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Interesting reads and favorite things to ease you into that weekend frame of mind

What’s in store for your weekend? We’ve got all four kids home, hurray!, and our weekend is packed with celebrations and heaps of good food. I would also dearly love to finish three books, which is unrealistic but doesn’t the idea sound great all the same?

I hope you have something to look forward to these next few days, 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:

When will Gillian Flynn write the next ‘Gone Girl’? Later, it’s still a first draft. She’s a publisher now. (Chicago Tribune) An unexpected author update.

Rick Steves Is Travel’s True Everyman. (Eater) We are lucky to have him.

Anthropologie is having a big sale this weekend: 30% off sale. I spied my favorite Fir and Firewood votives at a fantastic price, darling market baskets, and these Vintage Bookshelf Editions of Monopoly and Clue, too! If you like to plan ahead, they have holiday mugs and adorable ornaments (like this measuring cup) included in the sale as well.

3 Reasons to Start Reading a Book Before Bed, According to Research and Sleep Pros. (Real Simple) As if I needed a reason!

I love the mug and the message: You’ve Got This.

How Duolingo Turned Me Into a Monster. (CNET) “It’s a story about Duolingo. But it’s really a story about doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons.” 

A Writer’s Lament: The Better You Write, the More You Will Fail. (New York Times gift link) “A paradox defines writing: The public sees writers mainly in their victories but their lives are spent mostly in defeat.”

The Ecstasy of a Great Outfit. (Harper’s Bazaar) “Clothing is a form of language, a way of communicating. It’s a dialogue with both oneself and the wider world.”

Inexpensive printable wall art if you need a reminder to take things one step at a time.

‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3 took forever, but Jason Sudeikis promises fans ‘it’s all on the screen’. (USA TODAY) Who’s watching??

Ghostwriting 101. (Publishers Weekly) “Across my ghosting career, I’ve found that most people are too busy to pause and figure out the themes of their lives. It’s my job to capture the complexities and nuances of human experience in a way that rings true to the subject and the reader.”

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Lemon Zest-Thyme Marinade (Nummy Num Num) A quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing staple for grilling season. We’ve been making it for over ten years now!

Nobody knows what the point of homework is. (Vox) “There is still no research consensus on homework’s effectiveness; no one can seem to agree on what the right metrics are.”

From our archives:

15 recommended reads for those who dream of traveling to Paris. Whether you’re planning a trip to Paris and want to read books set there or simply looking for some armchair travel, this list is full of ideas!

My favorite Jane Austen film adaptations. Some Jane Austen adaptations are phenomenal; some are more likely to leave you feeling like you squandered two hours. Here’s my guide to the best versions.

14 introspective literary fiction books that are excellent on audio. Ever have to remind yourself you’re listening to fiction? These audiobooks are more like page-turning memoirs!

Have a great weekend!

13 comments

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  1. Amy says:

    Without having read the article on homework, I feel like it is very out-dated and unrealistic in today’s hectic world. There is only so much time in the day and definitely only a few hours left after school. Our kids are in activities, and not ones they can walk to. Much time is spent driving from here to there. After that, there is dinner to be made and eaten. And every child deserves downtime. (As well as parents) Parents are expected to be fully present and active in their children’s lives. Where is time for homework in that?! However, I’ve solved this issue for our family. We started homeschooling with the pandemic and LOVE it! I have a lot of sympathy for the families I see that are literally run ragged with today’s pace and expectations.

  2. Dionne says:

    As a teacher, I would like to put perspective on homework. I personally used my day for instruction. As an elementary teacher, I had to cover all subjects. Homework was therefore an opportunity for the student to practice the skill. From that assignment I could then redirect my teaching to those who needed more support and those who were ready to move on. I gave homework on Monday that was due Wednesday and then more on Wednesday that was due on Friday. This gave the students a chance to make a plan around activities as to when they should complete it.

    • Wendy Scott says:

      To Dionne — by your statement then if a student is comprehending the lesson at an above-average level then they should not have homework, correct.

      As a former educator, I was guided by my school/district protocols to offer a given number of minutes of homework per night. As a parent and educator I had children that needed more or less time to develop an understanding of a concept. It was also part of my goal to develop study habits so that a child could learn self-discipline to become a successful learner. There is no homework that trains ‘SELF’ anything. It is within ones own being so it’s like leading a horse to water…

  3. Christie Kline says:

    My HS teacher husband recent told the family he stopped assigning homework years ago. He gets better work out of the students both in discussion and in the papers they produce. Everyone is more focused. They even do all the reading in class. He teaches 9th grade and AP rhetoric.

  4. Hannah says:

    I really think the efficacy of homework depends on the student’s learning and attention abilities as well. If my son doesn’t do math homework every night for 10-15 minutes, he has no clue what is going on in math. He has sensory issues and some loud kids in his class. Math is right before lunch, and their lunch period is late this year. There is no way that he’ll be able to pay attention when he’s in the classroom. His teacher doesn’t assign homework, so I found out their curriculum and bought a copy of the book they use in the classroom. We just do 10-15 minutes of that every evening at home. Everything is totally fine with his other subjects.

  5. Darcy Weaver says:

    The change is fine, but not sure it is an improvement worth the effort. Although everything you do is worth reading!

  6. Emily says:

    Every so often I think to myself, I wonder what Gillian Flynn is up to these days. So, I enjoyed that article! Thank you.

  7. Jill says:

    I bought the You Got This mug for a friend who’s recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
    I found the DuoLingo article interesting because I am currently using it to learn a little Japanese prior to a trip to Japan this summer. I haven’t fallen prey to any of the issues he had. Will I be fluent in Japanese by June? No, certainly not. Do I know more Japanese now, 100 days in, than I knew at the start? Definitely!

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