Happy weekend, readers! What are your weekend plans? I’m spending mine collapsed on the sofa from exhaustion. (KIDDING! I think.) Seriously, I do intend to spend some time recuperating with a good book, as well as hitting the trails for a run and having dinner with friends. I hope your weekend is lovely, whatever it holds.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- Starting with the important stuff (i.e., coffee): we love this grinder at my house, but we’re on our third one—we keep burning out the motor every two years. Do you have a grinder you love? Please share in comments!
- What the Black Church Taught Me About Lipstick. “I never recall her running out of lipstick. With the right lip color, something vibrant like reddish-orange or rich like bronze or gold, she looked cheerful no matter what her checkbook was doing.”
- The Dark History Behind the Year’s Bestselling Debut Novel. If you read Where The Crawdads Sing (or even if you didn’t, and I’m saying this as someone who hasn’t yet), this is well worth reading. Spoilers abound in this piece.
- Against Readability. “‘Readable’ has become the chosen term of praise in our times precisely because so many of us find ourselves unable to concentrate as we once could or still aspire to.”
- I have sensitive, sun-averse skin, and this inexpensive hat is helping me hide from UV rays these days.
- The 10 Frozen Foods This Nutritionist Always Buys at Costco. Making a note for the next time I’m there.
- The Ripped Bodice bookstore announces a new award for the romance genre, complete with a cash prize.
- I have a quick poll about the Summer Reading Guide. Please take a minute to answer!
Favorite Instagram:
I had an unexpected but excellent mail day yesterday: look what came! These are my VERY unpolished galleys for Don’t Overthink It, coming March 3, 2020.
(I need 19 for a fall event and my publisher sent 20. You know I’d love to send you one, but even this liberal arts major can do that math.)
I know I will have a launch team again for this one and will share details as I have them. (I expect that to happen months—not weeks—from now.) In the meantime, my first marketing meeting is coming up, and my publisher would dearly like me to hit 1000 followers on BookBub before then: could you follow me here? And follow me on Instagram @annebogel.
Back to school journal sale:
Readers, because it’s that time of year, we’re offering buy one, get one half on journals in the shop with the code TAKEGOODNOTES. (Full disclosure: my goal is to sell these babies and close the shop, if you’ve thought of buying one of our beautiful custom Leuchtturms “one day,” now is the time.)
While you’re getting your journals, you can add a signed copy of either Reading People: How Seeing the World Through the Lens of Personality Changes Everything or I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life to your order for just $10. Use the code READANDWRITE to get that discounted price.
This is the time of year when I always love to start a new journal. Journals and copies of I’d Rather Be Reading also make excellent back to school gifts for the teachers and students in your life.
On the blog:
One year ago: 9 things to know before going to your next (or first) used book sale. My town has an awesome sale coming up and I can’t wait!
Two years ago: Sometimes it doesn’t get easier. A good word for when you need to tackle a task.
Three years ago: Love is a skill, not just an enthusiasm. “By reflecting our own lives back to us, fiction speaks into those lives, offering insights we can only grasp through the lens of someone else’s story. But if you find yourself living a rather ordinary life, it’s terribly difficult to find fictional characters whose lives mirror yours in any meaningful way. This feels like a missed opportunity.” This book makes an appearance in next week’s episode of What Should I Read Next!
Four years ago: 7 books that prove sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover. Beautiful cover art makes a difference.
Five years ago: I feel like a jerk every time. “Traffic jams aren’t just problems that affect us; they’re problems we cause with our quirky driving behavior.”
On What Should I Read Next:
For this week’s podcast guest, a clear and driving plot isn’t the most important thing. She loves beautiful, introspective writing that makes her think about everyday emotions. Wait until you hear about her past job that sounds like it belongs in a novel!
On One Great Book:
Don’t miss today’s brand-new episode of my show One Great Book, where each week I pull one standout selection off my personal bookshelves and tell you all about it, in ten minutes or less. This marks the end of Volume II. But don’t worry: Volume III is right around the corner!
Have a great weekend!
49 comments
https://smile.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-Automatic-Grinder-BMH23-RB-1/dp/B004T6EJS0/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=mr+coffee+grinder&qid=1564747718&s=gateway&sprefix=mr+coffee+&sr=8-5
We have had this grinder for 6 years. My husband loves it for his pour over.
