What are you up to this weekend? I’m starting the day with a found hour thanks to a cancelled appointment—it will have to be rescheduled, but it’s still not a terrible way to kick off a Friday. I’m looking forward to a few days of good books, leisurely dinners, perhaps a garden tour, and (gulp) finally putting away the last of my winter sweaters.
I hope YOU have something to look forward to these next few days, and that this collection of interesting reads and favorite things helps ease you into that weekend frame of mind.
Housekeeping note: we sold out our last print Summer Reading Guides so fast that Will Bogel ordered a hundred more. Now we have 32 remaining. This is our physical, hold-in-your-hand printed Guide that will arrive via snail mail: if you’d like one, order it right here. (If you would like the digital-only SRG + Unboxing access instead of or in addition to the print SRG magazine, that is available here.) Happy summer reading!
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.
A guide to the bookstores owned by your favorite authors. (Associated Press) This is a handy round up!
The World Is Going Crazy Over Fireflies. (Wall Street Journal gift link) “Their annual emergence in the Great Smoky Mountains has become so popular that campsites sell out months in advance. This year’s lottery to get parking spots for the eight-night official viewing period attracted over 45,000 applicants.”
Cursive Club, Where Students Learn With a Flourish. (The New York Times gift link) “Cursive was not included when the Common Core standards were adopted in 2010, and now many children can’t sign their names, write checks or read historical documents written in cursive, such as the Declaration of Independence.”
10 books set in hotels. (MMD) “Something about the glamour of a character who appears in a hotel lobby draws me in—what are they doing there? Are they alone? Are they running to something or away from something? But it’s not the setting alone… ” The comments section on this is fabulous (and growing!).
Bedazzle Something. It’s Good for Your Mental Health. (Time) “Bedazzling can transform the most humdrum object in your life into something that makes you a little happier every time you encounter it.”
What should I read this summer? (What Should I Read Next?) On choosing how to spend your precious reading time.
15 Easy Ways to Harness the Joy of Anticipation. (Happy on Purpose) “We can harness the power of anticipation all year round by structuring our days and weeks to vanquish monotony and include small delights to look forward to.” This piece made me think of my mom, who was a HUGE believer in the power of anticipation—especially when it came to travel.
I tried a ridiculous number of open-weave shoe styles trying to find an option that was both cute AND fit my big and wide feet and now that I’ve worn them everywhere for a month I can confidently say this pair from Naturalizer was a great pick. (5-11)
17 Food Items You Should Buy When They’re on Sale. (NYT Cooking) Lots of helpful tips, especially unexpected items that can be frozen.
My favorite earbuds for audiobook listening. (MMD) Team member Brigid shares how she found the perfect just-right-for-her earbuds. “Last year, I listened to a whopping 269 hours 59 minutes of books on audio, the majority while wearing earbuds…. Since I happily consume about half of my reads on audio, it’s important to have the right listening accessories.”
The 100 Greatest Bird Names of All Time. (Bird History) “What makes a bird’s name great? That it’s funny? Or original? Are those better than the unexpected, unique, inspiring, delightful, or just perfectly apt?” The photos make for a long but grin-heavy scroll. (If you only click one link, make it this one!)
This is 52: NY Times Bestseller Laurie Frankel Responds to The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire. (Oldster Magazine) “All ages sound old until you get there, and not at all once you arrive.” Relatable! (So far, that is ….)
I popped into J.Crew Factory this week to grab a favorite tee in person, and they had so much cute stuff! Favorites include: the striped gauze button-up and this button-up eyelet cover-up (both XXS–3X) and this adorable little red bucket bag.
Can’t do a European vacation? Visit these 10 European-inspired U.S. cities. (Washington Post gift link) “The more accessible and affordable [domestic] options can still transport you to not-so-faraway lands where windmills spin, tulips bloom, hefeweizen flows and bilingual signs welcome — and välkommen or willkommen or witamy — all.” This was a fun and well-timed read for me, as I just read a book that included a stop in Solvang.
Don’t miss these posts:
20 favorite LGBTQ+ novels and memoirs. Pick up these favorite LGBTQ+ novels and memoirs during Pride month and all year long.
Add joy to your reading life with these favorite bookish accessories. Marvelous accompaniments to the reading life.
20 epistolary novels that will sweep you away. Reading an epistolary novel is like being let in on a good secret.
Have a great weekend!
10 comments
I bought two gauze shirts a couple years ago and love them. They are the very best for travel, they are wrinkled on purpose! Mine always look great when I pull them out of the suitcase at my destination. Now on the lookout for gauze pants.
I would like to try a diamond art or bedazzle kit for relaxation. Does anyone have experience and can recommend a specific brand or kit to purchase or NOT to purchase? I love the look of the decorated book covers! Thank you!
I love this question, the bedazzled book covers, and am following any recos. Thanks for asking and to anyone answering!
I have experience jeweling my daughters dance costumes by hand. We purchase flat back jewels and some E6000 and go to town. Some tools that help immensely:
*Wax tipped Jewel setting tool. Some people get fancier ones but I’m not disappointed with the cheapest option. It’s a long stick with wax on one end like a q-tip.
*Glue Syringe. It should have a syringe and a tip just like a medical one. Size of the tip determines how much glue comes out (larger stones need larger tips). Put the glue on your item, place the gem, press lightly, let dry. They will be where you put them forever.
Hope it helps, have a blast!
We bought this kit for my daughter’s birthday party: https://amzn.to/4dTn4ge The gaggle of 16 year old girls loved it and they were easy to use. We used them on hairbrushes and almost a year later my daughter’s still looks good. She used some to bedazzle a couple things in her room too. Like perfume bottle tops. And it is sooo cute.
I just buy whatever diamond art kit looks fun to me on Amazon! Here is a link to the extra tools I have because what comes with the kit isn’t enough, especially if you want to include other people.
https://amzn.to/4vCNgBK
There’s also a classic called The Feast by Margaret Kennedy, in which some of the characters represent the seven deadly sins.
Anne, what book included a stop in Solvang? We sometimes stop there when driving from Northern California to Southern California to visit my mother. I’m very curious, especially because the book likely includes other familiar places.
“Baking Up a Murder” by Hattie Fox maybe? I visited Solvang last year, and thought it was charming but very very crowded with tourists!
My son and I were in Minneapolis this winter and he surprised me with a visit to Birch Books! I am a huge Louise Erdrich fan since reading Love Medicine in college. Visiting her store was a life long bucket list item and I really didn’t realize how emotionally impactful it would be. I am still amazed that my 20 year old son organized such a joyful outing!