13 Things Thursday

Talking about books in all forms, supporting local bookstores, professional development, and my budding skinfluencer journey

It’s been a minute since my last 13 Things Thursday, so I’m bringing it back. :)

1. Following my recent renunciation of the Kindle ecosystem, I recently purchased not one, but two ereaders: Kobo Libra Colour and Boox Page. I couldn’t decide between them, so I bought both. I will likely keep them since I have specific use cases for each, and I’m also keeping my old Kindle Paperwhite for travel and supporting indie authors through Kindle Unlimited. I’m working on a follow-up post with even more options to break up with Kindle, including those that let you keep your current device. So I will likely talk about that in addition to my experience with these other ereaders there. Stay tuned!

2. After buying two ereaders while still having a fully functional Kindle, I started judging myself for potential e-waste, even though I use them all for different reasons and will either sell or use them until they die. So is it overconsumption, or just choosing to spend my money on what I love as a technology/gadget nerd? I started with the intention of trying to separate myself from an ecosystem that is known for its exploitative practices, but then probably supported greed or corruption elsewhere. Moments like this make me feel like Chidi in The Good Place, the moral philosopher who feels like he can never make the right decision. There are so many things we do with good intentions without realizing its downstream impact. But then you know better and you do better, right? Until you actually have to go out and live your life and make decisions that force you to overlook something, lest you become paralyzed with overthinking and effectively torture yourself and everyone around you. This is the trap of moral absolutism. There is always something.

   

   This Buzzfeed article had a bunch of Chidi gems, including this one.

3. Bryan and I recently discovered a cute indie bookshop near us, and it made me so happy. When I walk into a bookstore, I’m immediately hit with the new book smell, and it takes me back to simpler times. The irony isn’t lost on me that I prefer reading on ereaders vs. physical books, but I’m finding other ways to support them. Speaking of which…

4. I support my local bookstore through Bookshop.org for ebooks and Libro.fm for audiobooks. If you don’t choose a specific store, the proceeds will go into a profit sharing pool that helps all bookstores.
   Disclaimer: I am now an affiliate for Bookshop.org, so I earn a small commission for any book you buy through my page, at no extra cost to you. I’ve also included a personal referral link for Libro.fm, where I get credit and earn free audiobooks for anyone who signs up for a membership through me.

5. I’ve never used Goodreads to track my books, but since getting back into reading more, I’ve been using some alternative book tracking apps to record my library and TBR (to be read) list: The Storygraph, Hardcover, and Pagebound. I like all of them for different reasons, but I haven’t quite narrowed down my favorite yet. Maybe I’ll do a comparison of all of them soon if people are interested.

6. Reading for Fun:
   ~Recently Finished: Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass series) by Sarah J. Maas, The Duke and I (Bridgerton series) by Julia Quinn
   ~In Progress: The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass series) by Sarah J. Maas, The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgerton series) by Julia Quinn

7. Reading for Personal/Professional Development:
   ~Recently Finished: The Phoenix Project, The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim (audiobooks through Audible)
   ~In Progress: Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal (Fun fact: I’m currently listening to the audiobook, but I have a physical copy from when the author came to speak to my grad school class. I missed that lecture to attend my grandpa’s 80th birthday party, but my friend snagged a copy for me.)

8. I’m currently experimenting with listening to audiobooks for nonfiction/personal development books, and it’s kind of a game-changer. I’ve mentioned before that I had to take a break from nonfiction to reinvigorate my passion for reading, but I still have books in that genre that I want to read. I generally absorb information better by reading words on a page, but nonfiction seems to be the exception. I can listen to it like a podcast while going about my day and still absorb it. Plus it makes it easier to read on my longer drives to and from work. While some audiobooks are exclusive to Audible, I have some favorite alternatives. Libro.fm offers a membership alternative similar to Audible for supporting local bookstores. You can also buy audiobooks on Chirp with no membership required, and they always have some great deals that they send out every day.

9. One of the reasons I started considering audiobooks is because of my upcoming PMP (Project Management Professional) certification renewal, which requires 60 PDUs (professional development units) to be able to renew, in addition to paying them money. It’s a total scam, but it’s still a standard thing in my industry, so I deal with it. Anyway, I found a bunch of books that qualify for PDUs, and I was pleasantly surprised at how many books qualify. They’re books that I actually want to read, so the fact that I get professional credit for them is a bonus and helps with motivation. I’m in the process of pulling together recommendations on my Bookshop.org affiliate page both from the list I referenced and others I’ve found. Any book can qualify if they deal with the subjects in the “PMI Talent Triangle”, including:
   ~Ways of Working: Process improvement, agile, design thinking, or any new practices or ways of doing things
   ~Power Skills: Interpersonal skills, leadership, empathy, communication
   ~Business Acumen: Understanding not only the day-to-day, but also how work impacts the organization and their goals

10. This recent audiobook frenzy came about when I realized that my renewal was coming up in a couple short months. So I’m trying to get ahead of it for next time and complete my requirements at a more reasonable pace. I know I’ll be taking more training courses for work that count, but I’m also identifying many books that will put me in a good spot for my next renewal in 3 years, so I’ll be updating my page to reflect both what I’m currently reading and what I plan to read.

11. In other news, I got my first ever PR box from Prequel recently, which made me feel like a v. big deal. Their people saw that I mentioned some of their products in my skincare post, so they offered to send me new products to try. I was initially very skeptical, but after getting more information, I agreed. I’m still experimenting and will share my thoughts in a future post. Could I be a budding skinfluencer? We’ll see!

12. Side note: My friend has been taking an online content creation course, and she shared a valuable tip with me. If you receive gifted product from a brand, you have to report it as income if it’s valued at $100 or more. I’ve never considered content creation, so this was new information to me. I didn’t ask for many products, but they did send me an extra surprise item in my box. I added it all up, and sure enough, it was worth exactly $100. So in case you’re looking to go down a path of user generated content (UGC), that’s something to be aware of! (Also, it’s probably better to get a contract and a paid exchange for your time, especially if it’s a recurring thing vs. a one-off request.)

13. A while back, I decided to upgrade my makeup bags for home and travel and found the regular and mini vanity cases from ETOILE. I had a cheap one from Amazon that did the job, but these cases are so sturdy and high quality. They’re pricey, but they’re gorgeous and will last a long time.