What are you up to this weekend? Around here, it’s Friday pizza night, and then I’m excited (and honestly a little nervous) to actually leave the house this weekend: I’m heading to Franklin, Indiana to join readers at the Wild Geese Readers Retreat. I love Tiffany and her store and I’m sure this will be a good time for all! (And I’m sure I’ll return home with a few new fabulous books to read.)

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 state of mind.

My favorite finds from around the web: What’s saving my life in a strange season. (MMD) This comments section, friends. It’s a must-read! * The Leash. (Werk-in-Progress) Saeed Jones on Tyre Nichols. “And maybe this loop — knowledge to grief to outrage to exhaustion and back to knowledge — is the real leash.” * Jane Austen’s Desk. (UNC at Chapel Hill) “A new NEH grant will support UNC scholars’ creation of an immersive web environment designed to bring Jane Austen’s writing room—and her world—to life.” * How Barnes & Noble Came Back From Near Death. (The New York Times gift link) “Barnes & Noble’s resurgence is a reminder that there is nothing inevitable about its (or any bookstore’s) demise.” * My go-to herbal tea this month has been these Pukka Lemon, Ginger & Manuka Honey Tea Bags, with a touch of added honey. * The glories of dining out alone. (Vox) Alissa Wilkinson makes a good case: “One of my intentions for 2023 is to continue to perfect the art of solo dining, basking in the experience whether I’m outside on the sidewalk letting the world go by or perched at a bar eating truffle fries. There’s no need to be afraid of what people think. * 7 City Novels in Which Real Estate and Urban Planning Are the Heroes and Villains. (Electric Literature) You know I can’t resist clicking on a list like this. * A kind friend gifted me this body exfoliator (in Sandalwood) and I am in love with the smell; it is my new favorite thing and totally belongs on my list of little luxuries. * The Violin Doctor. (Chicago Magazine) This caught my eye (okay, actually Will’s eye) because this week in MMD Book Club we got to talk to Brendan Slocumb about The Violin Conspiracy! “For Becker, the work is an act of historic and cultural preservation. He often points to something Fulton once told him: ‘We are caretakers of these instruments. We move on, but these instruments continue to the next generation.’” * The Same River Twice: Notes on Reading, Time, and Translation. (Words Without Borders) Proof that translation is an art form. * Welcome to the Shoppy Shop: Why does every store suddenly look the same? (Grub Street) This piece explores how the retail site Faire is changing the local business landscape. (While the product examples here are olive oil and tinned fish, Faire is also relied upon by some of my favorite bookstores, clothing boutiques, and plant shops, and many of my own book journals are sold into small shops through Faire.) * Writer Roxane Gay Takes the Trip of a Lifetime. (Afar) “You might assume, as I did before the trip, that Antarctica is a couple of hours away from South America, but it is not. It took three days of sailing across the most turbulent waters I have ever experienced to reach the tip of the continent.” Gorgeous essay about her trip to Antarctica with her wife. * People Can’t Stop Comparing This $5 Lip Liner to Much More Expensive Options. (InStyle) I feel so validated: I’ve used the recommended NYX slim lip pencil in Peakaboo Neutral for years, though I’ve come to prefer the Haus Laboratories RIP lip liner,* if you can find it.

The MMD Time Machine: 101 powerful books to celebrate Black History all year long. February is Black History Month! I hope this list helps broaden your TBR throughout the year. * 50 engrossing and adorable rom com books and movies for your Valentine’s weekend. Perfect pairings! * Flourless chocolate cake. This has long been our go-to chocolate cake recipe. * 10 literary fiction audiobooks narrated by their authors.* Novelists know how to tell a good story but that doesn’t mean they’re the best one to perform it. That’s why these audiobooks stand out!

Mark your calendars: February 4: Coffee & Conversation on Reading Life with Anne Bogel (Franklin, IN): Join me at the 2023 Wild Geese Readers Retreat for coffee, pastries and a book signing. To get tickets or learn more, go here. * February 11: Readers’ Day: Devote the whole day, or a few hours, to the reading life. This is your nudge for some “appointment” reading, reflective journaling, or catching up on MMD Book Club events you’ve missed. This is a Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club event. * February 15: A Conversation about Friendship with Laura Tremaine: Laura Tremaine, author of Share Your Stuff: 10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level and the upcoming The Life Council: 10 Friends Every Woman Needs, will join Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club to explore friendship through stories, making and keeping friends, and how books bring people together. * February 28: Live discussion of Becoming Duchess Goldblatt: It’s time for our Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club discussion of Becoming Duchess Goldblatt*!

Have a great weekend!

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