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Hi Reader!
Confession: I've been in a serious (book) reading rut since January.
Sure, I've been reading other things (e.g., articles, children's stories, emails, etc.), but books have been a struggle. Even audiobooks.
There's actually a good reason for this (which I will share next month), but it's been hard. You know that feeling when you know you enjoy doing something, but you're having 1) a hard time doing it and 2) enjoying the process when you do force yourself. That's where I've been.
So what am I doing about it?
I'm basically giving myself some grace. I've accepted that books and I have been on a bit of a break, but I'm hoping to change that in the next days.
One book on my immediate TBR is Raven DaSilva's The Other Ancient Civilisations. I'll be interviewing her for an upcoming podcast episode, and I've already read a few chapters of her book. They're well-written, creative, and highly accessible. I'm looking forward to discussing this book with her!
While books have been a struggle, I actually got my act together and curated a list of all the books mentioned by my podcast guests.
I now have a bookshop.org store. This site supports independent bookstores, and you can even choose which bookstore you want your purchase to support. I'm not sponsored by them (although I will earn an affiliate income if you shop through my links), but I love their mission.
Even though books have been tough lately, I’ve still been consuming things that feed my curiosity, and I’ve shared a few of those things below.
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Fresh from the Field 🗺️
A quick round-up of my latest videos, podcasts, and features
Here are the most recent podcast episodes:
🎙️ Episode 4: The Secret Past Lives of Words
Scholar, author, and podcaster, Michelle Franklin, joins us to explore the surprising origins of words like púca and like, and how slang, dialect, and identity shape the way we communicate.
→ YouTube | Spotify | More Options
**Special thanks to Michelle Franklin for creating this entertaining short promoting our episode!**
🎙️ Episode 5: What the Dead Still Mean to the Living in Iceland
Biomedical anthropologist, Dr. Adam Netzer-Zimmer, shares how overlooked human remains are unearthing Iceland’s multifaceted relationship with the dead.
→ YouTube | Spotify | More Options
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Small Finds 👝
Sharing things that sparked my curiosity recently
🗳️ The Key System That Unlocked Zohran Mamdani's Win - Bean Thinking
I recently met up with Ahsante Bean, and she was telling me about this video that she was thinking of making. Then she made it! I think she did a brilliant job of explaining rank-choice voting, so check out her video if you’re interested in learning more.
🧠 Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-In-Law - Proxy with Yowei Shaw
I really enjoy the podcast Proxy, which explores various emotional conundrums. This episode is especially touching and thought-provoking as it centers around navigating a loved one’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis. I was surprised that I walked away with some practical tips and mindsets that still resonate with me.
🌋 Slow Death by Volcano - Dr. Adam Netzer-Zimmer
When Adam and I were doing the SAPIENS Public Scholars Training Fellowship, he wrote this article about the surprising long-term hazards in Iceland. I recently re-read it and it’s a fascinating read.
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Dig Back In ⛏️
Revisiting something curious from the archive
It's summer where we live, and we're seeing insects everywhere! If you're curious to find out about what we can learn from ancient insects, check out this video.
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Thank you so much for reading. And if you’ve ever found your way out of a reading rut, I’d love to hear what helped.
Until next time,
Smiti |
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