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

Yucatan 1512 by Alex Vede

A visually impressive but narratively superficial historical fantasy about the evils of Spanish colonialism and redemption, it gives mild Tarantino vibes without crossing the line into cultural fetishism.

Earthdivers, Volumes 1-3 by Stephen Graham Jones, Davide Gianfelice, et al

A great premise with solid artwork, but the time travel shenanigans and non-linear narrative are squishy throughout, so it’s best read as a complete story rather than three individual volumes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stick the landing at all, and would have been better either as a novel, or having a co-writer with more comics writing experience.

{STAR} Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum

Possibly one of the nicheiest, nerdiest books I’ve ever read, Kirschenbaum offers an enlightening look at the history of “word processing”, which has a lot in common with the current push for “AI” — including the explicit goal of undermining certain professions, and unexpected outcomes. Come for myriad literary anecdotes, stay for an insightful history lesson.

The 10 Commandments of Successful Corporate Narratives by Jeff Gomez, Alan Berkson

It’s the rare business book that should be much longer, but Berkson’s very brief corporate spinoff of Gomez’s transmedia principles has some interesting nuggets that would have benefited from an experienced nonfiction editor, as well as more substantial case studies. It’s an interesting reframing of mission and vision development, but it’s weakened by forcing it into the “10 Commandments” structure rather than leveraging the spirit of Gomez’s approach to transmedia.

Clock Striker, Volume 3 by Issaka Galadima, Frederick L Jones

After two volumes of escalating world-building, this one goes heavier on the action while still managing to flesh out the main characters and setting a bit more. Another fun ride in my favorite Saturday AM series!

Games

Out of the Park Baseball 26 (Steam)

It is February 2034 and the New Orleans Second Line, an expansion team that joined MLB in 2025, has made the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, including a 4-2 defeat in the 2032 World Series. We still have one of the lowest payrolls in the league, but it includes a mix of popular veterans and homegrown stars on reasonable contracts, the latter fed by some great scouting work before every draft and international signing period. Better yet, our minor league teams are consistently competitive at every level, despite our farm system typically ranking in the lower half of the league for top prospects. After the first four years of building a foundation, every playoff defeat has me wondering if it’s the last season for this save, but roster construction remains such an addictive part of the gameplay loop (especially working with a smaller budget), that I’ve been sucked back in every season. I’m in no rush to get OOTP 27 yet, but once its initial wave of bugs are ironed out and there’s a good sale, I absolutely will get it. Will I ever play Football Manager again?

Slay the Spire (Steam Deck)

I first played Slay the Spire back in 2022 on the Xbox, one of several Game Pass discoveries that became an all-time fave. When I canceled Game Pass early last year, it was one of a few games I bought outright so I could keep playing it, and then when I got my Steam Deck late last year… I bought it again on Steam and my Xbox became a glorified DVD player. Since progress isn’t cross-platform, I started over from scratch, and it remains as good as ever. I’ll definitely get the sequel when it’s fully released, but until then, the original remains one of my favorite comfort games.

Movies & TV

Wonder Man (Streaming)

The MCU’s approach to transmedia is a perfect example of the concept’s creative limitations, as the post-Endgame stories basically showed how the tension between a franchise visionary’s storyworld and audience participation can disrupt the whole thing, especially when one of the primary drivers becomes ever-increasing revenue based on ever-escalating expectations. Letting streaming shows tell relatively self-contained stories about interesting characters that don’t have to move the entire meta-plot forward (nor require being tapped into 15+ years of cinematic canon), is the right move, and Wonder Man benefits by focusing on two compelling characters and the excellent chemistry between Abdul-Mateen II and Kingsley. It’s much more about acting and being true to yourself than it is about superheroics or the next big threat to the galaxy, and it’s by far one of the best shows to come out of the MCU in any phase.

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (Streaming)

Paradise turned me into a James Marsden appreciator, and the trailer for this movie suggested a goofy time travel romp, which I would have been fine with on a random Saturday night. While it’s definitely goofy af (on purpose), there’s also a surprisingly emotional story that Vince Vaughn, of all people, manages to make work. It’s no MBJ in Sinners performance, but it’s fundamental to making this more than just a goofy time travel romp.

Paradise S2 (Streaming)

There’s a moment in Season Two where an easy to miss comment from a new character hints at a big potential plot twist that had me worried the show was going to jump the shark, but Fogelman’s sharp, subtle approach to character development throughout provided a sturdy enough foundation that the finale ends up just teasing a fin coming out of the water. Sterling K. Brown’s uncanny ability to make melodramatic earnestness appealing carries the show once again, and Julianne Nicholson nails it as his complicated foil, but Shailene Woodley deserves an Emmy for her devastating role that ripples throughout the entire season. I’m all in for S3 now, especially since it seems like it will be the series finale, so there’s no chance of it overstaying its welcome like too many shows tend to do.

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!