a lifestyle blog for book lovers

Happy Saturday, readers! Here’s a weekend math problem for you: if my current read has 560 pages, and I’m on page 183, can I finish it today? (The real answer is no, but I want it to be yes. Send help.)

My favorite finds from around the web:

Extraordinary photos of Jane Austen’s family are discovered in old photo album bought on eBay. “There is the wedding of a heroic newlywed who lost his arm to a tiger while fighting in India, just before marrying Jane’s great niece. Others show Austen’s nephew who scandalously eloped to marry his sister’s stepdaughter.”

• I’m grateful to the blog reader who recommended these shirts for the Polar Vortex.

US book covers vs. UK book covers. “When I go back to the U.K., I think they’re often more sophisticated and take more risks. I wonder if it’s because the market is so much smaller, versus our trying to reach such a broad audience.” (Check this out if you haven’t found a book you’re reading for the cover in your 2019 Reading Challenge.)

You’re probably brushing your teeth wrong—here are 4 tips for better dental health.

Bookish podcasts that will help you pick your next read. “From in-depth discussions on both new and old book releases to interviews with notable authors to personalized recommendations, these podcasts are not only fun to listen to, but also immensely helpful for shaking you out of that indecision-induced reading slump.”

The pleasures of Ina Garten. “Television cooks sell more than recipes; they sell stories. Garten’s story has always been about happiness.”

Favorite Instagram:

My Kindle seems a little out of place in here, but it’s still warm and cozy. (Follow me on Instagram @annebogel.)

On the blog:

One year ago: 25 must-read classics for women. “But here’s the funny thing about these books we consider ‘must’ reads: every reader has a different list.”

Two years ago: Book of the Month Club review. “If you’re building your library, this is a nice way to do it.” (It’s worth noting the editorial philosophy has shifted since I wrote this review.)

Three years ago: Are you a savorer or a speed reader? “I have a history of burning through great series at an alarming pace. Give me a book with solid writing and irresistible narrative drive, and I’ll show you a book I’ll read in three days flat.”

Four years ago: Cost-per-wear and its happier alternative. “Don’t think you get a free pass if you’re not into fashion! The concept applies to more than clothes: it’s the same reason I’m okay with owning a $300 Le Creuset dutch oven.”

Five years ago: The work that makes more of you. “I write because when I do, I can feel it making more of me, even if I still feel pretentious calling it my ‘vocation.'”

On the podcast:

One year ago: Episode 118: The rhythms of a reading family.

Two years ago: Episode 64: The next best thing to reading: how 15 WSIRN listeners track what they read.

Three years ago: Episode 5: Raising readers, books that find you, and making the library people hate you.

Have a great weekend!

18 comments

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  1. Suzy says:

    About dental care – the best advice I had from a dental hygienist is to dry brush my teeth before using toothpaste, etc. This has really helped in removing plaque and cut down on scraping at regular checkups. I will look for the disclosure tablets – good suggestion.

  2. Cheryl says:

    As an American, I’d be MUCH more likely to read these based on the UK cover! The ‘broader American audience’ is a likely hypothesis. And, I think Americans prefer things palatable/politically correct/pleasing/non-revealing. Culturally, as a whole, we can be a bit caught up in appearance and hence likely prefer covers we don’t mind being seen reading and recommending.

  3. Colleen says:

    I read with interest the article about the different book covers. In Canada they can be different from both the American and British! In Canada the cover for “ Educated” is a picture of a desk in an empty field with a mountain in the background! I believe that sometimes even the name of a book is changed!

  4. Christine says:

    In the book you are currently reading , I just read her book The Alice Network, for my book club. To learn about these amazing women during war times was so fascinating a brought to life. Her new book sounds just as good, can’t wait to read it.

  5. Emma says:

    It’s funny I’m British in thè but often prefer the US covers. I often want books before they’re published in the UK so can end up with a variety of versions. I got the Canadian cover for Educated. Liked the US but really didn’t like the UK version.

  6. Sue says:

    Anne, with all that you’re involved in, plus reading, plus a family, I am really wondering how on earth you have time to surf the web?? But you DO find good things!

  7. Esther says:

    The Uniqlo heat tech is wonderful! When we lived in Japan, we often shopped at Uniqlo and wore the base layers for skiing. We brought them out this week as we dressed for the cold in Northern Ohio!

  8. Mary Kay says:

    Hi Anne!
    I’m curious- how has the book of the month club editorial philosophy changed since you wrote your review two years ago?

    • Anne says:

      The short version: it used to be devoted solely to unearthing hidden gems. Now they often feature guaranteed bestsellers like Nicholas Sparks and Liane Moriarty. Neither philosophy is better or worse, necessarily, but it’s certainly different.

      • Katie says:

        I’ve never subscribed to BOTM, but I too have noticed a shift from books that are less known, but need to be known, to books that would do well on bookstagram and the like.

  9. Katie says:

    I was about 50/50 on the books covers I preferred (US or UK). But it’s interesting how stark of a difference some of them had!

  10. Kelly says:

    I think it goes both ways with the US vs. UK book covers. Now that I live in the UK, I am sometimes so disappointed when I go to buy a book and it’s not the same as the US cover. I actually have a list of books to buy next time I’m in the US because I prefer that cover! But there are some stunning UK covers, too.

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