For the past couple of months I’ve wrestled* with a not-very-important conundrum: I read or see about two zillion interesting things on the Internet every week and I’m not totally sure how to share them all with people. My email inbox is a needy problem child I avoid looking at as much as possible, I don’t like spamming Facebook, I’ve fallen off the Tumblr wagon (and forgotten my password), and the 140-character limit on Twitter is, well, a little limiting.
*by “wrestled,” I mean “I thought about this once or twice, since most of my time is spent figuring out this practice/work/life balance nonsense.” Y’know, just in case you people think I’m incapable of prioritizing like a real adult.
Then I was all “Duh, Sharon, you have a blog where you can post anything you want!”
So here’s the Sunday Reading Roundup, a thing I am starting because it is now past midnight on a Saturday, so it’s too late to call this the Saturday Reading Roundup. There is no real rhyme or reason to things making it on to here; this is just a list of recent-ish things I’ve found interesting.
Articles
Vanity Fair: “The Celebrity Surgeon Who Used Love, Money, and the Pope to Scam an NBC News Producer“
A fascinating serving of a real-life fantasy and an elaborate con, with a generous side of wtf-ery.
The Toast: “What Goes Through Your Mind: On Nice Parties and Casual Racism“
A well-articulated piece that unfortunately resonates too familiarly. The comments are thoughtful and worth a read as well.
Mother Jones: “Here’s What I Saw in a California Town Without Running Water“
This drought, you guys.
The New York Times: “The Profound Emptiness of ‘Resilience’“
A thought-provoking piece that explores the dark side of society celebrating the idea of resilience.
The New Yorker: “Unfollow“
A long-ish read, but a very compelling story about the role that social media played in drawing Megan Phelps-Roper away from the Westboro Baptist Church.
The Washington Post: “A Survivor’s Life“
A heartbreaking account of one survivor’s life after the Umpqua Community College mass shooting.
Social Media
Reddit: “What is something someone said that changed your way of thinking forever?“
I was startled by how much I learned from this thread.
Dear Coquette: “On the eye of the beholder”
Whoa. This was freaking beautiful.
Twitter: @mozart____ and @Beethoven_____
Not affiliated with whoever is behind these accounts, but I just discovered them, and they’re hilarious. I love how Mozart is constantly ragging on Clementi and Beethoven on Hummel, and sometimes they get into Twitter-fights with Haydn. #ihavenolife
Actual Books
John Pollack: The Pun Also Rises
As seen on Instagram. This was a delightful and surprisingly educational quick read, and definitely worth it if you love wordplay half as much as I do.
Aziz Ansari: Modern Romance
I re-read this after gifting it to two people in December, and it’s one of those books I’d recommend to pretty much anyone. It’s entertaining, thought-provoking, and super duper fascinating.
Disclaimer: I’ve used Amazon affiliate links, which mean I get a tiny commission (at no cost to you) if you buy anything through clicking the book links. If you prefer not to use the links, Google is your friend.
Miscellaneous (Not really reading)
I love this cartoon way too much.
I finally listened to Hamilton. (Don’t laugh! I have a tendency to avoid things that are super-hyped because they’re usually horribly disappointing, or just horrible—I’m looking at you, Frozen. Enough people with good taste recommended this so I gave in.) I know you’re probably sick of hearing people gush about how good Hamilton is, but OMG IT’S SO GOOD. I’ve been listening to this on repeat for days now. I’ve gone to bed late several nights in a row because I couldn’t stand to stop listening. Lin-Manuel Miranda, what have you done to me??
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