Linktastic!: 1/13/14 Really Old Links Edition

I’ve been meaning to post these for ages but then I kept having other, more timely, content to share SO here are a bunch of random things I’ve had bookmarked for so long that I no longer know who directed me to what (most links are from twitter friends, that I can be certain of):

• I have been getting rid of books like nobody’s business. I have been ruthless. I have been discriminating. I feel like a rock star. I feel like a monster. (It’s been a kind of tumultuous process obvs.) This flowchart from Good Books and Good Wine has been a big help: http://goodbooksandgoodwine.com/2013/12/a-brief-guide-to-culling-your-books.html (Also the fact that if I have no other options I can and will throw books out. Nicole and I made a no book buying pact but we’re already making exceptions so I’m not sure how well that’s going to work out.)
• Eleanor Davis says her essay “The Last Bookstore” is fiction. But anyone who has worked in a bookstore will tell you it is surprisingly accurate. Also relevant for library staff.
• Jessica Spotswood has a very insightful post on her blog called “2013: A Learning Year: Managing Expectations” and I urge you all to check it out. I haven’t encountered many people who had a good 2013 (I certainly didn’t) but Spotswood’s post is an honest assessment of how to move forward that is relevant even outside of the writing life.
• In addition to getting rid of books I am making 2014 the year I try to not become a hoarder. Everything is a mess and I’m just feeling a need to get organized. Buzzfeed has that covered with these resolutions.
• I’m allergic to wool. It’s scratchy and gross and I break out a bright red rash if I touch it for too long. I have an impressive scarf collection because I am allergic to one of my own coats. This is fact. If, however, you do not know about wool allergies from personal experience, this article might be of interest: http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingsafety/f/wool_allergy.htm (Fun fact: Lynn Weingarten shared this article with me on Twitter after we started discussing wool, needle felting and allergies.)
• Print books, man. They’re still pretty appealing: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/02/the-print-book-here-to-stay-at-least-for-now/?smid=tw-share&_r=0
• This B & N blog post has some signs you might be living in a YA novel (or, you know, in Scotland as Elizabeth Wein pointed out on Twitter): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/9-signs-you-might-be-living-in-a-ya-novel/
• I use my blog as a sort of writing sample/work experience on my resume. It was also part of my grad school application and countless scholarship apps. This post (via Jennifer Hubert Swan) offers some reasons to keep up a blog which I wholeheartedly support: http://www.profkrg.com/17-reasons-to-keep-blogging

Linktastic!: 1/6/14 (Belated Holiday) Edition

• “Don’t Blame Social Media if Your Teen Is Unsocial. It’s Your Fault” by Clive Thompson over at Wired: Some worry that teens are losing crucial social skills as they go online more and more. But teens go online more and more to connect. Which is why teen spaces (in libraries or otherwise) matter so very much. (via @readingrants and @justinlibrarian)
• Book Riot has a handy list to help you “Go from Zero to Well-Read in 100 Books”: Of the 100 titles I’ve read 32. So I guess I’m 32% well-read. I’ll take it. (via @readingrants)
• “Writing ‘Rudolph’: The Original Red-Nosed Manuscript” by Jessica Pupovac over at npr: Now I knew Gene Autry was the first one to sing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (I know a lot about Gene Autry. It’s just one of those things.) but I didn’t know the story started as a book. Or at Montgomery Ward. Even cooler is that you can view the original manuscript too! (via @PWKidsBookshelf)
• Jamie Etkin at Buzzfeed offers “You’ve Got Mail’s Guide to New York” with a rundown of all the real life locations that featured in the movie. (via @hopedellon and @booksofwonder)
• You can head over to Oxford Dictionaries to find out your birthday word. (Mine is the very, very, very disappointing “channel surf”)
• “THIS Is Why You Should F***ing Love Teenage Girls” by Elizabeth Perle at Huffington Post: Teenage girls are awesome. Duh!  (via @scouri)
• I’m obsessed with rubberband bracelets. Everyone is. Now so are publishers according to Publisher’s Weekly.
• The British Library is on Flickr Commons now. You’re welcome. (via Bookshelves of Doom)
• “A scientific argument for dressing a little nicer at work” by Carmel Lobello over at The Week: After all, clothes do make the man or woman! (via @infowitch)

