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Saturday, December 30, 2017

Top 10 Books of 2017

This was a banner reading year for me. My goal was to read 52 books (a book a week), and in the end Goodreads tells me I've read 67 books. That is the most in my recorded history, and I'm exceptionally proud of that number considering we had some extremely stressful and crazy times this year (including the month we moved, where I managed to read one measly book, so clearly I made up my numbers elsewhere, which makes that number even more impressive).

Anyway, we've now come to the end of 2017, and it's time for one of my favorite posts of the year! Actually, this is also one of the hardest posts of the year. Like I said last year, choosing my top 10 reads feels so arbitrary. Some are super obvious and fully deserve to be on this list, but others got on here just by whim. If I wrote this list last week or next week, it would look different. There were sooo many favorites, so many good reads this year, and it's super hard to whittle down just the top 10. Other books I read may actually stick with me longer or deserve to be one here, but at this moment, this is what my top 10 list looks like.

Just a note, I'm not including any of my re-reads from the year. Otherwise, this list would be entirely dominated by Jane Austen (as I re-read her entire oeuvre in the last quarter) and L.M. Montgomery (as I finished up my re-read of the Anne series earlier this year).

Okay, here we go:

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Oh, how I loved this one! The writing was just amazingly beautiful, the characters so pointedly drawn, the humor just so exactly my type. I want to re-read this again some day to savor it slowly. Just beautiful.






My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

The surprise hit of the year! I had zero expectations for this book, and spent the first half very unsure if I could handle this sort of historical playfulness, but in the end, it won me over completely! It was so funny, so ridiculous, so sweet and romantic, so imaginative, and just so, so much fun. Can't wait to read the next one they write.





To The Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey

New favorite author of the year (and new favorite author name as well). This book is perhaps not quite as memorable as The Snow Child (see below), but I related to the main female character in this one quite a bit, and it has some spectacular writing and really beautiful moments, and if I were to re-read any of Ivey's books, this is the one I'd want to re-read first.





The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

This. This is what I want my magical realism to be. This book was beautiful and magical and wonderful in every way. Read it in the winter.








Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I don't have enough words to express how deeply happy this book made me, but also how deeply sad. I defy anyone who reads this book not to fall in love with Amy, and then not to cry bitter tears with the knowledge that she died too young.






The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

I have such a hard time recommending this one, because the language is really hard to handle. But it's been a long time since I've read a YA book that's stuck with me the way this one has. There was so much to think about here, so many ways this book changed my perspective or made me think about questions of race in ways I hadn't before. I used to live in South Side Chicago, and the descriptions of Garden Heights felt very similar to the areas around where we lived (although my specific neighborhood was rather more white). It was just interesting to hear this kind of voice, which does not get represented in literature enough.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

I have to admit that I'd kind of forgotten about this book until I was going back through my Goodreads archives to make this list. But once I started thinking about it, and thinking about the incredible writing, and the intricate descriptions of poverty, and friendship, and relationships, I couldn't not put this one on the list.





Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Again, the language and content make me hesitant to recommend this one, but again, the writing and the impact this one made on me make it too important to not include on the list. It was just so, so, so good. Backman is an incredible writer.






The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Probably the best non-fiction I read this year. It was a fabulous story, and I was amazed at Brown's ability to make me feel the drama and suspense of these races (that I knew the outcome to!) so much that I was sitting on the edge of my seat biting my fingernails through the whole read.






Deep Work by Cal Newport

I went back and forth on whether to include this one or one of the many other ones that deserve a spot on this list. I'm not actually sure if this one will stick with me the way the other books on this list have. I only just finished it two days ago (I'll talk more about it on my December reading-wrap-up), and maybe I'm only inclined to include it because it's fresh and on my mind. But whatever. It was fascinating and I really liked a lot of what he talked about, and there's not enough non-fiction on this list anyway, so it gets a spot.




Some reflections on this reading year in general: I read some amazing books this year. It was one of my best reading years ever, and I'm very happy about that. I read the most books I've ever read in a year (something I'm still thinking about and will probably write a post about soon). There was more literary reading and classic reading and re-reading of favorites, and that was fun for me. That being said, I feel like there were some holes. I didn't read nearly as much YA or middle grade fiction as I usually like to, or even as much nonfiction as I usually like to. I'm kicking around the idea of making some more intentional reading goals for next year, but I've yet to decide if I'm in a place to make that work. I'll let you know what I decide when I post about my resolutions.

Anyway, how was your reading year?







Saturday, December 23, 2017

The Best Birth Story of All


Six years ago today I became a mother.

I suppose the birthday of your firstborn usually makes one feel reflective, but for me the feeling is amplified by the nature of the season. I know there's a lot of tinsel and trappings this time of year that can mask it, but for me, this holiday is all about a mother and her newborn baby. It's a birth story at it's core, one of the most remarkable birth stories ever told.

