Take Five: My Favorite Books of 2020

2020 has been a weird year in many ways. One of the most obvious ways for me is how the whole year has hampered my reading. According to my Goodreads profile I will have only read 24 books this year which is less than half of what I normally put away. In spite of the lower numbers there were still a few that stood out for me. Here are my five favorite books that I read during 2020. Note that not all of these books were necessarily published this year.

The Way I Heard It by Mike Rowe

In the introduction to the book, Mike Rowe relates a story about nearly missing a flight because he was sitting in his car waiting for Paul Harvey to finish telling the latest tale in his The Rest of the Story. It's a feeling I can certainly relate to as there were many times I would either keep driving around the block or sitting in the driveway or a parking lot waiting for the end of the tale. For those not familiar with The Rest of the Story check out the unofficial audio archive.  

It's no secret that his podcast was inspired by Paul Harvey. I have to say that Rowe is every bit a great storyteller as Paul Harvey was in his day. The book is a combination of some of his best stories from the podcast along with biographical snippets that are extremely interesting. This is a book that can easily be read in small doses and is sure to give the reader many hours of pleasure. 

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Folks that know me well know of my love for detective fiction. My bookshelves are full of books by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rex Stout, and others .But this year I had started the year trying to branch out to other authors I had not read. This was the first Josephine Tey novel I had tackled and it won't be the last. In the book, Inspector Alan Grant is confined to a hospital bed with a leg fracture. A friend suggests he pass the time by looking into a historical mystery: Was King Richard III guilty of murder? I love the premise of having to work through the crime from the hospital bed. Plus it is a dive into a period of England's history with which I was not familiar. 

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

  

Following the success of Magpie Murders, Anthony Horowitz returns with another installment in the adventures of literary agent Susan Ryland as she must once again solve a murder by relying on a murder mystery by Alan Conway. Horowitz has said in interviews he hadn't planned on writing a sequel to Magpie Murders until development started on a television series based on the novel and he realized it would be beneficial to have more material to draw from for the series. Once again he constructs a novel within a novel and manages to weave two distinctive cases together into one cohesive story. It's a thoroughly modern take on the Golden Age mystery novel. 

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson

Erik Larson is one of my favorite authors. He has an ability to transport the reader to a particular place and time like no other I have ever read. The Splendid and The Vile is probably his best book to date and one of my personal favorites. 

Winston Churchil's first months as Britain's Prime Minister would be marked both by Dunkirk and the Blitz. Through 1940 Britain would be driven to the brink by the Nazis. If it wasn't for the leadership of Churchill it is doubtful that Britaim would have been able to survive the war. Larson gives the readers a clear idea of what it was like to live through the early days of the war. Well researched and written this reads like a thriller. 

Right Ho, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

If 2020 has taught us anything it is that the perfect literary antidote to the troubles of this world is P. G. Wodehouse. His novels feature a variety of unforgettable comic characters and Right Ho, Jeeves is no exception. Gussie Fink-Nottle presenting the prizes at the Market Snodsbury Grammar School is one of the funniest sequences in all of literature. There are plenty of moments in this novel that make it a joy to read again and aagin. 

Take Five: Christmas Movies and TV Shows

 Previously I shared my favorite Christmas songs. This time I am going to do the same for Christmas movies and TV shows. Just like Christmas songs there is no shortage of candidates for favorite movies or Christmas specials. All you have to do is turn to the Hallmark channels right after Halloween and you will begin to see an abundance of holiday themed movies. Hallmark alone produces several dozen new movies every Christmas. There are plenty of others made too. But the fact remains that few stand the test of time and become perennial favorites. Here are my five favorite Christmas movies and TV shows. 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

Ask just about anyone and they are likely to list A Charlie Brown Christmas as one of their favorite shows at Christmas. It is today regarded as a holiday classic. It's hard to believe that as it was about to air in 1965 network executives were afraid it was going to be a flop. Much of their fears revolved around different elements of the show: no laugh track, only child actors doing the voices, a jazz soundtrack, and a Bible reading. These were not considered to be the elements of a hit show. However, audiences apparently couldn't get enough of it. Approximately half of American households tuned into the premiere which was at the time an unheard of audience response. It has remained a favorite largely due to those very elements that were thought to be weaknesses. The success of A Charlie Brown Christmas would lead to numerous Peanuts animated specials in the future as well as other classic Christmas specials. 

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Following the immense success of A Charlie Brown Christmas, CBS hired Dr. Ted Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) and Chuck Jones (famed director of Looney Tunes)  to create a new animated special based on Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Seuss, like Charles Schulz before him, was hesitant about getting into the animation business. It no doubt helped that Seuss and Jones had collaborated previously. During World War II the two men were part of an Army production team that produced animated training films. 

The special contains the entire text of the book. In order to lengthen the special to fit the thirty minute time slot, Jones extended some of the sequences with his visual gags that had become his hallmark. The Grinch was met with a warm reception upon its premiere and has been a holiday staple ever since. 

A Christmas Story (1983)

It's not an understatement by any stretch of the imagination to say that 1983's A Christmas Story is the movie that changed Christmas movies forever. It's also the least likely of all possible films to accomplish that feat. For one thing, it took about 12 years for the film to be developed by director Bob Clark. Plus the story was a tough sell to studio executives. The movie only did a modest amount of business upon it's initial theatrical release. In fact, had it not been for home video and pay television the film would have likely been forgotten. But repeated airings on television have helped the movie build a devoted following. I didn't even discover it until it aired on cable many years after its release. 

