What are you up to this weekend? Between the World Cup, visiting friends, and our MMD Book Club Readers’ Weekend, I’m looking forward to a jam-packed few days.
I hope you have something to look forward to these next few days, and that this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind.
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 bookmarking service.
Why We Still Love Mr. Darcy, 200 Years Later. (Literary Hub) “What separates Darcy from the parade that followed him is that his arc is genuinely moral, not merely emotional. He is not softened by love. He is corrected by it, and he chooses to be.”
I’ve had this recipe for Smashed Chicken Burgers With Cheddar and Parsley bookmarked for ages, but Andrea’s mention last week in her Mostly Books newsletter bumped it to the top of our summer dinners list—and my whole family is grateful. So easy, so good! (New York Times Cooking gift link)
What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable. (MMD) July Quick Lit is brimming with backlist, audiobooks, and early works from this year’s Summer Reading Guide authors, with a higher-than-usual percentage of nonfiction in the mix.
The Stain Removal Library. (The Laundry Evangelist) Patric aka author of 2021 Summer Reading Guide pick Laundry Love now has an easily seachable video archive for addressing common (and not-so-common) stains available for free online. (For easy reference, my experience is that the searchable ebook is a better bet—but if you want visuals or want to get the scoop for free, bookmark this resource!)
A Field Guide to Information Overload. (Card Catalog) On learning to navigate an online environment built to distract us: “What works better is learning to recognize the cues for what they are. Every one of them works by pressing on a specific, predictable feature of human attention, and every feature has a name and a history in the research.”
In praise of the non-optimized vacation. (The Connected Family) On the value of returning to the same humble spot, over and over again. “I know life requires trade-offs, and that I’m so convinced of the value of the simple, repeated family vacation that I’m willing to prioritize it over almost anything else.”
Little things I’m loving lately: beach edition. (MMD) (Mostly) small things that brought me a disproportionate amount of happiness on our summer vacation.
What Author and Illustrator Jon Klassen’s Kids Can’t Live Without. (The Strategist) I wasn’t expecting to find an ode to the ruled index card here, but as a fellow devotee I had to share: “Index cards are loose. You can grab a stack and keep them in your tote bag or your pocket or whatever. The blank side can serve for what you draw, and the reverse side encourages some writing.”
Midyear reading check-in. (What Should I Read Next?) I’ve read 99 books so far in 2026, but are they adding up to the reading life I want? In this episode we get into what’s working, what’s not, and what I want for the rest of the year.
International Aerial Photographer of the Year Contest Highlights the World from Above. (Colossal) Just incredible—click for a dose of wonder.
An Ivy League professor suspected AI cheating, so he decided to fight back. (Washington Post gift link) I’ve found myself talking about this anecdotal story about a Brown advanced mathematical economics course all week—and not just because I have college kids.
The Small Press Titles You Don’t Want To Miss This Summer. (Electric Lit) “While the plots may range, the books on this list all have deep characterization at their center.”
Many thanks to the readers who told me about these mosquito repellant bracelets. They’re not failure-proof by any means but nevertheless help a ton when I’m running into a mosquito-y area real quick and don’t want to change my clothes or douse myself head-to-toe in bug spray.
Stop Saying These 12 Things About Aging—Especially to Yourself. (Time) “The messages we absorb about aging and then repeat to ourselves are linked to how long and how well we live. People who hold more positive beliefs about aging tend to walk faster, heal quicker, take better care of themselves, and show fewer of the brain biomarkers associated with dementia.
The Grate Cheese Robbery. (Longreads) “Twenty-two tons of artisanal British cheese, some of the most expensive cheese made in the UK. A huge order for Neal’s Yard. It seemed too good to be true.”
Don’t miss these posts:
Head to summer camp with these 7 novels. A variety of vicarious summer camp adventures.
The many marvels of aloe vera. The case for stocking up on this childhood remedy.
20 heart-pounding heist novels. Whether you’re in need of a page-turner or looking to bust out of a reading slump, these heist novels fit the bill.
Have a great weekend!
2 comments
This is an especially good week for Links I Love. I sent the Aerial Photography link to my whole family and the cheese heist link to my husband. The Small Press Titles link sparked a great conversation and expanded my TBR. It will take me all day to hit the rest!
I love this email every week. The tote bag? I understand it isn’t available to link, but a picture would be nice. And please, what is the quote that people keep mentioning?