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In need of a read that will make you laugh? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share their favourite funny books that are guaranteed to bring some joy 🧡
 
What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments - or you can get hold of any of the books mentioned on the Under the Cover bookshop page through the link below or in our bio (affiliate)
 
Thanks to Fee Mak, Meg Wolitzer, Coco Mellors, Rob Franklin, Orlando Whitfield, Olivia Petter, Xochitl Gonzalez, Patrick Radden Keefe, Kiley Reid, Elizabeth Day, Aimée Madill at Phlox, Leah Bronstein at Center for Fiction and Mariana Enriquez. You can scroll back through our page to see more of their recommendations!
 
📜 The list:
 
This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Me Talk Pretty One Day and Calypso by David Sedaris
Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The New Me, Banal Nightmare and Jillian by Halle Butler
Hope by Shalom Auslander
Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
1.79M
60.5K
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4mo ago
underthecover.books
In need of a read that will make you laugh? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share their favourite funny books that are guaranteed to bring some joy 🧡 What would you add to the list? Let us know in the comments - or you can get hold of any of the books mentioned on the Under the Cover bookshop page through the link below or in our bio (affiliate) Thanks to Fee Mak, Meg Wolitzer, Coco Mellors, Rob Franklin, Orlando Whitfield, Olivia Petter, Xochitl Gonzalez, Patrick Radden Keefe, Kiley Reid, Elizabeth Day, Aimée Madill at Phlox, Leah Bronstein at Center for Fiction and Mariana Enriquez. You can scroll back through our page to see more of their recommendations! 📜 The list: This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay Heartburn by Nora Ephron Me Talk Pretty One Day and Calypso by David Sedaris Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood The Sellout by Paul Beatty Middlemarch by George Eliot The New Me, Banal Nightmare and Jillian by Halle Butler Hope by Shalom Auslander Life Among the Savages by Shirley Jackson My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Loved Yesteryear? Author Caro Claire Burke shares some of her own favourite creepy dystopian feminist fiction!
 
Caro’s debut novel, Yesteryear, is the story of a tradwife influencer who wakes up in the past, forced to live the realities of the lifestyle she’s been pushing.
 
Which books would you add to her list? Let us know - or get hold of any of the ones mentioned through our online bookshop (affiliate link in bio, US & UK only)
 
Visit our page for more recommendations from Caro - plus our interview with Mariana Enriquez!

🎥 Thanks so much to Funny Weather in North London for having us
 
📜 Caro’s list:
 
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins
The Changeling by Joy Williams
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez
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underthecover.books
Loved Yesteryear? Author Caro Claire Burke shares some of her own favourite creepy dystopian feminist fiction! Caro’s debut novel, Yesteryear, is the story of a tradwife influencer who wakes up in the past, forced to live the realities of the lifestyle she’s been pushing. Which books would you add to her list? Let us know - or get hold of any of the ones mentioned through our online bookshop (affiliate link in bio, US & UK only) Visit our page for more recommendations from Caro - plus our interview with Mariana Enriquez! 🎥 Thanks so much to Funny Weather in North London for having us 📜 Caro’s list: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Kindred by Octavia E. Butler I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins The Changeling by Joy Williams The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez
Loved London Falling? Patrick Radden Keefe is back Under the Cover to share five of his own favourite works of narrative non-fiction.
 
Patrick is an investigative journalist at The New Yorker, the author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, and a master of immersive storytelling. In his latest, London Falling, he looks at the troubling death of teenager Zac Brettler and the criminal world he had inadvertently been drawn into.
 
Which books would you add to Patrick’s list? Let us know - or get hold of his recommendations through our online bookstore (affiliate link in bio).
 
🎥 With huge thanks to Daunt Books Marylebone for having us
 
📜 Patrick’s list:
 
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry
News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
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Loved London Falling? Patrick Radden Keefe is back Under the Cover to share five of his own favourite works of narrative non-fiction. Patrick is an investigative journalist at The New Yorker, the author of Empire of Pain and Say Nothing, and a master of immersive storytelling. In his latest, London Falling, he looks at the troubling death of teenager Zac Brettler and the criminal world he had inadvertently been drawn into. Which books would you add to Patrick’s list? Let us know - or get hold of his recommendations through our online bookstore (affiliate link in bio). 🎥 With huge thanks to Daunt Books Marylebone for having us 📜 Patrick’s list: London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe In Cold Blood by Truman Capote People Who Eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Is Mariana Enriquez a secret romantasy fan? We’re so excited to have the award-winning Argentinian author and queen of contemporary gothic horror as our next guest Under the Cover, just in time for Halloween 👻 
 
Brilliantly witty Mariana is known for her mesmerising short story collections - including International Booker-shortlisted The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - as well as the novel Our Share of Night.
 
