Everything We’re Reading For Book Club January – March 2022
If you’re wandering around Waterstones trying to decide what to read next, allow this trio of page-turners to inspire you to put down the remote.
With a New Year comes new, if slightly ambitious, Goodread goals and a fresh batch of books to pore over. Pass us the ‘leccy blanket at once.
Following that mellow Betwixmas breather when Netflix often takes over our lives, now’s a great time to get back into your reading rhythm and pick up the momentum again. So if you’re wandering around Waterstones trying to decide what to read next, allow this trio of page-turners to inspire you to put down the remote.
Described as Sex and the City with a killer edge (we’re already invested), Wahala is Nikki May’s debut novel and one of the most hotly-anticipated books for 2022.
Nigerian-British author Nikki May said she wanted to write ‘a brown Big Little Lies’. Speaking to iNews she said, “I wanted to read about characters whose lives include Jollof rice and cornrows and carjacking in the same breath as focaccia and Soho House and ski holidays.”
Wahala, meaning trouble in pidgin English, follows the lives of Simi, Boo and Ronke, a trio of British-Nigerian women in their thirties. Simi has a high-flying career in fashion and is married to Martin who wants children but she isn’t ready yet, Ronke wants to settle down but keeps picking the wrong guys and Boo feels suffocated by her role as a wife and mother. Each of them have their personal issues but they always have each other, that is until Simi’s dazzling and devious childhood friend, Isobel, arrives on the scene and threatens to derail their friendship.
February – Reader, I Married Me by Sophie Tanner
The perfect Valentine’s Day read does not exi…
Sophie Tanner’s hilarious portrait of self-love offers immaculate reading vibes for February. If you need any (more) proof that you don’t need a man to make you happy, consider this ode to sologamy all the evidence you shall ever need.
FYI you’ll be pleased to know that Reader, I Married Me is based on real-life experiences. After twenty years of disastrous dates and a string of unfaithful boyfriends, Sophie wed herself in a Brighton ceremony in 2015 and lived happily ever after. Get this woman a Damehood at once.
Here’s a look at the synopsis!
Chloe Usher has had enough of men. After breaking up with the love of her life, Chloe’s friends tell her she needs to get back out there, and find another man before it’s too late. But after a particularly disastrous date and one too many gins, Chloe has a revelation – she doesn’t need a man to make her happy. It’s up to her to do it herself.
Never one to do things by halves, Chloe decides to make the ultimate commitment to self-love – she’ll marry herself! But planning a solo wedding isn’t easy, and soon Chloe finds herself on a bumpy journey of self-discovery. Will she finally get her happy ever after?
March – Breathless by Amy McCulloch
From the Co-Author of The Magpie Society comes the gripping psychological thriller we’ve all been holding our breath for.
Breathless is the story of Cecily Wong, a journalist on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition to climb one of the world’s tallest and most dangerous mountains for an exclusive interview. She’s been personally invited by the world-famous mountain man, Charles McVeigh, who wants her to report the final leg of his record-breaking series of summits. It’s a career-defining opportunity she can’t resist but at what cost?
Cecily is by far the least experienced of the group, but she is intent on proving herself and will stop at nothing to reach the summit. So when disturbing questions arise, she becomes concerned. And then people start to die. Trapped on the mountain with a team she barely knows, she must battle more than the elements in an epic fight for survival against one of the world’s most dangerous mountains and an unknown assailant who is picking climbers off one by one.
Thanks to Amy’s own mountaineering experience, Breathless is made all the more chilling for its authenticity. Prepare for the air in your bedroom to feel as icey-cold as the snow-capped mountainside *shiver*
Publication date – 17.02.22
Will you be reading along with the Zoella Book Club this year? Let us know what title takes your fancy from our January – March picks.
Sex Toys, Banana Bread Perfume & Bridgerton: We Present Our Most Memorable Articles From 2021!
