Next week is bookclub week, which means that I throw away that lazy way I have been reading and go all-in on manic reading. This is particularly fun with a toddler who is in feral mode. If there’s chance for a mess, she’s gonna take it. If there is an opportunity to push my buttons, she’s on it. What is up with toddlers? Doesn’t she know being peaceful is an option???

Anyway, it seems too early for kids to be on their way back to school, but all of the commercials and sales are on now. I’m counting down the days until my daughter’s school year activities come back and we get back to that sense of normalcy we had reached in May. We’ll see if we get there.

And now it’s onto what we’re reading this weekend…

Reading Social Media News

Something I’ve been waiting for is finally happening: Google is starting to take X out of search results. Right now, it’s just breaking news, probably in the hopes to not be a part of spreading unfounded rumors. I think this is a trend that will continue, and I really struggle to come up with a reason to use X for clients if it’s not showing up on Google search results. That is, unless you are a medical organization since healthcare professionals seem to still love the platform.

The big thing that I got from this report on the best uses of TikTok is that long-term relationships with influencers is far more effective than these one-off campaigns. This underlines my point that you should be going after these relationships before you need them and make them solid so you can keep going after them again and again. Paid mercenaries are only going to do so much for you, but an influencer who has been with you for awhile will go to bat for you again and again.

Reading Books, Books and More Books

Past

Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan shockingly did take me by surprise. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing, as it didn’t have any real resolution. The central mystery isn’t quite solved. The signs lead to one conclusion, but it’s not anywhere close to airtight. Maybe it’s the optimist in me, but I didn’t fully buy into what the signs were telling me. If you’ve read this, I’d be really interested in your thoughts on it. The character study was interesting. It was the idea that none of us are really good or bad as a whole, even those who might be seen as the best of us or the worst of us. And I really did like this idea. I think there’s lots of good in this novel, but I wouldn’t say it’s enjoyable reading. Score: B

I really enjoyed Sea Wife by Amity Gaige. It was so meditative as you picked at the strings of what happened to this family. To say that it read like you were at sea would be extremely accurate. The language was absolutely beautiful, as a poetic feel infused so much of it. The journey towards healing and acceptance is a nice one to behold. And unlike so many books nowadays, there isn’t a black and white view of politics. Life is lived in the grays and this had plenty of that. Score: A-

Present

I wasn’t excited about reading Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal. The person picking the second book for our bookclub presented us with two choices. I had read the other one and was very into the idea of re-reading it. I didn’t have anything against this book. To be honest, I hadn’t even bothered picking it up. Boy, am I stupid. This author wrote a book I love: The Lager Queen of Minnesota. So far it’s super readable and my heart is breaking for the characters already. I’m so glad the rest of the members of my bookclub chose this instead of what I wanted.

Future

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is this month’s other bookclub book. First off, I’m annoyed. It wasn’t at the bookstore that supports our bookclub. I always get the bookclub book at the last second because otherwise I will read it too soon and not be able to fully remember it when we discuss it. I want it to be the last book I have finished when I get to bookclub and to have it fully in my head. So this was a big problem that it wasn’t there. I ordered it online with the promised delivery date being bookclub day. This wasn’t good at all. Thankfully, that date was updated and I should have it in my hands today. Considering I have loads of problems with my mail, I’m really hopeful this book shows up without anymore drama.

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