The holidays are almost here and yet I’m still reading.
This week marked the eighth anniversary of my friend’s murder and much as I tried, I just didn’t have it in me to get everything that NEEDED to get done while also writing a whole lot. So this was a week that I decided to put the blog on hold for the rest of December. Except for the What I Am Reading posts. These are easy for me to knock out and are almost soothing with all of the holiday stress around me.
And with that, let’s check out what I am reading this week.
Reading Social Media News
Hashtags have been the bane of my existence for years. They’re overused, and I don’t think they give the value people think. They do connect a community, especially for live events. But they do not extend reach or engagement. Finally there are articles that agree with me about hashtags. So… told ya so.
The TikTok ban is starting to feel real now, at least to me. They are now exhausting all of their last ditch efforts to stop it, but I’d honestly move forward like it will not be there anymore. And this should be a good lesson about not putting all of your eggs in one social network. Anything you don’t own can go away tomorrow. And then where would you be? Spread that social media love around.
Reading Books, Books and More Books
Past
Bear by Julia Phillips is kind of an odd little book. The main character and her obsession are both kind of annoying, as are most of the characters. I think the latter is by design. The main character definitely has some kind of detachment disorder that is likely coupled with autism, so she doesn’t connect with anyone. That also leads her to miss obvious signals about her sister, which then leads to disastrous results. Although you can see what is going to happen, I do think Phillips got there in a non-obvious way. Not the most enjoyable read, but not all that bad either. Score: B-
Present
None of my books I have requested from the library have arrived. I’m not mad at that because it feels like a good time for comfort books again. And as I stared at Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy, it felt right. McConaghy is releasing another book in March, and I just love her writing. It feels wild and a little out of control. Very few authors can write like this and she’s the best of them all. The environmental themes do get to be a lot for some, but I find it so realistic that it’s a world I see coming sooner than we think. I’m very excited to dive back in with both feet.
What are you reading? What books are you looking forward to?