Whether it be the sex toys you need in your life, everything you need to know about PCOS and Endo, period pant reviews, manicure ideas or the sex scenes to hit play on when porn fails you, here’s a look at the articles you’ve loved clicking on this year.
PSA: 2019 is three whole whopping years ago and we are encouraging anyone who has any information on where those 36 months went to come forward immediately.
Call it what you will – a distraction tactic or dissociation maybe – but we intend to hold onto 2021 for a tad longer by harking back at the top articles you have loved reading this year.
Throughout lingering lockdowns, tier restrictions and parliamentary piss ups, we’ve loved bringing you content that matters and we hope Zoella will continue to be a welcoming digital home, stocked up with escapism, entertainment, empowerment and education through 2022 and beyond.
Whether it be the sex toys you need in your life, everything you need to know about PCOS and Endo, period pant reviews, all the thoughts and feelings we had whilst watching Bridgerton, interviews with OnlyFans creators, manicure ideas or the sex scenes to hit play on when porn fails you, here’s a look at the articles you’ve loved clicking on this year.
And spice things up they did! Who could forget the viral sex toys article that made headline news? It shouldn’t have been a big deal but the fact that it was just confirmed exactly why the gaping orgasm gap exists in the first place. In the absence of widely available inclusive, safe and equal sex education, we hope we can continue to be a platform that empowers a generation to understand and embrace their sexual identity unapologetically.
All The Thoughts & Feelings We Had Whilst Watching Bridgerton
We hate to be dramatic, but the Duke of Hastings was the best thing to cum out of 2020, perhaps the best thing to happen to us ever. It was the talk of The Ton last Christmas! Naturally, in true Lady Whistledown style, we had some thoughts we had to unpack as a matter of urgency and after watching the series a grand total of five times (for research purposes), it’s safe to say we will never look at a spoon nor a ladder in the same way again. Make haste, season 2!
Our April Fool’s Day Banana Bread & Loungewear Perfume
Gotcha! In third place was our April fool’s day prank when we literally took the lockdown mood of the nation and bottled it. For those of you who were genuinely upset this wasn’t a real scent you could swipe up on, well we’ll see what we can do…
The clitoris ranking at number four – we love to see it!
This article was really an ode to the clitoris and every one of its 8,000 nerve endings. From the best positions for clitoral stimulation to myth busting and breaking down the anatomy (the clitoris is mega in more ways than one), it’s all in there.
What is Ethical Porn And How to Change Your Watching Habits
Klaxon: porn produced for the male gaze just ain’t cutting it. If mainstream porn leaves you feeling some type of way (read: anything but fulfilled) this is your cue to explore the wonderful world of guilt-free ethical porn and adult erotica. Think consent, an accurate representation of sex, intimacy coordinators, fair pay, different body types, sexualities and races, disabilities, fantasies by women written for women, directed by women, produced by women. Celebrate genuine pleasure and explore a world of porn that’s not rooted in exploitation and misogyny. Here. For. It.
Who knew so many of us were invested in the lettuce habits of Hollywood. From Emma Chamberlain’s Erewhon style kale, avo and white bean salad to Jennifer Anniston’s flavourful mid-week lunch creation, here’s 6 salads that you’ll be all too glad to put in your mouth.
28 On-Screen Sex Scenes To Watch When Porn Fails You
We can’t say we’re surprised to see this one made it into our top 20, you randy betches #ProudOfYou.
Watching Sex/Life when you’re ovulating is officially god-tier self-care but in case you’ve been there, done that, watched the shower scene, there’s 27 more steamy on-screen moments to get you in the mood, from softcore cinematic steam to Regency romps and hot vampire shit.
Spotlight On Chronic Illness – Learning About PCOS & Endometriosis
It is estimated that 1 in 10 people in the UK are currently living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis. Despite how common both these chronic health conditions are, there’s still a lot of misinformation and stigma surrounding their symptoms and causes. In this blog post, we shine a light on these under-discussed conditions, their symptoms, and the treatment options available.
