What are you up to this weekend? I was on the road earlier this week, and these next few days I hope to catch up on the sleep, dog walking, and good books I missed while I was gone. Plus we have a puzzle to finish! Will and I are also thinking about starting One Day on Netflix. If you’ve seen it, tell us what you think? (The last show we watched was The Diplomat, based on your comments on this post. Thanks for your recommendations: we loved it!)
I hope you have something to look forward to this weekend, and that this collection of interesting links and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind.
My favorite finds from around the web:
Percival Everett Can’t Say What His Novels Mean. (The New Yorker) A fascinating interview and overview of the author’s work, including his newest release James.
I bought a great J.Crew Factory ivory cable crewneck sweater several years ago and wear it at least once a week in the spring.
Stumbling Can Be Lovely. (Longreads) Gosh I loved this piece written by a 32-year-old man about learning to ride a bike and drive a car, as an adult, in New York City.
What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable. (MMD) Short and sweet reviews of what I’ve been reading lately.
This Is What a 37-Year-Old Face Without Filters or Makeup Actually Looks Like. (SELF) About this new Group Shots series: “We hope each series helps normalize the existence of undereye circles, nasolabial folds, and pores; lays bare the ways that money and effort can (but don’t always!) affect someone’s appearance; and challenges your existing notions about beauty, aging, and the way you feel about what you see when you look in the mirror.”
Here Are All of the Broadway Musicals Based on Books Playing This Spring. (People) I had no idea there were this many.
How Does a Book End Up in And Just Like That…? The Show’s Prop Master Explains. (Vogue) “The hardest part is getting galleys when we don’t know the show’s release date. But another difficult thing, not for [the production department] so much as the legal department, is that we have to get permission not only from the authors but also the publishers for the artwork. We literally had hundreds of books, and we had to get every one of them cleared!”
Our whole family is having fun with this inexpensive bandana multipack Daisy got in her stocking this Christmas. We put a new photo in the family group text every time somebody changes the color … which is basically daily. It’s the small things.
It’s not just you. Eggshells really are chipping more. (Business Insider) Have you noticed?
The Rise of the Mended Haul. (Elle) Refreshing and inspiring.
Craftsy has a special offer going for National Craft Month: get a 1 Year Premium Membership for just $0.79, the lowest price ever. This has proved popular with MMD readers not just for the cooking, crafting, photography, and home decor, but for the options found under “writing” like journaling, hand lettering, memoir writing, and fiction writing.
My First Thriller: Mary Kubica. (CrimeReads) 97 rejections! Her agent must be patting herself on the back.
The Friends Who Are Caring for Each Other in Older Age. (Atlantic gift link) “They often viewed providing care as a natural extension of their friendship, not as an extraordinary act.”
Don’t miss these posts:
Tried and true beauty and skincare products I never want to be without. The beauty and skincare products I use every last speck of before reordering immediately.
8 beautiful, practical cookbooks you’ll turn to again and again. The cookbooks I keep in regular rotation.
Have a good weekend!
34 comments
The Netflix One Day has a better ending than Anne Hathaway’s…but I can’t say more. It does feel like a downer midway through, but it’s still good.
I haven’t seen the Anne Hathaway version but having read the book, your comment comes as a relief!
Hi! You MUST watch One Day!!!!! We finished it last week and I immediately wanted to rewatch it. It starts off slow, but after the first 2 episodes, it gets better and better. A truly fabulous show!
We loved Special Ops: Lioness with Zoe Saldana. Only one season so far. And for a backlist pick, we’re watching Suits and loving it!!!
Lioness is so good!
The SELF article disturbed me, because a number of the subjects state they have had cosmetic work done. So even if they aren’t wearing makeup or using filters, in those cases that is still not what they look like in a “natural” state. No judgment on anyone’s use of cosmetic procedures, I just think it’s concerning that a piece claiming to normalize what people naturally look like would choose subjects who have altered their faces surgically or chemically. Maybe in some circles that is as normal as, say, braces; in mine it isn’t. But while we as a society are considering the messages we give to young people, especially, about their appearance, I think it’s alarming for the message to be “it’s fine to go without makeup or filters, as long as you have first had surgery or fillers to fix things first”.
Amen Sarah, I hated that article. They sent the opposite of the message they claimed to and defeated their own purpose.
It’s devastating! Only watch if you don’t mind crying like a baby in mourning. Not sure I would watch it again, to be honest. Beautifully acted but too tragic for me.
Loved the male actor in Netflix version of One Day. I did not realize until my daughter pointed it out, that he was in The White Lotus series! He was good in that too.
I wish he could’ve been cast in the upcoming film version of The Idea Of You, with Anne Hathaway.
I forgot that we had an Idea of You adaptation on the way!