We have had this grinder for several years now and we still love it. 😊
KitchenAid BCG111OB Blade Coffee Grinder – Onyx Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003WIZ5PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_esdrDbYMKM6AS
Wow! That Crawdads article is so eye opening!
Yes! I had no idea!
We use a Capresso grinder – we have used it daily for several years.
https://smile.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Conical-Grinder/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2KTDVREBZZSFL&keywords=capresso+coffee+grinder&qid=1564751239&s=gateway&sprefix=Capress%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-3
This is the one we have and we love it. Super quiet!
Thanks for the rec! I can see here in these comments that quite a few readers love that Capresso grinder.
I’m surprised the nutritionist didn’t have more veggies on her Costco list! We get a lot of frozen veggies at Costco and they seem to be of a better quality than those from the supermarket. We buy organic frozen broccoli, peas, green beans, corn and the carrot/pea/green bean mix. But for the broccoli, which comes in three internal frozen serving bags, they all come in zip closure bags, so it’s very just to dip in for a few scoops for dinner. I add the corn into chili and Mexican meals. We buy a lot of the frozen fruit she listed and I will often combine them into ziploc bags at home for our own smoothie blends (pineapple + mango + strawberry, etc).
I was surprised by that, too! (Although at my house we do buy a ton of frozen fruit for smoothies.) Thanks for YOUR veggie recs.
We have had that same grinder for about 6 years. We use it daily. I did think we had killed ours about 1.5 years in, but it turns out I just needed to take it apart and clean it thoroughly. I called their customer service and they walked me through troubleshooting over the phone listening to the sounds it was making. Now we do that every 1-2 months and we’ve had no issues. We did replace the burrs about 2 years ago, but otherwise it’s still going strong.
We have had two small Krups coffee bean grinders. One is still going strong after 10 years and the one I bought for our cottage is still doing just fine after 6 years. And it wasn’t very expensive!
Don’t read the Crawdads article if you haven’t read the book AND don’t want to be spoiled. I’m glad I read the book first. I’m not sure I care what her stepson did 20 years ago in relation to my reading her novel, but I imagine I would have read it with a different mindset about the author. And I rarely know much about the authors I read (let alone their family members.
I feel your grinder pain! We tried several and had the motors burn out and other issues. We’ve had this Capresso for several years and love it! (https://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-04-Infinity-Conical-Grinder/dp/B001QTVXCS/ref=sr_1_18?keywords=coffee+grinders&qid=1564753525&s=gateway&sr=8-18)
Congratulations on your third book. It is a huge accomplishment. Can’t wait to read it!
Several other readers have also sung the praises of this Capresso. Thanks for the rec! (And for the kind words. 🙂 )
Congratulations on the book!!! We went through one coffee grinder a year until we got the KitchenAid. It’s expensive, but we’ve had it three years and it’s a machine! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XPRQXRE/ref=twister_B013QHI5XW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
As I’ve learned in these comments, you’re not the only one who loves this KitchenAid grinder. Thanks for the rec!
I already have the new book pre-ordered and am looking forward to it. I hope the pretty pink cover stays!
Thank you, Suzanne! And yes, that is the final cover. 🙂
Thank you for asking me to follow you. OF course I will and I signed up for BookBUb. It is the least I can do . As a blog follower I love your frequent and inspiring posts. Good job Lady! j
Thank you, Kathy!
Fair warning about the Crawdads/Delia Owens article: it contains a serious plot spoiler.
I loved Crawdads…probably my favorite book of 2018. The whole story around Owens and the book kept reminding me of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird… I’m so glad I didn’t know any of this as I read the book! Fascinating article…
Spoiler Alert! Do Not read the Slate article if you haven’t read Crawdads yet. It will ruin the very surprising ending for you. Loved the book!
Okay, the Crawdads article? Fascinating and somewhat creepy. Wonder if the truth will ever come out?
We got this grinder for our wedding 2 years ago and I LOVE it. It’s pretty inexpensive and hasn’t given us a bit of trouble. I use it every.single.day. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00018RRRK?colid=1TUZUCBG8RGW4&coliid=IPHE4XQEYBF71&ref_=hit_wr_dt_vr_md_pt
I think you are going to get a ton of grinder recommendations because coffee and reading are the perfect pair so lots of your readers probably also love their coffee!
