🌿 Literary Fancy | Deep Dive for June
Theme: Days that Bloom Slowly
“June is here—June is here; thank God for lovely June!”
— Gertrude Jekyll, Wood and Garden (1899)
Something about June invites both abandon and reflection. It’s a month of paradox: long daylight but brief seasons, fullness and fragility, freedom and nostalgia. School ends. Gardens bloom. Time stretches… then slips away.
This month at Literary Fancy, we’re leaning into books that match the spirit of June—books that unfold in a single day or across long migrations, books about identity and belonging, and books that ask us to pause, observe, and laugh—especially at ourselves.
📖 Book of the Month: Ulysses by James Joyce (1922)
Is there any book more intimidating—and unexpectedly funny—than Ulysses? It takes place over the course of a single day in June (the 16th, now known as Bloomsday) and offers a swirling, messy, unpunctuated portrait of the mind. And yet, it’s hilarious. Chaotic. Tender. Even comforting in its absurdity. June 16th is my birthday so I feel a special connection to this book.
“Come on, you winefizzling ginsizzling booseguzzling existences!”
Yes, it’s hard. But it’s also alive with puns, pub scenes, stray thoughts, and breakfast. My favorite parts:
Episode 17 for Leopold’s odd, beautiful musings on water and shaving
Episode 18 for Molly Bloom’s uninterrupted stream of thought—her love, her rage, her desire.
Read it this June not to conquer it, but to wander through it. Take the detour. Savor the sentence. Skip a section. Read aloud. It’s about finding the sacred in the mundane and the heroic in the everyday.
💡 Literary Fancy Tip: Try pairing Ulysses with a calendar printout of June and read a chapter a day. You may not “finish” it, but you’ll experience it.
🌷 Also Featured: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
Where Ulysses is sprawling and surreal, Miss Pettigrew is fizzy and fabulous. Taking place over the course of a single day in 1938, it’s the literary equivalent of a glass of bubbly: charming, absurd, and joyfully restorative. A governess in despair stumbles into high society mischief and finds, for once, the story bending in her favor.
Perfect for fans of: Some Like It Hot, vintage romcoms, or days when you just need a win.
📚 Literary Fancy Challenge:
Choose one book that takes place over the course of a single day and read it this month. Then ask yourself:
What can a single day reveal about a person? About a place? About me?
Some suggestions:
Mrs. Dalloway (Woolf)
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Watson)
They Both Die at the End (Silvera – YA with bite)
☕ Your June Elixir:
This month’s Literary Elixir pairing is:
Book: Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A sweeping, sharp, and tender novel about love, identity, and the complicated experience of being Black on both sides of the Atlantic. Through the eyes of Ifemelu, a Nigerian woman who moves to the U.S., Adichie unpacks race, culture, and belonging with biting insight and poetic clarity. It’s a story that lingers—brave, intelligent, and deeply human.
Drink: Cold hibiscus tea with lime—bright, bold, deeply layered.
Just like the novel, this drink is bright, bold, and full of layers. Hibiscus offers tart florals and deep crimson color—a nod to the novel’s rich emotions and cultural depth—while lime adds a zesty edge that mirrors Adichie’s sharp observations. Sip it slowly as you turn the pages.
🍹 Cold Hibiscus Tea with Lime
Ingredients:
½ cup dried hibiscus flowers (also known as flor de Jamaica)
6 cups water
2–3 limes (juiced)
¼ cup agave syrup (adjust to taste)
Fresh mint sprigs (optional, for garnish)
Ice cubes
Instructions:
Boil the Hibiscus: In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the dried hibiscus flowers and let them simmer for about 5 minutes.
Steep: Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the hibiscus to steep for an additional 15 minutes, releasing its deep crimson color and tart flavor.
Strain: Using a fine mesh strainer, pour the hibiscus infusion into a large pitcher, discarding the used flowers.Simply Recipes
Add Water and Sweetener: Add the remaining 4 cups of cold water to the pitcher. Stir in the agave syrup until fully dissolved.
Incorporate Lime: Add the freshly squeezed lime juice to the mixture, stirring well to combine.
Chill: Refrigerate the tea for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld and the beverage to cool thoroughly.
Serve: Fill glasses with ice cubes, pour the chilled hibiscus tea over the ice, and garnish with fresh mint sprigs if desired.
This vibrant, tart, and slightly sweet tea offers a refreshing experience, mirroring the rich and layered narrative of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
💛 Enjoying Literary Fancy?
If this work has brought you comfort, clarity, or a little joy in your cup, you can support it with a one-time tip. Your kindness helps keep these literary rituals alive and ad-free.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and being part of this gentle corner of the internet. 🌸
Thank you for being here. Truly.
—Karen 🌿
