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FEBRUARY 1, 2019

Happy Friday, friends. They say laughter is the best medicine, but if you’re a doctor, there may be a better treatment: The American Medical Association recommends literature as a powerful tool against physician burnout. Well give us our honorary PhD, because we totally agree! Here’s what we’re prescribing this week.

A boy and his bear.

It’s been a magical pairing since A.A. Milne first matched up Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh. But the classic trope got an upgrade this week when a near-tragic story found a happy ending—with a twist. In North Carolina a three-year-old boy who wandered away from his grandmother’s backyard was lost in the woods behind her house for three days, enduring freezing temperatures at night. But he claims an unlikely companion—a bear—kept him company and kept him safe until he could be rescued. Real or imaginary, we’re just happy this little guy had his own personal Baloo to watch over him.

And speaking of kidlit...

Charlotte’s Web. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus. The Crossover. Esperanza Rising. Did you know all these books have something in common? They’ve all been selected as the best books for children by the American Library Association. Since 1922, librarians have been honoring children’s books with the Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpré, and many other awards—and 2019’s awards have just been announced! If you’re looking for the best in kidlit for story time or anytime, be sure to check out this list.

From book to bid.

A recent spate of announcements from presidential hopefuls had us noticing that many of the candidates have also written books. We found ourselves wondering where this trend started—John McCain and Barack Obama both penned books prior to their 2008 runs—but were they the first? After extensive research (i.e., a Google search), we discovered a New York Times article about this very phenomenon that points to JFK’s Profiles in Courage as the first example of pre-presidential publishing. And, as you can see from this list we pulled together, it was far from the last.

Relationship status: It’s (very, very) complicated.

Alzheimer’s entered the public conversation again this week when an article came out about the lifestyle guru B. Smith. Once a major mogul in the 1980s and ’90s, Smith has been suffering from the ravages of the disease and is now cared for by her husband—who is public about the fact that he now has a girlfriend, too. Though the couple chronicled their increasing difficulties in 2016 in the book Before I Forget, many of Smith’s fans voiced discomfort with the public spectacle this creates for a woman whose ability to consent is questionable. But it has shined a spotlight on the burden for caretakers and made many think about creating their own living wills.

Now *this* is how you talk about Ted Bundy.

With a new Netflix doc and an upcoming film, Ted Bundy is news again. Though the idea of a serial killer “trending” gives us the heebie-jeebies, editor Kat believes true crime is worthy of our attention when presented in an ethical way. The perfect example of this came from narrator Lorelei King, who said her performance of The Stranger Beside Me was the hardest narration she’s ever done—but she pushed through for the victims. “I did it to say their names, not his,” she said. We can’t imagine anyone but her reading this true crime classic, and knowing *why* she did makes it all the more compelling.

And because a groundhog’s not going to save us from winter…

Are you currently suffering through the polar vortex that has taken over much of the country? If, like us, you can’t escape somewhere warm and sunny, try escaping through our list of dark fantasies, all set against a wintry backdrop. Stay warm and safe, everyone.
Till Next Week!
—the audible editors

Audiobooks in This Edition

Winnie-the-Pooh Audiobook By A. A. Milne cover art
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus Audiobook By Mo Willems cover art
Esperanza Rising Audiobook By Pam Munoz Ryan cover art
Why Courage Matters Audiobook By John McCain, Mark Salter cover art
The Audacity of Hope Audiobook By Barack Obama cover art
Charlotte's Web Audiobook By E. B. White cover art