Happy Friday, friends! How are you?

I’m trying to look on the bright side. I had a lovely final week in California, then returned home last night to find my bathroom soaking wet from a leak upstairs. My reading chair is ruined but at least the books were spared.

I hope you’re having better starts to the weekend. On with the links.

 

–– ON ROBOTNIC.CO ––

On last week’s new Bookish Blether we discussed Online Book Groups and shared a few new favourites.

 

 

–– ARTS & CULTURE ––

I watched, and was torn on, Hail, Caesar! this week. Anne Helen Donoghue argues that most viewers were taken in by its simplicity and lays out How The Coens Tricked You Into Thinking “Hail, Caesar!” Is About Nothing.

One Man’s Impossible Quest to Read—and Review—the World profiles a book blogger on the Brain Pickings scale of prolificacy.

I don’t watch much TV but this piece on ‘The X-Files’ and the Problem with TV’s Nostalgia Boom in Variety indicates that TV’s headed in the same direction as Hollywood: existing properties or gtfo.

I finally caught up on some longreads while flying. Here’s Lilith Anolik on How Joan Didion the Writer Became Joan Didion the Legend.

A call to arms: Let’s Start With Shitty First Drafts.

 

 

–– DIGITAL / LIFE ––

Are you struggling with “idea debt”? Jessica Abel says that Imagining Your Future Projects Is Holding You Back.

Caroline O’donoghue On the sad inevitability of the grown man and the teenage girl gave me the shivers.

Chris Guillebeau wrote about a topic he’s been hinting on for some time: The New, New Economy: How the World of Online Publishing Is Changing, and Why You Should Care.

In similar news, on a larger scale, here’s an interesting long read on How the Content Explosion will Invert the Media Industry.
 

 

–– ON PAPER ––

Half-way through Gone With The Wind and I don’t think I like what Scarlett is up to!

What are you reading?
 

 

–– &c. ––

A well-researched piece on What we’re missing when we buy into the ‘millennial’ myth.

Jo Nesbø’s Perfect Writing Room (That He Never Uses).

Megan Hine: the woman who helps keep Bear Grylls safe.

 
 

––

Read anything good this week? Hit reply or tweet me about it, won’t you?

Have a lovely week!
Nicola x
 

This week I found myself in gorgeous Monterey and (unexpectedly) at the practice round of a Pro-Am golf tournament. We spotted Bill Murray, Clint Eastwood and Alfonso Ribeiro (aka Carlton from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). Bill Murray waved but I only got a photo of his back, wump wump.

Meantime I’m enjoying the last of the California sunshine before heading home mid-next week. Hope your February has been, if not as sunny, then at least as relaxing.

Now – links!

 

–– ON ROBOTNIC.CO ––

A wee bideo about my current travel reads and February TBR.

On Bookish Blether this week we discussed one of my favourite topics yet – Online Book Groups. I’ve had dalliances with internet book clubs in the past, but lately my love and capacity for them has really grown. (TL;DL? Check out #wlclub and The Feminist Orchestra book club.)

 

 

–– ARTS & CULTURE ––

Too Busy Being Poor (To Be Creative). Ayla-monic Mckay absolutely eviscerates quaint creative classism; deserves all the prayer hands.

Here’s one for the writers: Sarah Manguso discusses those familiar feelings of, “He doesn’t deserve that, . . . but I might,” in Green Eyed Verbs.

When Is Criticism Unfair? In a recent Bookends, two of my favourite critics, Leslie Jamison and Alice Gregory, give their answers. From Alice’s response, re working as a critic at age 23:

I’m not arguing for a minimum age for writing criticism… But I am saying, to the authors of books I reviewed even just a few years ago, that I’m sorry. On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog, and on the page, most people probably did not know that I was on my parents’ health insurance and still getting carded at bars. Or maybe they did and hated me for it. I hope they just rolled their eyes.

Laura always beats me to reading books on my immediate TBR. This month, I Love Dick by Chris Kraus and American Housewife by Helen Ellis feature alongside other great titles by women authors I’ve really enjoyed. Here’s her column for TYCI: Spine #3.

 

 

–– DIGITAL / LIFE ––

“There are increasingly powerful interests that want us to drop our phones so they can fix them and sell us new ones.” Casey Johnson argues that A Big Phone Works for Everyone But You.

A Letter of Recommendation: Shiela Heti on Sick Days.

The Big Sleep. This one – on an Australian couple’s suicide pact – did the round a few weeks ago. I don’t really know what to do with my feelings.
 

 

–– ON PAPER ––

I’m a quarter of the way through Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell and I love how ragey it is. Perhaps too much.

Yesterday I ventured to a nearby book shop and accidentally bought The Story of a New Name (Neapolitan novel #2) by Elena Ferrante – so I guess I’ll be reading that on the plane home next week.

Your turn – what are you currently reading?
 

 

–– &c. ––

Rosianna Halse Rojas on The Work That We Do. [VIDEO, 13 mins]

This Vine.
 
 

––

Read anything good this week? Hit reply or tweet me about it, won’t you?

Have a lovely week!
Nicola x
 

Happy Friday! How was your week?

I spent mine driving (at long last), eating, reading by the fire and chatting books. Can’t complain!

So, how’s about some readin’?

 

–– ON ROBOTNIC.CO ––

I reviewed my January Reads here on the blog, and in video format [10 mins] – so take your pick.

ICYMI last week, the latest Bookish Blether is all about What We’re Looking Forward To in 2016 – book-wise.
 

 

–– ARTS & CULTURE ––

Surprisingly, Junot Diaz did some travel writing. Unsurprisingly, it is just fantastic. Here he is In Hokkaido, the Ultimate Japanese Snow Country.

“When you think about it, most of the world’s great religions are based on book recommendation.” Sadie Stein on Calamity Jane’s Alleged Letters to Her Daughter is a great recommendation that’s also about recommendations.

Molly Young’s Help Desk books column has been great so far. Here’s the latest – Don’t Distract Me. (The podcast segment on the same topic is also worth a listen.)

 

 

–– DIGITAL / LIFE ––

Hank Green is excellent on Why the Word “Millennial” Makes me Cringe [VIDEO, 4 mins] in response to his brother, John Green’s, article on the same issue.

I really enjoyed Rosie Spinks On doing the work that matters [OFFLINE] (I’m sometimes the first, sometimes the third type depending on my current state of self-loathing) – and also her latest newsletter on gathering string.

Sharing a Cab, and My Toes. It continues to baffle me that Julia Anne Miller’s Modern Love column is buried in the “fashion and style” section of the New York Times.
 

 

–– ON PAPER ––

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante totally lived up to the hype for me.

Now, though I’d totally continue to binge the Neapolitan Novels series, I’m reading Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. So far, so good.

Now – what’s on your nightstand?
 

 

–– &c. ––

McSweeney’s offers up some Alternatives to Resting Bitch Face. I tried to pick a favourite but I couldn’t.

Kate Tempest’s War Music (After Logue) is super affecting. [VIDEO, 5 mins]
 
 

––

Read anything good this week? Hit reply or tweet me about it, won’t you?

Have a lovely week in reading,
Nicola x