Links I love

What’s in store for your weekend? Our temps are dropping into the thirties for the first time in ages so I’m anticipating a brisk hike, good books, college football, and something good simmering on the stove for hours.

I hope YOU have something good 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.

This Author Published ‘Corinne’ Anonymously Because It Was Too Personal. Now She’s Claiming It. (Elle) Rainbow Rowell on her 2022 novel: “It was exciting at first. It was different and fun. A pseudonym! A secret identity! A way to drop a novel into the world without having to talk about it, or sell it. Without having to worry about alienating or recruiting my existing readers.”

Get 8 Dinners in 1 Hour: The Genius of a Soup Swap. (NYT Cooking) “A soup swap is the practical cook’s version of a cookie swap. The idea is the same — bring a dish, leave with several — but a soup swap is centered on something more substantial: cozy dinners and quick lunches.”

Where to start with Becky Chambers. (MMD) Team member Shannan continues our completist author series with a deep dive into the works of author Becky Chambers.

Treat yourself to one of these jigsaw puzzles. (MMD) From one puzzle fan to another: my curated list of new favorites for the season to come.

The trailer for Netflix’s new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is here. (YouTube) This one’s written by Dolly Alderton: I will likely be disappointed but I will likely watch it anyway.

I made BraveTart’s Glossy Fudge Brownies last week to satisfy a serious craving and they were delicious. (Serious Eats)

The Mysterious Case of the Real Agatha Christie. (New York Times gift link) This sure sounds fun: “The British Library show’s stated aim is to dismantle this false picture and reveal the real woman behind the books. From room to room, visitors move through a series of settings that will be immediately recognizable to Christie’s fans, and to people who have never read her books but have nevertheless absorbed her influence through osmosis: the country house, the dispensary, the train car, the archaeological dig.”

I’m sure anyone on the internet this past week has already seen more than enough Sephora sale picks, but I’ll pass along a quick tip a friend shared years ago that has served me well. (You know who you are—thank you!): while popular sets sell out quickly at Sephora, they move much slower on their Kohl’s partner website, like this Holiday Favorites set I ordered this week well after it was out of stock on Sephora’s site.

The 200 Greatest Rock Songs of the 21st Century So Far. (Rolling Stone) “It’s a tribute to the vitality, diversity, and energy of rock in our modern age.” A list generated to get you talking…and listening.

Writer Ann Patchett shares the secret to her creative life. (Washington Post gift link) “Whistler draws from one other source: the ashes of a book that Patchett worked on for more than a year before she threw it away. I wanted to ask how she worked up the courage to trash a book on which she’d spent so much time.”

NICU Cuddler Opens Up About His Experience Comforting More Than 550 Babies in 3 Years, and Why It ‘Never Gets Old.’ (People) “I come here to comfort the babies, but volunteering in the NICU gives me something I need, too.”

‘We left Ireland because there wasn’t work – and we wanted to get the hell away’: Trespasses author Louise Kennedy. (The Guardian) “Back to that wild pivot from cooking to writing. How did all this happen? Put simply, Kennedy was still trying to keep her ailing restaurant on its legs back in 2014 when she found herself ambushed into going along to a new creative writing group” I loved Trespasses and her new novel Stations. There’s so much I didn’t know here.

Reading more broadly in order to give better book recommendations. (What Should I Read Next?) An indie bookseller seeks to strategically branch out so he’s prepared to better connect with customers of widely varied literary preferences. I enjoyed this conversation so much!