Linktastic 12/2: Cleaning out my twitter edition

Mom is still moving along with her recovery–it’s been really hard but she’s getting there. In the meantime I’ve been cleaning the house and, today, clearing out my twitter favorites. So here are some links of note:

• I love milkshakes and I want to buy a mini blender for the apartment. Then I am making ALL of these (via Buzzfeed): http://www.buzzfeed.com/gabbynoone/milkshakes-that-bring-boys-to-the-yard
• Jennifer Lawrence continues to be fabulous as seen in this HuffPost Guide to Life from JLaw: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/jennifer-lawrence-quotes_n_4260815.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ir=Teen I also might HAVE to see American Hustle even though I rarely go to grown up movies in theaters because it has Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper reunited again!
• Confession: I’m not a big Harry Potter fan. The whole series just soured for me over time and, honestly, I’m over it. I read the books but I haven’t seen all of the movies. BUT I do love Neville. So does Emily Asher-Perrin who explains why Neville is the most important character in the Harry Potter series in this essay on the Tor Blog: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/11/neville-longbottom-is-the-most-important-person-in-harry-potter (This also reminded me of this really earnest paper I wrote in high school position that Hamlet and Fortinbras–and even Laertes to some extent–are all different aspects of the same person.)
• Speaking of fandoms, here is a post from Anne Helen Petersen “In Praise of Quitting” tv shows on the LA Review of Books blog: http://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/deartv/praise-quitting/
• My mom and I have a lot of issues with CBS sitcoms and don’t really watch any (except “The Millers” which is a thing of beauty and I will fight you if you say otherwise). After reading this article about CBS’ transphobic jokes I am making a conscious effort to boycott all of the shows mentioned. This kind of humor is not okay.
• There was also a discussion of Tumblr of “boy” and “girl” books with some suggestions that make this is the way the world works and maybe that is okay. It is not okay and Sarah Ockler (via the Book Smugglers feed) details why: http://thebooksmugglers.tumblr.com/post/67504463852/why-some-books-are-boy-books-and-some-books-are-girl (One of the WORST parts of my time in retail was having to argue with people that gendered reading is absurd.The other worst part was cleaning the public bathrooms but that’s a story for a different time. I have written about this issue before and likely will again but for now chew on Ms. Ockler’s insightful argument.)
• Speaking of books: Victoria Schwab has a great incentive system to track progress. Now in gif form. (Once things normalize here, I am trying this. I need to buy a paper calendar.)
• I now work in the same library system as Book Nerd. She explains in this post why library pick up lines are not cool. Though if you pull my arm, I do have a favorite which will have to remain secret as I have apparently never blogged about it.
• Throw a rock lately and you can hit a YA book to movie adaptation. Yet many of them have flopped at the box office. Some miserably. Some despite hoards of super fans. Vulture’s Kyle Buchanan examines all of the moving parts that can contribute to a movie win (or more likely fail): http://www.vulture.com/2013/11/why-do-so-many-ya-adaptations-flop.html
• And finally, because were all wondering, Ben Blatter offers a detailed analysis of the most popular adjectives, adverbs and sentences in The Hunger Games, Twilight and Harry Potter over at Slate: http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/11/hunger_games_catching_fire_a_textual_analysis_of_suzanne_collins_novels.html

Linktastic: 10/25 Edition

• Which State Matches Your Personality? Take this quiz from Time Science & Space to find out: http://science.time.com/2013/10/22/the-united-states-of-attitude-an-interactive-guide-to-americas-moods/?hpt=hp_c3 (Though I am having major doubts about the accuracy of the test since it says I belong in Georgia. Seriously?)
• @Lizb shared this little gem on Twitter last week: WornOnTV.net which is exactly what it sounds like: A site showing how to find clothes that actors have worn on TV shows. How awesome is that?!
• I’m not sure how I found this BUT there is a nail polish swap going on in the blogosphere: http://wilhelmfam.com/blog/2013/10/holiday-nail-polish-swap/ If you want to sign up to send and receive a bottle of polish and a card, the deadline is November 1.
• Speaking of deadlines, you still have about a week to sign up for the Giving Thanks Book Blogger Box Swap I’m hosting with Nicole. Info and sign ups are here: https://missprint.wordpress.com/2013/10/01/the-giving-thanks-book-blogger-box-swap-info-and-sign-ups/
• Here is an infographic on the commonality of birthdays care of Karyn Silverman: http://explore.noodle.org/post/63651385507/how-common-is-your-birthday-a-brilliant?utm_content=buffer2ae70&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer (Mine is slightly more common than I thought. My mom’s is less common. I could go on but I’ll refrain.)

