Stuck-in-a-Book's Weekend Miscellany

There are three people I routinely refer to as my best friend (playing fast and loose with my superlatives) - one is my lovely brother Colin, one is my dear friend Washington Wife, and the third is wonderful Mel.  (Since her blog isn't updated, I can link instead to a review she wrote for me, that was for a long time the most read page on my blog.)  They're all enormously brilliant people, and I am very blessed to know them - and only one of them is biologically predetermined to like me.

I bring this up only because today is Mel's wedding day, and I'm off to usher (ush?), give a reading, and probably cry.  I'll leave you with a whole range of links, rather than the usual book, blog post, and link (because there are so many this week), but first of all - I've done the prize draw for Stephen Leacock's Literary Lapses and the winner is Pam from Travellin' Penguin!  Email me your address, and I'll get it in the post.  I so enjoyed reading everyone's favourite things about Canada, and it's made me even more determined to visit one day.  And how serendipitous that I chose Canada Day to hold the draw!  Right - some links:

1.) You'll love this list of 'book titles with one letter missing', and accompanying illustrations.

2.) I wrote again for OxfordWords - this time, 5 Words That Are Older Than You Think.  Go and be surprised!

3.) So did Hayley!  She's written all about the language of whisky.

4.) AND Washington Wife, aforementioned!  A really fantastic article on 'journalese'.

5.) Margaret sent me this fascinating article about the letters received after Shirley Jackson's 'The Lottery' was first published in the New Yorker.  Warning: spoilers, so make sure you read the short story (which you can do here) first.

Have a great weekend, all!