What are you up to this weekend? We have a kid getting their wisdom teeth out (got any tips?) so I foresee lots of soup and mashed potatoes in our weekend plan. I’m also excited to cheer on another kid at a cross country meet and, inspired by the cooler temps headed our way, get my fall closet into shape. (Thankfully that last activity pairs well with audiobook listening! I’m 30% of the way through this one, recommended by Katherine Center at last week’s MMD Book Club about The Bodyguard.)
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.
Fall Book Preview
The countdown is on for our sixth annual Fall Book Preview on September 18! We’ve been hosting this live event since 2019: this is where I get to share book recommendations, industry insights, and interesting commentary on the books coming out this fall. Fall is arguably the biggest literary season of the year and undoubtedly the big season for literary fiction and mystery/thrillers, and this fall’s offerings are particularly robust. We have so much good stuff to talk about!
My team and I are always experimenting with new ways that our work can enhance your reading life. To that end, this season we’re offering a print, hold-in-your-hands, delivered-by-snail-mail version of our Fall Book Preview booklet. All our Fall Book Preview participants will receive our 12-page Fall Book Preview digital PDF booklet, but if you would like a print version in addition to the digital booklet so you can hold it in your hands, take it to the library or bookstore, and scrawl your bookish notes all over it—this season, you have that option! Add your booklet for $10 plus shipping (U.S. delivery is easy and inexpensive; please email [email protected] if you’d like it shipped internationally and we can calculate the cost to ship to your location).
If you would like a booklet, great! Please order your booklet now. The lead time on a large print order is substantial, and we need to tell the printer our final quantity today. We will order some extra copies, but we cannot guarantee we will have a booklet for you if you don’t place that order by end of day. All booklets ordered by today will ship on September 18.
I made you this short video to talk a little more about the booklet (and so you can laugh, as I did, at how I apparently always look down and right when thinking about what to say next!). I’m holding up the 2023 booklet in the video, but the 2024 version is similar. Happy viewing!
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.
My Bookshelf, Myself. (NYT gift link) “When I reread a book from my own shelves, I meet my own younger self. Sometimes my younger self underlined a passage that I would have reached for my pencil to underline now. Other times she read right past a line that stuns me with its beauty today.”
The 2024 Liberty Beauty Advent Calendar is here! I put my order in the minute I found out it was live. This is my fourth year ordering the calendar: I unquestionably spend many months of my skincare budget all at once with this purchase, but in terms of high-end skincare it’s a great value and tons of (a very specific kind of) fun. I’ve found some favorite brands and products here—everything from lipsticks to serums to candles—and can’t wait to get my hands on the 2024 offerings.
What I’ve been listening to lately: the new and the notable. (MMD) 10 audiobooks I’ve particularly enjoyed lately.
Ina Garten and the Age of Abundance. (The New Yorker) “‘She’s the aunt that everybody wishes they had,” Kerry Diamond, the founder of the food magazine Cherry Bombe, said. ‘She’s funny. She’s rich. She’ll let you eat the chocolate cake your mother said you couldn’t have.’”
Solving Every Travel Problem! (Some Happy Scribbles Substack) A smorgasbord of helpful travel tips.
After enjoying crème brûlée out earlier this summer, we put “make this at home” on our summer bucket list. I’d never tried before, but Mark Bittman’s Vanilla Crème Brûlée (NYT Cooking gift link) was easy enough and a hit with the whole family. I was terrified I was doing it wrong but it turned out great. (With no blowtorch, just the broiler.)
Writing a Different Kind of Crime Novel. (Kirkus Reviews) Great interview with Attica Locke.
Nothing on TV Felt Like My So-Called Life. (Vulture) I loved this show when I was sixteen. A good read for those who have seen it, but also for those interested in the writing process or tv generally. “Every character was in a state of flux. Everyone was trying to figure out who they were. Everyone was trying to figure out their identity. The adults and the children and the kids.”
Startlingly beautiful sentences and perfect last lines. (What Should I Read Next?) This new episode with Hunter of Shelf by Shelf sets a great tone for fall reading and is packed with nerdy goodness: we talk books that are just a little bit weird, writing that’s striking on the sentence level, and the personalities of the major book awards.
“Luften” is the German Fall Ritual You Need to Try ASAP (It Totally Refreshes Your Space!) (Apartment Therapy) Of course there would be a German word for this practice.
I love dresses for the summer-to-fall transition and Target has some great ones right now! I love this Women’s Short Sleeve Belted Midi Shirtdress; I’m a navy dress girl at heart but for some reason am drawn to greens in the fall, as my closet will attest. (Though the yellow is also beautiful.) This Women’s Tiered Maxi A-Line Dress is also available in a beautiful green, and looks fantastic on its own or layered with a denim or leather jacket. And this Women’s Flutter Short Sleeve Maxi A-Line Dress isn’t available in my size but the lemon yellow print is just darling!
The Best Summer Reads for Food-Loving Bookworms. (Bon Appétit) I’ve enjoyed a few of these!
Why I Left the Network. (Pro Publica) “The interviews underscore how the nation’s insurers — quietly, and with minimal pushback from lawmakers and regulators — have assumed an outsize role in mental health care. It is often the insurers, not the therapists, that determine who can get treatment, what kind they can get and for how long.” Reminds me of this two-year-old funny-cause-it’s-true tweet that I still reference all the time in conversation with friends.
Don’t miss these posts:
Assigned reading we actually enjoyed. Required reading doesn’t have to be boring!
20 coming-of-age novels for your fall reading. Exactly what I enjoy this time of year: coming-of-age stories feature young protagonists learning big life lessons and finding their place in the world.
15 super short audiobooks you can finish in four hours or less. If you’re testing the audiobook waters or looking for something quick to jazz up your reading life…
Have a great weekend!
