What Caught My Eye Online #54
Jane Austen, censorship in Idaho, an almond, and more
Welcome to this week’s roundup! January feels like it’s been fifteen years long, so I’ve been trying to find things to celebrate wherever I can. It could be going better.
That being said, here are three things I’m truly loving this week:
Chocolate. I mean, of course. Chocolate is chocolate. I preferred sour or fruity candy for a long time, but I’m in my chocolate era now. If it’s dark, contains caramel, and is topped with flaky sea salt, even better.
Deleting social media apps from my phone. With all the drama about TikTok’s fate over the weekend, I decided that if I was going to say goodbye to that app, I could put some distance between myself, Instagram, and Facebook, too. I hardly ever use Facebook anymore, but I do use Instagram. Even though I’ve curated a following list I feel good about, there’s still so much noise. I deleted Instagram and Facebook from my phone, and it’s been harder than I expected but also really nice. I can still access my accounts from my iPad or laptop, so I got on Instagram this afternoon. I logged off after less than five minutes. It felt too overwhelming. I could feel the tension radiating through my body. I’m unsure if our break will last forever, but I’m thankful it’s happening now.
My church’s MLK tradition. I attend a church full of lovely and diverse people. On the Sunday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we have a tradition of hosting a group of local middle school students who are in their school’s diversity club. They come on stage and recite the entirety of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech from memory. I tear up every time. These kids always do a fantastic job and take it very seriously. As the pastor said afterward in a sermon about speaking truth to power, these might be kids, but they see things more clearly than many adults and are bold enough to use their voices We can learn a lot from young people and what they care about.
And now for this week’s links!
Since middle school, I’ve tried to read Jane Austen. I’ve yet to make it through one of her books because none have ever held my interest. Despite my rocky history with Austen, I wanted to stretch myself, learn, and practice my annotation skills, so I decided to participate in Haley Larsen’s Pride and Prejudice read-a-long. This week’s assignment was just chapter one, and I must confess that I LOVED it. Am I an Austen fangirl now? It’s too soon to say, but maybe. Check out the link above if you’d like to join in.
More book censorship is coming to Idaho’s Kootenai County library system thanks to the state’s House Bill 710. Since the bill was passed, Kelly Jensen reports the following:
“Now, some Kootenai County libraries are planning an adults-only room in one of their branch libraries, have removed over 140 books from shelves ‘for review,’ and seek to eliminate all-access cards for minors. Community Library Network, the name of this Kootenai County seven library system, also proposed new guidelines in their collection development policy that would not allow the library to acquire or own materials for the children’s, teens, or young adult collections that contain ‘abortion, police discrimination, drugs, gender identity, occult, racism, rape, suicide, violence, nontraditional families or lifestyle.’ In other words, any books that are among the most popular, most well-read, and most diverse available in these categories.”
I felt tense and anxious the other day (who can say why!), so I searched Spotify for calming music and found a playlist called Stress Relief. It was just what I wanted.
BookTok has had a huge influence on the publishing industry. With TikTok’s future in jeopardy, publishers and authors wonder if anything can replace it.
Eric Karl Anderson is a wonderful book reviewer on YouTube. In this delightful video, he pretends his home library is a bookstore, gives us a tour of his shelves, and selects the books he’s most excited to read this year. I love the idea of shopping from your own shelves!
CrimeReads shares five mystery novels with unique settings. One of the books on the list, Night Film, is one of my all-time favorites. If you like your mysteries with a little bit of horror, don’t miss that one.
Speaking of horror, if you’re concerned about what the next four years mean for democracy, check out this list of ten books to spark action in 2025 and beyond from the Chicago Review of Books.
Severance fans, check out this list of books to read if you love the show.
Here’s a fantastic blog post called Use Your Privilege and Platform to Promote Books People Would Not Find Without Your Help. Though it’s directed toward library workers, it applies to all of us who talk about books on Substack (or elsewhere).
I don’t read many small press books, but I’d like to read more. Electric Lit suggests these 15 titles.
My hobbies are vital to my happiness and creativity. Here are 25 hobbies you can start from home today. I’d like to learn more about calligraphy and photography.
I love Conan O’Brien and his podcast, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. If you’re not a listener, know that he hosts the show alongside producer Matt Gourley and Conan’s longtime assistant, Sona Movsesian. Conan and Sona banter constantly, but it’s evident they care about each other very much. Sona lost her house in the LA wildfires, and the trio spends their latest podcast episode talking about that and how the fires have affected each of them. I share this episode with you (you can watch or listen) because it’s a masterclass of friendship and empathy. It’s full of tears, but also laughter and compassion. Conan as a host demonstrates how to show up for people and give them something to smile about, even during times of great overwhelm and pain. Even though the episode was sad, I felt comforted by it.
This is another short video about friendship, but in this case, the star is a cat and her best friend is a dry almond. No, that is not a typo. Videos like this are why I’m glad the internet exists.
I love this spiritual practice toolkit from Nish Weiseth, a spiritual director and hospice chaplain.
If you need a reminder to slow down, stop striving, and love yourself as is, here you go.
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I’d love to hear about things that have caught your eye lately. Share in the comments! Thank you for being here.
So much information in this post.
Thank you.
Your church sounds so lovely. Thank you for sharing about it along with all these other resources. Sending you big hugs for this month and the months ahead. Thanks for including me in this lovely list.