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Newsletters that bring delight to my inbox

Readers, I can’t deny that my email inbox is often a source of frustration and overwhelm. I’m always in search of ways to cut the clutter to feel productive and connected instead of frazzled.

Taking myself off the list for sales emails or deleting long unopened messages helps, but perhaps ironically, subscribing to a select few email newsletters brings more joy and less stress to my inbox. I love carefully curated and well-written newsletters that help me stay informed, find new recipes, and investigate niche (and nerdy) topics.

Often, I save my favorite newsletters as a treat to read after I’ve cleared my inbox for the day—or I treat them like the Sunday paper, brewing myself a cup of tea and sitting down to leisurely read them on a quiet afternoon.

Today I’m sharing six newsletters that make me look forward to checking my inbox each week. If you subscribe to any excellent email newsletters, I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Newsletters that bring delight to my inbox

Culture Study

When I turn to Will and say, “I just read something interesting …” I often first read about it in Culture Study first. Anne Helen Petersen encourages her readers to “think more about the culture that surrounds you.” She writes about everything from Peloton exercise culture to millennial burnout. She also brings in guest experts for interview-style articles on topics I didn’t expect to be interested in and then find surprisingly fascinating. When I don’t have time to sit down with this newsletter, I save the archives and don’t delete them until after reading.

I had such a fun time talking books with Anne on WSIRN Episode 284: I need an irresistible read this summer. (We also discuss the unexpected origin of her interview philosophy for those newsletters I so enjoy.) 

The Bittman Project 

Among other things on his extensive resume, Mark Bittman was the lead magazine food writer for the New York Times for 30 years. His newsletter provides good recipes and interesting conversation. He frequently highlights easy vegetarian recipes, which is much appreciated as I end up passing many them right along to my vegetarian daughter; we both really appreciate the new ideas on that front. 

Smitten Kitchen Weekly Digest

I’m a longtime fan of Deb and her popular food blog. Her Monday newsletter includes a smattering of seasonal recipes, foodie links, and favorites from the Smitten Kitchen blog archives. It’s a quick read with a reliable format, great content, and Deb’s signature sense of humor.

Strong Towns

Readers, of course I subscribe to an urban planning newsletter! (Several, actually, but this is my favorite.) I first discovered Strong Towns when Will gave me this book for Christmas, and I’ve followed along ever since. Their newsletter is a great way to keep up with their organization, and I especially like seeing what links they highlight on Friday afternoons. (If you’re surprised by my interest in this topic, check out this post.)

Counterpoise

This one is newer to my inbox. Austen scholar Devoney Looser writes about “the latest on history’s strong women, from Jane Austen to roller derby.” Devoney shares a new installment about every other month with witty updates on her work and what’s going on in the world of Austen Academia. I’m excited to keep up with her work, especially after having such a fun time talking all things Austen with her in the Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club!

The Lazy Letter

Kendra Adachi shares short and sweet podcast episodes full of great advice on The Lazy Genius. Her Lazy Letter newsletter is long and thoughtful. This is where she often writes about stuff that she might not post about on Instagram, like a celebrity deep dive or how she bawled her eyes out after finishing a certain popular YA fantasy series.

Modern Mrs. Darcy

We take the privilege of visiting your inbox seriously, and aim to provide just the right amount of book news, announcements, and interesting links to enhance your reading life. For that regular dose of bookish delight in your inbox, we send several types of email to subscribers.

  • Modern Mrs. Darcy Newsletter: I send this out once or twice a month with stories and content only for subscribers. If you enjoy reading my more reflective blog posts, this newsletter is for you!
  • What Should I Read Next Newsletter: This is our weekly newsletter for all things podcast-related, with updates about the show and alerts about special listener opportunities. I also share three links I love, and one I don’t, and what I’ve been reading lately.
  • Blog Posts: If you don’t want to miss our blog content (e.g., life updates, sweaters for every fall wish list, (mostly) little things I’m loving lately), subscribe to our blog post emails.
  • Books & Reading Blog Posts only: We won’t send you every blog post, just our book lists and reading-related content.
  • Ebook Deals: We send a hand-curated list of deals about five times a week. If you’re a frequent e-reader, these emails provide a heads-up about sales, along with our short blurbs to help you decide which books are worth downloading.

To subscribe to any of our Modern Mrs. Darcy newsletter content, enter your email address below and simply check which types of emails you’d like.

66 comments

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  1. Janna says:

    I LOVE your newsletter, especially the Friday Links I Love newsletters! You have broadened my reading life so much and I appreciate all you and your team do!

  2. My favorite newsletter is Emily Oster’s! She is an economist who applies her expertise to parenting decisions. She really rose in fame during the pandemic because she tried to track data on school attendance/covid outbreaks/etc. She has 3 books, 2 of which I’ve read (Expecting Better and Crib Sheet) and 1 of which I own but will read when my kids are a little older (Family Firm). She digs into all sorts of data in her newsletter – today’s newsletter is a Q&A about how reading is taught with an educational expert. I think her content is more geared towards parents with younger kids, especially babies/toddlers/preschoolers. You can subscribe here: https://emilyoster.substack.com/

    • Beth says:

      Adrienne Hedger has a funny newsletter with all her latest comics as well as some interesting, humorous musings about everyday happenings. I don’t subscribe to very many newsletters but that one feels like an email from a friend.

