Just ordered my 2025 calendar refill from Austin Mann. The prints are always gorgeous and make a great gift.
☕️ With the holidays arriving in the US next week, I roasted my first batch of Sweet Maria’s Polar Expresso for 2024. I’ve been trending towards lighter roasts lately, but going Full City+ on this blend usually works well for both pour overs and espresso.
Finished reading: Reamde by Neal Stephenson 📚
This was my first reread of Reamde since it was published. I forgot how good it was. The terrorist story line was a little too mid-2000s, but the technology pieces hold up pretty well and the characters are great. 8/10
🖋 Happy Hobonichi Day! I’m due for a new 5 Year and am going to recommit to keeping it updated. I’ve done it sporadically over the last 5 years, but looking back on the stretches I kept it up is delightful.
I haven’t used a daily Hobo in a few years, but couldn’t resist adding one to my order.
Finished reading: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin 📚
I know a lot of people love this book, and I was excited to read it, but I just couldn’t get into it. I read it over the course of 6 months in small sections when I thought I was in the right frame of mind, but it never grabbed me.
Finished reading: Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan 📚
I’m a big fan of Robin’s newsletters, but had never read one of his books. I enjoyed this immensely. If you like books, libraries, and typography, you might enjoy this too.
I’ve been getting back into print magazines and Mountain Gazette is a great one. Their list of “Magazines We Love That Aren’t Ours” is fantastic. I didn’t know that Creem is coming back!
Finished reading: A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society’s Rules, and How to Bend them Back by Bruce Schneier 📚
A book about all the various ways people (mostly rich people) hack our political, legal and societal systems for their benefit. I found it rather depressing as the “How to Bend them Back” portion of the book didn’t seem to offer many realistic solutions.
Finished reading: Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy 📚
Finished reading: Freedom by Sebastian Junger 📚
A short book on what it means to be free in the worldly sense rather than the spiritual. I enjoyed it.