What are you up to this weekend? We’re expecting snow here and I’m not sad about the opportunity to hunker down, make some headway on our huge puzzle (that is actually ridiculously hard), and spend some cozy time at home.
I hope you have something to look forward to this weekend, 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:
How the internet built a conspiracy around a new spy flick, a debut novel, and Taylor Swift. (Vox) This is wild.
What’s saving your life right now? (MMD) An annual tradition: in the midst of winter, we’re sharing the things—big or small—that are saving us right now. Or at least helping us keep our heads above water.
‘I love to twirl the cord’: the young people pushing for a landline renaissance. (The Guardian) This brings back fond memories of the green corded phone in my parents’ upstairs hallway. “The telecommunications giant called landlines a ‘historical curiosity that’s no longer necessary’. Maybe so, but that’s exactly why some gen Z customers are so charmed by the analog tech.”
Where Should the Caldecott Sticker Go? (Publishers Weekly) I’ve always wondered about this.
True confessions: I impulse bought this Treshold brass planter at Target because I thought it was a trash can, but I like it even more as a planter. It looks gorgeous and classy and makes a nice addition to our mix of baskets and black planters that hold our houseplants. (Now I’m thinking I might need the small brass planter as well …)
‘Gilmore Girls’ Is an Endless Buffet of TV Comfort Food. (New York Times gift link) I feel a re-watch coming on.
Shelf Life: Tia Williams. (ELLE) Did you know Williams used to be an editor at this very magazine?!
The Art of Discovery in an Algorithmic Age. (Aesthetics of Joy) “Algorithms stole randomness from us, replacing it with an opaque, data-driven logic. But random juxtapositions and ideas drive discovery, taking us places we never would’ve thought to go.”
This Universal Threads Open-Front Cardigan is cute, comfortable, and the price is right.
Re(re)vision: Laurie Frankel on Throwing Away Half Her Book While Writing It. (Literary Hub) I loved Family Family! This is a fascinating look behind Laurie’s process (which includes trashing 300,000 words).
Driving in Circles. (Sarah Kendzior’s Newsletter Substack) “With one note it’s 1988 again: fall breeze through rolled-down windows, little backpack on my lap, my father’s face in the rearview mirror, a deep voice proclaiming from the speakers that she had a feeling she could be someone. My disappointment when the searing chorus hits just as we get to school, and I have to go, and my father pulls away.”
A No. 2 Pencil Is Fall’s Easiest Hair Accessory. (Harper’s Bazaar) Librarian Chic is coming your way in Fall 2024. The headline may be the best part of this piece, but WHAT a great headline.
What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable. (MMD) Short and sweet reviews of one memoir, a spy thriller, two romance novels, a quirky short novel I’ve been meaning to read for some time, and Family Family, mentioned above. (Heads up: Going Zero is just $4.19 right now on Libro.fm; thanks to reader Annette for tipping us off!)
Which Roast Chicken Recipe Rules Them All? (Eater) Such different techniques! We used to roast chicken all the time; this made me realized I haven’t done so in ages. (The blessing and curse of Costco rotisserie chicken, you get me?)
Scammy AI-Generated Book Rewrites Are Flooding Amazon. (WIRED) Buyer beware.
Don’t miss these posts:
9 nonfiction books that will make you a better friend. Making—and keeping—friends as an adult can be tricky, but these books can help.
Book journaling tools for every reader. Calling all pen geeks!
130 recommended reads for those traveling to New York City. Or who want to.
Have a good weekend!
20 comments
Driving In Circles…..what a powerful piece ….. I was a teenager when Fast Car came out and it still speaks so strongly, Tracy Chapmans voice is and has always been just so very good , who ever knew that someone else singing the song would be able to do it justice but wow Luke Combs hit it out of the park . And I still want to roll down my windows and sing it at the top of my lungs.
Thanks for sharing Anne and Modern Mrs Darcy team. I don’t think I would have stumbled across the article on my own.
I just listened to the podcast featuring Anne and Will explaining podcasts and changes they have made. It was not only interesting, it also gave me better perspective on why it costs a LOT to pull off the regular podcasts I so enjoy. It motivated me to go to Patreon TODAY and up my membership level! One question I have is why reading MMD blog is now covered (literally) in ads. I have stopped reading them on my phone. Does MMD get revenue from these or is this an issue with my phone that has nothing to do with keeping MMD in business?
Thanks.
I also get a ridiculous amount of ads, especially pop ups that block the content
Laura, is this on your phone? I’m dismayed that popups are blocking the content, that should not be happening.
Yes, on an IPhone, I took some screenshots and will try to send them to you. As I’m typing this several have popped up , it’s super distracting and takes away from being able to focus on reading your content.
Im going to explore ad blockers for Androids. Just installed one on my computer and it made big difference.
Jennifer, I’m troubled to hear this is your experience on your phone, and no, it should not be that way! We are in regular communication with our ad company to ensure that the ads remain unobtrusive and that has been my experience in all our testing across multiple kinds of devices. It’s such a pain but if you are able to send screenshots that would be a big help in our troubleshooting. ([email protected])
I’ll do my best!
I’ll also send this to [email protected].
The screen shot process on the Android will not pick up the ads, perhaps because they are videos. I tried about 5 times, but no luck there are always 2 ads and sometimes 3 or 4, mostly covering up the words!
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You could try reading on DuckDuckGo! It’s a browser app that blocks trackers/pop-ups/ads/etc. I always get annoyed if I happen to pull up a page in another browser and have to deal with the ads!
Ah, my mother and sister love(d) the Gilmore Girls, and I think still do. I have my own sorts of comfort watching/reading, but I just can’t with Lorelai and Rory. I don’t find it comforting, but more like watching a series of low speed car wrecks.
Anne, in your book journaling post that you linked to, I noticed that you listed the themes for the book you read. I have kept a book journal for years but have never done this. Can you offer some tips for how to identify themes in a book, and/or is there a list of examples? I am a voracious reader but am also a very concrete thinker, so I tend to focus more on plot but would love to think more in the abstract about themes. I’m all ears and would love your recommendations!
Renee, this is a great question. I don’t usually do this but we hosted a great class on this in MMD Book Club several years ago and the handout, while meant to accompany the class, still has standalone advice on how to identify a novel’s themes. I hope you find it helpful! https://members.modernmrsdarcy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Book-School-theme-handout.pdf
Anne this is a wonderful resource and will be a great help to me in my reading life. Thank you for so generously sharing! The tip about the epigraph in particular is a great start.
I’m happy to hear it and so glad you find it useful.
“The real Elly Conway, author of Argylle, has been uncovered by The Telegraph, and it’s two people (not stacked on top of each other in a trench coat.) The authors, I Am Pilgrim’s Terry Hayes and When She Was Bad’s Tammy Cohen, are behind the spy comedy that reunited Barbie stars Dua Lipa and John Cena.”
Yay on the Gilmore Girls article! I am currently re-watching it for the third time in the last seven years. It is the show I cook dinner too. I love the theme song! Every time it comes on my dog goes running because she knows I’m going to grab her and we have to dance through the song! 😂 I even added it to my comment in the “what’s saving my life right now”. For me… that show is comfort food for my soul.
I feel exactly the same way, only about The Golden Girls! Hahahaha.
Oh how I loved Laurie Frankl’s piece on how to approach the dreaded revisions. I particularly appreciate her suggesting we writers redefine the editing of our novels as the process of evolving, not revising. Brilliant. Thx for the link, Anne. I love it, too…
I heard yesterday that Kelly Bishop is writing a memoir called “The Third Gilmore Girl,” set to publish in September!