Her latest book, Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, is her first work of non-fiction, translated by Megan McDowell. In it, she explores her fascination with the macabre as she visits hauntingly beautiful graveyards and cemeteries around the world 🪦 
 
Normally based in Buenos Aires, we were so lucky to catch her at the Foyles flagship in London. From the greatest ghost stories to overrated adaptations, let us know what you think of her choices! 🧡 
 
📜 Mariana’s list:
 
Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, A Sunny Place for Shady People and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez, Granta
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Arcturus
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Penguin
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury
Death in Venice, directed by Luchino Visconti, based on the book by Thomas Mann, Penguin
Pet Sematary directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer, based on the novel by Stephen King
Open by Andre Agassi, HarperCollins
Crash by JG Ballard, HarperCollins
Girls Against God by Jenny Hval, Verso
Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica-Lainez, New York Review
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Is Mariana Enriquez a secret romantasy fan? We’re so excited to have the award-winning Argentinian author and queen of contemporary gothic horror as our next guest Under the Cover, just in time for Halloween 👻 Brilliantly witty Mariana is known for her mesmerising short story collections - including International Booker-shortlisted The Dangers of Smoking in Bed - as well as the novel Our Share of Night. Her latest book, Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, is her first work of non-fiction, translated by Megan McDowell. In it, she explores her fascination with the macabre as she visits hauntingly beautiful graveyards and cemeteries around the world 🪦 Normally based in Buenos Aires, we were so lucky to catch her at the Foyles flagship in London. From the greatest ghost stories to overrated adaptations, let us know what you think of her choices! 🧡 📜 Mariana’s list: Somebody is Walking on Your Grave, A Sunny Place for Shady People and The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez, Granta Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, Arcturus The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Penguin A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Death in Venice, directed by Luchino Visconti, based on the book by Thomas Mann, Penguin Pet Sematary directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer, based on the novel by Stephen King Open by Andre Agassi, HarperCollins Crash by JG Ballard, HarperCollins Girls Against God by Jenny Hval, Verso Bomarzo by Manuel Mujica-Lainez, New York Review
Ocean Vuong, award-winning poet and author of the beloved On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, joins us Under the Cover 🧡
 
Ocean’s latest novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is about the unlikely and life-changing bond between a young man and an elderly widow in Connecticut. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt look at love, loneliness and chosen family on the margins of American society.
 
It was a joy to speak with Ocean about some of the books he loves - and why he can’t get on board with Austen... Let us know if you agree with him! And you can order his new novel, or any of his recommendations, though our online bookshop (affiliate link in bio)
 
🎥 Thank you to Goldsboro Books for hosting us in the middle of a London heatwave!
 
📜 Ocean’s list:
 
The Emperor of Gladness and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
Stand by Me, directed by Rob Reiner, based on The Body by Stephen King
Sula by Toni Morrison
The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki
The poems of Catullus
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Ocean Vuong, award-winning poet and author of the beloved On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, joins us Under the Cover 🧡 Ocean’s latest novel, The Emperor of Gladness, is about the unlikely and life-changing bond between a young man and an elderly widow in Connecticut. It’s a beautiful and heartfelt look at love, loneliness and chosen family on the margins of American society. It was a joy to speak with Ocean about some of the books he loves - and why he can’t get on board with Austen... Let us know if you agree with him! And you can order his new novel, or any of his recommendations, though our online bookshop (affiliate link in bio) 🎥 Thank you to Goldsboro Books for hosting us in the middle of a London heatwave! 📜 Ocean’s list: The Emperor of Gladness and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë In Praise of Shadows by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke Moby-Dick by Herman Melville Stand by Me, directed by Rob Reiner, based on The Body by Stephen King Sula by Toni Morrison The Tale of Genji by Lady Murasaki The poems of Catullus
What’s the perfect page-to-screen adaptation?

Autumn has arrived in London, and when we’re not tackling our TBR piles, we’re hunkering down at the cinema or in front of a series. We’ve asked authors, booksellers and book lovers to share their favourite adaptations, from cult classics to the best blockbusters.

We’d love to know which one you think is best - and which new releases you’re most excited about!

