SEASONAL POSTS

TO GET YOU IN THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT

GIFT GIVING

The 2023 MMD gift guide for bookish kids
The 2023 MMD gift guide for bookish kids

It’s no surprise adult book lovers enjoy giving bookish gifts to everyone, young and old. Thankfully there’s no shortage of great gift ideas for kids who love to read. This […]

The 2023 MMD gift guide for book lovers
The 2023 MMD gift guide for book lovers

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? This time of year always sneaks up on me so putting together our annual gift guides is my way of getting a jump […]

15 giftable books for every reader
15 giftable books for every reader

Books are a reliable option when it comes to gift-giving, but figuring out what book is right for which reader can be tough! That’s why we’re here. We’ve gathered a […]

20 favorite gifts to give and receive
20 favorite gifts to give and receive

After I share the bookish holiday gift guide each year, someone inevitably asks what I’m giving or hoping to receive this year. Today I’m sharing a round-up of gifts I have […]

My kitchen must-haves
My kitchen must-haves

It’s that time of year where I find myself spending more time in the kitchen. There’s soup to throw on the stove regularly and roasts to put in the oven. […]

25 jigsaw puzzles so enticing you might not mind winter weather
25 jigsaw puzzles so enticing you might not mind winter weather

As the weather gets cooler, I start taking stock of my puzzle stash. We’re long-time avid puzzlers during the winter months and I like to have a variety of designs […]

THE MODERN MRS DARCY HOLIDAY

COOKIE EXCHANGE

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

A very bookish Christmas countdown.
A very bookish Christmas countdown.

This year many readers are clinging to the comforts of home and making plans for a cozy holiday season, and with that in mind, today I’m sharing a tried and […]

Addictive spiced nuts.
Addictive spiced nuts.

We’re spiced nuts fanatics around here. Every season we make pounds and pounds and pounds of them, that we eat ourselves and give as gifts. These are the nuts my kids beg […]

A literary tradition like no other

A few years back my family adopted a new tradition inspired by the Icelandic Jólabókaflóðið. While this literary tradition—roughly translated as “Christmas book flood”—originated for a reason, my family adopted (and adapted) it for a different one.

STUFFING STOCKINGS

Stocking stuffer ideas
100 stocking stuffers that will actually be appreciated

I love the idea of stocking stuffers, but it’s too easy to feel like the usual items are just highly packaged crap that will be trashed, broken, or forgotten by […]

stocking stuffers for book lovers - ButtonLit
13+ perfect stocking stuffers for book lovers.

For the literary lover in your life—or any of you inspired to do some serious self-gifting this year—here’s a list of some of the most delightful (relatively small, relatively inexpensive) […]

The minimalist's guide to stocking stuffers
The minimalist’s guide to stocking stuffers.

A few years ago, I totally changed my approach to stocking stuffers.  I love it. And so do my kids. So now I stay away from the “traditional” stocking stuffers–the […]

MAKING THE HOLIDAYS MORE MEANINGFUL

Experience more fun and less fuss this holiday season.

I’m deliberately taking note of both the simple things that we enjoy a disproportionate amount, and the things I tend to needlessly over-complicate.

On personality, emotional labor, and surviving the holidays.
On personality, emotional labor, and surviving the holidays.

I just finished listening to an old podcast where Dan Pink interviews Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. I’ve read […]

Why it's worth adopting (or inventing) family traditions
Why it’s worth adopting (or inventing) family traditions

Ever since my first child was little, the kids have put out their shoes on the night of December 5 for St. Nicholas to fill with sweets and gifts, just […]

SEASONAL READS

Festive Holiday Fiction

an easy-to-use, easy-to-reference reader-generated book list

24 winter holiday romances

that will take you from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve

Christmas-book-present

112 reader recommendations for festive holiday fiction

There’s nothing like a good long book list for the holidays

10 book + gift pairings

to delight the reader in your life