Morning Coffee (6/28/19)

On Friday we stick to happy links. Back to current events tomorrow.

Yay! One Day at a Time Saved From Cancellation by Pop TV

Aaah, this Charlie's Angels trailer!

LOOK AT THE BABY SNOW LEOPARDS

!! Dixie Chicks confirm on Instagram that a new album is coming

THIS IS SO CUTE: LEGO is hosting the world’s smallest Pride parade to celebrate Stonewall’s 50th anniversary

Cookies in Space!

Whoa: 'Myst' Film, TV Universe in the Works From Village Roadshow

50 Must-Read Queer Romance Novellas

I just love this headline: Reversible superglue proves strong enough to hold average man

Polish & Paperbacks: 13 Book-Inspired Manicures

Afternoon Tea (2/11/19)

At Checkpoint Charlie, Cold War History Confronts Crass Commercialism

These grandparents sold gay porn for decades and almost went to prison. Now, they are calling it quits

How Russia infiltrated the world of American religious-right filmmaking

How Lego Patents Helped Build a Toy Empire, Brick by Brick

Lots of good stuff here: 2018 Locus Recommended Reading List

Afternoon Tea (9/5/18)

The dark secret of Thailand’s child brides

Overlooked No More: Ruby Payne-Scott, Who Explored Space With Radio Waves

Lego Wants to Completely Remake Its Toy Bricks (Without Anyone Noticing)

The Crime Fiction of Oslo

Violent times? MPs as victims of murder in the mid-fifteenth century

Morning Coffee (7/27/18)

Phew. Time for Friday happy links.

Dame Judi Dench and the Duchess of Cornwall ate ice cream together and honestly those pictures did a lot to get me through this week.

Claude Monet’s Glazed Biscuit Kitty Cat Returns to the Artist’s Home

Wills & Kate Gave Us a New Pic of Prince George For His Birthday

WANT: Build your own Hogwarts Castle with LEGO's newest, biggest Harry Potter set

Ooh! Torvill and Dean Ice Skating Drama Greenlit With ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Will Tudor

You probably need more cheese plates on your Instagram.

Maybe VR is good: Visit a Scotch Distillery From the Comfort of Grand Central

20 Things Chris Pine Looks Like in This Photo

This Star Trek vodka boldly goes where blah blah you get it

Obviously I want all of these Harry Potter tote bags.

Morning Coffee (3/11/18)

'This could destroy China': parliament sets Xi Jinping up to rule for life

Of course: At Pennsylvania rally, Trump again calls for the death penalty for drug dealers

Vote. That’s Just What They Don’t Want You to Do.

The E.P.A Chief Wanted a Climate Science Debate. Trump’s Chief of Staff Stopped Him.

Shocker: Media stereotype women in financial coverage, study finds

“Black Panther” just became Marvel’s fifth $1 billion movie

Ugh: ABC Shelved ‘Black-ish’ Political Episode Over ‘Creative Differences’

This is neat: Announcing Electric Lit’s #ReadMoreWomen Campaign

Whoa: Lego Builds a Sustainable Future, One Brick at a Time

What Ancient DNA Can Tell Us About the Settlement of Vanuatu

Morning Coffee (1/26/18)

This week seemed very long. Time for some happy Friday links!

ICYMI: my Oscar Project post on Wonder.

GOOD: Octavia Spencer Says Jessica Chastain Helped Her Get a Significant Pay Raise on Their New Film

This is EXTREMELY EXCITING but I'm disappointed there's not a Meg doll too: A Wrinkle in Time getting its own Barbie dolls

Your Friday morning may need Dylan O'Brien frolicking with puppies. I don't know your life.

While we're talking about actors and puppies: Tom Hardy Has Been Helping To Rehome Dogs That Were Found Abandoned In A Park

Ooh: These Two Favorite Skincare Brands Are Now Available At Target

Who is your Good Place moral soul mate? (I got Chidi but obviously don't deserve him.)

I'm wary of the new Muppet Babies but aw, penguin!

These Vibrant Maps Reveal the World’s Hidden Geographies

Whoa: New Etsy shop will build a detailed Lego model of your home

Watch the Wondrous Costco Pizza Sauce Dispenser in Action

Morning Coffee (10/20/17)

Let's have some happy Friday links to get us through to the weekend!

