New! Once a month I'm sharing the links and little joys related to making, keeping, and celebrating friends.

͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­

	Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The Friendship Edit: August Finds New! Once a month I'm sharing the links and little joys related to making, keeping, and celebrating friends. Nina Badzin Sep 1   READ IN APP   Photo by Laura Kessler on Unsplash My weekly posts are getting too wordy when I try to include all the friendship related articles I discover (or that YOU send me). A solution! I’m compiling those links and other little friendship-related joys (and sometimes non-friendship related ones) into “The Friendship Edit: Monthly Finds” Welcome to the August list! Frustrated with some of your friends? You’re not alone! Check out the anonymous friendship dilemmas. You might have a similar question. Upgrade to paid Summer Articles & Episodes (from other shows) I see so many friendship-related things. You all send me great links too. I love hearing from listeners and readers so keep them coming. Where Have All My Deep Male Friendships Gone? (gift link, NYT) How to combat the ‘friendship recession’ in the workplace (Fast Company) The Under-examined Grief of Losing a Best Friend (Vogue) A megalist of tools for building community from Elise Granata at (Group Hug) Bridget Everett Says a Best Friend Can Be Your Greatest Love (gift link, Modern Love podcast) On Dear Nina in August 🎧 #158: You Need an Older or Younger Friend with Liz Alterman (August Challenge) #159: Teaching Kindness Without Forcing Friendships: A Parenting Dilemma with Jessica Speer #160: From the Cafeteria to the Mahj Table: Friend Group Challenges from Teens to Midlife and Beyond (LIVE!) with Rebekah Jacobs #161: How Much Can You Expect Friends to Support Your Business, Book, or New Endeavor? with Jackie Friedland My Friends Convinced Me to Try This A fun new monthly segment with a few products that my friends convinced me to buy, and I’m glad I listened. This Wella product is outrageously priced but works like a dream if you want soft, easy to blow-dry hair. These moisturizing heel socks are the first things to ever work on my dry, cracked heels. I’ve tried everything else. “Dear Nina” in the Media Thank you to Lara Starr and Bryan’s uncle Benji for letting me know that they heard me on NPR’s weekend edition of All Things Considered. I truly had no idea they’d taken a slice of my NPR Life Kit interview from May and turned into a 3-minute segment on ATC. I was thrilled! It was a total bonus with no extra work whatsoever on my end. All Things Considered “I Went Through A Huge Breakup And My Friends Never Reached Out: Was I Expecting Too Much?” (I was quoted in this article from Betches.com) Two anonymous friendship advice questions & answers you might have missed "What if MY kid is the mean one?" Nina Badzin · Aug 11 Read full story "My friend overshares my information" Nina Badzin · Jul 9 Read full story Thanks for being here in August! Feel free to send links for me to consider in September. ~ Nina Let’s connect outside of this newsletter: You can find me most often in the Facebook group, Dear Nina: The Group. All the social media links are below. I know I need to get rid of some them! Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | LinkedIn | Threads | Twitter | My Website Links to Amazon, Bookshop.org, or other affiliates might earn me a tiny commission, which helps operations of Dear Nina. You’re a free subscriber to Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. Frustrated with some of your friends? You’re not alone! The anonymous letters are a perk for paying subscribers. You probably have a similar question. Upgrade any time for the full archive. Upgrade to paid Share   Like Comment Restack   © 2025 Nina Badzin The Great Midwest Unsubscribe

August Finale: Bite-Size Tales, Rapid Reviews & Dark Essays

A curated mix of micro-horror, rapid-fire reviews, and gothic essays—six bite-size reads to send August off with a thrill.

Mind on Fire Books Merchant of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy August's final act is here, and we're closing out the month with six Features: a blend of micro-fiction chills, turbocharged reviews, and short-form essays. From cosmic grief on "Another Earth" to fog-drenched folk horror in The Haar. Dim the lights, light your favorite candle, and lean in close—these quick reads are designed to haunt and inspire before summer slips away. Featured Rituals Another Earth Movie Review: A Haunting Exploration of Grief, Redemption, and Parallel Worlds Explore the haunting and thought-provoking world of 'Earth 2' in our detailed review. Discover how this science fiction drama delves into themes of grief, redemption, and parallel worlds, leaving viewers… Keep reading ... Dive Into 7 Literary Journeys That Challenge Boundaries Explore seven stimulating literary adventures that challenge reading boundaries, from the creative spark of cannabis in famous writers' works to the nostalgic horror book covers of the past. Each dive… Keep reading ... The Haar: Where Monsters Heal and Humans Haunt In David Sodergren's fog-drenched folk horror, the real terror isn't the sea-born shapeshifter—it's the humans who raze homes and exploit grief. Set in the coastal village of Witchaven, The Haar… Keep reading ... Sinners: A Southern Gothic Reinvention of Vampire Horror Ryan Coogler's Sinners captivates with a bold post-modern vampire narrative, intricately woven into 1930s Black American folklore. Its blend of music, cultural commentary, and vibrant artistry inspires a communal horror… Keep reading ... A Journey into Darkness: Reviewing Aaron Beauregard's Yellow This is the second book I've read by him, and while I should have expected the sheer brutality, I still wasn't prepared. That feeling of guilt lingers—not just for finishing… Keep reading ... Haunted Again: Why Gothic Revival Is Trending (and How to Read the Best for Free) Explore the 2025 gothic revival: why classic horror and gothic fiction are back, how indie authors remix the genre, and where to download the best public domain stories for free. Keep reading ...   Want to keep the ritual going? Follow us on and for more flash drops, behind-the-scenes peeks, and dark literary sparks. Merchant of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy             Unsubscribe   |   Manage your subscription   |   View online Mind on Fire Books