For the last year or so, I’ve been obsessed with memoirs by people from the Obama administration. Our current political culture is such a trash fire that it’s giving me major nostalgia for like… three years ago, a simpler time. Today I’ve got quick reviews of two recent political memoirs, both that I enjoyed very much but for very different reasons.

From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein

Just out of college and not sure what to do with her life, Beck Dorey-Stein answered a mysterious Craigslist ad that turned out to be for a position as an official White House stenographer. She had the unique position of joining the White House as an outsider – she wasn’t part of the Obama campaign, and the stenographer’s office is a non-partisan position. As a stenographer, Dorey-Stein traveled with the administration around the world and got a front row seat to major world events.

But From the Corner of the Oval really isn’t about that. Instead, it’s a sort of Bridget Jones-esque account of her friendships and relationships with other staff at the White House. It’s also a coming-of-age story about a woman trying to find her place in the world while also being given the surreal chance to ride on Marine One for her birthday. The backdrop of the White House and major world events gives the book some umph that I think it would have otherwise been missing.

My only criticism of the book is one of my pet peeves. I hate when memoirs about someone trying to figure out if they can be a writer includes stories about other people in their lives telling them what a great writer they are… it always feels like information I don’t need because I am reading their book and can judge for myself whether their writing is great or not. But really, that’s a super minor issues in a book that I otherwise found smart and funny and optimistic in a way that I appreciated right now.

Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer

I know it’s important to read viewpoints that are different from my own and to get other perspectives on the world… but sometimes I just want to read a book that agrees entirely with what I think so I can feel both smart and smug. Enter Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer.

Before leaving the White House in 2015, Pfeiffer was a long-time aide to President Obama. He was one of the first staff members of his presidential campaign, and served in various communications and advisory positions in the White House. He’s currently the co-host of the Pod Save America podcast and also contributes to CNN.

Yes We (Still) Can is part political memoir and part political manifesto. Pfeiffer looks at the successes and challenges of the Obama administration, tries to analyze how we managed to elect someone as terrible as Trump, and offers some suggestions about what Democrats should do in response. He also offers some critiques of the media — particularly Fox News — that I thought were interesting.

Because Pfeiffer’s politics are pretty much right in my wheelhouse, at least as articulated in the book, I don’t feel like this book stretched me to think much differently. But that’s ok, I’m not reading these Obama administration memoirs to be challenged… the regular news does enough of that every day. This book was a perfect mix of nostalgia and call to action that I enjoyed.

Around Here | I’m in one of those moods where I want to READ ALL THE THINGS, but then can’t seem to settle my brain down enough to read anything at all. During these periods, I can’t decide if I need to force myself to sit and read because I know that focused attention is what my brain needs, or just go with the flow and spend time watching television instead. What’s your approach?

Reading | The list of books I have started and let pile up partially read is a long one — Empress by Rubl Lal, The Poisoned City by Anna Clark, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win by Jo Piazza, The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre, Give a Girl a Knife by Amy Thielen… I could go on, but it’s too much of a bummer because they’re all really good.

Watching | Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman are co-hosting a new NBC show called Making It, which is basically The Great British Baking Show of crafts, except much less British and restrained. The first episode aired last week and was absolutely delightful.

Listening | I’m close to finishing up “The Coming Storm,” an Audible original by Michael Lewis about weather predictions, government data, and the tension between a government that puts citizens first versus a government that puts commercial interests first. The piece is a bit of a preview to a book that Lewis has coming out in October, The Fifth Risk, that explores what happens when the people who are in charge of the government have no idea (and no interest) in how it actually works.

Loving | My job, doing social media for a public library system, is just the most delightful thing. There are always some unpleasant parts, but on the whole I love getting to promote and champion libraries and books and reading and all the great services we provide to the community.

Hating | August just sucks. Coming up on the two year anniversary of being widowed has been a hard idea to get my head around. I’m sure that’s contributing to my reading problems.

Pondering | This week I finally realized that 2018 is the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter books! I don’t know how that didn’t make it on my radar, but it’s making me want to do a re-read of the entire series. I’ve read the first six books multiple times, but never revisited the seventh. It feels like it might be time for that soon.