Read the book, watched the movie, and LOVED the miniseries!! Emma casting— perfection!!
We are not TV watchers but winter evenings are long! We just finished watching all of Northern Exposure and enjoyed its quirkiness so much! As for can’t stop listening audiobooks–I just finished Solito a memoir written and read by Javier Zamora. It is his story of how at the age of nine years old he makes the trek from El Salvador to the US in the company of coyotes and strangers. I cannot stop thinking about this book–it is amazing!
My husband loved Solito. He was able to meet the author at the Austin, Texas Book Festival. He liked the book so much he drove to Austin twice to be sure and meet the author, after initially getting the date wrong. I think he was able to get a signed copy.
The crazy thing was, I’d gotten the book from the library, and for whatever reason did not get to it and passed it on to him.
One Day is one of my favorite books and the Netflix series did not disappoint. My husband and I blew through it!
I’m so mad that they’re calling it “this is what real faces look like” and then every single one of the white women is doing Botox. WHEN are we going to normalize aging naturally and embrace wrinkles as acceptable and expected and even beautiful? I hate this.
How do you know they are doing Botox? None of my friends do Botox and they could easily be in this line-up. (being in their early fourties)
It says it in the article what work they’ve had done.
If you read the article it names all the procedures they’ve had done including Botox
I agree. I wasn’t really clear on what they were trying to get at with this campaign…
Agreed. Though i have to say aging naturally is totally normal in my Midwest rural area. It’s a curious thing how often our country defines itself by the 2 coasts and forgets that we have Huge regional differences all rolled together in one beautiful country.
My husband and I are really enjoying Death in Paradise on BritBox. (We accidentally watched Beyond Paradise first, not realizing that it builds on Death in Paradise.)
Death in Paradise on Britbox is definitely great and happy!!
One Day is great – esp if you already read the book and know what happens.
I liked what this review had to say about One Day:
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/feb/06/one-day-review-a-flawless-romcom-youll-fall-for-hard-ambika-mod-leo-woodall
We are always looking for a good comfort show, preferably with lots of episodes!!
Here are some, new and old, that I loved.
One Day (Netflix)
Death in Paradise (Britbox)
Heartstoppers (Netflix)
Hotel Portofino (PBS)
Carmen Curlers (PBS subtitled)
The Durrells (Britbox, Prime?)
Have you tried Father Brown or Shakespeare & Hathaway? Both are on Britbox, and my family loves them, as well as Death in Paradise and Beyond Paradise.
The article about mended hauls was AMAZING. I haven’t seen those in my feed and it just made my heart so so happy. This is why your Friday roundup is one my favorites of the week. Generally meaningful (and/or fun, funny, generally delightful) finds.
Started One Day yesterday and am already on Episode 6! Glad there are several more!
If you are looking for something funny I recommend Deadloch on Amazon prime. Part mystery, part relationship drama. My whole family adored it!
Thanks for this diverse range of topics. So interesting. I’m 73 & I always enjoy looking at new skin/personal care products . The number/amount of products people use is amazing to me, & the Self article on 37 year olds in their “natural” state was all a bit sad. So much depends on the basics – genetics, the climate you live in, what we eat, experiencing an illness, etc.. Having said that, the new skin care products available & cruelty-free options are great improvements. Personally, I love lipstick/lip gloss & body oils, so fun!
I wouldn’t say no to a photo montage of Daisy and her bandana wardrobe… 😁
I was thinking the same thing!!
I was fascinated by that Self article. I have to say that I thought the people who didn’t have work done looked like they had better skin than those that did. And how does my man Hassan spend $15k a year on skincare with his minimalist routine??
Hope they do age 46 next!
Hello Anne, I’m not sure where to watch these suggestions, but hopefully you can find some of them. All are series. I hope you find something you like. Happy viewing!
– The English (2022) (UK) Emily Blunt, Chaske Spencer
– Bad Sisters (2022) (Ire) Sharon Horgan
– The Split (2018) (UK) Nicola Walker
– The Tourist (2022) (UK) Jamie Dornan (I only liked season 1)
– Shetland (2013) (UK) Douglas Henshall
– Bump (2021) (Aus) Nathalie Morris, Claudia Karvan
– Transplant (2020) (Can) Hamza Haq
– The Capture (2019) (UK) Holliday Grainger
– Strike (also called CB Strike) (2017) (UK) Tom Burke, Holliday Grainger
– Upright (2019) (Aus) Tim Minchin, Milly Alcock
– Love Me (2021) (Aus) Hugo Weaving, Bojana Novakovic (a remake of a Swedish show)
Our most-beloved show is Chuck! No idea if it’s your style, but it’s so much fun!
I loved Chuck! I may still have a crush on Zachary Levi…