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What are you up to this weekend? We\u2019re working on a home project around here, so this weekend I have to tackle the dreaded task of picking a paint color. Wish me luck? I\u2019m also hoping to finish a good book, make a great dinner (thanks for all those pasta recipes last week<\/a><\/strong>), and get out and enjoy the spring sunshine. <\/p>\n I hope you have something to look forward to these next few days, and that this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind. <\/p>\n Buckle up, it\u2019s almost time for summer reading! The 14th annual Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Guide<\/a><\/strong> and Unboxing event will be here on May 15!<\/p>\n There are four ways to get the guide:<\/p>\n I hope you enjoy this summer\u2019s reading road trip!<\/p>\n I offer gift links for articles whenever possible (you may still need to create an account with the publication); if there\u2019s no gift link and you\u2019re not a subscriber, check to see if your library carries the publication or use a service like Pocket.<\/em><\/p>\n Meryl Streep In Talks To Play Aslan In Greta Gerwig & Netflix\u2019s Narnia Movie.<\/a><\/strong> (Deadline<\/em>) Whoa!<\/p>\n Inside a Book Tour Turned Road Trip With Best Friends and Best-Selling Authors Tommy Orange and Kaveh Akbar.<\/a><\/strong> (Vanity Fair<\/em>) I love when authors become real life friends.<\/p>\n Have you seen the Target x kate spade collab? Some of the styles were gone in a snap but I just adored this darling plaid midi dress<\/a><\/strong> (S\u20134X) and this adorable midi mini polka dot dress<\/a><\/strong> (S\u20134X). I also grabbed this cute hat<\/a><\/strong> for a future birthday gift. <\/p>\n World War II novels that are worth your time.<\/a><\/strong> (MMD<\/em>) For readers who can\u2019t get enough of World War II fiction.<\/p>\n I made this Fresh Fruit Tart with Vanilla Mascarpone Cream<\/a><\/strong> for Easter and it was so beautiful and easy. (Sally\u2019s Baking<\/em>)<\/p>\n DOGE\u2019s Latest Cuts Will Hit Local Culture Hard.<\/a><\/strong> (Slate<\/em>) \u201cIf the cuts are upheld, however, small local museums and libraries will almost certainly close. Efforts to digitize local newspapers have ceased. The book festival your kids love each summer? It won\u2019t happen without funding to the state humanities council that supports it.\u201d<\/p>\n This is a great openwork sweater vest<\/a><\/strong>, available in cream and black. (XS\u20134X)<\/p>\n Burnout and the reading life<\/a><\/strong>. (What Should I Read Next?<\/em>) Encouragement and insight for when reading feels tricky. <\/p>\n Is it Perimenopause or Is It Aging?<\/a><\/strong> (The Vajenda<\/em>) \u201cOne of the issues in understanding what is caused by menopause and what it is not, is that aging and menopause happen simultaneously.\u201d<\/p>\n First Look: New bookstore TBR Books and Tea set to open April 12<\/a><\/strong>. (225 Baton Rouge<\/em>) Congrats to MMD-er Jamie on her new bookstore! <\/p>\n After twenty years of collecting compost materials in an open flimsy plastic container I finally bought a real compost bin<\/a><\/strong>\u2014and wish I\u2019d done this twenty years ago. <\/p>\n Katie Kitamura Knows We\u2019re Faking It.<\/a><\/strong> (The New Yorker<\/em>) \u201cI\u2019m very preoccupied by interpretation. It\u2019s been a theme in the last three novels. I had a central character who is a translator, one who is an interpreter, and then this character who is an actor interpreting parts, interpreting this new play and struggling.\u201d I loved her new book! <\/p>\n Looking forward to a rousing discussion of our MMD Book Club<\/a><\/strong> selection for May 2025: Search<\/a><\/em><\/strong> by Michelle Huneven. The author will join us for a discussion on May 28.<\/p>\n Move Over Curtain Bangs, This Spring It\u2019s All About Jane Austen Bangs<\/a><\/strong>. (Vogue<\/em>) \u201cThe beauty of these bangs are that they exude personality\u2014they\u2019re intensely feminine yet expressive, channeling the strong, determined, courageous, and tenacious heroines of the Regency period.\u201d<\/p>\n Books I\u2019m glad I came back to.<\/a><\/strong> \u201cThere are countless books I initially struggled with that ended up becoming favorites\u2026. These are titles that I put down early on in the reading process, but picked up again because I (rightly) suspected the problem was one of timing.\u201d<\/p>\nThe 2025 Summer Reading Guide is coming!<\/h3>\n
My favorite finds from around the web:<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t miss these posts:<\/h3>\n