the adventure zone – Sarah Ames-Foley

I Kill Giants
cw: homophobic slurs, parental death

It took me a really long time to pick this one up, but I’m glad I did. It’s a really interesting story that ends up packing more of an emotional punch than you expect it to. It’s also quite a quick read and a standalone, so you don’t have to worry about new books coming out. I really disliked the main character throughout most of the book, but I believe that was the intent of the author. Be prepared for a lot of “I’m not like other girls” nonsense, as well as violence and verbal abuse. If you think you can handle all that, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eden
cw: transphobia, kidnapping, underage drinking, drug use
disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for review consideration. All of the opinions presented below are my own.

I requested this from NetGalley mostly on a whim and ended up being pleasantly surprised. What I liked most about it was probably that it followed the aftermath of the sisters’ kidnapping rather than focusing on the kidnapping itself. It was more of a study on how trauma impacts individuals as they age, as well as the role that relationships with others play in our lives.

“I own the ground, but not the water,” she said. “Isn’t that something?”

The main character is a queer woman (I believe she’s a lesbian, but never drops a definitive ID) and it’s nice that it’s just sort of a fact rather than a plot point. My one issue was the way she referred to another character: as “maybe trans” and later as another character’s “girlfriend/boyfriend.” It didn’t really feel like a respectful way to portray them and rubbed me the wrong way, although I’m a cis woman and can’t speak fully to the representation.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins

There isn’t a lot to say about this one for me. It was cute, I enjoyed the art. It was fun seeing the THB come to life. I thought the way they incorporated Griffin the DM was interesting, but it didn’t work super well for me. I’ll be interested to see how people who didn’t listen to the podcast like it, since I have an inkling I wouldn’t have really enjoyed it without the background I had. It felt a little rushed to me and I had a hard time connecting to the characters, which was wild since I had already connected to them. Overall, I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t anything groundbreaking for me.

Rating:⭐⭐⭐.5

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(All covers courtesy of Goodreads.)

Okay, so podcasts aren’t books, but I’d argue that they’re closely related! They’re kind of like audiobooks! Some tell stories, some teach you things, and some are just plain fun. For today’s post, I wanted to show y’all some of my favorite podcasts and learn what some of your favorite podcasts are!

Reading Glasses with Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara
[discussion, education]

Do you love books? Want to learn how to make the most of your reading life? Join hosts Brea Grant and Mallory O’Meara every week as they discuss tips and tricks for reading better on Reading Glasses, a podcast designed to help you get more out of your literary experiences.

As professional creatives and mega-readers, Mallory and Brea are experts on integrating a love of reading into a busy lifestyle. Listeners will get help for bookish problems, like how to vanquish that To-Be-Read pile and organize those bookshelves. Brea and Mallory also offer advice on reader dilemmas. How do you climb out of a reading slump? How do you support authors while still getting books on the cheap? Where do you hide the bodies of the people who won’t stop talking while you’re trying to read? No matter what you read or how you read it, Reading Glasses will help you do it better.

My Brother, My Brother, and Me with Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Griffin McElroy
[comedy, discussion]

My Brother, My Brother and Me is an advicecast for the modern era featuring three real-life brothers: Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy. For roughly five-sixths of an hour each week, with new episodes dropping every Monday, the brothers McElroy will answer any query sent our way, each fielding questions falling into our respective areas of expertise. We operate like a streamlined, advice-generating machine. It’s both terrifying and humbling to behold.

The Adventure Zone with Griffin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Justin McElroy, and Clint McElroy
[Dungeons & Dragons, fiction, comedy]

Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy from My Brother, My Brother and Me have recruited their dad Clint for a campaign of high adventure. Join the McElroys as they find their fortune and slay an unconscionable number of … you know, kobolds or whatever in … The Adventure Zone.

The Heart with Kaitlin Prest
[discussion, storytelling]

The Heart is a show about love, life, bodies and feelings. With rich sound design, intimate subject matter and a critical lens, the stories on this show ask the important question of our era: What is love?

Stuff You Should Know with Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant
[education]

How do landfills work? How do mosquitos work? Join Josh and Chuck as they explore the Stuff You Should Know about everything from genes to the Galapagos in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

It might have been overdoing it two put two McElroy podcasts, but you should just be grateful that I didn’t put three now that Wonderful! has started. Anyway, these are just 5 of the podcasts I listen to, but I’d say they’re my favorites! I actually went to see My Brother, My Brother, and Me live on Sunday night and it was an incredible experience! What are some of your favorite podcasts?

Thanks for reading! You can also find me on Twitter and Goodreads.
(All logos courtesy of each podcasts’ respective website.)

Tag: the adventure zone

Mini-Review Compilation #7

Podcasts