Reading for the Week of 2/13/2022

Here is what I read this week. Some of the articles/posts may require a subscription to read them. I also share my recommended reads on Pocket for anyone who wants to follow along there.

Books

Gave up

• Never by Ken Follett. These days, when I read fiction, I am looking to be entertained. I was in the mood for a spy-thriller, and I liked the sound of this book, but it started a little too slowly for me. Maybe I’ll go back to it someday.

Finished Reading

• The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy (re-read). Not long ago, I introduced the boy to the film version of The Hunt for Red October and with that in mind, and still wanting to read a spy-thriller, I decided to re-read the book. I forgot how good the book was. It was Clancy’s first, and possibly his best. I say possibly because my memory of his other books (which I first read in the 1990s) is a little fuzzy.

In Progress

• Patriot Games by Tom Clancy (re-read). Since I enjoyed re-reading the first Jack Ryan book so much, I figured why stop?
• A Short History of Ireland, 1500-2000 by John Gibney. We have a family trip to Ireland planned for later in the year. I figure I need to bone-up on my Irish history beforehand.

Articles/posts

• Why Small Towns Are Attracting More Newcomers by Eduardo Porter and Stacy Kranitz (NY times, 2/12/22) #economy
• The Ottawa Trucker Protests Are a Test of Democracy by The Editorial Board (NY Times, 2/10/22)
• The Inceedible Vanishing Trump Presidency by David A. Graham (Atlantic, 2/9/22) #politics
• How McConnell Hopes to Thwart Trump in the Midterms by Jonathan Martin (NY Times, 2/13/22) #politics
• The two sides of Youngkin: Virginia’s new governor calls for unity but keeps stoking volatile issu by Gregory Schneider and Laura Vozzella (Washington Post, 2/13/22) #politics
• A Designated Hitter for All by Joe Posnanski (Substack, 2/11/22). As always, Joe has sensible things to say about the DH. As a baseball purist, I lean toward no DH, but Joe has some convincing arguments for its value today. #baseball
• Happy Movies by Joe Posnanski (Substack, 1/27/22). This was a wonderful post where Joe listed out his 10 favorite “happy” movies of all time. When I finished reading the post, I immediately went and re-watched That Thing You Do, which I hadn’t seen since it was first released in theaters. #film
• Ignorance Is Bliss – Melanie Novak (blog, 2/13/22). We were at the Presque Isle Lighthouse on our roadtrip this summer, so it was nice to see what the place looked like in the depth of winter. #travel
• Use Obsidian’s Plugin Responsibly · Davide Aversa #notes
• Accounting Firm Cuts Ties With Trump and Retracts Financial Statements by Ben Protess and William K. Rashbaum (NY Times, 2/14/22)
• Travel in the Pandemic Can Be Liberating by Andrew McCarthy (NY Times, 2/14/22). I enjoy travel writing, and of course, remember McCarthy from his brat-pack days. I had no idea he was a travel writer today. #travel
• 50 Before 50 by Kate Jones (Writer In Residence, 1/24/2022). I will turn 50 this year, so this post caught my eye. #reading
• Flat Earth Beliefs by Mike Dariano (The Waiter’s Pad, 2/14/22). Mike always has interesting posts and this is one of them.
• Come and Get It (1936): Bad Adaptation, Great Film – Melanie Novak by Melanie Novak (blog, 2/16/22) #film
• Bram Stoker, Dracula, and Progress Studies by Tyler Cowen (Marginal Revolution, 2/14/22). I recently re-read Dracula and so it was still fresh in my mind when I read this piece. #literature
• Hey, Larry David, Your Super Bowl Commercial Was Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Bad by Timothy Noah ( New Republic, 2/15/22) #personal-finance
• Journaling with txt files (raffy1’s Blog, 2/16/22). Some interesting thoughts on journaling with text files and the pros and cons and tools involved. #journal
• 🌲 The Value of Consistent Naming Conventions by Eleanor Konik (Obsidian Roundup, 2/17/22) #theme/theory-of-notes
• Our Country is Filled with Problems; Reading Too Many Books Isn’t One of Them by Ryan Holiday (blog, 2/17/22). A must-read on book-banning in the U.S. #theme/value-of-reading
• Pitchers and Catchers by Joe Posnanski (JoeBlogs, 2/17/22) #sports/baseball
• That broken tech/content culture cycle by Anil Dash (blog, 2/9/22)

Any recommendations for books, articles or posts I should read? Let me know in the comments?

Written on February 19, 2022.