We used this grinder for years and loved it! We only switched because when we moved to a home with a more open floor plan we wanted something a touch quieter in the mornings.
I loved the article about lipstick! I will always remember my dad saying to my mother “ Bunty, put on your lipstick you will feel better” and you know what, he was right!
I loved the book Where the Crawdads Sing – thanks for this “wow” article!
We have had this burr grinder for several years and it has been great…it is from costco, not sure if you need to be a member?
https://www.costco.com/Capresso-Metal-Die-Cast-Housing-Conical-Burr-Grinder.product.11378793.html
Thanks for the rec!
Even when my mother was very ill, she always wore lipstick. As a child, we never left the house until my mom had put on some lipstick. She always taught me to dress like who I wanted to be. That’s why to this day…I am freaked out when I see people in sleep pants out walking around!
I love the Baratza! I have had the same one for 3 years. It is still good as new, I just have to clean it thoroughly often. I have tried others but they are not as good.
The reviews seem to indicate that your experience is more typical than ours. I don’t know if it’s the way we use it or if we’re just unlucky in getting Encores with motors that don’t last.
This Italian coffee grinder is super expensive (it was a gift!) but we’ve had it for well over a decade and it’s still going strong – https://prima-coffee.com/equipment/mazzer/super-jolly-t (mine is an older model, but this looks like the closest one that they are currently selling)
What a great gift!
KitchenAid Proline Burr coffee grinder!! I have had mine for 10 years and I use it everyday.
Thanks for the rec!
We have had this coffee grinder since 2013 – we did have a problem with one, but Cuisinart sent us another free of charge, renewed the guarantee and it’s still going strong:
Cuisinart Professional Burr Coffee Mill
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0007P3LE0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
We used this exact one for years! (We loved it, and only changed to one that’s a little quieter when we moved to a place with a more open floor plan. We didn’t want to wake anyone up in the process of making our morning coffee.)
I feel like one of the only people who didn’t love Where the Crawdads Sing. I liked the descriptions of wildlife, but I found a lot of the characters one-dimensional. That article was very interesting. It reminded me of that essay “How to write about Africa” and what he says about elephants.
I hated Crawdads and I agree with you about the flat and stilted characters.
You really should post a spoiler alert about that article re : Crawdads. The article contains many spoilers including the ending. I’d already read the book so NBD but it might matter to others.
Good point: I figured that was implied (and stated clearly in the articles first paragraph) but I’ll add one here for good measure (because spoilers are the worst!).
Re: coffee grinders, we’ve been very happy with the Baratza Virtuoso, which was a recommendation from The Wirecutter. If your extreme coffee habit 😉 has worn down the burrs of your grinder, can you order replacement burrs at a reasonable price? (The burrs are removable on the Virtuoso; don’t know about the Encore.) If you’d rather just try another grinder, here’s a link to The Wirecutter’s recommendations:
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-coffee-grinder/
I had zero familiarity with other Baratza grinders. Thanks for sharing!
This podcast has given me so many incredible books to explore, but I just finished The River and I am overwhelmed by the story. From the opening sentence to the last line, I was a passenger with two friends who witnessed beauty, destruction and extreme loss. Some books you read and know you will remember, but the really special books that leave you emotionally spent are ones that make you stop and think about all the beautiful things that life has to offer, you just have to be willing to get in the canoe and go for it! Thank you for bringing this book in my life!
I’m so glad this was a satisfying reading experience for you.
We have a hand-crank coffee grinder that I love. In the time it takes the water to boil, I can easily grind enough for french press. It’s a nice peaceful ritual, especially if I’m grinding coffee before the kids are up.
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Skerton-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill/dp/B001802PIQ
I was just starting “Where the Crawdads Sing” when you sent this email. It was a hard book to put down and I finished in last night. Wow! What a book. I just read the entire article you shared from “Slate” as well as the “New Yorker” article by Jeffrey Goldberg that it links to from 2010. All that swirling information really does put Crawdads into a new light! I will share it with my book club when we meet to discuss the book.