Not This Week
Dear readers,
I’m sorry to report that I’ve succumbed to the lurgy this week and as my poor brain is currently three-quarters phlegm (the final quarter cotton wool), I’ve decided to give up on trying to put together this week’s deep-dive newsletter and retreat to my bed like a Victorian consumptive.
Earlier this week, my daughter amused me no end, approaching with a serious face and a seriously bemusing question:
What does ‘soaking someone’s chaise’ mean?
The ‘chaise’ mispronounced with a ‘ch’ not a ‘sh’, for an added layer of complexity and confusion. Seeking out a little further context, I discovered this was a Sense and Sensibility-related query and referred to Willoughby politely refusing Mrs Dashwood's entreaty to sit down after he’d rescued Marianne in the rain.
All to say, if I had a chaise I’d be lying on it, but thankfully not soaking it, as my fluey head cold is not the product of engaging in any romantic notions of dawdling about in rainstorms.
I’m very much hoping to have a What This Week with you on Sunday as usual, and next week there will be a bumper crop of missives from me, so no guilt on my part for letting myself be ill right now.
Final week of March (how?!) means it’s podcast week, so Helen and I will be chatting through our latest month on Substack for your listening pleasure.
I’ve also got some special posts for paid subscribers coming on Monday! Really excited about offering this, as I wanted to find a way to say thank you for your support. I’ll be sending out newsletters covering all the different recommendations of books and films and TV shared that month (the first will be a bumper two months’ worth). A directory of sorts, neatly ordered by newsletter or streaming platform, with links back to the full reviews for more information. Hopefully, this will be a much more accessible way to make the most of my never-ending stream of recs, no longer having to remember what I mentioned where. Always happy to hear any suggestions for paid subscriber benefits. With these new recommendation listings, plus a monthly podcast, and the weekly deep-dive newsletter and What This Week, I’m offering excellent wordy value for less than £1 a week!
Thank you for all your support and kind words over the past couple of months. I’m thoroughly enjoying my Substack writing journey and I think that very probably shows!
But for now, I’m off to mop my brow ineffectually with a lace hankie and to sleep.
(Includes affiliate links to Bookshop.org, an excellent bookselling website supporting indie bookshops)
Hope you feel better soon x
Definitely excellent value Claire, don't worry about that. 🌺