Head to Under the Cover for more recommendations and to hear from the faces behind your favourite books 📚

📜 The list:

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, Penguin & Everything I know About Love, BBC
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, Serpent’s Tail
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, Picador
Misery by Stephen King
The Age of Innocence, dir. by Martin Scorsese, based on the novel by Edith Wharton, Scribner
Atonement by Ian McEwan
10 Things I Hate About You, directed by Gil Junger, based on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, Macmillan
Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman
The Personal History of David Copperfield, Lionsgate, directed by Armando Ianucci - adapted from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Penguin
Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, Doubleday
Any Human Heart by William Boyd, Penguin - adapted by Channel 4
Le Mépris by Jean-Luc Godard, based on Il disprezzo by Alberto Moravia, Bompiani
Jaws by Peter Benchley, Pan Macmillan & Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg
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What’s the perfect page-to-screen adaptation? Autumn has arrived in London, and when we’re not tackling our TBR piles, we’re hunkering down at the cinema or in front of a series. We’ve asked authors, booksellers and book lovers to share their favourite adaptations, from cult classics to the best blockbusters. We’d love to know which one you think is best - and which new releases you’re most excited about! Head to Under the Cover for more recommendations and to hear from the faces behind your favourite books 📚 📜 The list: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, Penguin & Everything I know About Love, BBC We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, Serpent’s Tail No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, Picador Misery by Stephen King The Age of Innocence, dir. by Martin Scorsese, based on the novel by Edith Wharton, Scribner Atonement by Ian McEwan 10 Things I Hate About You, directed by Gil Junger, based on The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare, Macmillan Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman The Personal History of David Copperfield, Lionsgate, directed by Armando Ianucci - adapted from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, Penguin Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, based on Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick, Doubleday Any Human Heart by William Boyd, Penguin - adapted by Channel 4 Le Mépris by Jean-Luc Godard, based on Il disprezzo by Alberto Moravia, Bompiani Jaws by Peter Benchley, Pan Macmillan & Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg
After a short book to slip in your pocket this summer? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share some of their favourites under 150 pages, proof that size doesn’t matter.
 
Which books do you think punch above their page count? Let us know in the comments! Or you can get hold of any of those mentioned on the Under the Cover bookshop page (affiliate link in our bio)
 
Thanks to Rob Franklin, Meg Wolitzer, Coco Mellors, Patrick Radden Keefe, Elaine Castillo, Caro Claire Burke, Kaliane Bradley, Gurnaik Johal, Adrian Cepeda at The World’s Borough Bookshop, Kiran Desai, Christy Matthews at Ink84, Mariana Enriquez, Janelle Hales at Liz’s Book Bar and Kristin Griffin at Bard Books for their recs 🧡
 
📜 The list:
 
Happening and Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
The Lover by Marguerite Duras
So Late in the Day, Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan
The People’s Project by Maggie Smith and Saeed Jones
Recitatif by Toni Morrison
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez
Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James,
Paradais by Fernanda Melchor
 
 
With thanks to @center4fiction, @strandbookstore, @dauntbooks, @lrbbookshop, @funnyweatherbooks , @phloxbooks, @thelondonlibrary, @theworldsboroughbookshop, @heywood_hill, @ink84books, @foylesforbooks, @lizsbookbar and @wearebardbooks for hosting us!
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After a short book to slip in your pocket this summer? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share some of their favourites under 150 pages, proof that size doesn’t matter. Which books do you think punch above their page count? Let us know in the comments! Or you can get hold of any of those mentioned on the Under the Cover bookshop page (affiliate link in our bio) Thanks to Rob Franklin, Meg Wolitzer, Coco Mellors, Patrick Radden Keefe, Elaine Castillo, Caro Claire Burke, Kaliane Bradley, Gurnaik Johal, Adrian Cepeda at The World’s Borough Bookshop, Kiran Desai, Christy Matthews at Ink84, Mariana Enriquez, Janelle Hales at Liz’s Book Bar and Kristin Griffin at Bard Books for their recs 🧡 📜 The list: Happening and Simple Passion by Annie Ernaux The Summer Book by Tove Jansson The Lover by Marguerite Duras So Late in the Day, Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson The Giver by Lois Lowry Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan The People’s Project by Maggie Smith and Saeed Jones Recitatif by Toni Morrison Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Paradais by Fernanda Melchor With thanks to @center4fiction, @strandbookstore, @dauntbooks, @lrbbookshop, @funnyweatherbooks , @phloxbooks, @thelondonlibrary, @theworldsboroughbookshop, @heywood_hill, @ink84books, @foylesforbooks, @lizsbookbar and @wearebardbooks for hosting us!
Want to read more Irish writers? Oisín McKenna, author of Evenings and Weekends, shares his top five books to get you started in our new series! 🙌
 
Which ones would you add to his list? And what topics would you love to hear about next? Let us know 🧡
 
🎥 Filmed at Pages of Hackney. Visit Under the Cover to hear more of Oisín’s favourites
 
📜 Oisín’s list:
 
Milkman by Anna Burns, Faber
Dubliners by James Joyce, Penguin
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon, Penguin
In Ordinary Time by Carmel McMahon, Duckworth Books
The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien, Faber
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Want to read more Irish writers? Oisín McKenna, author of Evenings and Weekends, shares his top five books to get you started in our new series! 🙌 Which ones would you add to his list? And what topics would you love to hear about next? Let us know 🧡 🎥 Filmed at Pages of Hackney. Visit Under the Cover to hear more of Oisín’s favourites 📜 Oisín’s list: Milkman by Anna Burns, Faber Dubliners by James Joyce, Penguin Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon, Penguin In Ordinary Time by Carmel McMahon, Duckworth Books The Country Girls by Edna O’Brien, Faber
A Gentleman in Moscow author Amor Towles joins us Under the Cover - and shares exactly how long he thinks you should stick with a book!
 
