Hello, hello! I hope this new edition finds you well. It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for me: I’m still jet-lagged from a trip to Europe with Will and the kids, which I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about soon. Then I got to accompany my daughter to freshman orientation for college (on my birthday), and now today we’re kicking off Readers’ Weekend in MMD Book Club!
We had an amazing time away, but it’s good to be back. I’m excited to get back to quotidian but wonderful things like reading on the couch, walking the dog, and re-organizing my office bookshelves. (Real talk: the books from our Summer Reading Guide Unboxing are still stacked by my desk. Yikes!)
I’ve so enjoyed catching up in this space since my return: if you didn’t catch Shannan and Baylee’s links they shared lately, you are missing out on some good stuff! Our archives for this ongoing feature are right here.
My favorite finds from around the web:
Bitter rivals. Beloved friends. Survivors. (Washington Post gift link) I played competitive tennis as a kid, and Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova were heroes and role models. This thoughtful and touching piece gave me chills: “Is Evert saying that the rival who dealt her the deepest professional cuts of her life, whose mere body language on the court once made her seethe, was among the very first people she wanted to talk to when she got cancer? It’s one thing to share a rich history and be neighbors and swap gifts and teasing, but they are those kinds of confidantes?” Yes. Yes she is.
Barbara Kingsolver: ‘Rural people are so angry they want to blow up the system’. (The Guardian) Great interview about her stunning prize-winning book. (I can’t wait to show you photos I snapped of the British cover in London! I’ll do that on Instagram soon.)
It’s Never Too Late to Travel the World With Your Best Friend. (New York Times gift link) Talk about friendship goals!
Speaking of travel: 72 hours before leaving for Europe I panicked about my purse situation, and bought this inexpensive and lightweight tote that turned out to be a real hero on our trip. (I was initially tempted by the original MZ Wallace bag, but because I was shopping at the eleventh hour it wasn’t going to arrive in time for our trip.)
The Year of the Slim Volume. (Esquire) “Thanks to factors like dwindling attention spans, less leisure time, and price hikes across paperbacks and hardcovers, short texts—novellas, standalone short stories, poetry collections, plays, and experimental cross-genre works—are finally getting their due.” I’m happy to see it! I’ve read some amazing short fiction this year.
Britney Spears Sets Fall Date for ‘Brave’ Memoir ‘The Woman in Me’ — See the Book Cover Reveal (Exclusive). (People) This news sent the book world abuzz. Will you be reading?
How to Stop Being Late. (Psychology Today) Simple, effective tips that I am sorry to say I need. (It’s the transitions that get me.)
Another travel hero: I finally bought these TSA-approved clear travel toiletry bags for our trip and they worked sooo much better than the regular plastic bags I’ve used in the past.
How to Steal a Masterpiece: Advice from the World’s Greatest Art Thief. (Time) It all boils down to boldness. I thought about this piece every single time we walked into a museum on our trip. (Related: 20 heart-pounding heist novels.)
The Underrated Pleasures of Eating Dinner Early. (The New Yorker) I love the way evenings feel pleasantly long after an early dinner … but I also really loved our four-hour meals in Spain and France that started at 8:30pm! What say you?
Paris revived my interest in the chignon hairstyle, which I haven’t worn in ages but used to be a go-to. I’m eyeing this Loreal tutorial and this more detailed one from Real Simple. Do you have a favorite style or method?
Prince Harry’s Ghostwriter Broke the Rules. (The Millions) “The cardinal rule of ghostwriting is simple: Never make the client look bad.”
We Taste-Tested 10 Supermarket Vanilla Ice Creams—Here Are Our Favorites. (Serious Eats) Our family favorites are missing: we have big feelings about ice cream, and reach for Blue Bell and Homemade for our vanilla. (I’d love to hear your favorite!)
