Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Delish

What Nutritionists Wish You Knew About Popcorn

Think twice before reaching for the movie theater butter.

CityLab

The Forgotten Remnants of Route 66

Photographer Edward Keating captures the history of Route 66 over the decades as towns along ""the mother road"" have fallen into disrepair and obscurity.

GQ

We Regret To Inform You That You May Have ‘Email Apnea’ and Not Even Realize It

Your inbox can literally take your breath away. Here’s how to not let it.

Literary Hub

50 Great Classic Novels Under 200 Pages

I once wrote about the best contemporary novels under 200 pages. Now I must turn my attention to my favorite short classics.

MEL Magazine

I Spent a Day as a Times Square Mascot

Who knew that dressing as a Ninja Turtle for seven hours could be such a miserable slog?

The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings)

Walt Whitman on the “Meaning” of Art and How to Best Access the Poetic

“At its best, poetic lore is like what may be heard of conversation in the dusk, from speakers far or hid, of which we get only a few broken murmurs. What is not gather’d is far more — perhaps the main thing.”

Fast Company

How to Land a Job You’re Not Qualified For

It doesn’t hurt to apply, even if you feel underqualified. But there is a strategy you should follow.

Outside

How to Eat Like a Nutritionist (And Never Feel Like You’re On a Diet)

It doesn’t have to be all kale salads and quinoa.

Slate

Dismantling My Dreams, One Brick at a Time

We lived out our fantasy to flip a house. We will never do it again.

Smithsonian Magazine

How Scientists Resolved the Mystery of the Devil’s Corkscrews

Smithsonian paleontologist Hans-Dieter Sues tells the tale of a fossil find that bedeviled early 20th-century researchers.

Nautilus

How Math’s Most Famous Proof Nearly Broke

Andrew Wiles thought he had a solution to an age-old puzzle. Until it began to unravel.

Knowable Magazine

What Would Signal Life on Another Planet?

Astronomers have long debated what kind of chemistry might serve as a bona fide alien biosignature. With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, those ideas may be put to the test.

Popular Collections

Curated guides to the best reads on the web

Pocket Collections

The Art of Navigating Thorny Office Politics

From bad bosses to gossipy colleagues and, of course, office refrigerator drama.

Today’s Pocket Hits

Saturday, July 26

The Guardian

How Video Games Are Keeping Romance Alive – One Level at a Time

Some are using Final Fantasy and GTA Online as dating sites and long-time lovers are finding comfort and connection through Resident Evil. Could video games be the ultimate relationship tool?

Esquire

What I Didn’t Understand About My Autistic Son, and What I’m Learning Now That He’s an Adult

I have opened my heart and my mind to Sam, and he’s brought both of us to the place we so desperately need to be.

The New Yorker

Mary Had Schizophrenia—Then Suddenly She Didn’t

Some psychiatric patients may actually have treatable autoimmune conditions. But what happens to the newly sane?

NBC News

The Deadliest Extreme Weather Event Is Not What You Think It Is

Nationally, extreme heat causes more deaths each year than any other weather event, including floods, hurricanes and tornadoes.

The Associated Press

Photos Show a Filipino Couple Walking Down a Flooded Aisle on Their Wedding Day

Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle on their wedding day.

NPR

Are High-Protein Snacks Worth the Hype? Here’s How to Assess

Protein has taken over the packaged-snack aisles at the grocery store. But do you need extra protein in your chips and muffins?

SELF

3 Simple Steps to Keep Your Bananas From Rotting Way Too Soon

Expert-approved strategies for extending the life of this potassium-packed—but short-lived—fruit.

Vox

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

And why it’s not getting cheaper any time soon.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Andscape

Hulk Hogan’s Legacy Isn’t Complicated

Professional wrestling star’s career is no match for his racism

Smithsonian Magazine

Optimists Really Are on the ‘Same Wavelength’ When They Think About the Future, New Study of Brain Activity Suggests

As the research participants thought about future scenarios, optimists displayed similar neural patterns, but pessimists showed more individualized brain activity

Sportico

Baseball Losing Grasp of Its Own History in Era of New Rules

These changes to baseball—not just the All-Star Game changes, but the adjusted playoff format, eliminating Game 163, —come at a heavy price. 

