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Hello, hello, and happy Friday! Last weekend it poured for three days straight, so this weekend I’m hoping to get my already-purchased herbs planted in pots and strew some zinnia seeds in beds. I’ve forgotten about the zinnias the last two years and I am determined not to do so this year. If you have any tips, please share! I’m also looking forward to this weekend’s mother-daughter pre-graduation events with my high school senior, plus Will and I are hoping to hit up our local botanical garden for the first time in a few months.

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.

The 2025 Summer Reading Guide is next week!

We just did our final wrap on the 2025 SRG design after many rounds of edits. It’s beautiful and I can’t wait for you to see it! Preorder yours today so you get your Guide when it drops on May 15, and you can join us for our annual Unboxing book party, where I tell you about every title in the Guide and why I chose it. It’s not necessary to attend, but it sure is fun and useful!

Now the SRG is off to the printer because for the first time this year we’re offering a printed Guide that you can take with you to the bookstore or library, leave on your coffee table, tuck in your tote bag, whatever you want. All summer long (and beyond!) you can easily peruse the Guide any time you’re wondering what to read next.

That same printer is also working on our merch which is coming in daily at this point. (Yep, it’s exciting times in the Bogel household.) Head over to instagram later today to see me show off our Well Read hat, the 2022 printed SRG (yes, you read that right), our postcard pack, and new sticker designs. The “concert tee” and 2023-2025 SRGs are in process and we’ll start shipping orders as soon as we get them in hand. Check out all the goods in our shop.

My favorite finds from around the web:

I offer gift links for articles whenever possible (you may still need to create an account with the publication); if there’s no gift link and you’re not a subscriber, check to see if your library carries the publication or use a service like Pocket.

A new chapter for publishing? Book subscription services launch their own titles. (The Guardian) “It’s fair to see where they could influence things – they have an understanding of their subscribers and can cater to that market well as a result. But curating is not the same as publishing; quality and influence are two different things.”

The 25 Gardens You Must See. (New York Times gift link) I have been to exactly one garden in this global collection but gosh I loved the photos!

‘James’ Won the Pulitzer, but Not Without Complications. (New York Times gift link) When James won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction earlier this week, I was not remotely surprised. What I did find surprising was the news that it wasn’t initially among the judges top three picks. This piece explains the selection process and what happens when judges can’t agree.

Regarding the Pulitzer, I was also surprised that Rita Bullwinkel’s Headshot was a finalist. Not because I didn’t love it—but because when I read it, I thought it was a weird little niche book that not many readers I knew had heard of. I’m delighted to see it recognized here. Here’s my short and sweet Quick Lit review.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta with Peas and Mint (Bon Appetit) Thanks again for your pasta recipe recommendations; this simple dinner was a hit with my family!

Discover the majesty of trees with these 11 books. (MMD) Ginger delivers the book list I didn’t know I needed! The comments section is excellent, packed with enticing titles.

I received these inexpensive incense matches as a gift years ago and have since reordered many times! They’re handy to keep for the bathroom or kitchen, and pretty, too.

What Is Upmarket Fiction? (Jane Friedman) This is a helpful explanation. “Upmarket fiction is a blend of commercial fiction and literary fiction, but how it gets blended is where writers and industry members can’t always agree.”

Willkommen, bienvenue! New festival celebrates translated fiction from Cameroon to Slovakia as sales boom. (The Guardian) “Festival organisers were aware of increased interest in translated literature from readers, meaning they felt the festival ‘would have a breadth of appeal it might not have done, say, five years ago.'”

The True Costs of Being on YouTube. (Food Processing) I always appreciate transparency from creators.

How owning multiple e-readers changed my reading life. (MMD) I was fascinated by Brigid’s reading practices, and those of many, many readers in comments! I had no idea y’all were reading like this.

These Old Navy linen-blend pants (XXS–4X) are fabulous for the price and just $30 right now. Hot tip: pair them with a matching shirt like a linen-blend tank or popover top (both XS–4X) and you’ll get a super simple, expensive looking, easy to wear value at a low price. My daughter has this combo in Natural, mine is in Black Jack, both look fantastic.

The Great AI Art Heist. (Chicago Magazine) “Zhao had told me that it’s nearly impossible for the average person to discern the difference between human-generated and AI-generated art. He theorizes that in the future there will be a premium on art made by humans — in part because there will be so few practicing artists.” I recently read Vauhini Vara’s Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age; the essay and book have much to say to each other.

Offbeat, intricately plotted books for an ambitious reading project. (What Should I Read Next?) Kathryn wants to read all the Women’s Prize for Fiction winners and finalists: what’s a good plan to complete and, more importantly, enjoy this project? We get into it.

Here’s how to really deep-clean your makeup brushes. (Glamour UK) I’m overdue.

Don’t miss these posts:

Take a vicarious trip with these novels set on planes, trains, and automobiles. Was this book list inspired by a movie title? Yes.

7 steps to read “hard” books. “Hard” books are the books we want to read but feel intimidated by because of difficult themes or subject matter. These tips will help!

15 re-readable middle grade novels that adults will love, too. The comments are a treasure trove!

Have a great weekend!