In my February newsletter I talked about my latest obsession and believe me, it was a shocker.
I've blogged about how annoyed I've been with having to pick up some of my podcasts on YouTube because they're either not audio only at all or the audio is released a long time after the actual show. While I was over on YouTube to find a podcast, the algorithm had a suggestion. It was about a village that had a lot of survivors of the plague in the 17th century.
I don't know why the algorithm suggested this video because I've watched nothing remotely related to it, but I happen to have an interest in the plague. Years ago, when I still lived in Minneapolis, PBS had an hour-long documentary about a gene mutation that helped people survive the plague.
The description for the documentary YouTube was recommending sounded as if it was going to involve this gene as well. (And it did!) It's called Plague Mystery.
Then I got another plague documentary recommendation that led to more history recommendations and somehow I've found myself particularly interested in the Tudors--King Henry VIII, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth I.
I even looked for audio podcasts with more English history. I found one specific to the time of the Tudors, but my favorite is called A History of England hosted by David Beeson. He's got a delightfully sarcastic sense of humor and the episodes are short. He also started Episode 1 with the Tudors.
In school, the only English history I learned was how it impacted American history. I was in AP American History, but there was no European history class at my high school, and I never sought it out in college.
I'm not sure how long my English history obsession will last, but for the moment, I'm enjoying everything that I'm learning.
