What We’re Reading

Even though we love reading The Customer Support Handbook over and over, we also like to read a variety of other books. Here’s what’s currently occupying our eyeballs:

Micah: “Words of Radiance” by Brandon Sanderson

Don’t let the this giant 1000 page tome intimidate you…the second volume of Mr. Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, takes the story of love, betrayal, passion, and intrigue to a whole new level!  Seriously, like the fourth dimension of knowledge level.  There has only been one other book that made me piddle myself as much as this one has; THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIES!  Word’s of Radiance is everything its predecessor was and so much more.  Friends, do not let yourselves fall into the “Airport Bookstore Mystery” trend.  Instead, do yourself a favor and sharpen your imagination with a fantasy novel that is ranked up there with the greats: Tolkien, Lewis, Jordan, Rothfuss.

Tyler: “Hooked: A Guide to Building Habit-Forming Products” by Nir Eyal

Great book on building products that solve real problems, and building them in a way that keeps people coming back for more. Lots of helpful questions/points in here to keep you focused on solving customer’s actual problems in ways that are addictively simple.

Colin: “What Narcissism Means to Me” by Tony Hoagland

Tony Hoagland has a particular way of speaking in several voices at once – as he describes a man talking about his knowledge of fine wine, he is simultaneously commenting on the human experience of loss. As he describes people evaluating French philosophers work, he slyly comments on ideas of reality and perception. This particular collection is well-balanced enough to be a perfect companion to a sunny day in the park or a cloudy one on the couch, and Hoagland’s keen wit and sharp eye for human error keep me coming back to his work again and again.

Sarah: “The Mysterious Benedict Society Series” by Trenton Lee Stewart

I read a lot of business books, so I like to pepper my kindle with less serious easy reads. The mysterious Benedict society is a young adult series but still a really fun read for the unboring adults out there. Mystery! Intrigue! 200 pages each! It’s not Harry Potter but it’s close.

Robert: “2312” by Kim Stanley Robinson

I’m about 20% into 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson. What I love about it is that it’s an extremely detailed vision of the future, evocative and beautifully written. By “detailed” I mean for example, one chapter is literally an instruction manual for an asteroid terraforming kit.

There’s a mystery at the heart of the plot which is very slow to develop, but it’s enough to hold my interest—I just hope it starts to become more about the plot than the details soon.

Favorite quote so far: “…knowing too that [the sky] was just a kind of rainbow made it glorious. A rainbow that was blue everywhere and covered everything.”

Courtney: “Hyperbole and a Half” by Allie Brosh

Fans of the comic/blog Hyperbole and a Half are familiar with most of the content in this book, which chronicles Allie Brosh’s life in child-like drawings, enhanced by her extremely funny and real writing. She approaches subjects as light-hearted as her two charmingly dumb dogs, to heavy subjects such as her battle with depression. The book includes additional content not seen on her site, and is quick, enjoyable read.