  3. Kris says:

    I’ve really been enjoying the Morning Brew newsletter. It provides a variety of information in a relatable manner and they have a puzzle and games section which is so fun.

  4. Connie Murphy says:

    Anne,I follow ElisabethElliott.org. She’s my all time favorite author and a group of people have curated her own newsletter and news about her books. I especially recommend Becoming Elisabeth Elliott by Ellen Vaughn, part one of her biography.

  5. Angie says:

    When the monthly Lazy Letter or Shannan Martin’s “The Soup” email comes in, I always save them for a cup of coffee and slow read on Sunday mornings. Can’t wait to check out Culture Study! Thank you for sharing. ❤

  6. Rachel Ernst says:

    Thanks for the recommendations! I appreciate newsletters as they often go deeper than your typical blog post and then I don’t have to have dozens of bookmarks for later!
    I’ve been loving getting connected to people in my profession who are writing newsletters. As far as authors, my two favorite are:
    -Austin Channing Brown’s Her Full Self is a new newsletter with writings about women written by women. They’re often snippets of memoirs or relatable stories and it’s just a breath of fresh air whenever it pops in my inbox!
    -Brandon Taylor’s Sweater Weather feels a bit like a dream. His writing is so sharp, so spot on that you feel like it must be behind a paywall because it’s 99% better than most of the essayists out there. He’s often writing on the intersection of art, writing, life in a racialized society, class and more. It’s rare to find someone writing who has their pulse on big issues and adds a depth of history, art and science knowledge to contextualize things. His essay on attending a literature festival on Martha’s Vineyard called “massachusetts holy ghost” is probably one of the best things I’ve read this year.

  7. Cecilia says:

    My favorite newsletter is from JD + Kate Industries. They make candles and the newsletter just makes me laugh. It is written by Kate and has a section every month called Grievances about J.D. where she complains about her husband and candle partner J.D.
    Anyway, everyone should check it out and if you like candles by some. At the end of the newsletter every month there is a coupon.

  8. Amy L says:

    I really value the Modern Mrs. Darcy newsletter, you have truly enriched my reading life! Huberman Labs Neural Network is fascinating – Dr. Huberman is a Stanford neuroscientist with a podcast and Instagram account where he’s teaching brain science to the masses. A Mighty Girl sends a weekly roundup and is an excellent resource for raising strong young girls.

  9. Julie Heyel says:

    Carol Fitzgerald at the Bookreporter.com has been my go to for book reviews, seasonal suggestions, giveaways, etc but my favorite is her Friday night newsletter. I read it first thing Saturday morning and love to catch up on all things that have kept her busy during the week. Her love of cooking, gardening, family, everything. Between MMD/WSIRN and Carol, I have a TBR in the hundreds, as well as hundreds of books on my shelves to get through! I love it!

  10. Danielle Diehl says:

    I subscribe to the newsletter from Heather Cox Richardson. She’s a historian I first heard about on Pantsuit Politics

  11. Lara says:

    I really like the Austin Kleon newsletter. He wrote Steal like an Artist and Keep Going. He writes about creativity, cool things to listen to, read and watch. He always has something interesting or inspiring.

  12. Jill says:

    Thank you for this post. I do love all things Anne Bogel so I’m happy to subscribe to all of your content. I does make me happy when I open my inbox to have a MMD or WSIRN email waiting for me. With that being said, I also enjoy the Pantsuit Politics newsletter. You turned me on to Sarah and Beth and I absolutely love them. Highly recommend. I also started subscribing to Katie Couric’s “Wake-up Call” daily brief. In fairness, I don’t read it everyday but she often has terrific links to stories I wouldn’t necessarily know about including a “lighter side” which is more culture. Etc… P.S. I re-subscribed to all of your content. Want to make sure I’m on all of the lists. Thanks again for all you and your team do to enrich our lives!!!

  13. I carefully guard my inbox and enjoy how different seasons of my life meant different e-newsletters: Seth Godwin’s when I was first starting a business, Maria Popova’s when I was a mom of littles and so in need of art and deeper conversations.

    Today I love yours, Austin Kleon’s, Emily P Freeman’s, and R. Eric Thomas’s. The last one always makes me laugh and catches me up on pop culture that I rarely have time to learn about first hand.

  14. Heather says:

    The only three newsletters I subscribe to are all things MMD, Smitten Kitchen, and Strong Sense of Place. I highly recommend Mel and Dave’s letter as well as the podcast and blog. Great book recommendations as well as fun and quirky stuff from all over the world.

