What’s in store for your weekend? It’s going to be HOT here, so I hope to get in some early morning walks before the mercury climbs too high. I’m also looking forward to our When Harry Met Sally watch party in the MMD Book Club this weekend—a scorching Saturday afternoon is the perfect time to enjoy a movie in my air-conditioned living room.
But first, I’m going to start my Friday by deciding what to read next: it’s rare that I finish my print book, audiobook, and ebook all at the same time, but that’s exactly what I did yesterday. (If you have thoughts or recommendations, share them in the comments section!)
My favorite finds from around the web:
- The Devil Wears Prada oral history: Cast reunites to dish on making the best-dressed hit. So much fun!
- Ashley C. Ford on Her Long-Awaited Memoir. Looking forward to this one. (Heads up that she discusses being sexually assaulted in this interview.)
- How TV Shows Use Books as Props: From SCHITT’S CREEK to MAD MEN. The more you know.
- The radical help of the anti-advice column. Great approach.
- I may need this JANEITE tshirt to wear for our upcoming Austen in August sessions!
- 5 iPhone Apps That Will Make You Way More Productive. Have you tried any of these?
- The Resilience of Amy Tan. Wonderful interview.
- Such a good deal: Get your Craftsy Premium Membership for only $2.49 for your first full year (normally $79.99).
- How 10 Book Covers Evolved, from Rejected Drafts to Final Design. I love a good behind-the-scenes.
- The Chef Cooking a Cicada Recipe for Every Palate. He’s trying to come up with 100 recipes! Kudos to him but I am not tempted to do this with the cicadas in my yard, not in the slightest.
Don’t miss these posts:
- Let’s reinvent the romantic comedy. If you love a book that guarantees a happy ending, gives you the funny with the sad, has emotional depth, and makes the reading experience fun, this list might be exactly what your TBR needs.
- 5 summer salad recipes for simple everyday lunches. We keep these on rotation for lunches and side dishes.
On One Great Book:
Don’t miss today’s brand-new episode of One Great Book! Each week I pull one standout selection off my personal bookshelves and tell you all about it, in ten minutes or less.
On What Should I Read Next:
This week’s guest isn’t on social media at all and it’s made it hard for her to find her book people and keep up with publishing news. I have some advice for Allison, and I hope you’ll pick up some tips, too—whether you’re getting ready to meet your book club in person again or are still seeking out your group of readers.
Upcoming Events:
- June 19, 3 pm ET: When Harry Met Sally Watch Party: Join us for a watchalong of When Harry Met Sally, the perfect flight “flick” to go along with our June Book Club read. (This is an MMD Book Club event.)
- June 22, 1 pm ET: Live chat with author Emily Henry: Time for our MMD Book Club discussion of People We Meet On Vacation with author Emily Henry! (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)
- June 26, 3 pm ET: Backlist Book Club: Everyone Brave Is Forgiven: Whether you’re a long-time MMD Book Club member looking to revisit some favorites, or a new member wondering where to start, we’re taking a look back at some of the best of Book Club from the past few years.
- July 7, 5:30 pm ET: SkillPop Becoming A Better Reader class: Many of us put “read more” on lists of goals and resolutions. But how do you find great books, make the time, and build a reading life you love? We’ll talk about how to identify your literary taste, removing barriers and making time, and not getting held back by overwhelm. Plus, I will share my most practical tips and recommendations for making reading a bigger, more enjoyable part of your life. Register here.
- July 28, 7 pm ET: Live chat with author Nadia Hashimi: Time for our MMD Book Club discussion of Sparks Like Stars with author Nadia Hashimi! (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)
- August 24, 1 pm ET: Live chat with author Elizabeth Brooks: Time for our MMD Book Club discussion of The Whispering Housewith author Elizabeth Brooks! (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)
You can find more upcoming events here.
Have a great weekend!
11 comments
Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny is great. Her book of short stories, Single, Carefree, Mellow, is also fantastic. If you’re in the mood for non-fiction, Already Toast by Kate Washington chronicles her experience caring for her husband when he was diagnosed and treated for cancer. She exposes the weaknesses in our caregiving culture and writes about caregiving represented in literature. It reads more like a memoir and is emotionally gripping.
I loved Early Morning Riser! I second this recommendation!
Have you read ONE TWO THREE by Laurie Frankel? I’m in the final 100 pages and can’t wait to see how it turns out. I also really loved THE PARIS LIBRARY by Janet Skeslien Charles. Enjoy your weekend!
Thank you so much for sharing our Janeite shirt! 🥰
Revival Season by Monica West. An atmospheric family story with all of the complexity that can entail. I usually look for priests, nuns or monks in my religious tales but since I met Sister Eve in This Tender Land by William Ken Krueger last summer, I’m all-in for the revival tents!
Has anyone used Craftsy? I’m intrigued but wish they gave a tour of the site first.
I just finished Hamnet and loved it!
That was my favorite read of last year.
West With Giraffes, by Lynda Rutledge Stephenson. One of the best books I have read this year. Maybe I got the recommendation from you! Spellbinding, read it through in one sitting. Highly recommend this novel!
Sharon
Still working on The Invisible Husband of Frick Island. It is cute, but I am taking too long to read it, bc I kind of segwayed into Malibu Rising. Probably not a good idea, but I did finish Malibu Rising!
The most exciting thing I did this weekend was to attend the Grand Re-opening of the Wharton County historical museum in the small town of Wharton, Texas. It was flooded during hurricane Harvey & only just now able to reopen. I don’t think they had flood insurance, so FEMA was unable to help them.
Wharton is home to famous Oscar winning playwright Horton Foote. They had a new display in his honor, complete with his two Oscars an Emmy and a National Medal of Arts medallion. Very impressive.
The big surprise was that his daughter, actress Hallie Foote was on hand for the reopening and ribbon cutting ceremony & I had that honor of meeting her.
Mr. Foote is most famous for his plays depicting small town life in the fictional town of “Harrison,” which in reality is the town of Wharton.
His The Trip To Bountiful was made into a very successful film and the lead actress won an Oscar for her performance.
His Oscars are for his adapted screenplay of To Kill A Mockingbird and his original screenplay of the film Tender Mercies, which also won the Oscar for actor Robert Duvall.
My grandmother and father were from Wharton. Two of my children were born there. So it is always good to go back.
It is such an unassuming little town.
Ooooh! That article on books as props was FASCINATING – thanks for sharing!