Juicy tacos, beach reads and a family of swimming bears

All the good stuff that happened this week

View in browser   May 18, 2024 Hello, dear readers! Scottie Andrew here, filling in for AJ today. Thanks for reading!   The robins who nest in my front yard are OBSESSED with my mulberry tree, which dumps its dark berries between the weeds and stains my porch. I can't blame the birds — front-yard fruit is one of life's purest pleasures. (Better yet, it's free!) I've snagged a few berries off the branches to see what the birds have been squawking about. Although I prefer the mangos you could pluck from neighborhood trees in Miami, where I grew up, the mulberries aren't bad — they're tart, like blackberries, softened by the sun. I don't even mind the purple splatters they leave when they fall, or the daily futile attempts to lead my dog around the berries so he won't gobble them up. The berries keep the birds singing.    If there's something you'd like to see here, drop us a line. Know someone who could use a little Good Stuff? Send them a copy! We hope you love it as much as we do. Our favorites this week Get going with some of our most popular good news stories of the week She's the ultimate sister's keeper Nobody has your back like your twin — and Georgia and Melissa Laurie are tighter than most. In 2021, while swimming in a river on vacation in Mexico, Melissa noticed a crocodile close by in the water. The two swam for shore, but as Melissa reached the bank, the croc dragged her under the water to certain death — until her twin Georgia dove back in after her, repeatedly fighting off the reptile until it let her sister go. Now, Georgia is being honored by King Charles III with the King's Gallantry Medal, given to Brits who demonstrate immense bravery. The humble Georgia said she owed her own life to her sister, who was determined to stay alive throughout the reptile attack: "I don't think I would be here without her, she really gave me the strength to keep fighting," she said. The attack was terrifying and dangerous, though Melissa has since healed from injuries that included puncture wounds to her stomach and intestines and sepsis during her hospital stay. Read the whole story here. There's a new popular baby name in town Liam, Noah and Oliver reigned supreme when it came to the most popular names for baby boys in 2023, but a surprise entry knocked the perennial favorite Benjamin out of the top 10: Mateo. More than 11,000 Mateos were born last year, a record-high number of Mateos in one year, according to the Social Security Administration. Mateo started appearing on the list of top 1,000 baby names in 1995. It took 20 years for it to crack the top 100 and less than 10 years since then to make it into the top 10. The popularity of the name, which means "gift from God" in Spanish, could be linked to the growing Latino population in the US, but a melodic name like Mateo appeals to many expectant parents. "It feels friendlier and more accessible than Matthew," baby naming expert Sophie Kihm told CNN. Apologies to all the Matthews out here, but it's now Mateo's time to shine! Read the whole story here. Playing possum Just TRY not to be delighted watching this mischievous opossum joey who absolutely loves playing dead. Carson the baby opossum was brought to the Tennessee wildlife rescue For Fox Sake (ha!) after losing his mom, and right away, he was excellent at deceiving the staff with his "dead" act. He'd curl into a ball, stop blinking and start drooling whenever rescue director Juniper Russo came near, even scaring her into running for her stethoscope to make sure he was still breathing. (He was.) He's fallen "dead" on a scale when it was time for a weigh-in and inside his blanketed crate. Russo once caught him running on an exercise wheel until Carson noticed she was there and, on cue, froze in place in less-than-convincing rigor mortis. He's since become a star on TikTok for his skilled performances. "He's healthy, and he's dead," Russo deadpanned.  Sponsor Content by The Ascent Kiss interest good-bye With interest rates rising, it's a great time to transfer your credit card balance. This expert pick balance transfer card offers 0% intro APR for 18 months and 2% cash back. With no annual fee. Learn more and apply. Raise a glass to... ... chef Arturo Rivera Martínez of Taquería El Califa de León, a tiny Mexico City food stand that became the first Mexican taco shop to ever earn a coveted Michelin star. While a star isn't the only arbiter of a restaurant's quality, it certainly raises a talented cook's profile and brings more hungry stomachs to its doors. This particular taqueria is only 10 feet wide, the tacos don't cost more than $5 and Martínez grills right next to his patrons while they stand and eat. But good food is good food, and Michelin rightly recognized that simplicity does not discount Martínez's culinary prowess in its one-star recommendation. The Michelin gastronomes praised the shop's Gaonera taco, named for a Mexican bullfighter, that's filled with thin ribbons of beef and seasoned with salt and a lime squeeze. Sometimes, the simplest meal is the tastiest.  