Think before you speak. Read before you think.
-Fran Lebowitz

A sample from one of my office bookcases.

I love to read. It’s practically all I do. In my “free” time, I read fiction and interesting non-fiction, and during my working hours I read blog posts and news stories from all over. This month, I’m sharing a few of the more interesting reads I’ve come across. I’m hoping to make this a monthly feature, and the categories will change.

In the comments, add yours. I’m always looking for the next book or well-written articles.

Motivational

R.E.S.E.T. Your Mindset

I don’t often read motivational books, because I tend to feel like they speak too childishly, spelling out e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. But I did enjoy one this month. It was a Christmas gift I finally got around to reading and was extremely relevant to me at this time. I’m sure I’ll be rereading this one to quiet my Inner Mean Girl.

Nonfiction

The Journalist and the Murderer

This book is from the 90s and talks a lot about how far a journalist can/should go to gain a source’s trust. What’s the journalist/subject relationship? It was an interesting read with some food for thought.

Fiction

I read a lot of fiction, usually at least one book a week, but often two or three. However, many of them I wouldn’t recommend. Yet, I did find a couple to share.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas (She wrote The Hate U Give, which was excellent, especially for a first novel, and this one is another strong novel.)

Blackbird by Sam Humphries with art by Jen Bartel. Volume 1 was just released in May, although I’ve been reading each issue as it came out. The story is strong, and the artwork is absolutely beautiful. I strongly recommend this comic if for no other reason than to look at the pretty people and creatures.

Around the Web

I read many blog posts for work, mostly the latest healthcare industry news (oh, look, another merger) and health research. But also content marketing and writing articles, and analyses of current events.

The Information Diet — Future Crunch

How to curb the influx of information we all have from so many sources and select just what’s most interesting or informative for you. I checked out a few newsletters from here and am working on reducing my information diet as well.

The big lie behind pivoting to video.

Have you heard that video is the future of content marketing? Everyone has short attention spans and wants everything in a video. Ok, that’s not true, but it’s how it feels sometimes. Some days I think I’m the only person left who enjoys reading far more than watching a video. (If you’re like me, please comment so I know I’m not alone.) Check out these two perspectives on video content.

My listening skills are terrible. Plus, if my kids hear me listening to something, they get louder, so video and podcasts are often a lost cause. Yet, I am trying. I’ve subscribed to a few podcasts and will try my best to listen to them. Maybe next month, I’ll have some videos and episodes to share as well.

Follow me on Twitter to see what books I’m reading each week. What have you been reading?