I hope you’ve had a good week. This weekend we have lots of plans by our new post-pandemic standards. Today I’m cooking up some chili (I think I’ll riff Mel’s recipe) for our street’s chili cookoff, and tomorrow we’re hosting a cast party. I hope that leaves me time to finish my book!
I hope you have something nice to look forward to this weekend, and that this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind.
My favorite finds from around the web:
- My favorite Halloween essay, ever—but I am not kidding when I say this poignant piece is highly likely to ruin your mascara. Proceed accordingly.
- There’s A Reason You’re Seeing So Many Rom-Coms Right Now. I’m here for it.
- Related: Anne Hathaway Reacts To ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Fan Theory That Nate Was The Villain. (Did anyone else read that headline and wonder when Ted Lasso is coming back?)
- I would dearly love to see my ode to the reading life I’d Rather Be Reading hit 1000 Amazon reviews before the holiday shopping season really ramps up—and right this minute it has 963. If you’re able to leave a review that would be very much appreciated!
- I am absolutely making this pumpkin spice donut cake, from the author of the fabulous little cookbook Snacking Cakes.
- Why Everybody You Know Is Sick Right Now. I feel this.
- Don’t tell my teenagers they’re getting this Holy Sheet! Face Mask Collection for Christmas!
- Celeste Ng’s Futuristic New Fiction, ‘Our Missing Hearts,’ Is Disturbingly Believable. We featured Ng’s new dystopian novel in our Fall Book Preview. Have you read it yet?
- How to Stay Sane About Halloween Candy. A helpful guide.
- My teenager has been using our Artist’s Academy Premium Membership to hone her drawing skills. Right now get a year for just $2 (normally $69), which unlocks premium instructional drawing and painting videos, techniques, and expert tips.
- 14 New and Upcoming Books About Witches. Just in time for Halloween!
- This cute sweater is just $25 and available in so many great fall colors.
- Constant Cravings. Disabled activist and author Alice Wong shares her evolving relationship with food and nourishment since getting a feeding tube.
- How To Book A Stay In A Replica Of The Cottage From The Holiday. Someone please do this—and tell me all about it!
Don’t miss these posts:
- 20 books inspired by Greek mythology and Classic texts. Helen of Troy was said to have the face that launched a thousand ships. Greek mythology has similarly launched countless retellings—and we are here for it.
- Our home library. I always get questions about this.
- 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.
- 12 essential books on writing for National Novel Writing Month. Will you be participating in NaNoWriMo this November?
Favorite comments:
- “Oh my gosh, what a great episode!! I was in my car in the driveway setting my gps and getting ready to listen to WSIRN because (Yay!) it was Tuesday! When I heard Anne say that this would be a ‘spicy’ episode I literally jumped up and down in my seat and clapped my hands….ooh Anne is doing Spicy! YES! Loved the panel, loved the laugh-out-loud stories, and loved ‘hearing’ our sweet Anne—the moderator—get a little pink in the cheeks listening to some of the spicier moments….this will be a re-listen episode for me!” —Lisa on WSIRN #351: Book Club Favorites: LIVE from Bookmarks!
- “My very favorite piece of clothing was the periwinkle blue satin dress I wore to my daughter’s wedding. She asked me to wear blue and find a dress I felt beautiful in. Not only did I feel beautiful in it, but everytime I see it I remember an absolutely perfect day in the life of our family.” – Relyn on What’s your all-time favorite piece of clothing?
- “Surrendering my ‘I will read X amount of books per year” goal was key to reading big books. I love big books, and I was regularly shying away from them to hit my goal. Switching to a daily reading time goal solved the problem. Now, as long as I’m reading things I enjoy at a steady clip, I’m not as concerned with how many books I finish. Every now and then, I will purposefully chose a short book if I feel I’m losing momentum, getting bogged down or feeling discouraged, but otherwise, I let content vs page count guide my choices.” —Bookishplans on MORE extra-long books worth reading
Have a great weekend!
22 comments
Hi Anne & team, a couple of the links aren’t working right (for me at least). The face mask & the sweater ones are the problematic ones for me.
Have a great weekend!
Oh no! Hilary, I wanted you to know I see your comment and I’m stumped as to why they won’t load for you. Hopefully it was just a temporary problem. I would love to hear if those links are troublesome for anyone else.
No trouble with the sweater link. I bought one in cream right away.
I hope you love it! Mine is in red. 🙂
Hi Anne! I missed the fall book preview! Is it only available to Patreon supporters or book club members? If I join now, is it still available? Thank you!
Hi Shawna! We hosted this event for our What Should I Read Next Patreon community and for our MMD Book Club members, and it’s still available in either place when you join. Happy (fall) reading!
I have a green one and a blue one!
I was so impressed by Our Missing Hearts and agree with the reviewer that it is a warning for now. It is such an important book! I was particularly taken by the tension which builds up around the question of what the mother is planning. When we find ourselves fearing the possibilities we are playing right into the hands of PACT and all of those in our white, privileged culture who want to see all others as sinister and threatening. What she actually does will break your heart and force us to look at why we are so surprised.
Obviously I am so much older than yiu, when I saw Mel’s chili I thought of the TV show Alice…and that Halloween essay, I don’t wear mascara and it was still running.
Off to make some blueberry muffins and I will be trying the rice hack!
And I have to say the photo you put at the top of the post is gorgeous!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Marjorie Williams (author of the Halloween essay) has a beautiful collection of essays called “The Woman at the Washington Zoo.” It came out after her death. Highly recommend!!
I so enjoyed her whole collection by that title!
Tahnks for the Sephora Mask tip! My 22 YO daughter loves these and there is a 30% off coupon good until I think 11/7. Now it’s an even better deal!
I hope she enjoys using them!
Would you please consider adding the publication source to links that require a paid subscription? (Such at NY Times, New Yorker, The Atlantic, New York Magazine) I subscribe to some of these publications, but not all, and it would be so helpful to know before I click if it’s one I subscribe to or not.
Yes, please! I would click on links if l knew the source to know if l already have a subscription or not. Thank you!
Noted! And in case you didn’t know: on a desktop you can hover over a link to see the source.
For anyone who doesn’t have subscriptions the Louisville Free Public Library has subscriptions to most of these via ProQuest I think (and I’m sure its the same for other major library systems), so when I want to read an article and have run out of free ones, that is where I go.
Happy Weekend, Anne and team. My local stores no longer carry the Tazo tea flavor you recommended and I loved: Glazed Lemon Loaf. Any subs you recommend? Thanks.
Oh no! Speaking as someone who just found out her favorite coffee roaster is closing, it’s such a bummer when we lose access to our favorite drinks! If it helps, when I most recently bought the lemon loaf blend I got it from Target online. Harney has a nice lemon tea I wouldn’t call it a taste-alike (just to totally invent a new word).
Anyone done the Artist’s Academy Premium Membership? I am a non-artist who needs something to do with my hands while listening to all those audiobooks I’ve checked out of the library, lol! I can’t really tell how the course is structured. Like, would a complete novice get anything out of it?
Speaking as a total novice, I think someone with little art experience could benefit. Some of the videos are things like “how to explore color theory with colored pencil” or “how to sketch botanicals.” I hope that helps!