What are you reading Wednesday? (for the last 2 Wednesdays)

[frenzy]

What have you finished reading?

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler - This gripped me from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down. Occasionally, I found the prose lacking. But the story itself was fine just on its own. I strongly dislike the gap between the main character and her lover. I know this has a sequel so I need to get my ass to the used book shop and pick it up!


What are you currently reading?

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman (Author) - Oh boy. Use data. With data that isn't reactive you can get a better understanding of Business Stuff. This book is very basic in its principles, but I really do think a lot of small businesses don't do even half of this shit.

Moby Dick by Herman Melville - I am caught up! I am convinced Ishmael isn't a very reliable narrator after a few chapters. But it confirms he's absolutely a dork at the very least. Queequeg is absolutely fucking with him and he's falling for it hook, line, and sinker. And I can only assume he is in wayyyy over his head with this whaling expedition. We haven't met Captain Ahab yet which feels weird. either way, once I "get into the language", its a riveting book thats hard to put down.

Comments

[ioplokon]

Re data and business, definitely. I think the biggest thing is to minimize perverse incentives in reporting. Basically, if people's jobs depend on "number look good", you will get reacitve data sliced to make number look good -- and so won't have any idea what is actually going on.

Re Whale Book: congrats on catching up! It's pretty fun, huh?

(re: Octavia Butler age gap discourse, could be worse! Fledgling is like explicitly supposed to be bad and weird about it but also... it does indeed feel bad and weird!!)

[sabotabby]

Oh god yeah Parable of the Sower was perfect and so uncomfortable. I think Butler does a lot of uncomfortable age/power gaps, on purpose, but that just layers on the brutality of reading her for me.

I went with the theory that Queequeg is definitely fucking with Ishmael, Ishmael kind of knows it and definitely likes it.

[frandroid]

I need to catch up to Whale Weekly before it runs away from me.