Tag: Saturday Miscellany Page 27 of 61

Been a good week here—read a lot, wrote almost enough to satisfy me, and got enough new books that I’ve ruined whatever TBR progress I’d made this month (1 ebook, 2 audiobooks, 2 hardcovers, and 2 paperbacks…I have a problem).

I’d intended on 2 more posts this week than I got—which is pretty good. I don’t know if it’s the weather, work, or just one of those things, but each night this week I felt like I was fighting sleep for the last couple of hours (and never had the good sense to do the responsible thing and go to bed). I fell asleep within minutes of posting my Fridays with the Foundling last night—so quickly that my first thought this morning was “were those last paragraphs even in English?” (thankfully, yes)

I think I had a point when I started that, but I don’t remember what it is. It’s one of those days, I guess. Let’s get on with things…

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Get a free audiobook!—When you spend at least $15 at your local bookstore on April 24th, you can get a free select audiobook from Libro.fm. Independent Bookstore Day is a couple of months off, but might as well start planning for it, right?
Is It Time to Kill the Book Blurb?—”The pre-publication endorsements—’dazzling!’ ‘a masterwork!’—that litter book covers have long been a staple of publishing. Are they of any value or mere relics that deserve to go?” I somehow didn’t even have to work around a paywall for this WSJ piece.
‘Books saved my mental health,’ says online reviewer—BBC.com profiles a book blogger
Announcing the Newest Release From Rick Riordan — Daughter of the Deep—After I tapped out during The Trials of Apollo I figured I was done with Riordan, unless he got back to his Texas noir stuff. But…this looks promising (and a good excuse to revisit Hugo)
Rooms of Their Own: Where Some of the Best Women Writers Created Art—worth the click if only to see the desk (a generous word) that Austen used.
Favorite Things About Book Formats
Friday at the Folly – Rivers of London—Fi’s Bibliofiles starts a re-read through the Rivers of London UF series. This is one of my favorite series and I’m looking forward to revisiting it through these blog posts.
And Men There Were None: Where Are The Male Readers?—On the one hand, I feel like I should drop some links in the comments to show him where we are. Snark aside—overall, he’s right.
What is a Good Ending?—a fitting way to wrap up this week’s list (actually, it was totally inadevertent…but I’m running with it).

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Cover Blown by Ian Robinson—The second book in this new procedural series is a heckuva read. This time, the homicide investigation overlaps with a small undercover job that DI Nash has on the side. I hope to get posts up about both books early next week—in the meantime, just go buy them!
Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire—the latest InCryptid book kicks off shortly after that cliffhanger from last year. I started this yesterday, and it’s strange, even by InCryptid standards.
Smoke by Joe Ide—The new IQ novel is a good one—even if I think it could’ve used more IQ, as I said recently.
Junkyard Bargain by Faith Hunter, Khristine Hvam (Narrator)—the second novella-length SF from Faith Hunter. I’m excited to dip back into this strange world of aliens, cyborgs and psychic (?) cats.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to mybookishbliss and Masha who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

So I didn’t post every day this week (and really didn’t like everything I posted), but, in terms of reading and writing, this is the first week in 2021 that I’ve felt “normal” when it comes to blogging. Coincidentally, this is the first week in a while that it’s taken me as long to put this post together as it did today. I guess here at Week 7, I’m ready for the New Year.

I had an interesting thing happen this week a book I’d somehow reserved from my library in both audio and hardcover became available in both formats within a day or two of each other. So, now…do I read? do I listen? do I try to do both (either simultaneously or by switching between? I think either of the latter would drive me crazy. It’s a low-stakes dilemma, for sure, but one I’ve spent too much time thinking about. Thoughts?

