Happy Friday! I hope you don’t mind looking at my Christmas tree again.

This week has been one of those December weeks that are really busy and yet you somehow rarely left the house (but maybe that’s just the life of a freelancer). I enjoyed a meet-up with internet pals, had my triannual dose of pantomime (at the Glasgow King’s Theatre, natch), and made lots of videos. This and more below!

How’s your week been?

 

–– ON ROBOTNIC.CO ––

I’ve only missed one daily Vlogmas video so far – here’s a recap of this week!
Day 4 – 4 Books, 2 Publishers
Day 5 – A Vlogmassy Night In
Day 6 – A Lazy Sunday Stroll
Day 8 – A Bookshelf Tour of my Penguin Classics
Day 9 – Morvern Callar Book Review
Day 10 – MORE Podcast Recommendations

AND there’s a new Bookish Blether – Our Bookish Christmas Gift Guide.

Finally, on my business blog there’s a post about Skilling Up.

 

 

–– ARTS & CULTURE ––

Hannah McGill on Nora Ephron is all I could have dreamed of.

The Year in Literary Backlash has some of the best scathing lines in criticism. Includes my favourite, on Bill Clegg’s debut novel: “It’s like watching someone stir plastic toads in an unlit caldron.”

Tired of the early end-of-year lists yet? Here are The Best Books You Didn’t Read In 2015. Don’t worry, it’s tongue-in-cheek.

Bridget Read wrote this gorgeous piece on Brooklyn: part take-down of Richard Brody’s criticisms, part celebration of the discrete experiences we have of the same stories through different media.

Also on LitHub, Jane steered me towards (to use her words) Siri Hustvedt on innate gender bias in literary world, reading & writing, men & women.

 

 

–– DIGITAL / LIFE ––

What happens when our politicians, celebrities et al no longer need the media to tell their own stories? Over on The Awl, John Herrman looks at the media in a post-access era in this absorbing longread, Access Denied.

How Mark Zuckerberg’s Altruism Helps Himself. No surprise, but a welcome antidote to the popular reports. Like, his “charity” is an LLC.

On The Financial Diet, a great interview with The Toast’s Mallory Ortberg On Work, Writing, And The Cost Of Creative Freedom.

 

 

–– ON PAPER ––

I’m still reading Northern Lights, but I also went out and made these gorgeous purchases on a group book shopping outing last weekend.

When I picked up I Love Dick in the shop, three people said “Oh yeah, when I saw that I thought you’d like it!” (It’s because it’s personal essays about women and culture, but still, lol.)

What’s on your nightstand?
 

 

–– &c. ––

Have you guys watched Obvious Child yet? I’d heard it was great but hadn’t heeded. Finally watched it last night, and you should too. It’s on Netflix UK.

 
 

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

Have a lovely weekend!

 

The tree is UP! I know some of you Scrooge’s won’t approve until at least mid-way through the month, but I say embrace it. It’s over quickly.

We’ve gone full hog in my household with early decorations, double advent calendars (tea, chocolate), and a fresh bottle of Baileys. How are things with you?

Before I ramble on too much about holiday fare, here are the goods.

 

–– ON ROBOTNIC.CO ––

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m making daily videos for Vlogmas.
Day 1 – Currently Reading
Day 2 – November Reads
Day 3 – Podcast Recommendations.

ICYMI, Bookish Blether #23 was about What We Read On Holiday.

Planning your content for 2016 is topic of the week over on my business blog.

 

 

–– ARTS & CULTURE ––

Kaleb Horton On the Existential Beauty of Peanuts is wonderful.

What would we do without Amanda Hess? She breaks down how and why James Deen Was Never a Feminist Idol.

You know how much I love By The Book by now, right? Ethan Hawke handled his with humour and humility.

If you’ve been seeing the phrase “bulbous salutation” a lot around the internet this week, it’s thanks to Morrisey’s Bad Sex Award-winning passage.

I’ve been enjoying Laura Waddell’s Spine book columns for TYCI, and wish she’d mentioned Hotel by Joanna Walsh to me before my trip to NYC.

 

 

–– DIGITAL / LIFE ––

Fortune comes out the gate with a doomsaying piece declaring that YouTube Red is a Trojan Horse in the War Over TV. Winter is Coming, guys? Seriously? Way to be establishment. (I for one welcome our online video overlords.)

Louis CK won an award from The Moth earlier this year and told this amazing story by way of acceptance speech. [VIDEO, 10 mins]

In lieu of a real fireplace, I often use YouTube or Netflix to put a burning yule log on in the background. (If you haven’t seen this phenomenon, do a quick search, there are HOURS of footage for your crackling fire needs.) This year Nick Offerman has teamed up with Islay whisky Lagavulin to do his own 45 minute whisky-sipping fire-burning contribution. [VIDEO, 45 mins]

 

 

–– ON PAPER ––

For the past week I’ve slowly been working my way through Northern Lights by Philip Pullman. Some friends are re-reading the full His Dark Materials trilogy this December and I never got around to them so I figured it was time.

What’s on your nightstand?
 

 

–– &c. ––

In an article from the late David Carr, he revealed that he was not a cat person. Never learn your heroes’ feelings on cats, guys. I still want to read this book though.

 
 

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

Have a lovely weekend!