In praise of Pixar

Aug 16 2019
It happens to every adult: that moment – after years of loving Pixar movies as hilarious, exciting yarns about anthropomorphic toys and fish and, well, Cars – when you...

Dungeons and Dragons, Understood

Aug 16 2019
Stranger Things doesn’t hold back when it comes to its blatant love of Dungeons and Dragons (commonly called D&D); in fact, some would argue that the hit show is its own version of D&D – it certainly seems to play out that way. At the end of the last season, one character leaves a small...

Book Review: 'The World According to Mister Rogers" by Fred Rogers

Aug 8 2019
I have such fond memories of watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood. I didn't wholly appreciate the essense of what Fred Rogers did through his program until I recently watched the documentary,...

The fabulous films of Quentin Tarantino

Jul 27 2019
One of the things I’m most excited for this summer is the release of Quentin Tarantino’s ninth film Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood. Fellow Anythinker Nicole Falcone and I are big fans of Tarantino’s work, so in honor of Hollywood’s release on July 26, we’ve decided to share some thoughts on our...

Potty train like a pro

Jul 26 2019
After what feels like two years, but has just been a little over one, I can proudly tell you that my child is potty trained. I went into the process feeling prepared and optimistic. I had all of the relevant tools and resources to guide me on the journey. I had backup plans for my backup plans in...

Elevated Reading: 'Sand' and the history of the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado

Jul 26 2019
"We live across the thousand dunes with grit in our teeth and sand in our homes. No one will come for us. No one will save us."  Thus begins the description for...

Every body is a swimsuit body: Exploring body positive YA novels

Jul 26 2019
Four years ago, author Julie Murphy released the powerful YA novel, Dumplin’. The heartfelt story of Willow Dean Dixon – a...

Book review: 'We Have Always Lived in the Castle' by Shirley Jackson

Jul 18 2019
Shirley Jackson was truly a master of weaving suspense and humor in her work. Known for her iconic short story, "The Lottery,"...

Camping time in Colorado

Jul 18 2019
Camping is a great way to connect with nature, especially in our beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. There is excellent camping nearly everywhere in Colorado, with some of the best campsites to be seen. Colorado has a good mix of paid developed campgrounds and also underdeveloped primitive sites...

'First Man' deserves a second look

Jul 17 2019
The Apollo Program is the subject of numerous documentaries (I wrote about two of my favorites, For All Mankind and...

Slow down with 'The Slowest Book Ever'

Jul 17 2019
If I’m still reading a book after two weeks, I get antsy. Don’t get me wrong, I like to take my time with a book, appreciating its intricate plotting or dazzling prose or mind-expanding insights. But time is also a limited resource. A book that monopolizes my time makes me feel like I’ve been...

Book review: 'Homeschooled' by Rachel Papo

Jul 3 2019
 "As homeschooling nears mainstream recognition and technology interweaves itself into our daily lives at breakneck pace, Papo provides us a timely glimpse into the lives of those who are carving an alternative path towards preparing for the future and finding a deeper way to be connected. Through...

Traffic lights: the changing world of color blindness

Jun 25 2019
Almost one year ago, I bought my husband the most expensive anniversary gift in our 15-year history: a single pair of sunglasses. He couldn’t understand why I had made him drive to a park, hike in and stand under a bunch of trees just to open his present. Then he opened the box, one marked ...

Six books for word friends

Jun 24 2019
I’m a word person. I like meeting words, listening to them, and learning their stories. It’s no surprise, then, that I quite enjoyed the following books, as they allowed me to get to know some interesting words. Happily, these particular materials are not dull or didactic. Rather, like a dinner...

The question of Keanu

Jun 21 2019
Recently, I’ve noticed social media lighting up with a lot of love for Keanu Reeves. Whether it’s due to the recent release of the third chapter in the...

A night owl takes on Denver

Jun 21 2019
Whenever I visit New York, I’m always struck with starry-eyed wonder around 10 pm at night. As a local Denver native, I’m used to being in bed around 10 pm, snuggled up with a comforter and a good book. That’s not the case in New York  –10 pm in New York is when this bustling city wakes. As...

On the benefits of revisiting

Jun 19 2019
I’ve always been a revisiter. Like many kids, I asked (or demanded) we reread the same books every night at bedtime. Family lore has it that, by the age of six, I had watched...

Book review: 'Bird Box' by Josh Malerman

Jun 5 2019
I know there are a lot of people out there that will question, Bird Box is a book? The answer is yes, and, as a completely...

Daily doses of wonder

Jun 4 2019
Is it wrong to review a book if you’re only about halfway through it? I first flipped through Year of Wonder while working at the library. It seemed like a cool book, but one that I...

A summer of YA

Jun 3 2019
As the last days of school slowly tick down, parents and teens alike are wondering: What are we going to do this summer? As a librarian and an author, I'm happy to shout: read YA!  In case you weren't aware, YA (short for young adult) literature has experienced a massive explosion of popularity in...

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