I can barely believe it’s Friday already, but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready for the weekend! I get to see my college kid, hike in the woods, bake something amazing, and enjoy the first cooler weekend we’ve had in ages. I’m looking forward to all of it.

I hope you have something special to look forward to these next few days, and that this collection of interesting reads and fun things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind.

Join us for a celebration!

Less than a week until our Celebrate 300: LIVE Event! We’re gathering three of the most-beloved, most-discussed, most-recommended authors on What Should I Read Next for a blend of pre-recorded and live discussion! Our first two special guests are Tayari Jones and Peter Heller. (!!!) To learn who the third mystery guest is, you’ll have to attend live! (Or watch the replay.) This special event is for Patreon supporters.

The Fall Book Preview is also around the corner! On October 21, 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 receive a printable that lists every title included in our preview.

Don’t miss these posts:

• 20 unputdownable mysteries and thrillers to keep you glued to the page. There’s nothing like a well-plotted mystery novel to shake me out of a reading slump or to get the pages turning when it feels hard to focus.

• 6 Fall Style Essentials. I’m so ready for sweater weather. (Related: Sweaters for every fall wish list.)

• 31 spooky (but not too scary) books for your fall reading list. ‘Tis the season!

My favorite finds from around the web:

• Ebooks Are an Abomination. “Whether you love or hate ebooks is probably a function of what books mean to you, and why.” Very clickbaity title but this turned out to be an interesting analysis of the print book vs. ebook market.

• 15 Festive Pumpkin Spice Recipes Perfect for Fall.

• A Photographer’s Parents Wave Farewell. This is so moving.

• What Jennifer Aniston Really Thinks About Her Famous “Rachel Haircut”. Did you ever?

• Dry skin season is almost here: I just ordered this rich body butter a friend highly recommended.

• Tiffany D. Jackson Just Wants to Scare the Hell Out of You. Great interview. (I finished this book this morning!)

• The Unbeatable, Unmeltable Appeal of Halloumi. Long-time halloumi fan here. We get ours at Trader Joe’s.

• How A Single Missing Part Can Hold Up $5 Million Machines And Unleash Industrial Hell. A really great explanation of supply chain issues.

• I’ve sung the praises of these classic J.Crew cardigans before, and am sharing again because last weekend it was colder than I expected in Winston-Salem, so I popped into the local J.Crew factory store to buy a navy one to wear over my shift dress! (It worked great.)

• Mail Delivery Is About To Get Slower And Pricier Just In Time For The Holidays. Heads up.

• This Begins with an Epigraph. Pure book nerdery. (You know I love epigraphs and acknowledgements.)

Upcoming Events:

• October 12: Writing For Readers: So many readers long to be writers—whether solely for their own benefit or for future publication. If you relate—or if you simply want to better understand how the books you love get made—this class is for you. In our conversational session, novelist Kimmery Martin joins me to discuss how to get started, what you need to know, and why you might want to take the plunge. (This is a Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club event. Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend 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.

• October 26: Live chat with Bezi Yohannes: Time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of Parable of the Sower with Bezi Yohannes! Bezi is an expert on Black fantasy and Afrofuturism, and she’ll be sharing more about these distinct genres with us to enhance our understanding of this month’s selection. (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)

• November 30: Live chat with author Amy Jo Burns: Time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of Shiner with author Amy Jo Burns! (Events are available as replays for members who cannot attend live.)

You can find more upcoming events here.

Have a great weekend!