You gotta see this The American South's unique, rugged beauty isn't always readily apparent to those who don't go looking for it. But photojournalist Kate Medley knows that there's a story in every photograph — even, and perhaps especially, of a local gas station in the Deep South. Her new book, "Thank You Please Come Again," highlights the unique convenience stores that dot backroads and highway exits throughout the South, from Mississippi to Florida. Medley found the places by driving and eating her way through: There's Elberta Grocery in Alabama, where Mike the butcher cuts meat by hand but also cedes the kitchen every Monday to cashier Dhinal, who serves Indian food; and the former Quik Shoppe in North Carolina where chef Marta has been frying chicken for customers for nearly two decades. Medley found strong coffee, hot tamales and even Korean-Greek fusion along her way, with stories about the souls who work at and frequent the small shops. Many of the independent, family-owned stores are in danger of closing as mega franchises expand their reach across the region, but Medley is confident "that these buildings will persist, and that entrepreneurs will persist in finding a way to make them work." This week on the 5 Good Things podcast, learn about the handbags made with bacteria that could help clean up fashion. Plus, a family outing turns into a rare fossil find of a brand-new species that existed right after dinosaurs went extinct. Listen to the latest episode here. Hear, hear! "We say of some things that they can't be forgiven, or that we will never forgive ourselves. But we do — we do it all the time." — Alice Munro, in her 2012 short story "Dear Life" from the collection of the same name. The Nobel Laureate in Literature died this week at age 92. Who knew? The term "beach read" is sometimes used derogatorily toward books geared toward women with light, often romantic plots and familiar plot rhythms. But the popular summer-set novels have been around since the 19th century, and they've been loved by readers and maligned by critics for just as long. When the US rapidly industrialized in the mid-to-late 1800s, it transformed transportation and leisure. Suddenly confronted with the means to travel to beach towns for a brief sojourn, the middle classes quickly embraced the idea of summer vacation. The idea of an idyllic getaway inspired authors to set their novels at beach resorts, depicting scenes of nighttime fireworks or shopping trips for an appropriate summer wardrobe. These works, though they were often criticized by male reviewers, eventually influenced the way that readers spent their holidays. One 1887 literary magazine called them the "cakes and ales of literature" and offered that they have a rightful place in readers' libraries just as intellectual, critically acclaimed tomes do. So read on, beach bums!  Rec of the week   Brought to you by CNN Underscored This serum proves that good skin care doesn't have to cost a ton  Everyone should have this vitamin C serum in their bathroom cabinet. It is such an effective skin care product at such a good price and solves all the problems its more expensive counterparts do — all for less than $30. Shameless animal video   There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now. It's hot in California. This pool is cold. Who can blame a mama bear and her two cubs who want to beat the heat with a swim ... three to five times a week?  [Click here to watch.] Made with love by CNN's 5 Things team.  A newsletter for the good in life Sign up Sponsor Content by FinanceBuzz Hands down the greediest ways lazy people are making money Feel like your bank account is draining week after week? We found some unusual but legit ways to stack your bank account and earn cash without leaving the house.   You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up for The Good Stuff. 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The Morning: Reese Witherspoon, book lover

Eating chicken with the woman behind Hollywood's hottest book club.

View in browser|nytimes.com May 18, 2024 Good morning. I'm off for the next two Saturdays, so today my colleague Elisabeth Egan is filling in with a story about her lunch with Reese Witherspoon, ahead of the announcement of Reese's 100th book club pick. —Melissa Kirsch María Jesús Contreras The book club queen By Elisabeth Egan Writer at the Book Review I'd never eaten Nashville hot chicken before, and I'd never met Reese Witherspoon. But there we were — she, in a blue and white pinstripe Oxford and jeans; me, in forgettable clothing, having rolled up to Witherspoon's office with a borrowed suitcase. You can't very well greet the actor who played Elle Woods toting luggage with a visible burn mark across the top. (Related: Never use your carry-on as an ironing board.) I've been following Witherspoon's inroads in the book world ever since I saw her in "Wild" (2014) and knew, just by the gritty, vulnerable way she embodied Cheryl Strayed that she was a fellow book lover. In 2017, Witherspoon started Reese's Book Club, which focuses on fiction by women, about women, and reliably sends its monthly picks onto the best-seller list. Last year, print sales for the club's selections outpaced those of Oprah's Book Club and Read With Jenna, according to Circana Bookscan, adding up to 2.3 million copies sold. I've enjoyed many of Witherspoon's picks and interviewed a number of Reese's Book Club's authors — including Alka Joshi, Nina Simon and Celeste Ng — for the Book Review. I wanted to talk with her, reader to reader, and the lead-up to her 100th pick seemed like the perfect time. Over lunch, Witherspoon told me that she likes to read in the morning, after exercising. (I read instead of exercising.) She organizes her books by color and prefers physical copies to digital ones. She wears reading glasses, 1.5 strength — a tidbit that didn't make it into my story but gave me a certain middle age presbyopic nerd thrill. (By the way, the hot chicken was delicious.) "I read a lot on airplanes, while I'm traveling," Witherspoon said. "Do you know what's interesting? It's hard for me to read on vacation, maybe because