Happy Friday! It’s the first weekend since fall officially arrived (in the northern hemisphere), and I’m looking forward to some cooler days ahead. Er… relatively speaking. I am still in Southern California.

But regardless, fall brings to mind reading and writing, books and shiny school supplies. It’s deeply imbedded in my psyche at this point. All I have to do is eyeball the enormous stack of books that has made its way into my apartment this month to know it’s pointless to fight my compulsion. So I plan to spend my weekend reading. First some submissions, and then some books with covers.

However, right now I’ve got links to share! I hope they inspire you to some creative endeavor this weekend, or send you scrambling for a good read. Enjoy!

An African Reading List – Great roundup of suggested titles/authors listed by country in Africa, with more suggestions in the comments. Especially handy for anyone looking to diversify their reading by adding in authors of color, women, or writers of different backgrounds.

The Longing of the Collector – A look at the book Curiosity’s Cats: Writers on Research, which collects a series of essays by different kinds of writers on their research habits and experiences.

How Stephen King Teaches Writing – Some words of wisdom from the prolific author with great information on his approach to both writing and teaching writing.

Romance Unlaced: Beyond Britain’s Shores – A look at historical romance novels and why, exactly, they tend to take place in England and Scotland, plus how some have broken the pattern.

Teju Cole’s Rules on Writing – A list of wonderful tips and things to consider, some familiar but worth repeating, and others a little different.