I am a huge proponent of meeting your internet friends in real life. My internet friends-turned-real life friends account for so many of the good things in my life—and that includes my job at MMD. More recently, I went to France with three of my dearest friends. We were Romancelandia Twitter pals who started buddy reading Laura Kinsale’s historical romances (Goodreads) together at the beginning of the pandemic. (My favorite remains For My Lady’s Heart. [Amazon]) A bond quickly formed and soon we were talking about anything and everything in our group chat and long Zooms, which eventually included how we should stay at a French chateau as inspired by one of the books.
Well, it took a few years of planning and saving—and we didn’t stay at a chateau—but we did make this dream trip a reality a couple of weeks ago. I’ve wanted to go to France since I was a kid and I’m still pinching myself that it actually happened. We stayed in Paris for six days and then Blois for three days for chateau purposes. We walked all over and spent hours in cafes in between visiting museums and parks or whatever else caught our eye. We ate the best food, including fresh croissants, pain au chocolat, and baguettes every day. I gasped out loud every single time I saw the Eiffel Tower. It was truly magical. But honestly, the best part was being in person with Charlotte, Hannah, and Vicky. They’re part of my inner circle; it was a treat to have nine whole days with them where we weren’t separated by a Zoom screen. We’re already planning future trips and I can’t wait.
I got home last Monday and I’m still shaking off the last dregs of jet lag (it seems to last longer in my 40s?!). This weekend I’ll be catching up on R&R, buddy reading the second book in a fantastic fantasy series (Bookshop), and working on a sewing project. I hope this weekend holds just the right amount of activity and rest for you too. And if you’ve been thinking about meeting up with an internet friend? I hope this will encourage you to follow through.
My favorite finds from around the web:
Tracy Deonn announced the release date for the third book in the Legendborn Cycle and I need it now! Oathbound will be here March 4, 2025. (Instagram, Bookshop)
How to find your personal style. (Unflattering by Dacy Gillespie Substack) I have a strong sense of my personal style. So strong that it can be difficult for me to try new trends or get out of my comfort zone. I love Dacy’s newsletter for the way she helps me think through my wardrobe and what I actually need.
It’s Time We Added Full Credit Pages to Books. (LitHub) I’m in favor of this. There’s a YA imprint that includes a credit page in their titles and Olivia Dade’s recent romance (Bookshop), which I loved, included a list in her Acknowledgements. On the other hand, what about people who are assigned to books they don’t want to otherwise be associated with? It’s tricky.
I hadn’t traveled internationally in several years; these were my top purchases to get me ready:
-This dual glasses and contact case (Amazon) meant I didn’t have to worry about my contact case floating around in my glasses case during my overnight flight. The only downside is it’s heavier than I expected but it was worth it for the peace of mind.
-I have an old universal adaptor but it’s one of those multiple piece sets. Enter the Epicka Universal Travel Power Adapter (Amazon). It’s one piece; you simply choose your country on the side and the correct prongs slide out. Genius!
-The real hero of the trip turned out to be this rain poncho from Target. When my friends and I encountered an unexpected rain shower while at a park, I unsnapped the sides and we used it as a tarp to cover us until the storm passed.
The Best Food to Bring to Every Summer Outing. (Eater) This made me hungry.
Whoopi Goldberg Breaks Out the Old Habit. (Vulture) What a delight! I didn’t know I needed a reunion of the Sister Act 2 cast.
The American Novel Has a Major Problem With Fat People. (The New Republic) Fatphobia is a pernicious issue in our society. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. (If you don’t yet see it, this article includes pertinent examples.) For more on this topic, I recommend the podcast Maintenance Phase and Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith (Bookshop), which was very helpful for this child-free woman.
7 Ways to Remove Sticker Residue From Every Surface—Including Martha’s Favorite Method. (Martha Stewart) I second the use of hair dryers for removing stickers from books. If there’s any residue left after that, Goo Gone takes care of it.
Coercive Care. (STAT) I worked with patients with sickle cell disease when I was a pediatric hematology/oncology social worker so I read this investigation with great interest and sadness.
Publishers Sue Google over Pirate Sites. (Publishers Weekly) This is specific to textbooks but I hope it’ll pave the way for getting rid of all other book pirate sites.
‘Run Lola Run’ 25 Years Later. (Vanity Fair) I’ve only seen this movie once but I can still picture myself sitting in my friend Brooke’s South Side Chicago living room as we watched, completely rapt.
After Prison, I Went to Miami to Reacquaint Myself With Freedom. (Condé Nast Traveler) “There’s never been a night dark enough that the light of a sunrise cannot defeat.”
