How are you feeling about this first October weekend? I’ve been on the road all week and just got in last night; today feels like a Saturday yet there are lots of work-a-day things to catch up on! I’m very much looking forward to this first fall-feeling weekend: I’ve got books to read, soup to make, football to watch, and an art fair to visit. (Anyone else near Louisville headed that way? I always bump into a few MMD-ers at St. James!)
I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead of you, with something good to look forward to. And I hope this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend state 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.
What Barbara Kingsolver Believes the Novel Can Do. (The New Yorker) “Kingsolver has always believed that the arts belong to everyone, and has spent her life writing books that she hopes can be read by anyone.” On her writing process, personal background, and new novel Partita, included as one of my 4- and 5-star fall books so far in our 2026 Fall Book Preview.
Six lessons from Sense & Sensibility. (Books and Bits) “Watching Georgia Oakley’s naturalistic, tender new interpretation of Sense and Sensibility, I kept thinking about how modern Austen’s work feels. Not the lack of choice for women, obviously, but the way her female characters think, feel, love and sass one another.”
One question we get asked a lot. (Nooks) “The truth is: dozens of new books are released every week and we can’t stock them all. Which leads to this oft-asked question: ‘How do you choose the books you carry?'”
On the literary influence of Annie Dillard, perhaps the first author who felt like “mine.” (MMD) “I can only say the piece caught me: before that time, I hadn’t read much narrative nonfiction, let alone nature writing or idiosyncratic personal essays. I didn’t know it was possible to write like that.” An overdue tribute to a writer who has long shaped my reading life.
Quirky Art Is Taking Over—and Designers Say It’s the Secret to a More Personal Home. (Real Simple) As someone who’s aiming for more quirk and funk in my home, I love this piece about unexpected works “that spark conversation and bring character to a space.”
This Kosas brow pencil has become such a staple for me I’ve taken to buying them two at a time so I never run out—except I ran out this week in Chicago and was grateful for the Sephora just a few blocks from my hotel. (UPDATE: I realized after posting that apparently Sephora has declared today National Brow Day and select brow products—including this one—are 20–50% off.)
‘When I Miss My Walk, My Body and Mind Feel Clogged Up.’ (New York Times Magazine gift link) A 90-year-old Japanese artist on his daily ritual: “When I come back, my mind feels completely cleared. It’s like a workout, or a preparation for the day’s work.”
The Prize announces the 2026 shortlist. (The Baillie Gifford Prize) “The Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction is widely recognised as the world’s most prestigious international award for literary non-fiction that is open to books on any subject and to writers of any nationality. Since 1999 it has named the best non-fiction book of the year.” Nominees include London Falling and 2026 Summer Reading Guide selection The Traveler.
I used to get paid to hang out with famous people. (Blackbird Spyplane) “The celebrity profile is one of the most fascinating of all journalistic forms, capable of wild extremes: profundity and inanity, incisiveness and sycophancy, salaciousness and tedium.” The reader and writer in me loved this piece.
I am swooning over this new LEGO bookstore set.
Lit girl fashion is taking over this season – and it all starts with a good read. (Glamour UK) “For the past few years, everyone from the storied legacy houses (think: Chanel and Dior) to younger it-girl brands (Dôen and Reformation) have been heading to the library to seek inspiration and enlightenment.” Honestly the headline is the best part of this piece—but what a headline!
Supremely talk-about-able books to fuel your book club conversations. (What Should I Read Next?) Team member Shannan Malone joined me to help this week’s guest find talk-about-able book club books.
Talk less, listen more and six other top tips on giving good advice. (The Guardian) “Usually, it’s the thing you least expected to help that has value.”
If you liked The Road to Tender Hearts, try So Far Gone. (Am Reading) “They’re not so similar that you can’t follow one with the other. The Road to Tender Hearts, while not nearly as sweet as its title suggests, has a lighter touch and theme. So Far Gone’s on the darker side. But they’re both very today-feeling books without being bleak.” Enthusiastically agree. Both are 2025 MMD Summer Reading Guide selections.
How to Autumn Like the French Do. (Petal + Hearth) “Once the first chill settles in, the French don’t rush indoors – they lean into the season. The produce at markets shift, and so do the rhythms of daily life. Weekends turn into a rotation of festivals, family walks, long lunches that
Don’t miss these posts:
20 unputdownable mysteries and thrillers to keep you glued to the page. There’s nothing like a well-plotted mystery novel to shake me out of a reading slump or to get the pages turning when it feels hard to focus.
My new little book page pumpkin. Here’s a seasonal craft for your weekend!
21 spine-tingling but not TOO scary audiobooks for fall. Spine-tingling audiobook recommendations from a self-professed scaredy cat!
Have a great weekend!
