Happy Friday! This weekend we’re planning on hanging out with friends and watching kids’ sports, plus I get to load books into a brand new bookcase in my office. You can imagine my giddy anticipation. (If you have tips, share them in comments!) I hope you have a delightful weekend ahead of you.

My favorite finds from around the web:

  • InterLibrary Loan Will Change Your Life. “Even in an age when we can buy most any book with a single click, the InterLibrary Loan system remains a beautiful creation—and one that is often free.”
  • If you want to read The 1619 Project but don’t have a New York Times subscription, they’ve made it available as a free pdf. It’s a powerful examination of the 400th anniversary of when slaves were first brought to America.
  • My plant lady status may spill over into my wardrobe with this item

Favorite Instagram:

Beginning in January this bookshelf by my office door was Summer Reading Guide HQ. I kept all the titles I was considering for inclusion right here. The guide came out nearly three months ago but, same as last year, I’m having a hard time disassembling my collection. Goodbyes are never easy, but today might be the day. Wish me luck.  Follow me on Instagram @annebogel.

On the blog:

One year ago: 10 books in translation for Women in Translation month. August is dedicated to reading and promoting the works of women in translation and the works of women whose work has not yet been translated.

Two years ago: 3 lesser-known books to help you understand, manage, and overcome anxiety. Books can’t substitute for professional help, but that doesn’t mean they can’t do you a world of good.

Three years ago: Making things happen vs letting things happen. Some things can’t be forced … but that doesn’t mean they can’t be helped along.

Four years ago: What my kids are reading. This brought back so many memories!

Five years ago: My favorite TED talks.

On the podcast:

This week’s guest went through a gut-wrenching experience that ripped her book collection away from her – shelves and all – along with countless other precious signifiers of home. As a result of this experience, the books she craves are different now, and every book purchase feels weighty. I connected her with three books that will hopefully take some of that heaviness off her shoulders and let her choose a different world to escape into, just for a few hours. Content warning for natural disaster.

Have a great weekend!

17 comments

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  1. Nancy Ewing says:

    I love the inter-library loan! But those white bands are pretty scary: dollar a day overdue fine and $150 for a lost book.

      • Kara says:

        Is it revisionist history or history that was left untold until later in this evolving history of our country? This is the first I’ve heard of the 1619 project, so I don’t know anything about it and I’m genuinely asking.

        • Lee Ann says:

          The latter. It’s eye-opening to realize how much of our history and economy was based on humans owning other humans and how the effects of slavery and Jim Crow still affect so many people today.
          I’ve downloaded the .pdf and am looking forward to spending time reading it.

          • judy says:

            If all newly discovered information was dismissed as revisionist history knowledge would never advance.
            The 1619 Project is intended to explain the history of institutional racism.

  2. Debbie in Alabama says:

    Has anyone else encountered problems listening to the anxiety episode link given above? I believe it is episode 79? Tried two different devices and I cannot get it to open. It is mentioned down in the past links

  3. Renae says:

    Thank you for sharing the 1619 Project, despite being a NYT subscriber, I didn’t know it existed. I am reading with pain and saying out loud (per page 36’s photo of the slave inventory), “George, you were worth $1000, Sarah, you were worth $450.” Saying their names out loud, so that they know they are being thought of. This breaks my heart, and yet emboldens me to be even more vocal when I hear about the continued arc of racism in the country. Heartbreaking, all of it, and so, so important. It should be required reading for everyone. Thank you for bringing it to me.

  4. Elizabeth says:

    Thank you for sharing the 1619 Project, the NYT sold out before I got a copy. Because I want to read it thoughtfully, and remember/learn better reading on paper than on a screen, I bought a PDF copy at the NYT store.

  5. Sue says:

    Hey, Amor Towles fans! He’s got news today. Two new short stories—The Line, published in Granta magazine, and if you get Amor’s newsletter, he gives a link right to it, which you can read in it’s entirety (or print!). Coming out in Sept is You Have Arrived at Your Destination, which you can get from amazon on Sept 17th as an ebook. I was excited.

  6. Michelle Wilson says:

    Thank you for sharing the pdf of The 1619 Project. Like many things not written from the dominant culture, I am sure that I will learn much and experience some shame and sorrow but at the same time, it feels like a must read.

  7. Deborah Ball says:

    I have finally gotten a little more info on the 1619 project. Waiting on a hard print copy cause I want to share it with my family as well. Thank you Anne, for alerting us to this important information. In Alabama, it has been below the radar….But there’s hope, I heard the news feed regarding the church bell chimes on Sunday and it was on two networks. Like many things, don’t we need to LEARN and then do better?

  8. Susanne says:

    Good content here! I look forward to learning more about the 1619 project. The article on emergency care expenses is spot on. I have excellent insurance and was appalled that my true “emergency” trip to the ER (fever hit 104.5 in the middle of the night due to a spider bite I had misdiagnosed as poison oak) was over $1000. Guess that’s what I should have expected.

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