The Thirteen Best Board Games for Adults
By Laurel Copes
​
Classic board games are great the first ten times you play them, but after a while "Monopoly" just isn't exciting anymore. There are tons of old and new options for when your game nights get stale. Here are the thirteen best board games for adults who are tired of endlessly playing "Apples to Apples":

1. The Settlers of Catan

Settle the island by competing against other players for resources and building settlements. Once you’ve got a feel for things, check out all of the expansion packs available for “Catan” that give it endless gameplay possibilities.

2. Pandemic

In this cooperative game you work with other players as disease specialists to eradicate diseases that threaten to destroy the world.

3. Scythe

Race to conquer all of the territory in a reimagined 1920s Europe by vying for resources in this aesthetically-pleasing game.

4. Secret Hitler

Each player is assigned a political party and character and works with other members of their party to elect government officials. Simple enough, except for the few fascists lurking about who are trying to elect Hitler as chancellor. Hello, political intrigue and deceit.

5. 7 Wonders

Lead one of the seven great ancient cities to victory and build a wonder while you’re at it. Having resources, developing science, and dominating military action will lead you to the win in this game.

6. Agricola

Take your farm from poverty to prosperity by being the player with the most valuable cards. There are many ways to upgrade and downgrade this game, making it accessible for all levels of experience.
7. Set

Compete against other players to make sets of cards based on shapes, shadings, and colors in this fast-paced game. The player with the most sets when the deck runs out wins!

8. Ticket To Ride

Dominate the railways by connecting cities and fulfilling tickets in this super user-friendly game. Earning the most points will get you the win and maybe make you feel like Vanderbilt himself.

9. Biblios

Compete against your friends to curate the greatest library by balancing resources and workers. Getting the most victory points will secure you the win, but more importantly, you’ll have a treasure trove of literary gold.

10. Smallworld

Play for domination of a world that is just too small to support the civilizations of every player in the game. The winner will have defeated all competing leaders and amassed a wealth of coins in the process.

11. Cards Against Humanity

Everyone’s favorite party game for people with a twisted sense of humor. You compete to see who can make the most hilarious matches out of different words and phrases, ensuring a good time and lots of laughs for all players. Just don’t break this one out for family game night.

12. Carcassonne

The game board is created as you play “Carcassonne,” with players adding a tile every time they have a turn. It’s a dynamic game that changes every time you play. The player who gets the most points from their ventures (you can be farmers, robbers, monks, and knights) in the game wins.

13. The Resistance: Avalon

Join the force of good or evil to battle in teams against one another on behalf of these forces. To win, teams must complete or hinder three quests with characters such as Arthur and Merlin popping up along the way. Once a team has won, they then unleash their good or evil onto the world forever.

Originally published on The Odyssey Online (https://www.theodysseyonline.com/13-best-board-games-adults)
 
Edited by London Koffler
 

​Bluster
JD DeHart
 
Mr. Bluster used to
seem kind and bellows
seemed to have power
in my younger days.
 
A bellow is nothing
more than a rough-
sounding wind.
 
Let the abuser be
his own fence, let
your lovely light
be cherished.
 
Do not spend
your time with anyone
that does not hold
your vision to heart.
 
Share your dreams
with dreamers, your love
with those capable
of loving.
 
Avoid didactic poetry,
when possible, apologies
for this verse included.

Shine Theory and the Power of Female Friendships
By
Laurel Copes

As with most women, female competition has been a part of my life since I was child. I remember vying for a position in the most exclusive clique my elementary school had to offer, running errands for the cool girls and planning ways to get new clothes in case that would give me a leg up over my fellow hopefuls. As I've grown, the lure of clique mentality has diminished, but not the pressure to see the women around me as competition. A girl who seems happier, more beautiful, and more successful than I do is an easy person for me to hate. I look at her and see less in myself. This is especially true knowing that in business, relationships, and friendships she and I will be pitted against one another.

The Shine Theory turns this attitude on its head and encourages women to remember that female friendships are a vital and rewarding part of understanding who you are and what you're worth. After gaining popularity in an article written for The Cut, Shine Theory started circulating social media and evolving as women of all ages and backgrounds grasped onto the idea of being Shine Theory girls. The basic idea is that surrounding yourself with strong and powerful women can enrich your life and inspire you to greatness. If your friends shine, then you will shine. That happy, beautiful, and successful girl you so want to hate is really the girl you need to be friends with. If you've already got a great group of friends, this means celebrating their successes instead of secretly coveting them.