I have two of my own December birth stories (written about here and here), which means I've spent two Christmas seasons as pregnant as Mary herself. I've spent one Christmas Day in the hospital with a newborn, and another Christmas day five years later in pre-labor praying for the baby to come. And while I can't say I love being pregnant during the holidays (huge NO! to that), I will say that both those Decembers taught me a lot about Christmas.

I feel especially close to Mary this time of year. While many of us celebrate advent, carefully counting down the days and patiently (or rather, impatiently) waiting for Christmas to come, I think of those two advent seasons I spent counting down, not to presents under the tree, but to the babies about to come. That's what advent would've been for Mary. The long, painful, anticipatory wait for that most precious baby to come.

For many of us, waking up on Christmas morning is all about anticipation, excitement, and delight. That Christmas six years ago, I woke up in the hospital in complete and utter agony. I was recovering from the most intense physical experience of my life (an emergency C-section after 12 hours of intense hard labor, plus trying to figure out breastfeeding!). I remember thinking, "Mary seriously went through something like this? Did she feel this way after she gave birth to Jesus? Was she this sore and tired? Oh, she didn't have pain meds back then! Poor thing!" That Christmas morning, lying in that hospital bed where I hurt so bad I couldn't even roll over, my vision of that Holy Night in the stable 2,000 years ago changed forever. All the Nativities make it seem so precious and clean and sweet and quiet.

No.

There would've been blood. There would've been pain. There would've been sweat and probably tears. Even if Mary had the easiest labor (and my goodness, I hope she was blessed with an easy labor), there still would've been blood, and exhaustion, and bewilderment at how to care for this tiny new little human. She was (likely) just a teenager, far from home, in a stable of all places! How could she not have felt overwhelmed?

And yet, despite the pain, despite the blood, despite the overwhelming uncertainty that comes with new motherhood, I also felt strength that Christmas morning. I felt peace. I felt a power beyond me, guiding me, watching over me. I felt angels with me.

Mary had angels too. If she didn't have a real midwife (which I hope she did), I'm certain she had some heavenly ones. Mary may have been tired, and in pain, and overwhelmed by new motherhood, but she also had the certainty that God was with her.

Christmas is a season to celebrate a lot of good and wonderful things, but for me it is also a season to reflect on motherhood, and birth, and birth stories, and the sacredness of life. Not every person gets to be a mother, but every person was born. Every person has a birth story, a birth date, and a mother who shared and sacrificed her body to bring that life into being. Every birth story is different, but every birth story has a few things in common: there is a mother, and there is a new baby. There will be blood, but there will be beauty too. Beauty of new life, beauty of the hope for what that life will bring.

Christmas is many things to many people, but for me, it is a birth story. The best birth story of all.

P.S. Read another essay I wrote about Christmas and motherhood here.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Hygge and a Home Library Update (Christmas Decor Version)

"Hygge" is so hot right now. If you read blogs or participate in social media, chances are good you've heard this term floating around the past year or two. I haven't read any of the currently popular books about this topic (like this one, or this one), but what I've gathered from social media is that hygge is basically that awesome warm cozy feeling you get when you're all snuggled up drinking hot chocolate next to a fireplace. Something like that.

Anyway, whatever it actually is, I am all here for it. I am here for feather down blankets and twinkle lights and cozy scarves and mittens and soup for dinner every night. I am here for slanting winter light and boots and chunky sweaters. I am here for slippers and fuzzy socks and snuggles.

I know some people (a lot of people) who long and wish and dream about living in warmer climates. I mean, there's a reason people flock to Florida and So Cal. But after nearly four years in Houston (which, admittedly, is a sweaty hot house of nasty humidity, and therefore no one's dream climate), I just have to say that nothing has made me happier than feeling cold again! And not just the-air-conditioning-is-too-high kind of cold (which is a perennial problem in Houston, the world's most air-conditioned city), but the actual, see-your-breath, tingly-toes kind of cold! It's exhilarating!

But only for a few moments, after which I love to run back inside to the comfort of that warm bowl of soup, cup of hot cocoa, cozy blanket, and seat by the fire. Yes please!

Right now, the most "hygge" room in our house is the "library." If you remember, the last time I introduced you to this room, it looked like this:



Basically book shelves and a whole lot of nothing else. We've still got a ways to go to get this room "finished," but we have done a few things: painted the walls grey (hallelujah!) and acquired a couple of pieces of furniture so there is at least a place to sit. But then we decorated for Christmas in here, and man, I just can't get enough of this room!

I mean, just look at that!


The tree, in all her fuzzy, over-back-lit glory. As hard as they are to photograph, I sure do love those windows. The light! The light, the light, the light! Also, our tree looks pretty awesome from outside through those windows.

