My favorite finds from around the web:
• 17 books Mindy Kaling recommends on instagram. This is a solid list. Her love for Jane Austen and Madeleine L’Engle makes me forgive her for Girl on the Train.
• Why parents need to teach middle-schoolers kindness, from the author of Wonder. “Now more than ever, parents need to step up. They talk about sanctuary cities and states, but we need sanctuary schools and homes. We can protect ourselves and our kids from the ugliness and cruelty that passes for normal and make sure we provide a little haven of our own. A haven of kindness.”
• The 19 most beautiful libraries in the U.S. Swoon.
• The privacy enthusiast’s guide to using an iPhone. So much I didn’t know here.
Of note:
Is it a stretch to say Carrot Top Paper Shop is my favorite Etsy shop? Nah. I emailed Jenny to tell her as much, and she replied back with a special code for MMD readers. First time customers can use code MRSDARCY through the end of this month for 20% off.
Click here to check out her shop. Not sure where to start? Bookmarks (I have tons) and literary heroine banners are best sellers this season.
And if you haven’t heard Jenny’s episode of What Should I Read Next, it is delightful (because we talked about the best females in literature, so obviously.) Listen to our conversation and see which titles we talked about right here.
Favorite instagram:
The new house, roughly a week ago, before we dropped all our stuff in the middle of the dining room (and everywhere else, really) and turned it into a disaster zone. (Follow me on instagram @annebogel.)
On the blog:
One year ago: The big list of book lists.
Two years ago: Talking about books I don’t like. “We read for different reasons, we approach books with differing expectations, we all have different taste. When I’m talking books with you, the most unhelpful things you can say to me are I liked it or I didn’t. I need to know why, and how.”
Three years ago: “I need to live like this is my home.” “I’ve used my indecision–I’m just not sure what I want, yet–and my move as an excuse to not really make this house mine.”
Four years ago: My daughter wants a blog for her birthday. “There’s so much I love about this idea. She’s bursting with creativity, and a blog would be a great outlet. (Her “post” for this blog is consistently one of the most popular.) But I’m not exactly comfortable with it, either. Because, you know, it’s the internet. And she’s a kid.”
Five years ago: The tyranny of the library. “But this incredible resource gets me into trouble, because I don’t control when those books come in. If I’ve been waiting for months for a popular book, I need to read it immediately or I’ll lose my chance. Long-awaited library books often become “urgent” items on my to-read stack, jumping ahead of books I’m more interested in but don’t have a deadline on.”
Have a great weekend!
4 comments
I’m a huge fan of Carrot Top Paper Shop now after listening to her on your podcast. The literary banner is hung in my girls playroom and I use one of her bookmarks all the time. I love her stuff!
Did you know there is a library built on the Canada-US border? It’s this century old building in a sleepy little town in Vermont/Quebec. They actually have the border painted in a black line across the floor of the building. My kids had so much fun stepping on either side of the line saying which country they were in. Judging by the scuff marks, they weren’t the only ones.
The new house looks so open and bright. Congrats!
Oh my goodness I’ve never heard of Carrot Top Paper Shop! THANK YOU for linking and for the coupon! I ordered a banner right away for my seven-year-old daughter, who’s about to get her own bedroom for the very first time! She loved choosing her favorite heroines.