What are you looking forward to this weekend? August is usually hot and sticky where I live, but our weekend forecast is cooler and dry and I cannot wait. We’ve been going hard since school started a few weeks ago and I’m looking forward to reading, cooking, baking, and maybe finally finishing putting down the mulch we bought several months ago. (Gulp.)
I hope you have good stuff planned for the days to come, 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.
‘Babel’ Author R.F. Kuang’s New Book ‘Katabasis’ in the Works as Amazon TV Series From Writer Angela Kang (EXCLUSIVE). (Variety) This deal happened a week before the novel’s publication. The buzz is real!
A Miles-Long Cave in Kentucky Was a Smelly Disaster. Now It’s Spectacular. (New York Times gift link) “I never thought I’d get so passionate about a holler in the ground.” Fascinating! This isn’t terribly far from me (and quite close to Mammoth Cave National Park) but I had no idea about any of this until Will sent me the link.
I have plenty of candles right now, but the Apotheke sale is too good to ignore! Save a whopping 50% on their summer line: I wanted to love the tomato basil but it’s good not great, but the Bergamot Tangerine and Neroli Citronella are GREAT. Especially at half off. I’m intrigued by the Peach Truck collab candle but haven’t tried it. (Use code LABORDAY25 for the discount.)
A Life With Less Pleasure Reading. (Culture Study) I appreciate this analysis of the latest American Time Use Survey, which showed a decline in pleasure reading for US teens and adults. “So how do you get a better picture of how much people are reading? You don’t ask them about their reading. You just ask them about what they do on a random day.”
Photos of surfing dogs hanging ten in annual competition. (Associated Press) Pure Internet gold. These are so good!
This Motherless Land by Nikki May is our MMD Book Club September 2025 selection. You may recall her from What Should I Read Next episode 451: Digging into Nikki May’s delicious Mansfield Park reimagining. I’m excited she’ll be back to talk to us again on September 12.
There’s no place like Stars Hollow. (Vox) A look at the way Gen Z is both drawn to and redefining Gilmore Girls.
Baseball Organists Keep Bringing the Heat, Thanks to Their 78-Year-Old Muse. (Wall Street Journal gift link) “Faust, who spent more than 40 years playing for the Chicago White Sox, embodies the unique skills it takes to master the profession: a commitment to research, an eye for musical puns and an ability to deploy the perfect snatches of a song at a second’s notice—usually with no music sheet or notes.” There’s so much here: sports, seasoned protagonists, and a strong sense of humor.
These Are the 7 Frozen Meals That Professional Chefs Eat in a Hurry. (Food & Wine) Something to keep in mind the next time you go grocery shopping.
What I have learned from reading multiple memoirs by the same author. (MMD) “Reading multiple memoirs by the same person is particularly meaningful to me. I’m in awe when someone is courageous enough to write a memoir multiple times, especially when the following memoir seems to contradict the previous one.” The comments section on this one is fabulous!
The new Hamnet trailer is here. (YouTube) Y’all, Maggie O’Farrell is my favorite, and I loved the book, but I’m not sure I’m ready for a film as incredibly sad as this one promises to be. Will you watch it?
Our cooler weather has me in a fall frame of mind, and the J.Crew Factory fall staples on big sale for Labor Day weekend are so cute. I especially love their striped rugby shirt, darling field jacket, and sweater shells (which I’ve already been wearing on their own all summer), all available XXS–3X. (I’m 5’9″ and wear a small for a true fit and medium for a roomier fit.)
10 nonfiction and fiction pairings about an array of topics. (MMD) These books are even better together.
Why Oral History Matters: PW Talks with Garrett M. Graff. (Publishers Weekly) “One of the things that being a journalist teaches you is that events are messy and unclear to people as they live through them. Oral history lets you understand history in a different way.” This caught my eye because I just finished (finally) reading his 9/11 oral history The Only Plane in the Sky.
Ready for Fall? Here’s the Best Time to See Stunning Foliage in Your State This Year. (Martha Stewart) Who’s ready?
Don’t miss these posts:
Historical fiction that isn’t set during WWII. Go beyond World War II with these terrific historical fiction offerings.
A to-do list trick. A seriously simple tip that might change your life—or at least the way you approach your to-do lists.
Get a taste of Southern literature with these 15 sensational novels. A sampling of what Southern literature has to offer.
Have a great weekend!