Amor has written three beloved novels, including Rules of Civility and The Lincoln Highway, and his collection of short stories, Table for Two. He is perhaps best known for A Gentleman in Moscow, the profound and joyful story of a Russian aristocrat living for decades under house arrest in a hotel attic.
 
We were so lucky to join Amor in his study in New York, where he shared some of his current favourites with us. Let us know in the comments what you think of his choices - and whether you agree with his rule!
 
📜 Amor’s list:
 
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, Viking/ Cornerstone
Herzog by Saul Bellow, Penguin
The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, HarperCollins
A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul, Knopf
Apocalypse Now, based on the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, 
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Vintage
Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Vintage
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, HarperCollins
Erik Larson’s books
Big Short and Moneyball by Michael Lewis, Norton
Devil in a Blue Dress, Grey Dawn and Down the River by Walter Mosley, Little, Brown
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A Gentleman in Moscow author Amor Towles joins us Under the Cover - and shares exactly how long he thinks you should stick with a book! Amor has written three beloved novels, including Rules of Civility and The Lincoln Highway, and his collection of short stories, Table for Two. He is perhaps best known for A Gentleman in Moscow, the profound and joyful story of a Russian aristocrat living for decades under house arrest in a hotel attic. We were so lucky to join Amor in his study in New York, where he shared some of his current favourites with us. Let us know in the comments what you think of his choices - and whether you agree with his rule! 📜 Amor’s list: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, Viking/ Cornerstone Herzog by Saul Bellow, Penguin The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, HarperCollins A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul, Knopf Apocalypse Now, based on the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Vintage Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Vintage One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez, HarperCollins Erik Larson’s books Big Short and Moneyball by Michael Lewis, Norton Devil in a Blue Dress, Grey Dawn and Down the River by Walter Mosley, Little, Brown
Elizabeth Day - award-winning author, journalist and queen of podcasts - joins us Under the Cover! 🧡
 
Elizabeth has written ten books, including The Party, Magpie and Friendaholic. Her latest novel, One of Us, compellingly explores power and privilege, as an establishment family is confronted with secrets and scandals they’ve tried to keep hidden.
 
When she’s not writing bestsellers, Elizabeth is of course the brilliant host of How to Fail, a celebration of the things that don’t go right. Plus she’s somehow found the time to launch her new publishing imprint - Big Day Books 📚 
 
It was a total delight to catch Elizabeth at one of her favourite bookshops, Heywood Hill, and chat about the books she loves. Keep an eye out for part two - and let us know what you think of her choices!
 
📜 Elizabeth’s list:
One of Us by Elizabeth Day, 4th Estate
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Viking
Flashlight by Susan Choi, Jonathan Cape
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, Sceptre
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, Everyman
Universality by Natasha Brown, Faber
Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander, Picador
Wellness by Nathan Hill, Pan Macmillan
The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein, Europa
All Fours by Miranda July, Canongate
Into the Wreck by Susannah Dickey, Bloomsbury
Tennis Lessons and Common Decency, Transworld
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Elizabeth Day - award-winning author, journalist and queen of podcasts - joins us Under the Cover! 🧡 Elizabeth has written ten books, including The Party, Magpie and Friendaholic. Her latest novel, One of Us, compellingly explores power and privilege, as an establishment family is confronted with secrets and scandals they’ve tried to keep hidden. When she’s not writing bestsellers, Elizabeth is of course the brilliant host of How to Fail, a celebration of the things that don’t go right. Plus she’s somehow found the time to launch her new publishing imprint - Big Day Books 📚 It was a total delight to catch Elizabeth at one of her favourite bookshops, Heywood Hill, and chat about the books she loves. Keep an eye out for part two - and let us know what you think of her choices! 📜 Elizabeth’s list: One of Us by Elizabeth Day, 4th Estate The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Viking Flashlight by Susan Choi, Jonathan Cape The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller, Sceptre Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, Everyman Universality by Natasha Brown, Faber Hope: A Tragedy by Shalom Auslander, Picador Wellness by Nathan Hill, Pan Macmillan The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein, Europa All Fours by Miranda July, Canongate Into the Wreck by Susannah Dickey, Bloomsbury Tennis Lessons and Common Decency, Transworld
The Correspondent author Virginia Evans is next Under the Cover!

