Weekend Links 2-28-20

Scouring the internet for the most interesting articles for your weekend reading.....

A detailed look at the cars that will appear in the upcoming James Bond film No Time To Die. Probably what's more interesting is the history of Aston Martin's relationship with Eon Productions. I am surprised it does not involve any long term contracts.

Here's a review of Billie Eilish's theme song for No Time To Die (link to the song in the article). I've had a chance to listen to it a couple of times and have a feeling it's going to extend the Bond film Original Song Oscars streak next year. The song has already hit #1 in the UK. 

On my bucket list: a visit to Louis Armstrong's home in Queens. I am amazed that it has been preserved and turned into a museum.

When fiction imitates truth: famous noirs and crime novels based on real-life crimes.

There are no doubt many reasons why Crash Landing on You has been such a hit among Korean drama fans. Perhaps one reason is that they had an actual North Korean defector on the writing staff.

Ever wonder why daylight savings time starts at 2 a.m.? 

In 1778, future president John Adams was appointed ambassador to France. He barely survived his transatlantic voyage. The story is not well known but Adams documented it in his own memoirs.

This is fun: I went to Hogwart's for 7 years and now I can't get a job.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice: the U.S. Hockey team's upset win over the USSR in the Winter Olympics. Al Michaels who was on the microphone for the game reveals he got the assignment because of his experience calling hockey: exactly one game. Here's his iconic call:

#OTD 1980 A game that will never be forgotten,Al Michaels Classic Call,at the end of the Unbelievable USA vs USSR Upset at the 1980 Olympics.#USA #Olympics #LakePlacid #Hockey #1980s #MiracleonIce

pic.twitter.com/Za02Pje9Wa

— Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) February 22, 2020

Related: The men who missed out on the Miracle on Ice and how Hollywood got their story wrong.

The day the Atlanta Braves signed Satchel Paige to a contract so he would qualify for an MLB pension.

Elizabethan poet laureate Ben Jonson was a murderer. What's more remarkable is how he escaped punishment.

Weekend Links 2-21-20

It's quite the plethora of links for this weekend's reading:

In 1920, a group of men gathered at a YMCA in Kansas City to attempt to organize a professional league of black baseball players since they were not welcome in the Major Leagues. Here is a terrific profile of the man who was the driving force behind this league: Rube Foster.

This is a fascinating article about a baseball player you've likely never heard of and one man's mission to make his legacy known. Find out more about John Donaldson who is one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

Whenever Joe Carter publishes an article I pay attention. In his latest he helps you know whether you've made an idol out of politics. I think that we are often much more guilty of this than we would like to admit.

I could easily fall down this internet worm hole: old book illustrations from the 19th and early 20th century. 

Speaking of worm holes, another great site to explore is Atlas Obscura  Here are a couple of fun entries I found this week. First, the owner of New York's oldest phone number. If you know anything about music you should be able to figure out the answer before clicking the link

I've enjoyed a number of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe novels. So when I discovered this existed I was particularly excited: a plaque that marks the likely location of Nero Wolfe's New York brownstone. 

This is an example of something I've always known but never known the reason why: Why actors won't say Macbeth in the theater. 

Eyewitness to history: meet the man who worked behind the counter at Woolworth's during the 1960 sit-in in Greensboro, NC.

My favorite Agatha Christie novel And There There Were None is getting a new screen adaptation. As good as the novel is the film adaptations have not been all that great. The best adaptation I have seen is the 2015 BBC version. I am curious to see how they handle the novel in this new film.

The greatest mysteries of life are revealed through ordinary circumstances at least according to G. K. Chesterson's Father Brown. 

Long read of the week: Baseball, Fiction, and Life: Roger Angell's Era-Spanning Career at The New Yorker, The amazing thing is that he is still going strong at ninety-nine.

Answering the important questions: Is coffee good for you? 

Having seen and enjoyed this year's Best Picture Oscar winner I found this article extremely interesting: The real star of Parasite is the house.

Movie magic: thanks to a cameo in Parasite this snack company's sales have taken off.

Finally, this seems appropriate given that tomorrow marks the first spring training games of the baseball season:

“Old Days”George Carlin explains the differences between Football and Baseball.#comedy #1970s #SNL #entertainment #nostalgia

pic.twitter.com/lUoThQkEMk

— Tom's Old Days (@sigg20) February 18, 2020

Weekend Links 2-14-20

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you have a wonderful weekend planned with your special someone. Here's a roundup of this week's interesting links:

Advances in technology have been bad for work life balance. Turns out the laptop is the culprit.

The pictures tell the story: Architect spends 45 years converting a cement factory into a fairy tale home.

