What a week, friends. I’m looking forward to a cozy rainy day here, and homemade pizza tonight, and the 7% remaining in my current read (a whimsical sci-fi novel that is definitely a departure for me). But I also can’t get the Nashville school shooting off my mind: it feels like this is all I’ve been talking about with friends this week—including my friends in that community.
I hope this week’s collection of Links I Love meets you where you are. May your weekend be filled with grace, peace, rest, and good books.
My favorite finds from around the web:
“Not one more.” From author and Nashville resident Mary Philpott, in the wake of this week’s tragedy: “It is time to ask everyone we know: Are you ready to support reasonable gun safety reform? And if not, what are you willing to sacrifice? Whose children? Name them.”
2023 Audie Awards. (Audio Publishers Association) A well-deserved win for Viola Davis.
Clint Smith’s Poetry Collection ‘Above Ground’ Is an Ode to the Complexities of Parenting. (Shondaland) I loved this collection. It feels especially timely for this week, as he writes poignantly about how joy and disaster are both inevitable part of this life. (You can hear me speak about it more in this week’s episode of What Should I Read Next.)
Tea Sun Safety Kit from Sephora is back! Sample a whole bunch of fan fave sunscreens. This sells out every year so get it while you can.
Audie Cornish’s Long Struggle to Remake the News. (The New Yorker) Great interview.
“You’re So Vain”: An Oral History of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. (Vanity Fair) So much fun.
The Art of Talking to Strangers. (Outside Magazine) “When it comes to keeping life interesting, it pays to make room for the occasional surprise.”
Martha Stewart has a new curated collection for Etsy and the offerings sure are interesting! This $2000 coffee table is completely gorgeous, but so are these $7 handmade pastel tapers, this linen table runner, and this beautiful herringbone bracelet.
Kazuo Ishiguro on Life, Death, and the Movies. (The Millions) His thoughts about adaptations are especially interesting.
A Knitwear Sensation at 83. (The New York Times gift link) What a delight!
If you’re a coffee lover who doesn’t know about the Italian dessert Affogato, this recipe is for you. (NYT Cooking gift link)
Top 10 lost women’s classics. (The Guardian) How many of these have you read?
I’m in a Travel Writer Group Chat, and These Are the 16 Products We Can’t Stop Talking About. (Travel + Leisure) I always pay attention to what the pros recommend.
From our archives:
12 evocative nonfiction and fiction books by poets. Some poets write more than poetry!
8 great Audible alternatives for audiobook listeners. Many readers want to try audiobooks, but it’s easy to be intimidated by the number of choices we have now.
18 fresh and flirty contemporary romance novels for your TBR. I’m not the only one who turns to romance novels for comfort and escape.
“Oh my goodness, I LOVE the comment sections of your posts, Anne! I always get the best book recommendations from such kindred spirits.” — Andrea on My favorite subgenre: emotionally resonant fiction
I share your terror of reading books about airplane crashes, but you need to read “Dear Edward”, it’s such an amazing story. Also, Judy Blume’s, “In the Unlikely Event”…also about plane crashes, but it’s Judy Blume!! — Natalie on 16 Classic literature retellings, remixes, and reimaginings
“After we think we’ve packed, we THEN (reasonably) follow the advice, “Take out half of your suitcase, and bring double the cash.” This has generally been true for all my family’s airplane trips (ie not a road trip), especially international ones. We tend to pack too much and assume we will spend less than we actually do. Planning for both has been good advice for our family of 5. My kids are well into adulthood now and I still remind them before they travel on their own!” — Katie on My best travel tip
Have a great weekend!