The Girl's Guide
Issue 115: Your Summer Reading Assignment (feat. Nicole Moore)
Welcome back to The Girl’s Guide! I may or may not have written this issue while watching last night’s presidential debate — I hope you didn’t stay up as late as I did. If you missed the most recent issue, find it here.
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Why You Should Read the Classics This Summer
I just published my first piece with The Conservateur about one of my favorite topics, reading! Growing up homeschooled, I loved spending time at the library and quickly discovered that classic works were some of my favorites (and I probably read Oedipus Rex far too young).
My new piece is titled “Why You Should Read the Classics This Summer” and features insights from world-class readers (and writers)
, , and . After I published the piece, I realized that all three of them have stellar Substacks — this platform truly is the place where readers congregate! Make sure you subscribe to all three.In my piece, I also include a handful of reading suggestions… but I couldn’t stop at just a handful! Here are a few more classics or modern classics I want to draw your attention to. Let me know what classics you recommend by replying to this email!
If you like mysteries: The Wisdom of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
Many of us know Chesterton for his pithy quotes about the Christian faith — but did you know he also wrote fiction about a mystery-solving priest named Father Brown? I’ve loved these short stories since I first discovered them in middle school, and now I’m enjoying revisiting them in audiobook form for a book club I’m in.
If you like romance: The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley
I did something I always swore I’d never do — I watched the film adaptation before reading the book. The 1971 film The Go-Between adapts Hartley’s novel about a love affair between a man and woman from different social classes in the Edwardian era. The book is definitely going in my to-be-read pile, and I’m interested to see if I’ll find it more compelling than the similarly themed Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence, which is as much about industrialization as it is about romance.
If you like historical fiction: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Morrison’s fiction has a reputation for being tough to read, but if you’re ready to deal with some dark themes, Beloved is worth your time. Morrison tells the story of an escaped slave haunted — literally — by her past.
If you like allegory: The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
Lewis was an incredibly prolific author, and even though I’ve read many of his works I still have many more to go. If you want to check another Lewis off your list, The Great Divorce is a quick read that is still thought-provoking, convicting, and edifying. The book tells of one man’s bus ride from heaven to hell.
If you like satire: Scoop by Evelyn Waugh
I know there are plenty of journalists who read this newsletter — so if you’re a reporter who hasn’t read Scoop, you’re going to want to change that. A young Englishman accidentally finds himself sent abroad as a foreign correspondent, and chaos ensues.
If you like plays: Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw
Before there was My Fair Lady, there was Pygmalion. If you’re familiar with Greek mythology, you’ll remember that Pygmalion was a sculptor who created a statue so beautiful he fell in love with her. Shaw’s retelling moves the story to early twentieth century London — and the statue, Eliza Dolittle, becomes a poor flower seller.
Click here to read my piece “Why You Should Read the Classics This Summer.”
Interview with Nicole Moore
If you’ve been wanting to try out natural beauty products, let today’s interview with Nicole Moore be the nudge you need! Nicole is the founder of Clara & Fritz Tallow Shop, which offers lip balm, moisturizer, cleanser, and much more. Follow Clara & Fritz on Instagram and Twitter.
What does your life look like right now?
I am happily married with four children. This year is all about balance for me. I am currently learning to balance working on Clara and Fritz while also devoting time to my family, church, and favorite hobbies — cooking and gardening.
What motivated you to start Clara & Fritz Tallow Shop?
I wanted to try out tallow products and decided to make them myself — the positive results were so astounding to me — I was so excited that I had found a product that I could sell that I truly believed in.
The name Clara and Fritz comes from the story of The Nutcracker. This was one of my favorite stories as a child, and I even named one of my children Clara.
What's the biggest lesson you've learned running your small business?
You learn how to run a business through running a business! Experience is the best teacher. The best thing you can do is to just get started — the rest will naturally fall into place.
What do you hear from customers about why they're interested in natural beauty products?
Customers are tired of purchasing expensive beauty products that don’t work well from corporations that do not have their best interests in mind. They want simple and effective products that contain ingredients that they are familiar with.
What's your favorite TV show you watched in the last year?
I don’t watch much TV, but a TV show that I really enjoy is All Creatures Great and Small. I would also recommend reading the book! I read the book while on vacation in Maine a few years ago and absolutely loved it. What I love about the show is that it is something that is appropriate and enjoyable for everyone in my family, which has become increasingly difficult!
Know a lady I should interview next? Send me an email at girlygirlsguidetodc@gmail.com!
The Haps
Here are a few links to what I’ve been reading, writing, and listening to lately:
Religion As Family Policy (The European Conservative): In my debut for The European Conservative, I review Catherine Ruth Pakaluk’s Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth.
Mouth Breathing Is Making You Ugly and Sick (The Spillover): Is the cause of our national sickness… mouth breathing?? Journalist James Nestor makes the case.
Paris Hilton Fights for Foster Youth on Capitol Hill After Detailing Abuse She Faced (People): There have been a ton of celeb sightings on the Hill lately, with Paris Hilton being the latest. She came with a special purpose, however.
‘Freaky Friday 2’ Set for Theaters in 2025 (Variety): The return of the sleepover movie! Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are BACK for this sequel.
Ask Evie
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