reading is my job." I can relate. Many of us professional readers lament the lost luxury of enjoying books "like a normal person" instead of guzzling straight from the faucet, always a gulp away from losing the plot (literally). I know what you're thinking: Boohoo. And you're right! What struck me about Witherspoon's comment was the reminder — so obvious I didn't even ask a follow-up question — that reading is supposed to be a hobby, belonging in the same category as listening to music, dabbling in watercolor and baking bread. Why has it become so much more complicated than other pastimes? Why do so many readers turn to the "experts" — big-name book clubs, critics, BookTok — for help figuring out what to read next? Don't get me wrong: I love being a part of the engine that fuels these recommendations, and Witherspoon clearly does too. But I still believe in the power of standing in a bookstore or library, running your fingers over the spines. Witherspoon said her original goals for Reese's Book Club were to narrow the choices for busy readers and to "bring the book club out of your grandma's living room and online." Indeed, there are 882 comments beneath the club's Instagram post about its May pick, "How to End a Love Story," so she appears to have been successful in this regard. Now, she said, "My dream is that it gets a little bit off the digital world and back into your living room." Even Witherspoon, doyenne of digital book clubbing, has an IRL club of her own. I second this approach. The digital world is an excellent place to get ideas and talk (or type) about books. But, to me, the difference between scrolling through videos of book hauls and talking about a great novel with a friend is the difference between walking on a treadmill and hiking in the woods. On my way home from Nashville, I popped into the airport outpost of Ann Patchett's bookstore, Parnassus. I didn't buy anything; my suitcase was already straining at the zipper from the six novels I packed for my 24-hour trip. (Recommendations for beach reads, coming soon!) I also didn't impose my opinions on strangers, as I'm wont to do in the Hudson Booksellers at my home airport. I just stood there, flipping through paperbacks, enjoying the particular soundtrack of a store on a busy concourse. Wheels rolling, credit cards tapping, rushed customers asking where to find what they needed — Kristin Hannah, Fareed Zakaria, Sarah Maas, a book light, a birthday card, a bathroom. Over and over, the clerk murmured, "Will that be all?" and "Have a safe trip." Eventually, feeling like the luckiest person who ever read under the covers by flashlight, I joined the throng of travelers and headed to my gate. By the time I finished my book, I was home. For more Here's my full story on how Witherspoon built a literary empire. Parnassus isn't the only literary destination in Nashville. I also visited The Bookshop, in East Nashville, a small, quiet gem dominated by one of the most gorgeous literary tablescapes I've ever seen. For a complete list of Reese's Book Club's picks, go here. Still not sure what to read next? The New York Times Book Review can help. ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Nicola Coughlan in the new season of "Bridgerton." Laurence Cendrowicz/Netflix When stars of "Bridgerton," which returned this week for Season 3, are promoted from the supporting cast, their styles are transformed. Fans call this the "Bridgerton glow-up." Alissa Wilkinson reviewed the new Amy Winehouse biopic, "Back to Black." "Some of the movie's choices," she writes, "seem aimed at rewriting her history without her consent." The Cannes Film Festival started this week. These are the best red carpet looks. The Times joined five British "Doctor Who" fans to watch the new season. "It's a lot more goofy than what you traditionally get," one viewer said. The CBS sitcom "Young Sheldon" ended this week, despite still being popular. Aging child actors and the plot constraints of the show it spun off from help explain why. Alice Munro The author Alice Munro died at 92. Her short stories showed "that the humble facts of a single person's experience, subjected to the alchemy of language and imagination and psychological insight, could provide the raw material for great literature," Gregory Cowles writes in an appraisal. Earlier this year, the author Ben Dolnick wrote a guide for those who want to get into Munro's work. Art The portrait of King Charles III, painted by the British artist Jonathan Yeo. Henry Nicholls/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images King Charles III's very red portrait, unveiled this week, was very polarizing. It wasn't the first: Read a brief history of contentious royal paintings, including one with a shirtless Prince Phillip. "Yves Klein and the Tangible World," on display now at the Lévy Gorvy Dayan gallery in Manhattan, gathers 30 large-scale pieces with roots in performance art. Other Big Stories A small band of New Yorkers gathered, as they do almost every spring, to throw a birthday party for their former neighbor, Katharine Hepburn. The Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi earned three Michelin stars for a restaurant in Paris. Now, he's expanding his ambitions back to Japan. Barbara Hannigan, the rare artist to have a career as both a soprano and a conductor, will lead the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. On Billie Eilish's third album, "Hit Me Hard and Soft," she takes up the craft of the love song, with her own peculiar twists. New York has spent over $100 million subsidizing Broadway — including popular musicals like "The Lion King" and "Wicked" — to help