This is so great: New York City’s Libraries Will Forgive All Children’s Fines

!! LEGO celebrates female scientists with 'Women of NASA' set

OMG TINY HEDGEHOG GOES CAMPING

Amazing: College kid makes life better by rigging a door to play the Seinfeld theme when opened

The Hogwarts Express Is Real, and It Rescues Children

This is the kind of hard-hitting journalism we need today: An Ode to Royals Playing With Dogs

Really speaking my language here: How to Organize Your Giant Tote Bag

I feel like today might be the kind of day when you need some easy one-bowl brownies.

Ooh, let's go to Downton Abbey: The Exhibition.

42 Halloween-Inspired Nail Looks That Are Cute AF

Morning Coffee (10/13/17)

Whew, we definitely need some happy Friday links this week.

Aaaah, Rainbow Rowell book news! I'm so glad she's writing a book taking place in a pumpkin patch. That is the MOST RAINBOW.

And the cover and an excerpt from Sandhya Menon's upcoming From Twinkle, With Love!

And the Toast came back very briefly to tell us Hey Ladies! wrote a book too!

I will continue to be unreservedly excited about new X-Files because we need things to be happy about. Anyway, here's the trailer.

This new podcast sounds cool! British Museum and BBC team up to explore belief through objects

Hey, sometimes bears need pizza too.

11 Shearling Coats to Snuggle Up in This Fall (I am glad shearling is in this year because I am OBSESSED right now.)

Ooh, let's run away to Lego House.

31 Amazing Literary Halloween Costumes

I get annoyed at leaf-peepers in person but I don't mind if you do it VIRTUALLY: Breathtaking Fall Leaves Around the World

Morning Coffee (3/3/17)

I'm still discombobulated from travel but I think it's time for some happy Friday links!

New music from Lorde!

YAY: Hidden figures no more: female Nasa staff to be immortalised in Lego

Aw, this is great: PBS NewsHour and the Washington Press Club Foundation Are Creating a Fellowship in Honor of Gwen Ifill

Awesome: Swedish Women’s Soccer Team Replaces Names on Jerseys With Quotes From Women

I saw this Beauty and the Beast tea at Disneyland the other day and didn't want to take it home in my suitcase, but if it pops up at my local store I'm sure I'll give in.

Ooh: IBM Watson Created a Modern Sculpture Inspired by the Work of One of Spain’s Most Famous Architects

This headline is AMAZING: Prince Charles is behind a plan to use nutella to help sterilize squirrels

KITTEN REALITY SHOW (I just looked and three of them were snuggling adorably.)

Heh: A Single Mouse Grounded a Plane in London

A Tolkien Truther From Colorado Says He's the Real King of England (In his defense... Donald Trump is president.)

Step Inside This Underground Cathedral, Carved into the Walls of an Abandoned Salt Mine

Morning Coffee (2/24/17)

(I'm traveling, so I put this list together in advance. Back to real time on Thursday!)

Time for some happy Friday links!

My favorite headline of all time: Tom Hiddleston laughs off playing Eddie Redmayne’s elephant in school play

This is a very important investigation into the Finnish first dog: Finland Has a Very Good Boy

More important dogs of the world: Setting tails wagging: the costumed pups of the Rio dog carnival

!!! Here's Emma Watson Singing 'Belle,' Opening Song From Beauty And the Beast

Also: Emma Watson cried happy tears seeing Hermione's future in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (ME TOO, Emma Watson, me too.)

These are probably going to be gross but I will absolutely try them: It's Official: Peeps-Flavored Oreos Are Here

So cool: The Queen’s wedding cake saved by 3D printing

Let's go to this literary fashion exhibit: A Vanderbilt Library Comes to Life

Whoa: This Lego Booth Scans Your Face and Makes a Custom Kit So You Can Build Yourself Out of Legos

Next time I'm in Worcester I'll have to remember to go to Lois Lane.

These Miniature Dollhouses Are So Cute We Can Hardly Stand It

We Received a Press Release for Kid-Friendly Ecstasy for Children and I Need to Talk About It

Morning Coffee (1/6/17)

Time for some happy Friday links. It's been a weird week, huh? Remember, if you'd like to receive my thoughts on books in your email inbox, sign up here.

Ooooh: J.K. Rowling Says This Painting Is A Clue To Her Future Projects

I jumped up in the middle of writing this to try the Bookout app because it says it's like a workout tracker for your reading. SOUNDS GOOD.

Yeah, I absolutely want lip color that looks like Crayola crayons.

I don't often read actor interviews, but this one with Matthew Daddario of Shadowhunters is a COMPLETE JOY.

Aaah, look at this Hamilton hat knitting pattern.

