Links I love – Modern Mrs Darcy

Almost every Friday, I kick off the weekend with a fresh collection of interesting reads and favorite things to ease you into that state of mind. Here in the U.S., we celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, and here at the Bogel household the weekend is starting basically right now—so today is a rare Wednesday Links Day, because I am READY for that weekend frame of mind! But first, today looks like the last-no-for-real-this-time grocery run, oodles of food prep, and the first holiday movie of the season. (Send recs!)

Wherever you are in the world, I hope you have something to look forward to these next few days and a few precious things to be thankful for. I’m thankful for you; thank you so much for reading.

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 bookmarking service.

Forget Running Groups and Work Socials. Find a Book Club. (The Walrus) “Even though we were at a book club, the meeting wasn’t necessarily about the specific text for a lot of readers; rather, it was an opportunity to use one’s passion or interest as a vehicle for social connection.”

3 novels set during Thanksgiving. (MMD) Grab a piece of pumpkin pie and escape into one of these Thanksgiving-centric novels.

The antidote to everything? Hold a ‘Stuff Swap’. (The Ethical Edit) This is such a fun idea!

I made this easiest ever Instant Pot pasta bolognese this week—so good, with an unbeatable effort/payoff ratio. (Keep Calm and Cook On.) We often do some kind of simple baked pasta just before or after Thanksgiving and this one-dish recipe is perfectly low-fuss and high flavor. I used rigatoni, Rao’s, and a pound of 88% ground beef.

The Black Friday sales I already shopped (for myself): Apotheke’s charcoal candle. Anthro puzzles (I’m going to start Winter Dogs the moment it arrives later today) and beauty (stocking stuffer city), and one of The Coupe bowls in a pretty color (that would be Guava, for me) from East Fork. I have a Weeknight Serving Bowl and it’s great, but for cost/benefit I’ve been stunned at how much I use The Coupe (in eggshell) I impulse bought earlier this year (as a second, which was just a buck or two cheaper than the Black Friday deal currently going on). The description makes it sound like it’s for individual servings, but I only ever use mine as a fruit bowl (it’s currently holding seven large apples on my dining room table) or serving something like a dinner entree for 4 or a vegetable side dish for 4-12 people (it’s versatile like that). Gorgeous in your own home or as a gift.

The Ultimate You’ve Got Mail Reading/Watchlist. (Goodnight, Dear Void) “I’ve since made it a personal mission to view any piece of media that either predated You’ve Got Mail or was later inspired by it. Or at least contains what I like to think of as ‘the You’ve Got Mail trope’: two characters who bond over writing to each other, unaware that they also know (and usually dislike) each other in real life.”

The Comfort of Bringing the Same Dish Every Time. (New York Times gift link) “In a constant push for reinvention and trending ingredients, I returned to the idea of having a signature dish. Showing up with the same dish over and over? That says: You can count on me.”

The season for games approaches! I bought Sushi Go on killer sale as a gift (we have it, we love it) and Throw Throw Burrito for us (I’ve heard great things). Ticket to Ride is a personal favorite; it’s also on sale now.

Niche and nerdy narrative nonfiction. (What Should I Read Next?) For a reader in search of history books on the shorter side that read like novels.

The Surprising Endurance of Martha Stewart’s “Entertaining.” (The New Yorker) “When I mentioned to Stewart the fact that ‘you don’t have to be Martha Stewart’ has become a cliché, she laughed. She sees herself less as a cold-blooded micromanager than as a creative, scrappy person who takes pleasure in executing a specific vision.” Also surprising: this profile is a delight to read!

Leighton Meester & Jared Padalecki Board Netflix Rom-Com Based On Katherine Center’s ‘The Bodyguard.’ (Deadline) Plus Andie MacDowell! I loved the book.

Scrubs: Everything To Know About The Return of Turk and JD in the ABC Reboot. (TV Guide) Will and I loved Scrubs twenty years ago; we’ll tune into this reboot. “What makes Scrubs a classic is creator Bill Lawrence’s trademark goodhearted charm, which more recently turned Ted Lasso into an instant classic at Apple. Scrubs is a show that just feels nice to watch.”

My books on sale: Don’t Overthink It is marked way down and part of Amazon’s 3-for-2 sale; both my reading journals are heavily discounted going into the new year: My Reading Life: A Book Journal (for adults) and My Reading Adventures: A Book Journal for Kids. (For signed and/or personalized copies of these titles, order directly from our shop or from my local indie Carmichael’s Bookstore.)

Inside the Surprisingly Intense World of Competitive Steinholding. (Outside) This week’s dinner table conversation. “If you’ve not seen it, buckle in, you’ve got a paradigm shift coming.”

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett is our MMD Book Club December 2025 pick. If you’re looking for a quick end-of-the-year read, you can finish this novella in a few hours.