Bookish
Have you noticed that, miraculously, paper books are experiencing a revival? The bookshop Godmothers, co-founded by literary powerhouse Jennifer Rudolph Walsh and beauty mogul Victoria Jackson, just opened near Montecito, California and If their names aren’t enough to turn heads, the guest list at their opening event certainly will: Oprah, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and Ellen DeGeneres to name a few. Some of you may be tempted to roll your eyes, but something more meaningful than hosting celebrities is at play here: the return to the idea of community, culture, and connection (something we have been talking about for over 5 years at Matriark). Reading Rhythms in Brooklyn also comes to mind as part of this book renaissance, and it’s not a coincidence.
Now, full disclosure: I mostly “read” by listening to audiobooks these days. Between running errands, driving and walking, audiobooks have become my trusty sidekicks. But holding a paper book feels necessary right now— it’s an invitation to be still for a moment, and use books as an anti-multitask, and an antidote to digital overwhelm. A bookstore allows us to be surrounded by shelves of paperbacks and hardcovers, not open tabs and app notifications, and a blissful chance to disconnect from our devices and reconnect with culture. If you Zoomed with me in the last 6 months you know I have the interior of a Parisian bookstore as my background, so I'm thrilled that the world is becoming more bookish.
Inspired by this renaissance, this week I am sharing some of my favorite books and items I’d like to have around me while reading them. Top of the pile? "Raising Resilience" by Tovah P. Klein, PhD. If you’re not familiar, Tovah is a psychology professor at Barnard College, Columbia University and the Director of the Barnard Center for Toddler Development, where both of my kids went when they were little. I genuinely don’t know how I would have survived early motherhood without her and the late Pat Shimm, the center’s Co-founder. Tovah’s new book helps children and teens build resilience and thrive in this unpredictable world, but I suspect it offers just as much wisdom for us grown-ups, too. She’s a treasure, and this book is pure gold.
If you’ve got recommendations of your own, I’d love to hear them. Shoot me an email at info@matriark.com—I’m always looking to add to my ever-growing and hopefully never-ending reading list.
ALSO: Matriark will host or first Off-Site Pop-Up with an exciting Open House. See invite below, come see me!
MATRIARK UPDATES
SUMMER POP-UP LAST DAY: summer flew by, and our Pop-Up Store will close on September 20th. Hurry up and visit us and shop Marfa Stance, Another Tomorrow, Rebecca Taylor, Veronique Gabai, Sestini, Le Nine and many others. The Seven is back in NYC in their beautiful West Village shop, go see them at 330 Bleecker Street, NY 10014.
The shop will be closed from September 21st until October 31st, and we will send news about the holiday season. Our weekly newsletter continues as usual.
Hope to see you at the shop. Love,
Patricia
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