What are you up to this weekend? I’m really looking forward to visiting my daughter at college, and I also hope to firm up Thanksgiving menu plans plus maybe try a new recipe or two for seasonally appropriate baked goods. And, of course, reading—I hope to finish my current audiobook, which I’m thoroughly enjoying.
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.
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.
These matchmakers connect teens and elders. The friendships benefit both sides. (NPR) “Let me tell you, when an older adult is five minutes late on their Zoom and the kid chews them [out] saying, ‘I’ve been waiting for you. Where were you?’ they feel seen. They feel like they matter.”
The longest for the Aspen Words Literary Prize is out, with 5 debut novels, one debut short story collection, and fourteen works of fiction. This prize carries a cash award of $35,000 and honors fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue.
I love and adore this striking striped taffeta skirt (0–20/22) from Boden and can’t wait to wear it everywhere in the coming months. It’s completely darling but also: pockets!
What I’ve been reading lately: the new and the notable. (MMD) November’s new edition of Quick Lit is heavy on audiobooks, memoir, and narrative nonfiction.
A Love Letter to the Greatest Pen Of All Time. (Esquire) “You know when a hotel or restaurant gives you a pen to sign something with, and you’re like, ‘Ooh, this is a good pen—I’m gonna steal it’? That’s the feeling the Pilot G2 leaves you with every time you use it.”
This Fair Isle Fuzzy Mock-Neck Sweater (XXS–XL) is so pretty in person, and you can’t beat the price for this quality. The solid colors for this style are also beautiful. For extended sizing check out Old Navy’s cute Fair Isle Mock-Neck Sweater and this Red Fair Isle Crop Cardigan Sweater, both in XS–4X.
Garth Greenwell: ‘I didn’t read Middlemarch until my late 30s. Why didn’t someone intervene?’ (The Guardian) The headline is the best quote, but read this for ample book talk and recommendations. (I heartily cosign his recommendation of the Juliet Stevenson-narrated edition of Middlemarch.)
My secret to beautifully wrapped presents. (MMD) An ode to double-sided tape.
I was admittedly skeptical of Alison Roman’s cornbread recipe because: mayonnaise? But because I’ve had good luck with her recipes I tried it, and it was great. (I haven’t made the included chili recipe yet but I intend to do so soon.)
Holiday gift recommendations from our team. (What Should I Read Next?) Timely book recommendations for readers of all ages and interests.
My books Don’t Overthink It and My Reading Life: A Book Journal are included in Amazon’s current 3-for-2 sale.
How to have cancer. (Pluralistic) “The title of this piece is ‘how to have cancer,’ but what it really boils down to is, ‘things I learned from my own cancer.’” I appreciate how Cory Doctorow breaks down how to efficiently navigate the logistics of being a patient, which I have not found to be easy even for mundane things (think: ear infection, not Big Scary Diagnosis). While his focus is mostly on securing the right appointments, he also dips into emotional territory, like who to tell and when.
After thinking about it for actual years, we bought this Dyson cordless stick vacuum earlier this month when it was (and still is) half-off for one of Target’s early Black Friday sales. This is part of my ongoing quest to keep the dog hair off the floor: so far, so good.
How Do You Get Kids to Read? Give Them Pizza. (New York Times gift link) Marking 40 years of Pizza Hut’s Book It! literacy program.
Don’t miss these posts:
10 delightful cookbooks for reading, cooking, and gifting. Cookbooks you’ll want in your kitchen.
A very bookish Christmas countdown. A favorite family tradition.
15 engaging and inspiring memoirs I keep coming back to.
Have a great weekend!