That’s right, I’ll be the first to put down my foot and say The Lord of the Rings is actually really good.
Continue reading “The Lord of the Rings is Good”Peanut Butter Jelly Time
I finished Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut last week. It can be modestly described as post-apocalyptic. In a scene set in a run-down Manhattan, there’s mention of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I was curious when this modern staple became exactly that.
I left it at a quick dive into the Wikipedia article, and figured it would be good to report here. It seems the first reasonable description of something adjacent to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich comes from a 1901 issue of the Boston Cooking School Magazine. Twenty years later, when sliced bread came out and peanut butter became more of an economical staple, it became something kids could make themselves. By the second World War, both peanut butter and jelly have been on US military ration lists.
This was fascinating. It’s not as recent as I would have guessed.
Reading Goal for 2021 Achieved
My goal the last two years has been to read 24 books each year. I’ve managed to read 25 in both 2020 and 2021. I’m not currently on GoodReads or a similar platform, so I’ll just list the books I’ve read the last couple of years, since I didn’t post about this last year either.
Continue reading “Reading Goal for 2021 Achieved”I’m an Author (Almost a Year Late)
With everything that happened last year, I managed to never write about my co-authorship of the Level 3 Puzzle Book put out by my company. It was the largest project I’ve been on, and the content I’m most proud of producing. Not only did I get to write and review close to half the puzzles in the book, I managed to learn the basics of InDesign and help compile the book into its final form.
I’m shocked I didn’t write about it late last Fall when it released, but I had other non-work ideas on my mind. This popped back into my head as we were cleaning our apartment in preparation for visitors, and I came across one of my copies of the book.
I recommend taking a look at the sample PDFs on the page linked above. They puzzles are dastardly. The Level 3 is only representative of the math prerequisites, but some of the puzzles themselves would stump our employees.
Forms of Reading
I’m starting to fall behind on my self-stated goal of reading 24 books each year. I had a wicked start, but have been stuck on a single book for the last couple of months. It’s a good book, but I haven’t been taking the long chunks of time I need to get through it.
Continue reading “Forms of Reading”Tips for Getting eBooks
A couple years ago, I made a concerted effort to get back into reading. I’ve started tracking the books I’ve read since college, and have a goal of reading at least 24 books each year, or about 2 per month. While I do enjoy buying books, and I have several shelves of books still to read, I’ve discovered a few other sources for those who don’t want to buy individual books or want potentially more convenient ways of finding new books. Since I do most of my reading on my phone or Kindle, I’ll focus on eBook sources.
Continue reading “Tips for Getting eBooks”Reading as a Reset
This post is a little late since I was camping this past weekend. A good chunk of my time was spent sitting in a chair (or in a hammock, or on a diving platform in the water) reading some books. While camping for about 3 days, I was able to finish 3 books. Managing to read that much was an excellent starting point for my brain. I felt focused and calm while reading, and was able to ignore my phone (particularly since there’s no service where I was.)
It’s been a rather hectic summer, both at work and in aspects of my personal life. It’s a big change being back in Minnesota for so long. Getting away and finding time to just read was incredibly helpful, and I need to keep in mind that reading is such a simple cure for a lot of mental hubbub that goes on.
More Nostalgic Reading
Earlier this year I reread (and finally finished) the Inheritance Cycle, which is the series with Eragon. It’s an excellent set of books that had a lot of nostalgia for me. Now that my month-long writing spring is over, I’ve been able to start reading more and the next series I’m focused on is also somewhat nostalgia-fueled. I’m reading His Dark Materials (the most well-known book being the first in the trilogy, The Golden Compass). I first read this series back in 7th grade, and I remember enjoying it but remember very little about the specifics. I also know that it is a fantasy written by the author in his own voice, not written for a particular audience. In that way it’s very approachable and enjoyable for anyone, and I’m enjoying reading it from an adult perspective. It’s not totally fresh, as plot points and characters are coming back to me as I read, but it’s good so far. It makes for a fun and exciting read, and I’m looking forward to working my way through the trilogy this month.