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
COVID marks new chapter for independent bookstores—one more take on COVID’s impact on Indie Bookstores
The world’s most misunderstood novel—On Gatsby, the changing perspectives on it, and some new takes on the classic.
The 10 Most Confusing Books of All Time—I hate to be that guy, but most of this list makes me think that people aren’t actually reading the book. But, yeah, I can get behind four of them (which means someone out there is thinking I didn’t actually read the book).
The Bourne Challenge: How to Create a New Hero in the Long Shadow of Jason Bourne: Writing and inventing inside the “Ludlum Universe”—I remember trying Ludlum when I was in Junior High, but couldn’t really get into Bourne, which probably means I missed something. So I’m not sure why I read this, but Hood’s process is really interesting. How would you create a “protagonist who’d give readers a Bourne-like experience, but not a Bourne rip-off” in that universe?
Digital Mini Reviews | What Would Life Be Without Books?—a handy list of comic collections for readers (and, yes, I have spent money based on this post)
A Class Above: D&D Classes in Books. Over at the Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub, a handful of bloggers and authors contributed to a series this week looking at examples of the various D&D Character Classes in (largely) non-D&D books. If this series doesn’t expand your TBR-Pile, something’s broken:
Fighters and Barbarians
Paladins, Clerics, and Druids
Rogues and Rangers
Bards and Magic Users
And then she wraps it up with Books for Fans of D&D
Speaking of W&S Bookclub, DISCIPLINE OF BLOGGING Jodie Crump “Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub” Writer Interview—Novelist Todd Sullivan recently interviewed the writer behind “Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub” about book blogging. Great stuff!
Bender’s “Feel Good” SFF books—yet another TBR expanding post.
If your budget is in trouble after the last few links, maybe these posts from The Book Critter will help: Tips for Buying Used Books: part one and Tips for Buying Used Books: part two
5 Really Easy Ways to Support Book Bloggers (they deserve it all)
4-Year Anniversary, Ask the Blogger—Books are 42 just passed the 4 year mark and answers some questions about those years.
Reflections On 9 Years Of Book Blogging—Booker Talk has been at this for an impressive Nine Years and shares some wisdom.
Deliah Dawson knows exactly what we need right now

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Oh, That Shotgun Sky by Sarah Chorn—a novella looking at the aftermath of Of Honey and Wildfires. It’s full of heartbreak and gorgeous prose, as you’d expect from Chorn.
True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee by Abraham Riesman—The title says it all, really. This pullquote from Gaiman adds a bit more: “A biography that reads like a thriller or a whodunit . . . scrupulously honest, deeply damning, and sometimes even heartbreaking.”

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to thisdadreads who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

We got a lot of snow dumped on us yesterday—this weekend could possibly bring more snow to the area than we’ve seen in four years (and I really don’t want to talk about what happened then). I slept through most of it, and then was distracted by work for the rest. But this morning, I can watch it fall through the window I’m sitting across from. It’s oddly relaxing. I’m not the kind of guy who sits and watches anything outside my window, but today it’s working for me.

Until, that is, I have to let a dog out. Then the snow will be the source of a wet, furry, mess. I’d better stock up on the relaxation while I can, right?

Anyway…
that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
19 Tips For Reading More This Year—This is far different (and yet not) from the typical posts like this I share, it’s built from reader feedback about how the Pandemic/Lockdows/etc have changed reading habits.
Indie Bookstores Embrace E-Commerce… and It Pays Off
Lecter’s Fangs: Why the Ending of ‘Hannibal’ is a Secret Masterpiece—Friend of the Blog, Nick Kolakowski, attempts to defend and laud (fairly successfully, I begrudgling admit) the ending of Hannibal. He very well may be right. He probably is. I still don’t like it.
‘I think I’ve written more Sherlock Holmes than even Conan Doyle’: the ongoing fight to reimagine Holmes—I’ll confess to not reading all of Doyle’s Holmes (have owned a complete set since junior high), have never read one by anyone else. I’m fascinated by all the variety. Am I missing out on some good ones?
How a Former LAPD Detective Became the ‘Godfather’ to L.A. Crime Writers—I love reading things like this
One Word Book Reviews: Because I’m Lazy Like That—Given the graphics involved, I’m not sure “lazy” is the right word. I love this idea. And clearly, could never pull it off.

