Today feels not just like the start of the weekend but of full-on holiday mode—it feels good, but I’m reminding myself I still have lots of work to do! This weekend I’m legitimately pumped to organize my spice drawers and finish wrapping gifts, and I’m hoping to finish my current read from the Winter Book Preview.
A couple of housekeeping notes. YES, we are hosting a 2021 Reading Challenge—check the blog next week! And we won’t be posting Links I Love next Friday; I’ll be offline for Christmas.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that you enjoy these interesting reads and good things to get it started.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- Because we were in the middle of releasing our Winter Book Preview, I totally forgot to tell you how the Goodreads Choice Awards ended! Don’t Overthink It finished 7th in its category—a result I couldn’t be happier with for 2020. (Just look at the books that finished 1-6 and you’ll see what I mean!)
- Our Shared Unsharing. “This year, it seemed like no matter who you are, whatever you posted, you had a high chance of getting it wrong in some way, because many of the values we’ve come to expect (and enjoy) on Instagram feel incorrect for this moment.”
- ‘We don’t use algorithms’ when curating books for readers ‘we use our brains’ indie bookstores say. Bookstores really are the best place for getting personalized book recommendations, especially when you’re buying a gift.
- We made this chai tea latte and it was delicious!
- 2020 is the year I started paying for journalism instead of cursing the paywalls. Right now The New Yorker has a special deal for new print and digital subscribers, plus a free tote.
- I Love My Kitchen Because: Melissa Clark. I’ve been scoping out this piece because my latest 2020 control-the-things-I-can organization project is reconfiguring my spice drawers. Now I have a waiting box full of these square tins and I’m ready to do it!
- The Bigger the Publishers, the Blander the Books. There are so many concerns around the Penguin Random House–Simon & Schuster merger.
- Turns Out It’s Pretty Good: Aging. “I decided that I had a choice. I could desperately scramble to re-create my old life in some new, hopefully better, iteration. Or, with the very pretense of success as I knew it now burned to the ground, I could start living in a completely new way.”
- 27 of 2021’s Most Anticipated Romance Novels That Help Renew Your Faith in Love. I’ve got my eye on a few of these.
- How Science Beat the Virus. More of Ed Yong’s incredible reporting for The Atlantic.
- Dahlia Adler Shares The Process Behind YA Anthologies. Interesting behind-the-scenes.
- Bookish Swag For, By, or With People of Color. So many great options!
Join me for Friends & Fiction!
I’ll be meeting up with Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry, and Mary Alice Monroe on December 30 at 7pm ET on their weekly Facebook Live show, FRIENDS AND FICTION. We’ll talk about writing, books, and life. I can’t wait!
Don’t miss these posts:
- 20 riveting wilderness mystery and suspense novels. These gripping tales about detectives, park rangers, and hikers are perfect for enjoying indoors, preferably in front of a cozy fireplace.
- 9 cozy winter favorites for the cold and dreary season. I’m definitely craving all things cozy these days.
- How to make a book page wreath, and more book art ideas. If you’re perfectly happy with repurposing old books, this post is for you.
Have a great weekend!
10 comments
Yay! More romance books to check out. Congrats on your goodreads status. Both me and my husband adore don’t overthink it!
I get the New Yorker and other magazines through my library.
Anne, you’re right, #7 on that list is absolutely something to be proud of. Congratulations!
A request- can you just call it chai latte? Chai means tea, so it’s annoying for the tens (hundreds?) of millions of people who refer to tea as chai/cha to see this redundancy on a daily basis. Thank you!
Thank you, chai woman!
Thank you for the link to The Atlantic article! How amazing that we have vaccines this quickly!
I loved Dolly’s interview, what a girlfriend she is to all of us! And I love the idea of a Shelf Portrait (I must try a still..) but was frustrated that she didn’t actually have many books on her shelves and it was hard for us to see them. Not your fault, of course, so thank you for the link!
What a great post! And we can’t wait to have you on Friends & Fiction!! xoxo Kristy
I get the New Yorker and Boston Globe delivered. So great.
Excited to be with you on December 30 for Friends and Fiction! I will put it in my calendar right now. Happy Holidays!
Earlier in the year I received a digital ARC for Float Plan and it is a must read! This may sound odd to say about a romance but it is a life affirming book. Definitely recommend!