Linktastic!: Non-Thematic Edition

I’ve been saving these links for at least six months assuming I’d eventually find a way to create more thematic posts with them. That didn’t happen. So instead here are some more random links I stumbled upon via my own Internet wanderings and also Twitter.

• I’m not a big Oprah follower. BUT this article for organizing bookshelves was interesting: http://www.oprah.com/home/Organizing-Ideas-for-Your-Bookshelves-Tips-for-Clutter (Although I’ve already broken one because I get rid of signed books all the time–though usually to pass them on to good homes!) I tend to be good with book turnaround–the part where I really need organization help is with figuring out what to read and what to skip.
• PC World has this great article on the 21 worst tech habits and how to break them: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2035704/the-21-worst-tech-habits-and-how-to-break-them.html Some of them are common sense (don’t leave tech lying around for thieves!) but other tips like having proper posture while working are good reminders. I always forget to keep my feet on the floor so that one is a particularly important thing I need to remember.
• Just trust me on this: You want a visual dictionary that is available online! http://visual.merriam-webster.com/index.php
• Confession: Extinct animals creep me out. I love watching documentaries about dinosaurs and discussing all the weird decisions archealogists have made with my mom (a dinosaur with tiny little arms? Really?) But looking at pictures of other long gone creatures is enough to give me chills. I’m not sure bringing some of these guys back is the best idea. On the other hand, I’d love to meet a real live Dodo or Thylacine. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/scientists-want-to-bring-some-animals-back-from-extinction-211102151.html
• A song about 1943 slang? BOOM! Here you go: http://mentalfloss.com/article/49279/11-terms-knock-your-socks-1943-song-about-slang
• This is a site that (assuming your contact info doesn’t change) lets you write messages to yourself. FROM THE PAST. While it’s not quite as cool as time travel it is a much easier way to send wisdom forward with burying a time capsule or having someone wait a few years to mail an actual letter. http://www.futureme.org/
• I’m not sure how interesting this is to anyone else, but as a blogger I was intrigued by this post on setting a schedule for blog posts to publish: http://www.problogger.net/archives/2012/11/17/set-a-posting-schedule-that-encourages-shares-and-pageviews/ It’s not rocket science but it does confirm some of my own suspicions on the merits of posting early in the day and during the week.
• I’m not saying I cut my hair to better match the picture I use online (ie on Twitter). But I’m not denying it either. Humor aside, managing your digitial presence is important and this article has some tips! http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/manage-your-digital-identity
• Again not necessarily a post for everyone but some valuable information on image use in the world of book blogging. (Remember to always make sure fair use is in play!) http://parajunkee.com/2013/01/book-blogging-101-copyright-on-images-and-artwork.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=book-blogging-101-copyright-on-images-and-artwork

Linktastic! Banned Books Week Edition

It’s Banned Book Week!

Ideally I’ll get a banned book review up before the week is out, but if I don’t I wanted to at least get some links out there while they’ll be timely!

• Banned Books Week runs from September 22 to September 28. You can get the full run-down about Banned Books Week on the official site: http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/
• The Guardian has a list of the Top 10 most challenged books and the reasons for the challenges (you might be surprised by some of the titles–I know I always am): http://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2013/sep/24/banned-books-week-top-10-challenged-titles-pictures While we’re at it here are two of those frequently challenged books that I’ve previously reviewed here on the blog:
  • Looking for Alaska by John Green: Challenged for: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie: Challenged for: Offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited for age group
• Then because Banned Books Week is also about reading what YOU want here’s a cool thing: Litographs. This is a company that prints books with bold iconography from the story on . . . stuff. And they have an Emma collection. So I know what I want for every holiday ever. (Seriously. I want all of them. Maybe this can be my new wardrobe.)
• Then, once you’re wearing your favorite book you can go find your YA Name here: http://www.epicreads.com/blog/whats-your-ya-name-use-this-generator-to-find-out/ (Mine is Rose Haloway!)

