How’s your weekend shaping up? I hope all who celebrated American Thanksgiving had a lovely holiday and now have plenty of leftovers to enjoy (see below). Today I have big goals: I want to walk the dog three times, finish the last 150 pages of my book on the couch, persuade my family to watch You’ve Got Mail, and MAYBE bring up our artificial tree from basement storage. Maybe.
I hope this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind. (Although, to be honest, I have been in that particular frame of mind all week!)
My favorite finds from around the web:
Who else adores Thanksgiving leftovers? We cooked a giant turkey so we could have soup and sandwiches for DAYS. Tonight’s dinner is Melissa Clark’s Lemony White Bean Soup With Turkey and Greens (NYT Cooking gift link) but with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, of course. (It’s also great without kale, or with spinach swapped in—just use what you have on hand.)
Pairing Celebrity With Audiobook? It’s a ‘Kind of Matchmaking.’ (New York Times gift link) I’ve been curious about how this process works behind the scenes.
Black Friday sales aren’t great for my latent maximalist, but I’m doing some strategic shopping:
- With plentiful 40 and 50% off sales from Madewell, J.Crew, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Boden, Ann Taylor Loft, and more, just about every sweater in our stellar recent roundup is on big sale today.
- I picked up some techie gifts, like this deeply discounted charger and the AirPods Pro (2nd generation).
- My books are all deeply discounted on Amazon, with coupons and 3-for-2 offerings available on all five. Signed copies are available from my local indie or in our shop (see below).
- I wish I could score Curology’s Black Friday deal on prescription retinol for myself, but alas, it’s only for first-time customers: Get your custom formula + a FREE seasonal lip balm + up to 6 FREE skincare essentials all for just $15 with code HOLIDAY1.
- I’m scouring the Quince Black Friday sales every day because I’d love to get a great deal on their sweaters, but I might have to pick up today’s Black Friday offering for myself. My m.o. is to wear three pairs of high-quality earrings on rotation, and these deeply discounted White Sapphire Huggie Hoops would slip right into my line-up.
- Finally, FirstLeaf Wine Club’s amazing wine deal is back (39.95 for six bottles, shipped).
Split the loaf with a stranger. (MMD) A neighborhood story about errands, perspective, and a good loaf of bread.
How Has Big Publishing Changed American Fiction? (The New Yorker) “Today’s publishing house is closer to a hedge fund than a tastemaker.”
We’ve got our own Small Business Sale happening in the MMD/WSIRN shop: get a free sticker pack with any order of $20 or more. No coupon needed—your sticker pack will automatically be added to your cart. Choose from our awesome TBR tote, book darts, bookplates, stickers, and more. Tshirts are almost gone but we’re restocking soon and currently accepting backorders. Click here to shop.
My family loved Stanley Tucci’s Pasta Fagioli recipe (The Today Show blog). After consulting a few other recipes I added the uncooked pasta (just 8 ounces) and raw kale directly to the pot, plus an additional 1.5 cups broth for the pasta’s sake. We’ll be making this again; the effort to results ratio is fantastic.
Dolly Parton on Her New Rock Album, New Book, and Fashion Advice: “It’s Important to Feel Comfortable in Your Own Skin”. (Shondaland) I’m always here for Dolly.
The Puzzling Gap Between How Old You Are and How Old You Think You Are. (The Atlantic gift link) “Adults over 40 perceive themselves to be, on average, about 20 percent younger than their actual age. ‘We ran this thing, and the data were gorgeous. It was just all these beautiful, smooth curves.'”
100 stocking stuffers that will actually be appreciated. (MMD) And don’t feel like a waste of money, and won’t end up broken/destroyed/forgotten by New Years. You might need this today. (This and more are included in this amazing roundup of our holiday-themed posts that Will just put together.)
The End of an Era: The Wall Street Journal’s Bestseller Lists Discontinued. (New York Weekly) The hits keep coming. Did you know Don’t Overthink It is a WSJ bestseller? (To learn more about bestseller lists, listen to How are bestseller lists compiled and why does it matter?)
Getting an Itemized Hospital Bill Is Basically Impossible. (The Daily Beast) This mentions some possible resources for anyone currently battling with their insurance company.
10 delightful cookbooks for reading, cooking, and gifting. (MMD) A well-timed list of cookbooks you’ll want in your kitchen. Don’t miss the extra suggestions in the comments section!
The Low Down on the Greatest Dictionary Collection in the World. (Atlas Obscura) So many treasures.
Which Prepared Pie Crust Is Best? We Tested Trader Joe’s, Marie Callender’s, Pillsbury, and More. (Bon Appétit) Do you agree with these results? After reading this, I’ll definitely opt for store brand over Pillsbury with confidence at my local Kroger.
Five Best: Books on Building Design. (Wall Street Journal gift link) Well you know this is right up my alley.
Don’t miss these posts:
20 books to cozy up with this winter. Cold, grey days are the perfect excuse to stay inside and read.
25 jigsaw puzzles so enticing you might not mind winter weather. These puzzles are sure to bring hours of delight!
What Should I Read Next #357: Welcome to Three Pines, with Louise Penny. This interview was a highlight of last year!
13 beloved board books and picture books for the kids in your life.
Have a great weekend!
9 comments
I agree that celebrity narrators can make a book. For example, I wouldn’t have finished The Dutch House (Tom Hanks) or Tom Lake (Meryl Streep) with different narrators. And Wil Wheaton made Starter Villain so much more enjoyable!
Wil Wheaton is the perfect narrator for John Scalzi!
Thanks for the great soup recommendations! I made a big pot of “Roberto, the Soup” last week, based on your recommendation. It was a big hit in our household. Delicious. And not a huge amount of chopping/prep. I substituted frozen spinach, which made it even easier.
I’m so glad it was a hit. I may borrow that tip in the future!
Love that you mentioned Dolly! Wow she rocked the halftime show yesterday … at 77 years old. Google Dolly halftime show and look for the 7-8 minute performance. What a star!
I didn’t know she did a halftime performance—thanks for clueing me in!
She was amazing and wearing the Dallas cowboys cheerleading costume. What energy!
Didn’t know about Curology. Just ordered the starter box for $15. Can’t wait to try!!!
Thanks for updating your stocking stuffers post. That is going to be so helpful. My mind is going a few new directions.