Well-Read: Nicole Harnischfeger
A PR gal with a love of character development and libraries.
The thing I like about Nicole is she’s decisive; a trait that naturally filters through her book recommendations. Lucky for me, I work with Nicole so I get to quiz her whenever I feel like it between 9-5, Monday to Friday. Lucky for you, she’s sent me her Well-Read recommendations for your perusal. If you need more Nicole recs, she does them weekly via her newsletter:
Tell me a little about yourself and what you like to read
Hello! I'm Nicole—a PR and Communications professional with big Aquarian energy, but I also very closely relate to my Virgo rising.
I'm a hard copy-only reader, none of this Kindle (no matter how much people try to peer pressure me) or Audible nonsense. Nothing beats the tactile feeling of working through pages, dog-earing as I go. I'm a big fan of the public library; I like roaming the aisles and discovering my next read based off the cover alone. I also love the structure of putting in a request for the book I want, waiting until it's my turn in the hold queue, collecting and then returning when I'm finished (my Virgo traits clearly showing up here).
In terms of my taste profile—I like to a blend of high and low, generally speaking I prefer fiction and the strength of the writing and character development is much more important to me than a good storyline.
I also have my own newsletter—Cart Curator, where my friend Jess and I share weekly insights into pop culture, IYKYK recommendations, what we're adding to cart, new openings on our radar, and more.
What are your must-read books?
My 2023 New Year's resolution was to read 52 books, so one for each week.
I achieved that target (!), so here are my top reads from 2023 alone.
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
The storyline kept me captured, eagerly turning the pages to understand what was to come of their relationship. But what made me fall in love with this book was Mellors’s stylish and rich writing.
Green Dot by Madeleine Gray
A first-person recount of a young Sydney-sider who falls in love with an older guy from her office. It's a tale of old as time, as predictable as ever but Gray makes it humorous and somehow makes you feel empathy for the very flawed protagonist.
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
Sittenfeld is my favourite author (also pick up Eligible, Rodham and Sisterland but SKIP Romantic Comedy), and this is such a unique and beautiful novel. The storyline follows a First Lady of the United States, tracking her life story from her childhood, meeting her husband and until the moment he is made President. It is based on Laura Bush's life (wife to George Bush) and is an interesting window into the complexities of politics, relationships and race.
Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell
A rare biography popping onto my list. I've always been fascinated by the inner workings of the fashion industry, and just how much power one figure can hold. Anna Wintour's life has been colourful and interesting, and Odell tracks her climb to becoming the most influential figurehead in media using interviews with Wintour's inner circle to help her tell the story.
What are you reading next?
I was in Japan over Christmas and New Year's so I wanted to pack two books to last the flights and train travel. I picked Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (high) and Good Material by Queen Dolly Alderton (low).
Enjoy!