Blogging | On the blog, I wrote about the tools and system I use to stay organized and get stuff done, and shared the towering pile of books I finished in July (and some upcoming September titles I’m looking forward to reading).

Anticipating | This afternoon a friend is hosting a BBQ, so I’ll be heading over there early to help get ready. I get a little nervous in big groups of new people, but I’m sure it will be a good time.

Happy Sunday, everyone! What are you reading today?

Thanks to vacation at the beginning of the month, and an impulse towards introversion at the end of the month, I read a ton of books in July — 13 in total! And I have to say, aside from a couple that were just average/good, everything I read this month was very satisfying. Here’s the list:

1. The Ensemble by Aja Gabel (fiction)
2. Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis (nonfiction)
3. Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl (fiction)
4. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (fiction)
5. Don’t You Ever by Mary Carter Bishop (memoir)
6. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan (fiction)
7. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou (nonfiction)
8. Never Caught by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (nonfiction)
9. From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein (memoir)
10. The Power by Naomi Alderman (fiction)
11. The Book of Dust by Phillip Pullman (fiction)
12. The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee (fiction, audiobook)
13. The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind by Barbara K. Lipska (memoir)

I reviewed the top six — my vacation reads from the first week of the month — shortly after I get back, but of course I am way behind on sharing thoughts on the rest. My favorite nonfiction read of the month was Bad Blood, an account of the rise and fall of a Silicon Valley bio-medical startup that is an absolute page-turner. I also very much enjoyed From the Corner of the Oval, a memoir by a former White House stenographer that was more about relationships than politics (but in a good way). Never Caught, the story of a slave who escaped from George and Martha Washington, was also just stellar. There are so many good books to read!

On the fiction side, I loved returning to the world of His Dark Materials with The Book of Dust, a story that takes place in the same world about a decade before the events of The Golden Compass. It was maybe 50 pages too long, but overall such a satisfying diversion. And then all of the fiction I read on vacation was excellent, all books that I’d be comfortable recommending to the right people if they asked. Yay, books!

A Look to August

As a treat to myself, I bought a Kindle Paperwhite. I have a Nook, but I wanted the Kindle because it’s a lot easier to read library ebooks and electronic galleys on the Kindle than it is with a Nook — both things I’m trying to do more. Since my Kindle arrived, I’ve been placing holds on Libby and digging through catalogs on Edelweiss. Here are a few of the library books/galleys that I’m looking forward to reading:

• The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero (Sept. 4) — A year in the classroom of a “visionary” high school science teacher and his students competing in the science fair circuit.
• I Should Have Honor by Khalida Broni (Sept. 4) — “A fearless memoir about tribal life in Pakisan — and the act of violence that inspired one ambitious young woman to pursue a life of activism and female empowerment.”
• The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre (Sept. 11) — The history of the Myers-Briggs personality test, and the story of the two women who developed it.
• Eliza Hamilton by Tilar J. Mazzeo (Sept. 18) — Finally! A biography of Eliza Hamilton! I have been waiting to read one of these since I first saw Hamilton last spring.
• These Truths by Jill Lepore (Sept. 18) — I’m not entirely sure that I am ready to read a 960 page history of the United States, but I am still excited about it. Lepore looks at the three truths of the republic — political equality, natural rights, and the sovereignty of the people — from our founding to today.
• All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung (Oct. 2) — A memoir about a Korean woman adopted by a white family in Oregon, and her search for her roots when she becomes a mother.

And that is that. So many books, so little time. What are you looking forward to reading in August?

This week at my day job, I had the chance to give a really short presentation about an app that simplifies my life. I decided to talk about a task management app I love, Todoist, which got me thinking more about my overall personal organization system – I’m such a nerd! As a little break from books, I decided I’d get all that thinking written down and use this week as a chance to share the tools and system I use to stay organized and get stuff done. Get ready for 1,000 words of total nerding!

My Three Tools

1. An online calendar – At work I use the calendar in Microsoft Outlook, and at home I use Google Calendar. I wish they integrated better together, but I haven’t figured that out yet. I’m lucky to now be at a job that’s very regimented – work is during work hours, and home is everything else – but if I do have events that overlap in some way they just end up on both calendars. C’est la vie.

