Happy Friday Links

2-9-24

Happy Friday, readers!

I usually write these links every other week, but I’m doing them two weeks in a row to get on a different every other Friday schedule. I don’t know how I got “off-schedule,” but it’s causing problems with my editorial calendar, so I’m fixing it this week.

I’ve been busy getting ready for my trip next week. I had my car serviced, dropped more books off at the Friends of the Library bookshop, made lists of things I need to do, etc., and now I’m working on newsletters to schedule for publication while I’m out of town. That’s how I’ll be spending my weekend—newsletters.

Let’s get to the links!

• How do readers determine what they want to read? Do they schedule the books they want to read in advance or fly by the seat of their pants? Is there some method to the madness? In this Washington Post article, a reader shares how keeping a list of the books she’s read has changed her reading life in ways she never imagined.

• What a sweet story. Meet the “honey-do dude.”

• Have you heard of “bookshelf wealth?” I hadn’t heard of it, but leave it to TikTok to teach us something we didn’t know we needed to know—but do we need to know this?

• In keeping with Black History Month, this BookRiot article for “bookclubs” lists several black historical fiction novels to read to celebrate Black History.

• A new advice column on Lithub advises the reader “to take everything with a grain of salt”—on a margarita. “Am I the Literary Assh*le?” attempts to answer all your literary questions.

• A Publisher’s Weekly article tells how a beloved bookstore in Chinatown rose from the ashes after a fire to re-open even better than before. It’s inspiring how the community and bookstore patrons came together to help make all this happen.

• Just in time for Valentine’s Day! This Beyond the Bookends article lists nine perfect Valentine’s Day gifts for book lovers.

• Romantasy author Saara El-Arifi dishes on worldbuilding with the hosts of the Professional Book Nerds podcast. This is one of my favorite podcasts to listen to that features authors, industry professionals, and all kinds of bookish goodness.

• Maybe you need this Kindle page-turner remote for your Kindle. Amy Allen Clark writes about how a Kindle page-turner improved her reading life, and perhaps it can improve yours, too.

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Bookish Fun Fact

I find these “bookish fun facts” hoping that readers learn something they didn’t already know or see something fun to learn more about. Today tests the limits of my abilities—hopefully, this bookish fun fact won’t get too wet. Who knew that today is the cleanest bookish holiday of the year? February 9th is National Read in the Bathtub Day, and if you usually take a shower instead of a bath, it’s probably not a good idea to take a book into the shower with you—maybe you can find another way of celebrating that doesn’t harm books in the process.

If a bath is your thing, grab your book or Kindle, a favorite scented candle, a glass of wine, or other beverage, turn on some soft music, and relax, read, and celebrate this fun, bookish holiday. Enjoy!

So, tell me, are you planning on celebrating National Read in the Bathtub Day? What book are you going to read? Maybe having the Kindle page-turner is a good idea when you read in the bathtub; then again, maybe not, as it’s just one more electronic device you need to worry about not dropping in the water. Oh, the joys of reading!

If you have been to the Savannah Book Festival or live in the area, are there any places I need to go or things I need to do while I’m in town? I’ve got time to do some sightseeing, and I’d love to know what others recommend. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Happy reading!