Virginia is the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 for her debut published novel, The Correspondent. Told through a series of letters, it follows a cantankerous older woman forced to question her life decisions and reevaluate her connections with the people she loves.

We were very lucky to catch up with Virginia in London shortly after her Women’s Prize win. Let us know what you think of her recommendations! You can order her book, or any of the choices mentioned, through our online bookstore (affiliate link in bio)

🎥 With thanks to Waterstones Piccadilly for having us!

📜 Virginia’s list:

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
The works of Charles Dickens
The Lord of the Rings, based on the series by J.R.R. Tolkien
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Foster by Claire Keegan
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Stoner by John Williams
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
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The Correspondent author Virginia Evans is next Under the Cover! Virginia is the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026 for her debut published novel, The Correspondent. Told through a series of letters, it follows a cantankerous older woman forced to question her life decisions and reevaluate her connections with the people she loves. We were very lucky to catch up with Virginia in London shortly after her Women’s Prize win. Let us know what you think of her recommendations! You can order her book, or any of the choices mentioned, through our online bookstore (affiliate link in bio) 🎥 With thanks to Waterstones Piccadilly for having us! 📜 Virginia’s list: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Land by Maggie O’Farrell The works of Charles Dickens The Lord of the Rings, based on the series by J.R.R. Tolkien The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Foster by Claire Keegan Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Stoner by John Williams Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
It’s feeling wintery in New York and London right now, but wherever you are - here are five books that will bring some joy this January, as chosen by novelist and Books are Magic founder Emma Straub 🧡
 
Which book would you recommend to beat the seasonal blues? We’d love to hear in the comments! And look out for lots more from our New York series soon 📚
 
📜 Emma’s list:
 
Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead, Vintage
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, Riverhead
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, William Morrow
Less by Andrew Sean Greer, Litle, Brown
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, HarperCollins
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It’s feeling wintery in New York and London right now, but wherever you are - here are five books that will bring some joy this January, as chosen by novelist and Books are Magic founder Emma Straub 🧡 Which book would you recommend to beat the seasonal blues? We’d love to hear in the comments! And look out for lots more from our New York series soon 📚 📜 Emma’s list: Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead, Vintage The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, Riverhead Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe, William Morrow Less by Andrew Sean Greer, Litle, Brown Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, HarperCollins
Writer Zoe Dubno knows exactly who she’d like to be stuck in a lift with..!
 
Zoe is the author of Happiness and Love, a deliciously damning take on hollow friendships and the New York art world. Loosely inspired by Thomas Bernhard’s The Woodcutters, it takes place over the course of one evening at a dinner party, where none of the guests are beyond reproach.
 
Zoe joins us Under the Cover at her favourite local bookstore - Book Culture in Morningside Heights, New York. We so enjoyed hearing all her recommendations, plus a few scathing reviews too! Let us know if you agree with her - and follow for more from our NYC series 🧡
 
📜 Zoe’s list:
 
Happiness & Love by Zoe Dubno, Doubleday / Scribner
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Faber
The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles by Giorgio Bassani, Penguin
The Unprofessionals: A Novel by Julie Hecht, Simon & Schuster
Middlemarch by George Eliot, Penguin
Pride & Prejudice, BBC
Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright, based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy, Penguin
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Canongate
The Group by Mary McCarthy, Harper Collins
Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt, And Other Stories / New Directions
 
Middlemarch fan club: Coco Mellors, Nicola Dinan, Blake Morrison, Chris Kraus
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7mo ago
underthecover.books
Writer Zoe Dubno knows exactly who she’d like to be stuck in a lift with..! Zoe is the author of Happiness and Love, a deliciously damning take on hollow friendships and the New York art world. Loosely inspired by Thomas Bernhard’s The Woodcutters, it takes place over the course of one evening at a dinner party, where none of the guests are beyond reproach. Zoe joins us Under the Cover at her favourite local bookstore - Book Culture in Morningside Heights, New York. We so enjoyed hearing all her recommendations, plus a few scathing reviews too! Let us know if you agree with her - and follow for more from our NYC series 🧡 📜 Zoe’s list: Happiness & Love by Zoe Dubno, Doubleday / Scribner Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Faber The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles by Giorgio Bassani, Penguin The Unprofessionals: A Novel by Julie Hecht, Simon & Schuster Middlemarch by George Eliot, Penguin Pride & Prejudice, BBC Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright, based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy, Penguin Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Canongate The Group by Mary McCarthy, Harper Collins Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt, And Other Stories / New Directions Middlemarch fan club: Coco Mellors, Nicola Dinan, Blake Morrison, Chris Kraus
Patrick Radden Keefe, the award-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, joins us Under the Cover!
 