The film is about a nine year old boy who wants nothing more for Christmas that a Red Ryder BB gun. His parents object based on the possibility he will get hurt ("You'll shoot your eye out" young Ralphie is told over and over again). But the film really is as much about the family as it is about Christmas. It provides a slice of life that almost anyone can relate to on some level.  

Elf (2003) 

This movie has a couple of connections to A Christmas Story. First, director Jon Favreau has cited A Christmas Story as inspiration for Elf. Secondly, Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie in A Christmas Story, appears in Elf as, well, an elf. 

This is another movie that took a while to get made. The script was originally written in 1993 with Jim Carrey slated to take the title role. Initially much darker, Favreau worked with a group of writers (including star Will Ferrell) to lighten up the script. The finished product is a charming movie with absolute perfect casting. Much of the charm in the film is Will Ferrell simply being himself particularly in the improvised montage sequences of him in full elf costume running around New York. 

Eloise at Christmastime (2003) 

In 2003, ABC decided to adapt two of the Eloise books by Kay Thompson into full length movies. Eloise based on Eloise at the Plaza aired during the summer followed by Eloise at Christmastime in the fall. Of the two, Eloise at Christmastime is the better film. Much of the charm of the film has to do with the performance of then ten year old Sofia Vassilleva as Eloise and a strong supporting performance of Julie Andrews as Nanny. The two films were filmed back to back and it's clear by the time the second film rolls around that the cast had really become comfortable with one another. Visually speaking the film looks like the scenes were pulled directly out of the books. It's a joy to watch every year on Christmas Eve Eve. 

Weekend Links 12-18-20

This is going to be my last Weekend Links post for 2020. I still have a couple of things scheduled to post over the next couple of weeks but will be taking some time off from the blog for the holidays. Hopefully we will have a lot more fun content for you in 2021. Weekend Links will return on January 8, 2021. In the meantime here are a few links for your weekend reading.

You never know what you will find buried in the garden. Gardeners unearth coins inscribed with the initials of Henry VIII's first three wives. 

Last week Chuck Yeager passed away at the age of 97. Homer Hickam writes about what made Yeager a true American hero. 

Sir David Suchet reading The Night Before Christmas is just the holiday content we need. 

We also recently lost the great espionage novelist John Le Carre. This interview from 1965 with Malcolm Muggeridge is thoroughly fascinating. Thankfully he changed his mind and decided to continue writing sp novels. 

Pez dispensers are particularly popular as stocking stuffers this time of year. However the mints were actually developed as an anti-smoking measure. 

Podcast of the week: I just discovered The Golden Age of Baseball podcast and it is a delight. It is hosted by Eddie Robinson who just turned 100 years old this week and is the oldest living Major League Baseball player. His stories of his playing days are fascinating. 

This just goes to prove that there is a club for just about everything. 

During the tumultuous year of 1968 the Apollo 8 mission brought peace at Christmas to all the Earth. An excerpt from the new book Operation Moonglow: A Political History of Project Apollo. 

Weekend Links 12-11-20

 It's hard to believe we are just two weeks away from Christmas. Soon 2020 will be in the rearview mirror and not a moment too soon. In the meantime, here are a few links of interest for your weekend reading.

Like many families, A Charlie Brown Christmas is annual tradition for us. Turns out we have none other than Willie Mays to thank for serving as a catalyst for the holiday classic. 

ICYMI: I started a new feature on the blog earlier this week. 

Neat history: Divers discovered a Nazi Enigma cipher machine that was tossed into the Baltic Sea during World War II. 

Answering the important questions: why do we call coffee a cup of joe? 

When you think of Audrey Hepburn you probably think about films such as Roman Holiday, Sabrina, and My Fair Lady. But it turns out she also has quite the list of crime films on her resume. 

Podcast of the week: this week it's two of my favorite podcasts for the price of one. Caroline Crampton of Shedunnit hosts Catherine Brobeck and Kemper Donovan of All About Agatha to discuss all things Agatha Christie including the pros and cons of reading her detective novels in publication order. It's quite a fascinating discussion. 

Hard to imagine really that there were times when certain Christmas songs were banned. 

Speaking of Christmas, take a look at some spectacular Christmas light displays. 

Who knew that a cereal icon could be both inspiration for invention and the cause of tremendous controversy? 

Literary history: Evelyn Waugh loved Perry Mason novels. It always surprises me how many authors are fans of crime fiction. 

Take Five: Christmas Songs

 Today marks the debut of a new occasional feature on the blog called Take Five. It's basically a list of my five favorite things in a particular category. Today we'll get into the Christmas spirit with my favorite Christmas songs. 

I have a confession. I am not a huge fan of Christmas music. Back in college when I was working as a disc jockey I worked a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day playing nothing but Christmas music. I discovered right away that Christmas music is (a) abundant and (b) of varying quality. It took me several years afterward before I would sit and listen to Christmas music for extended periods of time. Even now I can only take it in small doses. But there are five songs here (in no particular order) that will definitely put me into the Christmas spirit.

1. Please Come Home for Christmas - The Eagles (1978)

When Please Come Home For Christmas debuted in 1978 it became the first Christmas song to debut on the Billboard top 20 since Roy Orbison did it with Pretty Paper in 1963. This is a cover of a Charles Brown song that originally debuted in 1961 however the Eagles had far greater success with the song than Brown did. This is the classic Eagles lineup of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Timothy B. Schmidt, Joe Walsh, and Don Felder. A wonderfully bluesy Christmas song. 