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Author Stories Podcast Episode 1051: Mike Chen Returns With We Could Be Heroes—Garner and Chen talk about the new book, which is good. The highlight for me was the discussion of Chen’s pandemic book being released a few weeks before the world went upside down last year, and his thoughts about the COVID-inspired books coming in a few years.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Dreyer’s English (Adapted for Young Readers): Good Advice for Good Writing by Benjamin Dreyer—I’ve been looking forward to getting my hands on this one since I heard about it. I loved the “adult” version and want to see how he translates that into advice for kids (also, I can see this being easier to pass on to non-language nerd friends/family who need the help)

I really thought I had a decent list of things for the week, but when I opened my Pocket this morning, all I saw was stuff I posted last year, things I had no idea why I saved and…four other pieces. What did I spend all week doing?

Oh well, I’ll make this short and sweet and then go lock myself away for awhile to finish some in-progress posts and work on taxes. Fun day, eh?
that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Fran Lebowitz’s One-Star Amazon Reviews—Lebowitz is one of my favorites, I love this lady’s humor and there are pieces by her I can read over and over. Now I see she spends time writing 1-Star Reviews for Amazon? I’m in danger of losing hours here…
The Future of Police Procedurals: What is the responsibility—and the path forward—for authors writing crime fiction about police?—Michael Kaufman describes the challenge of writing a police procedural after the Summer of 2020.
Is an Audible subscription still worth it?
I did my first Twitter poll this week, At what point do you decide to DNF a book of it’s not working for you?—the results are about what I’d predict. What about you?

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to MCG who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

Productivity came in fits and starts for me this week–and a couple of ambitious posts didn’t make their way out of the beginnings of a draft. I’m thinking of locking myself in my office for a few hours today to finish them. Some good reading this week, though, which makes up for it (and is partially to blame for unfinished posts). As is typical for the last week of the month, I didn’t find a lot of fodder for this list. But hopefully, you find something worth your while.

Thanks for dropping by!

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Why is California such a great place to write murder mysteries?: Five writers confess why the state’s an ideal backdrop for making a killing
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a link to a news story about a potential new Dragonlance book. Margaret Weis make it official—I’ve got to work in a re-read. Sure, I think I remember enough to dip back in, but I have children older than I was the last time I read the series. (H/T: W&SBOOKCLUB, my source for all things Dragonlance)
Alex Verus – The Future (After Book 12)—Benedict Jacka gives a peek at some of what’s next after the Verus series ends.
Unlucky Breaks: Famous Writers Who Suffered Slings, Arrows, And Misfortune
Why You Should Read The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss—This is a well-done video. And he’s right about the series, too.
How Do You Track Your Reading?—BookerTalk breaks down her methods and the comments are full of alternatives
Why I re-read books
Which Type of Reviewer Are You?—Apparently, I contain multitudes. In one week, I can be (and have been) all of these.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen—Chen’s take on Super-Heroes deals with memory, identity and friendship. Also, super-powered people do super-powered things. I had a few things to say about it recently.
Latent Damage by Ian Robinson—A pair of London detectives are on the hunt for a vigilante (which I just noticed is a paraphrase of the tag line on the cover, oops). Ian Robinson will be familiar to readers of this blog as Ian Patrick. Under that pen name, Robinson has a tendency to blow me away with his prose and his take on policing. I’ll probably have many good things to say about this soon.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to jenniereads and Bec @ bec&books who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

Not that you can tell from my output here, but I have spent far more time reading and writing this week than I usually get to lately—which translates into a lot less of social media/blog-hopping (and even when I did, most people weren’t talking about books this week, apparently something major happened in the national news). So I don’t have a lot to share today.

