Emerald Fennell: my six best books
The actress and writer chooses her favourite books, from Jane Austen to Nick Cave

Justine Picardie’s new book, Miss Dior (Faber £25) – about the designer’s sister, a heroine of the Resistance – is out now.
Paris Was Yesterday by Janet Flanner (1934)
Flanner began writing her “Letter from Paris” for The New Yorker in 1925, and this anthology takes the reader up to the outbreak of the War in 1939. I first read Flanner while researching my biography of Coco Chanel, and when I was writing Miss Dior, I immersed myself yet again in these evocative vignettes of Paris, the city of light in its golden years between two World Wars. Virago £10.99
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Dior by Dior by Christian Dior (1956)
Christian Dior wrote his masterly memoir the year before his death from a heart attack at the age of 52, when he was still at the height of his fame. This English translation by Antonia Fraser appeared in 1957, and it captures his inimitable voice with panache and style. V&A £8.99
Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba (2016)
A gripping account of the German Occupation of Paris, seen through the eyes of dozens of different women – whether they chose to collaborate with the Nazis, to risk their lives in the cause of the Resistance, or decided simply to keep their heads down, in the daily struggle to survive. W&N, £9.99
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Paris After the Liberation by Antony Beevor & Artemis Cooper (1994)
A remarkable tapestry of history that draws together the tumultuous period from 1944 to 1949, in the aftermath of the Occupation. We’re whisked between couture salons and communist gatherings by two authors who make the liveliest of guides. Penguin £10.99
A Life in Secrets by Sarah Helm (2005)
During the Second World War, 41 female agents were sent by Britain’s Special Operations Executive to operate behind enemy lines in France. This book traces the story of 12 young women who did not return from their missions, and the ensuing search to discover their fate in German concentration camps. Abacus £10.99
-
May 25 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons feature Donald Trump's tariffs, Big pharma, and cuts to Medicaid
-
Why men have a bigger carbon footprint than women
Under the Radar 'Male identity' behaviours behind 'gender gap' in emissions, say scientists
-
5 richly deserved political cartoons about tax breaks for billionaires
Cartoons Artists take on Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
-
The cinematic beauty of Sicily's Aeolian Islands
The Week Recommends These scattered islands have inspired film directors since the 1950s
-
6 lounge-ready homes with conversation pits
Feature Featuring a terrazzo-flanked pit in California and a fire-side pit in Nevada
-
Is a River Alive?: a 'powerful synthesis of literature, activism and ethics'
The Week Recommends Robert Macfarlane's latest book centres on his journeys to four river systems around the world
-
Good One: an 'intensely compelling' coming-of-age tale
The Week Recommends India Donaldson's 'quietly devastating' debut feature about a teenage girl's life-changing camping trip
-
The best lemon pepper wings in Atlanta
Feature Marinated turkey wings, a Korean barbecue sauce combo and an off-menu staple
-
Film reviews: Friendship and Fight or Flight
Feature An awkward dad unravels after he's unfriended and Josh Hartnett attempts a John Wick sidestep
-
Art review: Ai, Rebel: The Art and Activism of Ai Weiwei
Feature Seattle Art Museum, through Sept. 7
-
Book reviews: 'Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age' and 'Mark Twain'
Feature Navigating pregnancy in the digital age and an exploration of Mark Twain's private life