What I Read in March 2021
I didn't read quite as much in March as I would have liked, but I did read five books, all novels - I found they kept me turning the pages! I seem to have moved away from non-fiction in the last year, and I think that's okay. There is so much non-fiction reading I'm doing for work and in my personal life, to understand COVID19 and how the world is changing, that maybe it's okay for me to stick to lighter books that entertain rather than educate! 5 stars: Majesty, by Katharine McGee: I absolutely loved the first American Royals, and then completely missed that this one got published - I was thrilled to pick it up! I found the characters and plot just as engaging and relatable as the first. After the death of their father, Beatrice is now Queen of America and Samantha is now next in line for the throne, and they, their brother Jeff, and their best friends Nina and Ethan all try to navigate romance while in powerful / public positions. I didn't love that this sequel involved a lot of partner swapping (hated that on Friends, didn't like it here), but the way things turned out made sense so I was fine with it. Except... I was very frustrated by the ending for another … [Continue reading]
Links I Love: April 4, 2021
Want to stay in bed longer? Here’s what I’ve been loving, laughing at, and getting intrigued by all week long. Now cozy up with your laptop/tablet and enjoy :) CAREER / BUSINESS How Do Consumers Feel When Companies Get Political?. (Harvard Business Journal) Taco Bell, Chipotle to Expand Drive-Through Locations in 2021. (Morning Brew) No Winners in the Delivery App Food Fight. (Morning Brew) McFamily Feud: Scandal, lawsuits, and cultural upheaval at McDonald’s. (Fortune Magazine) Exclusive: More Than Half of US Adults Say They’ll Buy Some Groceries Online Post-Pandemic. (Morning Brew) Eased Covid-19 Restrictions Raise Optimism at Clothing Rental Services. (Morning Brew) Drugstore Chains Need Improved Vaccine Rollout. (Morning Brew) PRODUCTIVITY / SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Have You Been Blinded by the Hustle?. (Better Humans) How to Do a Weekly Reset to Improve Your Productivity and Wellbeing. (Medium) Need an executive assistant? Automation can help.. (Zapier) Where Did Gmail Labs Go?. (Zapier) How I Achieved a Healthy Meditation Practice. (Lifehacker) HEALTH / FITNESS Getting One Vaccine Is Good. How About Mix-and-Match?. (New York … [Continue reading]
Weekend Recap: Full Ski Weekend
I kicked off my weekend early, attempting to take Thursday and Friday off work. However, I ended up taking a bunch of work calls in the morning (oops) and not really accomplishing much on the workout / personal front either. But I finally threw some stuff in the car around lunchtime and headed up to the mountains mid-afternoon. So much for skiing on Thursday! But I had several days of that ahead of me. As a Beaver Creek employee, I'm given a few 50% off lift ticket coupons that I can give to friends and family. (With one-day lift tickets priced at $218, these are pretty valuable!) I hadn't used almost any of them this season, but my friend James had an Ikon season pass rather than Epic this year, so he came up to the mountains for a day of skiing at Vail with me. I was excited to hang out, excited to have a full day of actual skiing (rather than training or teaching), and excited for the time off Friday! James came up Thursday night, and we headed down the street to Kirby Cosmo's to get barbecue for dinner. The barbecue paired nicely with Teneral Cellars Notorious Cabernet Sauvignon, and the quiet night was a good break from the stress I had been facing earlier in the day. … [Continue reading]
What I Read in February 2021
Oops - not only am I really late getting this post up, but I also only read six books in February... and one was a picture book! (Recommended by my ski school trainer.) This was a busy month, but because it was also a short one, this means I'm only two books behind on where I need to be to hit 100 books by the end of the year. I can catch up! 5 stars: The Secret Bridesmaid, by Katy Birchall: This was such a fun read! I loved the entrepreneurial main character, and seeing her very 21st century business and the trials and tribulations she goes through. Even though the romance was a bit predictable, there were plenty of twists and turns in the plot that did keep me guessing. I loved the Miranda Priestly-esque vibe of Cordelia, the main client, and also appreciated that we got plenty of insight into why she was so difficult. I tore through this book in just two days - really fun and light without being at all dumb! 4 stars: Fanocracy: Turning Fans Into Customers and Customers Into Fans, by David Meerman Scott and Reiko Scott: I really enjoyed this book and the conversational style in which it was written. The authors used a lot of different examples (though some where a … [Continue reading]
