The Weekly Wrap: April 16, 2023

It's fascinating for me to see how people integrate reading into their lives. There are five laws of library science and book habits are an integral part of them. We all find/use/share books in different ways. I thought it would be fun to share a bit about my life with books and reading.

• I don't give up on books that I don't like. I finish everything that I start. Even when the book is really, really bad.
• I read everything in the book but the index. If there are appendices or author's notes I read them. I peruse reference lists and recommended further reading. I read prefaces and context notes. I'll even glance at the publication information page.
• I read one (maybe two) books at a time for myself. I've got my "nightstand" book that is my main read. That's usually it. Occasionally, I will supplement with an "end table" read that lives in the living room and is, generally, lighter fare. 
• The only time I take notes while reading is when it's a title I'm reading for work. I don't highlight or notate the actual text. I write down my notes in an online word document.
• I always take the dust jackets off when I read hardcover titles.
• I will do everything in my power to not break the spines of paperback books.
• I track every book I read in a database - with book number for the year, date I started, date I finished, author, title, genre, pages, and a rating on a 10 scale.
• I prefer to borrow books from the library over buying. 
• When I do buy books, I have an inability to buy them singly. I must buy books in at least a pair. They need friends!
• I rarely re-read a title.
• With the exception of a few series, I don't keep books once I've finished them. I donate the books to our community or local library.
• My bookmark usage is true neutral... sometimes chaotic good.
• Team Dead Tree Books forever!

What are your reading habits?

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• Everything is starting to look the same. [Alex Murrell]
• The highs and lows of movie trailers. [NPR]
• A touching essay on acceptance and finding meaning in Drew Barrymore. [homeculture]
• Is ice cream... good for you? [The Atlantic - may be paywalled]
• Librarians and cardigans - a match made in fashion. [Book Riot]

• The psychology behind playing the victim. [Hidden Brain]
• The false promise of the lottery. [99% Invisible]
• Taste and texture go hand-in-hand. [Gastropod]
• What a surprise. The tax code is racist. [Code Switch]
• Superbugs are everywhere. [Science Vs]
• The end of Phantom and the future of Broadway. [The Daily]

• I don't know how I made it this long thinking that the John Wick series was sci-fi. One of the husband's colleagues told him it was a non-stop action flick so we opted to try it out. Holy cow the violence.  I was unprepared for the body count in this one. A quick Google has since enlightened me to many things. This movie was, indeed, a veritable action flick. I quite enjoyed it. Keanu Reeves always surprises me - in a good way. [Peacock]
• Figuring the sequel would be just as good, we watched John Wick: Chapter 2. I loved learning more about the rules of the underworld. Also, the writing on the montage scene where Wick sets up for his work was just exquisite. The scene with the sommelier is brilliant. [Peacock]
• Since we were on a roll, we went ahead and watched John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum​. Of all the movies, this was my least favorite. The world, while still interesting, basically hit the point of absurdity. It feels like the world has more assassins than normal people in it. Still love the rules and the action. [Peacock]

• We haven't made one pan garlic ranch chicken and veggies for a long while. So long in fact that I had to buy more ranch seasoning packets. This dish has a lot of flavor with minimal effort. I like skinless chicken thighs so I skip the brown sugar broiling step. I just toss everything together, spread it out on the sheet pan, and bake. The leftovers of this dish are fantastic for lunch the next day. [Damn Delicious]
• For my lunch meal prep this week, I tossed together black bean and sweet corn quinoa salad.  I love the pop of the corn, smoothness of the beans, and heartiness of the quinoa. You can serve this hot or cold. I prefer cold in the summer because it feels like a picnic salad. Next time, I'm going to up my spice level. Something was just a touch bland this go-round. [Mel's Kitchen Cafe]

• On Wednesday, I teach my last library instruction class of the semester. This class is no regular library instruction class. The course itself is upper-level and focuses on global archives. The professor asked me to come in to give a workshop on personal archiving. I had an absolute blast developing the content and putting together slides. In the demo, I'm including a look at my own personal archive and process. I can't wait to teach this session. I'm so excited that I decided to turn this into a summer webinar. I kind of want to make it a regular thing.