On Eurovision and taste 🪩
What the hell just happened? And how to read like you're not trying to win the jury vote
Whilst the majority of the other passengers at Marylebone Station yesterday were heading to the Crystal Palace football game, I was jumping on a train home to head in a very different direction: a Eurovision party with my parents.
There’s nothing quite like Eurovision. I was particularly excited this year because of Sweden’s wild Bara Badu Bastu (SAUNA) and the UK finally having an epic song with TikTok darlings Remember Monday. What more could you need for a great night in at home. Sweepstakes were drawn, fun was had. The perfect May evening entertainment… until we were robbed at public vote.
It’s a funny thing, taste. It’s not objective at all, and Eurovision proves to us how people experience the same performances wildly differently. And yet, we often confuse quality with consensus. A high scoring song doesn’t necessarily make it better, it’s just more widely palatable, familiar, safe.
The most memorable Eurovision moments aren’t always the ‘best’. They’re the boldest. The weirdest. The most emotional, or the most flawed. We attach meaning to how it makes us feel. And that feeling is shaped by our personal context.
Joy doesn’t align with prestige. Some of the most beloved Eurovision acts are critically panned, but we love them anyway. The same goes for books: what brings you joy doesn’t need five stars, a bestselling ranking, or a Booker prize. There’s a big difference between the objectively acclaimed and the subjectively adored.
Ultimately, the best taste is one that’s honest. Whether it’s a glitter-drenched performance or a slightly trashy paperback, if it hits you, it’s good.
How to read like it’s Eurovision (a Verse manifesto)
Don’t just read for the jury vote. Let go of prestige and critical acclaim
Lean into what feels fun, emotional, weird or real
Embrace the wildcards. Try something unexpected or out of your usual genre. Join our bookclub!
Celebrate the guilty pleasures. What book are you hiding in public? Tell us!
Read like you mean it. Sincerity > perfection.
In honour of the people’s* winners, Sweden. This is your sign to explore the work of Fredrik Backman, who has a series of international bestsellers. A Man Called Ove is now a movie with Tom Hanks. His Beartown series is referred to as the Friday Night Lights of hockey. And My Friends, his new novel, is out next month.
Notoriously private, but at the Southbank Centre for the release of My Friends on 27 June.
* The people are Jen.
Don’t be put off by the title, this debut really hits. Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley. It’s fun, it’s packed full of literary references (like the title, a nod to The Group by Mary McCarthy), and follows the UK’s recent political landscape. If you like stories about the messy middle of life then it’s very much for you. A great one to grab if you’re heading off on holiday soon. I read it in Paris the other day, and it was the perfect companion.
Jessica is at BookBar Chelsea on 30 June.
An unexpected, fast-paced read. Reservoir Bitches by Dahlia de la Cerda. This is part of our current bookclub and wow what a read. A series of short stories, narratively linked, about women in Mexico. It’s dark, it’s gritty, it’s funny, and it has real strength.
For my fellow Cazalet superfans. Long-time readers of this newsletter know my (recent) discovery of, and love affair with, Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet chronicles. The series made it to my top books of 2024 and I eked them out all year, carefully pacing myself so I didn’t get to the end too quickly. Well, her niece (an award-winning novelist herself) is writing the next 3. Books 6-8 will pick the story up at Christmas 1962 and chart the next two decades. Book 6, The Golden Hours, is coming out September 2026. More here.
Taylor Jenkins Reid: the musical. The woman that Taylor is! I love her books, they are smart and fun and both a beach read and intellectually stimulating. She manages to be everything, and it all seems so effortless. Now she’s teaming up with The Chicks for a jukebox musical called Goodbye, Earl.
And her book Carrie Soto is Back is currently in development with none other than Serena Williams. Can’t wait, I adore a good tennis movie. If you haven’t read it yet, this would be a great pre-Wimbledon read.
Three ways you can support Verse, and have a wonderful time
The Pre-Loved Bookshop - A slower, more sustainable way to discover books. Second-hand, community powered, £4 a title, 15% donated. Visit the shop.
The Books You’ll Love Subscription - Thoughtfully chosen, second-hand books delivered to your door. Less scroll, more soul. Explore the subscriptions or gift a subscription to a friend.
The Slow Down Book Club - A 10-week reading journey, curated by us. Join the waitlist for the next one.
Say goodbye to bad recommendations and hello to a better reading experience 👇