a lifestyle blog for book lovers

My favorite finds from around the web:

Marie Kondo and the ruthless War on Stuff. “When it comes to stuff, we are all the same. Once we’ve divided all the drawers and eliminated that which does not bring us joy and categorized ourselves within an inch of our lives, we’ll find that the person lying beneath all the stuff was still just plain old us. We are all a mess, even when we’re done tidying. At least Kondo knows it.”

Why I eat the same thing for lunch every day. “I do the same thing with my clothes: classics, white shirts, T-shirts, jeans. All winter long I wear almost the same thing. I don’t have to think about it; it’s just, “this is what I eat and this is what I wear,” and then it gives me the freedom to do other things. It’s one less decision a day to make.”

• Hamilton is fanfic, and its historical critics are totally missing the point. “Like countless fanfic writers before him, Miranda clearly loves his canon, but he expresses that love by tearing the canon to pieces. Like countless fanfic writers before him, he remains as close to the letter of authenticity as possible while also completely deconstructing the worldview he’s been given.”

• Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2016 Book Preview. 2016 has been a great year for books so far. Here’s a peek at the big releases between now and New Year’s.

Favorite instagram:

It’s the backstory on this tale of two Chicago coffees I really like. (Follow me on instagram @annebogel.)

On the blog:

One year ago: What self-care looks like for me right now. “These days, I try to take good care of myself. I used to think self care was silly and indulgent; now I view it as something vital—essential to my health and my sanity.”

Two years ago: Un-put-down-able. “Every once in a while, I pick up a book that’s so compelling I just can’t put it down until I reach the last page…”

Three years ago: 35 things I’ve learned in my 35 years. A birthday reflection.

Four years ago: You don’t want to go there. “But there’s a tension with shying away from a whole category. While it might be wise to stay away from stuff that upsets me, it’s worthwhile to pay attention to those very things. What makes me weep, what makes my heart race? There’s meaning there.”

Five years ago: Pssst! A secret about secrets. “Secrets create tension in your brain, but your brain doesn’t like the tension that secrets create.”

Have a great weekend!

6 comments

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  1. I don’t think I was reading your blog 5 years ago, Anne, but I was intrigued by the link to your 2011 post about secrets. It made me think of a Beth Moore study I did at church a couple of years ago called “Sacred Secrets.” She distinguished between good and bad secrets too, as your post does, but ultimately her Big Idea was these 2 simple words: “Secrets manifest.” In other words, our secrets WILL come out, one way or the other. Thanks for bringing this to my mind again!

  2. Jennifer N. says:

    I <3 Hamilton! We have been listening to the original cast recording for a few weeks now… and of course I understand that there are likely historical inaccuracies because the musical is art. I feel like fans of the musical understand this, as well. Additionally, I am now interested in reading Chernow's biography, which never would have pinged on my radar without the musical. If this musical encourages people to learn more about the actual history it is based on, then how could it be a bad thing?

    I am coming around to the "same thing everyday" idea. As the mother of small children, decisions are endless in my life. Anything I can do to remove pointless decisions will make my day much easier.

  3. Roxanna says:

    I sometimes wonder at our obsession to collect stuff, and then rid ourselves of said stuff as quickly as possible in the tyranny of decluttering. I’ve always had a soft spot for Rosamunde Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers (which i know you haven’t read, Anne – but you must – look for an older version with the original cover, designed by Hermes!) and in that book, the characters’ love for house, home and *stuff* really spoke to me. No more Kondo-ing for me; I’ll hang on to the afghan I rescued from a goodwill, the scarf my grandmother knit me, and the perfume bottle that only has the whisper of a scent left, thank you!

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