What Caught My Eye Online #13

Small changes, tech backgrounds, Black History Month reads, and more

Photo by Nathana Rebouças on Unsplash

I was having trouble coming up with something to write for this intro, so I outsourced it to ChatGPT. I told the AI overlords to write an introductory blog paragraph that mentioned February, reading, and coffee. Here’s the result:

“As February ushers in its wintry embrace, there's a comforting allure in the simple joys: a warm cup of coffee cradled in hand, the soft rustle of pages turning, and the promise of new worlds unfolding with each sentence. In this month where frost clings to windows and the air carries a hint of anticipation, there's nothing quite like the solace found in the ritual of reading accompanied by the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Join me as we embark on a journey through the pages, where February's chill is thawed by the warmth of a good book and the embrace of a steaming mug.”

May February hold you in its winter embrace. Here are this week’s links!

• Kendra Adachi (a.k.a the Lazy Genius) is one of my favorite people to follow online. I’m also a fan of her books and podcast. In episode #349, Kendra talked about 10 small changes she made and how they improved her life. When she says small, she means small, like changing the color of her daughter’s hairbrush. That might sound silly, but this episode reminded me that small, simple changes are usually the ones that have the greatest impact in the long run.

• A small thing that makes me happy is a pretty laptop/phone background. The Everygirl publishes beautiful wallpapers each month. The ones for February are especially lovely. I look forward to these every month!

• Winter can be a tough season, but books can help. Over at the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog, Shannan shares the books she reaches for during SAD season.

• Check out this list of 25 books by debut authors to read in 2024 if your TBR needs some new titles.

• Publishers Weekly shares five new books to read for Black History Month.

• If you’re looking for Black History Month reading ideas for young people, NPR has you covered.

• I loved Kiley Reid’s debut, Such a Fun Age, but had mixed feelings about her latest book, Come and Get It. Still, I’m a fan of her work, so I appreciated this book list for fans of Reid. I’ve read and loved several of the recommended titles, like Yellowface, The Mothers, Queenie, and Little Fires Everywhere.

• This is an interesting look at ebooks vs. physical books from Psychology Today. Both formats (and audiobooks!) are essential to my literary happiness.

• I enjoy books set on college campuses, so this list of the 13 best college-set novels was fun to browse. I don’t know if anything will top The Secret History for me.

• Here’s a lengthy article from Vox about self-promotion and being an artist. That combination seems quite complicated in the age of social media. Here’s a taste:

  • “The internet has made it so that no matter who you are or what you do — from nine-to-five middle managers to astronauts to house cleaners — you cannot escape the tyranny of the personal brand. For some, it looks like updating your LinkedIn connections whenever you get promoted; for others, it’s asking customers to give you five stars on Google Reviews; for still more, it’s crafting an engaging-but-authentic persona on Instagram. And for people who hope to publish a bestseller or release a hit record, it’s “building a platform” so that execs can use your existing audience to justify the costs of signing a new artist.”

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    Thanks for reading! What’s caught your eye lately?