2. White Christmas - The Drifters (1954)

It's no secret that Irving Berlin's White Christmas is a holiday classic. Bing Crosby's version of the song is the best selling Christmas song of all time. But this doo-wop version from the Drifters is a whole lot of fun. This is the "early" version of the Drifters long before the runaway success they would have with Under the Boardwalk. The song went all the way to #2 on the Billboard R&B chart. It has become a Christmas classic having been featured in films such as Home Alone and The Santa Clause. 

3. The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole (1946) 

One of the difficult things about trying to select my favorite Christmas songs is trying to first figure our which song to choose and then which version. With most holiday standards there are numerous versions available. But this is one instance where there is no improving on the original. Nat King Cole was the first to record this song and it is still the best version in my opinion. 

4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - James Taylor (2001) 

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is arguably one of the most recorded Christmas songs. There are literally hundreds of versions of the song. The tune originally was written for the 1944 Judy Garland musical Meet Me in St. Louis. This version was actually recorded after Taylor had laid down tracks for his album October Road.  As a result, the recording has a spontaneity that is not necessarily heard in other versions of the song. I like this version of the song more than any other I have heard. 

5. Christmas Time Is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965) 

There is one Christmas album that will get constant play around my house: A Charlie Brown Christmas by Vince Guaraldi Trio. This jazz album became an immediate classic upon its release. It's hard to single out one track but this one will do the trick. It's one of the original compositions for the film and features a children's choir on the vocals. It captures beautifully the essence of the animated special. 

Weekend Links 12-4-20

We are back after a week off for the holidays. Hope that you had a great time with your loved ones. 

I've got a new feature appearing here starting next week. I hope you will enjoy it. Be sure to subscribe to the blog to be informed of new posts. 

Now on to this week's links for your weekend reading....

This story sounds like something straight out of Fake or Fortune: a missing Australian masterpiece was discovered hiding in plain sight. 

This is really neat: phone cases that will make your phone look like a book. 

Just what your next party needs: a giant Twinkie. 

Answering the important questions: why do hospital doctors wear white coats? 

If 2020 has taught us anything it is that catching a foul ball is really difficult. Of course you could consult this book for tips. 

The hunt for the original McDonalds french fry recipe. Yes, it's true that McDonald's fries don't taste the way they used to. 

Happy 100th birthday to the theremin which just happened to have been invented by a Soviet spy. 

Podcast of the week: this episode of All About Agatha features an interview with Dr. Mark Aldridge who is the author of a forthcoming book on Hercule Poirot that looks fantastic. It's a really fun conversation. 

Weekend Links 11-20-20

 Congratulations on making it through another week. Here are a couple of links of interest for your weekend reading:

There used to be a time that renting a movie involved a trip to Blockbuster Video to pick up a VHS tape to play on the VCR at home. Blockbuster might be a thing of the past but there are free video kiosks popping up across the country. 

The true story of the Juliet Club: Verona's love letter writing workshop.

Things you probably didn't know about the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. 

Time waster of the week: clicking on Random Street View will give you a Google street view of a random street somewhere in the world. Keep clicking next to get a new location. 

Sometimes you never know what you will find: workers in Athens found the bust of an ancient Greek god in the sewer while making repairs. 

Book excerpt: the evolution of espionage fiction from the introduction of the new book The Big Book of Espionage edited by Otto Penzler. 

Spruce up your virtual meeting backgrounds with these downloads from the National Trust. 

Weekend Links 11-13-20

 It's a bumper crop of interesting stories for your weekend reading.....

Fascinating artifacts from the FBI's photo archives. 

If you are of a certain age (like me) you will remember popping a TV dinner in the oven. A brief history of the culinary treat. 

This looks like fun: one of the most beautiful libraries in the world lets you spend the night.

Picture this: aerial photographs of famous landmarks. 

This is one for baseball fans: 3 triples + 2 singles + 1 double = 0 runs. You could look it up. 

Celebrating 100 years of Agatha Christie. 

If you like reading the Queen of Crime  you are likely to enjoy Anthony Horowitz's new novel, Moonflower Murders. Here is a review of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Ranking all 24 James Bond films. Related: the time Sean Connery's brother portrayed James Bond's brother in an Italian film. 

Dutch museums unveil an online exhibit of Vincent Van Gogh's works. 

Why Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek will be remembered as a cultural icon. From the new book Answers in the Form of Questions: A Definitive History and Insider's Guide to Jeopardy! by Claire McNear.

Believe it or not: there is one company in America that still makes washboards. Business is booming. 

Answering the important questions: what if someone objects at a wedding? 

Fun fact: London's first police force was founded by novelist Henry Fielding and his brother. 

Unfortunately, FedEx wasn't an option: a carrier pigeon's military message was delivered a century too late. 

Weekend Links 11-6-20

The Presidential Election was held on Tuesday of this week here in the U. S. and strangely enough as I am writing this post we still don't have an official winner. At least we can take solace that the campaign is over and the votes have been cast. Now it's just a matter of making sure the votes are counted and the winner determined. I have seen lots of folks publicly expressing anxiety over not knowing the winner. Since I didn't vote for either of the major candidates I don't feel that same sort of investment in having one person win over another. As long as the process of counting the votes has been fair I am satisfied. 

It's probably fair to say that it is "so 2020" for the election to take so long to decide. This whole year has been weird. I have been prone to wander around the house muttering this line from one of the Harry Potter films: 

In the meantime I will continue to assemble links of interest to take our minds off these mad times. Here's what caught my eye this week.

