We had one of the worst winter storms in recent memory of Columbus. And yes, I kept reading.
There has been no school this week thanks to snow and cold. The first day was fun. I had so many crafts and my partner was stuck at home as well. So we just took turns doing crafts with our daughter. I was strangely able to get the same amount of work done as usual.
And then our snow level emergency slid from level three to level two. My partner rightly felt like he had to go back into work. And I stayed home alone with the tiny terror. That’s when things went sideways. I wasn’t doing things her way and that was not okay. She was desperate to go someplace (most places were closed), so she started imagining places that don’t exist and getting mad when I told her we couldn’t go to her imaginary places. She is my impossible child after all. So why can’t we do impossible things?
The library gave me a much needed reprieve. Other neighbor families showed up and just being with them helped. And the librarians were giving us the support they could as well. Because the library is always there for you when you feel like everything is going sideways.
I need more of librarians making everything better and less of the cold and snow. Soon. My daughter needs to go back to school.
So let’s check out what I’ve been reading during this winter storm.
Reading Social Media News
Okay, it’s been a big week over at TikTok. We had a deal announced, but then not so fast. It doesn’t appear that the TikTok deal actually follows the letter of the law. So what happens next? I don’t know, and I also don’t think I care. It’s been a year of drama that I don’t think is very good for the long-term viability of the app.
And is anyone even surprised that there are already allegations of video suppression on TikTok? Once again too much drama, so yes, it’s an excellent time to talk about a post-TikTok landscape.
*steps onto my soapbox* I will share the studies showing that talking with your fans boosts engagement and/or reach every time. It’s called “social” because what ultimately works is having conversations. And it’s even better when those conversations lead to relationships with your fans. The people who are most likely to say organic is dead are the ones who are just pushing posts at their audience and are confused why they aren’t getting engagement or reach. *steps off of my soapbox with a harumph*
Reading Books, Books and More Books
Past
Vantage Point by Sara Sligar was interesting. It was the first time I’ve ever wished that the answer to everything was supernatural. The change in the husband/brother was just a little too drastic. None of the characters are really anybody you want to be around. And what was really going on… I don’t believe anyone wouldn’t be able to see what was going on very quickly. So supernatural would actually have been more believable. The writing also wasn’t all that great. It had a jagged feel, and it never brought me into the story. There was actually a lot of promise at the beginning of this novel, so it was a bummer that it just felt flat. Score: C
Present
The introduction to Homeseeking by Karissa Chen really touched me. It said something along the lines that if you are feeling confused by the culture, etc., imagine being an immigrant to a new country that you know nothing about. That just gave me some much needed perspective when I was about to tackle something so foreign to me. So as I am struggling, I’m going to remind myself that what I’m dealing with as I’m learning about this culture is nothing in comparison to what immigrants go through. That viewpoint has helped a lot already.
What are you reading? What books are you looking forward to?