2. An online task management app – At work we use Asana to track tasks, and at home I use Todoist. For the most part, I think task management apps are all pretty much the same, it just depends what features you prioritize. At work, we use Asana because it works well for large projects and has very good collaborative features. At home, I use Todoist because it is simple to add tasks, their recurring tasks features are smart, and I think it’s pretty.

3. A notebook – I love a good notebook. My favorite notebooks for planning purposes are dot grid, but I like a good lined notebook for taking notes. I used to think that I needed to have a spiral-bound notebook, but since I started using the bullet journal method, I’ve migrated to hardbound notebooks for most things and haven’t really looked back. I try to be minimal about my notebooks – one primary notebook for work, and another primary notebook for home. I use a mix of notebooks, but right now my favorites are the A5 size Leuchtturm1917 or Michael’s Artist Loft notebook. If you want to talk notebooks, I am there.

I spilled a giant cup of tea all over my desk yesterday. My work bullet journal and my meeting notes notebook got the worst of it… but at least my computer was safe! #bulletjournal #bulletjournalweeklylog #bujo #bujopros

A post shared by Kim Ukura (@kimthedork) on Dec 29, 2017 at 6:51am PST

My Overall System

My planning/task management process is actually pretty simple. Every event, and nearly every task, goes into one of my two online systems for safekeeping. I always try to make sure each event has all the information I might need (address, link to invite, details about what to bring), and all tasks have some date attached so they don’t fall of my radar. Being attentive at the entry point – the moment something goes on the calendar or on my list – helps me avoid problems later.

Every week, I sit down for about 30 minutes and think through what the week ahead looks like. At work, I try to do this on Friday afternoons so I’m ready to get started on Monday morning. At home, this is usually Sunday sometime, depending on what else is going on. Each night, I make a list of events and specific tasks for the next day so I get everything out of my head and feel ready to go the next morning. I am a huge procrastinator when I don’t have my list right in my face, so this really helps me focus.

I use a stripped down version of the bullet journal method for my notebooks, and my level of artistry is definitely minimal. I draw up a quick weekly calendar so I know where appointments are (and, consequently, when I have space to actually get things done), and set a list of priorities or top projects for the week. I like using colored pens, but that’s often the most decorative part (especially at work). For my personal bullet journal, I like to play around with washi tape and fancy pens, but it’s still pretty bare bones in comparison to other bullet journals you might see on Pinterest or Instagram.

Today’s #nonficnov prompt is journals/planners. I use a Leuchtturm1917 dot grid notebook for bullet journaling, which I’ve adapted to be a combination of to do lists, memory keeping, and habit tracking. I mostly have just tweaked the original system (Google “bullet journal” and you’ll find the video), but also found this book helpful for branching out. In addition to a paper journal, I still use Todoist and Google Calendar religiously to stay organized. #bulletjournal #bulletjournalweeklylog

A post shared by Kim Ukura (@kimthedork) on Nov 3, 2017 at 3:38pm PDT

Why Mix Digital and Paper?

I use online apps for my calendar and my task list because they’re portable (on my phone), easy to edit, and good for future planning. I don’t like using traditional paper planners because things can change, and I find it hard to move tasks or events around once changes happen. And I’ve never been able to figure out how to use my bullet journal for effective future planning – I need active reminders or things just fall off my radar. Online apps work great for those things.

I don’t rely entirely on online systems because I am also someone who gets a lot of satisfaction in crossing things off a list on a piece of paper. I’ve never felt the same satisfaction clicking on an app online, and I don’t think I will. I regularly add tasks I’ve just completed to my lists, simply for the satisfaction of crossing them off. It’s ultra nerdy.

Because of these two personality quirks, I’ve found that a mix of digital and paper planning works for me. The specific apps or notebooks don’t matter as much to me as long as I have the tool available to me when I need it, and I trust the system enough to know that things won’t get lost.

I still have more work to do in terms of regularly reviewing long-term tasks, and I certainly still find ways to procrastinate, but in general these tools and this system keep me on track and getting things done.

What are your favorite apps or tools for staying organized?