summer 2025 media round-up

what i've been reading / watching / listening to this summer (& my substack's 1 year anniversary!)

Aug 24, 2025

I was scrolling through my Substack the other day (as you do) when I realised my first post was a summer 2024 media round-up, which was posted on 23 August 2024. Then I realised that this post (almost to the day) marks the one year anniversary of notes under the fig tree!

So firstly, if you’re a subscriber or are just reading this post - thank you! When I began this Substack a year ago, I didn’t really know if it would go anywhere, or if I would stick with it for a year. So the fact that I now have over 11,000 of you subscribed (in one year!) is truly amazing.

I’ve really enjoyed curating this little corner where I can ramble on about books and reading, and getting to share that passion with so many of you. I’ve been making short-form book content over on TikTok and Instagram for a few years now, but writing notes under the fig tree has reminded me that writing long-form content is just as fun, giving me that familiar dopamine boost from my years in academia that I’ve been missing. I hope you all enjoy reading this Substack as much as I enjoy writing it!

But that’s enough sentimentality for one day - here’s a round-up of some media I’ve enjoyed this summer:

BOOKS

Scaffolding - Lauren Elkin

I read this at the start of summer, which is the ideal time. It tells the story of two couples who live in the same apartment in Paris, almost fifty years apart. It was a bit of a slow start, but by the end I absolutely loved it because of how gossipy it was. It’s messy and French - two of my favourite things.

Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver

I can’t believe it took me so long to finally pick this up. It won the Women’s Prize and the Pulitzer, so I really shouldn’t have been surprised that everyone was right, and that it is a masterpiece. I intentionally took my time with this novel, really soaking up every sentence, and I found myself missing the characters when it was over.

Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain

Another book I should have picked up sooner! Kitchen Confidential is considered a non-fiction classic, a blend of memoir and industry commentary. It’s a brilliant read that’s just as gripping as any fiction book. Bourdain’s writing is sordidly candid, funny, and his true passion for food shines throughout.

Freedom - Jonathan Franzen

In typical Franzen style, Freedom uses the family unit as a microcosm to comment on the state of American modernity and the complex pursuit of freedom. Ultimately, the novel explores what freedom really is, what it means, and what it allows us to get away with, both on a wider, collective scale and also to us as individuals. I love a literary fiction family drama novel, and Franzen just does it so well.

The Story of A Heart - Rachel Clarke

This book tells the interwoven stories of two nine-year-olds: Max, who needs a heart transplant, and Keira, whose tragic death leads to her heart being donated. It’s so deftly written, with so much intelligence and compassion, and is also a riveting read, despite the difficult subject matter. One of the best non-fiction books I’ve read. And it made me cry! So it gets points for that.

The Snakehead - Patrick Radden Keefe

This is my current read, but I already know it’s going to be a favourite of the year. After reading A Little Life and then a couple of aggressively average books, I was veering into a reading slump, but this book has cured it. Centred around the 1993 Golden Venture tragedy in which a cargo ship carrying 286 undocumented immigrants from China ran aground on a beach in New York, The Snakehead is a deep dive into human smuggling and the criminal underworld of Chinatown. Like with any PRK book, it’s meticulously researched and contains all of the elements of a gripping thriller which makes it read like fiction.

TV SHOWS

The Studio (Apple TV+, 2025)

This may contain: three women and one man are sitting at a table

I believe a good TV show will grip me in the first 20 minutes, and The Studio had me right from the opening scene. A satire of Hollywood, the show follows a film studio exec and his team as they try to balance corporate demands with artistic ambitions to make successful movies. Every element is incredibly well done - the casting, the script, the soundtrack, the pacing, the cinematography (one episode is filmed in a single shot). Probably my favourite show of the year.

The Righteous Gemstones (HBO, 2019)

This may contain: three people in suits and ties walking on stage

If you want a show like Succession but about a corrupt, wealthy televangelist family, then this is the show for you. It expertly balances dark humour and themes with a level of silliness that’s hard to take seriously sometimes. I binged season 1 in just a few days and thought it was incredible, although I am finding season 2 a bit harder to get into (so if you’ve seen it, please reassure me it picks up again!).

Deli Boys (Hulu, 2025)

This may contain: two men in green aprons walking down the street

The lives of two privileged Pakistani-American brothers are upended after the sudden death of their father reveals his secret criminal enterprise. This is a fast-paced, action-packed crime comedy. Both of the brothers make stupid decisions, but you still root for them anyway. The episodes are about 25 minutes each, so this is a great one to binge.

The Pitt (HBO, 2025)

The Pitt: Episode 12 takes on a mass shooting. We shouldn't look away.

A medical drama TV series following healthcare workers in the ER, kind of like Grey’s Anatomy without the personal story arcs of the characters (although I personally love the soapiness of Grey’s). The whole season is set across one day, with each episode covering an hour of the work shift. I’m about halfway through this, but I can see why it’s been so lauded.

DOCUMENTARIES

Critical: Between Life and Death
Grenfell: Uncovered
Trainwreck: Poop Cruise
Amy Bradley is Missing

PODCASTS

The Horny Book Club - a book podcast where the hosts read (usually bad) romance books and basically tear them apart. Very entertaining and funny, this is probably my most-listened to podcast of the year now.
Demoted - a comedy podcast about workplace culture in the corporate world, which includes workplace stories submitted by listeners.

I actually need podcast recommendations, so let me know your favourites in the comments! I like chatty podcasts, comedy podcasts, and podcasts about pop culture.

MUSIC

I went to a festival this summer, and out of the sets I watched, my favourites were FLO, Leigh-Anne, and Raye.

Raye is already one of my favourite artists (I want to see her again when she tours a new album), and I was a Little Mix stan, but I’ll definitely be delving into more of Leigh-Anne’s solo music. I knew a few of FLO’s songs already, but have since listened to their debut album Access All Areas and it’s full of bangers.

Albums:

Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love You - Ethel Cain
BITE ME - Reneé Rapp

Songs:

Bleed - Malcolm Todd ft. Omar Apollo
DAMN! - Tristan
At The Beach, In Every Life - Gigi Perez
The Boys - Chloe Qisha
Baggy Jeans - The Band CAMINO
July - Lyn Lapid

I’d love to know what your favourite media has been over the summer, so let me know in the comments 💌