The inside story of the "crime of the century". It's interesting to me all the different ways that the authorities bungled the investigation in the early days. It's also interesting to note that this case would serve as a major inspiration for Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express.

Speaking of Agatha Christie, some criticize her works as being stuck in a time that no longer exists. Laura Thompson, author of Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life, respectfully disagrees. 

The curious history of the dust jacket. 

Talk about disaster planning: an Oreo vault built in the event an asteroid collides with Earth. 

Strange, but true: in the early 1900's the U. S. Postal Service allowed you to mail a child. The weird part is some parents actually did. 

Music to your ears: why certain songs send your brain into pleasure overload. 

How the introduction of the cheap ballpoint pen changed writing forever. 

Podcast of the week: I thoroughly enjoyed this episode of All About Agatha which features an interview with Anthony Horowitz. His new book, Moonflower Murders, will be published in the U. S. next week. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an advance copy and it is a terrific read. I especially enjoyed the discussion on how he writes his books. I also discovered his favorite mystery writer which is someone I had never heard of before. 

I love these rules for writing from Frank Cottrell Boyce. Especially #8. 

Weekend Links 10-30-20

This weekend marks both Halloween and the end of Daylight Savings Time here in the United States. Have a safe weekend and enjoy that extra hour of rest. Here are a few links of interest for your weekend reading:

Here is how trick or treating became popularized. 

Why Arsenic and Old Lace is the perfect movie for Halloween.

With the time change this weekend we will be setting our clocks back. For most of us it's not a big deal. At Windsor Castle, however, one man is responsible for changing the 400 clocks in the castle. 

This gave me chills: a Colorado high school choir performs "Down to the River to Pray" in a hotel. It is amazing.

Prepare to be heartwarmed: finding love at the Dunkin' Donuts. It's a wonderful story. 

This is the kind of news story I am  here for: an airport security officer rescued a kitten that had wandered onto the ramp.

Readers of this space know that I am a huge fan of Agatha Christie's novels. Here is a great list of her "essential" works. 

Ever wonder why lightbulbs don't last? It's because of a conspiracy. 

There's an app for everything these days including one that will let you know whether the McFlurry machine at your local McDonald's is working. 

The KGB museum in New York was one of the countless casualties of the pandemic. The good news is that their entire collection of artifacts is for sale. 

Weekend Links 10-23-20

 Congratulations on making it through another week. Here are a few links for your weekend reading.

They say there is a Shakespeare quote for every occasion. Does that also apply to Shakespeare mugs? 

Speaking of Shakespeare, a first folio set a record for the most expensive work of literature ever sold at auction. 

This year marks the eightieth anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's film adaptation of Rebecca. Here's the story of the woman who helped the director bring the novel to life on screen. 

This is fun: select the year you were born and the engine will show you the words that first appeared in print during that year. 

It's a rite of summer: the joyful sounds of music in the streets means that the ice cream truck has come to visit your neighborhood. There were many times my girls would be overcome with excitement at those sounds. This is the story of the company that makes virtually all the music boxes installed in ice cream trucks. 

Talk about an expensive Christmas present: the puppets used in the 1964 stop action animation television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are up for auction. 

The problem with home renovations is you never know what you will find hidden in the walls. 

Lucky detectorists: two British teens found ancient coins over a thousand years old. 

These kinds of stories warm my heart: a painting looted by Nazis from a Jewish family in 1933 was returned to its rightful owner. 

These two soldiers literally stared death in the face. Their story of survival is remarkable. 

This one is for Doctor Who fans: A dispute featuring a town council, a science fiction museum, and a Dalek. 

Weekend podcast: one of my favorite musicians is Diana Krall. She is an incredibly talented singer and pianist. I loved listening to this episode of The Checkout podcast where she discussed her craft as well as her new album This Dream of You. 

Weekend Links 10-16-20

 This weeks post is going to break all the rules. By that I mean that I am purposely disobeying my own ground rules for assembling these posts. First of all, I try to draw from as many different sources as possible. However, some of my reliable sources had so much good content this week that I am offering multiple posts from the same site. 

Secondly, and more importantly, I purposely avoid politics in these posts. The links featured here are meant to be a distraction from politics and other current events. However, I ran across a couple of articles this week that were too good to pass up. I will put those at the end so that you can skip those if you like. 

Now onto the links for this weekend:

This year marks the centennial of the publication of Agatha Christie's first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. To celebrate, here is a wonderful collection of the book's covers through the years. Just looking at this article will help show you why I have different editions of the same novel in my own collection. 

Sophie Hannah selects ten underrated Agatha Christie novels. I haven't read all of them yet but can agree that a couple of them certainly don't get the attention they deserve. 

One more Christie related link: How I Learned to Stop Being Sexist and Love Miss Marple. Exit question: who would you like to see portray the spinster sleuth? I like the author's suggestion a lot. 

If you ever lose your jewelry you can always call the Ring Finders. 

With more and more meetings moving to Zoom these days we are getting a look at other people's bookshelves. Why are we so focused on them? I think in a way it helps reveal something about a person. The fact there is an entire Twitter feed devoted to bookshelf credibility tells us how a real our obsession really is. 

Besides Agatha Christie another of my favorite mystery writers is Anthony Horowitz. Here's an introduction to his novel series for adults. By the way, the television adaptation of his Alex Rider series premieres in the US on November 13th. 

