A wonderful new British film, a new tv travel series that is full of inspiration (and fun as well), many new (or updated) books on a wide range of topics – adding flavor, how to dress effortlessly, discovering the truth about ultra processed food’s effect on our health as women, delicious salad inspiration, an international bestseller from Italy and more. Also, a French cookware brand is having a can’t-miss sale, clothing to prep for the transition into early fall, and still, much more.

Books

—The Letter Carrier: A Novel by Francesca Giannone 

A national bestseller in Italy that has now been translated into English, Francesca Giannone’s The Letter Carrier is set in Salento, Italy, June 1934 and begins when “a coach stops in the main square of Lizzanello, a tight-knit village where everyone knows each other. A couple gets off: The man, Carlo, a child of the South, is happy to be back home after a long time away; the woman, Anna—his wife—is a stranger from the North. Carlo’s brother is there to meet them, and he and everyone else can’t help but notice that Anna is as beautiful as a Greek statue.”

“But Anna is not like the other wives. She doesn’t gossip or attend church. She reads books no one else has ever heard of, exploring ideas that some find threatening. She even wears pants, just like a man, and thinks a woman should have rights, just like a man.

“There aren’t many options for a woman with Anna’s sensibilities, so when she learns that the post office is hiring, she leaps at the opportunity. A female letter carrier? It is unthinkable! But Anna passes the postal exam and soon becomes the invisible thread connecting the town as she delivers letters between clandestine lovers, families waiting to hear news of loves ones away at war, and even helping those who can’t read.”

—Ultra-Processed Women: The new no-holds-barred look into the ultra-processed foods industry’s lasting impact on our health and wellness – and how we can break free by Milli Hill

Released in the UK on July 3rd, this new book from acclaimed journalist and women’s health advocate Milli Hill “explores the way the modern food industry has exploited women in their advertising for decades and uncovers the damage being wrought not only on our bodies but on the environment and on our own ability to connect with each other through the fundamentally human experience of cooking and eating.”

—What Shall I Wear?: The What, Where, When, and How Much of Fashion, New Edition by Claire McCardell (foreword by Tory Burch)

This past June, a new biography was released about the American fashion designer who is little well-known to the general public, but who played a significant role in bringing ready-to-wear style to American women. Claire McCardell, who came into prominence at the same time as Dior, offered an alternative to nipped waists and rigid construction. Instead, she brought style paired with comfort and functionality for women to live their lives fully.

Before her far too early death at the age of 53 in 1957, she wrote her own book on style and it has been reissued and updated with a foreword from Tory Burch. What Shall I Wear?, first published 1956 is a “collection of fashion wisdom and philosophy, and a vivacious guide to looking effortlessly stylish”. I look forward to reading this quite short, but what looks to be an insightful book of timeless advice.

British Finds

—The Kew Gardens Salad Book by Jenny Linford

The gardens and farmers’ markets are offering us an abundance of fresh produce at the moment and the renowned Kew Gardens in London has delicious ideas in their new cookbook released on July 1st. The Kew Gardens Salad Book shares “65 simple, delicious, biodiverse vegetarian salad recipes inspired by cuisines around the world, organized in four sections by plant group Including a guide to salad dressings and to growing your own ingredients.” Definitely a helpful resource to reach for again and again.

—Mix Tape, BBC Two

Oh, this film is taking me back to my youth! Mix Tape is a new limited series that premiered in the UK back in June. In a four-episode arc, we begin in Sheffield, 1989. “Teenagers Daniel and Alison meet at a house party and bond over their shared love of music. The relationship they forge that night follows them forever and leaves them wondering what could have been.

“Twenty years later, Daniel is in Sheffield and Alison in Sydney. Despite the distance, Daniel reaches out to Alison in the hope that they might be able to rekindle that spark that once illuminated their young lives.” Have a look at the trailer below and watch it on BBC Two (with a VPN if you don’t live in the UK).

