I was surprised when my husband told me that outdoor retailer REI has had a campaign the last few years to #OptOutside on Black Friday. They don’t open their stores, at all. I’m taking inspiration from them today: I’d rather be reading, and decorating the tree, and making Chex Mix with my kids than shopping. I walked to one local shop earlier this morning, and have a few online purchases I’d like to make, but today my big plans are decorating, coffee, and books.
If you want to do some shopping–gift giving or otherwise–or score a great bookish deal, we are running a sale in the MMD shop.
For the first time ever, classes are on sale for $10 each.
You can take these classes on your schedule, and watch and replay as many times as you’d like. We’ve gotten terrific feedback on all three, and know that each class can make a real difference in your reading life, whether you start today or in the new year. Choose the one that most grabs you, or snatch up all three while they’re cheap.
Journal sale
Our fabulous Leuchtturm journals are buy one, get one half off with the code BOOKMAIL. These are my very favorite journals, whether you use yours for your to-do list, deep thoughts, bullet journal, or reading log.
It’s Black Friday every day
If you’re looking for something to read, we curate a list of the best ebook and Kindle deals almost every day. You can get the latest hand-curated deals emailed to you every day by signing up right here.
As you can see below, today’s deals are particularly good (no surprise). I hope you find something great to read at a great price. (We post deals every day right here, and recommend you subscribe to the deals email for updates.)
PLEASE NOTE: Amazon says we can’t include prices on our site, but we assure you these prices are solid. (We curate based on U.S. prices; international readers can follow these steps to find deals that will always be valid in their region.) Click here to see all prices in one place, or click through the buy button on each book for details.
This nail-biter unravels the story of two girls who disappeared from the same tiny North Carolina town a decade apart. Ten years ago Nicolette Farrell left her hometown for good after her best friend vanished without a trace. The real twist here is the interesting format: after a short prologue, the story is told in reverse, starting with day 15 of the mystery and workings backwards to day 1. This would feel like a cheap trick if done poorly, but it wasn't, and I loved it. A dark kind of fun. More info →
A fabulous twisty psychological thriller from the 2017 Summer Reading Guide. The story opens when Kit and Laura are taking pains to keep any trace of their existence off the internet. We soon learn this is because of an event they witnessed at an eclipse festival in 1999, which had devastating consequences for all involved, consequences that still endanger them today. I loved this one, and have been thrilled to see readers giving it so much love. More info →
In the 11th installment of Penny's Three Pines series, a young boy stumbles upon an inexplicable, frightening something that's been hiding in the woods for a long, long time, revealing that the town's history is darker than anyone imagined. More info →
This Pulitzer winner manages to be serious and seriously funny. The hero is Arthur Less, who is facing his 50th birthday, his ex-boyfriend of nine year's wedding to another, and his publisher's rejection of his latest manuscript, all at the same time. He decides to hit the road—and on this trip, everything that can go wrong, does. Nonstop puns on the author's name, an arch sense of humor, and an interesting narrative structure keep this book filled with sad things from feeling downcast. When I got to the end I was strongly tempted to immediately begin again. The follow-up, Less Is Lost is also on sale. More info →
From the publisher: "From the #1 international bestselling author of The Etymologicon and The Horologicon comes an education in the art of articulation, from the King James Bible to Katy Perry… From classic poetry to pop lyrics, from Charles Dickens to Dolly Parton, even from Jesus to James Bond, Mark Forsyth explains the secrets that make a phrase—such as 'O Captain! My Captain!' or 'To be or not to be'—memorable. In his inimitably entertaining and wonderfully witty style, he takes apart famous phrases and shows how you too can write like Shakespeare or quip like Oscar Wilde. Whether you're aiming to achieve literary immortality or just hoping to deliver the perfect one-liner, The Elements of Eloquence proves that you don't need to have anything important to say—you simply need to say it well. In an age unhealthily obsessed with the power of substance, this is a book that highlights the importance of style." More info →
This stunning anthology embodies the collaborative spirit it celebrates. "We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond." This line from a Gwendolyn Brooks poem serves as the epigraph and guiding spirit of this magnificent collection, which includes essays, poems, photographs, and conversations from fabulous contributors like Michael Twitty, Joy Harjo, Elizabeth Alexander, Margaret Wilkeron Sexton, and Ross Gay. In addition to gathering beautiful poetry and reflective essays, the author of Queen Sugar travelled the country to interview Black farmers, winemakers, and culinary experts about the African American land-owning and farming experience, both past and present. Their wide-ranging and richly varied stories make for life-giving and community-changing reading. More info →
From the author of Meet Me at the Museum, a story of three women brought together by a small narrowboat who embark together on a journey through the river canals of rural England. One woman anxiously awaits a surgery, one has given up her ordinary life to become a free spirit, one is unsure if she'll return to her husband when the journey is done—but until those looming realities need to be faced, they'll spend the summer together (along with one small dog) enjoying the scenery as they wend their way down the river at 4mph. More info →
Beanland's sophomore novel (following Florence Adler Swims Forever) is based on the very real Richmond Theater fire that killed 72 people on December 26, 1811. Beanland tells the story through the eyes of four survivors, some of whom are more fictionalized than others: the teenage stagehand whose mistake causes a backdrop to ignite, a wealthy young widow who survives by jumping from a window, an enslaved blacksmith who helps many white women escape the blazing theater, and a young female slave who wonders if she might use the fire as an opportunity to escape. Whispersync narration available. I enjoyed listening to the full-cast narration of this steadily-paced, thoroughly researched historical tale. More info →
