Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

MEL Magazine

The Quick and Ubiquitous Economics of Bodegas

Do convenience stores really survive on cigarettes and lotto tickets?

GQ

I Swiped Tinder for Days in the Name of Research—These 5 Tips Will Make Your Bio Stand Out

Don’t fall victim to these common clichés, blasé generalities, or self-deprecating lines to shine in the sea of swiping.

Atlas Obscura

Can We Blame the Mafia on Lemons?

Economists and historians are connecting the early rise of organized crime with Sicily’s citrus trade.

Mental Floss

11 People Who Operated on Themselves

“The detachment had already happened in my mind ... It’s no longer my arm. As I picked up the knife, I was very cool and collected.”

The Guardian

Teeth as Time Capsules: Soviet Secrets and My Dentist Grandmother

In postwar Warsaw, my grandmother Zosia fixed the teeth of prisoners and spies. In doing so, she came into contact with the hidden history of her times in a way few others could.

Greater Good Magazine

Is Your Brain Foggy? Here Are Five Ways to Clear It

Studies have found that isolation, stress, and uncertainty can cause forgetfulness and disorganization. Here’s what to do about it.

Smithsonian Magazine

Harriet Tubman Was an Abolitionist, but She Was Also a Naturalist

The Underground Railroad conductor’s understanding of botany, wildlife biology, geography and astronomy allowed her to guide herself and others to safety.

Narratively

Bob and Evelyn’s Seven-Decade Dance

In swinging 1940s Hawaii, an eager young sailor courts a trailblazing woman who dreams of joining the Navy herself. The attack on Pearl Harbor upends their lives and solidifies a romance that lasts 67 years.

The Atlantic

Eight Books That Will Take You Somewhere New

These titles conjure their settings so vividly that you’ll feel as if you’re there.

Mental Floss

Why Hold Music Is So Annoying

We asked an expert to explain why listening to hold music is such a frustrating experience.

The Kitchn

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

For a bright morning muffin, whip up this batch in less than an hour.

The Hustle

The Thriving Business of ‘Ikea Hacking’

A growing number of companies are offering design tweaks for old Ikea furniture — and business is booming.

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, August 3

CNN

Meet America’s First Ever Wife-Carrying World Champions

Caleb and Justine Roesler are the first Americans ever to claim the world title at the Wife-Carrying World Championship in Sonkajärvi, Finland.

The Baffler

Winging It

For those trying to overcome their fears of flying, it’s been...a challenging time to say the least.

Scientific American

The Hidden Way Allergens Attack Nose, Throat and Lung Cells

The immune system senses damage to cell membranes caused by pore-forming proteins and mounts a response.

POLITICO Magazine

Meet the Fraudster Who Wants to Make California Its Own Country

The man behind the Calexit movement claims to be a baller. But he’s broke.

Glamour

Would You Let Your Friend Pitch You to a Room Full of Single Strangers?

In 2025 we’re turning back to one of the oldest forms of dating: meeting a romantic partner through friends.

Tampa Bay Times

She Left Her Abusive Ex. Could She Stay Away?

Money, housing, kids and heartache keep victims with abusers. For a Florida woman, breaking free meant risking it all.

The Cut

What If a Child Was Terrified of Food?

The rise of ARFID, a new eating disorder driven not by body image but by fear.

The Independent

Meet the Childfree Communities Planning for a Future Without Kids

As increasing numbers of us can’t or won’t have children, Helen Coffey talks to those who are planning their lives without a nuclear family, and investigates why government policy has yet to catch up with this rapidly growing demographic.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

Smithsonian Magazine

Killer Whales Hunt Fish in Highly Coordinated Pairs and Perfect Their Movements With Practice, Drone Videos Reveal

Footage taken off the coast of Norway reveals that orcas team up to maximize their prey, according to a new study.

The Atlantic

First Came Tea. Then Came the Male Rage.

The app was meant to make dating safer for women. Data breaches exposing its users show why it was so popular in the first place.