Patrick is an investigative journalist, staff writer at The New Yorker, and the master of narrative non-fiction. In his new book, London Falling, he looks into the mysterious death and double life of teenager Zac Bettler, who fell from a Thames-side balcony after posing as an oligarch’s son. As he follows Zac’s family’s quest for the truth, he exposes the city’s dark criminal underworld.
 
We were so thrilled to speak to Patrick at the iconic Daunt Books, where he shared what he loves to read - whether crying on a plane or glued to his seat on the London Underground.
 
If you’d like to order any of Patrick’s favourites - or signed copies of his own book (while stocks last!) - then follow the link in our bio to the Under the Cover bookshop.org page (affiliate)
 
📜 Patrick’s List:
 
London Falling, Empire of Pain and Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
They Call Me Naughty Lola, edited by David Rose
Days of Love and Rage by Anand Gopal
True Grit by Charles Portis, read by Donna Tartt
So Late in the Day, Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt
The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Middlemarch by George Eliot
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
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4mo ago
underthecover.books
Patrick Radden Keefe, the award-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, joins us Under the Cover! Patrick is an investigative journalist, staff writer at The New Yorker, and the master of narrative non-fiction. In his new book, London Falling, he looks into the mysterious death and double life of teenager Zac Bettler, who fell from a Thames-side balcony after posing as an oligarch’s son. As he follows Zac’s family’s quest for the truth, he exposes the city’s dark criminal underworld. We were so thrilled to speak to Patrick at the iconic Daunt Books, where he shared what he loves to read - whether crying on a plane or glued to his seat on the London Underground. If you’d like to order any of Patrick’s favourites - or signed copies of his own book (while stocks last!) - then follow the link in our bio to the Under the Cover bookshop.org page (affiliate) 📜 Patrick’s List: London Falling, Empire of Pain and Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe They Call Me Naughty Lola, edited by David Rose Days of Love and Rage by Anand Gopal True Grit by Charles Portis, read by Donna Tartt So Late in the Day, Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Last Samurai by Helen Dewitt The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud The Autobiography of Malcolm X Middlemarch by George Eliot To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer
Game of Thrones’ Hannah Murray, author of The Make-Believe, is our next guest Under the Cover!
 
You probably know Hannah from iconic roles including Cassie in Skins and Gilly in Game of Thrones. Now, she’s written her incredible debut The Make-Believe, describing how she became part of a secretive and cult-like wellness organisation, seduced by its rituals and charismatic leader and leading to a dramatic breakdown and hospitalisation. It is an extraordinary and honest look at fame, mental illness and the search for meaning and magic.
 
Hannah is a huge bookworm so it was a treat to chat to her about some of her favourites. Let us know what you think in the comments, or head to our online bookshop to browse the list and order any of her recommendations (affiliate link in bio)
 
Thank you so much to BookBar Islington for having us!
 
📜 Hannah’s list:
 
The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness by Hannah Murray
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith
The Pisces by Melissa Broder
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
All Fours by Miranda July
Gormenghast, based on the novel by Mervyn Peake
The Hobbit, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Arturo’s Island by Elsa Morante, translated by Ann Goldstein
Strangers on a Train by Jenny Diski
American Men by Jordan Ritter Conn
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3mo ago
underthecover.books
Game of Thrones’ Hannah Murray, author of The Make-Believe, is our next guest Under the Cover! You probably know Hannah from iconic roles including Cassie in Skins and Gilly in Game of Thrones. Now, she’s written her incredible debut The Make-Believe, describing how she became part of a secretive and cult-like wellness organisation, seduced by its rituals and charismatic leader and leading to a dramatic breakdown and hospitalisation. It is an extraordinary and honest look at fame, mental illness and the search for meaning and magic. Hannah is a huge bookworm so it was a treat to chat to her about some of her favourites. Let us know what you think in the comments, or head to our online bookshop to browse the list and order any of her recommendations (affiliate link in bio) Thank you so much to BookBar Islington for having us! 📜 Hannah’s list: The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness by Hannah Murray A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith The Pisces by Melissa Broder Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Intermezzo by Sally Rooney All Fours by Miranda July Gormenghast, based on the novel by Mervyn Peake The Hobbit, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Arturo’s Island by Elsa Morante, translated by Ann Goldstein Strangers on a Train by Jenny Diski American Men by Jordan Ritter Conn
The incredible Kiran Desai is back 🧡 Nearly 20 years after she won the Booker Prize for The Inheritance of Loss, she has been shortlisted again for her beautiful and epic third novel. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is the sweeping love story of two young Indians in America, each navigating isolation, cultural expectations and the search for happiness.
 
