It’s a little bit quiet around here today. Although I know many businesses did not close for the extra-long holiday weekend, enough people seem to have left town that my neighborhood feels deserted. The quiet is lovely; it reminds me of summers of my childhood.

However, I did promise Friday links, so here I am! They’re a little sparse this week, I’m afraid, mostly because I haven’t been online as much as usual. But I will sweeten the pot by making a mini-announcement. Next week, it will be one year since I moved this blog over here to WordPress, a decision that has saved me many a headache. In honor of a year in my new blogging home, there will be giveaways! And since the traditional first anniversary gift is paper, I think books certainly qualify. So be sure and check back for all the fun details on Monday.

Meanwhile, links! Enjoy the weekend and happy writing!

Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2012 Book Preview – The Millions does this great books-to-come review twice a year. While they don’t hit all the upcoming titles (there are too many to list), they always mention some things that get me excited. There are some particularly intriguing titles mentioned on this round up.

In Defense of Cursive – Apparently 45 out of the 50 states are phasing out the teaching of cursive. I suppose writing with a pen or pencil is a dying art form, but I find this terribly sad.

Conan Doyle on Holmes – A great 1927 newsreel in which the author talks about his famous detective.