By Austin Foglesong, Supervising Librarian II
Growing up an only child, I spent a lot of time with my parents and grandparents. Some of our favorite pastimes included playing board, card, or dice games, or viewing TV game shows.
My dad had a deep love of Chess and Cribbage, which he taught me how to play at an early age. These two games helped develop my big picture and strategic thinking skills, which I utilize daily as a supervisor.
My mom liked watching Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and my dad’s parents particularly enjoyed Family Feud. Family game nights were a frequent occurrence, where we would face off in various card and dice games, including family favorites like Frustration or Phase 10.
Gaming and technology revolutionized the early 2000s, with handheld game consoles like the Game Boy and the Nintendo DS bringing portable accessibility and entertainment to life in entirely new ways. Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons were some of my favorites to explore!
In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games such as Among Us, Stardew Valley, the Civilization series, and the Crusader Kings series. I also enjoy a variety of board games and am always on the lookout for engaging team-building activities. Escape rooms are another fun pastime, and I’m always eager for a new experience when I travel with friends, where I help guide our way to success.
With the undeniable popularity of gaming in our society and a summer reading theme of ‘Level Up At Your Library,’ we encourage you to explore our second theme: Books about Games. Check out additional staff suggestions. A fiction title I am currently reading and recommend is The (Fake) Dating Game by Timothy Janovsky. How will you level up this summer?
Lucky Loser by Michael Kosta
Available in print, ebook and eaudiobook
A witty, self-aware memoir that serves up humor and heart in equal measure. Blending tales of professional tennis with life’s deeper questions, this is a compelling story of resilience, reinvention, and identity.
Red Dead’s History by Tore C. Olsson
Available in print
Red Dead Redemption 2 was released to critical acclaim in 2018, receiving accolades for its historical accuracy. Professor Torre Olsson analyzes both the accuracy of the game and the greater social history of the time.
Play Nice by Jason Schreier
Available in print
Blizzard Entertainment was at the center of one of the gaming world’s biggest scandals in the 2010s. A leading video game journalist combs through hundreds of interviews to understand how the once mighty Blizzard fell so far.
The Riddles of the Sphinx by Ana Shechtman
Available in print, ebook and eaudiobook
Anna Shechtman uncovers the hidden feminist legacy of crossword puzzles. Insightful, witty, and richly researched, it redefines a cultural pastime as a site of gendered resistance and creativity.
English