Saturday Miscellany — 3/9/19

So I was awakened at shortly after 5 this morning with my wife telling me our 20-year-old had severe abdominal pains and needed to go to the ER, 11 hours later, we were home, one appendix lighter. 1. That’s really incredible. 2. That’s my best excuse for not getting this posted on time that I’ve ever had ? 3. I read more today than I typically do on a Saturday, so, that’s a nice bonus.

I did manage to accumulate a few odds ‘n ends over the week about books and reading that caught my eye. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:

• ‘I can get any novel I want in 30 seconds’: can book piracy be stopped? — How is this still a question?
• Famous Writers and Their Addictions — I should probably read more Balzac (maybe any?), it seems we have a lot in common.
• My Library Card Made Me Less of a Picky Reader — from BookRiot
• FX To Turn Don Winslow’s Epic Cartel Drug War Novel Trilogy Into TV Series — ooh!
• The Rook | Official Teaser — I really don’t know if this a good idea, but that trailer is promising.
• Who Would Win in a Great Literary Bake-Off? It’s Madeleines vs. Gingerbread vs. Eternal Cakes. — some great entries here.
• Understanding and handling your bookworm: A guide.

This Week’s New Releases I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
• That Ain’t Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire — The 8th InCryptid novel and the 3rd featuring Annie — after the way the last one ended, I’m very eager (and a little apprehensive) to dive in.
• A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself by William Boyle — “A funny, gritty, touching narrative about the strength of three New York women caught in a world of abusive men, broken families, and mob violence,” as NPR so helpfully summarizes it. Their review is worth a read.
• Another Kingdom by Andrew Klavan — a screenwriter finds himself in a fantasy kingdom — and in trouble. Then he finds himself back in L.A. And then back and forth. Something tells me that Klavan’s approach to a portal fantasy ain’t that typical.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to TheArtOfLife for following the blog this week.