What are you up to this weekend? We are supposed to have a busy weekend ahead full of theater and classes and get-togethers, but we’re also waiting for another snow storm to roll in around lunchtime. It’s not supposed to be nearly as intense as the one that left us snowed in all week, but I’m still going to pick up my library holds this morning so I’m ready!
I hope this post finds you well, that 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.
Spring Book Preview is coming
Join us for our Spring Book Preview, where I’ll share a curated selection of what’s coming your way this season, plus the info you need to decide which books belong on your TBR. This year’s Spring Book Preview is set for January 16 at 8:30 pm EST. In this 90+ minute live event, I’ll share 35 titles including books I’ve read and loved, the much-anticipated titles I’m most looking forward to reading, and noteworthy spring titles the industry is buzzing about, all publishing between January 1 and mid-April.
This event is very much in the style of our Summer Reading Guide Unboxing party. I’ll walk you through the options and help you get clear on how you want to approach your reading life this spring. Spring Book Preview includes event access and an accompanying digital PDF booklet that lays out every title in our preview, 6 spotlight titles, and more features to help you make the most of your spring (aka winter!) reading life.
Our Spring Book Preview event is an included perk for members of our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club community and What Should I Read Next Patreon “Book Lover” supporters. It’s a steal of a deal! For those who don’t have the time or inclination to join a community, we’ve got you covered with our ever-popular a la carte access.
Click here to get in on our Spring Book Preview.
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.
A Few Books for a Gentler Path Into 2025. (Nooks) “So, in honor of that mode of entering a new year—curious, cautiously optimistic, and with a desire of being kind with ourselves and others—here are a few books that will provide you with a gentler entrance into all that this new year may hold.”
I’m happy to share that Weyward by Emilia Hart is the January 2025 selection for MMD Book Club! The author will join us for a live discussion on January 29. Hope you’ll join us!
See Demi Moore, Zoe Saldaña, and More Winners Celebrate the 2025 Golden Globes in These Exclusive Portraits. (Elle) An exuberant take on red carpet photos.
I’m also starting the year with a closet refresh—which is a fancy way of saying I’m replacing the hangers that have drifted into my kids’ closets so I can actually hang up all my clothes instead of throwing them on the end of the bed. I switched to these thin velvet hangers a few years ago and haven’t looked back (although if I had to do it again I’d go with the rose gold).
All the single men: Pride and Prejudice. (Quite Useless) “Welcome back to Austen Math, where I quantitatively evaluate Jane Austen’s single men and her heroines’ judgment of them.” I found this to be a delightfully nerdy take on Jane Austen’s work in general and Pride and Prejudice in particular. (But how to say this? One of the four metrics is, uh, not something I would discuss with my grandmother—or at least would choose different words to do so.)
How asking one question helps me set reading intentions for the new year. (MMD) Shannan shares about the benefit of reflecting on your reading life.
I started the new year with a restock on my favorite pens. I’m a devoted fan of the blue fine-point Pentel Pearls, available in two different versions I have a hard time choosing between (and so I keep both versions all over the house): these clicky pens are available at Target and these capped pens are available on Amazon.
The Crime Series Drawing Young Men Into Bookstores. (Wall Street Journal gift link) Will’s a fan! “For more than two decades Box, whom everybody calls Chuck, has entertained readers with his vivid outdoor writing and the moral compass that Joe Pickett brings to his job.”
Here’s Why It’s Been So Hard to Find Eggs. (Food & Wine) If you have also gawked at the price of eggs this week, this is why they’re so pricey right now.
The New York Bookstore That Lets You Visit France for an Afternoon. (New York Times gift link) A peek inside what is “arguably New York’s most enchanting bookstore,” which I have never visited but would very much like to.
This chicken tortilla soup recipe has the best flavor-to-effort ratio of all the versions we’ve tried.
What worked for me in 2024. (MMD) A simple year-end reflection.
The Most Anticipated Literary Adaptations Coming to TV and Film in 2025. (Electric Lit) Klara and the Sun, Washington Black, Animal Farm, and more.
You might just have to be bored. (Embedded) “The real solution is not that complicated. There’s no theory to learn or science to practice. You don’t have to do anything to fix your attention span. You just have to be bored.”
20 “Inspiring” Self-Improvement Books To Read For The Best 2025. (MSN) So cool to see Don’t Overthink It included here.
Don’t miss these posts:
17 fiction books that feature fresh starts and new beginnings. Anyone else love new beginnings?
5 favorite recipes for soup season. Soup is a go-to for our family on those chilly, busy nights!
12 favorite Book Club selections that have stood the test of time. These Book Club picks have incredible staying power!
Have a great weekend!