Have some downtime this week? Scroll through these links for some of the best stories beyond Tech&Learning that our editors bookmarked this year. Edsurge compiled their favorites, which included bits about digital badges, the SAMR model, and Starbucks. Starbucks? Alexander Russo identifies two education books that are top ranked for this year. And of course Audrey Watters at Hackeducation delivers her annual edtech trend summary with her usual wit and insight. Happy reading and Happy New Year!