“Last Christmas” by Jimmy Eat World. I can’t say I’m a fan of the original “Last Christmas” by Wham!, but I am a big fan of this cover by Jimmy Eat World. Sometimes you need a little melancholy emo to cut through the relentless cheer of classic Christmas tunes, and this catchy rendition manages to capture the emotional grit of holiday heartbreak while still carrying an animating, energetic drive. A great choice when you’re wrapping presents and feeling feelings.
The Work of the Deadlift by Oliver Bateman. The deadlift is my favorite lift, so I really enjoyed this piece about the deadlift from Oliver Bateman. He traces the lift’s deep roots in human movement, underscores how universally relevant its mechanics are, and argues that the act of lifting something heavy from the ground connects us to a fundamental physical competence many of us have lost in modern life. Along with technical lifting advice, Bateman weaves in deeper philosophical observations about strength, mortality, and the satisfaction of doing hard things, convincingly conveying why the deadlift matters beyond the gym.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. If you’re looking to get into the Christmas spirit, give A Christmas Carol a read. What’s great about it is it’s short. You can knock it out in one sitting if you want. And that slim volume is packed with reflection-worthy insights on where you may be falling short in being a generous-hearted human and ways you might change for the better (like throwing Fezziwig-esque parties, for one). Even though I’ve read the book and seen film and theatrical adaptations countless times, the story never gets old because it’s so dang timeless, universal, and stirring. For more books to get into the Christmas spirit, check out our list of recommendations.
Field Notes Armed Services Edition of The Maltese Falcon. Field Notes has cooked up something cool to pay tribute to one of the smartest cultural initiatives in American history: the Armed Services Editions of books. Between 1943 and 1947, over 120 million copies of popular books were printed in a distinctive horizontal format; lightweight and portable, ASE books were designed to be read by WWII sailors and soldiers and passed along in foxholes and on ships. Check out our article on the ASE. Field Notes has used their imprint to release Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon in the original ASE format. It’s the first new Armed Services Edition since 1947. It’s the text as it appeared in Black Mask magazine, before Hammett revised it for the novel. You also get some ASE-inspired Field Notes notebooks to boot. Great stocking stuffer!
On our Dying Breed newsletter, we published Sunday Firesides: A Liturgy for Our Lives and The Best Books the McKays Read in 2025.
Quote of the Week
Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
—O. Henry