I endorse this list: 10 movies that will make any child into a lover of classic suspense.

Here are some neat ways to unlock the power of Alexa.. Plus a list of the best Alexa Easter Eggs.

Sadly legalism is alive and well.

Long read of the week: How Ian Fleming was the darling of critics until he wasn't. For what it's worth I have read all of Fleming's James Bond novels and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Last week astronaut Christina Koch set a record for a woman in space. But what she learned during the mission is more interesting.

The remarkable true story of  Dutch sisters that were a key part of the Resistance during World War II. 

Opportunity Cost

A practical definition of opportunity cost:

If you spend too much time working on good things, then you don’t have much time left to work on great things.

Understanding opportunity cost means eliminating good uses of time. And that's what makes it hard.

— James Clear (@JamesClear) February 1, 2020

I would venture to guess that most of us have too many commitments. By that I mean that we are involved in too many good things to the point that we don't have enough opportunity to focus on things that are the most important in our lives. It's an easy trap to fall into and one that can be difficult to climb out of. Here's a simple exercise that can help you eliminate the less great uses of your time. Write down each of your commitments on a Post-it Note. Stick the notes up somewhere where you can see them all. Then examine each commitment and decide whether it is truly the best use of your time. My guess is that you will end up eliminating a number of things that you are doing right now. Those things might truly be good things but not necessarily the best use of your time. It's hard to say no particularly when there can be a wealth of good opportunities available to you. But by being willing to say no to good things you open yourself up to having the opportunity to pursuing great things. Recommended related reading: Essentialism - The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Gregory McKeown.

Weekend Links 1-31-20

Each Friday I feature links to articles of interest that I have found. Here is this week's edition for your weekend reading enjoyment.


The weekend is coming up which means it's more than likely you will have brunch at some point over the next couple of days. Have you ever thought about the origin of the term brunch? This article will help. 

So you want to read more books? Here are some ways to make that happen. Some of these suggestions to similar to ones that I offered in a recent post. Related: How to read 100 books in a year.

Here's a potential money saving tip: a new browser extension will let you know when new books are ready for checkout at your local library. 

Prohibition seems like ancient history. Did you ever stop to think why there is no anti-alcohol movement? 

I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from writing but it's likely you don't have a book in you.

Our family watches a number of Korean dramas so naturally we were interested in seeing the movie Parasite while it was still in the theater. It's an extremely well made film and hopefully will win a number of Oscars. While it is not necessarily an entertaining film it is certainly thought provoking. We have been discussing it off and on for days after seeing it. This review explains why the film resonates so deeply with the audience. Related: a profile of the film's director Bong Joon Ho. Also don't miss this: The Oscars need Parasite more than Parasite needs the Oscars.

This is certainly the funniest thing I read this week. I think it's because it is so spot on: Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village.

Personality tests such as the Enneagram are all the rage these days but they don't excuse your sin. 

New research suggests procrastination is about managing your emotions not your time. Interesting stuff.

Another new study suggests skipping the easy tasks and tackling the hard stuff first. I've always heard the opposite is true that it's better to tackle easy tasks first to build momentum to handle the harder tasks. I think I will have to put this into practice to see if it works.

I appreciate the honesty in this column: things I wish I had done differently when I homeschooled. (Hat tip Susan Wise Bauer) Both of these perspectives highlight one of the unique joys of homeschooling: there is no right or wrong way to do it. You can tailor your homeschooling experience to you and your child's needs.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. At the time many pledged a catastrophe such as the Holocaust would never happen again. Sadly, political conditions are such that many worry that it will.

Sunday the Super Bowl will be played in Miami. Dave Barry has some helpful tips for fans visiting Miami for the game. 

And finally, my favorite tweet of the week:

I bought this @designingannie print - inspired by a scene in my book Framed - as a present for someone but now I can’t bear to give it away. Such a thrill
When someone responds to your work with work if their own. Also it’s lovely pic.twitter.com/goa1yaRkUi

— Frank Cottrell-Boyce (@frankcottrell_b) January 29, 2020

Full disclosure: @designingannie is my oldest daughter. As you can imagine, I am a very proud father.

Lessons in Leadership

David Ross takes over as manager of the Chicago Cubs this season continuing a recent trend in Major League Baseball to hire managers with no prior managerial experience. Ross is making the most of this off season by preparing for his new job. In truth, though, he has been preparing for this job for quite some time.

As this article points out, Ross has been meeting with other successful managers and coaches. As I read this article, two important lessons stood out:

David Ross is a man who knows what he doesn't know. A common trap among leaders is to believe that either have all the answers or need to have all the answers. Ross has clearly been spending time this off season taking inventory of what he knows and in what areas his knowledge is lacking. This healthy sense of self-awareness will pay off in the long run.

