Do you read magazines? Recommend one to me!

[ChloeCannotCanCan]

Are there any good magazines out there?

I’m early fifties, teenage kids, like good clothes but not necessarily ‘fashion’, like a bit of make up but not too extreme, love books, movies, bit of gardening, cooking, travel, decorating a room in my house every few years….

I like an interesting read but don’t need to be hugely challenged, bit of a feminist but not militant, on a reasonable income but don’t have loads left over to spend on fripperies.

I find magazines are either obsessed with just one of the above topics or are full of items and recommendations I can’t afford so don’t really interest me…

Can anybody recommend anything?

I used to love magazines but have given up on them.

Too many adverts, not enough content (all of which is hugely superficial),the paper quality is shoddy and even the size of them doesn't feel right any more. Also they're stupidly expensive now.

Hmmmm, not an encouraging first reply 😂

I really like The English Garden- it's a gardening mag (obv) but at the more lifestyley end of things- more wafting about amid the peonies, less Alan Titchmarsh separating perennials. There is one called The English Home as well which is nice if you like fairly traditional interior design.

Also read-

Private Eye
LRB
Quite like a bit of Country Life as well

have you tried Red magazine? It’s hit & miss. Sometimes they have a really good issue. Sometimes is crap. I think the fashion is quite pricey but I got a subscription for about £20 so it keeps turning up!

Try your local library because you can read loads online for free if you’re a member.
Also there’s https://picsandink.com

I like The Simple Things magazine.

Simple Things is brilliant and unlike any other mag. Would definitely recommend!

Lots of free magazines are available through my library to read on a tablet or phone. If your library does this then you can "try before you buy", there are 4,000 currently available, everything from home and garden to fashion, art, health and wellbeing, sports.. really good selection

Thanks for the online link but I really need a paper copy - I can’t get on with reading magazines online unfortunately

Have you thought about a subscription to Readly? It's a bit pricey but if you read more than a couple of magazines a month then it might be worth a look.

Oohhh, I’ll go check out Simple Things, thanks

I haven’t no - I’ve always put it in the ‘made for older women’ category but I think I may need to revisit that now I’m getting on a bit…

The same may go for things like Woman and Home and Good Housekeeping - I always associated them with my mother but maybe I need to be a bit more open minded

I’m 46 and read good housekeeping at the hairdressers recently….i really enjoyed it 🤣. I was a little surprised by that.
still like to seek out a heat magazine for pure trash occasionally though.

I like Psychologies. They’ve messed around with the fonts so it looks like Take A Break now 🙄 but it is an enjoyable read. I always learn something new and the recipes are good. It doesn’t leave me feeling like I’m too scruffy or not earning enough, like a lot of magazines can do. I tend to finish it feeling uplifted.

I may have to go to WH Smith and have a long browse in the magazine section…

I find all womens magazines boring now. Enjoy the weekend newspaper supplements much more.

I tried Psychologies a few years ago and found it a bit too ‘spiritual’ and self-helpy for me personally. I’m a bit of a cynic….

My sister gets Simple things, I’m
tempted to start getting it. I have a subscription to Good Housekeeping, but I feel like it has less and less in it every month, most of it is adverts.

I read Country Life and find it wonderfully eclectic. It’s also good value, really independent and weekly. It is my little treat.

But then I have to read lots and lots of news which is absolutely depressing 😬

I used to work in magazines and for you I would suggest Good Housekeeping! Recent revamp to feel more modern and a good mix of all the above

Too many ads for me too. I once counted 70% of the pages consisting of ads!

I’m now being bombarded by loads of ‘£6 for 6 months’ magazine adverts <waves to Mark Zuckerberg’s spies>

Thanks Magpie, I’ll take a look

I’m 42 and had this issue. I’m too old for Cosmo, not into fashion or beauty enough for Glamour or Vogue, not into the Woman’s Own type lightweight magazines or the celeb gossip ones. I tried a few last year and found I really enjoy Good Housekeeping. Interviews with interesting women and various articles that seem right for my age (at least I’m at the bottom end of the age they’re aimed at).