Greetings from cool and rainy Louisville! Everyone in my family is excited to put on boots and jeans this morning, even though the forecast shows a week of hot summer days ahead. Whatever the weather, this weekend I’m looking forward to finishing the last 20 pages in an edgy fall debut novel, getting together with a visiting friend, and making real dinner now that my kid who got her wisdom teeth out can finally chew again. (Thanks so much for your tips last week; they were helpful!)
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.
Fall Book Preview is in less than a week!
Our sixth annual Fall Book Preview is coming up on September 18! We’re ready to put our beautiful and useful 12-page digital Fall Book Preview booklet in your hands, and I’m polishing up my notes so I’m ready to tell you about my most-loved and most-anticipated fall titles.
Details are below: please note the print booklet is an entirely optional add-on; everyone gets the digital booklet as part of their Fall Book Preview experience. (Watch my quick video here for more on that print booklet.)
- Get more details and sign up for Fall Book Preview right here. A la carte purchasers: if you’d like a print booklet, use the dropdown box on the order page to add the print booklet to your order. If you want to order merch as well (as shown in the above video), save on shipping and order that now; everything will ship together.
- MMD Book Club members: order your print booklet through this link. Patreon members: order your print booklet through this link. Thank you!
- Check out our merch here (and in my video above!).
A final note about those print booklets: thank you for your preorders! We ordered a limited number of extra booklets from our printer, so if you haven’t already ordered yours and you want one, I suggest you order right away to make sure you get your print booklet. At this time we do not have plans to reorder 2024 Fall Book Preview printed booklets once these are gone. If the shop shows that they’re out of stock, that means they’re gone. Order yours before that happens!
My favorite finds from around the web:
I offer gift links for articles whenever possible (you may still need to create an account with the publication); if there’s no gift link and you’re not a subscriber, check to see if your library carries the publication or use a service like Pocket.
Elizabeth Strout: ‘All ordinary people are extraordinary.’ (The Guardian) Great interview.
Moleskine Mania: How a Notebook Conquered the Digital Era. (The Walrus) This nerdy product history feels perfect for this time of year.
I’m loving this Quince cashmere tee for early fall and so glad we’ve had a few days cool enough to wear it! Obviously they have it in a variety of neutrals but I want to shout out the burgundy—it’s a versatile but interesting shade, perfect for this time of year.
Nobody Was Reading Him. Now He’s the World’s Best Spy Writer. (Wall Street Journal gift link) Fantastic profile of Mick Herron. “For all his obvious talent, the 61-year-old author became a literary sensation because of luck, chance events and the right people believing in him at crucial moments of his career, just like anyone who is successful in any field.” (We’re thinking about watching the series. Have you seen it; would you recommend?)
How Costco Hacked the American Shopping Psyche. (The New York Times gift link) “Ostensibly, Costco is a discount store, a place to save money and stretch your grocery dollar, but it is also an aspirational shopping experience, feeding that most American of appetites: conspicuous consumption.”
More fall colors: I told you in July that I popped into J.Crew Factory for something else entirely and left with the Girlfriend Crewneck Tee in five different colors (that I wear alll the time). I felt so smart this week when a stylist friend complimented the fabulousness of the warm brandy color specifically as perfect for this time of year. I almost didn’t buy it because it’s not my usual palette but it’s turned out to be the one I wear the most. (I also just restocked the longsleeve version for the coming cooler days.)
20 MORE campus novels that will take you back to your school days. (MMD) Channel nostalgia for school days gone by into the pages of a good book.
Would You Show Someone Your Notes App? (The Atlantic gift link) “Like a diary, the app keeps your thoughts in chronological order over a span of time; unlike diary entries, many notes are unmediated by self-reflection. The result is that the app functions like a years-long internal monologue—a lens into what someone is actually thinking.”
My favorite spices and seasoning blends. (MMD) A few longtime family favorites, a few new ones we are raving about. (Thanks for the suggestions in comments!)
Inside the Closets of 15 Stylish People. (The Cut) Seriously fun snooping!
