Another one taking part in Small Web July

To try to get back into regular blogging again, I have decided to take up this invitation to Small Web July.

Here are my guidelines for the month:

  • Write at least one blog post a day - This can be anything from quoting another post, sharing some thoughts or anything else really. The one thing I want to do, though, is to move beyond just sharing the bare minimum. Far too many of my posts are short enough not to need titles on Micro.blog, and I want to start moving away from short posts to longer posts.
  • Engage a bit more on Micro.blog - I noticed that my volume of replies to people and from people is relatively low. I used to reply to posts a lot in the past, but for some reason, I find myself rarely engaging with other people on Micro.blog.
  • Spend more time reading - My reading habit is returning, but not as quickly as I would like. Some fiction books I’ve recently bought are not grabbing my attention. On a whim, I picked up Andy Weir’s book, Hail Mary, for my Kobo. I loved reading The Martian, so I’m sure this will be something I will enjoy reading.

That’s it for the month. I could have added more things to do, but with schools off here in Scotland, I tend to find that between now and mid-August is a time for setting aside any primary goals and just enjoying the boys being about the house and sitting in the back garden when possible.

I noticed that Annie Mueller is participating as well.

Is anyone else taking part?

Father’s Day is just around the corner here but I managed to convince the family to let me have my gift early, a Kobo Clara BW e-reader. I’ve been wanting one of these for a while.

An open Kobo e-reader displays a page titled "Feed Your Weaker Self" beside its case.

That’s the 2nd time in a matter of weeks I’ve used a YAML file as a data source instead of going to straight to creating a table in the database.

The YAML file bridges that gap nicely of not needing the database quite yet, but we do need to store some structured data.

I finished reading Dust, the last of the Silo series by Hugh Howey.

I thoroughly enjoyed the books. It’s also good to finally have finished a series of books, as it’s been a while since I’ve done that.

First Paragraph - Dust

Dust rained in the halls of Mechanical; it shivered free from the violence of the digging. Wires overhead swung gently in their harnesses. Pipes rattled. And from the generator room, staccato bangs filled the air, bounced off the walls, and brought to mind a time when unbalanced machines spun dangerously.

‐ Dust by Hugh Howey

I’m loving this series of books.

First Paragraph - 12 Rules for Life

If you are like most people, you don’t often think about lobsters—unless you’re eating one. However, these interesting and delicious crustaceans are very much worth considering. Their nervous systems are comparatively simple, with large, easily observable neurons, the magic cells of the brain. Because of this, scientists have been able to map the neural circuitry of lobsters very accurately. This has helped us understand the structure and function of the brain and behaviour of more complex animals, including human beings. Lobsters have more in common with you than you might think (particularly when you are feeling crabby—ha ha).

— 12 Rules for Life by Jordan B. Peterson

First non-fiction book of the year. Just reading a chapter a month.

I love that Bookshop.org still supports local bookstores with their new ebook sales. However, why can you only read these ebooks with the Bookshop.org Ebooks app? I would have liked the option to read my purchased ebooks in other ebook readers. Still, I’ll be checking it out.

I finished reading Shift by Hugh Howey. It’s not the way I thought the series was going to go. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 📚

I finished reading Wool by Hugh Howey last night. The first book finished for this year’s reading goal and the first time in a while that I’d finished a book in just under a week.

It is not a million miles from the television series but a bit faster-paced. 📚

First Paragraph - Wool

The children were playing while Holston climbed to his death; he could hear them squealing as only happy children do. While they thundered about frantically above, Holston took his time, each step methodical and ponderous, as he wound his way around and around the spiral staircase, old boots ringing out on metal treads.

— Wool by Hugh Howey

My track record of reading books has been woeful over the last few years. I thought I would try something different this year. I’ll be posting the first paragraph of each book I’m starting, and I’m using Micro.blog’s Epilogue app to track what I’m reading through the year.

I enjoyed the first season of Apple TV’s Silo, and I’ve just started watching the second season. It seemed like a good fit to start reading something I was familiar with.