Reading list

I consume most of my day-to-day content via RSS feeds and newsletters using Unread and FeedBin. I love the aesthetic and user experience of Unread. I’ve tried so many feed readers and nothing compares. I also love the ability to seamlessly subscribe to newsletters via FeedBin. I’ve tried so many hacks, e.g. kill-the-newsletter, and I keep coming back to FeedBin. My usual workflow is to skim the summaries, skim the articles, bookmark stuff for later, take notes, then if I really liked it, I’ll publish something here as a bookmark. As of writing, I am subscribed to 249 feeds.

I use Readwise Reader as my read-later and highlighting tool. I love the seamless integration with Readwise for spaced repetition. I was a long-time Instapaper user (which also has Readwise integration) but seeing as I pay for Readwise anyway, … Most of the links I post here have gone via Readwise at some point. I also like that Readwise can read articles to me. Instapaper recently added Apple CarPlay support which looks great and if anyone from Readwise is listening, at least one customer would love CarPlay support. As of writing, I have 310 unread articles, and 42 articles waiting for me to publish a link to with commentary.

For books, I am an audiobook addict. I find I get through so much more and can take advantage of so many more opportunities to read e.g. shopping, washing, cleaning, road-trips, even coming home after dropping the kids off at school. When listening to audiobooks, 1.2x-1.5x is my sweet spot, depending on the natural cadence and the topic. Audible is my weapon of choice, which is surprising to me given I’m so far into the Apple ecosystem. If anyone from Apple is listening, if you did an audiobook subscription, I’d throw my money at you instead!

Because I’m a maniac, I’m currently reading the following books:

1. Motivational Interviewing for Leadership. A few years back I did an MI course and it quite literally changed my life. Sadly, there’s no audiobook version so I’m reading the dead-tree version, like an animal.
2. Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps. It’s a little out-of-date now given the authors’ most recent research, but it’s a good fundamentals book nevertheless. Well worth reading.
3. Scaling People. A bit of a hard slog, this one. I generally find the style off-putting but there’s enough in it to keep me going at the moment.
4. Essentialism. Recommended by Warren. I’m finding it quite validating!
5. Buy-In. A very short read that I only just started. So far, I’m enjoying it a lot, even though I’m normally put off by the Goldratt-style narrative.
6. Wool. I really enjoyed the TV series on Apple TV+ and (perhaps unsurprisingly) I’m enjoying the book even more.

And yes, before you laugh (oh no, I’m too late), Essentialism (4) would suggest I’m reading 5 books too many.

So then, how and why am I reading 6 books at once? Mood, really. Depending on how I’m feeling, time of day, context, what’s just happened in my work or personal life, etc. I’ll naturally gravitate towards different topics.

What about podcasts? Surely, I’m missing out there? I used to consume a large number of podcasts as well. These days, I’ve all but given up, aside from the occasional recommended episode. I’ll probably switch back at some point. I’ve found my content consumption habits go through various ups and downs over time.

UPDATE: I’ve since switched back to Instapaper. Readwise Reader UX just didn’t work for me in the long run.