I hope your first December weekend is shaping up great! Around here we’re going to a show, celebrating a birthday, and baking some cookies with your incredible inspiration—the MMD holiday cookie exchange happening now is so much fun (and is the reason I have sooo many tabs open right now!). Another big contributor to my unruly tab situation is this week’s conversation about little luxuries—you shared so many great ideas for small indulgences!
A practical update: Snail Books was able to extend the deadline for our reading journal boxes: Choose the I Love My Reading Life box for grown-ups or the My Reading Adventures box for kids. Click here to order yours now. These journal boxes make a wonderful gift for readers—even if that reader is YOU. Happy journaling, and happy reading!
May your coming days be filled with grace, peace, rest, and good books. I hope this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- The Spectacular Life of Octavia E. Butler. (Vulture) A spectacular profile.
- Beyond the Village: Traveling with Inspector Gamache. (Notes from Three Pines) Great guest post from my friend Mel Joulwan! And a great accompaniment to my interview with Louise Penny on What Should I Read Next Ep 357: Welcome to Three Pines.
- Quinta Brunson Talks Confidence, Oprah and Her Surprising Journey to Making ‘Abbott Elementary’. (People) I love her.
- I enjoyed this podcast appearance so much! In this new episode of Sound Judgment I talk with Elaine Appleton Grant about my approach to hosting What Should I Read Next. The concept of the show is really fun—I hope you enjoy it!
- 15 Creative Small Home Library Ideas for Book Lovers Short on Space. (Hunker) I do most of these—but never the spines-out suggestion. (Shudder.)
- Pressure Cooker Lentil Soup with Sausage (NYT Cooking: gift link) I’m so happy that NYT Cooking now lets me share gift links! We use their recipes a ton at my house. This soup was a big hit with the whole family.
- Turkish Red Lentil Soup (Milk Street via WGBH) Why not share another lentil soup? My husband Will made this last night and everyone LOVED it—even after saying, Ugh, I hate red lentils! Will and I loved the Aleppo Pepper Oil but it was too spicy for everyone else; it’s a delicious addition but I think you can absolutely still make this soup if you don’t have that ingredient on hand.
- 11 Scientific Advancements Inspired by Sci-Fi Stories. (Mental Floss) I had no idea about most of these.
- Why Deli Sandwiches Taste Better Than Yours. (EatingWell) This makes sense.
- BookTok’s Racial Bias. (The Cut) “It’s a cycle that leads to both incredible individual success and the suppression of marginalized voices.”
- I finally wore a poorly-placed hole in my old favorite Madewell skinny jeans. Do you have any straight or skinny jeans you love and recommend? I want to order while there are sales aplenty!”
- The New Wordle Editor Is Ruining Wordle. (Slate) Agree or disagree?
- The world’s most extraordinary libraries. (House and Garden) Let’s go!
- 15 British Baked Sweet Treats You’ll Want To Try. (Tasting Table) This makes me think of Try the Bakewell tart, and other rules I’m learning to live by.
Don’t miss these posts:
- 112 reader recommendations for festive holiday fiction. A gloriously long list!
- 13 skincare favorites for winter weather. Nothing makes me pay more attention to my skin than winter weather.
- Addictive spiced nuts. We devour this stuff.
Upcoming Events:
- December 8: Live discussion with Sara Nisha Adams: Time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of The Reading List with Sara Nisha Adams!
- December 15: Best Book of the Year: Modern Mrs Darcy team members share what they’ve read and loved this year. We’re a team of diverse readers, so we’re sure to share one (or three) of our favorite books, and we hope you find some you might love. (This is a Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club event.)
- January 10, 2023: Spring Book Preview: An exclusive 90-minute peek at books we’re excited about coming out this spring, just for Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club members and Patreon supporters. This conversation is casual and unscripted, filled with real talk about the books I’m looking forward to this season—those I’ve read and loved, those I can’t wait to read, and the ones publishers are buzzing about the most.
Have a great weekend!
32 comments
Thinking of your jeans – maybe you can give them a new life. This book has helped me see the value in mending – decoratively: Mending Life by Nina and Sonya Montenegro. I happened across my old favorite jeans and have been rejoicing in their renewed life!
Thank you for the recommendation!
There are quite a few birthdays in my family this month, including my son Avery,who will be 4yo. I wish you ALL a beautiful, fun, and safe holiday season! See you next year!
I bought a pair of straight and a pair of skinny jeans this year from Gap. They are the ones with Washwell. They fit really well in my usual size.
I’m glad to hear it! I haven’t worn their jeans in over a decade but I used to love them.
Oh, how do I share gift links from my NYT cooking app?
It’s such a great feature! I’m not sure how (or if it’s possible) to do from the app, but on desktop the “give” option is under the recipe title, along with the options to save and print. This generates a link that lets the recipient bypass the paywall.
Highly recommend the Reese Kut from the Kloth straight leg. Not too wide, the perfect slim straight transition from the skinny jeans!
Thank you for the recommendation!
Completely agree with the Slate article about Wordle. What really makes/made it fun was the randomness of the puzzle.
I agree about Wordle. I was annoyed by FEAST. Words should stay random. Also, Madewell will mend your jeans for you for free.
Omg! Me too!! FEAST. Come on, people!
My favourite distressed jeans became too distressed, but a stregically place butterfly iron on patch has given them a new lease of life. Worth it for £1.50 while you’re looking for a new pair?
I’ll see if I can find one!
I also second the Gap skinny jeans. Mid rise-not high rise!
Noted!
I love the skinny jeans from American Giant
Interesting—I LOVE their stuff, including their pants, but haven’t yet tried the jeans!
I have to agree about the change to Wordle. My sister and I share them every morning and we think the puns/seasonal words are annoying. Weird random words are what we came for and that’s what we want.
I would like to recommend Everlane skinny jeans. Cashmere sweaters too!
Before the editor, there were a few others that were darkly topical. I think CYNIC was on Valentine’s Day, something like SEVER on 4th of July, as in fingers after fireworks. My husband was offended that the word on Father’s Day was LOSER!
Wordle has definitely become annoying. I do not like the cutesy theme answers. Don’t mess with Wordle!
Wit and wisdom jeans are awesome! Super comfortable and great quality, they are the only ones I wear and would repurchase.
The Library of Congress is rightfully included in House Beautiful’s list of the world’s most beautiful libraries. Anyone can visit the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building. A reading card is required to use the Main Reading Room, pictured in the article. The Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden is devoted to expanding the Library’s accessibility and outreach, including free Thursday Night Live events.
I’m in the minority then. I always think it’s fun when the word reflects the day.
I agree, Mary!
The article about scientific achievements inspired by Sci Fi missed all the advance notice given by Star Trek! So many things are commonplace now: communicators, tablet sized computers, hypospray shots, phasers (stun guns or tasers), and they have even made limited progress on warp speed, tractor beams, universal translators and replicators (3D printers), as well as even tricorders for diagnosing! But I’ll really be on board when they can “transport” me to Europe in a matter of minutes!
I’m sure that’s it’s own list!
I don’t think the article missed anything; the majority of the stories mentioned are many decades older than Star Trek, and most likely inspired a lot of it, too. 🙂
Completely agree on transport to Europe!
I really love the skinny, high waisted jeans from Everlane. I have a few pair and they are the only jeans I wear these days.
Good American Good Legs are awesome!
I love your Links I Love Posts! Spines off the books? That’s treason! Love the holiday book list too. Thanks.