Popular Mechanics

A Study Says Your Brain Can Travel Through Time. Here’s What It Does to Your Memory.

Recalling thoughts and feelings when a memory was encoded improved memory recall, but this mental trick has its limits.

NBC News

It’s a Good Time to Be a Nostalgic Millennial

From the Backstreet Boys’ Sphere residency to a mini “Dawson’s Creek” reunion, ‘90s kids are seeing their pop culture favorites return to prominence.

PS

Yes, Lack of Sleep Is Ruining Your Skin

A dermatologist and sleep doctor break down what lack of sleep can do to your complexion and how to take control of your beauty sleep.

Capital B

Black Neighborhoods at Risk As US Pushes to Cancel Important Climate Protection

Black communities brace for fallout after Trump revokes core safeguard that outlined pollution’s impact on nature and humans.

Popular Science

What Do TSA Bag Scanners Actually See?

Airport X-ray imaging can detect all sorts of threats, along with the water bottle you forgot to trash.

The Verge

Google Has Just Two Weeks to Begin Cracking Open Android, It Admits in Emergency Filing

Google is fighting back.

Martha Stewart

The Right Way to Grow Cayenne Peppers for Huge, Flavorful Harvests

Learn how to grow cayenne peppers the right way and maximize your harvest with expert tips on planting, care, and harvesting for bold, flavorful results.

SELF

6 Skin Care Mistakes That Are Making Your Dark Spots Worse

Dermatologists say these habits could be sabotaging your brightening progress.

CBS News

Americans Are Still Waiting on Trump’s Pledge of IVF Treatment for All

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump said the U.S. would be “paying for” IVF.

The Associated Press

How One Gaza Family Dedicates Each Day to Finding Enough Food to Survive

Abeer and Fadi Sobh spend their days seeking food for themselves and their six children. Their family is like so many others in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

The Associated Press

What to Know If You’re at Risk of Having Your Wages Garnished Over Student Loan Debt

Millions of student borrowers could begin having their wages garnished as soon as this summer. That’s according to estimates from credit bureau TransUnion.

CBS News

What Will Happen to Gold Prices This August?

Gold prices have largely risen over the past 18 months, approximately, but will they continue to do so this August?

HuffPost

This Mosquito-Borne Illness Is Being Reported in Multiple States — Here’s What to Know

Now’s the time to replenish your bug spray supply.

Money

How to Prioritize Your Bills in a Financial Crunch

Which obligations need your immediate attention and which can wait.

The Atlantic

Three Ways to Stop Feeling Like an Impostor

This common syndrome can certainly harm your happiness. Here are three ways to get over it.

SELF

5 Reasons You Get Random Bruises—and When to See a Doctor

Here’s how to tell if something nefarious might be behind them.

The Guardian

Sweat, Stingers and Scratching: 14 Expert, Easy Ways to Treat and Prevent Insect Bites

Some of us seem to be bitten much more than others – and in unlucky cases this can lead to an allergic reaction or chronic illness. Pharmacists explain how to avoid the worst insects have to offer.

SFGate

7 Dogs Suddenly Die in Southern California, 11 More Fall Ill

All were said to have been in good health before a sudden onset of lethargy, nausea, seizures and other symptoms.

The Cut

How Do People Actually Afford These Summer Trips?

If you’re wondering how everyone is staying at four-star hotels in Italy right now, you’re not alone.

Culture Study

A Fascinating Look at How a Hair Stylist Organizes Their Days

This is so interesting.

NPR

The Transformative Power of Keeping a Daily Journal

In a new book, writer Suleika Jaouad explains why journaling is a form of alchemy — and offers tips on how to reignite your practice if you’re feeling stuck, bored or uninspired by your own writing.

Maclean’s

Confessions of the Working Poor

I work hard, buy quality clothes and know how to fake my way through dinner-party conversations. But behind the scenes, I’m part of a fast-growing Canadian underclass.