David Ross is a man who is willing to seek out help from others. Another common trap among leaders is an unwillingness to seek out advice from other leaders. But Ross exemplifies one of the healthy quality of leaders in that he is continually learning. As part of that process he is intentionally seeking out advice from other successful leaders. That reputation also leads to successful leaders seeking him out too and being more willing to share their knowledge with him.

As a Cubs fan, I am excited about the possibilities that this season and beyond hold for the team. But I am even more excited to see how David Ross develops as a leader not just for his team but as an example for other leaders as well.

Weekend Links 1-24-20

A plethora of links for your weekend reading:

Meet the stewards of the James Bond film franchise: Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. With Daniel Craig due to retire from the role following No Time To Die this spring, the producers will be looking for a new actor to take on the role. My suggestion would be to hire Anthony Horowitz to adapt his own Bond novel for the next film. It's an origin story of sorts and would work well as a screenplay especially since they will have to cast a new Bond anyway. Related: Daniel Craig pokes a little fun at his cinematic alter ego:


DeWolf Hopper made a name for himself on the vaudeville stage with his dramatic recitations of Ernest Thayer's poem Casey At The Bat. But it turns out that Hopper was quite the baseball fan.

Sometimes a seemingly small decision can pay big dividends: how a single mail order ad transformed a family owned business into a billion dollar enterprise.

Strange but true: Sesame Street was once banned in Mississippi.

A fascinating deep dive into the world of ghostwriting. It's a problem for readers when they don't know if the person whose name is on the cover is actually the one who wrote the book. It's a bigger problem than you might imagine.

Last year for the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the NASA History office tweeted out the mission in real time. This year for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 13 they are going to have the mission audio available in real time on their website.

Trivia buffs rejoice! Some fans have created the Jeopardy! question database featuring almost every answer (and question) contained in the last 36 seasons of the show.

Dr. Howard Conyers is on a mission to preserve the tradition of the whole hog barbecue. He also happens to be a rocket scientist.

Before there was Photoshop, the Soviets had mastered the method for removing people from photographs.

At one ski resort in Sweden after a day on the slopes you can ski right into McDonalds for a quick bite.

How to Read More Books

It's always a challenge to read more books. Even though you might realize there are plenty of benefits to reading regularly it can be difficult to develop a habit of reading. Here are a list of tips (in no particular order) that can help you develop a habit of reading:

Make time to read. In this age of Netflix, smartphones, and other similar digital enteratinment it has become easier to entertain ourselves by things other than books. One of the first steps to developing a habit of reading is to make time for it. For example, as part of my daily routine I have time set aside for reading before I start my work day. I spend a few minutes reading the Bible and then a few minutes reading part of a book. The books either coincide with my devotions or may be connected to my work. Either way, I am setting aside time before I get immersed in my job to make time for reading. Apart from the benefits I gain from what I am reading it also helps put me in a peaceful frame of mind before the chaos of the work day unfolds.

When I travel, I always carry books with me. If my travel involves flights I use all of my down time both in the aiports and on planes as opportunities to read.

There are other options too. If you are waiting at a doctor's appointment that's another time to read. If you have a commute on a train it's another chance to read. Or if you have a long commute to work you can listen to audiobooks.

Set goals. This may seem a little counter intuitive especially for someone who recently stated they aren't setting numeric goals but just hear me out.  In the beginning when you are getting into the habit of reading more books a numeric goal is not such a bad idea. However, I encourage you to go beyond simple numeric goals into other types of broader goals. For example, this year in addition to my numeric goal that I set on my Goodreads account, I am going to try to be intentional in some of my other reading goals. Some examples of these types of goals include:

• Reading an author you've never read before
• Reading literary fiction (a.k.a. classics)
• Books from a specific genre (for me it is self-improvement books that dovetail into my work life
• Reading from a genre you wouldn't normally select (for me it will be science fiction)

These are but a few examples but the possibilities are endless if you think in terms other than just numeric goals.

Decide what you like or are interested in. There are books on literally every subject so it shouldn't be hard to find something that is of interest. In addition, the internet makes researching potential books to read very easy.

Start small. If you are just getting started on a reading habit it's probably counter productive to pick up a book the length of War and Peace. Instead start with something shorter that won't take such a huge time commitment to finish. You will find once you have a book or two under your belt it's much easier to keep going.

Don't be afraid to give up on a book you don't enjoy. Life is to short to be spent on books you don't enjoy. There is nothing wrong with deciding that a book is not enjoyable to you. If after forty or fifty pages you aren't enthralled with the book you should consider whether you should abandon it and move on to another. This is one of the most freeing things I have come to understand about reading. I've given up on a number of books that I didn't enjoy. Some of those were even by authors whose other works I really liked. In the end it's better to give up on a book if it is not working for you and move on to something else.

