July’s Must-Reads: What Team Service95 Can’t Put Down Right Now

This month’s buzziest books live up to the hype. From Michael Clune’s mind-bending Pan to the surreal family drama of Yrsa Daley-Ward’s The Catch, not to mention Tim Key’s hilarious ode to awkward masculinity, whether you’re poolside or hiding from the heat, these are the reads your summer needs. 

The Poetically Political Fable

Chilco by Daniela Catrileo, translated by Jacob Edelstein 

“A near-future story about love, memory, and survival in a world coming undone, it folllows Pascale and Marina as they flee a collapsing city for Chilco, an island that’s meant to be a safe haven – but even paradise carries the weight of history. Daniela’s writing scoops you up and takes you on a lush, haunting journey through grief, identity, and colonial scars. It’s raw, lyrical, and deeply emotional, and a powerful reflection on what it means to belong when the ground won’t stop shifting.” – Samantha de Haas, Creative Production Manager 

The Japanese Masterpiece

Summer At Mount Asama by Masashi Matsuie, translated by Margaret Mitsutani 

“In 1980s Japan, newly graduated Tōru Sakanishi joins a small, prestigious architecture firm founded by a former student of Frank Lloyd Wright. As the sweltering summer months approach, the team migrates from the bustling centre of Tokyo to Kita-Asama, a mountain village and artists’ colony whose heyday has passed. Over the course of this summer, Sakanishi encounters four remarkable women who change the course of his life. A moving and elegant portrait of the clash of modernity and tradition.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director 

The New Poetry Collection

LA Baby! by Tim Key

“LA Baby! is the latest pocket-sized poetry collection from well-loved British writer, poet and comedian Tim Key. Charting his journey from Heathrow to Hollywood for a new acting gig, these witty, often poignant poems capture the surreal highs and quiet lows of a Brit navigating the strange dreamscape of LA. Illustrated and designed by long-time collaborator Emily Juniper, it’s a charming, sharply observed snapshot of an outsider in the City of Angels.” – Pia Brynteson, Content Editor 

The Thought-Starter

Pan by Michael Clune

“In the bleak Chicago suburbs of the 1990s, a 15-year-old boy experiences panic attacks and his doctor teaches him to control his anxiety by breathing into a paper bag. So far, so sensible. But what if this isn’t really a panic attack? What if the Greek god Pan has actually got trapped in Nick’s body? So begins this thrilling coming-of-age saga from Michael Clune, the author of the acclaimed memoir White Out: The Secret Of Heroin. It’s wild, strange and savagely funny.” – Maria Padget, Book Club Director 

The Must-Read Of The Season

The Catch by Yrsa Daley-Ward 

“The Catch is a weird, wild, and wonderful book about two sisters pulled back into each other’s orbit by a woman who might be their vanished mother – or a total fake. A story about Black womanhood, messy families, and what it really means to choose yourself, Yrsa’s writing is bold, poetic, and full of bite. This book seriously doesn’t play by the rules – and that’s the magic of it.” – Samantha de Haas, Creative Production Manager