This week, my literary journey took an unexpected detour. While I didn't crack open a single book, I immersed myself in a different reading material – the festive and heartwarming world of Christmas cards. So, in the spirit of the season, I present my whimsical, satirical, yet endearing review of the holiday cards that graced my mailbox.

R.A. Montgomery, the godfather of this storytelling genre, showcases his mastery in "The Lost Jewels of Nabooti." His captivating narrative style ensures that each pathway you choose is as compelling as the last. The book's life-or-death stakes make each decision feel impactful, adding to the overall thrill of the reading experience.

I have been researching and designing my FATE Core adventure module for my ‘Appliance’ game and found Mindjammer Press’ cosmic fantasy roleplaying game, ‘The Chronicles of Future Earth’, an excellent resource. 

What I appreciated about this book, as I have daughters and work as a disability advocate in my day job is how Ben naturally includes into the story strong female characters and normalizes the inclusion of folks living with disabilities.

This past week I read the ‘World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King’ art book. I have been doing some research on character designs and background settings. I cannot think of a better way of doing world-building research than looking at art books for games and other sci-fi and fantasy settings.

It is a fun book about a janitor that travels to a new land with his dog. It is a quick 10-minute read and has great illustrations. I also really like Egielski’s way he uses picture borders to give the reader a sense that there is more outside the illustrations.

It was a fun book with its chapters split into separate stories. It read like 15-minute episodes of a nickelodeon cartoon. I got the impression that Knetzeger had a lot of fun scripting and drawing out the stories. The characters felt innocent, curious, and adventurous. Personalities that are found in early teen kids.

The setting is interesting and unique, allowing games to only take place in Americana Literary settings. I found the book a fun read and very rules-light. It almost seemed like a party game in its design and intent than a traditional tabletop roleplaying game with long campaign settings.

I have always been a fan of Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland world, and seeing a story about the Walrus and the Carpenter was pretty fun. Landridge was able to keep the spirit of Carroll alive with the tertiary characters and sprinkling in poetry as narration.