Happy Saturday Links
Happy Saturday, readers,
I hope everyone had a great week. It was hectic for me at work (when isn’t it), so I’m looking forward to some time off next week. I’m off work on Friday, and I’ll probably take off work on Thursday too. I can’t believe this year is almost over; it seems like just yesterday for so many milestones for 2021. I’ve got shopping on my schedule for this weekend (gosh, I really dislike crowds), my grandson is home for Christmas from his first semester in college, and my granddaughter will be returning home next week from college.
I’m looking forward to some extra reading time over the holidays to finish a few books that I’ve started but can’t seem to stay awake long enough to make much progress on.
It’s been a slow week on the internet this week; there aren’t any books publishing next week that I’m interested in sharing, and except for electronic gifts or local gifts, it is probably too late for gift guides. Here are a few links that provided me a few minutes of enjoyment; maybe some of these will interest you also.
Weekly links
If you enjoy reading YA novels, here is a list from Book Page that lists their “reader’s choice” top 15 YA reads for 2021. I’ve read Luck of the Titanic by Stacy Lee, which led me to read more from her backlist, and I just put a hold on Last Night at the Telegraph Club; I’m third in line, so hopefully, it will be ready for me soon.
December is a hectic month for many readers, and reading is put on the back burner, but this month can be a month of comfort reads for others. In this Bookriot article by Laura Sackton, one of my favorite BR contributors, she shares her reasons why December is a month of comfort reads, re-reads, and venturing into new genres for interesting reads.
Since I read e-books most of the time, I don’t have much of a need for bookcases. This article about IKEA and bookshelves tells about all of the failures this person had with books shelves for her growing collection of books. There are also a few comments from readers with other bookshelf links.
If you are into Jane Austen retellings, this BookBub article lists eighteen to add to your TBR. I’ve read a couple of them, and I added a couple more to my TBR.
I had no idea what went into writing a book until I started attending live and virtual author events. This article by Tirzah Price, author of a two-book Jane Austen Murder Mystery Series, tells of the myths and realities of writing and publishing a book. I’d heard most of these before, but there were still a few surprises in her article.
I love reading lists of books that other readers recommend, and these five Substack newsletter creators have published newsletters with lists for all kinds of readers, including kids. Be sure to check out the lists for any last-minute gift ideas — Elizabeth Held’s What to Read If, Books on GIF, Becca Stickler’s Read Something Queer, and a collaborative effort by Sarah Miller from Can We Read? and Olivia Mardwig from For the Love of Words with a gift list of books for children of all ages.
Happy Friday links will be taking the next two weeks off but will return on January 7th with more links and a look at some new books publishing in January. Coming up on Tuesday is a list of other bookish newsletters filled with enough books to topple your TBR and other bookish goodness to please most readers; these are some fantastic creators that I can’t wait to introduce you to.
And for my last newsletter of 2021, I’ll share a list of many different types of reading challenges, the one (possibly two) that I’ll participate in for 2022, and tips to help you decide if a reading challenge is right for you or maybe you want to sit this one out. Are you a reading challenge kind of reader, or do you just read what you want when you want to? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below before finishing next week’s newsletter.
I’m keeping it short (well, shorter than usual) for you this week, so you have plenty of time to tackle your to-do list, spend time with family and friends, and maybe, just maybe, you will have a few minutes to relax and get lost in a book this weekend. Like most readers, my day isn’t complete without reading. 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.
Thanks for the mention, Gayla! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your grandchildren and family ❤️
Happy holidays and enjoy the break!