I love sending and receiving letters! I've been doing it since I was a kid. I'm mostly out of the long letter game these days, but I do send a highly anticipated parody Christmas letter each year and small packages here and there, and always try to zhuzh up the envelope.

This was a very enjoyable read. Lots of great ideas for how to write, what to write, and how to decorate your mail. I liked learning about the different kinds of envelopes. I absolutely loved the illustrations and the beautiful collaged pictures. Many remind me of the Meyercord decals from the 60s.

HECK YES:
• Getting a sticker subscription. Stickers in general. As someone with a newsletter about stickers... I like stickers.
• Keeping a box of flats (flat-ish items for including in correspondence) at your desk. I love the idea of calling them flats. I keep items like this in photo album sleeves so I can flip through with ease!
• Pressed flowers and leaves. I have to get back into that with my prairie garden.
• The idea of onion skin paper. I need to get some.
• The actual hard copy of this book comes with fun stationery pages that you can use to write letters, and the intro letter is physically inside an envelope. This is glorious. Girls my age only want one thing, and it's disgusting (Modern day versions of the Baby-Sitters Club Chain Letter (1993) and the Baby-Sitters Club Secret Santa (1994) but for adult millenial women)

Heck yes, with caveats:
• Making bookmarks with a laminator. I love this, but my preference is to laminate my very favourite items only, because it's a lot of plastic, and I'm afraid I've used up my lifetime quota.
• Should I get into embossing? Much to think about.

No thanks but also not deal-breakers:
* Attaching things to the outside of envelopes can make it hard to go through the sorting machines at the post office so I would proceed with caution
* Don't leave your glue gun on! (Spend a few years on the safety committee at work and one is forever changed)
* Scents (agree with asking before sending scented correspondence)
* It's for American audiences so some info will be inaccurate depending on your location (y'all get mail 6 days a week?)

The ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like many, I discovered (and became a bit infatuated with) Rachel Syme during the pandemic when I stumbled across one of her perfume suggesting hours. Syme would give out a prompt and then recommend a perfume based on answers for a limited amount of time. It was frivolous and fun and made me feel connection and joy and, honestly, made the difficult times easier.

I am not only a fan of the author but also a big proponent of popping things into the mail. Of course I loved this book on letter writing. It is whimsical in the best way - charming but practical. Because, in addition to all the delicious celebrity gossip and deep dives into suppliers of various goods and sundries, each of us will need to write a letter now and again. Syme gently guides us through this social obligation with aplomb. I love everything about this book and think it would make a perfect Valentine's gift for friends - packaged with favorite pen, paper, and a book of stamps.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

This is such a fascinating book, well written and full of interesting letter writing facts and stories, tips and advice about all things letter writing.
Rachel Syme encourages us to write recipes, send postcards, spritz with perfume (or not, depending on where the letter is going) and generally share gossip and chat in the mail. There is practical advice and ideas about envelopes and what you can and cannot send in a letter as well as frivolous and lovely ideas about what you could include in a letter. The whole books is beautifully illustrated with vintage images which are delightful and work well with the subject matter in each chapter.

This was a joy to read and beautifully illustrated.Loved reading about the authors pen pal during the pandemic who became a real life friend.This book is fun to read charming inspiring I now want a pen pal.Will be purchasing a copy of this lovely book for myself and gifting it to friends.# NetGalley #clarksonpotter.

I can't wait to see what this book looks like in print. It's marvelously tactile already, with a beautiful design and layout throughout. Rachel Syme's book is about writing letters, but I think it's really about being an interesting person, someone who's interested in the world and tries to convey that feeling to someone else.

This was such a lovely read!

If you’ve been curious about snail mail, this book is a wonderful guide of suggestions and encouragement, with snippets of historic references!

Syme’s writing is accompanied by whimsical and colorful illustrations, reminiscent of the joy a love-filled handmade scrapbook. Looking forward to hold the physical copy of this in my hands!

I stumbled onto penpalooza back in 2020 and started corresponding with some friends, along with other folks I met through the server. Syme really captures how heartfelt and fun (albeit silly!) penpaling can be,

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.