End of Summer Roundup
It's been a while. I had plans to spend my free time this summer tackling some projects and engaging with some hobbies, but the Canvas news got in the way of that and I needed to make a new class website. I used this site which I love. It feels fresh and accessible and is easy for someone new to HTML to follow. Eventually I'll post more about the website, but right now I want to give it some space because students return in a week.
This summer has been full of media. I don't have the time or energy to read or play as much as I'd like during the school year so I tend to binge over the summer.
Books
I started the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. This summer I finished the first two in the series. It's an interesting read; both fast paced and approachable. There are lots of pop culture references but they don't feel as forced as in Ready Player One. The book can feel a bit edgy at times (borderline try-hard), but overall I liked it. The later books apparently have a lot to say about consent. Things like the focus on Carl's feet or how much he kills are played more for laughs in the early books but they apparently become less funny as the series goes on. I can see myself finishing the series over the next few years.
The next book I finished was How to Survive Camping: The Man With No Shadow. I'm not sure what I expected, but I was unfulfilled. The book is well written and has some good horror descriptions, but I found myself bored by it. I never really cared about the characters. I liked it because it was originally serialized on Reddit before becoming published, much like The Martian was, and I appreciate people who create and put it out there for the world in whatever way they can. Check it out if that's your thing because it's not a terrible or offensive book, it just wasn't for me.
I listened to Evenville while doing yardwork. It's a cosmic horror set in the small liberal arts college. An enjoyable listen overall.
Once Upon Atari was one of my favorite autobiographies of the past few years. The story was familiar but it was nice to hear about everything from a primary source who had the time to really explain it all. Warshaw was level headed and could admit when he did something wrong and didn't overly bash anyone, like CEO Ray Kassar (who has been made into the villain in a lot of other tellings). If you're middle aged like me and are interested in things from your youth it's worth reading.
I started When the Clock Broke, a well-written and researched history of the 1990s but found myself too depressed by the current state of the world to continue. I wish this 40+ year national car crash hadn't happened. Maybe one day I'll have the stomach to finish it.
Games
I found a used copy of 13 Dead End Drive at a media store near me and picked it up. I've played it with my kids a few times now and it really holds up. It's a simple deduction and bluffing game that's made for younger kids (my 9 year old loves it) and if you can find a copy for less than $20 it's a wonderful way to spend a few evenings.
I played about half of Assassin's Creed: Shadows on the PS5 before I sold it (long live physical media). It's hard for me to get into 50 hour games these days. Especially when the games feel so empty. The sword fighting was fun but that was about it.
The new Mafia game was a blast though. There are a lot of valid criticisms about the game, but it was everything I needed a new release game to be. Less than 15 hours, pretty, earnest, and chock full of old cars. I'll write longer thoughts about it eventually.
Aviassembly is probably my favorite game of the summer. Think of a deep physics simulator like Kerbal Space Program but with planes and there you have it. This will get a lot of playtime.
That's it for now. I've got some thoughts about education rattling around in my head that I may get out over the next few days. I'm also excited to play some other games (Expedition 33 and the Thing remaster are both sitting in front of my TV), but that will take a back seat to the start of the school year. Good luck to everyone merging back on to the academic calendar!