\n<\/p>\n
What are you up to this weekend? Around here, I\u2019m looking forward to holiday break beginning in earnest when school ends today. (The college kids are already filling our house with vacation vibes, which is both delightful and tricky<\/em>\u2014because not everyone is on break yet!) This weekend we\u2019re baking and wrapping and going to see Christmas lights at the botanical garden, but I also hope to enjoy some serious downtime on the couch with my book and a hot cup of something. <\/p>\n I hope YOU have something 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 Around here we host four marquee events for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club<\/a><\/strong> and What Should I Read Next Patreon members.<\/a><\/strong> We held Our Team\u2019s Best Books of 2024 yesterday, and our next, Spring Book Preview, is coming up on January 16. This experience focuses on new-for-2025 titles publishing between January 1 and mid-April, and includes our printed digital Spring Book Preview booklet and your invitation to the live video event (including replay access to watch whenever and however many times you want). A print booklet is once again an option. Get the lowdown here<\/a><\/strong>, or to sign up now click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve received a lot of questions about how to give the Spring Book Preview as a gift to a fellow reader. The easiest way to do that now is by gifting a Patreon membership, which is an option that Patreon only recently made available to us and that we are thrilled to offer: click here for more info.<\/a><\/strong> <\/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 try a service like Pocket.<\/em><\/p>\n Murderbot, She Wrote.<\/a><\/strong> (WIRED<\/em>) Martha Wells on Murderbot\u2019s success: \u201cI really didn\u2019t expect this to happen. I especially didn\u2019t expect it to happen with a little novella about an angry, sarcastic security android with a rich interior life.\u201d<\/p>\n I listened to all* of Bach.<\/a><\/strong> (Laura Vanderkam<\/em>) Inspiration for those contemplating big 2025 projects. \u201cI truly loved this project. I enjoyed it in a way that I have to say I didn\u2019t love my Jane Austen project (sorry!) or even Shakespeare.\u201d<\/p>\n You Want That Gift to Arrive Today? This Is What It Takes.<\/a><\/strong> (New York Times<\/em> gift link) \u201cCompanies have found that, once acquired, the taste for speedy delivery makes customers both loyal and willing to spend more money.\u201d<\/p>\n How Honeycrisp Apples Went From Marvel to Mediocre.<\/a><\/strong> (Serious Eats<\/em>) Fascinating. \u201cThe answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think, and it\u2019s impossible to answer that question without looking at how the Honeycrisp apple came about\u2014and how it shot to stardom so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n The Hidden Story of J. P. Morgan\u2019s Librarian.<\/a><\/strong> (The New Yorker<\/em>) \u201cMorgan had the money and the dream\u2014and a great eye\u2014but Greene had the vision and creativity to see that the library could tell a story, not so much about the accumulation of stuff but about man\u2019s deep desire for knowledge, and thus truth.\u201d For a historical fiction take on Green\u2019s life, try The<\/strong><\/a> Personal Librarian<\/strong><\/a><\/em> by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray and then watch our MMD Book Club discussion with the authors<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n The 31 Best Trader Joe\u2019s Foods of 2024.<\/a><\/strong> (Bon App\u00e9tit<\/em>) We just went to Trader Joe\u2019s yesterday and this roundup makes me want to go back! Do you agree?<\/p>\n The National Book Critics Circle Inaugurates Award Longlists.<\/a><\/strong> (Publishers Weekly<\/em>) The NBCC president says, \u201cRevealing [longlists] allows us to honor more writers, translators, and books than we ever have in a single year.\u201d<\/p>\n Books are Buy One, Get One 50% Off at Target<\/a><\/strong> right now, including my books My Reading Life: A Book Journal<\/a><\/strong>, Don\u2019t Overthink It<\/a><\/strong>, and I\u2019d Rather Be Reading<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Posting Less.<\/a><\/strong> (Culture Study<\/em>) I feel this. \u201cPeople seem to be grappling with a more fundamental question:\u00a0Does posting add more to my life than it extracts?<\/em>\u00a0In this iteration of the internet, in this ideological climate, with these platform-specific incentives \u2014\u00a0is social media \u2018worth\u2019 it?\u201d<\/p>\n 45 of the Funniest Christmas Movies to Help You Survive the Holiday Season.<\/a><\/strong> (Elle<\/em>) A lot of favorites on here.<\/p>\n Speaking of Christmas movies: my family watched Love Hard<\/a><\/strong> last night and it was a lot of fun, far surpassing our (admittedly low) expectations. We cackled at the scene with the \u201cBaby, It\u2019s Cold Outside\u201d update, which was so delightful it made watching the whole 100-minute film worth it. <\/p>\n How Often Should You Wash Your Hair?<\/a><\/strong> (Self<\/em>) Helpful guidance. (As for me, I wash my fine, thick hair every four days or so, and swear by this shampoo<\/a><\/strong> and this leave-in conditioner<\/a><\/strong> for my hair type.) <\/p>\n The 2024 easy-but-fancy holiday menu.<\/a><\/strong> (What to Cook When You Don\u2019t Feel Like Cooking<\/em>) I\u2019m sharing this because of the included recipe for the cider-braised pot roast. We tried this last night and it was delicious and easy; I was skeptical of the apple cider and beef combo but we all loved it. Old habits die hard so I browned my roast first. Served with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots: chef\u2019s kiss. (I\u2019ve had great luck with Caro\u2019s recipes; her cookbook is included in Target\u2019s book sale<\/a><\/strong> if you\u2019re interested.) <\/p>\n 18 Life-Learnings from 18 Years of The Marginalian.<\/a><\/strong> (The Marginalian<\/em>) Good stuff. \u201cSomewhere along the way, you realize that no one will teach you how to live your own life \u2014 not your parents or your idols, not the philosophers or the poets, not your liberal arts education or your twelve-step program, not church or therapy or Tolstoy.\u201d<\/p>\n 20 recommended reads for those who dream of traveling to Iceland.<\/a><\/strong> It\u2019s almost time for J\u00f3lab\u00f3kafl\u00f3\u00f0i\u00f0! You don\u2019t have to exchange Icelandic books in order to do your own Christmas book flood but it\u2019s a good excuse for some literary tourism.<\/p>\nOur Spring Book Preview is right around the corner!<\/h3>\n
My favorite finds from around the web:<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t miss these posts:<\/h3>\n