a lifestyle blog for book lovers

This post is sponsored by PrepDish.

Happy Friday, readers! I’m rolling into the weekend anticipating good books and a great bookstore—I can’t wait to meet some of you at The Bookshelf in Thomasville, Georgia tomorrow!

If you can’t make it to the sold-out event, check out this What Should I Read Next episode with Bookshelf owner Annie Jones. I’ll be sharing some on Instagram tomorrow. And stay tuned for info on the live podcast we’re recording tomorrow night!

My favorite finds from around the web:

• Meet the last surviving witness to the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham was on of the Minimalist Summer Reading Guide from last summer and set during the Tulsa Race Riot. (You can find this year’s Minimalist Summer Reading picks here.)

• Poetry is more popular than ever. “Adults 25-34 years old are reading at rates of 12.3% in 2017, versus 6.7% in 2012.” (If you need ideas of what to add to your collection, did you see this?)

• Your plant is an introvert (and other things black thumbs should know). “And, much like your relationship with your favorite introvert, the best approach sometimes requires backing off a little bit, and letting them have their space and solitude.”

• The 24 all-time favorite book club picks on Goodreads. “It’s no wonder that picking your book club’s next book can feel like so much pressure. But don’t worry, we’ve done all of the research for you.”

If you missed last week’s PrepDish flash sale, don’t worry. For the entire month of June, Modern Mrs. Darcy readers can get two weeks of PrepDish for FREE to give it a try and see if it works for you!

Every month, Prep Dish founder Allison sends members weekly meal plans (your choice: gluten-free or paleo; we do paleo) with a shopping list (I love the way Allison lays out these lists) and directions for how to spend a few hours prepping the week’s meals. Then you roll into the week with a fridge full of easy-to-finish dinners you can have on the table in 30 minutes or less.

Summer is a great time to get started with PrepDish. The changing seasons push me off routine and leave me scrambling and frustrated when it’s time to start dinner. But Allison’s easy-to-follow plans for healthy, tasty meals bring your dinners the routine they need to get you through summer’s erratic schedule.

CLICK HERE TO START YOUR FREE TRIAL

Favorite Instagram:

This is basically summer in a single picture. (Follow me on instagram @annebogel.)

On the blog:

One year ago: Things I’ll wear 1000x this summer. “For the past several years, I’ve consciously repeated similar outfits day after day. This conscious limitation makes getting dressed so much easier, so I can conserve my mental energy for more pressing decisions—while still looking good.”

Two years ago: 17 big, fat books for your summer reading. “I still love a big, fat, meaty doorstop of a book, especially in the summertime. A 500+ page behemoth can pack in more characters, more meaty plot lines, and more interesting complications than your standard 300 page novel, simply because it has the space to do so.”

Three years ago: 7 favorite books in translation to read this year. “Why read books in translation? My friend put it well when she quipped, ‘I’m stuck in my head, I read to escape my own head, and my head happens to be an American head.'”

Four years ago: Gift ideas for men. “Men are notoriously hard to shop for, but don’t despair. Here are a few low-key ideas for the hard-to-buy-for man in your life.”

Five years ago: A three hour tour. “There is power in awareness: knowing 3 hours is ideal makes planning so much easier.”

Six years ago: What I learned by keeping a time diary. “I was shocked by how easily I traded the morning’s meaningful, important tasks for “stuff that needs to be done” in the evening.”

Have a great weekend!

7 comments

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  1. Kay says:

    The Links I Love posts are always my favourite ones of the week, not only do I enjoy looking at the links but the comments make great reading too. My favourite post today was the 24 great book group reads, I began my own book group in November 2005 and we are still going strong. We take turns choosing the books and as we have different tastes it is fascinating to read things you wouldn’t normally read. My absolute favourite part is if I find a new author that someone else has chosen who turns out to be just my kind of writer, then I have a whole back catalogue to keep my happy. x

  2. Amy says:

    I’m so excited for Anne and Annie!! Getting to visit The Bookshelf is on my Top 100 dream list! Enjoy it, I’m sure you will have a blast. 🙂

  3. Nickie says:

    So, I went on vacation for 10 days and I have a little rule to back off of the internet when I am on vacation with the family. Just checked out your blog to see what I have missed and found out you were in THOMASVILLE, GA this past weekend!! So sad b/c I would have loved to have met you. Oh well…maybe you will make it back to GA again. Hope you had a great time!

  4. Lynette says:

    Of the 24 book club ideas, I only have three that I haven’t yet read. They are now on my wish list!

    We are moving this summer, and I’ve packed up our bookshelves. The house feels a little lonely (even with a people living here!) I’ve been trying to remember that filling them up again right now is not a good idea!

  5. It was good to see the houseplant article. I *adore* gardening and have a great success rate outside, but I swear, give me an indoor plant and you are basically condemning it to death. I’ll have to remember this article next time some optimistic friend gives me a houseplant!

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