Read more than one book at once. I used to think I could only focus on one book at a time. But as I came to understand that different things I am reading serve different purposes it has become easire to read multiple books simultaneously. Also, since I understand that different books serve different purposes and therefore are going to be read at different times in my day it has become easier to have more than one book I am reading at a time.

Sign up for Goodreads. Goodreads is the social media account for readers. But it is much more than that. It is the perfect place to track what you read. It's also a place for setting your numeric reading goals (if you have them). But perhaps its greatest strength is in its recommendations. The more books that you record that you have read there the better it becomes at recommending other books to you. It also has a handy place for you to make a list of books you want to read. There's also an extensive database of ratings and reviews that will help you make choices about what to read.

Buy books. This may seem somewhat obvious but in otder to develop a healthly reading habit it helps to have books on hand that you want to read. Books can be expensive so I recommend going to used books stores. When I travel I have several of my favorite stores that I visit where I know I can trade books I no longer want to keep for books that I want to read. I have a large stack of books waiting to be read so I don't have to be paralyzed by deciding what to read next. Alternatively if you are on a budget visiting your local library is a great free option. Also, librarians can help you find good books to read and can make recommendations based on your interests.

Don't be afraid to go digital. Personally, I prefer physical books for most of my reading. However, I have occasionally dabbled in audiobooks especially on long car trips. I also have the Amazon Kindle app on my phone and sometimes can get better deals on digital versions of books than physical ones. The key is to figure out what formats work best for you.

Get recommendations. Books are a great topic of conversation with friends and family Find out what they have enjoyed. That might lead to something that you want to read. Social media has also made it easier to get recommendations. For example, a couple of the podcasts I listen to periodically feature interviews with authors. Hearing an author talk about his or her book has often led me to want to read it. All of you have to do is be willing to ask. Readers enjoy talking to other readers about books.

My hope is that these tips will help you develop a habit of reading. It is one of the best things that you can do for yourself.

Weekend Links 1-17-2020

While you are waiting for me to get my act together and write some original stuff here are a few items of interest I ran across this week:

I am a traditionalist when it comes to the designated hitter rule in baseball. I am strongly opposed to it. If I were commissioner I would abolish it in an instant. However, I understand with the entrenchment of the DH in the American League it's only a matter of time before the National League adopts it. This proposal from Jayson Stark (subscription required) might be the best proposal yet:

Did you know the designated-hitter rule has been around in the American League for nearly 50 seasons now? So apparently, this isn’t going to be a short-term fad. In fact, it’s hard to find anyone in the game who doesn’t believe that one of these years — possibly as soon as 2022, once the new labor deal is done — every team will be writing a DH into its lineup. 

But wait! Here’s one possible wrinkle that has been kicked around in behind-the-scene brainstorming sessions: How about a rule that would allow teams to use their DH only as long as their starting pitcher remained in the game? Then, once the starting pitcher exited, that game would revert to old-school rules. The more we think about this idea, the more we like it. Starting pitchers would no longer hit, which would eliminate some teams’ injury paranoia. It would create incentives to keep starters in the game longer, which could lead to more offense. And it would preserve some elements of late-inning managerial strategy that fans of “NL rules” still love. 

 OK, so this part of the plan might never happen. But it’s at least worth having a long conversation about – even if it’s just a segment on “MLB Now.” 

There's lots more bold predictions about how baseball will change in next decade that are worth reading. Incidentally, I find The Athletic to be an outstanding source of sportswriting. It's well worth the cost of the subscription. 

Also at The Athletic, Molly Knight follows up on the sign stealing story from last weekend's post. Her solution is to abolish instant replay. (language warning) Emma Baccellieri adds her own thoughts. While I believe it's important to get calls right the whole system has done more harm than good.

I had no idea that Charles Schulz once worked as an art instructor. This is fun:

An instructor for the mail-away Art Instruction Schools in the late 1940s, Charles Schulz reminisced, “Those were days filled with hilarity...[We'd] receive drawings of thumbs, and...realized...a student had misunderstood the expression ‘making a thumbnail sketch.’" [📸 c.1949]. pic.twitter.com/u6eo3rZPPd

— Charles M. Schulz Museum (@SchulzMuseum) January 14, 2020

When No Time To Die premieres in April, it will mark Daniel Craig's last appearance as James Bond. Here are 10 things that his Bond did differently that the franchise should keep. Related: the recipe for James Bond's Vesper martini.

Solving life's important mysteries: why button down shirts have loops on the back.

