As a parent of a one-year-old, I am constantly thinking about what to feed my daughter to ensure she enjoys a variety of “real” food as she grows into toddlerhood and beyond. I found two New York Times articles of particular interest this weekend. Mark Bittman’s piece on testing out recipes on his children and having them eat everything except octopus was heartening. And the beautiful photo-essay on what kids around the world eat for breakfast reminded me that breakfast doesn’t have to be eggs, oatmeal, or Cheerios, even for the under-two set. Although I think I will pass on the chocolate sprinkles on toast. —Salwa Jabado, Senior Editor, Countryside and Adventure
If you haven't read David Sedaris's Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, then I'm sorry, but you haven't lived. —Michael Alan Connelly, Editor, Fodors.com
I have been devouring Laura Hillenbrand’s non-fiction masterpiece, Unbroken. After a three-day binge fest, I’m 50 pages from the end and can barely resist the urge to read discreetly at my desk. The story of Louis Zamperini is an epic tale of WWII survival and a true testament to the resilience of humanity. From his boyhood mischief, his astonishing survival at sea, and his tragic experience as a POW, you forget that you are reading non-fiction and have to remember to close your mouth in public as you frantically turn page after page. I’m still working on that last part. —Lara Kramer, Digital Marketing Manager
Recommended Fodor’s Video
This primer on press-trip etiquette should be mandatory reading for all of us who take FAM trips. The main takeaway? Don’t be the jerk (you know there’s always one on every trip). —Arabella Bowen, Editor-in-Chief
William Finnegan’s piece “Dignity,” about the struggles of New York fast-food workers to have their demands for a living wage recognized, was the most gripping piece of journalism I’ve read in some time. Among some staggering numbers—American fast-food workers receive seven billion dollars a year in public assistance, while the differential between workers and top management is twelve hundred to one—the stories of the individuals involved were beautifully told. —Róisín Cameron, Associate Editor, Countryside and Adventure
I hope that none of my nephews use Paul Rudnick’s brilliant “College-Application Essay” as a model when trying to get into a university (or even worse, applying for a job), but this essay in The New Yorker about a teenager hoping to get into an Ivy League school or a “respectably expensive party school” is easily the funniest thing I’ve read this month. —Mark Sullivan, Editor, Cities and Cultural Destinations
I'm reading Young Lawrence: A Portrait of the Legend as a Young Man by Anthony Sattin. The book is the first to focus on T. E. Lawrence in his twenties, before the war, and uses first-hand sources, museum records and Foreign Office documents to unearth story of a complicated and exceptional young man as he seeks to carve out his place in the world. —Kristan Schiller, Editor, Cities and Cultural Destinations
A pretty heavy story, but I couldn’t stop reading this chilling but fascinating tale in The New Republic about an encounter with Afghanistan’s only female warlord. —Amanda Sadlowski, Assistant Editor
All things Miami (city of the future!?) in the current edition of Departures—wow, amazing issue! —Yasmin Marinaro, Senior Director, Digital Marketing & Business Development