From the quick-cash myths to maintaining healthy relationships and the reality of creating sex content as your full-time job, we spoke to 4 women about their experience on OnlyFans and got the juicy details you’ve always wanted to know…
Whether you’re curious about connecting with your natural period again, trying to conceive or just plain sick of gobbling down a pill every day (yawn) but concerned about the side effects of quitting birth control, these personal experiences will help answer all your questions.
10 Escapist Book To Take Your Mind Off The Madness
These books were a great source of comfort when we were stuck in the throes of tier 4 restrictions back in January ‘21, and as we see the return of masks and work from home orders once more this Christmas, we’ll likely be curling up with them all over again. Featuring mistress of feel-good fiction Beth O’Leary and the ever-relatable Dolly Alderton, put your feet up, pour yourself a hot choc and forget the horrors of the outside world for a while.
Yoni Mapping? We’ll be honest, we’d never heard of it either which was why we had to go on a bit of a vaginal treasure-cum-pleasure hunt to find out more about this mindful massage technique. If you leave this article feeling like your vagina is anything less than a temple full of intricate treasure trails and pathways to glory, then please do give us hell.
50 Autumn Manicure Ideas To Add To Your Saves This Season
We know the panic of sitting in that salon chair without a library of manicure inspo all too well, which is where these save-worthy ideas come in. Praise be.
Snog Marry Avoid! The Zoella Team’s Best & Worst Buys
If there’s one thing we know our readers appreciate it’s *honesty*, especially when it comes to holy grail and holy fail beauty products, which is why this Snog, Marry, Avoid format proved to be pretty popular.
When it comes to beauty products, we want the kind of results that show up on Zoom and nothing less. Give us the bewitching head of hair that leaves our work pals in a trance and the kind of cult fragrance that permeates the screen and interferes with your wifi.
In the event that you might be dabbling with new make-up or skincare this Christmas or hitting pan on your desert island must-haves and wondering what beauty detour to take next, these are the products to snap up in a heartbeat and swerve like an ex you’ve clocked down the confectionery aisle in Sainsbury’s.
Sweatpants on, popcorn within reach (but strategically closer to you than anyone else), here’s our list of the modern classics everyone should watch, so that next time someone says, “I carried a watermelon” the pop-culture reference will not be wasted on you.
We Spoke to 8 People Who Identify As Asexual Ace Or Grey Ace
In this blog post, we have an honest and open discussion with 8 people who identify as asexual to raise awareness and dismantle some of the assumptions surrounding this often-misunderstood orientation.
“When are you going to pop one out?” It’s an unsolicited question no woman should have to deal with but sadly, one that’s all too familiar for most of us, whether it be from a well-meaning relative or a total stranger.
There are many reasons why someone might decide having children isn’t for them and whether it’s overpopulation, mental health, freedom, finances or – here’s a radical idea – they just don’t want children, what we chose to do with our own bodies should never be up for discussion.
In this Q&A, we hear from 10 childfree-by-choice women on everything from societal expectations, the perks of being DINK (double income, no kids) and why they think the decision not to have children is still so hard for society to accept, even in 2021.
We Planned The Perfect Weekend In Brighton So You Don’t Have To
You asked, we delivered. Here you’ll find an insider’s guide to Brighton, featuring all the coffee shops, bakeries, pubs, restaurants, independent shops and hidden gems this beautiful seaside city has to offer. If you’re planning a trip to B Town anytime soon, may we suggest you bookmark this beauty asap.
Enter: the only period pant review you need in your life. Naturally, as a team of proud menstruators and chronic oversharers, we couldn’t wait to put the Modibodi period undies to the test and share our thoughts on the internet. Keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding *Leona Lewis voice*
From the best and worst of TikTok beauty to *those* iconic Amazon leggings, here’s hard evidence of all the times TikTok made us buy it. Spoiler alert: this article may feature buyer’s regret…
