From Technology's Effect on Modern Thrillers to Enduring Mystery Tropes
Plus a plea for permission to hibernate
Before we get started, I want to acknowledge the huge loss of life and land in the recent California wildfires. I am a member of the Sisters in Crime (SinC) LA chapter and International Thriller Writers (ITW) organizations. Both have provided links for making donations to the people who have lost everything they had. While I have not vetted these personally, I do trust both organizations and want to share the information they provided to their members with you. The SinC LA chapter has provided links from the California Governor’s Office to assist relief efforts. ITW has partnered with the American Red Cross and Butter to host an auction for Authors in LA.
Please use due diligence when interacting with these or any links after a tragedy. Unfortunately there are many heartless people out there eager to prey well-meaning folks after events such as this. I urge you to examine the information in the links provided above and decide for yourself if you are comfortable making a donation. Do not donate blindly to any charity without ensuring they are who they appear to be.
Also, I am a member of the SinC LA chapter, but I am not located in California and thus have not been directly affected by the wildfires. My heart goes out to those who have. There are profiles on news sites that give names and faces to the people who have lost and the people who have been lost. The victims and the heroes. I urge you to take a moment to read a few of these in remembrance.
And now, your regularly scheduled links…
Reading and Writing in 2025
Kelly Jensen has 56 Small Tasks to Be Proactive Against Book Censorship in 2025 and Beyond on Book Riot.
Also on Book Riot, Isabelle Popp shows you How to Establish a Reading Habit.
At Blackbird Writers, Amanda Marbais explains how to “Read Like a Writer”.
Daniel Kanitz explores the art of writing Thrillers in the Time of Smartphones at Crimereads.
Reading and Writing in General
Parker Peevyhouse discusses 7 Rules for Satisfying Murder Mysteries at The Writer’s Attic.
Reda Rountree tells us How To Escape A Killer In Five Easy Steps and provides a super list of Funny Mystery-Themed Episodes of Non-Mystery Shows You Love at Only Murders In The Inbox.
On Something Is Going To Happen, Jackie Sherbow offers tips for Learning How to WFH with EQMM.
Isa Arsen discusses Why We Tell The Same Stories Over And Over Again (And Get Something Different Each Time) while Alex Pavesi revels in The Joys Of Mystery Fiction’s Most Enduring Tropes over at Crimereads.
On Mysteries & Musings by Raegan Teller, Teller reveals The Weight of Secrets in storytelling.
If you’re looking for reading recommendations, Emily Burack lists 21 of the Best Classic Murder Mystery Books of All Time at Town & Country.
Odds and Ends
I agree with Jonathan Edward Durham’s seasonal take in The Cold Hard Truth About Winter on his substack. Would that we could just hibernate until Spring!
On the other end of the discussion, the Jungle Red Writers list the things they love about this cold time of year in The Grateful Days of Winter.
On Instagram, @spookylittlebooknerd has a marvelous idea for a fun way to work though your TBR pile.
Mental Floss’s Mark Peters serves up a list of 19 Old-Fashioned Words for Writers that’s interesting, including Bookwoman, or a woman who loves or writes books.
Lastly, you should check out Receipt from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham. She provides a unique perspective on bookstores from her role as a bookseller.
I find I have less anxiety when there’s a feline around to knead biscuits into my thigh and purr into my ear. Hence, the cat photo at the top, because 2025 is off to a…start…of some sort, and I’m sure there are others like me who are twenty-two days in and feeling a little anxious. With the second and fourth most destructive fires in California history and a blizzard in the Gulf Coast (???) happening within days of each other, its shaping up to be a doozy of a year.
Stay safe out there, readers.