What I Read This Week: May 20, 2018


It rained so much this week. DC was in a drought so we needed the precipitation, but man is it a bummer not to see the sun for days and days at a time. The only good thing about weeks like this is that my favorite local weather blog, Capital Weather Gang, has great content. If you're local to DC and don't follow, I highly suggest you give them a look.

  • Professional
    • I have a file where I save articles that are of professional interest. This week, I spent some time weeding it and skimming through pieces that still looked good. Perhaps the most interesting stuff was HootSuite's white papers on brand management and reputation. There were also some generic articles on library management and leadership. Nothing earth shattering in those. There is still quite a bit of stuff in that folder, but it's nice to have knocked it down by over half.
    • College and Research Libraries News, May 2018 - There was a great article about how to throw a great library open house. I think we might need to try some of the recommendations at our library.
  • Magazines
    • National Geographic, May 2018 - The cover story was all about the genius of Picasso. As interesting as the artist is, I far more enjoyed the feature story that looked at being Muslim in America. It did a wonderful job of highlighting the diversity of the community and explaining their fears in the current political environment. Also, the article on the shark frenzy around a grouper breeding ground had some amazing photography. Finally, the magazine did a complete redesign (they even changed the paper!). It will take a few issues to get used to, but I like the changes.
    • Real Simple, May 2018 - In the middle of this issue, there was an article on journaling. Of course I loved it. It was all about the types of journaling that are out there, why you might like each type, and some recommendations for notebooks. (*sigh* I love stationery.) This is the first issue before summer hits, so they also included a great article about surviving long road trips with kids. There were some pretty good ideas in there. Finally, in news we can all use, there was a piece on blood pressure and how to keep yours in check.
  • Books
    • I have crossed the halfway point in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade. The mystery is deepening and the romance is increasing! I always seem to forget how rich and detailed Gabaldon's writing style is until I crack open one of her books. Dare I call it cinematic? (Note to self - go binge watch Outlander.)
  • Other
    • I'm getting ready to do my semi-annual weeding of the apartment this summer. We're probably going to move next year, so I know I want to be more strict about what we keep. I came across this post about the endowment effect and how it causes us to overvalue things. Here's hoping I can keep my valuations in check when I'm reviewing what's in our closets. [Becoming Minimalist]
    • I love it when people write about not censoring kids reading because I agree. Kids should be able to read whatever they want. Let them be curious, let them explore, and let them know they can come to you with questions without judgement. Just let kids read! [Washington Post]

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