It was an absolute joy to meet Kiran at legendary London bookshop Heywood Hill and hear about the books that have inspired her. Keep an eye out for part two of her favourites - and let us know if you love her choices too 📚
 
📜 Kiran’s list:
 
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, Hamish Hamilton
The English Patient, directed by Anthony Minghella, based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje, Bloomsbury
Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez, Penguin
The Book of Jewish Food & The Food of Spain, Penguin; Med, Ebury - all by Claudia Roden
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Methuen
Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand, Penguin
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Penguin
The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, Vintage
The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa, translated by Archibald Colquhoun, Vintage
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10mo ago
underthecover.books
The incredible Kiran Desai is back 🧡 Nearly 20 years after she won the Booker Prize for The Inheritance of Loss, she has been shortlisted again for her beautiful and epic third novel. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny is the sweeping love story of two young Indians in America, each navigating isolation, cultural expectations and the search for happiness. It was an absolute joy to meet Kiran at legendary London bookshop Heywood Hill and hear about the books that have inspired her. Keep an eye out for part two of her favourites - and let us know if you love her choices too 📚 📜 Kiran’s list: The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai, Hamish Hamilton The English Patient, directed by Anthony Minghella, based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje, Bloomsbury Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel García Márquez, Penguin The Book of Jewish Food & The Food of Spain, Penguin; Med, Ebury - all by Claudia Roden The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Methuen Untouchable by Mulk Raj Anand, Penguin Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Penguin The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño, Vintage The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa, translated by Archibald Colquhoun, Vintage
Meg Wolitzer is the next author to go Under the Cover with us (and join the Middlemarch fan club!)
 
Meg has written multiple bestselling books for adults and children, including The Interestings and The Wife - adapted into a film starring Glenn Close. Her most recent novel, The Female Persuasion, is a coming-of-age story which explores power dynamics and contemporary feminism.
 
We absolutely loved meeting Meg at the iconic Strand Bookstore in New York’s East Village. If you want to read any of her recommendations - or Meg’s own novels - you can order them now through our Bookshop.org page via the link in our bio (#affiliate link which helps support us and independent bookshops) 🙏
 
📜 Meg’s list:
 
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell
Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
James Baldwin, Virginia Woolf & Nora Ephron
 
Middlemarch members: @cocomellors, Blake Morrison, @nicoladinan, @chriskraus7 and @zoedubno
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5mo ago
underthecover.books
Meg Wolitzer is the next author to go Under the Cover with us (and join the Middlemarch fan club!) Meg has written multiple bestselling books for adults and children, including The Interestings and The Wife - adapted into a film starring Glenn Close. Her most recent novel, The Female Persuasion, is a coming-of-age story which explores power dynamics and contemporary feminism. We absolutely loved meeting Meg at the iconic Strand Bookstore in New York’s East Village. If you want to read any of her recommendations - or Meg’s own novels - you can order them now through our Bookshop.org page via the link in our bio (#affiliate link which helps support us and independent bookshops) 🙏 📜 Meg’s list: Heartburn by Nora Ephron To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf The Summer Book by Tove Jansson Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson Middlemarch by George Eliot Mrs Bridge by Evan S. Connell Random Family by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro James Baldwin, Virginia Woolf & Nora Ephron Middlemarch members: @cocomellors, Blake Morrison, @nicoladinan, @chriskraus7 and @zoedubno
Yiyun Li, author of The Book of Goose and Where Reasons End, is our next guest Under the Cover 🧡
 
Yiyun is a Professor at Princeton and the author of 12 books, including novels, memoirs and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated short story collection. Last year she published Things in Nature Merely Grow, an astonishing memoir written after her son James took his life, six years after his brother Vincent. It is a remarkable portrait of loss, of radical acceptance, and of her sons’ lives. She was a finalist in the National Book Awards, and the book has been chosen as a New Yorker Essential Read for 2025.
 
We were so honoured to be joined by Yiyun at one of her favourite bookshops, 192 Books in Chelsea. She shares some of her reading recommendations with us - from Enigma to the existentialists. Let us know if you love her choices too
 
📜 Yiyun’s list:
 
Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li, 4th Estate
The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla
Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges
The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, read by Juliet Stevenson
The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
The Collected Stories by William Trevor
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Saga of the Century Trilogy: The Fountain Overflows, This Real Night and Cousin Rosamund by Rebecca West
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
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7mo ago
underthecover.books
Yiyun Li, author of The Book of Goose and Where Reasons End, is our next guest Under the Cover 🧡 Yiyun is a Professor at Princeton and the author of 12 books, including novels, memoirs and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated short story collection. Last year she published Things in Nature Merely Grow, an astonishing memoir written after her son James took his life, six years after his brother Vincent. It is a remarkable portrait of loss, of radical acceptance, and of her sons’ lives. She was a finalist in the National Book Awards, and the book has been chosen as a New Yorker Essential Read for 2025. We were so honoured to be joined by Yiyun at one of her favourite bookshops, 192 Books in Chelsea. She shares some of her reading recommendations with us - from Enigma to the existentialists. Let us know if you love her choices too 📜 Yiyun’s list: Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li, 4th Estate The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity by Carlo M. Cipolla Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, read by Juliet Stevenson The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus The Collected Stories by William Trevor Bleak House by Charles Dickens The Saga of the Century Trilogy: The Fountain Overflows, This Real Night and Cousin Rosamund by Rebecca West War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Which book makes the perfect present? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share their ideas - from classics guaranteed to make you laugh to beautiful illustrated collections 📚 
 
