Friday, September 17, 2021

Weekend Links 9-17-21

 Your semi-regular roundup of stories of interest for your weekend reading. If nothing else, hopefully this collection will take your mind off the news and worries of the day.

I'm always interested to find out what inspires other authors. Susanna Clarke discusses her writing, C. S. Lewis, Richard Osman, Neil Gaiman, and more. Meanwhile Paula Hawkins (whose The Girl On The Train I intend to get around to reading one day) talks about her favorite reads. Some of her choices might be surprising. 

Speaking of Paula Hawkins, her new thriller A Slow Fire Burning has just been released. Here is a review. Looks like another one that will be going on my TBR list. 

Also in new books, Richard Osman follows up his blockbuster debut The Thursday Murder Club with The Man Who Died Twice which has just been released. But Osman is really just trying to make the world a better place.  

Agatha Christie s birthday was earlier this week. Here are some of the many ways she shows up in popular culture. 

Back before streaming there was such a thing as appointment television. Now we are seeing a return of appointment television thanks to British crime dramas.

No Time To Die will be premiering in theaters in just a couple of weeks. In the meantime go behind the scenes with the official podcast.

The many cinematic influences of Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

Sweet stuff: the delicious history of Pocky Sticks. I have only recently discovered them and they are tasty. 

Need to get away? How about a weekend in the Hundred Acre Wood

Why Gil Hodges deserves to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. It is a very compelling case.

Even folks that are not necessarily big baseball fans know that three strikes and you are out. But did you know you can actually strike out on fewer than three pitches?

How can you be sure you are buying authentic MLB memorabilia? Thanks to their army of authenticators you can be sure you are buying the real thing. 

Friday, September 03, 2021

Weekend Links 9--3-21

Better late than never, a roundup of interesting articles for your Labor Day weekend......

The season two trailer for All Creatures Great and Small has been released and it looks fantastic. 

What is the most influential pop-rock band of all time? I'll be honest, I wouldn't have guessed it was The Monkees. 

Here's something I hadn't considered before: how reading Agatha Christie helps with anxiety. I have a feeling I am going to have to test that out. 

Speaking of the queen of crime fiction, a dozen modern mystery writers are creating their own stories featuring Miss Marple in a new collection set to be published next fall. 

In honor of the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, British toymaker Corgi has built a full scale replica of the Aston Martin DB5 that first appeared in Goldfinger and is scheduled to make an appearance in the new movie. Yes, I do own a few of the Corgi Bond toys. 

While we are on the subject, ranking the 15 best Bond cars. 

Great moments in customer service: Lego blames Darth Vader for missing Star Wars cantina pieces. Their response to the customer's inquiry is priceless. 

At the height of his fame, Alfred Hitchcock made a visit to Jerusalem. Now photos from that trip are available for viewing for the first time. 

While excavating Roman ruins in the Channel Islands, archaeologists unearthed a fully intact Nazi bunker. 

The true story of a baseball player who was struck by lightning and then got up and finished the game. Probably the most amusing part of the story was the terms of his contract. 

A closer look at Norman Rockwell and his baseball paintings