And yeah, the post I intended to go up on Tuesday is only 40% finished (which isn’t to say it’s going to be long, if anything it’ll be on the shorter side). But it’s a good 40%, I’ve rewritten it about 6 times. (…and I thought it’d be a quick one to write—ha!). I’m putting it aside for a few days just so I don’t drive myself crazy, and so I can actually produce something this week.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
This new indie bookstore categorizes books by emotion.—ohhh, this just sounds exhausting, both for the staff having to organize and a shopper. (sure, I’d like to browse it once or twice, just to see…)
The Mystery Is Holmes: Why We Return to Conan Doyle’s Stories Over and Over Again—I think he’s on to something here, I’m not the biggest fan in the world, but I have a hard time not dipping my toe into Holmes every now and then. A bit of this can be applied to other things we re-read, not just Holmes (or mysteries in general), too, if Holmes isn’t your thing.
‘Funny, How?’ Why Comedy is Crucial in Crime Writing
What Are Your Reading Modi Operandi?—a fun post from Bookidote’s Lashaan, and some great comments. I haven’t chimed in because my M.O. seems to change by the month/week lately.
All the Positives with Negative Reviews—yup. The Orangutan Librarian’s latest take on the perennial post hits several nails on the head.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston—I’ve enthused over this (suitable for adults) MG Fantasy about a girl from Atlanta entering a Hogwarts-ish institution for a secret magical organization a couple of times already (my original post and in one of my Best-Of 2020s), and now it’s available for everyone to fall under its spell.
The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick—I’ve devoted hours to this book this week (with about one to go, before I have to spend a couple writing about it tonight) and I don’t know how to sum this up. It’s a fantasy about a con artist, and many, many, many other things. And unless the authors stumble in the last 11 percent, it’s a great read. Check out the authors talking about it on The Big Idea.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to thebookinhandsam who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

Huh. I thought I had stuff to talk about today, but now that I’ve got to this part of the post, I’m coming up empty. So, I’ll simply say thank you for stopping by, hope you’re doing well and are reading a good book or five. Enjoy these links!

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Lapsed bookworm? How you can get back into the habit of reading
The Perils of Downsizing: Be careful you don’t discard something you can’t live without — like books—I really liked this.
Please Stop Comparing Things to “1984”—Yes, please. Although the “Left” needs to stop just as much as the “Right.”
The ‘Great Gatsby’ Glut—NYTimes, so you may have to get creative to work around the registration. Now that Gatsby is in the public domain, we’re going to see a lot of writers and publishers taking advantage of it. Seeing it already, but after reading this, I know it’s going to get worse.
Every Mystery Writer Knows, You Can Kill Anyone
But The Dog: Sulari Gentill on crime fiction’s most unbreakable rule—I’ve heard writer after writer talk about this–from all parts of the world, from all types of Crime Fiction. They all recoil from the idea (not necessarily because they think it’d be out of place, but because the way readers react). Gentill gives a pretty good explanation for the roots of the “rule.”
And as soon as that started making the rounds on social media this week, Jo Perry reminded readers of her post from last year: Kill the Dog—her series would be nothing without having killed the dog.
The Thrill of Researching Your Crime Novel
D&D: New Dragonlance Novel Coming In July!—I haven’t read/reread a Dragonlance novel this century, but the first two trilogies (and a handful of the early standalones) were so monumental for Middle School/High School me that this news excites me.
Not Famous… Two Years Later—Two years ago yesterday, Matthew Hanover’s first novel was released. He reflects on those years a little here.
The End—Benedict Jacka has turned in the final revisions to his last Alex Verus book. That’s got to be a strange feeling for an author.
Speaking of endings, Michael Connelly says goodbye to Amazon’s ‘Bosch,’ hello to Netflix’s ‘Lincoln Lawyer’”—Netflix is a better fit than CBS, the original destination for The Lincoln Lawyer. HitFix’s Brian Grubb points out a fascinating possibility because of this. (you’ll have to scroll a bit to get to it).
What is Magical Realism?—a quick primer from Ramona Mead.
Desert Island Children’s Books—a great idea for a personal challenge–and how have I not thought about The Borrowers in decades? Why didn’t I introduce my kids to them?
Why exactly do we read book reviews?—pretty much sums it up
Want a Review? Here’s Five Things to Avoid—I should probably put this link on the top of my request page.
5 Tips On How To Write A Good Book Blogger Review Request For Your Book—I also saw this one this week. There’s a lot of wisdom here. I know that I’ve read books that I might not have primarily because of the way the author wrote the request.
On the theme of reviews, the Tweet of the Week goes to: Well Read Beard—I’d buy the single now.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Robert B. Parker’s Someone to Watch Over Me by Ace Atkins—I have less than 100 pages to go in this one and am loving it! Mattie Sullivan returns to the series, bringing a deadly case of child exploitation with her.
Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire—The next Wayward Children novella has to do with a world filled of centaurs and unicorns, and who really cares what else is involved in the premise. It’s going to be good. Poor time management is going to keep me from this for at least a week, and I’m pretty annoyed with myself over it.
Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas—I didn’t walk away from The Hate U Give saying, “I have a burning desire to learn more about Maverick Carter’s backstory.” But now that it’s here…I have to admit, my curiosity is piqued.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Leigh Hecking and Dark Corners who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

