Happy Friday Links

2-25-22

Hi readers,

What a week this has been; I’m sure yours has been crazy also. I did finish a couple of books this week, how about you? One of the good things about reading books from my postal book clubs is that I have an opportunity to read books I might not otherwise read. That is also one of the bad things about it, reading a book that I wouldn’t have chosen to read on my own. That is what I’m struggling with right now, but I’m determined to finish it before I have to mail it on Monday.

I had a surprise day off yesterday that I enjoyed immensely. It rained enough Wednesday night that it turned to ice, and when it gets icy, I can’t get past the bottom of my stairs. I didn’t want to take a chance of slipping on the ice, so I didn’t go any further. Extra time yesterday means a surprise Happy Friday Links. I’ve read some interesting articles in the last couple of weeks that I think you might enjoy too, so here we go:

• If we need a reminder, here are ten reasons why Libraries are important to communities.

• I did a feature on Ruta Sepetys a few weeks ago, and I wholeheartedly agree with the article about Sepetys. I Must Betray You finally became available through Libby, and I started this book on Tuesday. Not only is it interesting, but I’ve also learned so much that I never knew about this time in recent history.

• I’m still getting used to listening to audiobooks. I’ve only listened to audiobooks narrated by professional narrators or the book’s author. I can’t imagine listening to one narrated by a non-human. Not to mention the whole host of problems this brings, as discussed in this Publishers Weekly article.

• I enjoy reading narrative nonfiction, and I put Erik Larson’s books in that category. For me, he can get bogged down in details a lot of the time, but as this article explains, he always seems to find a new angle on history even though most all history has already been told by someone else.

• In honor of Black History Month, a television station in Jackson, MS, highlights a black-owned bookstore that has been in business for eighty-four years. I’m so happy to see that it has thrived and is still serving the needs of its community.

• Harriet’s Bookshop owner, Jeaninne Cook, honored Harriet Tubman’s legacy with a bookstore named after Tubman and focused on literature, art, and activism. It opened in February 2020 before the world changed, and survived the pandemic, and is stronger for it. I love reading stories about resilience and determination, and this story certainly fits.

• As a young woman, I read V.C. Andrews books and was fascinated by them. As a young teen, my daughter read those same books and enjoyed them as much as I did; yes, I know she read them when she was too young like most teens did. I knew Andrews had passed long ago, but I never knew this part of her backstory and who has been writing her books since her death.

• I thought the title of this Bookriot article was kind of silly until I read it, and it makes sense, I think. It gives me food for thought.

• I can remember as a child writing letters to my grandparents and anyone else that would write me back. I have my mother and father’s letters that they wrote to each other when he was in the service during WWII. He was stationed stateside but in a different location than where my mother was living at that time. I enjoy reading epistolary novels; maybe that is why I enjoyed this BookRiot article about letters.

---

It looks like I’ll make it to work at some point today. I have to wait until the sun comes up to see if there is still ice. Because of tax season, yesterday’s day off wasn’t a freebie; it comes with a downside. The first tax season deadline is March 15th, so I will be working tomorrow to play catch-up.

---

I hope that the weather isn’t too bad where you are, and you can enjoy a little bit of fun this weekend. If not, grab a warm beverage and a great book, and settle in for some reading enjoyment. Happy reading!