Reading: Preoccupied as my Better Half and I were this month, I did less reading than usual, but did manage to complete The Burning God. This last book of Rebecca Kuang’s debut trilogy was inspired, like its predecessors, by the modern Sino-Japanese wars, and shared the other volumes' vividness and skillful plotting. Without giving away the denouement, I will say that General Rin’s titular ally, the Phoenix, has no plans ever to give Rin or her homeland peace, even if they desperately need it.
Video: My video watching has become sporadic in the last three years and almost non-existent since the start of the pandemic. That said, I watched my first episode of Star Trek: Enterprise in mid-May. I know I’m two decades late to this party, but I was only inspired to try the series by a recently-published alt history blog post. The premiere featured a thin plot and mediocre acting, but I admired the writers’ attempt to build a new Star Trek continuity bridging the older series and the 21st-century milieu of First Contact. I may just give the rest of the series a try, and see how it holds up.
Gaming: Susan and I managed a fair amount of this in May, thanks to iOS or compact versions of some of our favorites. We enjoyed Duel, the excellent two-player version of 7 Wonders; Scythe, the cult board game based on Jakub Rozalski’s 1920+ dieselpunk art; and Innovation. Indeed, we were able to play all three while Susi was in early-stage labor with our son. I’d say this gave me an unfair advantage, but Miss S. still trounced me at Innovation, 6-2. Better luck next pregnancy. (Just kidding!)
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| Susi triumphs again. |