I started the week pretty strong on the reading and production front…and then Wednesday happened. I was glued to the news–I tried (inspired by a fellow book blogger) to pull myself away for a bit, and only managed for about 25 minutes. And even when I tried to force myself to write something, I kept asking “who’s going to want to read something as inconsequential as my stuff this week?” I tried to get something posted by Friday, but I was so physically (and mentally) exhausted after all the news-binging that I couldn’t finish a thought, much less read for more than a page or two at a time. I expect I’m not alone. This probably explains the scanty nature of this week’s post.

Let’s see if I do better next week, eh?

Meanwhile, I hope you and yours are safe and well.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Want to read more books in 2021? Here’s how to stick to your goal—I think I’ve only seen one piece like this in 2021, which is a little odd. I like the advice in this one.
Comics are a ‘gateway drug to novels and storytelling’—Rankin on early reading and writing.
Perry Mason and the Case of the Wildly Successful, Perpetually Restless Author—When I was in High School (and before, I think), I was a Perry Mason junkie. Haven’t really read him since then, for some reason. I’ve seen a couple of bloggers talk about him lately, and when you add this in, I’m jonesing for some more.
Literature-Map: The Tourist Map of Literature—a neat idea. I’m not sure how best to describe it. Just click on it and try.
Picking the 2021 Goodreads Challenge Colour—A fun little video
New year, new review system.—Very impressive, just makes me feel like I should rebrand as the Indolent Reader.
This quip from Nicholas Kaufmann—the best (non-political) tweet I’ve read all year.

Episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Speaking of Mysteries Episode 208: Lee Goldberg—While any interview with Goldberg is worth a listen, I thought his discussion of writing about COVID (or not writing about it) was particularly interesting.

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Bone Canyon by Lee Goldberg—Eve Ronin’s second adventure is as good as the first—the recent wildfire leads to the discovery of some human remains, which leads Eve to open a cold case and get her in all sorts of career trouble. I had some nice things to say about it recently.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to David Donaghe who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

