Hosted by Long and Short Reviews.
Click here to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and to read everyone else’s replies to this week’s question and here to see the full list of topics for the year.
I usually try new things more often during the warm months of the year when it’s easier to travel and there are fewer germs floating around that my household needs to avoid, but I have tried some cool stuff this winter. (No, this isn’t an ad. I don’t do paid or sponsored posts of any sort. These are simply things I’ve tried recently and liked).
I was an average math student in school, but I didn’t find it particularly interesting or relevant to my life most of the time. It seemed like something that a few students were naturally good at while the rest of us slogged through it.
When this was released at the end of December, it piqued my interest. Maybe I’d have a different opinion on this subject now that there are no quizzes, exams, or grades to worry about?
Well, it turns out that I’m really enjoying it so far. Turning math into a game makes it practical, fun, and low pressure.
The lessons run the gamut from easy to challenging. There is a section for elementary students as well as a different one for older kids or adults who want to improve their mental math skills, so this is one of those free games that truly does have something for everyone.
Station Eleven Novel and Miniseries
I’d heard so many good things about ”Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel, so I finally started watching it this winter.
It follows several of the same characters at different points in their lives as they encounter a deadly form of the flu that kills most of humanity and then about 20-30 years later to see how the survivors have fared.
If you’re comfortable reading about fictional pandemics, this is such an interesting look at how quickly the definition of normal can change. The people who were born after that pandemic had unique and sometimes humorous takes on what life must have been like back when unbelievable luxuries like airplanes, dentists, air conditioning, and the Internet still existed.
Unlike many books in this genre, this one is filled with characters who are kind and decent folks (with rare exceptions). They’re traumatized in the beginning, of course, but the storyline mostly focuses on them doing good things like adopting orphans, preserving as much of the past as they can, and simply surviving in a world where you must grow, knit, build, or scrounge around for everything you need.
I liked the hopeful approach this took to a genre that often assumes the worst about humanity.
The miniseries has been good so far as well. There were some major changes made to certain portions of it in order to help the storyline flow better on screen, but it remains true to the themes and characters of the book. Honestly, that’s exactly what any adaptation ought to do. I don’t need every single line of dialogue to remain identical so long as it still feels like the original.
I like to set (mostly) realistic goals at the beginning of each year. Let’s see how many of these I complete before 2024 sneaks up on us.
Title: In a Glass Darkly
I believe New Year’s Resolutions, as well as goal setting activities in general, are a fabulous starting point.
Title: The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas
Out of my 
My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood (
Happy New Year, readers!
“The Child Who Never Grew” by Pearl S. Buck
“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
“A Short History of the World According to Sheep” by Sally Coulthard
“You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion and Why It Matters” by Vanessa Bohns
“World War Z” by Max Brooks
“The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World” by Riley Black
“Empty Smiles (Small Spaces #4)” by Katherine Arden
