Happy Friday Links

4-21-23

Well, hello there! It’s been a while. Did everyone get their taxes completed on time? I went missing in action during April because of tax season, but tax season is over (my last tax season ever), and I’m back and excited about the future and the topics I’ve planned for the next few months for the newsletter. I didn’t get much reading done in March or April, but I’m looking forward to being able to stay awake and read when I go to bed.

I’ve got links to a literary festival, an upcoming movie, a documentary, some of my favorite sources to find books to read, and other bookish goodness. Stay with me until after the links, and I’ll tell you about Independent Bookstore Day next weekend and a fun podcast I’ve recently discovered and can’t wait to tell you about.

Weekly links and fun:

• Since I won’t ever get married again, I will have to figure out a way to be invited to a fantasy wedding at one of these bookish places.

• What a heart-warming and inspiring story of a teen that turns her family’s cancer story into 15,000 books to support children experiencing the same journey.

• For some readers (waves hand), a great rom-com can be just what the doctor ordered as a break between heavier books. For others, it’s all they read. In this Guardian article, two novelists discuss the joys of romance, how fun it is to write, and how they love reading about people falling in love.

• For those who loved Judy Blume’s books as a kid, get ready for all things Judy Blume. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret premieres next Friday (4-28), and the documentary Judy Blume Forever just dropped on Amazon Prime. Jason Reynolds says it the best, “I don’t think Judy Blume wrote her books to be timeless; she wrote them to be timely. And they were so timely that they became timeless.”

• Line up a hundred readers and ask each why they read, and you will get many different answers. I think one of the most prevalent responses is, “They read to escape.” This BookRiot article looks at different types of “escapist” reads and why they are so popular right now.

• If you like free and online, the Epigraph Literary Festival begins on Thursday, April 27th, and continues through Saturday, April 29th. Lots of authors and presenters will fill your bookish heart with joy by discussing books, audiobooks, book journaling, and so much more. Check out the schedule and settle in for lots of fun.

• BuzzFeed News shut down yesterday, but BuzzFeed Books is still alive and well and bringing you daily bookish goodness. Check out some of these stories about Muslim life, new thrillers, poetry, and so much more.

• One of my favorite sources for current and upcoming books is She Reads. There are book lists, book news, author interviews, book-to-movie trailers, and so much more.

• Libraries provide many things to many different people. This BiblioLifestyle article stresses the importance of libraries and what they provide to their community besides just books.

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Coming up on Saturday, April 29th, is the 10th anniversary of Independent Bookstore Day. Hundreds of bookstores across the US are celebrating their day with kids and adult events, scavenger hunts, authors, food, and fun with their community. Find your local bookstore through this searchable map and join the fun. I featured several bookstores last year here and here; while the celebrations were from the previous year, these newsletters give you an idea of the fun awaiting you when you visit your local bookseller.

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Touted as the podcast that helps “Gen X preserve and elevate the unsung nuggets of their generation,” the Pop Culture Preservation Society has provided me with hours of pleasure and laughs over the last couple of months. Carolyn, Kristin, and Michelle discuss everything that shaped their youth—clothes, books, TV, movies, crushes, and so much more. Their friendship began in a writing class as adults, leading them to relive their childhood and teen years through their podcast. There have been episodes about Shaun Cassidy, The Bee Gees, Schoolhouse Rock, Eight is Enough, school cafeteria lunches, The Brady Bunch, summer blockbusters, game shows, and Happy Days—way too many to list here. One-hundred-fifteen episodes later, these ladies are still going strong, and it is the podcast that I can’t wait to listen to every week. You don’t have to be Gen X to enjoy it, but it does help to have been a silly teenage girl growing up in the 70s. Check out the website for a listing of all the episodes, and sign up for their weekly newsletter.

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I’ve missed writing these weekly newsletters and really missed hearing from you; what have you been up to, and what books have you read the last few weeks? Have you done anything fun? I’d love to hear about that too.

I’ve taken a couple of days off work to recuperate, so my weekend starts today and hopefully will be filled with a few good books and some relaxation on my porch in the fresh air before it gets too hot to sit outside. I hope you have a great weekend filled with fun, joy, books, and whatever else fills your heart. Happy reading!