We’ve spent this week on spring break, divided between a quick but wonderful mountain getaway and final college visits. (May 1 is coming up quick; some of you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about, send all the tips!) I have stories and photos to share from both but first we’re unpacking and tackling All The Laundry before Easter services.
I hope you have something to celebrate this weekend (even if it’s simply a good book), 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:
- From “The Color Purple” to “Dune: Part Two,” These 12 Books Are Headed to the Big Screen in 2023. (POPSUGAR) It’s hard to keep up!
- Sheryl Lee Ralph on ‘Abbott Elementary,’ Learning From Rejection, and Finding Her Voice. (Shondaland) Love this show, love her, love the killer red carpet photos here!
- How adorable is this Lover of Cancelled Plans tote I spied in a coffee shop last week?
- Little Free Library Aims to Eliminate Book Deserts. (Publishers Weekly) Love this.
- A New Kind of Food Candle Evokes Memories, and Garlic. (New York Times) I’m not saying I wouldn’t try this, but golly I’m surprised at some of these scents! (Have you tried anything along these lines?)
- We finally replaced a beloved Keep Cup this week after leaving one behind on a road trip earlier this year. It’s my ride or die travel mug!
- The Best Food Cities in the U.S. (Travel + Leisure) I’m happy to see Louisville on this list: it’s not widely known that we’re a great food town! (This also sheds some light on why the lines at Asheville’s Chai Pani were winding around the block earlier this week.)
- The Humbling Tyranny Of The Photos Our Kids Take Of Us. (Romper) At least we know we’re not alone. (Heads up for a little bit of non-sexual nudity.)
- Amazon to close Book Depository online shop. (The Guardian) This will be a big blow for everyone who relies on them. Those looking for an alternative should check out Blackwell’s, which offers free international shipping to many countries.
- An Ode to Kraft Dinner, Food of Troubled Times. (Catapult) “Kraft is soaked with memories of my origin story. When I take a bite of Kraft, I feel connected to my upbringing, the war, my mother, my first-grade ESL class. Just because I can buy it from Costco, does that make it any less meaningful?”
- These may be the cutest espadrilles for spring and summer outfits. J.Crew Factory is hosting a great spring sale right now that is brimming with spring color!
- John Grisham’s sequel to The Firm is coming out this fall. (Pioneer Press) I have a soft spot for The Firm, because it’s the book that got my husband Will hooked on reading.
- Everything You Never Thought to Ask About In-flight Entertainment. (Vulture) It’s almost hard to remember the days when there was only one in-flight option for everyone.
From our archives:
- 5 favorite poetry collections for National Poetry Month. These poetry collections are hospitable to beginners and seasoned poetry lovers alike, perfect for National Poetry Month or any time of year.
- Louisville City Guide. Bookmark this for future travels to my hometown.
- 12 Feel-good fiction books you can read in an afternoon. If you’re leaning toward the lighter side of your reading tastes these days, this list is for you.
This month in Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club:
- April 11: Book Flights: Some books are better together. Drawing inspiration from a beloved wine tasting method, we’ve long adopted the practice of grouping books into “flights” to allow readers to sample, compare, and learn. While we frequently read books based on mood, prioritizing the new, the recently recommended, or whatever reserve request just came in at the library, we’ve found there are real advantages to purposeful groupings of books—books that have similar plot lines or address the same issue from different angles, making the reading experience exponentially richer. (This is a Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club event.)
- April 13: Backlist Book Club: The One-in-a-Million Boy: Whether you’re a long-time Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club member looking to revisit some favorites, or a newer member wondering where to start, we invite you to read along with us—two of the best books of the past few years, The One-in-a-Million Boy (April) and Home Fire (May). Read at your own pace and then join the Member Meetup dedicated to discussing these Backlist Book Club picks.
- April 27: Live discussion with Emily Itami: It’s time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of Fault Lines with Emily Itami!
Have a great weekend!
20 comments
I just bought the new Heirloom Tomato candle at Trader Joe’s yesterday! Smells like summer in my grandmother’s garden!
I was already planning on going today, so thanks for mentioning this now!
I sooo ordered the Lover of Cancelled Plans tote! Can’t wait to get it! Your Friday emails are fun!
I feel like it’s a carryall and a whole personality rolled into one 😂
Sold out now. Lucky you!
Love your Friday emails! As you have one heading to college in the fall, you may find The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison an especially timely read if you haven’t read it before. It’s my favorite memoir that I reread each year and really puts everyday life into perspective.
Seconding this recommendation and I don’t even have kids!
Good morning Anne and Happy Easter! I I love opening your Friday emails as I am enjoying my morning coffee. Evidently I need it a little more today, since I was reading the LFL article as book “desserts”. I thought maybe they were encouraging stewards to serve cookies along with books! 😂 I’ll go finish my coffee now…
Janelle, I did the SAME thing…my first thought was why would we try to eliminate book desserts?! Perhaps I should finish my coffee as well haha!!
I feel like what my life needs is MORE book desserts! Thanks for the giggles, ladies ❤️
Glad to hear that I’m in good company, Courtney!🧁🍪🤣
My granddaughter found a candle labeled My Mother’s Last Nerve and gave it to her Mom.
That is fantastic!
I didn’t know there was a sequel to The Firm coming out! Very excited about that.
Once my dear, sweet firstborn took no less than 87 photos of me— in my bathrobe, cooking breakfast at an unreasonably early hour of the day, 9 months pregnant with my second born. They were truly the worst photos of all time 😂. That article was excellent.
Ashley, your comment made me laugh out loud. I’m so glad you enjoyed that article!
I’m a transplanted Canuck and just found out that you can buy a candle that smells like Canadian Tire (a chain of stores in Canada that sells everything from tires to small household appliances to plants). The store always smell like tire rubber – and a whiff of that smell transports me back home!
I’m ready for May 1 too! The college decision stress at our house is REAL!
My husband and I are both veteran teachers and we LOVE Abbott Elementary. Last week’s episode really got both of us. We felt seen and have never seen ANY show more accurately represent our experiences. And, Sheryl Lee Ralph…come on…she is fantastic in this show. She makes me want a teacher mom like her on my hall, and if I look 1/2 as good at 66 as she does, I will be super happy. Stunning.
Best NF book I have read in the last 2 years — The Immense World by Ed Yong. Incredible, I kept calling friends and reading them portions of this book and that is not something I usually do and almost never with NF.