What are you up to this weekend? Fall weather finally arrived this week so it’s time to pull my wool sweaters out of storage, bring my houseplants indoors, and find a yummy fall recipe to bake. (I’m taking suggestions in comments!)
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.
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.
How a Community of Readers Saved Their Book Festival. (New York Times gift link) Margaret Renkl on Ann Patchett, the power of social media, and the plight of Southern Festival of Books. If you’re in or near Nashville next weekend, be sure to check out the Festival. (And tell me all about it? I’d desperately love to visit sometime!)
Amanda Shires Says the Highwomen Are Reuniting to Work on New Songs. (Rolling Stone) This can’t come soon enough!
Is Mick Herron the Best Spy Novelist of His Generation? (The New Yorker) After mentioning Will and I were watching Slow Horses, a few readers recommended this excellent profile from Jill Lepore. “For the longest stretch of Herron’s professional life, he worked in London in the legal department of an employment-issues research firm, copy-editing journal articles, handbooks, and case reports about employment discrimination and wrongful termination. Nights, he wrote detective fiction, and even got some published, but no one bought it. Then he had a breakthrough. ‘People say write what you know,’ Herron says. ‘So I wrote about people who are failures.’”
Sweater weather is here again! One of my early fall favorites (for years now) is this cable knit cotton pullover (XXS–3X; mine is ivory ); the sweater-vest version is also adorable.
Jane Goodall’s ‘Famous Last Words’ revealed. Here’s what she said. (USA Today) “The famed chimpanzee researcher, who died Oct. 1, said in the video released Oct. 3 she would want to be remembered as ‘somebody sent to this world to try to give people hope in dark times, because without hope, we fall into apathy and do nothing.’”
Texts You Should Send Me After We Hang Out. (McSweeney’s) “I know we’ve been friends for ten years now, so I can understand your need to hear this: I like you and enjoy your company.”
Taylor Swift (Finally) Needs an Editor. (Dear Head of Mine) “One thing you learn as an editor is to judge writers that you respect by their own artistic goals.” The reader and writer in me found a lot to chew on in this Life of a Showgirl analysis focusing on Swift’s writing in the new album. Here an editor assesses Swift’s overall style (in a way that made me nod and laugh), and notes what they would have flagged for further refining in the album’s lyrics.
Ginger came to MMD Book Club this week sipping this “yummy” Bare Bones instant broth and I know I’m not the only one who added some to my grocery cart immediately!
Six books to read when you’re in a “You’ve Got Mail” frame of mind. (Gathering Light) “The real New York is irrelevant here. What we’re looking for is a place that can only exist in a Nora Ephron rom-com: nostalgic, bookish, bustling, autumnal.” Half these books are by Helene Hanff and I don’t mind a bit.
The magic of bringing book lovers together. (What Should I Read Next?) What goes into curating a top-notch literary festival? This interview gets into it. I especially love the three-point advice for getting the most out of your festival experience.
PSA: if you’re into the annual Sephora Favorites gift sets; they’re here: I always get the Holiday Favorites Value Set if it looks remotely decent (I skipped last year) but this year’s looks pretty darn good. The Cozy & Clean Makeup Value Set also includes a few of my favorite brands. These always sell out so if you want one, now’s the time.
An Existential Guide to: Making Friends. (The Shadowed Archive) “But making friends – have you tried it? Horrible stuff. It’s like applying for a job, except the application process is permanent and the job doesn’t exist.”
How to Start a Cookbook Club (and Actually Keep It Going), According to a Longtime Host. (Martha Stewart) Great tips.
Something Weird Is Happening With Halloween Chocolate. (Atlantic gift link) “Candy manufacturers release new versions of old sweets all the time, but the timing of these decidedly un-chocolaty varieties is curious: They’ve all launched within the past two years, as the world supply of cocoa beans has dwindled, causing prices to skyrocket.”
Don’t miss these posts:
12 intriguing novels featuring amateur sleuths. Solve a mystery alongside these amateur sleuths for a vicarious thrill.
A bounty of beautiful bookmarks: 20 charming place-holders and page-markers for bookworms to gift and enjoy. Bookmarks make a great gift for yourself or someone on your gift list.
Travel around the world with these 20 novels. Experience the world from the comfort of your home with a great book!
15 riveting books with unreliable narrators or ambiguous endings. It’s the perfect time of year for this kind of book.
Have a great weekend!