What a good word right now can mean – Press Enterprise
My family often huddles around the computer to discuss the day’s news or, if it’s all too much, to share funny dog and cat videos.
But for the past few months, we’ve been gathering around the laptop for another reason too, Wordle.
Don’t worry, I won’t proselytize, complain, or give strategy advice; I just wanted to share something I learned playing the word game that was recently purchased by The New York Times.
In many ways, Wordle is just the right game for these pandemic times of disconnection. You can play it alone, share your best scores on social media and be ready in minutes when you’re busy. It takes less time than a board game, and it also makes you feel smart for a few minutes.
So late last year, I had just finished work and wanted to take a quick mental break to play. When one of my kids asked what I was doing, I invited him to join me. The next day, he suggested doing it again and turned on his siblings. It soon became a family thing that we do together. And i love it.
It’s not that each of us can’t do it alone, but we find that we love teaming up to do it. The game offers us all a moment to see and hear each other and work together on an incredibly low-stakes project. You’ll learn fascinating things, such as one child knowing more about medieval armor than you ever imagined, or the other having a delightfully burgeoning love of wordplay.
It’s a small thing, but a consolation, and these days anything that offers some joy and peace seems like something I want to share now.
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In the book world, we covered the biggest award for poets and the return of a beloved LitFest, but news also broke that 88-year-old Cormac McCarthy will be releasing two new books this fall, The Passenger and Stella Maris. ”
This reminded me of reading McCarthy’s 2006 dystopian The Road when it came out. I put our child down for a nap and curled up by a window to read the post-apocalyptic father and son story. However, every few harrowing pages I felt unnerved and had to check on our boy, who luckily was sleeping peacefully, completely unaware of the horrifying events in the book.
I finally relented and lay on the floor by his bed, nervous but unable to stop reading, all the while keeping an eye out for McCarthy’s horrors popping up in our neighborhood. (Spoiler alert: they don’t.)
So… I guess I’m looking forward to new books from the man? Anyway, tell me what you’re reading these days and we can share your choices in the newsletter.
As always, thanks for reading.
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Alex Segura describes a novelist who had a “seismic impact” on his writing
Author Alex Segura has written comics and mysteries, and he’s cultivating all of that experience for his new novel, Secret Identity, out March 15. If you haven’t already read his interview with Diya Chacko, please do, and here he delivers it to us with some additional information about what he reads, his biggest influence, and more.
Q: What are you reading right now?
I just finished Sara Gran’s The Book of the Most Precious Substance, a cross-genre thriller by one of my favorite authors of all time. Sara’s prose is fascinating and she is a treasure. I will read everything she writes. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t pick up Kellye Garrett’s Like a Sister – an outstanding suspense novel. Kellye’s book is insightful, poignant and full of twists and turns.
Q: Can you remember a book that you read and thought, This was written just for me?
Michael Chabon’s early novels – The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Wonder Boys and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – just felt like they were made for me to consume because they explored worlds that really interested me and those that didn’t were unique to the genre. “Kavalier and Clay” in particular had a seismic impact on my own work.
Q: Is there a person who has influenced your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian, or someone else?
My yearbook teacher (and now friend) at high school (Miami), Angel Menendez. He taught me that hard work and persistence are the kind of skills that can help you no matter what. That even if you are not naturally gifted or talented, you can succeed and be skilled at something. It was an early lesson that writing is both a craft and an art, and at best both.
Q: What do you find most appealing in a book: the plot, the language, the cover, a recommendation? Do you have any examples?
I care about character. This is where I start as a writer and what draws me to great fiction. I also find that the best nonfiction/true crimes thrive when they’re about people—their quirks, their demons, their conflicts. If it’s only action oriented and little time is spent serving people, I lose interest.
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The lit festival is coming
Find out about the Pasadena LitFest, which will feature some big names over several days. CONTINUE READING
Poetry’s greatest prize
Find out more about the winners of Claremont’s 2022 Kingsley & Kate Tufts Awards. CONTINUE READING
Road to dystopia
Sarah Blake talks about wanting to bring joy even in a dark book about a serial killer. CONTINUE READING
The bestsellers of the week
The best selling books at your local independent bookstores. CONTINUE READING
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What’s next on ‘Bookish’
The next free Bookish event is March 18th at 5pm with authors John Cho, Wajahat Ali and Kristina Wong.
Sign up here to watch.
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