Weekend playlist: this week I have been listening to Palo Alto by Thelonius Monk. In 1968, a sixteen year old high school student hired Monk and his quartet to play a fundraising concert at Palo Alto High School. An enterprising school janitor recorded the session which is now available to stream. It's quite a performance. 

The reason why it is hard to spot your own typos. It makes a lot of sense. Thank goodness for autocorrect.

It's been 70 years since C. S. Lewis published the first volume of The Chronicles of Narnia. Why the novels still hold our imagination even as adults. Of all the books I read to my girls when they were younger these are still my favorites. 

This is some fascinating research: how readers rate New York Times bestsellers. 

Finally, a couple of articles about the election. The headline of the first article sums up how I feel: Why can't they both lose?  I don't identify any longer with a particular political party and I don't necessarily endorse everything that this site would stand for. However, I think the article makes some important points about what is at stake and what the two major candidates for president represent. I find myself agreeing with Joel Belz that someone other than the two major party candidates would be preferable in this election. 

Weekend Links 10-9-20

Hard to believe that we are already into the second week in October. Where has this year gone? 

Here are a few links of interest for your weekend reading:

Secrets of strong writing from the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There's a lot of great advice in this article. 

The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the finest art museums anywhere. It's also the place to go if you want to see the works of Claude Monet. 

I've always been curious about this even though I don't own a dog: why do dogs bury things? 

Longread of the week: how to misread Jane Austen.  I'll be honest and admit I have only read one of her books which was Pride and Prejudice. I had to read it for a college literature class. I have seen adaptations of almost all of her novels so I am at least somewhat familiar with the canon. But I think that many people want her works to say what they want them to say rather than reading them at face value. 

Craig Johnson, creator of the Longmire novels, researches the mystery of an American painting that could once be found in most watering holes across the country that has since totally disappeared. 

Found: tapes from a 1962 Ella Fitzgerald concert in Berlin. I have been listening to this performance and it is every bit as wonderful as you would expect one of her concerts to be. 

I don't endorse cheating. However, this was a fun thought experiment. How the 1919 Chicago White Sox could have thrown the World Series and gotten away with it. 

Weekend Links 10-2-20

Hard to believe it is already October. This year continues to fly by. Here are a few links of interest for your weekend reading.

I don't read the news too much because it's mostly depressing. But this post from Gracy Olmstead on reading the news in dark times really struck a nerve. You can also sign up for her monthly newsletter at the link. I highly recommend it. 

When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronaut when I grew up. In fact that was my plan until I grew too tall to be a test pilot. Anyway here are some interesting facts about astronauts. Related: what it's like to live and work on the International Space Station. 

The Society for American Baseball Research debunks eight myths about the Black Sox scandal popularized in Eliot Asinof's book Eight Men Out and the film of the same name. 

Found: a rare edition of William Shakespeare's last play. 

Also believed to be found: the Amber Room which was once part of a tsarist palace and was looted by the Nazis during World War II. 

Answering the important questions: why do milk jugs have those inverted circles?

Weird history: the unsuccessful plot during World War II to fight the Japanese with radioactive foxes. 

Remembering mystery writer Jacques Futrelle who sadly is probably best known for perishing on the Titanic. 

This is something I hadn't considered: how the U. S. Postal Service selects literary stamps. 

I had one of these as a kid and probably many more people did too. A brief history of the Wooly Willy. 

This is another article that really struck a chord with me. Things I did that my kids never will. 

Weekend Links 9-25-20

 As summer gives way to fall, 2020 continues to churn on with uncertainty. It sure seems like this year has been no other in terms of the challenges we have faced. Perhaps that is why I have been committed to finding diversionary links to fill these pages. I hope you enjoy this weekend's collection of links.

Letters play a key role in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Often a letter will help propel the story forward. One author has worked to bring those letters to life in a new edition of the book. 

These are some amazing photographs: capturing Ellis Island's lost period before its restoration. 

I suppose this gives new meaning to the term "epic battle": this Dungeons and Dragons game has been going on for 38 years!

All British people are potential murderers according to Richard Osman, author of the upcoming novel The Thursday Murder Club which looks like it will be fantastic. You can read an excerpt here. 

Answering the important questions: If I haven't read X book, am I reader? I think this is a fascinating question particularly there are a number of books that many folks would say I should have read and that I haven't. 

True crime solved: a fortune in rare books that had been stolen in London have been found under a floor in Romania. 

I tend to read a lot of mystery novels written in the so-called Golden Age (basically the period between the two World Wars). Here's a list from Martin Edwards, current president of The Detection Club and an expert on Golden Age fiction of authors from that period that deserve a lot more attention. 

The Walther PPK is known as a classic spy gun because it is so closely associated with James Bond. However, when the gun was first introduced in 1930 it revolutionized the way that pistols were made. 

Travel to Europe or anywhere else isn't really feasible right now but here are a list of American towns that will make you feel like you are in Europe. 

Without a doubt one of the most difficult sequences to film in Star Wars was the fighter battles near the end of the movie. Director George Lucas turned to footage from World War II aerial battles for inspiration. 

A new adaptation of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small has just premiered in the UK and will air in the US on PBS in 2021. Herriot's children reveal the truth behind the beloved books. 

Weekend Links 9-18-20

 Happy Friday! Here is your weekly roundup of interesting links for your weekend reading.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. So what better way to celebrate then with a life-sized cake shaped like Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.

Speaking of anniversaries, it is also the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the short-lived but beloved PBS series Wishbone. Here's a fascinating oral history from the creators of the show.

