How has your week been? What have you been reading lately? I “did not finish” my first book of the year, Orbital, Samantha Harvey, which was the winner of the 2024 Booker Prize. I really wasn’t enjoying the stream of consciousness style. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I need a plot in the books I read, not just the mundanity of every day life – even if it’s of astronauts on a space station orbiting the Earth. Now on to the 10+ bookish links I bookmarked recently.
one+ Sometimes I THINK we’re living in the Matrix, and sometimes I KNOW. Like when I read about how Fable’s year end summaries advised some readers, “Don’t forget to surface for the occasional white author, OK?” Another gem … asking a user if he’s “ever in the mood for a straight, cis white man’s perspective” after labeling him a “diversity devotee.” Sigh. They apologized, removed the AI generated summaries etc. But why does this have to happen in the first place?!
two+ Audible had an oops and wrote a social media post about their “Ins” and “Outs” – which they ended up taking down. Do you think it’s controversial?
three+ On to better news Lit Hub’s Most Anticipated Books of 2025 has 291 books they are looking forward to in the new year. That’s a lot of books! Maybe too many. But a lot of bloggers were sharing their Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025 this week. Check the links at the bottom of that post to click through and see what any of the 100 bloggers are looking forward to reading.
four+ So looks like Book Clubs, Book Bars, and BookTok are a Thing: Examining Why Everyone Suddenly Wants to Be Perceived As Well-Read. Ain’t nothing wrong with that I say … unless it breeds people who want to tell us what to read and what is “good” books.
five+ What types of books do you feel like reading in the Winter? Will you be reading any of these 8 Cozy Fantasy Romance Books to Warm Your Heart This Winter? Or Five SFF Books Featuring Frigid, Icy Worlds or maybe you’d like to start with one of the 10 Best Audiobooks for the New Year. I highly recommend Atomic Habits, James Clear, which I re-read every January.
six+ Here’s Everything you need to know about Amazon Music Unlimited audiobooks – like you don’t own the book, so if you cancel A. Music, you’ll lose access to the audiobooks you have previously listened to.
seven+ I completely agree with the 1st point in How to Establish a Reading Habit … figure out how reading will fit into your life. I travel a lot, so it’s natural for me to listen to an audiobook while I’m waiting in various lines in an airport, but lately I’ve preferred reading an eBook (or physical book) while on the plane. And when I’m not traveling, audiobooks if I’m walking or doing chores like laundry, and reading a book for 30 minues or so when I’m in bed is how I get my reading time in. How about you?
eight+ Check out what people are picking up in bookstores in BOOKS IN HAND • What Readers Bought for the Holidays 2024. I was reminded of Murdle, Vol. 1 (which I promptly bought). I hadn’t heard of the website where you can play a daily murder mystery. Have you?
nine+ In case you missed it, this week I shared A Look at My Reading Year and Reading Challenges [The 2024 Edition] and Kim shared 3 Goodreads Choice Award Nominees on my TBR.
ten+ Off the Books … what are you watching? I haven’t started anything yet, and I promised myself I’m going to be better at tracking (at least the good stuff) I watch. So far, I think I’m going to start with something from She Watches: January 2025. And of course there’s also Metacritic’s 25 Best Movies of 2024 and crowdsourcing from Reddit’s What is the Best Film You Watched from 2024? Plus NY Times Best TV Shows of 2024 and a reddit user’s “best of” 2024 on television.
—- Cheers to the weekend and week ahead!
