How are you feeling about your weekend? I’m watching the news with my heart in my throat, and at the same time I’m looking forward to the unseasonably warm weather we’re expecting here tomorrow. What a world. I hope you have something to look forward to—perhaps something that brings you peace and joy—these next few days.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- 22 Books By Trans And Nonbinary Authors To Get Excited About In 2022. Seems like a good time to boost this book list in light of what’s happening in Texas and Florida. Several of these are on my priority ARC shelf and I’m looking forward to diving in.
- Quinta Brunson on reviving broadcast TV’s mockumentary genre with Abbott Elementary. Our whole family LOVES this show.
- More fun for the whole family: my kids (ages 12-16) and I LOVED The Mitchells Vs. The Machines, which you recommended here in links several weeks ago. What should we watch next?
- Because I have huge feet and walk a ton, it’s not easy to find comfortable, good-looking shoes that work for me. So I’m especially grateful to have found these cheerful and classic Ivory Dot Points from Rothy’s for the spring-like days we’ve had this week. Because they’re a podcast sponsor, use this link to get $20 off your first purchase.
- In the Beginning Was the Blurb. Ever wondered how author blurbs on books work or the many feelings the industry has about them? This piece has you covered.
- My third book Don’t Overthink It turned two yesterday!
- I’m common as muck and spent £150 in a Michelin star restaurant to see if it was worth it. Delightful account from a British woman. (I have had one similar experience myself and found myself nodding along with her conclusions. I wrote all about it in Don’t Overthink It!)
- This wool and cashmere spray for sweaters is a spring essential—I wouldn’t want to put my sweaters in storage without it!
- Two Poems from Ukraine’s Rock-Star Poet Serhiy Zhadan. Beautiful and timely.
- March is National Craft Month! To celebrate Craftsy has lowered the price to only $1.99 for a 1 year premium membership (normally $89.99). This is one of the lowest prices they have ever offered: start your premium membership here.
- On Winter. “If the idea that cold weather ‘hardens’ us into rugged individualists seems irresistible, the experience of the snowstorm, here and now, provides an opportunity for a glimpse into what community life should look more like.”
- Why book banning is back. Great in-depth overview of this issue.
- What Are Preserved Lemons And Why Are They in Soo Many BA Recipes? We love preserved lemons. I make my own; details are here.
- News anxiety: does reading the news leave you feeling anxious for hours? You could have a “sticky mind”. Helpful to consider.
New arrivals!
Remember when I told you about those great preorder bonuses for My Reading Adventures, and how excited I am that my publisher said YES when I asked for delivered-to-your-mailbox stickers as a bonus? Well. I got my own care package in the mail this week, including samples of those stickers, and they are SO MUCH FUN. My only problem is going to be stopping my kids from sneaking them off to school and giving them to all their friends!
The journal comes out August 2, and when you preorder your copy for the young reader (age 8-12) in your life, you get fun stuff in your inbox and your mailbox before the book releases! Click here for all the details, including the lowdown on those bonuses, order links to buy your copy wherever new books are sold, and the form to claim your preorder bonuses.
Don’t miss these posts:
- A whole stack of middle grade books you can read in one weekend. Perfect for Middle Grade March!
- The star of our special breakfasts: easy 20-minute frittata. This is one of our long-time staple recipes!
- 8 great Audible alternatives for audiobook listeners. Many readers want to try audiobooks, but it’s easy to be intimidated by the number of choices we have now.
Upcoming Events:
- March 9: Let’s Talk About Funny Books: A Conversation with Amy Poeppel: What books make us laugh? In this deep dive into the funny books genre, we’ll talk about what makes a book funny, how a story balances drama and humor, and how a writer injects serious moments of catastrophe and tragedy with humor. We’ll also be joined by Amy Poeppel, author of Musical Chairs. (This is a Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club event.)
- March 30: The Light of the World book discussion: Time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of The Light of the World by Elizabeth Alexander!
You can find more upcoming events here.
Have a great weekend!
37 comments
I’m a PK-12 substitute teacher for our district so I can Abbott Elementary a try last week and I love it. I watch 6 episodes in a row! Thanks for sharing it.
I should check my writing before I hit send! I GAVE Abbott Elementary a try and WATCHED 6 episodes.
So glad you enjoyed it!
As another ‘long’ footed woman who also spends a good deal of time walking, I’m always looking for great flats. How would you rate the support in the Rothy’s? I need arch support in my shoes.
Thanks!
I don’t need arch support (yet?) so I can’t weigh in with personal experience. My mom needs arch support, and replaced the standard insole with a supportive one in her Rothy’s. I hope that’s helpful.
Our family loved Mitchell’s versus the Machines. Ron’s Gone Wrong is another current favorite
Thanks for the recommendation!
My 14 year old daughter loved ‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’.
As much as I love to read middle grade books I didn’t know “Middle Grade March” was a thing! I do hope that you’ll find some excellent middle grade books to include in your daily ebook deals this month 🙂
You had me until your second bullet point. I guess you are referring to efforts in Texas and Florida to protect children from adults with an agenda. To protect them from undergoing irreversible medical procedures and putting them at higher risk of suicide before they are capable of fully understanding the consequences. Please read the bills and decide for yourself whether they are being accurately portrayed by the media. This is exactly the type of content from which I hoped your newsletter would give me a break.
