Blog

In which I briefly comment on the books I read each month, so a few years from now when I’m trying to remember one of them, I’ll be able to find it here. Since I’m a media omnivore, it also includes games, movies, and any other media of note that I engaged with.

Do we have similar tastes, or will you be questioning how we ever got connected? Let’s find out!

Books

{STAR} The Library Mule of Córdoba by Wilfrid Lupano and Leonard Chemineau

A timely fable set in my favorite region of Spain, back when it was under Muslim rule, it’s a love letter to the importance of books and education that doesn’t forget to tell an engaging and inspiring story, deftly balancing humor and tragedy. A day job discovery that I bought purely on its rave reviews, it deserves all of the acclaim it’s received. The epilogue hammers its underlying theme home like a Spike Lee Joint, and it’s the only time it explicitly tips its hand that it’s written to be accessible to younger teens, too.

Fear and Loathing in La Liga by Sid Lowe

Part oral history, part deep dive into the storied history of Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (El Clásico), two teams I don’t care about personally, but have always been curious about their dominance in my favorite domestic soccer competition, La Liga. Lowe does a great job establishing historical context during and after the Spanish Civil War and its fascist era, connecting the dots to modern times, and ending just before I got into soccer for the first time in 2014. It added important nuance to my persistent dislike of Real Madrid and reluctant appreciation for Barcelona, and a better understanding of his occasional historical asides on The Spanish Football Podcast.

{STAR} Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Despite me being the one who works in publishing, it took my wife’s recommendation to finally read this one, particularly after noting how much of it she “got” from hearing various work-related stories from me over the years. It’s a delightfully wicked satire of modern publishing that leaves absolutely no one unscathed, with a perfectly cynical ending. Avoid spoilers, including its own jacket copy, and just read it cold.

{DNF} Pragmatism by William James

I figured after so many years of considering myself a pragmatist, I should have a better understanding of what that actually means, but I really don’t like academic writing, so I immediately struggled with this series of lectures originally given in 1906. Way too dense and awkwardly conversational, I kept re-reading sentences and paragraphs multiple times, and after slogging through four chapters and not retaining anything, I finally gave up. Is there a Pragmatism for Dummies? (Surprisingly, there isn’t.)

Games

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (Steam)

Act 2 is one of the longest games I’ve ever played, but also one of the most satisfying for blending its core turn-based combat and strong narrative with space exploration and voidship combat, plus trade and colony management. It shouldn’t work, but it does so well that Act 3’s plot twist is an effective rug pull that’s as refreshing as it is annoying. One could argue that it’s doing too much (and I know there’s more coming), but it’s also an appropriately expansive canvas for a Rogue Trader’s journey in the grimdark future.

PS: There’s so much text to read in this game that I could list it up with the books the way audiobook people do.

Movies & TV

Yellowjackets (Paramount Plus)

We started watching the first season last month, really enjoyed it, and finally caught up with Season 3 last week. Its great cast, intriguing mysteries, and some of the most impressive editing I’ve seen in a while made for a great first season, but there was an underlying Desperate Housewives vibe I was worried about. With two episodes left in Season 3, it feels like it’s being artificially dragged out, which is weird since it apparently was originally pitched for five seasons, and the first two seasons were written and paced like they were guaranteed. I’m still curious about what happened in the past, but the present storyline has reached a breaking point, particularly with adult Shauna who has become exhausting.

NY Mets (SNY)

Last season, I experienced most of OMG! via radio and YouTube recaps (and The Mets Pod), only catching a few playoff games live on free TV. This season, I’m doing a one-week free trial of SNY via MLB.tv, so of course 2 of their first 3 games weren’t available on SNY. I’m still getting used to watching full baseball games again, though, and SNY is too expensive to miss too many games, which is the only thing I’d be watching with it. Either way, radio or TV, LGM!

Your Notes?

If you’ve engaged with any of these, let me know what you thought. And if you have any related recommendations, drop ’em in the comments or on the socials! Some of you prefer email, which is cool, too. You do you!