What are you up to this weekend? We don’t have any big plans: I’m looking forward to leisurely mornings, a hike in the woods, dinners of the decidedly non-weeknight variety, and plenty of reading time. Maybe I’ll make time for some yard work: I’ve been working to eradicate some climbing vines that keep trying to make themselves at home in our yard. If you have tips, send ’em!

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:

Beach Reads. (The Cut) What New Yorkers are reading on the beach this summer. Unlike my 2024 beach reading report, this includes photos.

How to Feed the Olympics. (Eater) ​​I can’t wrap my mind around the logistics!

Went shopping with my 14yo last weekend and bought the JCrew Factory girlfriend tee in five different colors. (I wore three of them this week, paired with cute shorts or these these ever-awesome cropped pants.)

When a Book Series Turns the Final Page. (Wall Street Journal gift link) On the emotional punch of a beloved series ending: “Since individual titles in a series are usually published over a long expanse of time, series fiction accompanies its readers through the changes and milestones of their own lives. Simply put: In most series, the characters get older, and we readers get older, too. Perhaps we don’t age in tandem, but we head in the same direction together.”

Your flight was canceled. Now what? (Vox) This 2023 article resurfaced after last Friday’s global debacle. I hope none of your flights were impacted by the Microsoft outage!

On the Simple Prophecy of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower. (Literary Hub) The book opens on July 20, 2024, prompting many readers to start it this month.

6 Ways to Make S’mores, No Campfire Required. (Martha Stewart) YUM.

Not Your Usual Secondhand Book Sale. (New York Times gift link) “Bibliophiles and film fans leafed through hundreds of books that once belonged to the eminent editor Robert Gottlieb.” Whoa!

Retaining flavor while removing caffeine − a chemist explains the chemistry behind decaf coffee. (The Conversation)

Head to summer camp with these 7 novels. (MMD) Eclectic novels offering a variety of vicarious summer camp adventures.

I just refilled my favorite summer lip gloss, again—golly I love these little “snack”-sized ones from Target. (In any size, it’s the Fenty Gloss Bomb in Glow that I’m reaching for.)

The Entertainmentification of Fashion. (InStyle) On celebrities and fashion: ““You can be in movies. You can make clothes. That’s all amazing. But will it ever be as fun as it was in the ‘90s, when people weren’t getting paid to wear stuff, they just thought it was cool? And nobody needed you to tag them on Instagram?”

One of Ikea’s Most Iconic Products Just Got an Ingenious Add-On. (Gear Patrol) A new desk add-on for the Billy Bookshelf: we might be getting one of these soon.

Don’t miss these posts:

12 recommended reads for those traveling to Maine (or who want to). If you’re looking for a book with a strong sense of place, try one of these books set in Maine!

20 terrific tomes to add to your TBR (or teetering to-read tower). Summer is a great time to read big books!

14 books about nature to inspire your next outdoor adventure. Between the fresh air and beautiful scenery, the outdoors can be vital for mental health.

Have a great weekend!