Are you out in the world, attacking the day or do you just want to lie in bed staring at the wall? Well, the brilliant Esther Coren is here this week, armed with a book list to get through this languishing low. She’s a writer, podcaster and voracious reader who has an arsenal of brilliant books for our every wild and crazy thought… of which there are MANY...

This podcast is bravely brought to you by @readly. Heard about Readly? It’s a digital subscription service for magazines and newspapers, a kind of Spotify for thousands of national and international titles available at a touch on your smartphone or tablet. Readly is offering you lovely lot 2 months free if you sign up today using our link readly.com/themidult. Then it's £7.99 a month for over 5000 titles and you can cancel anytime. Remember staggering around, weighed down with three tonnes of mags that cost a million pounds? Not any more. It couldn’t be simpler and… boom? Suddenly the world is at your fingertips. It’s a joy actually. We’re really into it.

Esther recommends….

Wintering by Katharine May

How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

Wow No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny

Cobble Hill by Cecily Von Ziegsar

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

A Bit of a Stretch by Chris Atkins

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