Whoa: P.E.I. Lego aficionado recreates Anne of Green Gables out of iconic toy

Speaking of, let's have an Anne of Green Gables party.

I LOVED this stuff: Remembering Pepsi Holiday Spice, the Winter Tradition That Could Have Been

The Onion, BARELY: Man Not Accepting Any More Television Recommendations At This Time

The Ice-Skating Dandies of 18th-Century Paris

Striking New Maps Show the Beauty of Earth's Shadows

18 Book Bags (And Totes) You’ll Want To Spend Your Holiday Loot On

Morning Coffee (6/17/16)

Boy, it's been A WEEK. How about some happy Friday links?

Me elsewhere: We've got a new episode of podcast The Fourth Wall; this time I'm asking Holly about ATX Festival!

Michelle Obama’s Kick-Ass Lady Crew Celebrates ‘The United State Of Women’

How the Cast of Hamilton Made Philanthropy Their Mission

!!!!! Canada launches revolutionary Star Trek coin-based economy

This is amazing: Legoland Threw Queen Elizabeth a Birthday Party Entirely Out of LEGO

Related: Prince George and Princess Charlotte came out for Trooping the Colour and THEY ARE ADORABLE.

The Strange Afterlife of Edgar Allan Poe’s Hair

What Queen Elizabeth’s 90 Years of Royal Portraits Tell Us About the Monarch (I misread this as "about the monarchy" and it's interesting from that perspective too, as far as the ways the presentation and perception of the monarchy has evolved.)

"What Milton lacks, unlike Shakespeare, is fans."

IT ME: how to enjoy a fun summer party when you hate fun and you absolutely loathe going outside.

Perfect: Every Modernist Novel Ever

Morning Coffee (5/27/16)

Happy Friday! As usual, we'll be ignoring current events and going with some lighter stuff today. If you'd like to support the time I spend putting these link posts together (and maybe get some fun extras), head over to Patreon - there are options that start at just $1 a month.

Ooh: Inside the Workshop Where Lego Geniuses Build Masterpieces

This Cat Sails Around The World And We Want Her Life

Delightful: A Day with Ben Whishaw

New in the Guardian's great "How to Eat" series: Macaroni cheese.

I hate gendered book lists, but I love books about unhappy rich people in beach houses, and this summer beach book list is fun.

The Chelsea Flower Show is gorgeous and I really hope Mary Berry and the Queen hung out. I feel like they'd have a lot to talk about.

Murder and Madness in the Castle: Macbeth’s Inverness

Photos of the World at Twilight, When Everything is a Hushed Grey

Why the Enduring Fascination with the Mitford Sisters Won’t Die

Two Medieval Monks Invent Horses and Armed Warfare

Morning Coffee (4/15/16)

Happy Friday! As usual, we're going with lighter links to end the week.

Me elsewhere: I hated the new NBC show Game of Silence a surprising amount.

And if you want even MORE links from me every day for some reason, I've started a Daily Read section of Read the Screen, with adaptation news, interesting criticism, etc. each weekday afternoon. I guess I'll link it from here the next morning, at least for a while?

ICYMI, yesterday I thought way too much about Free Cone Day.

Every time a new Taylor Swift profile comes out I get worried because it's BOUND to do something to destroy the image I have of her in my head, but they NEVER DO and this one is great. (Note: Said image has nothing to do with her authenticity or anything; I don't care about that either way. I just want her to remain in complete and rigid control of her messaging forever.)

I am fundamentally opposed to every single stunt proposal in history except for this one.

My friend Robin Wasserman IS AN ANSWER IN A BUZZFEED QUIZ, so clearly she has no more to achieve in life. Also, you should preorder her book Girls on Fire immediately because it is great.

The kind of important news story that needs our attention: Cute Firefighters Rescue Kitten from Well

And some international cat news: We Met The New Foreign Office Cat And Asked Him Five Important Questions

These new Penguin fantasy and sci-fi classics are gorgeousssssss.

This new late night breakfast restaurant sounds like it's probably obnoxious but let's be real, I would go at least once because LATE NIGHT BREAKFAST.

I suspect your Friday needs Will and Kate feeding adorable baby elephants.

This is lovely: Behind the Scenes at the Met

LEGO KNAUSGAARD

Morning Coffee (10/6/15)

Good news, I think. I hope. Gov. Hassan is running for Senate (against Ayotte).

Sad: For a teen aspiring to be president, being Muslim is a hurdle in post-9/11 America

"I'm A Grown-Up Now": The Teen Who Accused Kevin Johnson Of Sexual Abuse Speaks Out

Can you steal your own life story?