Then, as is my way, here are some other random links:

• Huffington Post has a list of some extinct punctuation marks: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keith-houston-/post_5696_b_3976733.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 Personally, I could really make use of the Snark and the Interrobang.
• Here’s an interesting article from Wired about how social media (specifically writing online) might be making us smarter: http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/09/how-successful-networks-nurture-good-ideas/?mbid=social12027184
• And then here are some emotive safety pins, just because: http://designtaxi.com/news/360512/Photographs-of-Strangely-Expressive-Safety-Pins-That-Display-Human-Emotions/

Linktastic: Quizzes and fun edition!

• Leila at Bookshelves of Doom recently brought a delightful Jane Austen quiz to my attention: Which Jane Austen Character are You?I was, perhaps unsurprisingly, Emma Woodhouse. And I’m okay with that because she is awesome.
  Just need to work on the rich part.
  Tell me who YOU are in the comments.
• From Sarah Jamila Stevenson I have a Scripps Vocabulary Quiz. I got 80% (12/15) because I don’t always read all of the answers before clicking through (shameful, I know). Did you do better?
• Next an older post from one of my favorite fellow bloggers, Step at Steph Su Reads. In it, she asks: If you were stuck in the last book you read, how screwed would you be? I love this question and want to make it a meme one day. For now, I can tell you I am reading Proxy by Alex London and I’m pretty sure I’d be in even worse debt than poor Syd AKA in pretty bad trouble.
• Via lovely author/twitter-er Elizabeth Eulberg I have this News IQ Quiz from Pew. I, along with 12% of respondents 10/13 questions right (which, as a non-news watcher, I’ll happily take). How did you do?
• This isn’t a quiz but new Catching Fire movie posters have been released and I am alternating between being obsessed with them and sobbing every time I look at Finnick or Mags.

Linktastic! Disney Princess Edition

Since I reviewed a princess-y book this week for Chick Lit Wednesday it seemed like high time to share the Disney Princess links I’ve been hoarding.

This installment of Linktastic! is brought to you by my undying love of Disney (yes even with the weird stuff they do sometimes) and my conviction that Phillip is the best Disney Prince ever. (I can’t give a definitive princess answer because while Belle has my heart, I apparently spent my toddler-hood watching Sleeping Beauty Every. Single. Day. So I’m obviously fond of Aurora as well.

Onto the links!

• How old are the Disney Princesses? Thanks to Buzzfeed we have the answer to that question: http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/how-old-are-the-disney-princesses While the breakdown for the princes (in that there isn’t one) is kind of  terrifying it’s also an interesting commentary one what needs to be done better in future stories. (Also yay my favorite princesses aren’t creepily young to be getting married!)
• If you want to test your knowledge of Disney Princesses, Buzzfeed also has this quiz: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicamisener/how-well-do-you-really-know-the-disney-princesses I got 10/15
• Now for a controversial one: The Disney Prince Hotness ranking. http://www.buzzfeed.com/louispeitzman/the-disney-prince-hotness-ranking As I said earlier, Prince Phillip is superior. Nothing will ever convince me otherwise. He has his own storyline, he has a name, he has a horse and fights a dragon to get to his princess. I can’t believe Buzzfeed only placed him at the seventh spot.

Then thanks to Leila at Bookshelves of Doom I have some sad posts about everyone’s favorite archer: Merida from Brave. Merida is being inducted as Disney’s 11th princess. Which is awesome. Less awesome is her makeover for the induction ceremony where Merida has become curvier, lost her bow and arrows, and gotten a lot of makeup.

• The LA Times as a rundown of the initial news (and a poll that pretty much universally says Disney blew it): http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-disney-merida-makeover-brave-20130515,0,5062947.story
• Then, after a petition was started, Disney pulled the makeover for a while according to Jezebel: http://jezebel.com/disney-pulls-sexy-merida-makeover-after-public-backlash-494274022
• But then it turned out the makeover was staying according to The Mary Sue: http://www.themarysue.com/disney-merida-redesign/
• Mashable has a cute comic about Merida getting her revenge for the makeover: http://mashable.com/2013/05/15/disney-princess-merida/
• I have mixed feelings about it. I like Disney and the princesses, I do. But the makeovers are kind of annoying because the original art is already beautiful (for all of the characters). I think the updated Merida is still cute and fun. But I don’t understand the need for new merchandise art when we already have the movie. And why on earth would you take away the weapons that define a character? Come on!