How One Man Has Dedicated Himself to the Art of Apple Trolling. (Bon Appétit) Ignore the headline; you’re probably going to want to bookmark his site for the next time you buy apples. (Although I prefer Cripps Pink to Pink Ladies, is it just me?)
My school days are over, but do Joy the Baker’s Everybody’s After School Cookies still make the perfect snack come 3pm? You know it. (If you’re into dried cranberries, I recommend swapping them in for the raisins.)
I’ve Read Every Elin Hilderbrand Book—Here’s How They Rank. (The Everygirl) Quite the book project! (Without thinking about it for more than two seconds, I told my hair stylist yesterday that The Rumor is the one I’d most like to see adapted—but it’s #14 on this 28-book list!)
Don’t miss these posts:
20 Dark Academia novels for moody fall reading. Is Dark Academia a social media trend, aesthetic, literary genre? Yes, yes, and yes.
Why star ratings matter—and when they don’t. My feelings about star ratings have evolved over the years.
20 wonderfully discussable books to spark great conversation in your buddy reads and book clubs. These books will make you say, “I HAVE to talk about this with someone!”
Have a great weekend!
16 comments
Re: Your question about watching “Slow Horses” – my partner and I are currently watching Season 4 episodes as they drop, after watching all previous seasons. Well-developed characters – most with serious flaws, which might turn off some people – and always an interesting plot that unfolds over six interlinked episodes. The plot has kept my partner engaged enough to want to watch – usually he has no patience with character flaws. Even if they are fictional!
I like the series so much that I’ve started reading the books. The series has so far followed the books quite closely, I’ve found, if that makes a difference. I would recommend both the books and the show.
This is so helpful, thanks Pat!
I’ve found that the show gets somewhat less faithful to the books as it goes on. (I haven’t started season 4 yet.) It’s a great series, though!
My husband & I love Slow Horses! Compelling storylines and Gary Oldman is fantastic (and hilariously foul).
I love Slow Horses! Very British, and its fast-paced dialogue makes it hard to follow at times. But—What fabulous characters, and how they interact!
I especially appreciate the production values: we see the gritty underside of modern London, shot on location. Very noir at times.
The whole package is compelling.
We really love Slow Horses and were super excited to see season 4 is releasing. We laugh all the time about how “gross” Gary Oldman is as a character. Hilarious, actually!
My husband and I are giddy that the 4th season of Slow Horses just dropped. We watched the first two episodes last night and were depressed to know we would have to wait another week for the next one. The characters are a riot. One unfortunate consequence is that my spouse seems to think flatulence is now acceptable!!! I’ve put the first three books on reserve at the library and am wondering why it took me so log to do so.
Concur with everyone about Slow Horses. The series is fantastic but so are the books. Highly recommend both.
My British husband is obsessed with the Slow Horses books, so we’re just now starting to watch the series! He finally convinced me to read the first book and it was only ok for me (detective/spy novels aren’t really my thing), but I’m excited to watch the series with him.
For anyone looking for similar books, my husband also loves the Scottish detective series by Ian Rankin about Rebus! He has gotten our neighbor, my dad, and several of my dad’s friends in to them too. 🙂
I adore the Slow Horses novels and want to find time to watch the show! If you’re looking for more books like those, I also recommend Stuart MacBride’s Logan McRae novels, especially the ones featuring Roberta Steele.
Slow Horses – the audiobooks are a must. I ran through them, one after the other – fantastic. And even though I have read all the books, the TV show is still well worth watching.
I’ve just read and loved What Would Jane Austen Do? By Linda Corbett. I’m always up for anything Austen related (hence my loved of this website) and this is such a fun read.
Yes to Slow Horses!! So good. Agree with all of the above comments. My husband and I both love it!
Where to watch Slow Horses?
I’m so happy to see all these positive reviews for Slow Horses. Husband and I have had it on our to-watch list for a while and this makes me want to give it a go!
My husband and I adore Slow Horses…Gary Oldman is worth the price of admission!
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