Weekend Reading

I spent a rainy Saturday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last weekend. The winter is a great time to visit museums!

Literary

• I keep saying that I want to read more nonfiction. This helpful Reddit thread provides some great recommendations.
• Brainpickings has a fascinating article on the illustrations of the enormously talented J.R.R. Tolkien. Eric noted that his old copy of The Hobbit has the picture of the trolls seen in this article – illustrated by Tolkein himself. Brainpickings writes, “an important side of the beloved writer, who was as much an artist of pictures as he was of words.”
• I always have to read the book before the movie. It only makes sense. Buzzfeed helps a reader out with a list of 16 books to read before they hit theaters this year.
• In strange book news, NPR writes about about the winner of a mystery-writing contest that received a publishing contract and a $10,000 advance…who is also a convicted murderer.

Travel

• Need some travel inspiration for the coming year? Here are 40 travel quotes submitted by bloggers and world wanderers.
• An thought-provoking article in The Huffington Post asks: do Americans just travel wrong? We travel far less than people in other industrialized countries, especially when international travel is concerned. The article points out some common mistakes travelers often make.
•  The New York Times profiled a new trend: tours for the young traveler. They aren’t your grandparent’s travel tours – they’re cheaper, more adventurous, and aimed at the under-40 crowd.
• Also from the Times: 52 places to go in 2014. I’m not usually big on these types of lists (1,000 Places to See Before You Die causes me great anxiety), but the Times has a beautiful spread and features some of my favorite places.

Just for Fun

• Famous movie quotes presented in charts, for the nerd in all of us.