—Our London Lives: A Novel by Christine Dwyer Christ

Another love story, this time beginning in 1979 and set in London. Our London Lives involves “two Irish outsiders seeking refuge find one another: Milly, a teenage runaway, and Pip, a young boxer full of anger and potential who is beginning to drink it all away. Over the decades their lives follow different paths, interweaving from time to time, often in one another’s sight, always on one another’s mind, yet rarely together. Forty years on, Milly is clinging onto the only home she’s ever really known while Pip, haunted by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, traipses the streets of London and wrestles with the life of the recovering alcoholic. And between them, perhaps uncrossable, lies the unspoken span of their lives. Dark and brave, this epic novel offers a rich and moving portrait of an ever-changing city, and a profound inquiry into character, loneliness and the nature of love.”

—Wrap London’s Embroidered Striped shirt, two colors

There was something both simple, yet elevated about this button-up that caught my eye. A great shirt to transition well from summer to autumn and even spring to summer.

Cookbooks

—Flavour Heroes: 15 Modern Pantry Ingredients to Amplify Your Cooking by Gurdeep Loyal 

If you are looking to amp up the flavor in your everyday cooking and not just with the ordinary spices and flavorings, then Flavour Heroes is a cookbook to explore. Released this past June, Gurdeep Loyal shares how 15 essential ingredients can spice up everyday meals. What are those ingredients? Let’s take a look – harissa, pecorino Romano, gochujang, Thai green paste, yuzu koshō, tamarind, mango chutney, chipotle paste, toasted sesame oil, miso, ’nduja, Calabrian chilli paste, dark roasted peanut butter, instant espresso powder and dark maple syrup.

—Preserving the Seasons: A Guide to Canned, Jammed, Frozen, Dehydrated, Freeze-Dried, Quick-Pickled, and Infused Produce, Herbs, and Flowers by Holly Capelle

Being released on July 29th, Preserving the Seasons helps to teach us how to enjoy seasonal flavors year-round. In this “straightforward and beautifully photographed guide discover the skills of boiling water canning; drying, dehydrating, freeze-drying; freezing, infusing, and quick pickling can be the easiest and most effective methods for preserving produce herbs, and edible flowers.” 

“Organized by method and with beautiful photography, each section covers detailed information for best practices, along with troubleshooting and storage tips. Here, too, are recipes for delicious dishes so you can serve what you’ve preserved: Oil and vinegar infused with herbs, peppers, and alliums, that are perfect for pasta sauces and salads; herb blends such as Greek Seasoning Blend, that bring flavor and ease to any dish; freezer and shelf-stable jam, such as Any Stone Fruit Preserves, perfect on toast, in homemade ice cream and other treats; Rosemary Citrus Bundt Cake made with dehydrated oranges; quick Pickled Pepper Slices, an instant condiment for burgers and tacos; Peach Slab Pie, that brings summer anytime with frozen peaches, just to name a few.”

Films

—Four Letters of Love

Adapted from the bestselling novel by Niall William of the same name, Four Letters of Love tells the story of Nicholas and Isabel were made for each other but how will they ever know it? As ghosts, fate and the sheer power of true love pull them together, so too does life threaten to tear them apart. Released earlier this month on July 18th in the UK and Ireland, it is not yet available in the states, but hopefully will be soon. Have a look at the trailer below.

Francophile Finds

—The Little Prince, the Immersive Odyssey, Atelier des Lumières

If you are or will be in Paris this summer, and have a fondness for the classic tale of The Little Prince, you will want to be sure to stop by the Atelier des Lumières to take in the immersive experience rediscovering “Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s masterpiece through 360° projections, spatialized sound and a unique sensory journey. This poetic and interactive experience will delight young and old alike, offering a new perspective on this timeless work.” Have a glimpse at the exhibit below. Open now through August 31st.

—Mauviel Factory Sale

If you have been wanting to add a quality piece of copper cookware to your kitchen, now is the time to purchase from the French brand Mauviel. Having one of their skillets in my own batterie de cuisine, it will be an item that will be in use for a lifetime (I use it each day at least once). Save up to 45% on skillets, saucepans and more.

Shopping

—Cuyana Small System Zipper Tote, many colors

When I came across this tote, the size caught my eye, and with a zippered top and crossbody option, I immediately took note!

