But wait — where’s Useless Etymology??

“ . . made my first foray into audiobooks with my girl Martha Barnette’s impossibly delightful (and wonderfully narrated) Friends with Words.” Thanks, The Millions! themillions.com/2025/12/a-ye...

A chewy chat about aging, regrets, goals, and adjusting—and how words change as we do. Check out this @oldstermag.bsky.social questionnaire:

When it comes to books, I guess you can judge a cover. Here’s a spectacular list from @literaryhub.bsky.social. I’m delighted it includes the gorgeous cover of FRIENDS WITH WORDS. Richly deserved! The whole list is a treat for the eyes.

Listen in and nerd out! Lots of fun chatting about words and wonderful books 🙂📚

Great time sharing the joy of language with Arik and his listeners!

Fun chat about memoir and hypnagogic inspiration with @saribotton.bsky.social (“Hypnagogic”? Hint: It’s a great excuse for a nap! 😁) #memoir #writersofbluesky #amwriting #readinglist #bookchat

Well, THAT’s a nice little bit of good news amid all the other mishegoss! Friends with Words made USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Booklist last week. Huzzah!

Taking my own damn escalator ride! See y’all tonight in Lexington!

Word Nerdery alert: Come peep us at the South Burlington Library in VT tonight!

What a light, what a life. 💔

Hey, book lovers in the South! I’ll be there this weekend, in conversation with @stefanfatsis.bsky.social to talk about his new book and mine. Join us! #friendswithwords 📚

I somehow missed “groksucker” until just now.

Looking forward to chatting with Spain’s largest English speaking talk radio station shortly!

My book makes this Arkansas library’s “Most Requested” list. Yay #libraries and #books! 📚👓

Super-fun interview on WORT-FM about my mom, playing the Pink Panther theme, how Ritalin was named, and my upcoming appearance in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 26! www.wortfm.org/martha-barne...

So much fun to chew the fat with y’all! 🙏🏼

I’m so looking forward to signing #FriendswithWords and meeting other book lovers at this festival next month!

Thanks, @npr, for choosing #FriendswithWords as your Book of the Day!

Word of the Day: struthonian, or “Tending to ‘hide one’s head in the sand.”

Come hang out with @grantbarrett.com and me tomorrow, 11:30 a.m, Main Stage. I’ll sign my new book afterwards! 📘

What a fun, uplifting night with the hosts of @dailybeanspod.com! @benitezzzz.bsky.social and I are still laughing …

How to find public radio stations in the US that need funding, now that public broadcasting funding has been stopped. adoptastation.org

Where do you get yr audiobooks? Asking for a FRIENDS WITH WORDS, which drops today!😁(Didja know you can support indie bookstores by getting ‘em from Libro.fm?)

Oh, Michael. To have this kind of praise from a linguist and writer I admire so much—who wrote the book on polyglots, no less—leaves me . . . well, wordless. Seriously. Thank you so much! I’m bowled over.

I’m so looking forward to this tomorrow! Pour a cup of coffee or whatever and join me at 6 a.m. Pacific Time for a chat with these fine folks.

Hey, thanks @nypost.com! Glad FRIENDS WITH WORDS made your list of this week’s buzzy books! 🐝📘 #friendswithwords #abramsbooks

Right back at you, sir! Let’s do it again sometime.

Every language lover should subscribe to @fritinancy.bsky.social “s newsletter. I always learn something from it— several things, usually. And I’m not sayin this just because of this generous review of my new book!

Loved having a total nerd-out yesterday with one of the smartest interviewers I know!

Delighted to talk with @wbur.org’s “Here & Now” today about weird and wonderful words today! #Languageland #WordJoy #IndieAuthor #NPRBooks #FriendsWithWords

It's the last month of Summer Reading Season & we rounded up 19 of the week's best new #books, ft. Francesca Serritella, Louis Sachar, Jason Mott, Sarah Pekkanen, David Levithan, @marthabarnette.bsky.social, @oliviawrites.bsky.social, @peteramescarlin.bsky.social, @joshuasharpe.bsky.social, & more!

Have a favorite word or phrase or question about language? I’ll be chatting away about my new 📘 today at 4:30ET/1:30 PT. Join us! #BookChat #wordnerds #writersofbluesky #indebookstorelove

I probably should have explained that those fancy French ladies had lotsa room around their beds for guests. I just have room for cats.🙂

Just 2 days until Friends with Words drops! Perfect for the word nerd in your life. Lots of ways to pre-order here: marthabarnette.com #FriendsWithWords #WordNerd #NewBook #BookTwitter #LanguageLover #PubDay

Two of my favorite podcasts have a crossover episode! Word nerds, delight in @marthabarnette.bsky.social from A Way With Words joining up with @grammargirl.bsky.social to discuss some fascinating word origins. 🤓

Such a fun conversation with ‪@grammargirl.bsky.social about the surprising secrets tucked inside words! For the full episode, search Grammar Girl wherever you get your podcasts. LMK what you think!

🎙️ Ah, so that’s why it takes 22 hours to record an 8-hour audiobook! FRIENDS WITH WORDS drops in 2 weeks. Pre-order now for your favorite word nerd! 🧠📘 #FriendswithWords #wordnerd

Can’t wait! Join us as we let ‘er rip!

Yay for y’all, whatever its origin, y’all!

The word “unboxing” is WAY older than you think! Happy Unboxing Day for Friends with Words: Adventures in Languageland!

Seriously? I guess there really is an affinity group for everything.

Hey, @sophiastewart.bsky.social, don’t do that! :-) But thank you so much for your kind words about my book — hope you enjoy it.

I know, I know . . . big fish, teeny pond. But you gotta celebrate these things while you can. Thanks to all y’all supporting FRIENDS WITH WORDS!

Ha! Yeah, dunno why Throttlebottom isn’t a Word of the Day every day. @merriam-webster.com @dailybeanspod.com

Big fun nerding out over pronouns, respair, throttlebottoms, & more w/ the one and only @muellershewrote.com!

Calling all language lovers: The fascinating Fritinancy newsletter is always a must-read! @fritinancy.bsky.social

Good answer to a question we get a lot. getpocket.com/explore/item...