We start off with some grim stuff this week, and then transition into what feels more hodgepodge-y and eclectic than usual. Which is pretty cool. I like it when this list feels as scattered as my mind at rest. If only because it feels like it raises the chances of you (yes, you) finding something you’d like to read…

Hope you all had a good week!

Odds n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Librarians, Educators Warn of ‘Organized’ Book Banning Efforts—(is it really an organized effort, or are people just lazily copying what they see on social media? Both?)
bullet ‘We’re Preparing For a Long Battle.’ Librarians Grapple With Conservatives’ Latest Efforts to Ban Books—you know, in case the PW piece wasn’t depressing enough.
bullet Lawmakers Expand Inquiry into Library E-book Market
bullet Spotify’s latest purchase is about becoming the place you listen to everything: Why it bought an audiobook company
bullet How the MFA swallowed literature: On the total world-domination of workshopped fiction
bullet The Strange History of the Worst Sentence in English Literature—About Bulwer-Lytton’s famous opening
bullet Speaking of sentences…Simplicity or style: what makes a sentence a masterpiece?
bullet I used to spend hours arranging my books until I realised it was a colossal waste of time and changed my ways—sure, she sounds reasonable, but…what?
bullet The 12 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books That You, an Adult, Should Absolutely Read—there’s some good stuff on this list, but that headline makes my blood boil. Haven’t we grown past the idea that SF/F isn’t for adults yet?
bullet Getting It Wrong: How Thomas Perry Learned to Live With His Books’ Errors—this was a lot of fun
bullet The Fantastical Food of Fantasy Fiction—I’m pretty sure this is a re-run, but I don’t care. It’s worth a re-read.
bullet The tortuous literary puzzle Cain’s Jawbone has been solved for the first time since 1934—this book was recommended to me a few months back, frankly I think it’d drive me insane. Hats off to the latest victor.
bullet The #R3COMM3ND3D2021 series over at Damp Pebbles offered up another good looking batch of recommendations this week (including one that may have made my list if I’d read it by the time I wrote mine). Check out the contributions from:
bullet BookBlogger Els Ebraert
bullet BookBlogger Joanne
bullet BookBlogger Jo B
bullet BookBlogger Emily Quinn
bullet BookBlogger Yvonne – Me and My Books
bullet Emma Kuyateh – Primary Teacher Bookshelf
bullet Blogger, Reviewer, and Crime Fiction Commentator Ayo Onatade
bullet Balancing Reading For Your Blog and Other Hobbies—Am tempted to ask, “What is this Earth thing you call, ‘Balance’?”
bullet Why my reads are no longer 5 stars?—I get this…I’m not there, but I get this.

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Dead Mercy by Noelle Holten—the latest gripping read in the the DC Maggie Jamieson series is out now. It can be read alone, too. I enthused about it recently
bullet The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman—Fahrenheit Press steps away from their particular brand of noir to put out a new edition of the holiday classic. I love that cover.