What are you up to this weekend? Around here, I’m looking forward to holiday break beginning in earnest when school ends today. (The college kids are already filling our house with vacation vibes, which is both delightful and tricky—because not everyone is on break yet!) This weekend we’re baking and wrapping and going to see Christmas lights at the botanical garden, but I also hope to enjoy some serious downtime on the couch with my book and a hot cup of something.
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.
Our Spring Book Preview is right around the corner!
Around here we host four marquee events for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club and What Should I Read Next Patreon members. We held Our Team’s Best Books of 2024 yesterday, and our next, Spring Book Preview, is coming up on January 16. This experience focuses on new-for-2025 titles publishing between January 1 and mid-April, and includes our printed digital Spring Book Preview booklet and your invitation to the live video event (including replay access to watch whenever and however many times you want). A print booklet is once again an option. Get the lowdown here, or to sign up now click here.
We’ve received a lot of questions about how to give the Spring Book Preview as a gift to a fellow reader. The easiest way to do that now is by gifting a Patreon membership, which is an option that Patreon only recently made available to us and that we are thrilled to offer: click here for more info.
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 try a service like Pocket.
Murderbot, She Wrote. (WIRED) Martha Wells on Murderbot’s success: “I really didn’t expect this to happen. I especially didn’t expect it to happen with a little novella about an angry, sarcastic security android with a rich interior life.”
I listened to all* of Bach. (Laura Vanderkam) Inspiration for those contemplating big 2025 projects. “I truly loved this project. I enjoyed it in a way that I have to say I didn’t love my Jane Austen project (sorry!) or even Shakespeare.”
You Want That Gift to Arrive Today? This Is What It Takes. (New York Times gift link) “Companies have found that, once acquired, the taste for speedy delivery makes customers both loyal and willing to spend more money.”
How Honeycrisp Apples Went From Marvel to Mediocre. (Serious Eats) Fascinating. “The answer is both simpler and more complex than you might think, and it’s impossible to answer that question without looking at how the Honeycrisp apple came about—and how it shot to stardom so quickly.”
The Hidden Story of J. P. Morgan’s Librarian. (The New Yorker) “Morgan had the money and the dream—and a great eye—but Greene had the vision and creativity to see that the library could tell a story, not so much about the accumulation of stuff but about man’s deep desire for knowledge, and thus truth.” For a historical fiction take on Green’s life, try The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray and then watch our MMD Book Club discussion with the authors.
The 31 Best Trader Joe’s Foods of 2024. (Bon Appétit) We just went to Trader Joe’s yesterday and this roundup makes me want to go back! Do you agree?
The National Book Critics Circle Inaugurates Award Longlists. (Publishers Weekly) The NBCC president says, “Revealing [longlists] allows us to honor more writers, translators, and books than we ever have in a single year.”
Books are Buy One, Get One 50% Off at Target right now, including my books My Reading Life: A Book Journal, Don’t Overthink It, and I’d Rather Be Reading.
Posting Less. (Culture Study) I feel this. “People seem to be grappling with a more fundamental question: Does posting add more to my life than it extracts? In this iteration of the internet, in this ideological climate, with these platform-specific incentives — is social media ‘worth’ it?”
45 of the Funniest Christmas Movies to Help You Survive the Holiday Season. (Elle) A lot of favorites on here.
Speaking of Christmas movies: my family watched Love Hard last night and it was a lot of fun, far surpassing our (admittedly low) expectations. We cackled at the scene with the “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” update, which was so delightful it made watching the whole 100-minute film worth it.
How Often Should You Wash Your Hair? (Self) Helpful guidance. (As for me, I wash my fine, thick hair every four days or so, and swear by this shampoo and this leave-in conditioner for my hair type.)
The 2024 easy-but-fancy holiday menu. (What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking) I’m sharing this because of the included recipe for the cider-braised pot roast. We tried this last night and it was delicious and easy; I was skeptical of the apple cider and beef combo but we all loved it. Old habits die hard so I browned my roast first. Served with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots: chef’s kiss. (I’ve had great luck with Caro’s recipes; her cookbook is included in Target’s book sale if you’re interested.)
18 Life-Learnings from 18 Years of The Marginalian. (The Marginalian) Good stuff. “Somewhere along the way, you realize that no one will teach you how to live your own life — not your parents or your idols, not the philosophers or the poets, not your liberal arts education or your twelve-step program, not church or therapy or Tolstoy.”
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!
16 short books to knock out your reading challenge.
Have a great weekend!