Morning Brew - 📚Bookworms

Time-saving tools and products we’re really into rn.

You don’t need to call Task Rabbit to lift your heavy furniture. This set of lifting straps proves that the simplest inventions really stand the test of time. (Shout-out to sliced bread!)

Pick up just enough Estonian to try to chat up a barista on your next European vacation. The Loecsen app offers lessons in over 40 languages that teach colloquial conversation instead of touristy phrases. You won’t get fluent, but you might be able to make a new friend who could join you on a hike through those lush Estonian forests.

Even the best work friend relationships can turn sour (we’ve all seen The Social Network, right?). Prevent going from lifelong besties to mortal enemies with these tips from Shondaland.

What’s top of mind at the watercooler.

If you search for “booktok” on TikTok, you’ll get endless short-form video content about beautiful cover designs, recommendations for your next read, and creators sobbing as they clutch a copy of The Song of Achilles. Welcome to #BookTok, the corner of TikTok where bibliophiles share their love of reading.

BookTok has also become a way for book publicists and book enthusiasts to elevate authors who otherwise may not receive as much publisher-backed attention. And this new way of promotion often—and unexpectedly—sends sales into the stratosphere thanks to all the user-generated content.

Kristin Dwyer, who runs New York City-based publicity firm Leo PR, says that at its core, book promotion is the same. Publicists still send out galleys, hope for review coverage, and vie for special placement in bookstores. But now she also looks for influencers who are tapped into specific genres and sends them book-branded swag in hopes that they’ll influence their fandoms.—SS

Your punch list for when you punch out.

Watch: They’re baaack! The spooky villain origin story in Hocus Pocus 2 follows the Sanderson sisters as they continue to create chaos and run amok. We’ll be telling people our name is Winifred until at least November 1.

Read: With the rise of wellness trends using crystal healing and palo santo burning—much of which are appropriated practices from Latin American and Afro Caribbean traditions—Latinx millennials are proudly bringing brujería back to its roots.

Eat: It’s not really fall until you get your Betty Crocker on and whip up a delicious dulce de leche pumpkin pie. And that caramel twist? Just *chef’s kiss* perfecto for October.

Pearls of career wisdom.

“Leave that ego at the door because that doesn’t help anyone. I used to have a big one, and it made me feel insecure about my ideas. When a collaborator didn’t agree with a decision, I would see that as a personal attack. Over the years, I’ve learned the importance of getting my collaborators involved in the process and understanding that we’re working together toward a common goal.”—Miro La Flaga, co-founder

“Starting a business can feel intimidating, but just remember everyone is learning as they go. Nobody has all the answers. Having that mindset really helped me feel less intimidated on this journey, and it’s something I want others to apply.”—Ash Phillips, co-founder of Montreal-based creative agency Six Cinquième