Weekend Links 8-27-21

 Hard to believe it is already the last weekend of August. Makes me wonder where the summer is gone at least until I walk outside. Where I live it is hot and muggy and will probably stay that way for several more weeks. While you are staying cool inside check out these links for your weekend reading. 

Baseball is still America's past time but that doesn't mean there aren't things that couldn't be improved. Here are some interesting suggestions on how the game could be improved.  

Meet New Jersey's meadow doctor who is all about cultivating native plants in your yard. 

The long, colorful history of sneakers. 

Dolly Parton is co-writing a mystery novel with bestselling author James Patterson that will debut next spring. As an added bonus, she is recording an album to accompany the book. 

Hear Christopher Lee read the Sherlock Holmes stories.

We just finished watching The Mysterious Benedict Society on Disney+ and thoroughly enjoyed it. Here is a little more on author Trenton Lee Stewart and how he created the bestselling series. 

This is big news if it is true: the Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger that was stolen in 1997 may have been found. 

Chances are you had these as a kid, too. Here's a look at the history of Little Golden Books. 

Weekend Links 8-20-21

 Apologies for the lack of a post last weekend. I had the material together but couldn't find the time to compile the post. However, I did save everything I planned to post last week so its a longer than normal post this week. Here's a roundup of interesting stuff I have found over the last couple of weeks.

Here is something I honestly had never thought about: why many restaurants are closed on Mondays.

Last week was the inaugural Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa at the ballpark built adjacent to the ballfield that had been cut out of the cornfield for the movie. Joe Posnanski was at the game and has a few thoughts. 

The death of Edgar Allan Poe is still one of our greatest unsolved mysteries. 

A list of Hitchcock films that every film fan should see. Unfortunately this list omits one of my personal favorites but for the most part is really solid. 

Ever wonder why decks of cards have jokers?

A new book featuring satellite photos of Earth puts our home planet in a whole new perspective. Be sure to check out the photo gallery in this article. 

Mike Rowe is best known as the host of Dirty Jobs, a show created out of a mistake and from inspiration from his grandfather. 

A preview of John Le Carre's last book due to be published in October. 

Want to be a contestant on Jeopardy!? Best to familiarize yourself with the rules contestants must follow.

Olivia Rutigliano analyzes The Natural and finds much deeper meanings that you probably knew existed. 

Otto Penzler is one of the leading authorities on crime fiction. His American Mystery Classics imprint is republishing classic American crime novels of the 20th century. Here is an interview with him in which he talks about what it is like to be a publisher and independent bookseller (he owns The Mysterious Bookshop). 

I will be the first to confess I had never heard of Craig Rice at least until a couple weeks ago I found an American Mystery Classics edition of Home Sweet Homicide on a recent book buying trip. Here's why crime fiction fans ought to get acquainted with Rice's work. 

One of the most famous lines in film history was improvised. I'd say it worked out pretty well. 

Podcast of the week: I just started listening to a brand new podcast from Spyscape called The Great James Bond Car Robbery.  This eight part limited series (which premiered this week) focuses on the true story of the 1997 theft of the original Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery in Goldfinger. The car has never been recovered and the series will dive into the efforts to find the culprits and recover the iconic automobile. On a related note, here are some fascinating facts about Goldfinger.

Weekend Links 8-6-21

 It is a bakers dozen of interesting items for your weekend enjoyment. Let us dive in!

Part of the Apollo 11 spacecraft might still be orbiting the moon. That is pretty amazing if true.

Answering the important questions: why do performers say "break a leg?

Why Sneakers is one of the most interesting espionage/heist movies of the 1990s. Warning: this article contains spoilers.

Uncovering the mystery of the lost second novel by Emily Bronte. 

The Adirondack chair is synonymous with rest and relaxation. But it was originally invented to help cure disease.

Ian Fleming served in naval intelligence during World War II. His real life missions would inspire his later writings of James Bond novels. 

Watch Alfred Hitchcock explain how he shot the iconic shower scene in Psycho (and show off his droll sense of humor at the same time).

Speaking of Hitchcock, why Rope is his experimental masterpiece. 

A group of German physicists are studying why beer coasters don't fly like Frisbees when tossed.    Something tells me that copious amounts of beer were consumed in the process of conducting these experiments.

Who invented the pencil? The answer is not quite as straightforward as you might think.

I learned a new word this week: tsundoku. I totally embrace it.

Sophie Hannah on why Agatha Christie is a great writer. 

Podcast of the week: this episode of 30 with Murti. Thirty years ago When It Was A Game premiered on HBO. The documentary consists entirely of 8mm and 16mm home movies taken by players and fans from the 1930s to the 1950s. This podcast features an interview with George Roy, one of the producers of the film, who tells how the program came into being and, more importantly, how they managed to find all those films.