This edition of Today in Books is sponsored by James Patterson’s latest thriller, The Chef.
Michelle Obama’s Letter To Readers
You may have heard by now that Michelle Obama wrote a memoir, Becoming, that sold A LOT. She’s now written a letter, posted on Goodreads that members can read, where she discusses a bit about how she came to tell her story and invites readers to connect with her: “I hope you’ll ask me a question or share some of your insights with me here on Goodreads or on social media using #IAmBecoming.” *Raises hand * Where do I sign up to be friends with Michelle Obama?
The Haunting Of Hill House News
The Netflix show, adapted from Shirley Jackson’s novel The Haunting of Hill House, is getting the anthology treatment and will have a second season. What the anthology treatment basically means is the first season made them enough money that they want to continue, even though they used up all of the original source material (the novel), so now they’ll continue without it. And we stay tuned for more news and frights.
Ancient Manuscript Decoded?
Scholars always have ancient manuscripts with languages they have been unable to decipher, including the Voynich Manuscript which appears to have been created around 1420 by a “hermitic community that seems to have left no other trace behind.” But now, thanks to Father Ahmet Ardiç, there is a new theory: the script is like an Old Turkic, “written in a ‘poetic’ style.” Feed your nerd heart with all the info here.