Lest you lose all faith in humanity here are some Disney links that are just for fun:

• Jezebel has an essay on why Disney Villains are the real role models: http://jezebel.com/screw-princesses-disney-villains-are-the-real-role-m-476307885 (And it has a picture of probably my favorite villain, Maleficent. My mom’s favorite is Ursula, you know, if you were wondering.)
• And here are some sloths dressed up as Disney Princesses courtesy of io9.com: http://io9.com/cuddle-up-with-these-sloths-dressed-as-disney-princesse-476560641

Linktastic! Goodreads and Google Reader Alternatives Edition

So, if you use social media as a reader, you’ve probably hear about Goodreads being bought by Amazon. I grant that Amazon’s monopoly is worrisome but I’m staying optimistic and sticking with goodreads.

If, however, you do want to jump ship, here are some alternatives I’ve heard about via Twitter or my own searching about:

• Appnewser has five suggested alternatives: http://www.mediabistro.com/appnewser/10-alternatives-to-goodreads_b33964
• Another alternative is BookLikes which does require an invitation (you request it right on the site) but I also heard it has a feature to import books from goodreads which is a plus.
• There’s also Riffle which is a very pretty site with lots of nice cover images. It’s in beta but you can sign up with your twitter or facebook accounts (yay no new passwords). Its big feature seems to be posting book lists. The only problem is it doesn’t have an option to post reviews or mark when a book was read which are two of the main reasons I use goodreads.

Similarly, for reasons that remain unclear to its legions of users, Google has decided to discontinue Google Reader. I’ve been hobbling along with WordPress’ reader feature which works for me since I don’t even have a Google account. BUT if you don’t have the wordpress option, here are some alternatives I’ve seen mentioned on Twitter and what not:

• The Digital Reader offers a rundown of the Google Reader shutdown along with some alternatives: http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/03/14/four-google-reader-alternatives-for-the-hard-core-user/#.UY7OfoLd41C

Linktastic!: Literary Edition

Dear readers, I have a problem. Everything I see on Twitter is interesting. And I keep favoriting tweets with links for future reference. And then I never get back to them and never get to share them with anyone.

That stops with this Linktastic! post. I’m trying to use themes in these posts–a goal that will eventually become too lofty I am sure–so think of today’s as bookish or literary in nature:

• Stephanie Perkins is getting ready to wrap up her loosely-connected trilogy of companion books with the forthcoming Isla and the Happily Ever After. With the release of the new book there will also be new covers for the other novels in the series Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. While I adored the original covers and am crushed we won’t get to see Isla on the cover, I really like the new ones too! I think they’ll have wider appeal and I really like the overall design. I’m finding more every time I look at the covers (perhaps including some clues about what to expect in Isla) and just generally think they’re a lot of fun. You can see the covers at Shelf Life.
• Continuing the romance theme: Flavorwire has an article by Emily Temple about the 10 Greatest Dystopian Love Stories in Literature. NOTE there is a fairly ENORMOUS SPOILER in the blurb for Never Let Me Go so skip that part if you haven’t read it. Actually, a lot of the summaries are spoiler-filled so just remember that I warned you. Of the ten I’ve read Never Let Me Go, 1984, The Hunger Games, Watchmen and I watched the mini-series of The Stand when I was really young and don’t actually remember anything but the religious undertones. I think some of the choices are interesting as a lot of these books have much more going on that . . . you know . . . being romantic. I’m not even sure 1984 qualifies but I did read it a while ago.
• I’ve recently discovered I’m highly invested/interested in comic books even though I essentially never read them. I can and will debate the merits of comics as a reading format or the superiority of Batman over Superman but don’t ask me about recent plot developments. Case in point: Did you know Bruce Wayne had a son?! Did you know his son was Robin?! Did you know DC is planning to kill him off according to CBC News?!?!!??!!?
• After some research and a loaner from Nicole, my mom recently got a Kindle Paperwhite to solve some of her vision problems while reading (in that she couldn’t). We’re really pleased with it. As the resident librarian I’m especially pleased at how easy it is to get books onto the Kindle as I can completely circumvent the Overdrive App (if you don’t know what that is, just be grateful). After seeing this article from librarian Dan Messer about why he hates the Nook I’m feeling even better about that decision.