The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson
I haven't shared this until now, but for most of this year, I haven’t been able to get into a book. I’d read the first few pages of something, lose interest, and promptly return it to the shelf. Thankfully, over the past month or so, I’ve noticed a shift. The slump has finally passed and I’ve rediscovered my love of reading.
I was out for dinner last night with a friend, and when he asked if I’d read anything good lately, I was thrilled to be able to rattle off multiple books, and even pulled one out of my bag because I couldn’t stop talking about it. That book was The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson. I loved Jackson’s bestselling debut, Pineapple Street, and I’d been looking forward to this one for ages. It did not disappoint.
The Shampoo Effect follows Caroline Lash, a writer from New York who heads to a small seaside town in Massachusetts on a prestigious writing fellowship. There she falls for Van, a local whose close-knit group of lifelong friends isn't exactly eager to welcome her into their orbit. When one of those friends reveals she’s pregnant with Van’s child after a drunken hook up before he met Caroline, the group’s dynamic begins to unravel.
What follows is a completely absorbing story about friendship, love, loyalty, and the messiness of midlife.
This is exactly the kind of book I love. It’s the kind of book I keep in my bag at all times to steal a page or two while riding the train to work. The writing style feels similar to Jackson’s debut in a way that feels instantly familiar, like I could envision the characters and scenes coming to life almost immediately. It’s smart, entertaining, and the perfect summer read.
If you’re a fan of Dolly Alderton or Tory Henwood Hoen, I’d highly recommend picking this one up. It’s easily one of my favourite books of the year.
I’ve been on a surprisingly good reading streak lately and want to share a couple of others I’ve enjoyed recently. Gwyneth by Amy Odell, which was a fascinating look at Gwyneth Paltrow and the rise of Goop, Strangers by Belle Burden, Land by Maggie O’Farrell, and The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. I highly recommend all of these.
I'm currently reading London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe and can't put it down. It’s a good thing the forecast gives for heavy rain all day, because I have no plans besides sitting on the couch with copious amounts of tea and this book.
Happy Reading.
