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Almost every Friday, I kick off the weekend with a fresh collection of interesting reads and favorite things to ease you into that state of mind. Here in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, and here at the Bogel household the weekend is starting basically right now\u2014so today is a rare Wednesday Links Day, because I am READY for that weekend frame of mind! But first, today looks like the last-no-for-real-this-time grocery run, oodles of food prep, and the first holiday movie of the season. (Send recs!) <\/p>\n
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you have something to look forward to these next few days and a few precious things to be thankful for. I\u2019m thankful for you<\/em>; thank you so much for 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 bookmarking service.<\/em><\/p>\n Forget Running Groups and Work Socials. Find a Book Club.<\/a><\/strong> (The Walrus<\/em>) \u201cEven though we were at a\u00a0book<\/em>\u00a0club, the meeting wasn\u2019t necessarily about the specific text for a lot of readers; rather, it was an opportunity to use one\u2019s passion or interest as a vehicle for social connection.\u201d<\/p>\n 3 novels set during Thanksgiving.<\/a><\/strong> (MMD<\/em>) Grab a piece of pumpkin pie and escape into one of these Thanksgiving-centric novels.<\/p>\n The antidote to everything? Hold a \u2018Stuff Swap\u2019.<\/a><\/strong> (The Ethical Edit<\/em>) This is such a fun idea!<\/p>\n I made this easiest ever Instant Pot pasta bolognese<\/a><\/strong> this week\u2014so good, with an unbeatable effort\/payoff ratio. (Keep Calm and Cook On<\/em>.) We often do some kind of simple baked pasta just before or after Thanksgiving and this one-dish recipe is perfectly low-fuss and high flavor. I used rigatoni, Rao\u2019s, and a pound of 88% ground beef.<\/p>\n The Black Friday sales I already shopped (for myself): Apotheke\u2019s charcoal candle<\/a><\/strong>. Anthro puzzles<\/a><\/strong> (I\u2019m going to start Winter Dogs<\/a><\/strong> the moment it arrives later today) and beauty<\/a><\/strong> (stocking stuffer city), and one of The Coupe bowls<\/a><\/strong> in a pretty color (that would be Guava, for me) from East Fork. I have a Weeknight Serving Bowl<\/a><\/strong> and it\u2019s great, but for cost\/benefit I\u2019ve been stunned at how much I use The Coupe (in eggshell) I impulse bought earlier this year (as a second, which was just a buck or two cheaper than the Black Friday deal currently going on). The description makes it sound like it\u2019s for individual servings, but I only ever use mine as a fruit bowl (it\u2019s currently holding seven large apples on my dining room table) or serving something like a dinner entree for 4 or a vegetable side dish for 4-12 people (it\u2019s versatile like that). Gorgeous in your own home or as a gift. <\/p>\n The Ultimate You\u2019ve Got Mail<\/em> Reading\/Watchlist.<\/a><\/strong> (Goodnight, Dear Void<\/em>) \u201cI\u2019ve since made it a personal mission to view any piece of media that either predated You\u2019ve Got Mail<\/em> or was later inspired by it. Or at least contains what I like to think of as \u2018the You\u2019ve Got Mail<\/em> trope\u2019: two characters who bond over writing to each other, unaware that they also know (and usually dislike) each other in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n The Comfort of Bringing the Same Dish Every Time.<\/a><\/strong> (New York Times<\/em> gift link) \u201cIn a constant push for reinvention and trending ingredients, I returned to the idea of having a signature dish. Showing up with the same dish over and over? That says: You can count on me.\u201d<\/p>\n The season for games approaches! I bought Sushi Go<\/a><\/strong> on killer sale as a gift (we have it, we love it) and Throw Throw Burrito<\/a><\/strong> for us (I\u2019ve heard great things). Ticket to Ride<\/a><\/strong> is a personal favorite; it\u2019s also on sale now. <\/p>\n Niche and nerdy narrative nonfiction.<\/a><\/strong> (What Should I Read Next?<\/em>) For a reader in search of history books on the shorter side that read like novels. <\/p>\n The Surprising Endurance of Martha Stewart\u2019s \u201cEntertaining<\/em>.\u201d<\/a><\/strong> (The New Yorker<\/em>) \u201cWhen I mentioned to Stewart the fact that \u2018you don\u2019t have to be Martha Stewart\u2019 has become a clich\u00e9, she laughed. She sees herself less as a cold-blooded micromanager than as a creative, scrappy person who takes pleasure in executing a specific vision.\u201d\u00a0Also surprising: this profile is a delight to read!<\/p>\n Leighton Meester & Jared Padalecki Board Netflix Rom-Com Based On Katherine Center\u2019s \u2018The Bodyguard.\u2019<\/a><\/strong> (Deadline<\/em>) Plus Andie MacDowell! I loved the book.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Scrubs: Everything To Know About The Return of Turk and JD in the ABC Reboot.<\/a><\/strong> (TV Guide<\/em>) Will and I loved Scrubs<\/em> twenty years ago; we\u2019ll tune into this reboot. \u201cWhat makes Scrubs <\/em>a classic is creator Bill Lawrence\u2019s trademark goodhearted charm, which more recently turned Ted Lasso<\/em> into an instant classic at Apple. Scrubs is a show that just feels nice to watch.\u201d <\/p>\n My books on sale: Don\u2019t Overthink It<\/em><\/a><\/strong> is marked way down and part of Amazon\u2019s 3-for-2 sale; both my reading journals are heavily discounted going into the new year: My Reading Life: A Book Journal<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (for adults) and My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids.<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (For signed and\/or personalized copies of these titles, order directly from our shop<\/a><\/strong> or from my local indie Carmichael\u2019s Bookstore<\/a><\/strong>.) <\/p>\n Inside the Surprisingly Intense World of Competitive Steinholding.<\/a><\/strong> (Outside<\/em>) This week\u2019s dinner table conversation. \u201cIf you\u2019ve not seen it, buckle in, you\u2019ve got a paradigm shift coming.\u201d<\/p>\n The Uncommon Reader<\/a><\/em><\/strong> by Alan Bennett is our MMD Book Club December 2025 pick.\u00a0If you\u2019re looking for a quick end-of-the-year read, you can finish this novella in a few hours.<\/p>\n 24 winter holiday romances that will make your season bright<\/a><\/strong>. These winter holiday romances will take you from Thanksgiving to New Year\u2019s Eve!<\/p>\n My secret to beautifully wrapped presents<\/a><\/strong>. An ode to double-sided tape.<\/p>\n A very bookish Christmas countdown.<\/a><\/strong> A favorite family tradition.<\/p>\nMy favorite finds from around the web:<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t miss these posts:<\/h3>\n