What are you up to this weekend? I’m heading to a kids’ theater performance (I always love these), getting together with friends who are moving away (sniff), and enjoying another episode or two of the Tour de France: Unchained documentary on Netflix, which has been a surprising hit with the whole family. And I hope to finish a book or two: I’ve been working on a project this month that has seriously cut into my reading time!
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:
A little interaction goes a long way. (MMD) Yesterday’s new post about a lonely musician and a Jimmy Buffett song, with a wonderful comments section.
Uzma Jalaluddin’s Latest Novel Explores Female Ambition Inside the Muslim Community. (Shondaland) I thoroughly enjoy her Austen retellings.
Thanks to your recommendations in comments, I am loving these easy-wearing, easy-traveling gauze button-downs Michael Stars, and this long gauze shirt dress. (I expected to be a medium, but small fits perfectly in both.) They aren’t cheap but have a great sale going on right now: save 20-30% with free shipping. Good through June 27.
How the Queen of True Crime Transformed Murder Stories Forever. (Slate) There’s no denying Ann Rule’s impact, good or bad.
The Tyranny of ‘the Best.’ (The New York Times gift link) On ratings culture and maximizers vs satisficers.
Have You Been to the Library Lately? (The Walrus) “Libraries have seen more change in the past twenty years than at any time in the past hundred.”
Speaking of cute dresses: this darling summer dress is only $39 (no wonder it’s low in stock?). Mine is medium, in navy. I hope they restock more sizes and colors! In the meantime, this is a similar dress from the same brand (at the same price).
A Meteorite Fell in Their Bedroom. Here’s What Happened Next. (Scientific American) Can you imagine?!
The Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Books for Summer 2023. (Electric Lit) Including titles from De’Shawn Charles Winslow, Emma Donoghue, Brandon Taylor, R. Eric Thomas, and many more.
New favorite find: I’m loving this Pureology leave-in conditioner for my fine, thick hair, though I hear it works well for a variety of hair types.
15 standout backlist summer novels perfect for seasonal listening. (MMD) Exceptional audiobooks that take place in the summertime.
An Italian Cook Taught Me 9 Secrets that Made My Homemade Pizza Insanely Better. (MyRecipes) Great tips.
How Jackie O’s Unexpected Third Act Turned Her Into the First Lady of Literature. (Katie Couric) This selection of books she edited is an unexpected mix of genres and topics.
The My Reading Life book journal is available at a great price on Amazon right now. It’s also available at your favorite indie, including at my local indie Carmichael’s Bookstore, where I’m signing books today so a fresh batch will be ready for you.
11 Fresh Nail Colors Everyone Will Be Asking For This Summer. (Refinery29) Have you tried any of these? I usually stick to Opi’s Big Apple Red or Dutch Tulips.
From the MMD archives:
12 middle grade novels that unfold over summer break. A stack of attention-grabbing and emotionally resonant middle grade novels, perfect for summer break or any time of year!
5 summer salad recipes for simple everyday lunches. We keep these on rotation for lunches and side dishes.
10 nonfiction books that read like novels to enjoy on the beach (or in your backyard) this summer.
Have a great weekend!
10 comments
I purchased some of the American Giant t-shirts recommended from last week’s posting. Love them! It is scary to say I feel “dressed up” in them.😀 Thanks for the recommendation.
I’m so glad they work for you! Thanks for letting me know.
Excellent article on libraries! Thanks for finding it and sharing. Somewhat troubling but a good reminder that libraries are such wonderful institutions in our society that we need to support, protect and appreciate.
My OPI summer rotation: Dutch Tulips, OPI Red, Cajun Shrimp, Bubble Bath (always in rotation, tbh), Strawberry Margarita.
Bubble Bath and Strawberry Margarita are both new to me and they’re sooo pretty!
The article on libraries has got me feeling nostalgic – my first job out of university in the 80s was at the old central library in downtown Calgary – and uneasy. Uneasy for the library workers, and also the patrons. This trend has had a long runway, and it is disturbing that so little has been done. The Calgary Public Library downtown was a daytime hangout for the homeless back in the 80s, especially in the winter. I never experienced any violence or other issues back then, but society has changed a lot in the last 40 plus years. Why do we just ignore groups needing help until their numbers get larger?!
In my current much smaller Canadian city, I reluctantly decided to move my public library patronage away from our main downtown branch to a residential edge-of-the city branch, specifically to avoid the issues outlined in the article. Our small city has had interrelated issues of homelessness, drug addiction and crime, all particularly apparent in the downtown area. When I found myself listening to conversations between library staff and patrons about the dangers of cleaning up used needles in and around the library, and having to sidestep a verbal altercation between security and someone they want to move along out of the library, I decided to remove myself from the situation.
My chosen small branch is a hangout for high school students during the week, and young families on weekends. A security guard is on site, but doesn’t seem to need to actively intervene with patrons. So, much more pleasant to visit, but a very small collection. I peruse the online catalogue at home, put materials on hold, and swing by to pick them up when they are brought in from the main branch. My library visits last about 10 minutes, including nodding hello to the security guard. Sad state of affairs for libraries and their patrons.
I always love your Friday list of great finds, but also your reviews and suggestions, and articles about things I’ve never considered! I deeply appreciate all you do for us out in cyberspace–thanks!
If you like Unchained, the 2023 Tour de France starts next week! I got hooked on it years ago. It’s so much fun–gorgeous scenery, exciting racing, and excellent (and sometimes funny) commentating!
Okay I know I am nitpicking here in an otherwise great article, but this sentence JUMPED at me in the article about Libraries:
“…and countless ‘circle times’ in which introverts who probably chose the profession because of their passion for Victorian literature are forced to perform ‘The Bear Went over the Mountain’ to rooms full of rioting toddlers.”
I honestly just have to laugh at how inaccurate that is. Librarians are NOT all introverts and the place you’re least likely to find an introvert is the Children’s Department. The library workers I know (and I’m a librarian myself so I know more than the average person) have super varied paths and even whole former careers that led them to working in libraries! We weren’t all English and Literature majors, we come from all kinds of other backgrounds. I myself was training to be an opera singer before developing a disability that made me look to other career paths – and doing storytimes is the highlight of my day! It’s such a great moment to tap into my performance experience and just plain have fun singing, dancing, and reading books with a bunch of great kids. I got into library work because to me it is so apparent that library work is people work and I’m a people person – it’s not all about introversion and books, although we need those library workers, too!
Vocational awe is a real thing and the homelessness crisis is a humanitarian/public health crisis that we feel here in libraries more than many other (I might even say most, with a few notable exceptions of course) professions in the country, and this is otherwise a great article detailing the hardship that we can face as library workers. This rant is in no way proportionate to that single sentence but if you actually made it through this overlong comment I hope it was at least entertaining for you! lol
Thank you for the article about Jackie Kennedy as an editor! It reminded me of one of my favorite books as a kid, “The Firebird and Other Russian Fairy Tales: – she was the editor. https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/the-firebird-and-other-russian-9780670315444?shipto=US&curcode=USD&gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqNqkBhDlARIsAFaxvwxo39vsD0n_STfzP9k39dqdWcHvnkJgoZrkRb0fiVbT5bFq8lTpeFoaArFHEALw_wcB