Why yes, we do have TWO Christmas trees in this room. The one in the alcove is our small fake one from the apartment-dwelling days. I alternate between loving and hating that weird little alcove. We haven't found the right piece of art for it yet (maybe for Christmas?), so we keep just putting trees up there. It looks pretty there, at least.


Oh, how I love decorating a mantle! This is the first time I've ever lived in a house with a real fire place (okay, maybe the house we lived in when I was born had one, but if it did, I don't remember it), and mantle decorating is just too much fun. Someday I'm hoping to get a really big, nice nativity for the mantle, but for now I'm making do with my collection of smaller (weirdly international) nativities. I got these two in Germany over a decade ago, and they are still my two favorite.

Guys, I think my chalk art is getting better! Also, my sister gave us this one piece nativity after her trip to Jerusalem a few years ago. I believe it's carved from olive tree wood. It's so lovely (and you can just see a bit of the donkey from our African nativity on the left side there).

And last but not least, this is the little white nativity we picked up in Bolivia two years ago. And that wooden family picture? A Christmas gift from our nanny! She made it herself! Mad skills! (That's not just up for Christmas, it will stay up all year).

These stockings are the best. Have I talked about our stockings before? My mother-in-law hand makes a stocking for every member of the family (can you guess which one is mine?). She hasn't quite finished Baby Lily's yet, so we have the little red stocking as a placeholder right now (with an H on it, because it was originally Baby Henry's stocking until he got his Christmas tree boot stalking for being the first Texas baby in the family).

So yes, I'm just loving this room so much this Christmas. My husband and I spend most of our evenings here on this couch, fire burning, twinkle lights glowing, Christmas music playing, reading our books (or in my case, frantically finishing up my grading so I can wrap up this semester and get on with enjoying the holiday break). Hygge indeed!

(Also, I know I'll be so very tired of the cold a few months from now, when all the charm has worn off and the snow is dirty and I have to scrape ice off my car to get home from school and spring feels like it will never come. But for now, nothing but happy!)

P.S. It's a little late in the season now, but don't forget about the fresh bough wreath tutorial I put up last year! It's the best piece of decor ever! Also, I used my extra boughs on the mantle this year, because you can never have enough fresh bough greenery this time of year (plus, the smell!).

Monday, December 11, 2017

Books I Read in November

Well, hi there! The semester has ended (kind of, I still have some grading to finish up this week), and life has finally opened up some space, and all I can say is yay for winter break! I understand we're nearly halfway through December, but indulge me a moment and let me regale you with all the books I read in November. Seriously, considering what a busy month it was, I'm shocked at how these numbers keep adding up. My commute time is just golden, sanity-saver, most wonderful me-time ever! Audio books are the best!

So, you'll notice a theme in my November reading. I got on a classics kick. Specifically, a Jane Austen kick, and I went ahead and reread almost her entire oeuvre (except for Northanger Abbey, which, weirdly enough, was the only one I had to put on hold and wait for, I'm listening to it now). I started with Sense and Sensibility in October, so check that month's round-up for my thoughts there.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Every time I re-read this, I seem to alternate between loving it or being super annoyed by it. This was a loving it re-read. I mean, Lizzy really is just super delightful. I've also decided that I need to rewatch all the versions of this movie that I own this break. Who's up for joining me?






Persuasion by Jane Austen

Oh, I have such a special place in my heart for this one. I loved Anne Elliot so much the first time I read this (in high school, I think) because I related to her so much. I just knew I was going to be the 27 year-old single old maid like her (seriously surprised everyone, myself included, when I ended up getting married at 21). Also, I just love this story of faithful love, even through time and distance and hurt and disappointment. It's just so sweet. Although admittedly, the rest of the characters in this book can be downright annoying.



Emma by Jane Austen

Confession: I've never really liked Emma. I know a lot of people who consider this one their favorite Austen novel, but seriously? Emma is a spoiled, silly, self-centered, classist heiress who screws up Harriet's life in nearly unforgivable ways. Admittedly, she grows up and learns her lessons and is no doubt far from the worst human being ever, but I just don't love her much. I do love Mr. Knightly. Quite a bit. But I also must confess that this time around, their age difference bothered me a whole lot more than it has in the past. My husband has this formula (I'm sure someone else made it up first) about age difference in relationships that goes like this: Half the age of the guy plus seven. That's as young as he can go without being creepy. So, the formula for a twenty-four year old guy is 24/2 = 12 + 7 = 19. A 24 year-old guy can date a 19 year-old girl, but no younger. Mr. Knightly is 37. His formula is 37/2 = 18.5 + 7 =  25.5. Emma is 21. That's just not close enough to be kosher, in my opinion. And yeah, yeah, I know times have changed and whatever, but it's that line at the end, when he talks about how he's loved her since she was 13 (and he was 29) that just totally creeps me out. Ew. Anyway, I need to go watch the movie again as a palate cleanser, because at least the actors don't look that different in age, which makes me feel better about the whole thing.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