An interesting observation:

Observation:

We tend to be political REALISTS with our FAVORED party or candidate (overlooking flaws, acknowledging the inevitably of compromise etc) and political IDEALISTS with our DISFAVORED party or candidate (condemning them on principle; noting inconsistencies etc).

— Jonathan Leeman (@JonathanLeeman) January 10, 2020

Weekend Links 1-10-2020

Back when I was blogging on a semi-regular basis I ran a feature on Fridays of collection so stories that had caught my attention. As I ease back into a more regular writing schedule I thought it was an opportune time to revive this series. Here are a handful of items that caught my attention in recent weeks:

It's hard for me to believe that it has been 40 years since the Miracle on Ice. The U. S. Olympic Hockey team's victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Games was one of the most improbable victories in sport. Here is a terrific profile of the man who was behind the microphone for the game and coined one of the most memorable catchphrases in broadcasting history.

It's a new year which means setting goals for 2020. But in order to succeed first you need to address some common myths that inhibit achieving your goals. It also helps to align your habits to the goals you want to achieve.

By the way, if you want to become more focused in your productivity, this book is a great place to start. 

Speaking of books, this list of book towns look like great vacation destinations for a bookworm like me.

This is a pleasant surprise: vinyl records are on pace to outsell CDs for the first time in 30 years.

Baseball teams stealing signs has been in the news a lot this offseason. MLB could fix the problem very easily if they wanted to. 

Longtime baseball writer Peter Gammons is being honored by the people he covers. Definitely well deserved

Baseball history: In 1919, the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. The reasons why are fascinating. 

More baseball history; my current favorite Twitter feed is Flagstaff Films. Click on their media and fall down a worm hole of old home movies. Your welcome.

Pitchers and catchers report in 32 days. It will be spring before you know it.

Have a great weekend.

Reading Goals

It was just a year ago that I last posted here reflecting on what I read in 2018. Now, as 2019 comes to a close, I find myself in a reflective mood again. I guess that's normal. As one year comes to a close we tend to look back on the previous twelve months and setting resolutions for ourselves in the upcoming year.

At the end of 2017, I had made a commitment to read more books. I set an ambitious goal for myself. I was going to read 52 books or the equivalent of one a week. By the end of the year, I managed to read 57 books. To challenge myself further in 2019, I increased my goal to 60 books. As 2019 comes to a close, I have only read 34.

Does this make me a failure?

I don't think so.

In fact, I think it's probably unwise to set a numerical goal for myself. Rather, I think it's more important to read widely and periodically select books to read that are outside of my normal comfort zone.

I am convinced it's important to read a lot and to read a wide variety of subjects. As I head into 2020 I am not setting a numerical goal. Rather, I am going to challenge myself to read at least a few books that I would not have normally picked to read. I am also going to challenge myself to read a couple of classics. Finally, I am going to reread a few books that I have read before.

Here's to a new year filled with books!

What I Read in 2018

At the beginning of this year, I had a simple goal to read more books. I figured that if I could read a book a week I could easily read 52 this year. As of right now I am on book 59 which doesn't sound like a whole lot but is at least a step in the right direction. My hope is continue to increase the number of books that I read but also to diversify the types of books that I read. Below are a few of the highlights of the books I read this year.

Most Important Book I Read This Year: On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Reading Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior. 
The other day my daughters caught up with a friend of theirs who also happens to be a fellow bibliophile. She posed the question "What's the most important book you read this year?" On Reading Well easily wins the prize in the books I read this year. I've always shied away from the so-called "classics" but Prior's book inspired me to dig more into classic literature in the coming year. Prior does an excellent job of showing how both virtue and vice are demonstrated through the stories she highlights. This is a book I imagine I will find myself coming back to as I read through the novels that are selected. There's no question that fiction should be a key part of every Christian's reading list and Prior makes the point very clearly in On Reading Well. (Honorable mention: Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More: Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist by Karen Swallow Prior)

Favorite New Historian: Candice Millard
Last Christmas, my wife bought me Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President. It had me hooked from the first page and I could not put it down. It reads more as a murder mystery thriller than non-fiction book. I enjoyed Ms. Millard's writing so much that I then picked up Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill and found it equally enjoyable. If you are looking for a writer whose non-fiction work reads more like a thriller novel then Ms. Millard is for you.

Favorite Non-Fiction title, History
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 mission was the first attempt to send a manned spacecraft in orbit around the Moon. While the mission's achievements are well known the tireless work in turning that mission into a success is lesser known. Thanks to Robert Kurson's Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon we have a very detailed but thoroughly readable account of the men involved in this daring mission into space. Given the tumultuous year that was 1968 the Apollo 8 triumph was the redemption of a very dark year in American history.