 Now I know where I want to take my next vacation: Lindt has opened the world's largest chocolate museum in Zurich. 

Selecting the best P. G. Wodehouse books. Because he was so prolific it is often difficult to narrow down a "best of" list when it comes to Wodehouse. Still there are a lot of interesting selections on this list even if it omits my personal favorite, The Code of the Woosters.

Throughout baseball history, there have been many players who only played in one major league game. In fact, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, there have been approximately a thousand players who have only played once. I had no idea they tracked this information. Perhaps the most famous was Archibald "Moonlight" Graham who was also a prominent character in the movie Field of Dreams. But this story is probably the most unique "one game wonder": a player who made his major league debut in a game he didn't actually play in. What's even more interesting is that while he never had a major league career his younger brother was a Hall of Famer. 

Speaking of baseball oddities, you don't see this every day: a player who gets ejected while crossing home plate on a home run. 

How a thirteen year old's comment to her father changed the course of asthma treatments. 

Ever wonder what happens to books left behind in public places such as subways, airplanes or hotels?

There are many reasons why Agatha Christie is considered one of the greatest novelists of all time. One reason could be because she can draw readers in with some fantastic opening lines. 

Never Forget

The following post was originally written on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. It is my own family's history of our experiences on 9/11. I am reposting it today because we can never forget what happened on that terrible day.

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I will never forget 9/11. No matter how hard I try, I can't block out the memories of that day. They will be forever burned in my memory.

I was supposed to be attending a meeting in Bala Cynwyd (just outside of Philadelphia) on 9/11. My wife and two daughters (ages 4 and 5) went up a few days early to explore the Amish country as well as downtown Philadelphia. We had had a great time visiting an area that we had never visited before. But that Tuesday morning everything would change - in ways far greater than we could have ever imagined.

The day started normally enough. My meeting was supposed to start at 9:00 so I headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant early to eat breakfast. My wife and daughters were a little later getting ready.

Our meeting started on time and was underway for about an hour before taking our first break of the morning. Many of the folks in this meeting were from New York. While we were on the break, several guys tried to call the office but couldn't get through. One of them finally decided to call the operator and see what was wrong with the telephone lines. He would be the first one to share the news with us: the World Trade Center had been hit. Another person came in and said it was the Pentagon. It would be a few minutes before we realized that it was both.

By the time we managed to get a TV brought into the conference room we were able to see the replay of the South tower being hit. Moments later it collapsed. It took all of us only a split second to decide we needed to go home. The fourth airliner, United flight 93, would crash in Western Pennsylvania within the next few minutes.

My wife had taken the kids next door to Denny's to eat breakfast. A waitress told her that the Pentagon had been hit. Her sister's husband often worked at the Pentagon. Was he there? Frantically, she was calling her unable to get through. It would be much, much later before we found out he wasn't there and was completely safe.

My wife came back to the hotel not knowing how to find me. At the time, I didn't carry a cellphone (I have ever since). She was in the lobby trying to call her sister when I finally came upstairs. I looked at her and said "We're going home".

At the time we lived in Richmond, VA, almost directly due south along Interstate 95 from Philadelphia. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken about five hours to drive home. But Washington, DC is directly on Interstate 95. Due to the attack at the Pentagon, Washington was completely locked down. Our only choice was to head west and then south in a long circle along interstates through Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virgina. It was a long drive home.

As we were leaving the hotel we turned on the local news on our radio. The mayor of Philadelphia was holding a press conference announcing the evacuation of the city. Everyone was being ordered home since at that time we didn't know where the hijackers intended to fly United 93. It was reasonable to assume that Philadelphia was a target.

One thing was clear: we were at war. We weren't sure yet who was responsible but we knew we had been attacked. The peaceful setting of Lancaster County was strangely appealing. Surely whoever this was wouldn't attack the Amish. We would be safe there, wouldn't we?

As we drove on there was this eerie feeling of not knowing what to expect next. Would there be further attacks? Who was responsible? Why had they attacked us?

Our daughters tahnkfully were oblivious to what was happening. At least until the announcement was made that Walt Disney World had closed (we had made our first visit as a family the previous year). Then it registered with them that something was wrong.

Everywhere we stopped along the way home people seemed to be trying to carry on with life as normal even though they all knew that life would never be normal again. Everything had changed.

By late afternoon we had made it to Harrisonburg, VA (about 3 1/2 hours from home). At first we thought we would just find a hotel room and spend the night but there were none to be found. Greyhound had ordered all their buses to stop wherever they were and as a result people had to find hotel rooms. Everything was closing down: restaurants, stores, shopping malls were all closed. We managed to find a gas station that was still open. When I went in to pay there was the extra edition of the local paper with the photo of the burning towers above the fold. This was not just a bad dream. This was real.

As we left Harrisonburg and headed towards home I can remember the eerie sight of a single jet plane crossing the sky. I knew it was a military plane since all civilian aircraft had been grounded much earlier in the day. This is what it felt like to be at war.

We eventually made it home safely that evening. But we knew that everything had changed. A couple days later we got another grim reminder of just how serious things were.

Where we lived, we never saw military traffic. But around 9:00 one evening just a few days after the attacks we were buzzed twice in the span of a couple of minutes by a pair of F-14 fighter jets. It was yet another reminder that we were truly at war.

There would be other reminders, as well. I went to Las Vegas for a meeting a couple of months later (a meeting that was originally supposed to take place the week after 9/11). The sight of armed soldiers patrolling the airport was a clear sign that things had changed.