This is no one's favorite Austen, and it's easy to see why. Fanny is a bit sickly, a bit (actually, a lot) timid, a bit goody-two-shoes, and just nowhere near as lovable as Lizzy. Also, the romance in this book is just so... unsatisfying. First off, he's her first cousin (once again, times have changed, but still just a little creepy for modern tastes). Second, (*spoiler alert*) he spends 98% of the book seriously in love with someone else, and only comes to admire our heroine in the last 2 to 3 pages. Like I said, unsatisfying. At one point, I found myself wishing that they'd just both end up with the other two love interests because both those romances were at least interesting and full of charming moments (even if they both had undeserving, immoral characters). However, knowing all that and going in with low expectations, I was actually able to enjoy this one quite a bit more as a re-read. I especially found the chapters on the play quite fascinating, as I've spent so much of this semester thinking/researching/writing about audience reception and cultural acceptance of drama in my Shakespeare class.

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

After being disappointed with A Fatal Grace in October, I decided to plunge on this third book in the series just to give it one more chance. And this book really redeemed things for me! It was a much better mystery for me, I was kept guessing right up until the end, and was very surprised by who ended up being the killer. I also appreciated how some of the larger narrative arc resolved itself here. While this book redeemed the series for me, and I am interested in going on, I do need to take a break from murder mysteries for a while (I can only handle so much "cozy murder"). But as a note, this would be a fantastic October read. It takes place over Easter, but it contains all sorts of good Halloweeny things: haunted houses, seances and ghosts, the victim being scared to death, etc.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

I used to be a huge Dickens fan back in middle/high school. I read quite a fair number of his books, but I never got around to Oliver Twist. I think this was mostly based on the fact that it sounded depressing (orphans, ugh), and also because I felt like I just knew the story already (I think I'd seen the musical). Anyway, after my Austen kick, I was in the mood to continue in the classic lit vein (I've just really been in the mood for good, beautiful writing, which you just can't guarantee with more modern stuff), and I decided it's been too long since I've indulged in the convoluted sentence structure of the Victorian master, so I decided to find a good Dickens novel to sink into. This was the one available from my library at the time, so I decided to give it a go. And I was quite bored for the first few chapters because, yes, it was terribly depressing, and yes, I knew most of the story. But then! Then plot twists! And new characters I'd not heard of before! Turns out there's a lot more to this story that gets left out of all the retellings (makes sense, you've got to cut something), and I found myself suitably intrigued and rather enjoying the story. I still don't think it's Dickens best (I'm still baffled about why this one seems to be so popular compared to some of his others), but I did like it.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

My one foray into contemporary lit! This one is so hot right now. I read Ng's Everything I Never Told You a while back, and liked it well enough, so I decided this one was probably worth a look into. And I liked it, but I can't say I loved it. There were some really fun characters (and some really, really unlikable characters), and there were some really interesting/thought-provoking/heart-wrenching situations around the theme of motherhood. And it was decently well-written. But the themes felt a little too-heavy handed, and the plot was just a little too contrived. Or maybe it was just the fact that I don't buy that every person who lives the "American suburban dream" is all miserable and unhappy and repressing their true heart's desires. Anyway, still good, and still a general recommend if you like contemporary literary fiction that leans to the depressing.

Wow, seven books! What a fabulous month of reading for me. If only I could type blog posts on my commute too...

P.S. Did you enjoy my husband's guest post? Isn't he just a fabulous writer? I really ought to have him on here more often. Although I don't quite share his enthusiasm for board games, I'm learning to love them more (for the sake of our marriage), and I love that he has something he is so passionate about. Nerdy people are the most interesting people, in my opinion. And seriously, some of those games he mentioned are so fun (Camel Up is my personal favorite), so check them out!

Monday, November 27, 2017

Don't Get Board! (Guest Post)