Book that I had the hardest time putting down
Without a doubt that would be Brad Meltzer's The Escape Artist (my review of the book can be found here). Meltzer is a master at writing thriller novels and The Escape Artist is one of his best yet. He's one of my favorite authors and I thoroughly enjoy reading everything he writes. His new book (due out in a couple of weeks) will be his first foray into non-fiction with the account of the plot to assassinate George Washington. Should be a very interesting read. 

My favorite Agatha Christie novel of the year would have to be The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I read a total of nine of Christie's novels this year which is more than any other author. The thing that I love about Styles is that even though it is the first of the Hercule Poirot novels Christie already has a clear idea of what her Belgian detective is like as a character. I have read others of her books that I like as much or more but this definitely stands out as one of her better books.

My new favorite mystery writer: Anthony Horowitz.
I was far more familiar with Horowitz's writing for television with programs such as Foyle's War,  Agatha Christie's Poirot, Midsomer Murders, Collison, and New Blood on his resume. But this year I discovered his novels and quickly became a fan. Two that I would particularly recommend are Magpie Murders (my review is here) and Forever and a Day. 

How I Became An Accidental Book Collector

I have always considered myself more of a book hoarder than book collector. Just ask my wife. She will quickly point out we have always had far more books packed up in boxes than shelf space to store them. I tend to buy books and then keep them without really thinking about whether they are something that needs to stay in the house forever. Certainly I will read that book again one day, right?

A couple of years ago things started to change. We had downsized to a smaller house a while back and didn't have nearly the bookshelf space we had before. Our old house had built in bookshelves in both the living room and upstairs family room which is of course exactly why we bought it. Since we had moved to our current house I've slowly been purging books and other stuff that we simply don't have space for any more.

Then about a year ago I joined Instagram. I was aware of it but never really saw how it would fit in with my social media consumption. I joined primarily because my wife and daughters were on it doing different things and I wanted to be the supportive father and husband and be able to give them support for their posts. Somewhere along the way though I started looking at different feeds and discovered a whole subculture of Instagram wholly devoted to books. This was a game changer. Now I follow a number of these accounts where people post pictures of their books. It opened up a whole new world to me as I was largely unaware of some of the artistic treasures that existed out there in the wild.

This also coincided with my desire to read more of Agatha Christie's novels as well as other classic crime fiction. I do a lot of reading for pleasure as a diversion from the day to day stresses of work. I had become a fan of Christie largely through watching the entire series of Agatha Christie's Poirot with David Suchet. I had read the occasional novel here and there and thoroughly enjoyed them and so I wanted to start branching out and reading her other works.

Around the same time I stumbled across an Instagram account that has become one of my favorites: The Year of Agatha. The account was started by two Christie fans who read through the entire canon of Christie's novels in a year and blogged about the experience. But they also collect vintage Christie novels and post the photos on their Instagram feed. As I started browsing through the feed the first time I was instantly struck how many different versions there were out there of her books and how striking the covers could be.

The real kickoff to collecting occurred back in March. While my wife was away with her college girlfriends for the weekend, I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon at Too Many Books in Roanoke, VA (a store I would highly recommend visiting while in the area). As you can see from the photos below, I came away with quite the start to my collection.

Now all of a sudden I had a mission: start collecting Agatha Christie novels. I was already purging books and other stuff I didn't want but now I could take that to used books stores and leverage it for credit for stuff I did want. I have been pleasantly surprised at being able to find older copies of her books. For the proof all you have to do is scroll through my Instagram account where I have been posting photos.

I have long been a fan of used book stores because (a) I like to read a lot, and (b) I'm cheap and don't like to pay a lot for books. Thanks to my new found pastime shopping at used books stores has gone to another whole level.

Book Review: Magpie Murders

If you were to scan my Goodreads list of books read you would likely see a disproportionate number of mysteries and thrillers compared to other genres. This started a couple of years ago after binges on British TV shows such as Poirot, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Father Brown that I turned my attention towards reading the books upon which these great detectives were based. Along the way I also discovered a number of new detectives and stories to read.

I also frequent a lot of used book stores because (a) I read a large number of books; (b) I don't necessarily want to keep the books after I have read them and trade them for more books and (c) because I am cheap. Often my trips to the bookstore uncover amazing finds (as I have previously documented on Instagram). This was especially true for Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.

I was familiar with Mr. Horowitz's writing for television particularly as creator of such shows as Foyle's War, New Blood, and Collision. He's also contributed scripts to Agatha Christie's Poirot and Midsomer Murders. He's also written Sherlock Holmes stories and James Bond novels (each with blessing of the estates of Arthur Conan Doyle and Ian Fleming) as well as an adventure series for young adults.

