Bookmarks: Your Must-Read Content for August 2025

Behind the scenes of Frankenstein, the psychology behind reboots, Kelly Bishop's re-invention, and more!

Hi Friday night reader,

Bookmarks is a digest of my favorite bookish content around the web and in real life for members only (however, this first edition on Substack is free for everyone!).

My mission is to take on the daily task of scouring the web for the best literary lifestyle content so you can both stay informed and have more time to read or relax without all the added scrolling. Peruse it with a cup of coffee!

Top 3

Vanity Fair's exclusive behind-the-scenes of this fall's Frankenstein is quite breathtaking.

On nostalgic reboots: “As a mental health therapist, I often recommend nostalgia, watching old shows or listening to old songs, to help clients with anxiety, overthinking or emotional disconnection[.]” This is why I keep leaning into Gilmore Girls and the books on it.

The title says it all: At 81, Kelly Bishop is Still Reinventing Herself. Peep her brilliant new show idea!

The Literary Edit

Audiobook walking clubs! I love this idea. It's an introverted exercise with community and safety.

This little flirting at the library image comic strip gave me a chuckle.

This story has been getting buzz, and the format is so lovely. Recently deceased reader Dan Pelzer read 3,000+ books since 1962. Here they are.

Elle dives deep with Jenny Han on everything from her worst jobs to The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Wanna take a trip inspired by BookTok?

Lit Flicks

Why Clueless is still the best Austen adaptation to ever do it. Agree!!

After years and years of delays, Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale has a release date (2027) and the perfect casting: Elle and Dakota Fanning.

The Woman in Cabin 10 will premiere on 10/10 on Netflix.

Verity's release date has been pushed back from May 2026 to October 2026 due to the release of another adaptation starring Anne Hathaway: The Devil Wears Prada 2, which is also scheduled for May 2026.

Literary Lifestyle

Smart ways to dumb down your phone. I've been experimenting with these strategies to reduce screen time and doomscrolling, particularly before bed and after waking up. Unfortunately, it's on us to make our phones less addictive, but this helps.

On Substack, I re-stacked this piece on plagiarism and how it's destroying the arts and humanity, saying, "Everyone needs to read this. Every word."

I was really blown away by the documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes on HBO. Both his talent and catalog are on their own level. (Fun fact: I got randomly upgraded to front row at one of his concerts about 20 years ago and, yes, it was the best!)

I think more people need to understand the way social media algorithms work. This piece reminds us that anything we engage with— whether for positive or negative reasons—brings us more of this type of content.

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