RDAU_10-11_Oct_Nov Issue

ILLUSTRATION BY KATE TRAYNOR 6 Dear Reader world of good 8 A Cotton Tale world of good 18 Places to Visit in Europe EvEryday HEroEs 27 Halloween’s Costumer by sydney page from the washington post bEst pEt HElpErs 32 Healing Hearts, One Visit at a Time glad to HEar it 34 3 Stories To Make Your Day 70 Brain Games 156 The ORBISCULATE Challenge, String Theory and More 162 Word Power The Healthy 70 Cookies and Crackers and Chips, Oh My! by beth weinhouse 76 News from the World of Medicine by rachel maidl Departments art of living 36 The Life of the (Responsible) Party 13 tHings 41 The Season of the Witch by sarah chassé inspirational 44 The Village People dEpartmEnt of wit 54 A Night at the Opera by mike reiss is it rEally rudE to ... 66 ... Post a Photo of Someone Without Asking First?* by charlotte hilton andersen tHE rd list 142 David Byrne, Heart of the Beast , Lucy Foley and More book rEviEw 146 The Extraordinary Florence Stoker by karen brooks QuotablE QuotEs 154 Ina Garten, Kermit the Frog, Terry Crews and More VOL. 212, NO. 1240, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026 READER’S DIGEST IS PUBLISHED UNDER LICENCE BY DIRECT PUBLISHING PTY LTD., 431 WARRINGAH ROAD, FRENCHS FOREST, NSW 2086, © 2025 DIRECT PUBLISHING PTY LTD (ABN 81000565471) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, REPRODUCTION IN ANY MANNER INWHOLE OR PART IN ENGLISH OR OTHER LANGUAGES PROHIBITED. REQUESTS FOR PERMISSION TO REPRINT ANY MATERIAL FROM READER’S DIGEST SHOULD BE SENT TO PERMISSIONS@TMBI.COM . FOR LETTER, STORY AND READER INQUIRIES, SEND ALL EMAILS TO LETTERS@READERSDIGEST. COM.AU WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER. PUBLISHED STORIES AND LETTERS WILL RECEIVE A READER’S DIGEST COLLECTED EDITION BOOK. PUBLISHED STORIES MAY BE EDITED FOR CONTENT OR LENGTH CONSTRAINTS, ANDMAY BE USED ACROSS ALL ELECTRONIC MEDIA. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, EMAIL SHERON.WHITE@DIRECTPUBLISHING.COM.AU Humour Life ���������������������������� 36 All in a Day’sWork � 52 Laughter ������������������ 78 4 OctOber/NOvember2026 | readersdigest.cOm.au reader ’ s digest Contents * Story referenced on cover