Happy Friday Links
3-31-23
Hi readers,
And happy Friyay to you! I’m working lots of overtime, but after 4-15, it’s 3 1/2 months and counting. My attitude this tax season is much better than it has been in the last several years; I guess it’s because I know the end of my public accounting career is almost here, and I can’t wait.
I have found so many great links to share, some bookish, others not so much. But all are interesting and here for you to read at your leisure this coming weekend. Let’s get started.
In celebration of Women’s History Month in March, this Unearth Women article details the best women-owned bookstores in NY City.
For everyone who loved and still loves Judy Blume's books (me included), this NY Times article (gift link) tells how after many years, she received a “yes” from Hollywood.
The original book club for most of us was actually a television book club that began in 1996 on Oprah. Since then, many other celebrities have started their own book clubs. Here’s a comprehensive list of all one hundred of Oprah’s book club picks. How many of her picks have you read?
As a kid, I remember walking to the neighborhood market a block away to see the Wienermobile; it was making a special appearance in my community, and all the kids were so excited to see it. Wienermobiles are still around and still touring the US and putting smiles on the faces of everyone, young and old (gift link).
Here is a British guide to all the literary locations a book lover would want to visit in NY City. There is so much history contained in this article.
Have you watched Daisy Jones & the Six yet? Did you enjoy it? In the same British publication as above, the costume designer tells how the retro wardrobe came to be for the Amazon Prime series.
If you are a Sara Novic (True Biz) fan, here is the first short story she ever published. I have a bad habit of skimming when I read; I initially thought it was about her.
How many of you had a lunch box as a kid when you went to school? I always wanted the most popular one, the one to make me the envy of all the kids that I ate lunch with. What a great article this is about a “lunchbox” museum. Who knew there was such a thing?
I haven’t read Elle magazine before, but I do subscribe to the magazine’s newsletter. I had no idea this existed on the website. Shelf Life is Elle’s book column where authors share their memorable reads. Make sure there is room at the top of your TBR for all the books you will add after reading these interviews.
In my travels through dozens of newsletters, I discover some of the weirdest things, and this is one of them. Some foods have such odd names—where do those names come from? Interesting Facts tells you the history of seven odd-named foods.
From Missing Pages podcast host Bethanne Patrick comes a listing of eleven juicy literary scandals. If you haven’t listened to Missing Pages yet, you are missing out on an interesting podcast, no pun intended.
What’s on tap for your weekend? Are you doing anything fun? Are you reading anything good? I just finished Hello Beautiful (I loved it ), and I’m starting Pineapple Street. I’ve heard so many good things about it; I hope it lives up to the hype.
Whatever the weekend holds for you, I hope you have a wonderful one that includes rest and relaxation, and of course, reading. Happy reading!
Wienermobile forever 🌭
I have a booklist of international fiction and poetry Ive read in the last fifty years. Send me your email and Ill send you the list. Here's my top ten books that Ive read 3-5 times.
1. To The Lighthouse- Virginia Woolf. She is STILL ahead of her time.
2. Waiting For Nothing- Tom Kromer. One of the grittiest short novelsl ever, epiisodes of a homeless man during the Great American Depression, and how he survives. Unforgettable.
3. The Butterfly's Burden- Mahmoud Darwish. One of the greatest poets of the 20th century opens our eyes about Palestine with justice and love poems of the highest artistry.
4. CANTOS - Pablo Neruda. One of the great social justice poets and love poets. Nobel Prize winner. The people of Chile made and sang songs from his poetry.
5.My Name Is Red- Oran Pamuk. A kaleidsicope intriguing mystery love story with characters name in colors and animals ( ie I am Horse; my name is red). A delight!
6. Beloved- Toni Morrison. i dont deal in singularities, such as what is the Great American novel, but if I did this would be my choice. I know many say it's Moby Dick by Herman Melville but I would feel funny about voting for any novel as Number One that has no female characters.
7.My Life In the Bush of Ghosts- Amos Tutola. A picaresque journey based on the folktales of the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria. One of the most informative and entertaining novels Ive ever read.
8. The Tent of Miracles- Jorge Amado. A brilliant depiction of underground educators in the Brazil trying to make learning relelvant to their rambunctious community.
9. Union Street- Pat Barker. A novel about the lives of working class women and their families one street in an industrial city in northern England. Different women on the street appear in different sections, like a small jazzgroup where everyone takes a turn at a sollo. Brilliant writing.
10. Uncle Tom's Children- Richard Wright. Searing stories of African Americans resisting racism in the South. His first book that wowed the world.
11. The Hardboiled Wonderland At The Edge Of The World- Haruki Murakami. One of the most entertaining authors writing today and one of the funniest and most whimsical.