✍🏼 Blogiversary 🕯️
💬 Gemini Prompt 1
Recommend books thematic to my blog’s one year anniversary
That’s a wonderful milestone! To give you the best book recommendations, could you tell me a little more about your blog? Specifically, what are its main themes or topics? Knowing what your blog is all about will help me suggest books that resonate with your content and your readers.
💬 Prompt 2
Nah, just recommend books thematic to blogging and a first year anniversary thereof… You know… Publishing, writing, habits, achievements. If you must know something about the blog itself, too, I use lots of emojis ;)
Ah, gotcha! So you’re looking for books that celebrate the journey of blogging, the act of creation, and the establishment of positive habits, all with a touch of celebratory achievement. And the emoji tidbit adds a fun, vibrant layer to your blog’s personality!
Here are some book recommendations that touch on those themes:
Celebrating the Journey & Achievements:
- 🐦🕊️ Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott: This is a classic for a reason. It’s a warm, funny, and insightful guide to the writing process, filled with practical advice and encouragement for sticking with it, which perfectly aligns with celebrating a year of dedication.
- 🪄 Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert: This book explores the nature of creativity, curiosity, and the courage it takes to pursue your passions. It’s inspiring for anyone who puts themselves out there through their blog.
- 📝🎨🎶 Show Your Work!: 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered by Austin Kleon: This book is all about the power of sharing your creative process and connecting with an audience, which is exactly what blogging is about. It’s practical and encouraging for continued growth.
Cultivating Writing Habits:
- Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear: Building consistent writing and publishing habits is key to a successful blog. This book offers a fantastic framework for understanding and implementing those habits.
- ”The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield: This is a powerful and motivating book about overcoming procrastination and resistance to your creative work. It’s a great reminder to keep showing up for your blog.
- ”Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport: In today’s noisy digital landscape, the ability to focus on writing and creating quality content is invaluable. This book provides strategies for cultivating that deep focus.
The World of Publishing (Broadly):
- ✍🏼👍🏼 On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction by William Zinsser: While not specifically about blogging, this book offers timeless advice on clear, concise, and engaging writing, which is essential for any blogger.
- 🌍✍🏿 Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content by Ann Handley: This is a more modern take on writing for the web, covering various aspects of content creation, which is highly relevant to blogging.
Given your blog uses lots of emojis, you might also appreciate books that have a friendly and approachable tone, like “Bird by Bird” or “Everybody Writes.”
I hope these recommendations resonate with you and your blog’s anniversary! Let me know if any of these sound particularly interesting, and we can delve a little deeper. 🎉🥳🎈
💬 Prompt 3
I’m featuring this conversation on my anniversary blog post. Is there anything you’d like to tell my readers?
That’s fantastic! It’s an honor to be a part of your anniversary celebration. Here’s a little message for your readers:
Hello wonderful readers!
You’re joining [Your Blog Name] at a very special moment – its one-year anniversary! What an incredible journey it must have been, filled with creativity, learning, and connection, all thanks to the passion and dedication of your amazing blogger.
Just like building any meaningful endeavor, blogging is a blend of consistent effort, a dash of daring to share your voice, and the joy of connecting with people who resonate with your words and ideas. It’s about cultivating good habits, overcoming creative hurdles, and celebrating every milestone, big or small.
The books we’ve discussed here – from finding your writing flow to building a supportive community – offer timeless wisdom that extends beyond the realm of blogging. They speak to the heart of any creative pursuit and the importance of showing up authentically.
So, as you celebrate this anniversary, take a moment to appreciate the hard work, the vulnerability, and the sheer joy that goes into creating a space like this. Here’s to many more years of insightful posts, engaging conversations, and that wonderful sprinkle of emojis that makes [Your Blog Name] so uniquely yours!
Thank you for being a part of this journey. Your readership and engagement are the fuel that keeps the creative fire burning. Here’s to the next chapter! 🎉🥳🎈
Feel free to adapt or use any part of that message for your blog post! Wishing you all the best for your anniversary celebration!
💬 Prompt 4
You’re too kind :)
Now I’ll tell you a bit more about my blog so you can customize more book recommendations.
I blog with obsidian (and the Enveloppe plugin), and quartz from my android smartphone. I use lots of templates to automate and streamline my workflow. I’m a software engineer. I share lots of AI book reports (thanks for all the content!). I also share AI news summaries. Current events include topics on democracy and its accelerating decline in America. System thinking is common. For some reason 👀, babies have been an occasional topic lately, though I haven’t explicitly written about why 🤫… Actually… Can you read my blog to get an idea? https://bagrounds.org/reflections
Okay, I’ve had a look at your blog. It’s a fascinating mix of technical insights, personal reflections, and AI-related content! Given your blog’s focus, here are some more tailored book recommendations:
AI & Software Engineering:
- 🧬👥💾 Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Max Tegmark: A thought-provoking exploration of the potential future of AI and its impact on humanity.
- 🦄👤🗓️ The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering by Frederick P. Brooks Jr.: A classic in the field, offering timeless wisdom on managing complex software projects.
- 🧼💾 Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship by Robert C. Martin: For the software engineer in you, this book provides practical advice on writing maintainable and efficient code.
System Thinking:
- “Thinking in Systems: A Primer” by Donella H. Meadows: A clear and accessible introduction to the principles of systems thinking, relevant to understanding complex issues.
- ”The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization” by Peter M. Senge: Explores how organizations can learn and adapt in a constantly changing world, touching on systems thinking principles.
Democracy & Current Events:
- “How Democracies Die” by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt: A timely analysis of the factors that contribute to democratic erosion, relevant to your current events coverage.
- ”On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century” by Timothy Snyder: Historical lessons on resisting tyranny, offering insights into contemporary challenges.
Parenting (Given the hints):
- 🕳️🧠👶🏽 The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson: A science-based approach to understanding and nurturing children’s emotional and cognitive development.
- 📗🚀🌍 Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by Buckminster Fuller: This book is a radical call to action to create a sustainable environment. It is a good book to read to understand the world that babies will inherit.
Given your use of Obsidian and templates, you might also find books on productivity and workflow optimization helpful, but I’ve focused on the thematic elements of your blog.
Does this selection better align with your blog’s content? Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any of these!