Friday, November 26, 2021

Weekend Links 11-26-21

It's a holiday weekend edition of the links. Enjoy these articles while relaxing this weekend. 

Before he became famous for creating Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne wrote a murder mystery. An appreciation of his one any only mystery novel, The Red House Mystery.

While we are on the subject of mysteries, here is a list of the 101 best mysteries of all time. The interesting thing about this list is that only one novel is allowed per author which makes for a much more fascinating list. 

Mystery solved: why Josephine Tey didn't join the Detection Club. Hint: it was not for a lack of an invitation.

A couple of Peanuts related items. First, how a particular decade was the strip's best decade and helped define the characters for the ages. 

Next, Ann Patchett on how Snoopy inspired her to become a writer

The second season of Snoopy in Space has just premiered on Apple + and our favorite beagle is also really being launched into space. 

How Agatha Christie pursued her love for archaeology while in the Middle East. 

Ranking the 20 best film noirs. There are a lot of great films on this list. 

A cult classic television show is set to get a big screen reboot. I am really excited to see how this turns out. 

Fifty years since D. B. Cooper's infamous hijacking the case remains unsolved. But for some, the search for clues continues. 

Ranking the best Calvin and Hobbes anthologies. Any of these would be worth picking up. 

Saturday, November 06, 2021

Weekend Links 11-6-21

 Welcome to the first weekend of November. Where has the year gone? At least enjoy that extra hour of sleep tonight. Alternatively, you can read the assortment of articles I have assembled below.

The long, strange history of what is arguably the worst sentence in the history of English literature. 

I had no idea that a restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire lays claim to the invention of the chicken tender. The Manchester Fisher Cats, the local minor league baseball team, will pay tribute to the city's claim to fame. If you ever do visit, try staying at the Hilton Garden Inn which is situated just beyond the centerfield fence of the ballpark.

It is difficult imagining an attempt to rank the 100 best baseball players of all time. Joe Posnanski did and has a new book out containing the entire list. 

The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City has been getting more attention lately thanks in part to this USA Today profile of its president, Bob Kendrick. With the additional press hopefully Negro League legends Buck O'Neil and John Donaldson might earn Hall of Fame election next month. Related: Negro League stars every baseball fan should know. 

One more baseball related story before we move on. Some Chicago Cubs fans might have noticed while watching telecasts of their home games four guys dressed as members of the 1908 World Champion Cubs. Here's the story behind the costumes. 

Over at CrimeReads, Olivia Rutigliano argues it is time to redeem Dr. Watson. It would be interesting for Dr. Watson to be portrayed in film more like he was written.

Ranking every Scooby Doo series from worst to best. I go with the original every time. 

Where to find the most mysterious graves in the United States. 

Take a tour of the most brilliant bookshops in the world. Some of these are absolutely stunning. 

Before the internet and DVD bonus features fans had to rely on books for inside information on their favorite movies. Meet the man who authored several editions of the James Bond bible. 

You never know what hidden secrets you will find in old houses. 

Caroline Crampton, hostess of my favorite podcast Shedunnit, offers her recommendations for the five best mystery novels set during World War II. 

Book review: Murder Isn't Easy: The Forensics of Agatha Christie. It looks very interesting.