Hi guys! It's crunch week for me, all my papers are due soon and I've got a load of grading to do before the semester ends next week. So, as a special favor, I asked my husband to write a post up for me about a topic near and dear to his own heart (and possibly contains useful information for those of you looking for fun gift ideas this year). Anyway, you are in for a treat!
Suzanne is great, but you already know that. She has a busy life between being a full-time student, college instructor, mom and wife. But the one thing she really looks forward to, other than reading, is working on this blog. She loves this blog and speaking with the like-minded folks (you!) who read it. I’ll admit that I am a bit of an absentee reader myself, but I am very glad she has the blog and I love to see the joy that it brings her. She asked me to help out with a guest post, so of course I’m happy to oblige.
Confession time: I am a nerd. I don’t play many video games or role-playing games (shout out to Stranger Things), I don’t read comics and I reached my saturation point in super hero movies before the original Avengers (sorry Evy, I know you love your Captain America). However, I love that nerd culture is becoming more mainstream in the United States and that more folks are comfortable liking things that used to be “uncool” (because seriously, we’re not in junior high anymore and being cool can actually be pretty lame). Let your nerd flag fly high! I do love fantasy and sci-fi novels and movies, I was *that kid* in junior high that had his Magic the Gathering cards taken by the math teacher because I was looking at them during class and at one point in my life I had a map of Middle Earth on my wall (whatever happened to that?). However, nowhere does my nerdom go deeper than it does with board games. I am a major board game nerd. I spent 3 days earlier this month playing board games in a hotel convention hall in Dallas along with 3,000 other fellow board gamers, so clearly this is not just a lukewarm interest for me (some favorites from that trip include Flip Ships, 1960: The Making of the President and Fresco). I love board games. I love how with a few bits of cardboard and plastic and rules you can enter a revised reality, where wooden discs are Puerto Rican farm workers, where dice are casino bosses fighting for supremacy of the Las Vegas strip, or where small plastic boats are pirate ships terrorizing merchants in the Caribbean.  I love that moment when the whole table buys into the story the game is telling (the “magic circle”) and players shout for joy as a yellow camel crosses the finish line or the momentary sense of real betrayal when a supposed friend purposely sinks the team’s final and crucial mission.

My love letter could continue, but I’ll stop for now. My point is that I really like games. And, as a gaming convert, I now have a duty to share this joy with others.
So first…
Games are not just for kids. None of the games I referenced above are for kids (though kids could play some of them). These are all designs that were created specifically for an older crowd. A crowd that can handle deeper rules, more engaging play and more impactful decisions. I love it when a game makes me think. And not just in a brain-burning-looking-eight-moves-ahead chess type of thinking. But rather in assessing when it is worth taking a big risk, when I need to change my strategy and what move is optimal. Okay, I admit that any of those things could also apply to a game of chess. Truthfully I’m no good at chess. I respect those who are, but I prefer games with more unique mechanisms and honestly, with more theme. Like having a Mexican standoff with your friends, or trying to tell the truth in such a way as to make the other player think you’re lying but not so overtly that it is obvious this is what you are doing (“clearly I can’t choose the wine in front of you”). These aren’t kid themes. Kids can play them, but my point is that GAMES ARE NOT JUST FOR KIDS (because if they are, then I guess I’ll have to come to terms with being a man-child).

Second…
There are more games than Monopoly, Risk, and Clue (and to be honest, those three games aren’t very good).  An important thing happened in 1995. Besides being the year that AOL offered internet access (which, of course, was just a 90s fad) to the masses, Settlers of Catan (now just called Catan) was released. In many ways this was a classic German game: it emphasized individual development with unique mechanisms and had less direct player conflict. Today these types of games are colloquially called “Eurogames.” Through the eighties and early nineties, the Germans (and other Europeans) played their own style of games that had increased non-random strategy (fewer dice rolls) while Americans were playing big thematic games, that essentially involved pushing plastic soldiers around a map and rolling a bunch of dice (now pejoratively called “Ameritrash”). Settlers of Catan had a typical Eurogame engine, but somehow started making waves in the US. What followed was several other Eurogames (now modern classics) including Carcassonne and Puerto Rico. Often the production quality of these games was lower than that of Ameritrash games (more cheap cardboard, less plastic miniatures, lower quality art, etc.), but US gamers loved the depth and structure that these games offered. In the years since the Euro-invasion, Ameritrash games have been made with more interesting mechanisms than just dice-rolling and Eurogames have improved their production quality and used more engaging themes (not just the archetypal 18th century farming). The two styles combined and intertwined to create a new and wonderful hybrid that represents most modern board games today.
Do any of you wish you could have seen Rome during its peak, or Florence during the Renaissance or Versailles during Louis XIV? We missed those golden ages, but we are currently living in the golden age of board gaming. Boardgamegeek.com, a repository of board game information, has a database of over 90,000 games, most of those coming from the past 15 years or so. There are dozens and dozens of incredibly skilled designers and studios who create new games every year. Most modern board games (those that aren’t “mass market” like Hasbro or Parker Brothers) are called “designer games” because they will list the name of the designer on the box cover. Names like Uwe Rosenberg, Eric Lang and Matt Leacock are the da Vincis, Michelangelos and Botticellis of the board gaming renaissance. With thousands of board games coming out every year, there are certainly some duds, but there are also certainly some fantastic games that will speak to you and bring joy to your life and kitchen table. Don’t miss out!

Finally…
Here are some games I recommend and you can consider trying. None of these is too difficult, but all are a lot of fun.
Camel Up: You and up to 7 of your closest friends try to come out on top at the camel tracks. Cheer for the underdog or go with the safe bet, this one is a favorite at our house and we frequently pull it out when playing games with folks who are not in the hobby. A rare game that I think works well with between 2 and 8 players. Game of the year winner in 2014.




