12 Magazines for a Rainy Summer

WHAT happened to the summer? Well, rather than adding our tears to the constant floods, storms and general drizzle of the UK summer, we’re going to make the most of an indoor summer holiday, with magazine suggestions for rainy days...

Summer holiday reading (without the sweat, sand and sunscreen)

Reading on the beach is a pain, if we’re honest. Your elbows get sore, your neck gets stiff, and you’ll be dropping sand out of the pages for the next few weeks. Reading on your window seat, with the gentle patter of rain outside is far more civilised. Two mags that are filled with the joy of reading are Slightly Foxed and Strong Words.

Just a bit bigger than a Penguin Classic, Slightly Foxed sits snug in your hand while brilliant writers share their thoughts on old classics and lesser known, and at times, rather eccentric books.

In the latest issue, Olivia Potts shares the brilliant 1988 ‘Home Cooking’ by Laurie Colwin, apparently the original ‘writer in the kitchen’ who on completing her first homemade bread, said ‘the result was a perfectly nice loaf of bread, but after spending an entire day in its service, I expected something a little more heroic.’

Slightly Foxed is like an Aladdin’s cave, full of literary treasures that you might never discover without it.

Strong Words is another literary magazine that opens up worlds upon worlds of wonderful books. Dedicated to the newly released, and covering everything from non-fiction to graphic novels, Strong Words rejects stuffy critiques and common cliches, in favour of well-written write ups of over 100 titles that go far beyond best-seller lists and Richard & Judy’s bookclub.

But what do you do  on a staycation?

We’re definitely feeling a bit cooped up here, in need of a much needed break, but this summer, it’s harder than ever to get a rejuvenating break away from the everyday. What can you do when you’re holidaying at home? Do something different. Try something new…

Put your hand up if you’ve ever thought about writing a book, a memoir or YA novel. Now put your hand down and browse our collection of Mslexia magazine. ‘The magazine for women who write,’ each issue is full of writing prompts, advice and ideas for researching, writing, sticking with it once you’ve decided it’s a pile of rubbish, rewriting and even getting published. They have poetry, fiction and non-fiction prizewinners to inspire and reams of competitions and courses to give you a focus and a deadline.

If writing isn’t your bag, why not try honing your crafting skills? Pompom Quarterly is one of the best knitting mags around, with modern designs, along with corresponding patterns and step-by-step instructions. They’ve got an accompanying podcast too! Or why not try Koel, where you can flex your yarn-crafting muscles and create your own soft furnishings in the process.

 That all sounds too much like hard work.

We get it, holidays are supposed to be relaxing. If your idea of a break is to do as little as possible, we’ve got you covered.

Idleris THE alternative to scrolling through Instagram or finding out which Danny DeVito character you are (try to resist the urge!) For those who love loafing, it’s a lifestyle mag with a little bit of everything, from essays extolling the virtues of living like a tortoise, interviews with interesting people on the art of living, and little fait divers  on anything from sheds to Swiss Army Knives. There’s even the occasional puzzle.

Speaking of puzzles, you could also step into the slightly eccentric world of Kanis Majoris. This mag quite literally speaks to you while sharing fun facts and did-you-knows, alongside quizzes, spot-the-lies and general knowledge crosswords, sure to help while away the hours or perhaps create some intense competition as you argue over whether turning a shark upside down really can make it go into a coma.

The Magical Adventures of the Wishing Chair

Finally, the world has seemed quite small recently. Horizons have shrunk and we’ve been closer to Groundhog Day than ever before. But while travel has been largely outlawed, no one said anything about armchair travel…

We can’t actually make your chair grow wings and fly away on grand adventures, but we do have the next best thing - some of the finest travel writers, and photographers who lovingly curate the travel and adventure titles on our shelves.

Two new kids on the block are Storied and JRNY. Storied is an elegant, gentle exploration of Japan, with the first issue taking you through the streets of Kyoto, its ancient tattooing traditions and secret landscapes, while JRNY is a huge annual compendium of some of the most fascinating places on the planet, from Bhutan, to Venice Carnival, to Sierre Leone and beyond.

          

 

However you like to relax, escape the rain, or take a break from reality, we’ve got a magazine for that...