Do you believe you know more about what’s best for these children than their own parents? If so, why? In the Texas case, for example, the child is 16 and has had the same pediatrician since birth; the parents have been working closely with the doctor to support their child. Why do you think you know what’s better for this child than these parents do?
Agreed Mary 💛
I also agree with you, Mary. I come to this site for a cheerful respite from the deluge of news on controversial topics I can get elsewhere.
I agree with you also Mary.
Anne posted a list of books on a topic. If you don’t find them of interest, keep scrolling. Enough with the pseudo outrage and faux suggestion to “educate yourself.” That’s what a list of books does.
I am grateful for the second item in Anne’s list of links today, and I’m so glad she included it. Not every book is for every reader, but all readers of every age deserve to see their lives in the pages of books and on bookshelves!
I hope to see more of this in the future.
Medical professional here, agree with you completely. Sweden and France have recently changed their recommendations to be more cautious in starting irreversible medical treatments on children with gender identity issues. Puberty blockers are not the harmless “pause button” activists proclaim them to be.
I agree! We need a break. No lectures.
You consider one half sentence a “lecture”, really? Wow.
I totally agree with you Mary! I was so excited a couple of years ago to come across this site and podcast to “take me away” to books and my love of reading, but as with everything else these days, it must be politically correct. I will not listen to another podcast and will immediately unsubscribe to the newsletters. I am so sad it has come to this. So unnecessary! Just not say anything at all!
We often share timely book lists, whether we created them ourselves or curated them from other sources. Today’s Links edition includes two not of our own creation: the list of forthcoming books by trans and non-binary authors, and the one to better understand the Ukrainian crisis. We also included, as we often do, a link to our past post featuring titles to read for Middle Grade March, since that is happening now. That has long been our practice in this space, and I expect it to continue.
Nothing on Women’s History month or Women writers?
Thanks for sharing the reading lists on the crisis in Ukraine and the books by trans and nonbinary authors. I love that your site always reminds me that reading is more than just respite and escape, it’s a chance to learn and to grow empathy. I also appreciate the gentle reminder that while I can escape into books or blogs, many, many people aren’t so lucky.
Thanks for the Trans/Nonbinary and Ukraine Conflict list. Both have really interesting selections and I’m putting in requests to my library today.
Love all this post. From serious topics – to fun stuff like shoes. 😃
Thank you, Beth.
Anne, thank you for gently bringing up the issue of censorship in libraries. It is a major free speech issue that carries dangerous implications with it. I know that you don’t do this without thoughtfulness and respect for those who have a different belief system than you. I hope others will give you the same respect.
We are also facing the censorship of queer/trans books in Arkansas, and I’d love for you to read up on it! I’m part of the Citizens Defending Craighead County Library group.
https://bookriot.com/craighead-county-library/
Thank you for the link!
Thanks for sharing the Trans and Nonbinary list! I really appreciate it and your continued sharing of those topics.
Watch the “Flora & Ulysses” movie, it was so great!! Also “The Little Prince”(2015) animation/claymation version.
Thank you for the list of trans and non-binary books. Also, thank you for the Rothy’s link, because as the mom of newly out adult trans daughter finding shoes for her is SO hard. Luckily she leans toward sneakers and hiking boots, but this will help us find a pair of ‘yeah, you really should dress up a little for this event’ shoes.
Anne, I’ve noticed many of your posts have become more political over the last couple of years, maybe unintentionally. Today I didn’t appreciate your link to the article from Vox, a progressive liberal anti-conservative organization. I joined this site to be a community of readers not activists. Even though I love and look forward to your book recommendations, today I will be canceling my membership.
Sweetie, it’s not an airport. You don’t have to announce your departure.
I’m so sad to read that you are in favor of kids being used as political pawns to further an agenda. Kids are kids…it’s unthinkable that anyone would allow kids to make permanent decisions that impair their bodies.
Anne – Thank you for including these difficult topics on your blogs in gentle ways and providing resources so that we might learn more about them. Books help us learn compassion and empathy for those who are different from us. I believe that’s why we’re seeing a drive in conservative states to ban books on these topics. It’s not about protecting children, who are quite curious, resilient and loving on their own. Rather, it’s about protecting the viewpoints of some parents who wish to instill their intolerance in their children.
My 18 year old son and I were looking for something to watch on our limited channel at an AirBnb this week and I suggested Abbot Elementary on your recommendation, figuring we could just watch a few without committing to it. We stayed up WAY too late watching it every night! I honestly thought he was just indulging me, but out of the blue on the trip home he said he was really enjoying the show and looking forward to continuing it! Thanks for the recommendation!
Anne –
I think you have such a tasteful way of presenting difficult and timely book related posts to what is happening in the world today. Reading is meant to open our eyes to the plights of people that are different than us. Banning books and avoiding topics that make you feel uncomfortable isn’t the way for continued growth. Thank you!
Nice