But it's clear that Mr. Horowitz knows what makes a good mystery and how to in some ways turn the conventions on their head. This is certainly true in Magpie Murders which features a novel within a novel thus setting up two mysteries for the reader to solve.

From the synopsis:

Editor Susan Ryeland has worked with bestselling crime writer Alan Conway for years, so she has no reason to think his latest novel will be much different from his others. Readers love his detective, Atticus Pünd, a celebrated solver of crimes in the sleepy English villages of the 1950s.

But Conway’s latest tale of murder at Pye Hall is not quite what it seems. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but hidden in the pages of the manuscript lies another story: a tale written between the very words on the page, telling of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition and murder.

All throughout the book are sly references to Agatha Christie novels. It is no accident that Atticus Pund reminds readers a lot of Christie's Hercule Poirot. The similarities between the two characters is striking. There are also other reminders scattered about that will remind readers of other famous detectives as well.

It's difficult to take an established literary genre as the British cozy mystery and do something completely different with it but Mr. Horowitz manages to do just that. It's clear that he understands how the genre works and is willing to turn convention on its head. I look forward to seeing what he has coming next.

Weekend Links 5-11-18

A Friday roundup of interesting stuff from the internet. Here are the articles that caught my attention this week:

Brad Meltzer, best selling author of The Escape Artist has a new book in the works. This time he is delving into non-fiction with the story of the secret plot against George Washington.

A profile of the man who invented book selling as we know it.

This is a terrific look at the geniuses behind the Babylon Bee.

Analytics is pretty commonplace now in Major League Baseball but at the college level it is still a novelty. At UNC they are leading the way in adopting analytics into the game.

Many evangelical leaders have not only been outspoken in their support of President Trump but have gone to great lengths to defend his most egregious behaviors. David French has some very frank words for the President's evangelical backers.

Tim Challies poses an interesting question: is your church Christian or Christianish?

10 things you should know about your smartphone.

Nostalgia alert: 10 Fun Facts About Highlights.

The woman who was the subject of one of the most iconic photos to come out of the Vietnam War shares how she came to Christ. It's a powerful testimony.

Baseball America polled its correspondents to come up with a list of the ten best major league parks (excluding Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium as they are in a class of their own).

This is one of the more interesting stories I have run across this week: How a Coney Island sideshow helped to save thousand of babies.

On an almost daily basis there are new reports of scientific studies reported as absolute fact. But there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of such studies. 

As I visit used book stores in my travels I am always on the lookout for vintage cover illustrations. In fact, I believe that book cover illustration is in many ways a lost art. This collection of pulp covers of classic fiction is fantastic. 

Weekend Links 4-20-18

A weekly roundup of interesting stuff from the Internet:

The old adage is that you never leave a baseball game early. Never. Last Saturday, the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves proved this adage to be true in one of the strangest innings of a baseball game ever. I was watching this game live and still cannot believe the way it turned out. I have never seen anything like it.

C.S. Lewis is known as one of the greatest Christian writers of all time. Many forget that he was once an avowed atheist. His experiences in the trenches during World War I changed his life forever. 

Adventures in etymology: Why are bananas, nuts, and crackers the only foods that say "crazy"?

How a notorious art heist led to the discovery of six fake Mona Lisas.

English isn't logical and that's a good thing.

How Schoolhouse Rock became the "Jingle of a Generation". (hat tip Witnify)

Five ways to recover the lost art of note taking.

Five years ago, Brad Meltzer put out a plea on social media for a kidney donor to help save his beloved history teacher. He then rewarded the donor by making her a major character in his latest novel.

Could a move towards localism help heal our political divide? It's certainly a good place to start.

Myrtle Beach is known as a great place for a golf vacation. But it also happens to be the self-proclaimed mini-golf capital of the world. 

Weekend Links 4-13-18

It's been a really full week of fun stuff on the internet. Here are the stories that caught my eye.

I'm generally not a fan of colorized photos but I have to admit these colorized photos of old baseball players are amazing.

Minor league baseball teams always have to be creative with their promotions. Case in point: the Richmond Flying Squirrels will have an Edgar Allan Poe Bobblestache night (Poe lived in Richmond).

Speaking of the minor leagues, here is a terrific profile of the brief, colorful history of the Saratoga Phillies, where baseball was played for the fun of it.

Disneyland has updated its monorails with some pretty cool Pixar themed artwork.

Many young girls dream of being a princess. The next best thing is to attend a royal wedding.

