book
- πββοΈFitness: As I wrote about recently, I use HealthFit (mostly) instead of Apple Fitness
- π§ Meditation: Waking Up, instead of Mindfulness
- π Journal: Doesnβt count yet, since Apple hasnβt released their journalling app. Soon, though, DayOne instead of the default
- π Books: Libby instead of Apple Books, mostly because of the public library integration
- πΈ Listen later: MusicBox instead of the Apple Music library
Finished reading: The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin is a great follow up to A Wizard of Earthsea that adds depth to the world of Earthseaπ
Finished reading: I really enjoyed Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Great characters and good story. Although Iβm not steeped in gamer culture, you donβt need to be to follow alongπ
Finished reading: American Moonshot by Douglas Brinkley. Iβve read several books about the Apollo missions, all of them focused on the science and engineering. This book is a fascinating look at the politics and JFKβs indispensable leadership. ππ
Non-default apps
As a follow up to my list of default apps, I have a few non-default apps that werenβt on the original list from Hemispheric Views.
Finished reading: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson is fun. A nice break from the epic storytelling of the previous series. The Sherlock Holmes meets Western lawman vibe fits in well with the allomancy π
Finished reading: Eyes of the Void by Adrian Tchaikovsky continues a great series. Interesting and diverse aliens, cosmic scale mysteries, and against all odds, plucky humans π
Finished reading: Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson is pretty good. Nowhere near as visionary as Anathem or Seveneves, though tighter than _Fall; or Dodge in Hell_π
Finished reading: The Rationalist’s Guide to the Galaxy by Tom Chivers is an entertaining and interesting book about AI risks and the Rationalists that worry about them π
Finished reading: The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler has so many fascinating ideas about consciousness, intelligence, and language embedded in a good story about a community of octopuses. I really enjoyed this oneπ
Finished reading: Earthseed by Octavia E. Butler is a powerful story that is surprisingly optimistic for a dystopia π
Finished reading: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison is a great story about an outsider being thrust into power and the decisions they need to make without compromising their ideals π
Finished reading: I really enjoyed Hands of Time by Rebecca Struthers. Although notionally about mechanical watches, thereβs also interesting ideas about time, building things by hand, and focusing on what really matters.
The book also resurrected an internal debate about the Apple Watch vs mechanical watches. For now, Iβm going to take this as inspiration to reconsider my watch faces π
Finished reading: Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson finishes the remarkable trilogy. Robinsonβs meticulous detail (though occasionally overwhelming) really brings Mars to life, along with compelling characters and ideas. Although I sympathize with the βredsβ, I think the series ended appropriately π
Finished reading: I enjoyed The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan. Iβm simultaneously pleased and daunted by the number of books left in this series π
Finished reading: Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky is a great start to the series. I enjoy a good story about plucky humans taking on powerful and mysterious aliens with inscrutable motivations π
Finished reading: Shaman by Kim Stanley Robinson is a compelling and richly detailed story about a prehistoric tribe. Since Iβm on vacation at a cottage in the woods, I felt a stronger connection with the world of the book than I might have at home π
Finished reading: I enjoyed the evil, killer Hogwarts of A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik π
Finished reading: I really enjoyed The Anomaly by HervΓ© Le Tellier. I think this is the first story Iβve read that really explores the implications of the simulation hypothesis π
Finished reading: The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan continues the imaginative and entertaining series π