Happy Friday Links

1-5-24

Hi friends,

I hope the first week of the new year has treated you well. I know you’re looking forward to the weekend and what fun it might have in store for you. When I was still working, this weekend was the last “hurrah” for me as next week starts the long haul to April 15 and beyond; but no more deadlines for me, and I can’t describe the feeling of relief and joy that I have in my life not to have another deadline in my future.

It’s time for the links again, and this week, I have a few bookish, travel, and other fun links to share, so let’s get started.

• I’m woefully late to this amazing book, but better late than never. I read this for a new-to-me IRL (in real life) book club, and I can’t believe I waited as long to read it as I did. This NY Times article (gift link) tells how this book won readers’ hearts and is back on the bestseller list.

• A new year brings new ideas and resolutions for many people. To help you declutter, I loved this article with ten easy tips to tame the clutter and help you feel better in the process. The author

  Shira Gill
  also has a Substack newsletter and a new book. I’m about halfway through the book and learning a lot as I read.

• In a prior life, I knew someone who loved trains of all kinds. While I’d like to forget that part of my life, one thing I did take away is a love of scenic train rides. I’ve been on two of these ten scenic train rides and hope to go on more during my travels in the next few years.

• Here’s a Libby article explaining how to suggest a title to your library and how to set up your app to maximize the benefits of magazine reading.

• Cup of Jo has been a long-time favorite, and this post about Four Fun Things is so fun to read. Ladies Night, new books, and a comments section rich in food, books, visualization, crafting, games, and so much more await you.

• Mychal Threets, a librarian in Northern California, is trying to change the notion that libraries are boring, dull places. Readers already know that’s untrue, but many others, young and old, don’t know this yet. This NY Times article (gift link) highlights his efforts to change that perception. You can check out his Instagram page here.

• After following @sharonsaysso and hearing her talk about the Great Lakes area, I want to travel there later when the weather warms up a little. This Daily Passport article shares amazing facts that show the greatness of the Great Lakes. I can’t wait to check out some of them in my literary travels this year.

• Reading about friends and friendship, I discovered this debut novel about inseparable high school friends and the “teenage friendships that shape the rest of our lives.” This Electric Lit article discusses with the writer about long ago friendships and why he wrote this book.

• During the writers’ and actors’ strikes several months ago, a newsletter landed on my radar that provided info about the strike and ongoing negotiations. I stayed around afterward, and this has become one of my favorite newsletters to see in my inbox every day.

  Rick Ellis
  writes the
  Too Much TV Newsletter
  and shares the latest happenings in the TV and streaming world and a daily listing of the new shows happening across all viewing mediums.

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Bookish Fun Fact

National Braille Literacy Month is January, and yesterday, January 4, was World Braille Day in honor of Louis Braille’s birthday in 1809. The observance of this day and month “raises awareness of the importance of Braille to the blind and visually impaired community.” Louis Braille was fifteen when he took a rudimentary “code” writing system used in wars and turned it into a writing system that others could use to read with. “As audio technology progresses, the use of Braille dwindles,” but the lack of technology in third-world countries shows that Braille is still necessary worldwide. My cousin has been blind since birth, and until the invention of screen readers, she used Braille throughout her life. Now, with screen readers and her faithful guide dog, she can travel the world and experience life like sighted people.

I hope your weekend is filled with fun, spending time with family and friends, and, of course, reading. I’ll be back next week with a look back and ahead and some reading goals you can adapt to your reading life. Until then, happy reading!

Some of the links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. That means that if you click through and purchase anything, I may earn a small commission. This costs you nothing and helps me feed my voracious reading habit, and for that, I thank you.