This 12-year-old Manchester attack survivor has landed an invite to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding - and she couldn't be happier about it ❤️ pic.twitter.com/pbRiFcU5yB

— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 11, 2018

The idea of being a location scout always seemed interesting to me but once you know their secrets it's not as glamorous a job as you might think.

Strange but true: how a typographical error might have helped end World War II.

Matt Walsh has some interesting observations about how our culture destroys boys.

No doubt this was a shock among Purdue fans: head football coach Tony Levine has stepped down to run a Chick-fil-A in Houston. But read the whole article to discover why he made this unusual career move.

Tweet of the week:

“I acted for what I deemed the best.”
“Another time try acting for the worst. Then we may possibly escape with a mere flesh wound.”
-Right Ho, Jeeves

— DailyPlum (@DailyPlum) April 6, 2018

Weekend Links 4-6-18

A random collection of links for your weekend reading:

ICYMI: my review of Brad Meltzer's The Escape Artist is here.

This is one of my favorite stories of the week. A couple decided to open an independent book store in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of its more notable features is a typewriter in the store available for anyone to use. Those contributions have been collected and published in a book.

Uncovering the secret of Chick-Fil-A's success.

Ranking the best westerns ever made.

Once a rare sight, the C-flap is becoming more common among baseball hitters. Here's the story of how it came to be. 

Want to be a better writer? Study the habits of these famous writers.

This made me laugh out loud.

How to beat the Facebook algorithm by becoming your own curator. I don't really use Facebook for much of anything (except for friends who still want to stay in touch). It's definitely not the site to use to curate news.

Tweet of the week (watch the catcher carefully):

This is absolutely amazing. This is my buddy’s son up to bat but please watch the catcher. Let’s make this guy known! 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/M6goz7VYa1

— Tony Austin ⚾™ (@TonyAustin_10) April 1, 2018

Book Review: The Escape Artist

Every once in a while a book comes along that I am hesitant to start because I know once I do start it I'm not going to be able to put it down.

Brad Meltzer's new book The Escape Artist is just such a book.

And it's no big surprise that it debuted at number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

The best thrillers are those where it's hard to separate what's fact from what's fiction. Meltzer intersperses his books with details that only come from meticulous research. For example, one of the main characters, Jim "Zig" Zigarowski is a mortician at Dover Air Force Base which is home to the government's mortuary. Any soldier killed in action is brought to Dover. So are CIA undercover agents that have died in the line of duty. And many others. Meltzer's description of the mortuary is so detailed you feel like you are right there. And I came away with a much greater appreciation of the work that is completed there by our unsung heroes who go to tremendous lengths to make sure that their fallen sons and daughters are properly prepared to be given a decent burial.

When a small plane crashes in Alaska with the Librarian of Congress and several others aboard it is up to Zig to deal with the bodies as they are brought to Dover. He is shocked to discover one of the victims is Nola Brown, a young woman who many years earlier had saved his own daughter's life. But as he completes his examination he realizes that the woman is not Nola Brown at all. Nola is alive and on the run. Why did she go to such lengths to fake her death? Who is she running from? And why? Zig is determined to get to the truth. But at what cost?

I would share more but that would be telling. Suffice it to say that because Meltzer does such a great job of grounding his stories in what is true that it makes the plot much more realistic and as a result the novel much more fascinating to read. Also he's a master at the unexpected plot twist - just when you think you know where the story is headed he brings an unexpected twist (or two or three).

Meltzer has made a career of constructing page-turning thrillers and The Escape Artist is no exception. Pick up a copy and then block out time to read it. Once you start it you won't be able to put it down.

My rating: 4 1/2 stars.


Note: this book contains adult language.

Weekend Links 3-30-18

A shorter than normal collection of links for your weekend reading. Just means I had less time to hunt stuff down this week.

Facebook has been in the news a lot because of a data breach. But the problem goes much, much deeper as Gracy Olmstead points out.  I've long since stopped sharing personal stuff on Facebook and these days don't spend a lot of time there.

There's a lot of truth in this article: Remote Workers Outperform Office Workers. I have worked remotely for the past fifteen years and always find I am far more productive working remotely than in an office.

Wise words from Andy Crouch: It's Time to Reckon with Celebrity Power.

It amazes me that decades after the end of World War II there are still news stories connected to the war. The latest is the discovery of the wreckage of the USS Juneau which sank in 1942. The wreck is notable because among the victims were the five Sullivan brothers from Iowa who insisted on serving in the Navy together.

Via The Curious Reader, a wonderful analysis of master and servant, Jeeves and Wooster.

The benefits of practicing attention management.



And finally, baseball is back!

Ready for some baseball!

A post shared by Snoopy And The Peanuts Gang (@snoopygrams) on Mar 29, 2018 at 9:40am PDT