—Lauren, Ralph Lauren Geo-Printed Belted Bubble Crepe Dress

—LinenFox’s Linen Scarf, many colors

Linen is a year-round favorite, and scarves are always helpful to have on hand. I shared in July’s A Cuppa Moments why I have become smitten with LinenFox recently (bespoke!), but something that need not be tailored is this linen scarf. Capable of keeping us comfortable in the summer weather as well as in the shoulder seasons.

—Lauren, Ralph Lauren Striped Belted Twill wide-leg jumpsuit

Television

—Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross

Tracee Ellis Ross has a new three-part series where she takes the camera crew along with her to Marakesh, Mexico’s Riviera Maya and Marbella, Spain, Continually an inspiration for living one’s best life in one’s own company, the trailer provides a lovely peek into her personality, love of life and sense of humor. Available now on Roku (free!). Listen to an interview and read a spotlight piece about the series here in Condé Naste Traveler and have a look at the trailer below.

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As July comes to a close, it is primetime at the farmers’ market for oodles of all sorts of fresh produce, and so it becomes a treat to visit each week with Nelle and discover (and decide) what to bring home. She is a wonderful helper! 😉

How is your summer going? I want to apologize if you stopped by earlier this week (July 27-29) and found no text in this post. I am not sure why it disappeared, but it did, and that should not have happened. Thank you to readers for bringing this to my attention so it could be corrected and brought back to how it had originally been posted!

We’ve been busy in the kitchen this past week here at Le Papillon, wrapping the filming for the Intro to French Cooking class, and I am excited to share that as of July 29th, all of the lessons are filmed and polishing up the production and notes so they will be ready on August 24th is underway! Learn more about the course here. And take a look at a few behind-the-scenes photos & videos in the IG Highlights. If you haven’t already checked your email, last week I sent out to all newsletter subscribers (sign up for free here!) details about the exact time the course will open for enrollment as well as photos of the free gift. Look for a trailer of the course to be shared during TSLL’s 10th Annual French Week!

It is hard to believe that July is coming to a close, but that just means that we have August ahead of us, and what a wonderful month to conclude summer. Thank you for stopping by today and may your weekend be full of your ideal weather, lucky coincidences that bring delightful surprise and of course, oodles of everyday moments to savor. Until Monday, bonne journée !

~Home (and garden) tour of the week! Let’s go to London, BUT feel like we’re in the countryside in this idyllic cottage. [House & Garden UK]

~A thought to ponder as it pertains to our homes – Would you rather have a period house or a modern home? British interior designers weigh in! [House & Garden UK]

~Monty Don shared what looks to be a super delicious way to enjoy cucumbers fresh from the garden or market.

~Tickled to discover this recommended French hotel happens to be in the town I frequently took many a walk on the north Brittany coast this past March! Stay cool this summer and enjoy gorgeous views at Les Bassans. [Afar]

~A drought-tolerant garden that actually is lush and beautiful. Discover how to do it in your garden. [Gardens Illustrated]

~How to be a critical thinker at work [Welcome to the Jungle]

~Discover where the best wine regions in France are located [CN Traveller]

~The Devil Wears Prada, the sequel is currently filming, and this post shares many of the fashion seen so far on the streets of New York City as it has been underway! [Vogue UK]

~Peaches are becoming available at the markets and this recipe looks to be a delicious way to enjoy them simply! No-Bake peaches and Cream Freeze Bars [Kitchn]

~Speaking of delicious cool treats – here is a list to save – where to get the best ice cream in Paris [Frenchly]

~Whether in our personal or professional life, a skill to know – how to build everyday bravery [Harvard Business Review]

~Preparing and assessing our autumn wardrobes is just around the corner, and before we do, this post – Decoding the Secrets of Paris Fashion – shares a wonderful reminder to shop for our body types. [Hip Paris]

~For our video this week, a wonderful video tour accompanied by the curators of the limited-time exhibited at the Met in New York of Sargent and Paris which is open now through August 3rd.

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~Explore last week’s This & That: July 18, 2025

~Please note: TSLL is supported by you, readers who take the time to stop by (merci!), peruse and sometimes welcome into your life mentioned and recommended finds. Affiliate links are present in today’s post and may earn commissions for TSLL when you purchase. View TSLL’s full Privacy Policy here.