Pocket-Worthy Reads

Stories to fuel your mind

Narratively

Love, Death and Volleyball: The Four-Decade Run of a Trailblazing Gay Sports League

How a dirt-court meetup in Central Park grew to become a vital lifeline during the AIDS crisis and a surrogate family for LGBTQ people to this day.

Inverse

One Sci-Fi Movie Series Invented Star Wars, Captain America, and Everything Else

George Lucas owes nearly everything to Buster Crabbe.

The Kitchn

How to Make Baked Potatoes Fluffy and Crispy

The secret to better baked potatoes? Cook them like the British do.

Afar

Please Don’t Put Your Suitcase on the Bed, Ever

The real reason there’s a luggage rack in your hotel room.

The Atlantic

Revocable Trusts: The Most Common Trusts in Estate Planning

Revocable trusts allow the trust maker complete control over the assets and can be quite efficient when it comes to capital gains and income taxes.

Smithsonian Magazine

Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other—and the Birds Loved It

Wild parrots tend to fly in flocks, but when kept as single pets, they may become lonely and bored.

Kiplinger

How to Choose Your Trustee or Executor of Your Will

Above all, you should choose someone you trust, keeping in mind that acting as a trustee or executor can be a complex, thankless and sometimes long-term job.

Aeon

Why Exhaustion Is Not Unique to Our Overstimulated Age

Those who imagine that life in the past was simpler, slower, and better are wrong.

Atlas Obscura

Medieval Africans Had a Unique Process for Purifying Gold With Glass

And scientists in Illinois have recreated it.

Epicurious

The Coffee Lingo You Need to Find Your New Favorite Beans

Natural vs. washed, blend vs. single-origin...you need a cheat sheet to understand how the descriptors on the bag translate to the taste inside each cup.

Outdoor Life

7 Sneaky Ways Landowners Block Access to Public Lands

And what to do when you run into it.

Darius Foroux

This Is How I Form Good Habits That Actually Stick

Where you are in your life is a result of your habits.

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

Wednesday, August 13

Food & Wine

Cornish Hens Made Dinner Feel Fancy — So Why Did We Stop Serving Them?

These mini chickens rose to fame in the 1970s. Now they’re poised for a comeback.

BBC

The Lost Art of Hitchhiking: What We Can Still Learn From Travel’s Most Radical Mode?

Long dismissed as dangerous, hitchhiking is being rediscovered by a new generation of travellers seeking connection, adventure and a low-carbon way to see the world.

The Guardian

Take Away Our Language and We Will Forget Who We Are: Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o and the Language of Conquest

The late Kenyan novelist and activist believed erasing language was the most lasting weapon of oppression.

Bitter Southerner

For the Living of These Days

Every summer, locals reenact the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial in Dayton, Tennessee, where Prosecutor William Jennings Bryan remains something of a hero. I wanted to see for myself why this story still resonates.

Slate

Rise of the “Marinade Truthers”

Put down those Ziploc bags!

GQ

Travis Kelce on His Upcoming Season, Post-NFL Ambitions, and Life With Taylor Swift

After a grueling Super Bowl loss, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end spent his summer vacation focused on coming back stronger than ever.

Literary Hub

Is It Time to Move On From Dr. Seuss?

Jess deCourcy considers the staying power of Green Eggs and Ham.

PS

Zillennials Can’t Afford to Buy Homes. So What?

Millennials and Gen Z have so much debt that home-buying feels like a fantasy. But these experts say renting is the real power move.

Recommended Reads

Curated by Pocket

USA TODAY

Alyson Stoner Book Reveals Stalkers, Rehab, Dark Side of Child Fame

Child stars are speaking out about the not-so-glamorous and sometimes abusive conditions they faced under the spotlight, and Disney alum Alyson Stoner is the latest to share their story.

Kiplinger

How to Break Free From the ‘One More Year’ Trap and Actually Retire

Despite having more than enough money to retire, some people simply cannot leave their jobs.

Business Insider

My French-Born Husband Taught Me the Real Way to Experience France — Slow, Immersive, and Away From Big Cities

My visits to France have changed dramatically since marrying into a French family. Now I know how to experience the best the country has to offer.

