Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Narratively

This Boy From Mumbai Became the World’s Unlikeliest Crossword King

As a teenager, Mangesh Ghogre was obsessed with decoding puzzles filled with foreign references. Now he’s the only non-American to ever create them for The New York Times.

Architectural Digest

The World’s 13 Most Beautiful Villages You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

From an English hamlet seemingly plucked from a fairy tale to a color-packed town in Colombia, these under-the-radar spots allow you to enjoy the quaint atmosphere without the crowds.

The Hustle

Why Americans Stopped Buying Convertibles

We’ve traded the open-air dream for climate-controlled isolation.

Scott Young

The Complete Guide to Memory

Breaking down how memory works and what you can do to improve it.

Mental Floss

12 Artifacts Brought Up From the ‘Titanic’

More than 5,500 artifacts have been brought up since the first salvage trip to the ‘Titanic’ wreckage in 1987.

Apartment Therapy

Here’s What It’s Actually Like to Find an Apartment in Paris

“Unfurnished” could also mean no kitchen cabinets.

GQ

Cardiologists On What You Need to Know About Intermittent Fasting and Heart Health

Experts want you to take scary headlines with a grain of salt.

Smithsonian Magazine

This Wooden Sculpture Is Twice as Old as Stonehenge and the Pyramids

New findings about the 12,500-year-old Shigir Idol have major implications for the study of prehistory.

MEL Magazine

Slayer, Striker, Shooter and the Rise of the Extreme Baby Boy Name

Parents tend to be more conservative about naming baby boys. But when they do get creative, they turn them into throat-ripping action heroes.

Literary Hub

14 Curious Telegrams from (and to) Famous Writers

“I can’t look you in the voice.”

Bon Appétit

Extra-Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting

Come for the fluff, stay for the brown butter–cinnamon sugar filling.

Nautilus

The Unique Merger That Made You (and Ewe, and Yew)

All sophisticated life on the planet Earth may owe its existence to one freakish event.

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

Sunday, July 27

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?

NPR

The Best Games of 2025 So Far, Picked by NPR’s Staff

From indies like ’Blue Prince’ to big console exclusives like ’Donkey Kong Bananza’, NPR staff and contributors round up their favorite games of the year so far.

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?

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.

Business Insider

Return Fraud Is Running Rampant

Whether it’s sending back broken items or claiming a package never arrived, Americans are committing return fraud at Amazon and other retailers.

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?

Vox

Why Your Energy Bill Is Suddenly So Much More Expensive

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

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.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

The Marshall Project

Galvanized by Trump, These States Are Passing Harsh New Laws Against Immigrants

The policies create new restrictions for immigrants and people who support them — including reviving measures previously rejected by courts.

Fast Company

Colleges Now Have to Prove Their Value to Applicants, Not Just the Other Way Around

How (and why) colleges are reimagining their admissions process.

The 19th

Telehealth Abortion Access Could Be Challenged Nationwide in New Lawsuit

A Texas man is suing a California doctor over his girlfriend’s alleged abortion across state lines — the latest in a string of cases meant to test the laws that have helped people get care.

ESPN

NBA Free Agency Unresolved Storylines: Kuminga’s Future, Big Extensions

The NBA’s offseason flurry is winding down, but key restricted free agent and superstar extension decisions are still looming.

Essence

Luxury As a Tax Write Off? Here’s Why You Should Rent That Boat This Summer

Who says luxury can’t pay for itself? Here’s how to turn sunset cruises into serious returns.

Fast Company

How Leaders Can Use AI to Improve Performance Management

What businesses need to do when combining AI and performance management, and how it can lead to better outcomes.

ESPN

Debating Top 2026 NFL Draft Prospects at Every Position

Who is the top quarterback, edge rusher and corner in the 2026 NFL draft class? We debated every position’s early lead.

Martha Stewart

9 Potted Plants That Thrive on a Shaded Porch, According to Gardening Experts

You don’t need full sun to grow beautiful plants. These varieties can thrive even when grown in containers on a shady porch.

POLITICO Europe

Inside the Wild World of Britain’s Private Spies

Lucrative, freewheeling — and largely unregulated — private intelligence and security firms are booming in the land of James Bond and John le Carré.

MIT Technology Review

America’s AI Watchdog Is Losing Its Bite

 “There will be fewer, if any, enforcement actions about how companies are deploying AI,” says former FTC attorney Leah Frazier.

Kiplinger

Even Stars Need Health Care: What Venus Williams’ Story Tells Us About Retirement Planning

Don’t let health insurance costs force you back into the game. Start planning now to ensure your early retirement is forever.

Quanta Magazine

Quantum Scientists Have Built a New Math of Cryptography

In theory, quantum physics can bypass the hard mathematical problems at the root of modern encryption. A new proof shows how.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

Kiplinger

Are You an Auto Theft Target? Discover the Clues

Thieves seized over 850,000 cars last year. See which models, states and behaviors draw the eyes of opportunists.

NPR

Home Sales Are Down. So Why Are Prices at an All-Time High?

Those with equity in a home can trade up more easily, while many first-time homebuyers are still stuck on the sidelines.

Fast Company

How to Go From Quiet to Commanding

An executive coach offers introverts five tips for sounding more confident. You’re smart, capable, and consistently deliver results. But in meetings, your voice disappears.

USA TODAY

Estate Sales Are Booming. Thank Gen Z

Environmentally-conscious young people are heading to estate sales for low cost, well-made products.

The Guardian

‘Old People Are Capable of More’: Meet the Female Weightlifters in Their 70s and 80s

Forget the stereotype of the frail old woman who needs help carrying groceries – fitness mavens like Joan MacDonald show you can strength train at any age.

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.

USA TODAY

Young People Always Worry About Social Security. Older People Are Joining Them.

Americans are worrying more about Social Security, and the Trump administration may be partly to blame.  In an AARP survey released July 22, only 36% of Americans voiced confidence in the future of the retirement trust fund, down from 43% in 2020.

The Week

How Will the New Tax Deductions on Auto Loans Work?

Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited.

Time

What to Say to Someone With Cancer 

Some well-meaning phrases don’t always go over well.

HuffPost

These 8 Common Habits Could Increase Your Risk of Dementia

These common daily behaviors can impact your cognitive health – and take a toll on your overall health, too.

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.

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.