Related Recs

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A regimented reading system

I’m always worried that I’m not reading enough or not reading the right things. Creating a set of laws about how and what I read that has no relationship to my immediate impulses or desires helps me feel like I’m making progress through everything I want to absorb. For the past four years it‘s looked like this: I’m always reading three books: one novel, one non-fiction book that’s mostly about information I want to learn about, and one collection of short stories or essays. I read 50 pages of the novel. Then 50 pages of non-fiction. Then 50 pages of novel. Then 50 pages of the collection. Even if I’m really engrossed, I switch after 50 pages. Maybe this sounds psychotic but it works for me and makes sure a more challenging read doesn’t bog me down. I also have a system about when I read a book I just bought and when I read a book I’ve had for a long time and when I read a book that’s old and when I read a book that was written right now…. yikes Anything to keep the anxiety at bay

@rubyzuckerman

Jan 16, 2024

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Fake Reading

I want to be able to read books. Trust me, I do. It will help me get even better as a writer — to cultivate my already strong ability. But it is increasingly hard for me to finish them. I am halfway through Moby Dick, and like fifty pages through Emma Cline’s The Guest. Somehow, I can only finish The Jordan Rules, a spectacular book about Michael Jordan being a maniac and the quest for a championship by the 1990-1991 Bulls. (I highly recommend it. Sam Smith is a great sportswriter). For some reason, my brain doesn’t have enough discipline. My friend Naomi thinks “I’m just a young man figuring out art and life”, but I want to be able to read. The infamous How Long Gone podcast believes that it is thirsty to read, and I honestly don’t disagree with Mr. Black and Mr. Stewart, but it is objectively a good thing to be able to read. Kanye didn’t read, and look what happened to him. He literally got dumber and more mentally ill as the years went on. So, I recommend fake reading. At least, the ten pages a day you read will allow you to feel like you read something. Articles aren’t enough: fake read a book, and you’ll do your community service for a day.

@jayson

STAFF

Oct 16, 2023

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Reading whatever you want

I think a lot of people can find reading really intimidating because they feel they have to read the literary greats (which can be linguistically inaccessible), and while I believe those have tremendous value I also think they aren’t requirements. If you want to read exclusively romance, or YA fantasy, or murder mysteries, go for it. I think when we put parameters on what should or shouldn’t be read we make it feel like a chore or an assignment. But I think there is infinite value in your airport paperback as long as you are finding true enjoyment. Anyways this is basically a long winded way of saying, read what you want and don’t feel like you aren’t as good of a reader just because you aren’t reading Hemingway. P.S. this is my professional opinion as a real life librarian

@eebieweebie

Jan 13, 2025

Top Recs from @salad_valet

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Breaking free from spotify

i canceled my Spotify account over the summer and have spent the last few months rebuilding my digital music library on a refurbished iPod Touch. reading critiques of the app (and it’s enshittification), i realized i wasn’t even sure of my own musical tastes and preferences. i had stopped picking for myself, stopped seeking out new music, ceasing to know how to choose what i wanted or articulate what i like. breaking free from the algorithm has been such a joy! i’m borrowing gobs of music from the library, rebuilding my old playlists, and consuming more music than i have in years. and better yet, my data isn’t being tracked by Spotify and i own what’s in my personal library. further, my receptors are more open when i’m out in the world exposed to music, searching for recommendations in an organic way.

@salad_valet

Jan 16, 2025

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The anti-capitalist nature of pi.fyi

i’ve been trying to articulate why i enjoy this space so much. yes, the UX is reminiscent of Tumblr and the early days of the internet. and there’s genuine sincerity and vulnerability on here that makes it feel really cozy and real, which i haven’t felt online in at least a decade. but i think what’s undergirding my love of this space is how anti-capitalist it feels. most of the recs everyone shares are vibe-checks, quality of life shifts, meditations and offers, music and movies, just plain good art. i don’t feel compelled to buy anything when i come here. i feel excited and pumped to be a cheerleader, find connection, find common ground. and FWIW the recs i’ve shared that have gotten the most traction are my suggestions for leading a less capitalistic / consumerist life (quitting Amazon, getting off of Spotify, building community to take care of you and your things). all of this is to say, i love it here and i love you guys.

@salad_valet

Feb 7, 2025

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Quitting amazon

hear me out—this one might feel impossible, but i quit purchasing items on Amazon in 2018 and cancelled my GoodReads account shortly after. i did some serious reflection and realized i’d become super reliant upon, and frankly, quite used to the instant gratification of purchasing something and knowing i’d have it within a day. that’s not normal. the labor practices, economics, and environmental impacts of getting what you want from the internet delivered quickly and right to your door are skewed. i was filling a void in myself with mindless purchases. i’m aware that they service a huge swath of the internet (Amazon Web Services), own Whole Foods and Abe Books, and will likely take over more businesses we like and rely on. weaning off and avoiding entirely is very very hard, but it can also be a measured decision. that said, i know that it is a privilege to abstain from Amazon. i am able bodied, i don’t have kids, i have access to a car, i live in an urban environment with access to a lot of stuff at my fingertips. but making the choice to break out of the Amazon loop has ultimately been better for my pocketbook and better for my relationship to these mega-tech-companies that have their fingers in everything. in contrast, i’m becoming more interested in alternate economies, like bartering and sharing. i love the idea of having commonly shared tools and items (tool libraries are very cool). we don’t need to own it all, we have each other. interested in exploring more? the zine pictured below is a great start, and summarizes a much larger book by the same author on how to resist the leviathan that is Amazon.

@salad_valet

Jan 22, 2025