Cross The Holiday with Sliding Doors and you’ll get a sense of Harbison’s adult debut. After a disastrous thirtieth birthday party, Meg books a getaway to the quaint Irish village where she had once dreamed of moving. That’s when things get weird: everyone seems to know her already. She has an apartment and friends and a hot ex who’s none too pleased to see her. Most shocking of all: in this version of her life, her best friend, who died in a car accident just before college, is alive and well. So why isn’t Meg happy? Harbison asks important questions about choice, contentment, and what makes for a meaningful life. I found it utterly unputdownable. More info →
Brigid says: The best way to describe this endearing sci-fi/ horror is Dracula, Frankenstein, and more in space! Delightfully filled with callbacks and Easter eggs inspired by classic monsters, I quickly fell in love with the found family of both human and non-human crew and passengers. There is the ship’s main AI, Demeter, who awakes after deep space travel to a ship full of dead passengers and a monster on board. Stewart, the snarky med bot, who is just trying to keep a tidy medical bay. And my favorite character I’ve met in recent years, the extremely charming and hilarious “Steve” who may not be there for the right reasons. With a full cast narration, the audiobook is fabulously immersive but heads up: there are binary code sequences read out loud at the beginning of chapters that can be easily sped up if they become tiresome. Unique, fun, and a tad bit gross, this is the type of entertaining read that I just want to push into readers' hands or earbuds! More info →
Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl is in my top five most important books of all time. Read this book if you are coping with a never ending trial. Read this book if you are in the middle of a crisis. Read this book if you are grieving. Read this book if you tend to worry about what might happen in the future. Read this book before you need it. Then, read it again once a year for good measure. Collect copies to give to people who are facing any of the above. Happiness comes and goes. What we really need and want is to find is meaning in life and in suffering. In the age of Freud, Frankl, a psychiatrist, parted ways with his hero and developed logotherapy to treat the suicidal teens in his care. He discovered that if these teens could be taught to find meaning in their suffering and meaning in life, they could get well. This was in Austria in the 1930’s. A Jew, he was given the opportunity to leave because of his renown. But he couldn’t take his parents and family so he refused to go. When he and his entire family were divided and sent to different Concentration Camps he was sent to Auschwitz where his theory was tested in unimaginable circumstances, amid suffering and loss. After being liberated, he spent the rest of his life caring for survivors. With all that, this is a hopeful book. It reminds us to be less focused on fleeting personal happiness, and dedicate ourselves to living life with meaning and purpose, in the ordinary and extraordinary.
Paula R says:
I have heard so much about this book and just have not gotten around to getting it. Your recommendation has made me determined to get it. Thank you.
Clicked this post so fast that I almost broke my computer! Love all these suggestions! Have read a few, heard of a few, and adding a few to my list. Bookmarking this post to remember it all 🙂
I remember reading Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel and it was really interesting especially for my psychology background. I ended up buying a few things for Black Friday especially a few books that I wanted. I am going to be looking into the other books that you mentioned because they had great plots. Thanks for the recommendations!
Comments are closed.
We appreciate a good conversation in the comments section. Whether we’re talking about books or life, differing opinions can enrich a discussion when they’re offered for the purpose of greater connection and deeper understanding, which we whole-heartedly support. We have begun holding all comments for moderation and manually approving them (learn more). My team and I will not approve comments that are hurtful or intended to shame members of this community, particularly if they are left by first-time commenters. We have zero tolerance for hate speech or bigotry of any kind. Remember that there are real people on the other side of the screen. We’re grateful our community of readers is characterized by kindness, curiosity, and thoughtfulness. Thank you for helping us keep it that way.
The MMD Summer Reading Guide
your guide to reliable readerly joy this summer
35 new recommendations for 2026
‘For Fans Of’ feature to help you see which are right for you
5 comments
Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl is in my top five most important books of all time. Read this book if you are coping with a never ending trial. Read this book if you are in the middle of a crisis. Read this book if you are grieving. Read this book if you tend to worry about what might happen in the future. Read this book before you need it. Then, read it again once a year for good measure. Collect copies to give to people who are facing any of the above. Happiness comes and goes. What we really need and want is to find is meaning in life and in suffering. In the age of Freud, Frankl, a psychiatrist, parted ways with his hero and developed logotherapy to treat the suicidal teens in his care. He discovered that if these teens could be taught to find meaning in their suffering and meaning in life, they could get well. This was in Austria in the 1930’s. A Jew, he was given the opportunity to leave because of his renown. But he couldn’t take his parents and family so he refused to go. When he and his entire family were divided and sent to different Concentration Camps he was sent to Auschwitz where his theory was tested in unimaginable circumstances, amid suffering and loss. After being liberated, he spent the rest of his life caring for survivors. With all that, this is a hopeful book. It reminds us to be less focused on fleeting personal happiness, and dedicate ourselves to living life with meaning and purpose, in the ordinary and extraordinary.
I have heard so much about this book and just have not gotten around to getting it. Your recommendation has made me determined to get it. Thank you.
Clicked this post so fast that I almost broke my computer! Love all these suggestions! Have read a few, heard of a few, and adding a few to my list. Bookmarking this post to remember it all 🙂
x Sofia
http://www.thecozie.co
All of these recommendations are fabulous! I saved almost all of these books to my Goodreads list!
I remember reading Reading People: How Seeing the World through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything by Anne Bogel and it was really interesting especially for my psychology background. I ended up buying a few things for Black Friday especially a few books that I wanted. I am going to be looking into the other books that you mentioned because they had great plots. Thanks for the recommendations!
Comments are closed.