What I Am Reading

What I Am Reading 11/22/24

It’s been a week. But that has not stopped the reading.
Preschool applications have started opening up and now I have to get serious about where my daughter is going next year. I felt super confident about it until I was in an open house for the school we liked the best.
We were in the preschool area of the school and the head teacher was answering questions parents were rapid firing at her. None of them were questions I’d ever think to ask. My priorities including finding out what to do to prepare her to be successful in the classroom (learn how to use scissors was a very unexpected answer), what they’d do for a big emotion (she gave great answers that aligned with what I do currently) and what they are willing to do around potty training (a poop bell was mentioned and is now my favorite thing to talk about). The other parents were talking about assessments, other testing and the nitty gritty of school systems.
I tried to shake off the feeling of being totally out of my depth and thinking that I knew nothing about sending my kid to school. We walked into the general assembly room where they did panel discussions. That’s when a parent tried to make touring ten schools normal. Ten. Schools. We had four on our list after I looked at values and proximity to our home. I just couldn’t add anymore schools with my current standards. And to be honest, one of the schools didn’t even make it to the tour stage, because I felt like they didn’t want my child enough during the recruitment process.
Am I too picky? Or did I just not do enough work to get to this point? It honestly could be either, I guess. But we’re doing everything our way and it feels right even if it doesn’t look right.
So as I obsess over whether I’m doing the right things for my daughter, let’s take a look at what I’m reading.

Reading Social Media News

I’m very big on using AI for content ideation and not actual creation, but I also know I’m not using AI to its full capacity to help me. I know I’m not alone in being in that place. So here are tools you can use as you’re in your exploratory phase of AI.

YouTube is such a powerful network, and I just don’t think we talk about it. It’s not flashy, but it’s a workhorse. And apparently it’s showing up more and more in Google searches. So if you looking for ways to be found, it’s time to put more work into YouTube.

Reading Books, Books and More Books

Past

I’m still waiting to figure out the point of Wait by Gabriella Burnham. I knew that any book that followed Night Circus was going to feel lacking, but this was just lacking everything. And so much of it was unrealistic. I think she was trying to make a statement about how life happens while you’re waiting, but it just didn’t get there. And there were so many interesting places Burnham could have gone with the weirdly obsessed college friend, but that character and storyline both went meh. I love slow books, but I love slow books with a point. This one had none so it was more annoying then anything. I’m kind of mad that such an incomplete book was published. I’m definitely mad that it made it onto a best book of the year list. Score: D

Present

Thieving Sun by Monica Datta is another book I found off of a best books of 2024 list. I love that these lists take me out of my comfort zone, but I really hate some of the books I’m finding on them. But I don’t know how to find books without them. I used to go through the bookstore and let my fingers choose what to read based on feel. It was a strange system that worked a lot of the time. But now that I almost exclusively get my books from the library and I have to request them online, I can’t use that system anymore. So I’m listen as other people tell me about their experiences with books. That system has just sucked. All of this to say that I have very low expectations for this book.

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

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