Don’t miss these great posts:
15 MORE celebrity memoirs read by their authors. What can I say? I love this genre. (Especially on audio!)
Sometimes you have to decide you have what it takes. “Our natural human tendency is often to gather data until we feel confident we’re ready to make a decision, so we put off deciding until we feel certain about what choice to make. But that’s not how it works.”
15 breezy romance series for when you need an escape. Looking for a romance series (or two) that you can devour? This is the post for you.
Have a great weekend!
45 comments
Article Gift links bring up subscription requests/ not articles 😕
Well boo! When I click on those links in incognito they say I can read the pieces because someone I know gave me access. I just hit refresh on my back end; perhaps try again in case that helps? Fingers crossed it does!
👍🏻 refresh for the win!! Thx
Woohoo!
Anne,
Thank you for posting the article about Chris and Martina. I only started playing tennis as an adult and have been playing for the last twenty years or so. It is something that I absolutely adore doing. Why? I have no clue. When I hit the ball just so and watch it sail over the net it’s just such an awesome feeling.
Wimbledon is currently underway and my husband and I have been watching tons of tennis. I really enjoy when Martina is one of the commentators. Sometimes I can get great tennis tips from her. Chris and Martina are two of my heros!
Mary, I’ve been thinking about picking up a racket again after a long absence, and your comment makes that sound extra enticing! So glad you’re enjoying Wimbledon, and that the piece caught you at a good time.
Recently Jenny on Cup of Jo also did a vanilla taste test – and while Blue Bell wasn’t included, it got a LOT of love in the comments! https://cupofjo.com/2023/06/21/best-vanilla-ice-cream-supermarket/ After trip to Oregon this summer, we’re having lots of Tillamook Marionberry Pie in our bowls!
I’m delighted to hear it about Blue Bell vanilla! And that Tillamook Marionberry Pie sounds delightful—I’ll keep an eye out for it at the grocery!
Tillamook for the win!!
Reading your weekly “Links I Love” post is one of my favorite Friday morning rituals. Thank you Anne and team! Also, I had no idea that Barbara Kingsolver’s latest book was inspired by David Copperfield and honestly, I thought it maybe had something to do with snakes because of the name. Ha! The article you shared about it was really interesting and now I’ve added to my TBR list!
Andrea, I’m not saying you will feel the same, but I ADORED Demon Copperhead. Easily one of the best books I’ve read in the past year, or five!
I’m listening to this on audiobook and I LOVE it. One of my favourites and the narrator is great
I knew I saw you on our flight! 😂 The coldest airplane I have ever been on.
Really?! Which one?
Madrid to Charlotte on the 10th. 😅 We live in Spain and are headed back for the summer.
Oh gosh, the flight we were the very last people on the plane for? 😂 We were supposed to fly through JFK but got re-routed because of the Northeast floods and had to RACE through the airport to get to the gate on time, and only barely made it. Wish I could have said hello!
Same here! (At least in terms of saying hello.) But traveling with children always makes those things a little out of reach. 😅 I’m glad you made it! Isn’t travel fun?
Travel IS fun, and you’ve also aroused my curiosity about living in Spain most of the year! I hope you have a good summer here in the U.S.
Yes! The article on Chris & Martina, as well as the one on the older travel buddies, has stuck with me all week! So glad you highlighted those!
Anne, like you, I’m a Blue Belle girl, and last week I even contacted The Wirecutter, where I read either the article you linked, or The Wirecutter’s very similar brand comparison, to encourage them to include Blue Belle in their rankings.
Ben & Jerry’s is wonderful vanilla ice cream, but a little overly rich for me. It would be my go-to if I ate vanilla ice cream all by itself. However, I only eat vanilla ice cream as one ingredient in a multi-flavored dessert; for instance, atop a fruit crisp or slice of cake. B&J feels a little too fatty and overwhelming in such a dessert combo. For that purpose I prefer the clean, pure vanilla flavor and slightly lighter feel of Blue Belle’s Natural Vanilla Bean. BB’s Homemade Vanilla is too eggy for my taste, but I know many people who love it. Try the NVB sometime, when you need a dessert-topper!
