Hey there, chickens, what's shaking? Enjoying the holiday season? I want to wish a very Happy Hanukkah to my friends who are celebrating this week!

Lots of cleaning and straightening and drop-off trips to Goodwill in my neck of the woods this week. The Ellison elves have been clearing the clutter—we had a party on Friday, and we've long needed the extra overflow space for our guests to mingle and play pool (like Taylor!). It took quite a few man/woman hours and four-letter words, but our bonus room has a new lease on life as a proper game room, and I couldn't be more pleased. The best part is we didn't just hide the clutter, we removed it entirely. The end result is a clean, minimalist house with great energy flowing through! 

If I only hadn't overindulged in almond flour macaroons last night...

Without further ado, here are your links.

Here's what happened on the Internets this week:
 

2018 Golden Globes Nominees Are Chock-Full of Literary Adaptations. Which of these have you read? And which stories are you excited to see on screens big and small?
 

16 Literary Gifts For Every Book-Lover In Your Life, Based On Their Myers-Briggs Type. For all of you personality geeks who categorize your friends and loved ones (INJT here! ✋), this list may help you choose your holiday gifts.
 

CBTB Recommends #3: Witty Crime Fiction and Dark Thrillers. I love a good year-end roundup list—they help me stock my TBR for the next year! If you need some book suggestions, stop by Crime by the Book. She's always reading something good.
 

The 50 Best Superhero Movies of All Time. What’s this list say? We desperately need some more female superheroes, in books and on screen. Period.
 

Being Busy Is Killing Our Ability to Think Creatively. Ouch! It's easy to get overloaded, especially this time of year. But we all need to build quiet space in our schedules, time we can calm ourselves and get creative. This is part of my plan for 2018.
 

How I Learned to Make Business Travel More Enjoyable. Being a road warrior is tough. These are tactical suggestions to ease your stress while you're on the move. (hint: it's okay to enjoy the perks - necessary, even!)
 

Chicago Boy, 4, sharing gift of books with others after reading 100 in a day. So precious. May we all set big goals and work hard to achieve them!

And closer to home:

Sunday Reads: I listened to THE GRAY MAN by Mark Greaney this week. Superbly paced and performed, Mark has ushered in a new spy for our modern age. I loved Court Gentry, an honorable Byronic hero if I've ever met one, and loved the read. 

2017 Holiday Gift Guide for Booksworms, Nerds, and Productive People. My favorite books of the year, my favorite tools and trinkets, even my favorite blogs: they're all here and linked for your browsing and shopping pleasure. Hope you enjoy them!

That's it from me! Listen up for a second: just breathe. This time of year can be so stressful. I know you want to enjoy the holidays with your loved ones and make their experiences the most fun they can possibly be. But... if you can't enjoy them yourself, what's the point? Take a minute to s l o w  d o w n. It will all be fine, okay? No one's judging you but you.

Have a great week, y'all.

xo,
J.T.