It’s January 2nd, which means I’m inducing anxiety with my 2020 Best-Ofs list (too many good things…). Hope you’re all enjoying the last little drips of this holiday season as we all gear up for a return to Regular Life (COVID Edition) on Monday.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
Thursday came with grim news about the death of Anton Strout, author and podcaster. He was on my short-list of authors I really wanted to meet in RL. I’ve read almost everything he wrote (everything I could get my hands on, for sure), and interacted a little with him online. I’m pretty sure his podcast was the first one I listened to, too, now that I think of it. Anyway, he seemed like a great guy—supportive of other authors (both in his day job and personal life) and was always super-friendly to this fan (and all others I saw him interact with). More importantly, he was a devoted family man and leaves a wife and seven-year-old twins, a GoFundMe has been set up to help them out, if you’re in the position to chip in.
On a similar note, Literary Hub has compiled Notable Literary Deaths in 2020: An Incomplete List of the Writers, Editors, and Great Literary Minds We Lost This Year
Book sales are up, but is that helping independent sellers?
2021 Ultimate Book Blogger / Reader Spreadsheet Template—Last year, I abandoned the home-brewed Spreadsheet I’ve been honing since 2010 or so in favor of Kal’s far superior one. This one looks a smidgen better. I highly recommend it.
Favorite Things About Book Formats—Cozy with Books breaks down the best of each format.
2021 Reading Challenge for backlogged books—If I hadn’t forced myself into abstaining from almost every challenge this year, I’d be diving into this Challenge from Entertainingly Nerdy. Looks like a great way to force yourself out of a rut or three.
What Makes a Good Coming-of-Age Story—for some reason, it’d been a while since I dropped by The Bookwyrm’s Den, missing out on posts like this one. Who doesn’t love a coming-of-age story?
#R3COMM3ND3D2020—For weeks, I have left reminders for myself to link to this series from the great Emma at damppebbles, and ignored them all. It’s a place for “authors, book bloggers and bookstagrammers to shout about three (yes, only three) books they love” published in 2020. There are some great reads here—and the books they link to aren’t shabby, either.
Favorite The Write Reads Tour Books of 2020—I’ve done a few tours with The Write Reads last year (and have one scheduled for this new one), and while I didn’t participate in this poll, I’d have been pulling for 3 out of the 4 listed here. Also want to echo the compliments about The Write Reads in the post.
2020 Recap – A Year in Blogging—I really liked Way Too Fantasy’s approach to the Year-End Wrap-Up post.
Ditto for Bookstooge Reviews 2020
This post would be freakishly long if I didn’t exercise some restraint here, but how’s about some Best-Of 2020 Posts?
My Favorite Reads of 2020—we’ll kick things off with this one from Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub
The damppebbles Top Ten (sort of!) of 2020—(also a nice Wrap Up, but not even Emma gets listed twice for the same post)
My Top Ten Novels of 2020—Char’s too horror-centric for me to really get into their recs, but when our reads overlap, we’re usually on the same page. So if you’re looking for a horror read, here’s some doozies.
Raven’s Yearly Round Up 2020 and Top 10 Books—anyone else worried about their bank balance after these lists? I think Raven could push me over the limit.
Top 20 for 2020!—The Orangutan Librarian won’t be limited by an arbitrary 10!
Top Twelve Books of 2020—neither will A Little Book Problem
My 2020 Notable Book List—from the Fantasy Book Nerd
Favorite Reads of 2020 by Month (Ft. More Than 12 Books Because Choosing is Hard)—Bookwyrm’s Den tries an approach that would drive me to all sorts of anxiety in a particularly good month.
Best Books of 2020—Books, Bones & Buffy does in one post what it’ll take me four or so to accomplish

That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir—the latest in the DC Icons finally moves away from the Big 3 (Catwoman’s still Batman-adjacent, so she doesn’t count), and I’m eager to see how they deal with Dinah Lance.

I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Priya Prakash who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

Hope you all are doing okay as we approach the last few days of this unusual year, and that your planning for 2021 and look-backs at 2020 are going well.

So little to say this week, and not much to link to. But I enjoyed these, and hope you do, too.

that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
This Christmas, read a story aloud – you’ll be surprised by the joy it brings—Thinking back on when I used to do this regularly with my kids, this is a decent idea for other times of the year, too.
I appreciated this thread from Ethan M. Aldridge on how libraries benefit authors
Who wore it better? US book covers vs. their UK counterparts.—a fun look at the differences in covers from Lit Hub
The Worst Literary Adaptations of the Century (So Far)—I’ve only seen half of this list, can’t argue with them.
<a href=”https://www.tor.com/2020/12/17/the-only-right-and-proper-way-to-read-the-chronicles-of-narnia/ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>The Only Right and Proper Way To Read The Chronicles of Narnia—Am pretty sure I’ve posted this before, but it bears repeating.
I’ve seen some really good creative approaches to the Year’s Best theme this year, like:
Top Five Backlist Reads of 2020—from Realms of My Mind
Steven Writes posted both Top Five Memorable Endings I Read In 2020 and Top Five Most Dramatic Twists I Read In 2020—excellent ideas, both
TBR Tackle Challenge Announcement—yeah, I know last week I said something about cutting back on challenges. This one could be helpful, though. I’m considering it, you might benefit from it, too.