Every Friday I’ll indulge my order-crazed brain in a list of randomness. Welcome to my Friday Fives.

A three-day weekend is staring me down right now and I couldn’t be happier. We’re all due for a few relaxing days. So much has been happening here lately…anniversary, 5k training…but I’ve decided to give you a link round-up for today’s Friday Five. Here are some things over the last week that have given me pause, made me snort-laugh and made me want to do nothing but devour books:

5. Summer Reading

You already know what I have on my plate for the next few months, but if you’re looking for suggestions, Amazon’s got you covered. Here’s their list of 100 books to read in a lifetime, which includes childhood favorites like The Hungry Caterpillar, tomes like Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time, old classics, recent hits and many of my favorite books ever. I love that each book has a tagline over its photo for a quick reference. I’ve read 36, how about you? After a summer of heavy hitters, I’m thinking about devoting my next Shelf Life to classics I’ve never read.

Amazon.com’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime

4. 9-11 Memorial

This week the 9/11 memorial museum opened to the public, a both highly-anticipated and highly-controversial undertaking. Though I’m not on board with the gift shop, I think it’s important to have such a museum…a place where anyone can go and see the faces of those lost and remember the day that changed so many lives. The experiences I’ve had while visiting the Holocaust and OKC Bombing memorial museums are ones I’m continually grateful for and humbled by, and I imagine this would be no different. But, this article made me really question everything. This is profoundly moving. If you only click on one link here today, let it be this one.

The Worst Day of My Life is Now New York’s Hottest Tourist Attraction

3. It Ain’t Over Until…

If someone said “think of an opera star,” would you picture Anna Netrebko, or would you picture a robust lady in a viking’s hat with long, blonde braids? Be honest.

The truth is that many people believe opera stars to be heavy, overweight, and/or voluptuous. And many are. So why are critics now calling them out for it?

Mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught was recently fat-shamed by several critics after a recent performance. Isn’t opera dramatic enough? My good friend and former colleague, Glenn Winters, *weighed* in on the matter on his own blog, Operation Opera.

Operation Opera: Weighing In on Opera Singer’s Weight

2. Safety first

My 5k is tomorrow and earlier this week I innocently went to weather.com to look up Saturday’s forecast. And then this story was featured at the top:

Teen dies from asthma attack after running two miles.

Oh, dear. I’m superstitious at times, but that seemed like a pretty big warning to me. Then, I saw another similar, heartbreaking and terrifying story and quickly shut my laptop.

Virginia girl dies moments after finishing half marathon.

Inhaler in hand, I will run tomorrow and know my limits. Those poor, grieving families will be on my mind the entire way.

1. Friday Funnies

Let’s end this on a lighter note, shall we? Lots of internet things have made me laugh this week. There was this word comparison between Mormons and the rest of the country (#spoton), and there was a new installment of Jimmy Kimmel’s hilarious series ‘Celebrities Read Mean Tweets’ (WARNING: Graphic Language). But, the thing I loved most is this Drum-Off on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show. You know I love Will Ferrell, right? He can do no wrong, unless you’re talking about Men Seeking Women, then he can do all kinds of wrong. But, this. This, is perfect.

Roll the credits. Happy a happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!