Happy Friday Links

1-19-24

Happy Friday, readers,

What a week this has been. It started out freezing; it warmed up on Wednesday and Thursday, and now it’s back into the 30s during the day. I did a couple of bookish events online this week, so I didn’t have to get out into the cold weather. The weather and a grandson’s work schedule had us putting off my daughter’s birthday celebration until tonight. I’m looking forward to a weekend of my favorite winter beverage (hot cocoa), lots of reading, and a little bit of grandkids’ indoor sports thrown in just for fun.

Every other Friday, I share links to fun and interesting bookish and sometimes non-bookish stuff, and I’m here to do just that. This week’s links are heavy on the book-related links and a few other fun links, just because. Let’s get started.

• In the Bookish Fun Fact from the last Happy Friday Links issue on January 5th, I mentioned that National Braille Literacy Month is January every year. This WaPo article (gift link) continues the discussion by highlighting how “the federal Braille program brings recipes within reach of the blind.”

• For many readers, winter brings a feeling of curling up by the fire with a favorite hot beverage and reading. This Town & Country article lists twenty-five of the best winter books to do just that. I’m in the middle of reading The Snow Child for a book club in a couple of weeks, and I wish I had a fire to cozy up to.

• Minor league affiliate of the Washington Capitals, the Hershey Bears, collected almost seventy-five thousand teddy bears to donate to local charities. Here is the video of the Teddy Bear Toss.

• If you live in New York City, you probably know all about the independent bookstores in the area. If not, or if you are traveling to NYC, this handy guide tells you about several of them in the area.

• If you like having a dinner party or being invited to one, this Cup of Jo post is informative and hilarious. More than five hundred comments provide helpful tips and lots of laughs.

• One of my favorite authors has a new book hitting the stands on February 6th. This Shondaland article discusses The Women by Kristin Hannah and says her new book “shines a light on the unsung heroes of the Vietnam War: Nurses.” I read this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and I loved it.

• This NY Times (gift link) article about a “paperback cover makeover” was interesting and gave me things to think about that had never occurred to me before. The more I learn about the publishing process, the more I want to know.

• Many publications are writing about the best books of 2023, top news stories, and so on. Lit Hub has written about the ten biggest literary stories of 2023, and there were two that I hadn’t known much about.

• When I see stories like this, I wish to be part of that community. I will be traveling to the Seattle area a couple of times this year. Maybe I can plan one of the trips to coincide with the first Thursday of the month so I could participate, too.

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Bookish Fun Fact

Yesterday, January 18th, was National Winnie the Pooh Day, commemorating creator A. A. Milne, born on this day in 1882. Milne wrote the stories about Winnie the Pooh after hearing his son make up voices for his toys. The name was inspired during a trip to the London Zoo, where Milne and his son met a black bear named "Winnie.” The Winnie the Pooh brand stayed with the family until 1930, when a TV and merchandising expert bought the rights for $1,000 and 66% of the income generated. In 1966, Walt Disney bought the rights to the franchise, and as they say, the rest is history. You can celebrate the day by reading Winnie the Pooh to a child, reading Milne’s earlier works, or watching the 1977 Disney animated movie, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. 🧸

What does the weekend hold for you? Do you have any fun things planned, or are you still trying to stay inside and warm? What is the latest great book you’ve read? Whatever your plans are, I hope they are filled with fun and things that fill your soul. Happy reading!