I’m with you: these days we’re scooping vanilla on top of pie or crisp. But we still want it to taste really good! Thanks for the comments and recs!
Hi Anne! Website question for you: when I search on your site for a book, should it generally include a tag to which blog post it was mentioned in? A commenter here recently recommended Half Blown Rose as in the same genre as The Idea of You, which I loved. When I searched for HBR it showed the book profile but it wasn’t linked to any posts in the results. I was hoping to see posts and comments, espcially, about HBR to gauge whether I should continue with my 50% progress on the audiobook (12 hours total). Thank you!
Anna, that’s a good question! If we’ve mentioned a book on the site, search will steer you there. If you want to specifically see if we’ve included a book in a book list post, use the search feature and choose the book’s page (you’ll see its cover image; click there). The book list posts that mention it will be listed under “Mentioned in” with links to those posts.
This is easier to demonstrate than explain with words: this page for The Idea of You demonstrates what I’m talking about: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/books/the-idea-of-you/
We have a book page on MMD for Half-Blown Rose because we featured it in kindle deals, but I haven’t written about it in a book list post or anywhere else. I hope that helps!
Got it! Thank you so much.
The vanilla ice cream article didn’t include my favorite! In Michigan some of the best ice cream comes from a brand called Hudsonville Ice Cream. Their best vanilla flavor is called Creamery Blend Vanilla and it’s delicious, even though I am a chocolate lover! Most of the dip shops and supermarkets carry it. My brother in law works at the plant that makes it so I may be biased, but it really is good ice cream!
Sounds delicious!
Andi, I was visiting my parents in Michigan last month and went through quite a bit of Hudsonville! My favorite was the Mackinac Island Fudge.
I can’t wait to read Britney’s book. I would love to hear about her life in her own words, since so many have spoken for her over the years. I hope I’m not disappointed! Will you be reading it?
I’m excited you’re excited about it! I’m definitely interested, but I’m interested in a lot of books I don’t have enough time to read. I’ll be curious to hear from other readers before deciding if I’m going to prioritize this one this fall. 🙂
How is Blue Bell not even a contender? I stopped reading there 🤣
As another reader/commenter said, your Links I Love is a Friday ritual for me and I always look forward to them! What an exciting time for your family as your daughter begins college. My daughter is a rising junior in high school and I have this strange mix of feelings where I’m giddy with excitement to watch her go forth and conquer (and that she’ll be able to afford things I was not able to afford in college!) and a huge dose of sadness at not having this amazing human being at home with me. 🙁
On the topic of shorter books, Tom Brokaw was recently interviewed on CBS Sunday Morning. I enjoyed the segment so I much I immediately ordered his book and have been delighted by the book – and it’s easy reading and length! Trust me, the shorter length does not negatively impact this wonderful sharing of his family’s history in parallel with our own American history (and some world but mostly the Prairie Lands in the US).
Loved the article about Martina and Chris so much!!! Made me tear up a little bit, too. Thanks so much.
The New Yorker piece on eating early is enlightening, although the writer hardly seems to do that. My wife and I, empty nesters, usually eat around 7 but no later than 8. We are lucky enough to have traveled to Europe many times (can’t wait to hear more about your trip) and when I’m there I immediately adapt to the later dinner, and as you indicated, a much longer one. I love how Europeans see dinner as an event. The restaurants seem much more about the meal itself and taking care of patrons, with no rushing through it to turn the table around for the next group.
I’m nodding along to your comments on European dining! I really enjoyed the pace.
Haagen Dazs for plain or with something, and Breyers Natural Vanilla for shakes or to fold anything into (ice cream pie or cake.)
