What I’m reading

I’m a little all over the place with what I’m reading and using these days.

With the proliferation of social media, I’ve struggled on how to best digest the content I want to read — I follow so many people and entities on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. that it can be hard to keep up!

I used to heavily use Google Reader, and still do, to an extent. But I’ve also gone through all the sites I follow and have subscribed to good old-fashioned e-mail alerts and newsletters, so I don’t miss a word from my favorites.

Here are some of my top recommendations for email newsletters:

Leadership/training

–Lee Cockerell Lessons in Leadership Blog – No newsletter per se, but I subscribed to get his latest blog posts via email. He’s the former VP of Operations for Disney World. His book, Creating Magic, is on my “to-read” list.

–Birmingham Blogging Academy – Run by my pal Wade Kwon, his tips via newsletter prove useful to anyone running a blog or website, not just folks in Birmingham.

SEO/social:

–Search Engine Land – I’m subscribed to their SearchCap daily email newsletter that goes out a tthe end of the workday. It’s a great way to keep up with the ever-changing trends in SEO at a glance.

–SocialFresh.com – A quick glance at some social media success stories and trends. They also have an e-learning series.

Disney:

–Disney Food Blog – I’m not able to keep up on a daily basis, so the weekly newsletter is great! I always have something to try on my next trip to Disney World.

–allears.net -The weekly newsletter always brings a smile to my face with its featured story. Great reader-submitted tips and updates on attractions closures/refurbs as well.

–TouringPlans.com – In-depth reviews, news, updates and of course the home of the great Lines app for iOS and Android. I subscribe to blog updates via email.

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And while we’re at it, here’s some great books that have proved really useful to me as of late:

–Enchantment by Guy Kawasaki – Read this last year, and deserves another read, especially as I begin my foray into niche digital content.

–Linchpin by Seth Godin – Reading this now. Discusses a new breed of employee who is not a cog nor a big boss, one who gets it done and is not easily replaced. Inspiring.

–Content Strategy for the Web by Kristina Halvorson – Bought this in late 2010 and skimmed through it, as I was interested in the idea of content strategy as a career path. It’s now proving to be an incredibly useful tome. The second edition is out now.

What are some of your favorite newsletters/websites/books you’ve been reading lately?