the industry through the pandemic. Some say the program lavishes taxpayer money on shows that don't need it. THE LATEST NEWS Israel-Hamas War President Biden and the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in 2022. Doug Mills/The New York Times President Biden wants a three-way diplomatic accord among the U.S., Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Israeli officials are resisting their part of the deal: a cease-fire in Gaza and steps toward a Palestinian state. In Gaza, Israeli troops recovered the bodies of three hostages whom Hamas captured during the Oct. 7 attacks. Faculty at U.C.L.A. voted not to rebuke the university's chancellor over how he handled counterprotesters' attack on a pro-Palestinian encampment. Other Big Stories Workers at two Mercedes-Benz factories in Alabama voted against joining the United Automobile Workers, setting back the labor union's efforts to gain ground in the South. The man who bludgeoned Nancy Pelosi's husband after breaking into their San Francisco home in 2022 received a 30-year prison sentence. TikTok added guardrails on weight- and dieting-related posts. Its algorithm will no longer shows users videos about "extended intermittent fasting," excessive exercise and more. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. CULTURE CALENDAR By Alexis Soloski 🎥 "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" (Friday) Few action franchises have run so long or at such high octane as "Mad Max." Set in a postapocalyptic Australia, the movies have spent 45 years furnishing audiences with trucks, guns, thrills and some very big booms. In 2015, the franchise gave its wasteland a feminist gloss with "Mad Max: Fury Road," starring a ferocious Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa. And maybe we did need another hero, because that character has returned, now played by the wide-eyed Anya Taylor-Joy. In this prequel, Taylor-Joy, covered in grit, grease and dirt, plays a younger Furiosa, newly kidnapped and desperate to find her way home. ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK Julia Gartland for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Potato Chip Omelet Most three-ingredient recipes are pretty ho-hum; basic dishes to satisfy your hunger but not necessarily whet your appetite. Ferran Adrià's potato chip omelet is a salty, crisp-edged exception. Calling for just eggs, potato chips and good olive oil, this minimalist combination is a riff on a classic Spanish tortilla, but without any chopping required. Add a sprinkle of smoked pimentón or sliced chives for color and verve, or some grated Manchego for creaminess. Or leave it be; it's a perfectly simple dish all by itself. REAL ESTATE Rachel Watts and her dog Winnie near the banks of the Hudson River. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times The hunt: A New Yorker took her $400,000 budget to the Hudson Valley. Which home did she choose? Play our game. What you get for $400,000: A 1924 bungalow in Lexington, Ky.; a four-bedroom house in Blairstown, N.J.; or a Colonial Revival house in Buffalo. For sale: The loft-style SoHo building where John Lennon and Yoko Ono once lived. LIVING Sonia Pulido Sex and relationships: Experts say communication is essential for true intimacy. But what if your significant other won't open up? Skin care: Some pimple patches are more helpful than others. Visiting Italy? Try these essential pasta dishes, recommended by the experts. Forget weekend escapes: How to, realistically, care for yourself as a caregiver. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER 'Do I really need a portable air purifier?' Even if your home has a modern HVAC system, Wirecutter experts say there's real value in having a portable air purifier, too. Running one on high for a few minutes cleans a room quickly. This can make a big difference during moments of increased air pollution — throughout a heavy pollen season or if food burns in the kitchen, for example. It can keep air squeaky clean running on auto. And during an acute weather event, like wildfire smoke invading your home, an air purifier is an important part of protecting yourself. — Annemarie Conte GAME OF THE WEEK Manchester City teammates celebrate in London on May 14. Kin Cheung/Associated Press English Premiere League soccer: The race for the Premiere League title comes down to the final weekend of the season. Manchester City, which has dominated English soccer in recent years, can capture its fourth straight title with a win over West Ham — a feat no Premiere League team has ever achieved. But second-place Arsenal still has a shot. If Man City loses, and Arsenal beats Everton, the London squad would win its first title in two decades. Sunday at 11 a.m. Eastern. Man City plays on NBC, and Arsenal on USA. For more "City winning the league is just what happens. To be bothered by it would be like getting annoyed by the colour of the sky," Charlie Eccleshare writes in The Athletic. Arsenal should be proud of its performance this season, with or without a title, Art de Roché writes. On the field, this was a banner year for the Premiere League. Behind the scenes, though, it was a mess of lawsuits, infighting and looming government regulation. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was objected. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku and Connections. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Correction: The sports section in Thursday's newsletter repeated N.B.A. and N.F.L. news from the previous day's newsletter. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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