While I was in Las Vegas I stayed at the New York, New York Hotel and Casino. As the name suggests, the hotel is supposed to remind one of the New York skyline. Even three months after 9/11, there was a memorial of flowers, posters, and messages of support for the police, firefighters, and people of New York City. I couldn't help but be struck by the sight.

Driving by the Pentagon several months after 9/11 and getting to see firsthand the devastation caused by the terrorists would be yet another grim reminder of the war we had been dragged into by our attackers.

I can't forget no matter how hard I try. We should never forget for this is why we fight.

Weekend Links 9-4-20

Hard to believe it's already September. It seems like summer flew by. Hope that you take this long Labor Day weekend to rest if you can. Here are a few links of interest for your weekend reading. 

There's a new documentary coming out featuring the last Blockbuster Video store in existence.

As the school year starts back up many families are choosing to homeschool. Here's some advice to parents homeschooling for the first time. 

There is one particular occupation that is well-suited to being Jeopardy! contestants: authors.

Vin Scully may no longer be broadcasting Dodgers games but he still has a lot to say.  He's also starting his own social media accounts.

Road trip ideas: 8 places in Virginia that aren't what they seem. 

8 fascinating facts about Disney's Monorail system.

The history of the paralyzed World War II veterans who invented wheelchair basketball. It's quite a remarkable story. 

Revisiting the genius of Monk. This is still one of my all-time favorite crime dramas.

Weekend Links 8-28-20

 Better late than never....I usually try to have these posts written so that they post first thing Friday morning but nothing has gone as planned this week. At least I can still share these links with you before the weekend gets started. Hope you enjoy these articles as much as I enjoy assembling them. 

Their ads appear on Facebook and other social media sites all the time. But what is MasterClass actually selling? 

Ranking the greatest crime films of all time. There are a lot of excellent films on this list though I am not entirely sure I agree with all the rankings particular the films in the top 10. 

Odd, but true: how a brand of chalk achieved cult status among mathematicians. It's also kind of surprising there are some of the last people to give up chalkboards. 

Anthony Horowitz's latest novel Moonflower Murders has just been published in the UK and is due to arrive in the US in November (review coming soon to this blog).He's making the rounds of British media outlets. First, he talks to the BBC about writing mysteries. Then, a longer interview with Sci-Fi Bulletin about his writing career including his Alex Rider novels.

The wildest insurance scam you have ever heard of and one man's determination to reveal the truth. 

How has Dolly Parton managed such a long and illustrious career in music?

A brief history of the Mason jar. 

Walk into any bookstore and you're liable to find a book on almost any subject written "for dummies". Here's how the long-running series came into existence.

This is what happens when you have too much time on your hands: employees at a Krispy Kreme run a donut through the glaze machine 25 times. This story reminds me of when my daughters were younger. We used to take them to the Krispy Kreme in Richmond, VA they would spend countless hours just watching the donuts being made. The store had a large glass window that allowed you to watch the entire process from start to finish. Just the thing to keep your kids occupied.

The true story of the con man who sold the Eiffel Tower - twice. 

Speaking of cons, Olivia Rutigliano checks in to explain why The Sting is still the greatest grifter movie of all time. Warning: this article contains spoilers. If you haven't seen the movie do yourself a favor and go watch it first. 

Weekend Links 8-21-20

This week doesn't feature quite as many links as past weeks. I attribute that mostly to lack of time to search out interesting stuff. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as I am often tweeting other articles that I don't feature in these posts. Also you can send me a tip if you see something that you think should be included in a future post. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to the blog (see the sidebar) so you will be notified of future posts. Here are this week's links:

This article about the lawyer who tracks typos at The New York Times is a fascinating look at the modern state of journalism and its current lack of editorial oversight. By the way, I don't think the Times is alone in struggling with typos and grammatical errors. I have seen the same issue crop up at other media outlets too. It's just interesting to me that someone makes a pastime out of catching these errors. 

Followers of this blog probably know I am a big fan of Agatha Christie's novels. This year marks the 100th anniversary of her debut novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Here's a look at the novelist's lasting legacy.  Related: mystery novelists with upcoming new releases talk about Christie's influence on their own works. 

This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Negro Baseball Leagues. At a time when racial discrimination was institutionalized in many places the Negro Leagues flourished. Major League Baseball commemorated the anniversary last weekend and is starting to discuss officially recognize the Negro Leagues as official major leagues which is a designation that is long overdue. The Negro Leagues are also responsible for the rise of the popularity of baseball outside the United States. Finally, take time to listen to this conversation with Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.  

Strange snacks: the curious history of Astronaut Ice Cream. 

It's the time of year when kids are normally thinking about going back to school. But in the midst of a continuing pandemic, many kids are having to shift to online learning. For families that are considering homeschooling textbooks might seem like a good investment. But as this writer argues, instead of textbooks, parents should be relying more on primary sources. 

Longread of the week: twenty five years and the theft of millions of dollars worth of rare books. 

Weekend Links 8-14-20

Your Friday roundup of interesting stuff for your weekend.......

I have always heard that you can't train cats to do anything apart from using a litter box. I guess that is just wrong. 

This was never really up for debate: Sean Connery is the best James Bond of all time. 

You can build just about anything with LEGO including a grand piano. I love the fact that you can actualy play it. 

To Catch a Thief is arguably one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films (and a personal favorite of mine). Here is the story behind the novel that inspired the film that was based on an actual crime. 