Kingdomino: Build a small kingdom, using domino shaped tiles. This one is so simple your grandma can play (and she will probably beat you), but also has a bit of a press-your-luck element as you try to get the perfect tile, but also risking that you’ll be stuck with something you can’t use. Plays very quick at 15 minutes, so you’ll likely find yourself playing it several times in a row. Game of the year winner in 2017.



Patchwork: This is a 2 player game that combines Tetris and quilt-making. Despite the theme, this one is highly satisfying and has a good amount of strategy. A great head-to-head game that doesn’t breed resentment when you are outmaneuvered. It feels so great to get the perfect piece to add to your quilt.



Sushi Go!: A fast-paced card game where you are trying to have the best sushi dinner. This features card drafting, where you get to pick a single card out of your hand to keep, then you have to pass the remaining cards to your neighbor. Simple, but solid. Do you keep the card you really need, or do you take the card that your brother really needs so he can’t have it?



7 Wonders: If card-drafting from Sushi Go! was your thing, 7 Wonders is my favorite implementation of card drafting on a deeper strategic game. Players compete to build up an ancient civilization, deciding whether to pursue military prowess, scientific superiority, cultural achievements or production supremacy.



Pandemic: This is a cooperative game where the players work together to play against the game and prevent the spread of diseases throughout the world. Being members of the CDC may not sound like your idea of a good time, but Pandemic combines tricky decisions, stressful card draws and a globetrotting team of scientists in a memorable and exciting way that will make you want to play again and again. This one often goes down to the wire and is very satisfying when you pull out a close victory and save the world from the rampant plague.


Pandemic Legacy Season One: If you like Pandemic and want to take your game to the next level, get a group of people to commit to Pandemic Legacy. It is based on Pandemic, but adds persistence and reaction to the game. This is a campaign game, where you work your way from January to December fighting off diseases. However, decisions you make in the game will permanently impact the game for future plays. You rip up cards, you write on the board, you open packages with new game pieces (it’s like Christmas!), you get new rules and new objectives. It also adds a narrative arch, where you are imbedded in a story that the game tells and you become invested in not only the outcome of the game, but the twists in the story and the fate of your characters. At the end you cannot replay the game, but if you’re like me, it will be your most memorable board gaming experience. I’ve heard that the creators of the game said something like the following, “We didn’t make a game that you could only play 15 times, we made a game you would actually play 15 times.” As of the time of this writing, Pandemic Legacy Season One is rated the #1 game on Boardgamegeek.com—which is pretty spectacular achievement. (Also, Season Two came out this month and, as long as Santa gets my letter, it is my most anticipated Christmas present this season.)
Thanks for sticking with me. The above games (except for Pandemic Legacy, and maybe 7 Wonders) are pretty light games. If you are more of a jump-in-the-deep-end type of person, maybe check out Power Grid, Scythe or Terraforming Mars or poke around on Boardgamegeek.com and see if something strikes your fancy. Also here are a few other taste curators that I recommend:
Shut Up and Sit Down (their intro to games video here is pretty fun, he makes several of the same points I make above, but with more humor and better costumes)

Happy gaming!

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Composition

You guys, I've neglected this poor little blog of mine so terribly, but it's not for lack of interest. I have so much I want to say and write and post here, but the issue is time, like always. Still, I needed to give myself a break from all the crazy term paper writing and grading I'm in the middle of this month, so I'm popping by to write a few of those swirling thoughts down.

Also, I've got a little treat of a guest post in the pipeline for you, which you really ought to be excited about (I know I am).

Anyway, what I wanted to talk about today was composition. I teach a course that is sometimes referred to as "Freshman Composition," and in my practicum course we do a lot of talking and reading and theorizing about what "composition" means. The biggest thing we talk about is how composition isn't just about words or writing. Composition happens in many modes: visual/picture, sound/speech/music, body/gestural, and spatial/design. This means there is a move in composition courses to emphasize not just writing, but projects that involve all of these modes.

In fact, my students right now are in the middle of creating multi-modal projects. For this assignment, they were required to make an argument in a way that involves two or more "modes" of composition. Many of them are choosing to make videos, but I'm getting a lot of PowerPoint presentations, some picture books, photo essays, and one student is even making a blog.

This has kind of been a shift in thinking for me about what a freshman writing course should be. I mean, I get teaching writing. I'm comfortable teaching writing. I kind of thought that's what I signed up to do.

But video editing?

Photo composition?

Heck, even PowerPoint?

I'm totally out of my depth.

There's this old school, born-before-the-internet, averse-to-change side of me that's like "This is not what writing is!!! Can't we teaching writing in a writing class and leave all this technology/visual/mode stuff to tech people? Artists? Graphic designers? That's not me!"