  15. Merrill Hoopengardner says:

    For more things to deepen your reading life, I recommend Neil Pasricha’s blogs/newsletter/podcast. This is how I first found Anne when she was interviewed for the 3 Books podcast. https://www.neil.blog/newsletters There are several different choices of format and frequency.

    Along the line of 3 things, I also recommend Atomic Habits author James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter. https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/refer?rh_ref=369d09e5 He follows a format for 3 ideas, 2 quotes, and 1 question to consider each week.

    Similar idea with a more spiritual flavor is Mary Ann McKibben’s version – https://maryannmckibbendana.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=15ea63d69dae8e9761625c230&id=e83a5b3e3b

  16. chris says:

    I love this post! I have my favorite newsletters/blogs/etc filtered into a special folder in my email (I carefully curate this and will move newsletters out that I like but don’t bring joy all the time to a separate email folder that I browse when i want more or willing to dig for the good nuggets!). Saturday mornings I get my tea and while the house is still quiet open my special email folder of delight (I also take a peak any time I need a good lift).

  17. Lori says:

    My favorites right now are newsletters from Jenny Rosentrach, Emily P. Freeman, Shannan Martin, Kendra Adachai, The Bookshelf, MMD, Anne Helen Peterson, and The Friendly Neighborhood Epidemiologist

  18. Chris M says:

    I love getting Tim Challies (challies.com) newsletter. He curates a selection of articles every day, mostly faith based, but often just interesting tidbits about our world or nature, or whatever. It expands my worldview. And I love MMD for all things reading related!

  19. Lee Ann says:

    Sheila Wray Gregoire’s To Love, Honor, and Vacuum blog and podcasts are really good. She’s done a lot of research on marriage and marital sex, and some of her findings challenge a lot of the things that evangelical Christian couples have been taught over the years. Highly recommended.

  20. Melissa says:

    A lot of my favourite weekly emails arrive to me on a Saturday morning, (I’m in NZ) including yours Anne, so I enjoy making a cup of coffee and curling up in bed to read and enjoy them!

  21. Barb says:

    Anne, thank you for the lists. I signed up for several.
    I am somewhat miffed, though, because within one hour of signing up my inbox was flooded with spam. I got more spam in an hour than I get all month.
    Grr.

  22. I have enjoyed reading the Future Crunch (Australia based) newsletter. The subject matter is a global view of the intersection of science, technology, and the impact on humanity. It is a refreshing jolt of good news.

    Although the subject matter is technical in nature, the writing style is very clear and illuminating, even if you are not particularly technology focused. Many articles link out to more technical details for those inclined. Love it.

  23. Trisha says:

    I really enjoy Anne Voskamp’s weekend edition to make you smile, 5 quick things with Tsh Oxenreider, Jennie Allen and SKinny taste ( I use her 7 day meal plan).

  24. Cheryl.NJ says:

    My passions are reading and traveling…and reading about traveling and traveling while reading! Thus, one of my most favorite newsletters–and a great complement to MMD/WSIRN– comes from Strong Sense of Place! The details, the photos, the videos are fantastic! The podcast is fantastic, too.

  25. Tracy says:

    Loved checking out everyone’s recommendations. As a parent educator, I mostly read parenting newsletters, so it’s great to have some new suggestions.

  26. Miss Onion says:

    I love newsletters! I think they are the perfect way to enjoy content and discover more on any topic. You can carefully select the ones you receive, they come straight to your inbox, you can open them when and as many times as you want, save them, put them in folders… just brilliant.

    A few I am really enjoying at the moment (that have not been mentioned?) are A Thing of Two, by Claire and Erica (for all things cool and fun), La letter d’Ines (by Ines de la Fressange, for French inspiration galore, plus to practice my French ;), The Dore Edit (for beauty and fashion, as well as inspiring women), Messy Nessy (for quirky, old and exquisite things I would not otherwise know about), as well as LitHub (for pure bookishness), among many others!

    I also send one out every Friday, a treat before the weekend, to help readers escape the mundane and give a sip of beauty and leisure, and a taste of culture and art – Miss Onion’s Exquisite Finds.

  27. Tami Spence says:

    Dear Anne, I am a high school nurse in one of the poorest districts in NC. There are too many challenges to number. I devour your blogs, take notes like it’s an assignment and I’ve rarely been disappointed, even when going outside of my comfort zone. I have a student that I’ve been particularly drawn to. She is struggling. Grades are poor, parents are uninvolved and she has a volatile temper. She is impulsive and passionate. She has big dreams and goals. Everyday I remind her these dreams are achieved one step at a time. When I see her between classes, we have hand motion that we do that reminds her to “stay the course”. She tells me she’s not a reader and doesn’t know the last book she read. With that being said this first book has GOT to be a winner. If anyone can lead me in the right direction for her it would be you. Thanks!!!

    • Anne says:

      Tami, how wonderful that you’re having this ongoing conversation with your student. Your students are lucky to have you.

      I don’t know nearly enough to go on, so please suss out if this actually seems like a decent fit for your student, but Elizabeth Acevedo’s With the Fire on High popped into my head. Check it out and see what you think?

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