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Fiction

Our Favorite Fantasy Characters Not Written By George R.R. Martin (And So He Can’t Kill Them Off Suddenly, Reducing You to a Pile of Tears and Broken Dreams)

If there is one thing I don’t miss about reading A Song of Ice and Fire (aka those Game of Thrones books), it’s the heart wrenching randomness with which George R.R. Martin assassinates his characters. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it. I have my flashbacks.

Sigh, oh Ned Stark… I’ll miss you the most, scarecrow Hand of the King. But this isn’t about you; this is about the character I can enjoy for more than half a book. For characters who will be around. These are some awesome fantasy characters that weren’t written by George R.R. Martin, but that people should know about any way.

Note, some spoilers in the blurbs below.

Posted by Preeti Chhibber

Parenting, Parenting: Dad

How to Teach a Kid to Cook

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The best way to keep your kids busy and to get a good dinner on the table is to enlist their help! Here are some tips on how to create a future foodie from Stuff Every Mom Should Know.

Posted by Courtney Daniels

Movies & Film, Video Games

Six Cromulent Made-Up Words to Enrich Your Vocabulary

Forget flash cards for a minute–learning words can actually be fun. See, the great thing about the English language is just how flexible, fanciful, adaptable, and extendable it is. Individual words evolve with use, kind of like Pokémon. The entirety of vocabulary gets bigger when it needs to, kind of like a Pokémon deck with an expansion pack. And when writers can’t quite capture the correct word in the wild, they concoct one with syllables from other, older words…kind of like how Pokémon scientists built Mewtwo.

Seriously, and video-game metaphors aside, new words (or neologisms, for those without an Orwellian avoidance of all things non Anglo-Saxon) are a whole bunch of fun (kind of like…never mind). Here’s a few choice coinages from literature and beyond to embiggen your vocabulary.

Posted by Blair Thornburgh

Cookbook: Desserts

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

Have you already stumbled when it comes to your New Years resolutions?

Maybe stubbed your toe a bit?
That’s ok. I’ve learned that with any goal, you can start over and get right back on track the second after you stumble.
Well, I’ve been working really hard (for three days or so, but hey, baby steps) on sticking to the diet plain my trainer outlined for me. But in my mind, I’m already zoned in on when I’ll have some sweet relief. Literally, sweet relief. Like, I can hardly wait for the next two weeks to fly by because then I get to go to my wedding cake tasting! Yes! Cake!
Despite dreaming about drop kicking my high-protein, low-carb diet, I think about ways to make resolutions a little easier on you. I’m so sweet, right?
So, I’ve made this cake for you! It’s amazing. It’s sweet but not too sweet. It’s hearty and delicious and would go perfect with a cup of hot coffee (or a tall glass of milk, which is what my fiancé requested when he was shoveling it into his mouth).
I was inspired by a recent decadent pound cake that was dropped off where I work during the Christmas season. The cake was rich and sweet, swirled with raspberry jam and scented with almond. I knew I could make it healthier and make it more socially acceptable for a post-New Year brunch or easy grab-and-go breakfast (or heck, dessert!).
With a few healthy swaps, you’ll be digging into a treat that you don’t have to feel so guilty about. You’re welcome!

Posted by Melissa Karras

Fiction

Your Favorite Classic-Novel-Turned-Movie Becomes a Video Game

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Hollywood has relied heavily on the tried-and-true stories of yesteryear, and this selection of Winter/Spring film releases is no different. America will be reacquainted with some familiar faces and travel down well-paved storylines with the release of several classic novels on the big screen.

But why stop there with the reinterpretations? Haven’t there been some tremendous video games that have arisen out of cinema? These tie-ins have scampered along behind many a blockbuster film – some, like Goldeneye, for better, and some, like E.T. the Extraterrestrial, for worse.
So what would honor the great authors of the 19th- and 20th-century more than rolling the dice on their masterpieces and seeing what pixelated prize might result? Thus, we present our ideas for the video game tie-ins for five most recent classic-novels-turned-movies.

Posted by Jessica S. Marquis

Fiction

Five Innovative Book Club Ideas

If you’re a reader and a reader of this blog, chances are you have considered joining or are part of a book club. What better way to find your new favorite book and your new best friend than in a group of people that read and talk for fun?

However, sometimes book clubs can get a little stale. I’ve been running one for seven years, and know first hand that there can be dips in membership, interesting conversation and ideas. What do you do when you don’t really want to sit in someone’s apartment and discuss the most recent John Grisham novel? Below are a few creative takes on the simple book club.

Posted by Sarah Davis

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