CBS News

How a Nonprofit Is Helping the Un- and Underemployed Fill Open Manufacturing Jobs

The Ohio-based nonprofit Magnet helped 56-year-old Mary Lamar find work after serving a 3.5-year prison sentence.

Dwell

“Freedom Cities” Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis

And with President Trump’s proposed plan to build 10 brand-new cities on federally-owned land, democracy itself is also at stake.

Quanta Magazine

What Does It Mean to Be Thirsty?

The effects of insufficient water are felt by every cell in the body, but it’s the brain that manifests our experience of thirst.

Vogue

The 10 Most Powerful Antioxidants

We’ve all heard about the power of antioxidants for slowing aging—not just for skin, but for the entire body. These are the 10 most powerful.

ESPN

MLB Rank 2025 Update: What Did We Get Right -- and Very Wrong?

Who is still too low in our update? Who did we miss in our initial list? Our best -- and worst -- rankings revisited.

Real Simple

Hair Minimalism Is Trending—Here Are 7 Hair Care Steps You Can Actually Skip

As hair minimalism takes off, more people are recognizing that not every product or step in your hair care routine is essential. Here’s what you can confidently skip without sacrificing great-looking hair.

Kiplinger

Google’s AI Overview Is Wrong About Life Insurance 57% of the Time, Says Study

You need more than a grain of salt when getting life insurance tips from Google’s AI overview.

Glamour

Taylor Swift’s New Album, ’The Life of a Showgirl’: What We Know So Far

TS 12 is coming! Swift announced plans to release her 12th studio album in a clip from her highly anticipated appearance on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast.

The Associated Press

Tennis Star Monica Seles Reveals Her Diagnosis With Myasthenia Gravis

Tennis Hall of Famer Monica Seles is discussing for the first time her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis — a neurological autoimmune disease she was diagnosed with in 2022.

Life Hacks

Tips for better living

The Guardian

Why Do I Feel So Much Worse After a Nap – and How Can I Avoid It?

Waking up from a nap feeling groggy, tired or ill? Experts say it’s common. Here’s what could be going wrong.

USA TODAY

Gas Prices Are Down From Last Year. Here’s Where They Could Head Next.

July gas prices were down 2.2% from June and 9.5% from the year prior, according to the latest CPI report from the Labor Department. Why prices at the pump could continue to slip in the months ahead.

Culture Study

The Unexpected Benefits of Starting a Small-Scale Dahlia Operation

No, it’s not infinite bouquets.

Axios

Companies Embrace in-Person Interviews to Dodge the Chatbots

If you’re a knowledge worker on the job hunt, you might want to upgrade your interview wardrobe to include pants.

BBC

Should We All Be Taking Vitamin Supplements?

Vitamin supplements can be an efficient way to add vitamins lacking in our diet. But they're not a silver bullet.

NPR

What’s the Deal With Claims That Birth Control Is Dangerous?

Social media is full of videos saying hormonal contraception can hurt you and promoting natural alternatives. How did the treatments get such a bad reputation and do alternatives work?

Bon Appétit

I Didn’t Want a Big Wedding. Until a Mayo Brand Paid for One.

The wedding industrial complex didn't interest me, but I jumped at the chance to say “I do” for my own mayo-themed wedding.

CNBC

These States Have Sales Tax Holidays in 2025. Here’s Who Stands to Benefit, Tax Experts Say

Some states are offering sales tax holidays to boost spending as President Donald Trump’s tariffs threaten to hike prices. Here’s what shoppers need to know.

Greater Good Magazine

Why Doesn’t the U.S. Have a Paid Family Leave Policy?

Paid leave advocate Orli Cotel explains the history of paid leave in the United States and how it impacts our lives in moments of hardship.

CBS News

How to Negotiate Credit Card Debt Relief on Your Own

Struggling with credit card debt? Taking a DIY approach to debt relief could be a smart move for certain borrowers.

CNBC

Travel Card Benefits Are ‘Getting Harder to Maximize,’ Analyst Says. What to Know Before You Apply

Travel credit cards may be worth the cost as long as it fits your lifestyle. Otherwise, it may not make sense to have an expensive credit card in your wallet.

SELF

7 Little Things Pilates Instructors Really Wish You’d Stop Doing in Class

Sorry, but faster doesn’t equal better here.