We want to hear which books you’re giving people this year - or the one you’d love to see under the tree! Let us know in the comments (and do support your local indie this Christmas if you can) 🧡
 
📜 The Gift List:
 
Blandings Castle, The Code of the Woosters & Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse, Everyman
By The River: Essays from the Water’s Edge, Daunt Books
Conversations in Sicily by Elio Vittorini, Canongate
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Bloomsbury
The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, Dialogue
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, Serpent’s Tail
Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty, And Other Stories
 
Guests featured: Orlando Whitfield, Jesse Casseem, Elizabeth Day, Kiran Desai, Jasmina Bidé, Oisín McKenna, Kristin Griffin. Thanks to Morocco Bound, Heywood Hill, Round Table Books, Pages of Hackney and Bàrd Books 🎥
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8mo ago
underthecover.books
Which book makes the perfect present? We’ve asked authors and booksellers to share their ideas - from classics guaranteed to make you laugh to beautiful illustrated collections 📚 We want to hear which books you’re giving people this year - or the one you’d love to see under the tree! Let us know in the comments (and do support your local indie this Christmas if you can) 🧡 📜 The Gift List: Blandings Castle, The Code of the Woosters & Leave it to Psmith by P.G. Wodehouse, Everyman By The River: Essays from the Water’s Edge, Daunt Books Conversations in Sicily by Elio Vittorini, Canongate Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, Bloomsbury The Sex Lives of African Women by Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, Dialogue Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, Serpent’s Tail Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty, And Other Stories Guests featured: Orlando Whitfield, Jesse Casseem, Elizabeth Day, Kiran Desai, Jasmina Bidé, Oisín McKenna, Kristin Griffin. Thanks to Morocco Bound, Heywood Hill, Round Table Books, Pages of Hackney and Bàrd Books 🎥
Yesteryear author Caro Claire Burke joins us Under the Cover!

Caro’s gripping debut novel, Yesteryear, is about a tradwife influencer whose life is seemingly perfect - until she wakes up in an uncanny version of the past. It was an instant bestseller in the UK and US and is already being adapted by Anne Hathaway.

We loved meeting Caro at Funny Weather, a beautiful new bookshop in North London, to hear about her favourite reads (and the beloved book she couldn’t finish!)

📜 Caro’s list:

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, read by Michelle Williams
East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
Anything by Patricia Lockwood
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Gone Girl, based on the novel by Gillian Flynn
Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
The poetry of Ada Limón
The Message and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Luster and Material by Raven Leilani
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underthecover.books
Yesteryear author Caro Claire Burke joins us Under the Cover! Caro’s gripping debut novel, Yesteryear, is about a tradwife influencer whose life is seemingly perfect - until she wakes up in an uncanny version of the past. It was an instant bestseller in the UK and US and is already being adapted by Anne Hathaway. We loved meeting Caro at Funny Weather, a beautiful new bookshop in North London, to hear about her favourite reads (and the beloved book she couldn’t finish!) 📜 Caro’s list: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke The Woman in Me by Britney Spears, read by Michelle Williams East of Eden and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Anything by Patricia Lockwood Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart Gone Girl, based on the novel by Gillian Flynn Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo In Memoriam by Alice Winn A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara The poetry of Ada Limón The Message and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Luster and Material by Raven Leilani

Under the Cover (@underthecover.books) Instagram Stats & Analytics

Under the Cover (@underthecover.books) has 201K Instagram followers with a 4.28% engagement rate over the past 12 months. Across 81.0 posts, Under the Cover received 792K total likes and 18.7M impressions, averaging 9.78K likes per post. This page tracks Under the Cover's performance metrics, top content, and engagement trends — updated daily.

Under the Cover (@underthecover.books) Instagram Analytics FAQ

How many Instagram followers does Under the Cover have?+
Under the Cover (@underthecover.books) has 201K Instagram followers as of September 2026.
What is Under the Cover's Instagram engagement rate?+
Under the Cover's Instagram engagement rate is 4.28% over the last 12 months, based on 81.0 posts.
How many likes does Under the Cover get on Instagram?+
Under the Cover received 792K total likes across 81.0 posts in the last 12 months, averaging 9.78K likes per post.
How many Instagram impressions does Under the Cover get?+
Under the Cover's Instagram content generated 18.7M total impressions over the last 12 months.