We’re in the heart of summer, but it somehow feels like summer is ending. I’m making all of these plans for fall and trying to get in every last activity. Despite all of this, I’ve been in an excellent rhythm with my reading. I’m not overdoing it in a rush for once, and it feels good to read because I want to instead of because I have to.

And I’m trying to take that mood into our activities. Why pack everything into these days? It’s a great time to go slower and just enjoy this time with my family. Now will my Type-A personality actually let me do this? That is the real question.

And with that… let’s get to the reading.

Reading Social Media News

The biggest news of the week is that Google is no longer going ahead with its plan to phase out cookies. Depending on your level of preparation for the post-cookie world, you either are cursing the time wasted or are breathing a sigh of relief. Based on a lot of the posts I’m seeing, there are a lot of sighs out there.

I know people have varying feelings on AI search. There is a lot of animosity towards the idea that the writing and research people have worked so hard on to get it on their websites is now showing up on AI. My thought is that it is going to continue to happen, but AI is gong to get better at citing where this information is coming from. So it’s time to work towards getting better at being found now before everyone realizes it’s all of a sudden an industry standard. HubSpot published a guide on how to write content for generative AI, and it’s definitely worth a read.

Reading Books, Books and More Books

Past

I don’t want to say a book is a waste of time, but On the Tobacco Coast by Christopher Tilghman is a waste of time. It thinks very highly of itself and yet it does very little of interest with any of its characters. I’m all for books that are very slow moving that are more focused on character development. But there was no character development here. And the way it seamlessly slipped from one character’s point of view to another was confusing at best, annoying at worst. This book just took you nowhere, and I really struggle with what the point of it was. On the plus side, it made me realize that if something like this could get published, maybe my novel could get published as well. It was that bad. Score: D+

Present

I’m halfway through Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan, and I have no idea what I think of it. I have some ideas about where I think it’s going. It could still be good if it goes exactly as I think, but I really want it to surprise me. I won’t be mad if it doesn’t, but it would just be nice to be surprised this book. So that’s where I am with it right now. Just hopeful.

Future

Sea Wife by Amity Gaige came to me through a friend. This friend gives by far the best recommendations of any of my friends, so when she gives a recommendation, I put in the library request immediately. So I’m going into this book with high expectations. That probably won’t work in its favor, but we shall see. We shall see.

So what are you reading? What books are you looking forward to?