I'm not even that into Doctor Who, but the Lego set is exciting.

Ooh: Scientists Hope to Learn How Pompeians Lived, Before the Big Day

And huh: Pompeii and the Ancient Origins of Blaming the Victim

The Martian was very good, but I'm not sure it's the movie I'd want to see IN SPACE.

Whatever happened to Eddy Crane?

You, There! Stop! You Can’t Go In There! Why, –

Morning Coffee (4/24/15)

Happy Friday!

Check out this great project funding a camp for girls that combines story and STEM skills.

Have you seen the new GeekyCon music video "Get Your Geek On" yet? No? You should probably do that. (I love that I get to work with a company that comes up with stuff like this.)

Aww, this is awesome: Sign Of The Times: Straight High School Student Asks His Gay Best Friend To The Prom

This Robin Hood situation is out of control but I can't exactly say I MIND.

Neat idea for a fundraiser: Scale model of Chester Cathedral to be made in Lego

The Real Deal on Tartan, Kilts, and Outlander Costumes

Speaking of costumes: Dress worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind sold for $137,000

This actually is hilarious: 25 Hilarious Tumblr Moments That Sum Up Classical Music

Morning Coffee (2/27/15)

Happy Friday! There's a LOT GOING ON so these links may be less strictly happy than is usual for Fridays. Sorry.

Because first, this is really important: No Boys Allowed: School visits as a woman writer

And the Internet went generally insane yesterday, but this is the big one, yay: The FCC just approved the strongest net neutrality rules yet

The Science of Why No One Agrees on the Color of This Dress

Apparently I don't have a link about the llamas. You remember the llamas.

HOWEVER, there’s a giant owl terrorizing a small Dutch town.

Maybe the world is going crazy because music is going to start coming out on Fridays. What?!?!

Classic Alice has ONE WEEK LEFT. If you could give $5 or even $2 it would be really helpful, I swear.

Jay Carney is going to work for Amazon. Does that mean they'll start commenting on things??

I hope they find Lupita's dress.

Okay, something fun. Lego food!

Morning Coffee (2/6/15)

Happy Friday!

Amazing: Emma Thompson Used to Cheer Up Prince Charles

Your Rational Love of Whiskey Is (Thankfully) Demolishing Vodka Sales

S'mores Oreos? That I'll consider.

Oooh, Doctor Who Lego.

If Taylor Swift Lyrics Were About King Henry VIII

I'm not even particularly into the new Cinderella movie, but the fashion and makeup lines are nifty.

British knight returns library book after 65 years, with $2,200 to cover fine

23 Awesome Mugs Only Book Nerds Will Appreciate

Restaurant Reviews From John Muir, Conservationist

Morning Coffee (1/30/15)

Happy Friday!

This Is How You Get A Busy Person To Respond To Your Email (Or, 5 Rules For Good Email Etiquette)

Listen To NYC's Mayor Do A Dramatic Reading Of 'The Onion'

Oh my gosh, POMPEII IN LEGO.

Ha, look at this modern reimagination of Busytown.

This is great: Ten Things I Learned from Loving Anne of Green Gables

Amber Benson talks books, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and being hit on by teenage boys

More Cool Maps of Fictional Literary Places

Princess Estelle watches figure skating!

"Something has gone terribly wrong with the earth’s orbit, but modern gender roles are still pretty much intact."

Morning Coffee (9/9/14)

Happy primary day, New Hampshire! (And elsewhere.) Heads up, Nashua, some polling locations have changed.

I was skeptical of the Jack the Ripper "news" in the first place and am now doubly so, as I trust Maureen Johnson in all things. But especially this. (No, seriously, she knows what she's talking about.)

Cosmo is endorsing candidates for the first time this year. They've really been doing a lot of good stuff recently.

Rolling Stone cover story: The Reinvention of Taylor Swift (I wholeheartedly and unironically love her and I don't even care.)

Elsewhere in celebrity profiles that make their subjects seem altogether delightful and endearing: The Year's Most Unexpected Action Hero, a.k.a. Dylan O'Brien

Awwwww, awesome: Iowa couple marries after 72 years together

My friend Christine has reviewed The White Queen and provided a handy Wars of the Roses reading list.

The 62 most astounding, inspiring, and alarming takeaways from Monica Seles’s new YA romance series totally made me want to read the books.

Eee! LEGO Libraries and Bookstores