3 Things I Like this Week

Enjoyable Items and Experiences on July 12

Each week (give or take one or two here and there) I share three things I like – It could be a book, a movie, a podcast, an album, a photo, an article, a restaurant, a food item, a beverage, or anything else I simply enjoy and think you might too. You can find a whole pile of things, especially books, I like and recommend HERE.

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1. Amazon Kindle Scribe

If you poke around my website or follow me on social media you will know that I share a lot of kindle deals, and I would have you know that I put my money where my keystrokes are: I am an ebook reader. The Kindle Scribe is my favorite e-reader for a variety of reasons. First, the screen is the size of a full sized print book, so it feels like reading a real book. (Yes, print books are more real.) Second, kindles paper white technology makes the screen much more pleasant and less glaring than, say, an iPad. Third, I have found the writing/note taking feature to be really helpful. You can’t write in most e-books (a shortcoming of the file type, not the technology), but you can upload pdfs and write in them or create your own notes. I have found this especially helpful when traveling to speak because I can mark up my manuscript or outline by hand and teach directly from the scribe.

2. Half Batch Brewing

Caveat: I have no idea how much this recommendation will matter to anyone outside the Nashville area, but whatever. I am a beer appreciator, which is to say I am advanced well beyond a mere beer drinker but not so far as to be a connoisseur. I have sampled beers of all styles from around the world, and I can definitively say that the American craft brewing obsession with IPAs and sours is profoundly stupid, or at least narrow minded. This isn’t to say there are no good IPAs or sours, but rather that there are so many delightful, delectable, delicious beers beyond those two aggressively after-tasty styles. Half Batch Brewing in Hendersonville, TN (where I live) is leaning whole heartedly and well-craftedly into those other styles–Scottish Ales, Cream Ales, Lagers (both American & Mexican), Belgian Tripels, Red Ales, and more. And they do them all well, with balance and smoothness. Half Batch has quickly climbed the ranks of my favorite breweries, so if you happen to be in or around Nashville hot up their taproom or pick yourself up some. (The Fulkin Scottish Ale is my absolute favorite.)

3. Good Poems

I love poetry. I’m not sure I know anything about it, or even how to define what makes good poetry, but I know what I like. And I love this collection, edited by Garrison Keillor. Mostly it is composed of poems that normal people can connect with rather than something the literati might judge you for disliking or, God forbid, not understanding. It is a delightful entry point for people intimidated by poetry but interested in trying more. As good poetry should do, it evokes and moves. And as every good poetry collection should have, it offers different styles and voices to connect with different kinds of readers.