Vanity Fair

Princess Diana Felt “Suffocated” by This “Archaic” Royal Tradition, Says Her Former Butler

Paul Burrell, Diana’s former personal assistant and confidant, on how the late Princess of Wales really felt about visiting the royal family’s beloved estate.

Harper's Bazaar

What Should Artists Do When an ICE Detention Center Moves Next Door?

The Florida Everglades are home to a diverse community of artists. The Trump administration targeted this area to build a controversial ICE detention center, and residents are fighting back.

Entertainment Weekly

Why Marvel Skipped Out on Comic-Con 2025

Marvel skipped Comic-Con 2025, leaving the annual pop culture convention without a typically expected splashy Hall H panel on Saturday night. Here’s what went into the decision.

Real Simple

6 Hidden Gems Designers Always Hunt for at Garage Sales

Hitting up yard sales this summer? Here’s what designers look for.

BBC

How a Vote Targeting ‘Pro-China’ Lawmakers Has Split Taiwan

The spectre of Chinese influence in parliament has sparked a movement and fractured Taiwan’s society.

BBC

Tesla Pledges to Make Cheaper Cars As Issues Mount

Elon Musk’s carmaker says a more affordable Tesla model is coming as it reports a steep drop in revenue.

Architectural Digest

Your Local Post Office Is a Love Letter to Your Town

As the USPS celebrates its 250th anniversary, AD examines the surprisingly fascinating history of the agency’s buildings.

Smithsonian Magazine

‘Robo-Bunnies’ Are the Newest Weapon in the Fight Against Invasive Burmese Pythons in Florida

Scientists are experimenting with robotic rabbits in hopes of luring the destructive snakes out of hiding so they can be euthanized

The 19th

How a ‘Wall of Determined Black Women’ Rallied for Harris One Year Ago

The 19th spoke to half a dozen leading Black women in Democratic politics about their recollections of July 21, 2024, when Harris kicked off her 107-day presidential campaign.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

NPR

Doctors Urge FDA to Remove Black Box Warning on Hormone Therapy for Menopause

The FDA may remove the warning labels on hormone replacement therapies used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Doctors say the warning is scaring people who could benefit from these treatments.

NPR

What Borrowers Should Know About Student Loan Changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill

If you’re a federal student loan borrower or about to become one, your head may be spinning.

NPR

You Can’t Outrun a Bad Diet. Food Not Lack of Exercise Fuels Obesity, Study Finds

One explanation for the rise in obesity in industrialized countries is that people burn fewer calories than people in countries where obesity is rare. A major study finds that’s not the case.

Axios

Venmo the Treasury to Help Pay Uncle Sam’s Debt? You Can, If You Really Want

Of all the things you might use Venmo for — buying drinks, splitting a check with friends, repaying a loan — there’s a good chance you’ve never had “sending the government a gift to help pay the public debt” on your list.

Harvard Business Review

Make the Most of Your Vacation When You Can’t Fully Unplug

While advice abounds on the importance of fully unplugging during your hard-earned time off — and for good reason! — what should you do if you’re in a situation where you can’t be fully offline?

The Atlantic

The Problem With Rewards Credit Cards

Their fees are getting higher—and their benefits are sometimes wildly complicated to redeem.

Axios

Social Security Recipients Set to Face an $18,000 Benefit Cut in Just Seven Years

Retirees are facing the prospect of substantial Social Security cuts in just seven years, sooner than projected, due to the “big, beautiful bill,” per an analysis out Thursday from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

The Cut

‘Are My Student Loans About to Become Unaffordable?’

You could do nothing—or you could sign up for a new repayment plan. Here are your options.

NBC News

Did Your Doctor’s Office Charge You a ‘Facility Fee’? Here’s What to Know.

Facility fees, often associated with inpatient hospital stays, are becoming more common for outpatient doctors’ appointments.

Allure

Why Are People Fighting About At-Home Gel Nail Kits on TikTok?

A closer look at both sides of the “OPI nail drama.”

The Associated Press

For Some Employees, Education Benefits Such As Tuition Assistance Prove Life-Changing

As higher education costs have grown to heights many U.S. residents find unattainable or illogical, some adults are looking to their employers for help.

CNET

I Asked Pro Chefs: What Are the Most Worthless Kitchen Tools?

Save your money and a little space in your cupboard by skipping these 20 kitchen gadgets.