Happy Friday Links
12-8-23
Happy Friday, readers!
How has your week been? Hopefully, the upcoming weekend will be stress-free, even if you are braving the crowds for shopping. I’ve come to the conclusion that my grandkids are just hard to buy for. I go shopping, and nothing seems right for them. I’m doing o.k. on stocking stuffers, but actual gifts are few so far. They are all of the age where a gift card is probably the best option so they can buy what they want instead of something I might buy that they wouldn’t have any use for. The days of buying baby dolls and transformers are over, and that makes me sad.
It’s time for weekly links and the last gift links I’ve found to share. I’m glad that others put together gift lists so I don’t have to do my own; it’s more fun seeing what others share with their readers. Here are this week’s links:
I’m a cat owner and couldn’t resist sharing this Outside article. If I were younger and had a different cat (mine is afraid of his own shadow), I’d love to be outside, exploring the country with a cat like one of these.
Giving the gift of reading to others is what it means to be a reader. This BookRiot article lists different ways that you can volunteer to bring reading to others. Check with your local library to see how you could help in your community.
I love visiting “old town” areas to see all the little shops and imagine what it was like in days gone by. This article lists fifteen cities/towns with small-town charm that look like they could be European cities. I’ve visited a few of them so far, and this time of year, the ones I’ve seen (Solvang, Leavenworth, Fredericksburg) are all decked out in Christmas decorations. If you are in the North Texas area, be sure to visit Grapevine, the Christmas capital of Texas.
You know my feelings about banning books, so I enjoyed reading about these high school students in New Haven, CT, rallying for the right to read.
Last week, I linked to an article about audiobook narrators, and I have another one this week. Here is an article about an audiobook narrator who has narrated over 450 books so far. She tells how she started and what her process is to make sure she does the best job possible.
One of my favorite newsletter creators
put a fun activity on my radar with this newsletter. Having a “murder mystery” party sounds like so much fun. This guide will help you plan yours. Hint—this can be done any time of the year; you don’t have to wait until Halloween season.Another favorite newsletter creator
sent her readers this newsletter, and I’ve saved it because I keep going back to it repeatedly to read it. She works in a bookshop and wrote about “ten little joy nuggets" from her daily life. Give it a read, and then be sure to subscribe for more bookish goodness.I love competition-type reality TV shows, and America’s Got Talent is one of my favorites. My favorite acts on the show are magicians and I especially like the ones that do card tricks. This last season had a female magician, and this NY Times (gift link) article discusses why being a woman in magic may be the hardest trick of all.
Fabled Bookshop & Cafe in Waco, TX, occasionally has Zoom events with authors. Fabled will have Ariel Lawhon, author of The Frozen River, online on January 23, 2024. You can sign up here, and then you can either attend live or wait until the next day when they email out the recording to everyone who was registered. Fabled also does a quarterly Zoom event highlighting the most anticipated books for the upcoming quarter. Keep watch on the “events” page on the website to sign up if you are interested.
I love this article from BookRiot about ways to read when “eye-reading just isn’t working.” Reading happens in various ways, and no one way is better than any other way. It’s an individual choice, and it ALL counts as reading.
Here we are at the final gift links for the holiday. I’ve had so much fun finding and reading through all these gift links, and I’ve used a few links for bookish gifts for the readers in my life; hopefully, you have found a few, too.
Author
shares her favorite things; I tried the Muddy Bites, and OMG, they are so yummy. A newish newsletter, Big Salad by Joanna Goddard (Cup of Jo), shares The Gift Guide which has bookish and non-bookish gifts for all ages. from the link above, also created an “all books” gift guide; I’ve read a few that she is recommending and can attest that readers will enjoy them. If stocking stuffers are what you are looking for, this BookRiot article lists several cute bookish items to stuff the stockings with.I’ve saved the best for last.
from has a newsletter jam-packed with bookish, holiday, and specialty gift guides you can spend hours pouring over to find the perfect gift. Renee is one-half of the creator duo of the Book Talk, etc. Patreon, which I joined a couple of months ago, and I’m loving it so far. Her newsletter is one of my favorites; be sure to subscribe while you peruse all the links.I’ve discovered over the past several months that I enjoy reading other newsletters more than I like to write my newsletters; I guess it’s my method of procrastination. However, I have also discovered that if I put in writing what my next newsletter will be about, I’m more likely to write that newsletter. If I don’t, I’ll have to explain to you what happened to the newsletter I didn’t write that I said I would. Next Tuesday’s “An Author and Her Books” newsletter will be about a brilliant writer I discovered just this year and can’t get enough of. I’ve read four of her books and have two more to go, and I can’t wait to introduce her to you.
May the upcoming weekend hold for you—fun, family, enjoyment, and books; books make your world just a little bit better. Happy reading!
Good stuff. Thank you Gayla!
I'll be going through each one of these links with joy and gratitude. I can't seem to stay caught up with you, haha. I love this newsletter. Thank you of such great information. I feel the work you put into it. (Luckily I have no children or grands to buy for— I'm having enough problems finding something special for my husband and a few close friends!)