But there's another side of me, this side that blogs and writes on the internet, that totally understands and is actually excited by this move. See, here's how the argument goes: Composition happens in all of these modes, but they've only been taught to the masses insofar as technology has allowed the masses access to these modes. The technology for writing just happened first. We got pencils and papers in such a cheap place that the masses could all be taught how to write (and technically, to draw too. It actually used to be much more common for people, especially women, to learn how to draw well.). But now technology has developed to such a point that every one of us is walking around with these devices in our pockets that can compose in all these other modes. It can take pictures. It can record video. It can edit. It can record sound. You can even do certain kinds of graphic design.

And now that this technology has become so ubiquitous, it kind of only makes sense that we begin teaching how to compose in all of these modes. I see this with my students. I can write an essay without blinking an eye, but edit a video? Haha. But the vast majority of my students are far more comfortable putting together these highly sophisticated videos than they are with any of the written assignments I've given them so far. It's put me in a bit of an awkward position, where my students are the experts on how to do the assignment, and I'm the amateur (worse than amateur). It's humbling.

But all this discussion about composing in different modes has made me see my five-year-old's play in a new light too. He is a composer. It was his drive to write stories that inspired his interest in learning to read (totally backwards of most children, who are interested in reading first and then learn how to write.) He still writes quite a bit, but his recent passion has been making movies. His imaginative play is all about practicing for his "movies" that he's going to make. He's constantly using my phone to take pictures and record videos (I never have space for the photos I want to take because of his creations). Luckily he has a wonderful father who's far less of a neophyte than I am, and who makes movies with him on Saturday mornings. They started out with stop motion photography on an app, but have since progressed to green-screens and special effects (see below, one of their first attempts, which is by no means professional, but pretty impressive to me). Friday night movie night is now less about the story of the movie, and more about how the movie was made (he was fascinated when we pulled out Honey I Shrunk the Kids a few months ago, and still talks about the sets and the "movie magic" that made that film possible).



I don't know if this means he's going to grow up to be a film producer or movie director. Maybe, maybe not. But I do know he's going to grow up completely understanding that stories and information can be communicated in many different modes, and he will be able to compose in any of them because of technology.

Also, he's definitely getting his own digital camera from Santa this year. Because I want my phone back.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Books I Read in October

My commute has quickly become my favorite part of the day, for two reasons. One is the scenery. You guys, I know Kansas gets all sorts of flak for being a fly-over state, and flatter than a pancake, and I've never heard anyone rave about natural beauty around here, but I'm totally falling in love! So, there aren't my beloved mountains, but our side of Kansas is actually not particularly flat (so surprised by the hills I have to climb every day on campus!). And it's no New England, but there are actually trees that change color here! A real fall! My drive through thirty miles of sparsely populated country and farmland surprises me every day with just being spectacularly beautiful. I've loved watching the scenery change through this month of October, as various trees and plants have flared in beautiful brilliant colors. It just fills my soul to be surrounded by such natural beauty. And every day I promise myself that I'm going to pull over to the side of the highway and take pictures, just to show everyone how beautiful Kansas is (but of course I never do, because I'm always in such a rush to get home or get to school).

The second reason I look forward to my commute is obviously, the audio books. Long stretches of beautiful scenery, easy driving, and wonderful books? When things are particularly rough, I'll find myself thinking "Well, in a couple hours I'll be driving home, with nothing to do but listen to my book!" It is the me-time that is getting me through this crazy stage in our lives right now.

I was able to finish five books in October, which brings my total to the year to 54. So, I've already reached my original goal of reading 52 books (a book a week), with two months to go! And I read some really good ones this month, so let's chat about them!

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier

Okay, when it comes to the month of October, I'm always on the lookout for good, creepy, suspenseful, thematic reading (that's not horror). I loved Rebecca, so this year I planned to try another DuMaurier in the hopes it would be another haunting, suspenseful, beautiful read. And, I will say this was beautifully written. DuMaurier has impeccable command of the language, I just enjoyed listening to these sentences being read aloud. It was gorgeous. But, both the plot and characters are extremely stupid. Everything about the characters is Freudian and frustrating and supposed to be mysterious but is mostly just ridiculous. I cannot recommend it for the plot or for any likable characters, but if you appreciate beautiful writing (and have already read Rebecca), then you might find some value in this one.

 A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

I read Rules of Civility  a few years ago, and while I recognized at the time Towles could turn a lovely phrase, I just couldn't bring myself to appreciate the characters in that book. So many stupid choices! However, I'd heard such high praise for this one that I was more than willing to give it a shot (this one wasn't getting compared to The Great Gatsby, so it had that in its favor). And you guys! This one is in strong, strong contention for my favorite book of the year! It was just... amazing. I don't really know how to describe it, because it's not plot heavy at all (although there is a meandering kind of plot), and its place is slow and philosophical. But I LOVED every single character in this book so much, and the writing was incredibly gorgeous. I couldn't stop listening to it, but didn't want it to end. I was so sad when it was over, and definitely plan on rereading it again. It felt like a funny, mostly happy homage to Russian literature (which is usually neither funny nor very happy), and it made me want to go back and read Tolstoy and Dostoevsky and all those other classic greats (really, Russian literature is soooo goooood!). I just can't praise this one highly enough, except to say that I wouldn't mind owning this one (which is high praise coming from me).