I’ve been enjoying not one but two rewatch podcasts: Happy Endings Podcast, hosted by Casey Wilson and Adam Pally (aka Penny and Max), and Dear Felicity, hosted by Juliet Litman, Amanda Foreman (aka Meghan), and Greg Grunberg (aka Sean). I love hearing from all the actors and crew and their recollections about each show. I mean, Jennifer Garner herself appeared on Dear Felicity!
Who killed Google Reader? (The Verge) I will never stop missing Google Reader.
Don’t miss these posts:
20 fantastic and flavorful food fiction reads. This might make you hungry. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Things I’ll wear 1000x this summer. The summer wardrobe staples Anne relies on for easy style.
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!
Have a great weekend!
Leigh Kramer is the Editor, Event Project Manager, and Social Media Manager here at MMD. Her go-to genres are romance and fantasy. You can follow Leigh on Goodreads.
26 comments
Leigh, thanks for telling us about Dear Felicity! I didn’t know the podcast existed and that’s one of my all-time favorite tv shows. I’ve downloaded the current episodes and subscribed. Can’t wait to listen!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
Thank you for such a variety of topics in the weekend round up —I loved each and every topic . I’m curious about your sewing project ? Happy weekend
Glad you enjoyed it! Last weekend I made a wedge pillow so this weekend’s project is making a pillowcase for it.
Ahhhh sounds like fun—I have a little granddaughter who has decided she only
likes soft clothes and ones she can pull out of her bottom drawer to dress herself —so I am getting ready to experiment more with sewing knits while I listen to some audio books about sewing that have been on my TBR for awhile .
Hope your project goes well!
I work for a (non fiction/independent) publisher. It’s up to our employees (editors/designers/artists) whether they’ll be listed in the front matter of a book with their role. Many don’t choose to be listed either because working on the book wasn’t a good experience or they don’t want to be identified with the topic. As far as acknowledgements, it’s up to the authors who they choose to acknowledge. Sometimes we’ll remove an acknowledgement if it’s particularly snarky or negative (yes, authors have been known to write negative acknowledgements). We’ve talked about including marketing folks, acquiring editors, publicists, in the front matter, but in general they don’t wish to be identified. I agree it’s great to honor the behind the scenes people who make a book but I also respect their desires not to be named.
That is fascinating about the Acknowledgements!
Thanks for such a fun curated Friday post! I enjoyed each topic —I am curious about your weekend sewing project —want to share details ? Happy Friday
I am the same way about Google Reader. I loved it!
The heyday of blogging!
OMG – just bought the universal adaptor. Lucky me, I’m going to Asia in July and Iceland in August. This is perfect! Your girls trip sounds like it was divine!
Happy travels!
I’m meeting an internet friend in 10 days! We’ve been texting for over 2 1/2 years!
Ah!! I hope you have the best time together.
I love the idea of a personal style, and I think I might even know what mine is. But at the end…er, beginning…of the day, it just feels like too much work to pull together a coherent outfit. Probably why I am still living in jeans and freebie t-shirts in my mid-40s, lol.
I think Dacy’s tips could be helpful in starting to think about what your style might be. They’re very gentle and easy! Then once you have an idea, you can start to consider what your next steps are. And that might be as simple as upgrading your t-shirts. T-shirts and jeans is a classic combination for a reason!
Universal adapters are a wonderful invention!
I really like The Vivienne Files for ideas on building a capsule wardrobe and putting together a personal style. https://www.theviviennefiles.com/
Thanks for the rec!
I love tv rewatch podcasts, especially when they’re hosted by people from the show! Currently listening to Office Ladies and Pod Meets World, and I loved The West Wing Weekly. I’m adding Dear Felicity to my list!
West Wing Weekly was great! I hope you enjoy Dear Felicity.
Loved this post! My son leaves for Rome in a week and the links were helpful!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the article regarding the portrayal of “overweight” people in literature, & the publishing world in general. A sad commentary on what is valued.
You’re welcome!
That trip to Paris sounds absolutely magical!! If anyone is interested, the Timeline app is brilliant for combatting jet lag if you end up going on more trips. 🙂 You enter your flight info and dates of travel, and it sets up a plan to follow a few days before and after your trip ends, including ideal times to have caffeine, sleep, and expose yourself to sunlight so that your circadian rhythms adapt gradually. Even if you don’t follow the plan perfectly it makes SUCH a huge difference. I’ve used it on trips to Japan and the US (I’m currently based in the UK) in the past year and it felt so amazing to have more energy for both sightseeing and readjusting to my routine back at home, not to mention being able to sleep soundly through the night whenever I was!
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