How is your weekend shaping up? As of this afternoon all my kids will be out of school for the holidays, so the holiday/vacation vibes in my house are strong and growing! This weekend I’m looking forward to hosting an out-of-town friend, baking up a storm, and finishing up both my puzzle-in-progress and gifting odds and ends. (Got any recommendations for a 10-year-old aspiring gardener?)
I hope you have something lovely to look forward to this weekend, and that this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend state of mind.
I can barely believe it, but this is our last Links I Love of 2025. My team will be off between Christmas and New Year’s for a well-deserved break. We’ll be back in 2026! (We’re officially back on Monday, January 5, but if history means anything, the odds are better than ever that I’ll pop in with New Year’s Links on Friday, January 2.)
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 bookmarking service.
Netflix Orders Series Adaptation Of Liz Moore’s Mystery Novel ‘The God Of The Woods.’ (Deadline) It’s happening! I loved this book from one of my favorite authors working today.
What’s your niche reading project? (MMD) On individually crafted, self-directed reading projects for fun, motivation, and purpose in your reading life. Don’t miss the fabulous comments section.
7 of the Best European-Style Christmas Markets in the U.S. (Daily Passport) Let’s go!
I was delighted to discover Harney & Sons issued a special edition tea in honor of the 30th anniversary of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Pemberley Grey is a black tea blend with oolong tea, rose, bergamot, and grapefruit—in a gorgeous tin! Book lovers may also be interested in the Little Women Orchard House blend, or one of the Agatha Christie blends. I just restocked my personal faves Decaf Hot Cinnamon, Organic Bangkok (Green Tea with Coconut, Ginger, and Vanilla), and Decaf Paris. Get $10 off your first $30 order with this link.
Our team recaps our 2025 reading year. (What Should I Read Next?) I ask everybody what worked and what didn’t, plus pose a wild card question to each team member.
The best science images of 2025. (Nature) WHOA.
I’m so grateful my friend (hello, friend!) shared this recipe for her family favorite Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies (Gimme Some Oven). I baked them for the first time this week and my kids were asking when we could make them next before the first batch was even gone! (Hot tip from my friend: freeze the dough balls rolled in sugar, then defrost and bake them off when you’re ready for them.)
The Best Book Covers of 2025. (New York Times gift link) “Reading endures in part for its ability to share multiple interrelated ideas within a contained form. Design can do this too.”
Nearly a Century Ago, American Chestnut Trees Died Off. Now, Hikers Can Walk Among Them Again. (Outside) “‘It’s not something that we advertise,’ says Stark, ‘but backpackers can now explore groves of healthy, effectively wild American chestnut trees across numerous eastern states and forage for nuts for the first time in about a century. The effort behind them, says Stark, ‘is one of the most epic conservation stories ever told.'” This is so cool! I had no idea conservation efforts have come so far since we last linked the chestnut trees.
The TJ’s Holiday Gift Guide You Didn’t Ask For. (Kristine Rego) Warning: after reading through this guide my next outing to Trader Joe’s leapfrogged up my priority list.
“We Are Fake America”: Why So Many Christmas Movies Are Filmed in Canada. (The Walrus) “This year alone, sixteen Christmas movies were shot in Ottawa (where the tourism office has a map of Hallmark destinations), marking a local record. In other words, one of the most successful networks on television today may be selling American family values, but the movies wouldn’t be what they are without their quintessentially Canadian settings, crews, and creatives.”
This week my family went to look at holiday lights, then walked in the door to this ready-and-waiting White Bean Soup with Bacon I’d prepped in the slow cooker earlier that day. Easy and delicious; we’ll be making it again soon. (Simply Recipes)
What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable. (MMD) I did not realize when I was putting this list together that almost all of these are audio selections!
The Retired English Teacher With 45 Film and TV Credits. (Vulture) Now this is a great way to spend your retirement. “He picked a good time to launch a second act in show business. The streaming boom was in full swing, fueling a surge in TV shoots across the city and the demand for background extras. Many are local retirees like Gold, happy to collect the modest pay, enjoy the free lunch, and have somewhere to be before noon.”
The Holidays Can Be Brutal When You’re Grieving. (Time) “The holidays will come, whether we’re ready or not. The empty chair remains empty. But perhaps we can build a version of this season spacious enough to contain both joy and sorrow.”
Don’t miss these posts:
20 recommended reads for those who dream of traveling to Iceland. It’s almost time for Jólabókaflóðið! You don’t have to exchange Icelandic books in order to do your own Christmas book flood but it’s a good excuse for some literary tourism.
14 feel-good shows and movies for book lovers. Movies and television shows with a literary touch!
Unconventional packing tips for your next trip. This isn’t your usual packing list.
15 books about books for bibliophiles. For everyone who loves books about books!
Have a great weekend!
12 comments
My dad has been growing a small farm of chestnut trees for a couple years now. Southern Illinois. He’s trying to bring them back 😊
I am going to make those molasses cookies! Merry Christmas to you, your staff and family!
I LOVE ginger/molasses cookies and it is very difficult to find good ones! it was a mainstay of my mother’s cookie recipe cycle, too. These days, I’m the only one in my family who loves them, but I have a neighbor who is always ready to take a few. Thanks for sharing!
My advice for a gift for a 10 year old gardener is a good quality trowel. They will be able to use it forever and a trowel is very versatile!
I freeze cookies all the time- if they are already individually portioned, no need to defrost, just bake from frozen and add a few extra minutes to the bake time!
For your new gardener, I am a UC Master Gardener, so I have some recommendations. https://www.reneesgarden.com/
These seeds are some of the most reliable for Vegetables and flowers. These are often at smaller, independent nurseries.
A pair of really good waterproof gloves if you can find them in child size. Try Amazon.
Child size tools that are real tools if age appropriate. Dewitt makes real children’s tools.
Kid’s Muck boots, but these are pricey.
One of my friends, who is also retired, does background work in our state. She’s recently been in Dark Winds and Pluribus, among other shows.
For the young gardener, my mind went to garden journals, nature journaling, and garden planning perpetual calendars. A few seed catalogs would be fun too! Or a house plant or succulent subscription for a couple of months. A basket of bulbs to plant now for spring flowers, depending on the climate they live in. Good compost, a couple of tiny terra cotta planters and some herb seeds for a window-ledge winter garden. A little pollinator water station.
That was a fun topic to brainstorm!
I have a gardening loving daughter about that age and she really enjoys the Floret books. We also gave her a gardening belt to hold all of her tools like snips and trowels while she’s working outside.
For the ten-year-old: How about one (or some) antique garden tools? They are charming and sturdy.
The article about chestnut trees brought back my youth: In the 60s we lived in Doylestown, PA, on an in-town lot on Maple Ave (yes, mostly maples), but the house next door was empty and it had this magnificent chestnut tree! We were fascinated that those ugly green pods with spikes had beautiful, mahogany brown, smooth nuts inside! We loved to collect them and use them for games or trade, or just to hold and smooth with our fingers. I had no idea that the chestnut was under fire, or rare. Nobody ever showed us how to roast them (“chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”) or eat them, but I’ll never forget those beautiful nuts.
Thank you, Anne, for the article on grieving during the holidays. It was what I needed.
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