. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

This year I’ve taken an unexpected turn into Soviet history and literary commentary. This book (so far) has been a whimsical and ethereal experience that I wasn’t expecting, a dangerously gripping piece of literature about none other than the Devil. It’s nothing like what you’d expect – I highly suggest this one for a bit of creative escapism and fantastical fiction.

2. 1984 by George Orwell

I’ve technically already read this one a couple months back, but will be revisiting it again as it is the next feature of Hotel Earth 360° Book Club! If you’re looking for something to simply blow your mind right off your body, or perhaps trigger deep (and dark) emotions you didn’t know you had, you must check this one out.

3. Orbital by Samantha Harvey

I haven’t read this one yet, but it’s a book that was gifted to me by a friend for my birthday and I can’t wait to dive into it. Described as “Awe-inspiring” and a “stunning” as well as “uplifting” book by critics, Orbital follows a group of astronauts as they rotate in their spacecraft above Earth, and get a new perspective on our “silent blue planet” from miles above. A book that begs the question, “what is life without Earth?” or rather, “what is Earth without humanity”?

4. The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro

I have yet to get into this one either, but between reviews from my friends and comments from critics, I am so eager to read this book. A friend of mine once winced at Munro’s name and told me a bit of the author’s troubled familial backstory, which naturally triggered even more intrigue to explore how this author reflects on her own life in this fictionalized memoir. Critics describe it as “a memoir that has taken a breath, and expanded itself beyond the genre and beyond the confines of ones life”, as Hilary Mantel from the Guardian wrote.

5. The Guest by Emma Cline

Oh, where to begin. I read this at the beginning of the year and already want to re-read it – a perfect book for summer. It is an addictive and hypnotizing read, following an incredibly unreliable narrator through her summer escapades in the Hamptons with the “dazzlingly wealthy”. It’s eerie, twisted, and totally bewildering.

What did you think of the list? Let us know here on our contact page or DM us on Instagram. Remember to follow along our Book Club for deep dives into some of our favorite reads and explorations of environmental themes.