Links I love

Well, we’ve almost made it through the end-of-semester march. Our fourth kid finishes school for the year today, and not a moment too soon: with three kids already off school Will says our entire family basically has senioritis. We’re ready for a break!

I’m hearing from many of you that you’re already setting your reading life intentions for 2023. How fun! We are not hosting a reading challenge for 2023; our Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Life Challenge is your evergreen guide to plan your reading life as you think about the year to come (or anytime). This helpful resource also includes the complete list of all the reading challenge prompts we’ve ever used, going back to 2015.

This weekend I hope to get ahead of the wrapping, bake cookies from our Holiday Cookie Exchange, and take a nice long walk or two. I hope you have something you’re looking forward to this weekend: may the coming days be filled with grace, peace, rest, and good books.

My favorite finds from around the web:

• The 103 Best Book Covers of 2022. (Literary Hub) See any of your favorites?

• Why the ‘Kindred’ Series Makes Big Changes From Octavia Butler’s Landmark Novel. (Shondaland) I adored the book and am eagerly awaiting this adaptation. It will be interesting to see what viewers make of these changes.
• I fell in love with this liquid blush this fall—and then I was flabbergasted when my daughters told me the brand, Rare Beauty, is Selena Gomez’s line! This week I tried the lipstick, and my hair stylist raved about the mascara when I saw her this week.

• What It’s Like to Work on a Lifetime Christmas Movie. (Vulture) “A cynic could say these films feel paint-by-numbers. But no two snowflakes are alike, even when those snowflakes are movies called A Christmas Prince, Christmas With a Prince, and Inventing the Christmas Prince. And for superfans, pointing out the similarities and differences is part of the fun.”

• 13 Holiday Classics Turned Into Cookies. (Food52) This is a fun idea! The Latke Cookies are especially intriguing.

• Legally bookish: Reese Witherspoon and the boom in celebrity book clubs. (The Guardian) Some celebrity book clubs seem to be better than others.

• Not a Stranger, Not a Friend: The Second-Ring Relationships Our Cities Need More Of. (Strong Towns) “Most meaningful change in cities happens with people who are neither strangers nor friends. They are neighbors.
• The Trader Joe’s Dessert Ina Garten Calls ‘Absolutely Delicious’. (Tasting Table) Spoiler alert: it’s the Apple Tart.

• Why 250 book industry workers are on strike at a publishing giant. (Fast Company) This article came out last week but the HarperCollins employees are still on strike. I hope the publisher will meet their reasonable demands as soon as possible. If you want to support the strike, you can sign this Solidarity Open Letter (Google Form)—no publishing background necessary; all readers are welcome.

• Your Section-by-Section Guide to Storing Foods in the Fridge, From the Upper Shelves to the Crisper Drawers. (Martha Stewart)

• The Best Crime Novels of the Year: 2022. (CrimeReads) I enjoyed several of these.

• An end-of-life doula’s advice on how to make the most of your time on earth. (Vox) “Engaging with our mortality when we have the bandwidth to do so can offer clarity that in the long term infuses our lives with more joy and meaning.”

Don’t miss these posts:

• 20 recommended reads for those who dream of traveling to Iceland. It’s almost time for Jólabókaflóðið! You don’t have to exchange Icelandic books in order to do your own Christmas book flood but it’s a good excuse for some literary tourism.

• 25 delightfully distracting jigsaw puzzles to occupy your mind and boost your mood. Calling all puzzle lovers.

• 16 short books to knock out your reading challenge.

Behind the scenes at What Should I Read Next:

We’re still pinching ourselves over WSIRN Episode 357: Welcome to Three Pines featuring the one and only Louise Penny. While we discussed the 18th installment of the series, A World of Curiosities, our conversation is spoiler-free is suitable for both Penny Pushers and those who are new to Inspector Gamache.

There have also been a few changes on the WSIRN team. Our producer Brenna Frederick shifted to a different role on our team as our graphic designer and video editor going forward. We’re grateful for all of her work on the podcast, as well as that of sound designer Kellen Pechacek, as we begin working with Studio D.

Sara Aeder is now serving as our new WSIRN Patreon community manager! You may recognize her from WSIRN episode 276. Her first Patreon bonus episode is a good opportunity to get to know her better.

Have a great weekend!