Links I love

Friends, the forecast here is for a beautiful September weekend—and of course I’m thinking of 9/11, as I do on every gorgeous September morning. Twenty years ago today I was wrapping up a wonderful trip to Europe, and the next morning, Prague time, I boarded a plane bound for New York City. I think about that day all the time. And this weekend, along with so many others, I’ll be remembering.

I can barely believe it’s been twenty years. It’s hard to know what to say beyond that.

I wrote about my own 9/11 experience here—in 2013, because it took me that long to find the words. My story is insignificant in the big picture, yet even now, not a day goes by when it doesn’t affect me deeply.

My favorite finds from around the web:

• What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind. “In talking with Bob Sr., something heartbreaking and rudely basic dawned on me: September 11 may be one of the most-documented calamities in history, but for all the spools of disaster footage we’ve watched, we still know practically nothing about the last moments of the individual dead.”

• Amazon Prime Video and Left Bank Pictures Begin Production on the Scripted Canadian Amazon Original Drama Series Three Pines. This headline does not properly convey the excitement of Louise Penny’s beloved Inspector Gamache becoming a show! If you haven’t read the series yet, start with Still Life.

• I’ve photographed my AirPods case a few times recently, and I always get questions about where to find something like it. This selection is lovely—and includes a few on sale!

• The Only Way Out Is Through: On Reading Slumps. “A reading slump is a thing to dread, to avoid, to break as soon as possible. With so many books to read, how can you allow yourself to stop for a while? If you’re willing to ask yourself a question like that, though, maybe it’s time to accept the slump.”

• I baked cookies for the first time in YEARS this week so I could ship them off to my college kid. My recipe of choice was these oatmeal, chocolate chip and pecan cookies from Smitten Kitchen (plus a 1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries), and they were GREAT. (I hope he thinks so, too.)

• These Ten Black Women Invented the Supermodel. I’ve never really thought about where or how the term began.

• The Don’t Overthink It ebook is on sale for $1.99! But only for a few more days so take advantage of that price now.

• The Plan to Stop Every Respiratory Virus at Once. “We’ve long accepted colds and flus as inevitable facts of life, but are they?”

• Will and I tried this great wine deal from Firstleaf Wine Club and we’ve been happy with the selection: get 6 amazing wines for just $29.95, shipped, with code LABORDAYCLUB10. (This sale ends today.)

• Original ‘Blue’s Clues’ Host Steve Burns Finally Addresses His Sudden Departure in Viral Twitter Clip.

• How to Use Spotify’s ‘Blend’ to Mix Your Playlists With Your Friends’. If you’ve ever been curious how much your taste in music overlaps with someone else, here’s how to find out.

• The 11 best graphic novels of all time. Graphic novels have been more on my mind since WSIRN Producer Brenna’s Patreon bonus episode last week.

My Reading Life is almost here!

Less than two weeks to go until my next book My Reading Life: A Book Journal releases! Be sure to claim your preorder bonuses by September 21. (Scroll down to the Special Preorder Offer graphic on the linked page and fill out the form below it.)

Don’t miss these posts:

• 20 coming-of-age novels for your fall reading. Exactly what I want to read right now: coming-of-age stories feature young protagonists learning big life lessons and finding their place in the world.

• 20 historical mysteries featuring feisty female protagonists. My love of strong literary heroines is no secret.

Upcoming Events:

• September 21: My Reading Life: A Book Journal release day: My book My Reading Life: A Book Journal is finally here! I can’t wait to get it in your hands. (Learn more about the preorder bonuses.)

• September 21, 7 pm ET: My Reading Life: A Book Journal release day party at Carmichael’s Bookstore: Come celebrate the release of My Reading Life at my local indie bookstore! Masks are required. Learn more and register to attend here. 

• September 24, 11:30 am ET: Eat & Greet event with Kendra Adachi: Join me at Bookmarks’s Festival of Books & Authors in Winston-Salem, NC! I’ll be in conversation with my friend and author Kendra Adachi. We’ll talk about books, journaling, and the reading life to celebrate the publication of my new book, My Reading Life: A Book Journal. Register here. 

• September 25, 10 am ET: The Art of Conversation panel with Wiley Cash and Charlie Lovett. This will take place at Hanesbrands Theatre in Winston-Salem, NC. See the Festival of Books & Authors Saturday schedule for more information.

• September 30: Live chat with author M. L. Rio: Time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of If We Were Villains with author M. L. Rio! (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)

• October 7: Celebrating 300 episodes of literary matchmaking: We’re gathering three of the most-beloved, most-discussed, most-recommended authors on What Should I Read Next to join us for a blend of pre-recorded and live discussion! This special event is for Patreon supporters. (A replay will be available for those who cannot make it live.)

• October 21, 1 pm and 7 pm ET: Fall Book Preview: Join us for our third annual Fall Book Preview, where I’ll share a curated list of the season’s hottest new titles, plus the info you need to decide which belong on your TBR. This is an exclusive event for Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club members and What Should I Read Next Patreon “Book Lover” supporters. Our communities will also receive a printable with every title included in our preview.

You can find more upcoming events here.

Have a great weekend!