\n<\/p>\n
Hello, hello, and happy Friday! I\u2019m feeling festive after yesterday\u2019s big Summer Reading Guide<\/a><\/strong> launch, plus we have a lot going on around here in the Bogel household: one graduation this weekend, another looming on the horizon, a kid returning from a Big Trip\u2014in other words we\u2019re making all the good food this weekend for lots of family time. I\u2019m pumped. (And I have my audiobooks queued up for meal prep listening!) <\/p>\n I hope you have something good to look forward to this weekend, and that this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind. <\/p>\n The FOURTEENTH annual Summer Reading Guide<\/a><\/strong> is here! My very favorite compliments so far are along the lines of \u201cI thought I had a good handle on what was coming out this season, but I discovered so many new titles that weren\u2019t on my radar!\u201d Get your very own 2025 Guide right here<\/a><\/strong>! We\u2019re still taking orders for our print (think: magazine) Guides, place your order here<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n For my fellow minimalists and decision haters, the 2025 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide is up on the blog<\/a><\/strong>. This year\u2019s Minimalist Guide has 6 great titles and it\u2019s completely free and available to all. Happy summer reading!<\/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 There and Back with Wally Lamb.<\/a><\/strong> (Publishers Weekly<\/em>) The author talks about imposter syndrome, alcoholism, and his new novel, The River Is Waiting<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (Bookshop<\/em>), out June 10. Is this a featured Summer Reading Guide<\/a><\/strong> book, just out yesterday? Maybe! (Just kidding, you know it absolutely was because this heartbreaker is a Minimalist pick<\/a><\/strong>.) <\/p>\n Our brand new Well Read hats<\/a><\/strong> have proven to be exceedingly popular in our shop<\/a><\/strong>: they sold out in a snap! We have more coming in soon\u2014if you want in, place your order now! <\/p>\n Party Till the Break of 10 P.M.<\/a><\/strong> (New York Times<\/em> gift link) \u201cEarlybirds, by contrast, is all the sleepovers, summer camps and bachelorettes of my youth, but concentrated and distilled \u2014 purified of all mean girl behavior, insecurity, exclusion, competition. And significantly sweatier. By 10 p.m., I\u2019d danced so hard, my legs felt leaden. But my heart was so full, I could have gone on forever.\u201d<\/p>\n My daughter is graduating from high school this weekend so we\u2019re making all her favorites, like this classic pimiento cheese.<\/a><\/strong> Also benedictine.<\/a><\/strong> (Both from Southern Living<\/em>)<\/p>\n Unleashing Strength: Women Owning Their Power in Literature.<\/a><\/strong> (The Creative Edge<\/em>) \u201cI especially love stories of ordinary women forced into action. Their door is knocked upon by destiny, and they must choose: accept the challenge, or slam the door in adventure\u2019s face. This is the heart of the suspense genre: an innocent, faced with certain death or destruction, who must rise above and save herself\u2014and others.\u201d<\/p>\n This ruffle rashguard<\/a><\/strong> from Summersalt is so cute! I love their swimwear; I just wore my longtime fave Perfect Wrap One-Piece<\/a><\/strong> in the classic black and white on spring break. <\/p>\n Bestseller Fredrik Backman says \u2018My Friends<\/em>\u2018 could be his last book in candid interview.<\/a><\/strong> (USA Today<\/em>) A thoughtful discussion about the stressors of publishing and book marketing under capitalism.<\/p>\n Why SmartFood Popcorn Doesn\u2019t Hit Like It Used To.<\/a><\/strong> (Eater<\/em>) This piece about SmartFood in particular, but more broadly about shrinkflation and product formula changes, was Bogel family dinner conversation fodder last week. <\/p>\n Genetics adaptions allows all-female Korean divers to cope with extreme conditions.<\/a><\/strong> (Cosmos Magazine<\/em>) Very cool scientific analysis that calls to mind Lisa See\u2019s The Island of Sea Women<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (MMD<\/em>). <\/p>\n These cotton pajama prints<\/a><\/strong> (XXS\u20133X) are bringing me so much joy! And I always tend towards neutrals for layering cardis, but this bright green<\/a><\/strong> (XXS\u20133X) is shoulder season perfection. <\/p>\n Triumph of the Undead: The Public Domain as Horror Hero.<\/a><\/strong> (Public Books<\/em>) \u201cEvery horror fan knows that the monster is never truly dead the first time you think you\u2019ve killed it. Florence Stoker should have heeded this advice.\u201d<\/p>\n Need-to-know information we always share at our MMD events: for last night\u2019s Unboxing, my lipstick of choice was VIOLETTE_FR\u2019s Bisou Balm in B\u00eatise<\/a><\/strong>, Ginger\u2019s was Maybelline\u2019s Color Sensationsal Lipstick Lust for Blush<\/a><\/strong>, and Shannan\u2019s was Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint in Bare Blackberry.<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n 100 Book Covers for\u00a0Mrs. Dalloway<\/em>.<\/a><\/strong> (Literary Hub<\/em>) So many cover trends over the last century.<\/p>\n Will and I really liked the new Trader Joe\u2019s chicken mole<\/a><\/strong> I impulse bought last week; it made a great Summer Reading Guide Day lunch for two. I immediately added it to my shopping list for next time! <\/p>\n How your brain changes when you outsource it to AI.<\/a><\/strong> (Vox<\/em>) \u201cWorking harder tends to lead to better outcomes, like earning a promotion or resolving a time-sensitive problem. And when cognitive effort is rewarded, people learn to value mental labor itself, even in the absence of an obvious short-term payoff.\u201d<\/p>\n Immerse yourself in these 20 full cast recording audiobooks.<\/a><\/strong> Full cast recording audiobooks are the modern equivalent of a radio play, except no one has to wait to listen to the next installment.<\/p>\nThe 2025 Summer Reading Guide is here\u2014get your copy now! <\/h3>\n
My favorite finds from around the web:<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t miss these posts:<\/h3>\n