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.
‘No stuffy vibes … just good books’: Matt Haig to open bookshop in Brighton. (The Guardian) Haig on what they’ll stock: “Just good books. Curated by me and people I trust. Mind-bending books. Tearful books. Banned books. Fun books. Graphic novels. Kids’ books. Grown-up books. Really cool music and art books. Books with words. Books that have no words but are really gorgeous to flick through….”
This Country Has a Word for ‘Ice Cream Road Trip’. (Food & Wine) “It’s Iceland’s very specific answer to a Sunday drive. This is so ingrained in our culture that we don´t really think about it, it’s just something you do. No matter the weather, it’s always time for ice cream.”
The books that shaped me: Shannan edition, part 2. (MMD) Get to know Modern Mrs Darcy team member Shannan through the books that influenced her over the past fifteen years.
7 Gardens So Serene, You Won’t Believe They’re in the City. (New York Times gift link) I adore the Missouri Botanical Garden and would dearly love to visit the other six.
Let’s do a ‘couch to 5k’ for reading. (Whatever Works) “This program … is essentially intended for people who have great memories of reading enjoyably but have found that their brains have been sucked into social media and the smartphones.”
Will and I make at least one latte at home every day: we upgraded this summer to this Instant Pot frother (on sale now) and we love it. (This after buying and returning a pricier Breville model with underwhelming performance.)
A Painted Cover from Another Mother. (New York Public Library) “You might have noticed an uptick in publishers using paintings for book cover art over the past year or so…. Whatever the reason, painted book covers are so popular that some books are even using the same paintings.” Fascinating!
Things I Always Notice About Stylish Women. (The Well-Lived Collective) “The older I get, the more I realize that style has very little to do with clothing. It’s ultimately a collection of small habits, quiet decisions, and having an understanding of what feels like you.”
Los Angeles Public Library Unveils the World’s Largest Pop-Up Book. (Colossal) “The design rises to more than 11 feet tall, and overall, it weighs nearly a ton. It’s also made from materials customarily used to produce standard books, like fabric, paper, and adhesive.” Whoa!
The Charming Southern College Town You’ve Never Heard Of—But Need To Visit This Summer. (Southern Living) A lovely little profile of Davidson, NC. So fun to see personal favorite indie Main Street Books featured here!
Writing stories of hope and a timely Odyssey discussion with William Kent Krueger. (What Should I Read Next?) A wonderful conversation about the power of stories (and about a favorite pair of boots, too).
How to write a limerick. (quite useless) “The limerick’s rhyme scheme and meter are not fussy academic rules enforced for their own sake, but an inherent support to droll content. The form makes the content funny. Its sing-song levity sands down the edges of taboo and rudeness, allowing you to say true things in good humor that you probably wouldn’t otherwise.” This made me giggle.
I’m a Gallery Owner—These Are My Go-To Tips for Finding Amazing Vintage Art on a Budget. (Real Simple) “If something stops you mid-aisle, that’s not impulse—that’s your eye doing its job.” From the author of Art for Everyone, which I checked out from the library and loved so much I immediately bought myself a copy.
My new favorite thing is this Sweet Bay-Peppercorn Shrub with a grapefruit base. (NYT Cooking gift link) I am constantly on the hunt for delicious and interesting non-alcoholic beverages and this is a winner! I mostly followed the recipe as written, but used a scant cup sugar and muddled it in the mixer. This is good with club soda but I like it even more with an addition of light tonic.
The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders is our August 2026 MMD Book Club selection (and 2026 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide pick). It’s a powerful multigenerational saga about inheritance, a family farm, and meddlesome family ghosts. The author will join us for a discussion on August 27.
Don’t miss these posts:
Cool down this summer with these novels set in cold places. Do you need a vicarious escape from the summer heat?
My go-to products for my current minimalist summer makeup routine. The products I find myself consistently reaching for when I want to spend five minutes or less.
14 absorbing nonfiction books about cults and high control religious groups. A unique subgenre that offer insights about some of the darker corners of the human experience.
Have a great weekend!
5 comments
I shared that giant pop-up book on Facebook. How wonderful to see it in person.
Hey Anne, I was going to immediately buy the instant pot milk, heater and frother you recommended but when I went to the Amazon site, I saw that it only has a 3.6 rating and, man it has issues with breaking down and quickly – many people saying in the first 1 to 3 months and that the company is terrible to deal with. I love both iced coffees in the summer and hot lattes in the winter, but I think I’m gonna keep looking. Can you post something and let us know how yours lasts?
I have the NESPRESSO Vertuo coffee machine with the add on frother. Both work very well and are going strong after 2 years. Highly recommend if you like espresso and cappuccino.
Deborah, I so wish I could find an option with slam dunk reviews! Prior to this new Instant Pot frother, we used a more basic Instant Pot model that is still working well after a year. I researched high end (Breville, Smeg) and also lower end and found a truly astounding range of user experience. We purchased and then returned a $200 Breville because it took up more than its fair share of counter space for a pricy product with mediocre results. I bought a Nespresso Aeroccino off marketplace and while their reliability seems to be good, the froth was ho-hum. Based on my experience with my first Instant Pot model, I was willing to take a chance with this new one.
I know Worse on Purpose would have a lot to say about the frother market right now, but I wish they would point me towards one closer to the buy-it-for-life end of the spectrum, vs might-conk-out-in-three-months.
If it’s helpful: I’ve read that many of these frothers (and other small electrical appliances) break because water gets into their circuitboards during cleaning. Whatever model you end up with, maybe keep that in mind while cleaning?
Love the NYT article about the gardens across the country! Read the comments for a ton of great suggestions! I love the Denver Botanic Gardens and recently was thrilled to find the Daniel Stowe Conservancy in Belmont, North Carolina.