everything I bought at Daunt Books

plus, a Q&A with Francesca Acciardo​

as I write to you in nearly the exact same semi-delirious as last sunday (in bed, ragged), I’m doing so with a smile on my face despite the fact that my eyes are falling shut. I flew back from London this afternoon, landing just a couple hours ago. naturally, my plan was to work on this edition of the sunday series on the plane, but technological glitches decided that wasn’t going to be possible. so, here we are! all that to say, I’m so deeply invigorated by the consistency of this creative outlet that there was no way I was skipping sending, exhaustion or not!

this morning, before heading to Heathrow, I had the chance to go to one of my favorite bookstores in the world: Daunt Books in Marylebone. this independent bookshop is built for travelers, with its sections divided by continent, country, and even city. meaning, if you want to read a book set in a specific place, you head directly to the corresponding part of the two-storrey store. naturally, I found myself lingering in the France section for quite some time. but I equally enjoyed perusing the New York section! I’ve found in recent years that I gravitate towards books that take place in my home city, and while there’s always an opportunity to branch out, it gave me such a sense of satisfaction to be standing 3,500 miles away and looking at books showing off New York’s endless charms.

I went in for Dolly Alderton’s latest, GOOD MATERIAL (the most frequently referenced book in recent sunday series Q&As), but walked out with seven titles in total. I also grabbed Dolly’s GHOSTS because it just felt right to lean into this British author’s back titles while in the U.K. then, it was over to other parts of Europe! with a focus on France, I picked up ONE MORE CROISSANT FOR THE ROAD by Felicity Cloake and THE FRENCH ART OF NOT TRYING TOO HARD by Ollivier Pourriol. after spending a fair bit of time in Barcelona throughout and shortly following my college years, the premise of MILK TEETH by Jessica Andrews caught my eye. and in the the New York realm, I stumbled upon HOTEL SPLENDIDE, a memoir by Ludwig Bemelmans (the man behind MADELINE and the wallpaper at The Carlyle!). and for the topper of the stack, my friend Leila gifted me a book of poems she adores, THE PROPHET by Kahlil Gaibran.

---

meet Frannie Accidardo

an absolute pleasure to follow on IG and TikTok, I’ve gravitated towards Frannie’s content ever since discovering her monthly moodboards she creates as iPhone backgrounds. but I quickly realized she’s also an avid reader! we’re both currently reading ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr and I can’t wait to share more about how we’re approaching West Village Book Club around the title in just a few days. but first, let’s dive into all things blogging, reading, and content creation with Frannie!

Kayla Douglas: Tell us a bit more about your origin story and how you wound up as a blogger and content creator.

F​rannie Acciardo: I started a blog back in 2012 when I was an eighth grader! My friends and I were in our preppy eras and all started blogs as a fun thing to do together and to document our outfits and newfound online shopping obsessions. I never thought it would be something I’d keep up with 11 years later! Although my approach toward my social media has since changed drastically, it’s still one of the best decisions I have ever made; I absolutely love sharing my life primarily on Instagram now and creating gift guides, monthly mood boards, book recommendation lists, and travel recaps on my blog.

KD: Your feed is such a fun mix covering life in New York, fashion, travel, what you're reading, and more. What does your creative process for creating content look like?

FA: Thank you so much! My feed is really just a reflection of my life — since Instagram and social media aren’t my full-time job, I feel like I really can post whatever I want without too much thought and without any consequences. I take so many photos, so I view it really as a digital diary and a way to be creative. My 9-5 is in tech consulting and uses a very different part of my brain, so I often think I would be extremely lost and unfulfilled without my social media side hustle in my life.

KD: How do you approach prioritizing reading amongst everything else you have going on?

FA: I’ve fallen off my reading recently and I’m trying to get back into it! Unfortunately, I am way too addicted to my phone and social media, and I haven’t been reading as much lately. But I do usually try to read before bed and on Sunday afternoons! The hardest thing for me is just starting a new book and getting into it before I get to the good part. Sometimes, I try to set a 30 or 45-minute timer so I can focus and get into a new book without getting so distracted.

KD: With so many new books being released, how do you decide what to read next?

FA: I love this question! Whenever my friends or people I follow recommend a book, I add it to my Goodreads “Want to Read” list and request it via the Libby app for my Kindle. If you’re unfamiliar with the Libby app, it’s like going to the library, but for your Kindle. I put as many books as I can on hold in the app, and when a book comes off hold, that’s my next read! It usually works out well because I always have another book from my list ready to go.

I also never read the back cover or the summary of a book before going in — every book I read is either a recommendation or the book for my book club, and I love going in blind! It helps take the pressure off of picking a book to read next because I have no idea what I’m ever getting myself into.

KD: You're a Kindle girlie — which model do you have and do you prefer it to reading paperback or hardcover?

FA: I really never planned on getting a Kindle, but I had a random Amazon gift card in 2022 and decided to give it a shot! I love to travel and my boyfriend and I were long-distance at the time, and bringing two or three library books on planes was getting so old. It’s been a game-changer to pre-load my Kindle with a few books before heading on a trip and not have to lug a ton of books around anymore. Also, because I primarily read before bed, I was getting so tired of having to adjust myself every time I turned a page with a real book, so I am definitely a Kindle convert. I have the simple paperwhite style and it’s perfect; it keeps a charge so well, and I have a pop-socket on the back for extra comfort while holding it.

KD: You're headed to a desert island — which five books are you bringing with you?

FA: I started the Harry Potter series over Thanksgiving, and so far I’ve only gotten through books one and two (it’s been a slow season of reading for me recently, don’t judge). If I were heading to a desert island next week, I’d bring along books 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 to finish the series. I’m so excited to read the rest of them!

KD: Tell us about the most recent work of fiction that left you with a book hangover.

FA: I was NOT. OKAY. after reading I COULD LIVE HERE FOREVER by Hanna Halperin. Like I said, I never really read the summary of a book before going in, and oh my god, this shocked me. It had me in one of the worst book hangovers since A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara (IYKYK). It was so well-written and terribly sad and I had to read the romance novels / beach reads for weeks after to recover — not that I'm ever complaining about reading a beach read...THE UNHONEYMOONERS by Christina Lauren really saved me from this book hangover!

KD: What book is on your TBR pile that you're most excited to pick up next?

FA: FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros!!! I can’t wait to see what all of the hype is about.

KD: The Sunday Series was conceptualized as a love letter to my favorite day of the week. If we were with you in your neighborhood on Sunday, where would you take us to spend the afternoon?

FA: I am also a big Sunday girlie! A new bookstore, Bibliotheque, opened in my neighborhood that is not only a great place to read but also has a coffee and wine bar! I’m so excited to check it out. Book Club Bar on the East side offers a similar vibe and it’s fun to see more spots like this popping up.

KD: Where can we keep up with you, including what you're reading next?

FA: I update my Instagram stories every single day, and post my reading updates on Goodreads constantly! You can find me there!

---