Maybe it's because I love cheese that I found this article on how a cheese goes extinct so fascinating. 

Victory gardens were common during World War II as a way to contribute to the war effort. However, when the war broke out the U.S. Government was opposed to them. 

The history of the Ponzi scheme and the man whose name became synonymous with fraud. 

Weekend Links 8-7-20

It's been another interesting week. Today's post contains quite the assortment of interesting links. Hope you enjoy.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that Gary Larson had started creating new editions of The Far Side cartoon. The world has changed a lot since Larson stopped drawing the comic. Can the new version adapt to our new world? 

Here's an interesting list of defunct Disney rides. I actually remember some of these from my first visit to Walt Disney World many, many years ago. 

John Donaldson may not be a household name but if you look closely at his record he deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

Hard to believe that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy turns 42(!) this year. Here are some fun facts to celebrate. 

Netflix has announced they are going to create a series based on the beloved C. S. Lewis series The Chronicles of Narnia. Here are some things to be simultaneously hopeful and concerned about in the new adaptation. 

The incredible story of Henrietta Lacks. Hard to believe now that she received no credit for her contribution to medicine. Related: a 2010 interview with the author who brought her story to light and turned it into a bestselling book. 

These are difficult times for many of us. But some would argue that it is a time of great distraction. Some practical tips on how to deal with these difficult times. 

Ranking the best caper movies of all time. I haven't seen all of these movies so I can't full attest to the rankings though a number of my favorites did make the list. I have no argument at all with the film ranked #1. 

Finally, why P. G. Wodehouse is the perfect antidote to the pandemic. 

Weekend Links 7-31-20

It's hard to believe we have already reached the end of July. I tend to think like a lot of other people I talk to that the sooner we can get 2020 behind us the better. In the meantime, here are a few links of interest for your weekend enjoyment.

I'm not into comic books much these days but I still found this history of the comic book fascinating. 

There is a sculpture at CIA headquarters in Langley that contains a code no one has been able to crack. 

Longread of the week: Why is Bob Ross still so popular? It's been 25 years since he passed away yet The Art of Painting is more popular than ever. His calm demeanor and relentless positivity seem to be a soothing balm for our troubled world. 

A list of recommended books for baseball fans. I have read most of these books. I would consider this a great place to start if you've never picked up any baseball books. Thanks to my sister-in-law for the tip.

Artist Mark Truelove shares an amazing gallery of colorized baseball photos from the early 20th century.  

What happens to all the baseballs being hit into empty stands? Zack Hample was unavailable for comment. 

The Blob has to be one of the campiest movies I have ever seen. But is the sci-fi classic based on a real life event? 

There are good reasons to be leery of adaptations of your favorite books. While there are some adaptations that are relatively faithful to the original books I can't think of an adaptation that I have been wholly pleased with. 

Some tips on how to start a long-running mystery series. It's harder than you think. 

Weekend Links 7-24-2020

Last night the Major League Baseball season finally got underway after a four month delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. While there were only 2 games on the schedule last night the rest of the league will start their season today. An abbreviated 60 game season is sure to be a recipe for chaos. Bring it on!

In the meantime, here are a few things that caught my eye this week.....

10 strange weapons invented during World War II. Reading the descriptions its easy to see why none of these weapons made it into mass production. 

This is exciting: Anthony Horowitz is adapting his novel Magpie Murders into a miniseries that will air on PBS Mystery! I loved the novel and can't wait to see how they handle the adaptation. 

I don't normally post spiritual or theological pieces in these posts but I couldn't pass this one up. As someone who notices a lot of arguments on Twitter (and have been in the past guiilty of crusading on this blog in the past) I found this article challenging and very timely. 

I'm always curious to discover what writers I enjoy read in their spare time. Here's what John Grisham is reading this summer. 

Check out these unbelievably realistic book cakes.

Every episode of Psych, ranked. When I first saw this article I only cared about whether they picked the correct episode as the best which they did. It's not even close. The rest of the rankings are up for debate. Related: James Roday Rodriguez, Psych's fake psychic detective.  There's a lot of really cool insight information on how the show became such a huge hit. 

My rule of thumb is to read everything Olivia Rutigliano writes at CrimeReads. She doesn't disappoint with her latest essay on Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Weekend Links 7-17-20

Happy Friday! If all goes well next week there will be baseball. Given how things are these days it's hard to predict the future. Personally I hope we have baseball. It has been a long summer without it. 

A quick word about the purpose of these posts. Each week I accumulate links of interest. These are things that I found interesting or particularly diverting. I hope that you will find them enjoyable as well. Now, on to this week's links.

Perhaps because we watch a lot of Korean drama in our household we have a pretty good feel for Korean culture. Maybe that's why this article on young South Koreans rebelling against cultural norms was so interesting. 

This is good news: The Far Side creator Gary Larson is sharing new cartoons after a 25 year hiatus.

I didn't know that burning the fields is a recommended method for growing blueberries.

Apparently country music is a big thing in Tokyo. 

Satchel Paige is arguably one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball. Here's a long look at his storied career.

Albert Mohler has released his list of recommended summer reading which features a selection of top non-fiction titles. I am currently reading The Splendid And The Vile which is on his list and am thoroughly enjoying it. I always look forward to this annual list. 

Speaking of book lists, here is a list of the top 10 Agatha Christie novels. Having read most of these I can vouch for this list. 

Meet the schoolteacher that sparked America's craft beer revolution. 

A history of playing cards from around the world.

The woman who inspired one of the first video games by mapping the world's longest cave.