Would love to hear why the bag you posted worked so well for you on your European trip. I tend to a backpack style because it seems to be more comfortable to “wear” than something on my shoulder but prefer the look of your bag. Thanks and yours is just about the only blog I always read and the first I have ever commented on😊
Marcia, welcome to the comments section! I’m happy to share. I have a small Madewell crossbody bag that I love (it’s this one and is roughly 8×8 inches): https://bit.ly/3rpookV
For this trip I took a Cotapaxi backpack instead of a typical suitcase, and as departure date neared I worried that my Madewell bag wasn’t big enough to carry what I wanted to carry, both on the airplane and on our actual trip. For example, the Madewell bag carries my basics, but can’t accommodate a water bottle or lightweight sweater. And it didn’t come close to holding the things I wanted accessible on the plane, like water, an iPad and kindle, snacks, and a travel pillow.
So I ended up basically taking two purses, which I never expected to do. I packed the Madewell bag IN my suitcase and used the tote as my purse on the flight. Then when we got to Europe I used the Madewell bag on days when I could travel light (because it holds money, sunscreen, and personal items just fine) and used the tote on days when I had more to carry (water, umbrella, sweater, substantial snacks). Sometimes I would carry the tote on my shoulder and sometimes I would wear it cross-body. I felt a little bit fussy having two bags with me on the trip but it worked really, really well.
I hope that helps!
Thanks for sharing the art thief piece. I’m a sucker for a good heist story.
I also loved the article on Martina and Chris! Grew up watching them and learned a lot I did not know. Thanks for sharing! Blue Belle was my favorite until I tried Tillamook. I get it at Publix.
I loved the article about Demon Copperfield, such a good story. I was surprised at how quickly I tore thru the book given the length and toughness of the subject. Kingsolver is such a good storyteller..
I surprised myself by reading Prince Harry’s book Spare. The over the top OTT hate for Harry since he married an American divorcee probably pushed me into it! I thought it was well done. Based on the ghostwriter’s story in The New Yorker, I think he DID steer Harry away from things that would have made him look, if not bad, worse. Enough details were included that I think he comes across as doing what he can, as he can, knowing that he will in all likelihood fail to measure up to the expectations. Fighting for his love and family was real and is ongoing. Raised to great wealth and luxury in a gilded cage, he’s trying to keep his family safe, and lead a better life than the one he would have had, staying in that cage. It was a long memoir but highly readable, so I cast no aspersions on the ghostwriter.
These are always such fun posts, and I look forward to the newish Sunday ones, too. Welcome home, and I look forward to reading more about your travels! This is a random question, but I’ve looked through some previous posts and tried to find some info, but haven’t come across it yet. Your necklace, the beautiful, simple one you wore in yesterday’s Fall Book Club unveiling for Readers’ Weekend (also so wonderful!)…if you don’t mind sharing where you found that, I would love to know.
Meghan, I’m glad you enjoyed the unveiling! I wear this necklace alll the time, so you’ve probably seen it before. It’s from Mejuri, a fine jewelry brand I hadn’t heard of before they sponsored the podcast last summer, but quickly found out several of our team members loved. They make what I would consider to be investment pieces. I’m wearing the large pavé diamond necklace. I just checked and the discount code they offered to WSIRN listeners is no longer valid, but it looks like they offer 10% off a first purchase.
And here I didn’t even know Ben & Jerry’s made a vanilla, but I do always splurge on the Haagen Dazs Vanilla when I can. I’ll have to try Blue Bell.
I loved the interview with Barbara Kingsolver. Demon Copperhead went straight into my top ten of all time list, and that is not an easy list to breach! Also, the Washington Post recently posted their favorite vanilla ice creams (is this a thing now?) and their #1 was Ben&Jerry’s, and their #2 was Kirkland’s from Costco. #3 was Tillamook, and #4 was Trader Joe’s French Vanilla. Blue Bell, which we’ve always loved, was #7. Haven’t made it to Costco yet, but I bought the Trader Joe’s and it is DELICIOUS! It will be our go-to from now on!
So glad you enjoyed the Kingsolver interview! And thank you for reminding me how much I love Trader Joe’s vanilla. I’ve never tried Kirkland … YET. 🙂