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

This was my second attempt at a thematic October read. Nothing like a good murder-mystery to set the tone, right? I read Still Life last year, and it was quite enjoyable. Also, it took place in October, so it just felt wonderfully suited. This one, however, takes place over Christmas time, so it felt less appropriate for October (although, I'm not sure a murder-mystery is appropriate Christmas reading either). And while I still quite enjoyed it, it wasn't quite as good as Still Life. For one thing, I guessed who the murderer was from almost the beginning. I know some people would consider this a triumph, but I'm terrible at guessing this kind of thing, so if even I could spot the murderer, I think it means this one just wasn't clever enough. It surprisingly lessened my enjoyment to guess correctly so early on. Also, Inspector Gamache made some comments at the end about not liking the name Suzanne, so obviously there was some love loss there ;). All in all, I think I liked it well enough to try the third in this series, but it better live up to the first one or I might give up.

Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker

This was my third attempt at an October themed read, as what could be better than a retelling of a favorite, creepy gothic novel? And here's what I'll say: it was fine and enjoyable enough. There were some clever things Shoemaker did to flesh out Mr. Rochester's backstory. But in the end, it just couldn't live up to the excellence that is Jane Eyre, so immediately after I finished reading this one, I tried to go read that one. Alas, it's not available as an audio book through my library (why?!?).



Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

To make up for not being able to listen to Jane Eyre, I settled on the next closest thing: Jane Austen. In retrospect, I probably should've picked Northanger Abbey instead of Sense and Sensibility, as that one is at least a parody of the Gothic genre, but instead I finished up this very un-creepy, very delightful novel on Halloween morning. It's been a long, long time since I've read Sense and Sensibility, but it was so wonderful to bask in Austen's beautiful language again. Apparently it inspired me to go an Austen kick, because I've already finished Pride and Prejudice and started on Persuasion (but you'll hear about those in my November wrap-up), and might see what other Austen novels I find available this month.

Anyway, so I really love my October theme reading, but clearly I start it too early in the month, and never have enough material to last until Halloween. Oh well, it's still super fun. And, in case you don't follow me on Instagram and missed this gem of a picture, here you go:

The literary family themed costume lives for another year! I just couldn't resist resurrecting this family costume, considering we now live in Kansas. Luckily the boys were on board with this, especially after we watched The Wizard of Oz for Friday night movie night (they loved it!). Our little scarecrow talked excitedly for weeks about being a scarecrow, but was less enthusiastic about actually wearing his costume (he cried for 10 minutes after I wrestled the shirt onto him, and point blank refused to wear the straw hat). It was classic, all around. (Check out last year's post to see the history of our literary family themed costumes.) Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

And what did you read this month?

Monday, October 16, 2017

The Book Blab Episode 15: The Joys and Sorrows of Book Recommendations

Well, it's been a couple of months since our last one (my fault, I've had the crazy schedule lately), but Amy and I are back with another episode of The Book Blab. You guys, this one was seriously so much fun to record, we both had such funny stories about book recommendations gone awry! I'd love to hear your own stories in the comments. Also, apologies for the less than stellar lighting. We had to film at night because, once again, my schedule is crazy. Enjoy!


Show Notes

0:20 - Suzanne's new PhD program
1:35 - Today's topic: the perilous territory of making and receiving book recommendations
2:30 - Personal experiences with bad book recommendations
  • 3:00 - Suzanne's experience
  • 5:20 - Amy's experience
7:25 - How to handle a book recommendation that you didn't like
10:28 - The joy that comes from getting a good recommendation

  • 11:10 - Suzanne's experience
  • 11:50 - Amy's experience
13:25 - The anxiety of giving a book recommendation (but we love making recommendations anyway!)
15:40 - Suzanne's book recommendation gone wrong
18:20 - The times we've forced a book on someone, and it's gone over well
  • 19:00 - Amy's experience
  • 20:05 - Suzanne's experience
20:53 - The moral of this discussion
22:40 - Two seasonally appropriate reads for October
  • 23:30 - Suzanne's reccomendation
  • 24:50 - Amy's recommendation
28:08 - Conclusion

Books and links mentioned in the show:

Suzanne's recent post about time: Never Enough Time
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (Amy's review)
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Suzanne's review)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Suzanne's review // Amy's review)
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Suzanne's review // Episode 6 of The Book Blab)
A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman (Amy's review)
The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens (Suzanne's review)
Dracula by Bram Stoker (Suzanne's review
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (Amy's review)