Welcome to this week’s roundup! April is National Poetry Month, so you’ll see a couple of poetry links below. I’m also sharing a poem a day in Notes. Today’s is one of my favorite Lucille Clifton pieces.
Do I fully understand Notes and who actually sees them? Of course not. Do I need a teenager to explain how they work? That would be nice. In the meantime, I’m doing my best.
This is an informative and fun read about why book recommendations are always better from a person than an algorithm.
“The best kinds of books are the ones with attributes that are unquantifiable, which is a big reason why people are so much better at recommendations than algorithms are. There are so many different things to like (or dislike) about a work, special qualities that go beyond plot and setting and genre that can’t be revealed from metadata: voice, tone, philosophical outlook. What is unquantifiable is horrifying to the corporate overlords, of course, but it’s the magic that connects readers with particular books.”
One of my good friends has recently experienced hearing loss, so I’m always glad to see book lists like this one that suggest nine books featuring Deaf or hard-of-hearing characters. Representation matters!
“Growing up with a pair of hearing aids, it never occurred to me that deafness was an experience. Mostly it was a problem that I was taught to hide. When I started meeting other deaf people my own age, and learning British Sign Language, I began to see deafness from a new perspective. Books, when I found ones by deaf authors or with deaf characters, became an important resource and source of joy.”
The Millions always has great book recs. They cover new releases from April to June in their spring preview post. Be prepared for your TBR to grow rapidly.
Goodreads lists 51 nonfiction hits of 2024 (so far).
NetGalley, the site where I get ebooks early for review, offers some helpful book review tips based on the platform on which you’re sharing.
If you like short books as much as I do, check out this list featuring seven very short story collections.
CrimeReads suggests new international fiction. Point Zero and Thirst intrigued me immediately.
These are two lovely poems by Emily Moore.
The Guardian shares five of the best books about social media.
LitHub shares 22 of the most beautiful new book covers. I love how bright and bold most of these look. The covers for Worry and Great Expectations are especially eye-catching.
I’ve been into crossword puzzles lately, so I enjoyed hearing about someone else’s puzzle routine. I second the Vox recommendation!
Do you know what makes a nice companion to a crossword? A candle! The Everygirl offers seven suggestions featuring scents that smell like spring. I want all of these.
The Kitchn suggests 30 recipes for April. There’s a nice mix of sweet and savory. The Sticky Chicken Salad looks delicious.
I feel most like myself when I paint my nails, but my library job makes it difficult to keep a manicure looking nice. I appreciated this helpful, calming video about taking care of your nails and enjoying a prolonged manicure that won’t chip right away.
What’s caught your eye lately? Thanks for reading!