It seems like this should be an easy thing to do, but it is common to feel like you are standing in the shadows of other women when our successes and failures are so easily quantifiable by things such as Instagram likes, a limited amount of jobs, the numbers on a scale, or swipes left and right on dating apps. However, investing in your female friendships and lifting the women around you up is infinitely more rewarding than competing with them for an imagined ideal. There is nothing more powerful than to know that you are surrounded by people who see the best in you and celebrate your achievements with true joy. Helping other women to shine is only going to make you shine too.
​
Originally published on The Odyssey Online: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/shine-theory-power-female-friendships
Edited by London Koffler
 

AUTHOR: Mary Paddock
NARRATOR: Bel Harris
PUBLISHER: Dreaming Big Publications, website: dreamingbigpublications.com
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Hannah Whitfield is tired of living a lie. She's been so caught up in hiding her affair from her husband Jeff and her three children that she cannot remember the last time she was honest with anyone, including her lover, Clint.
Telling Jeff the truth is the hardest thing she's ever done, but she expects Clint to understand when she ends the affair. After all, he's the one who said "When it's over, it's over". Instead, he spends months stalking and intimidating Hannah. At last, Hannah believes she has finally convinced him to give up, and she and Jeff go camping. But Clint follows, and his actions alter the course of Hannah's destiny forever.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF:  The paperback and ebook of Bright has been receiving 5 star rave reviews. Now, for the first time, this supernatural thriller is also available as an audiobook. You won't want to miss this!
BLOGGERS, VLOGGERS, REVIEWERS:  You may have already reviewed Bright when the paperback and ebook were first released, and if so, we thank you again for your review. You are an important part of the book industry, and your reviews mean so much to us. If you have not reviewed Bright yet, we have free download codes for the audiobook available in very limited quantities. Get yours now! We also still have ebook versions to send to reviewers. Email dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com to get your free review copy today.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

 Welcome back to the land of PAKK!

Dale Beranger has turned over a new leaf, devoting his life to the causes of good alongside his new companion, Bum the Orc. Benny and his wife, Virtue the Vampire, are happy to be reunited with their former foe, and set out with Dale and Bum on a cross-country adventure. However, what starts off as a light-hearted outing is cut short when the companions uncover a heinous plot which threatens to destroy all of PAKK. With Dale now on his side, will Benny be able to thwart the plans of this new evil?

About the AuthorKenneth Kelly is a 26 year old native of Plant City, Fl. He has been an avid writer his whole life, and has had a number of short works published during grade school and college. He has a Bachelors degree in English Professional Writing from St. Leo University. Piers Anthony is one of the world’s most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. Anthony is the author of the Xanth series, as well as many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives with his wife in Inverness, Florida.


About the Author:

Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.


Amazon Link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1947381067/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527195415&sr=8-1&keywords=amazon+expedient+piers+anthony

Bloggers, Vloggers, Reviewers: Please email Kristi at dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com for your free electronic review copy today!

From the Author:
This is the sixth volume of stories in this series.
This time there is one about the idealized love of a man for a mute wild girl, and another about an older woman who takes a hot young lover. There is one brief essay relating to my own relationship to writing. There are two story sets, one with an older man and young woman, the other relating to a fearsome god. Most are more or less mainstream, but some are fantasy adventure. The shortest story is only 500 words; the longest is 13,600 words. Some are erotic as hell, others not. In short, there should be something here to intrigue or offend any taste.

Amazon Link:
 https://www.amazon.com/Relationships-6-Piers-Anthony/dp/1947381059/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1527195046&sr=1-1&keywords=relationships+6+piers+anthony

Available in ebook and paperback.

BLoggers, Vloggers, Reviewers: Please email Kristi at Dreamingbigpublications@outlook.com to request your free electronic review copy.

 Holiday Baking
By London Koffler    
            As the quintessential college graduate, this year my part-time minimum-wage job did not provide me the money to buy the Christmas gifts my family and friends deserve. For some reason, I decided to try my hand at making my own gifts instead of purchasing them. My recent binge-watching of cooking shows convinced me that I, too, could construct my own culinary masterpieces with great ease. I spent days on the internet browsing recipe sites, trying to choose the perfect one that would please everyone. I finally decided on chai tea cookies with whipped cinnamon icing on top.
            The problem was, my kitchen is probably from the 1970s—no storage or standing room, a gas-burning range, and literally no counter space; I do not exaggerate when I say literally. I have to do all of my food preparation on a wooden chopping block we positioned in the nearby bedroom. Over the previous several months, I had gotten used to this arrangement, but this was the largest undertaking I had faced since moving in. I lined up all my ingredients, pulled out my bowls, and pre-heated my oven. I was ready.
            Or so I thought. As any well-seasoned chef could have predicted, this was going to be a disaster. I didn’t even have a rolling pin or a whisk. Why did I think I could make cookies without a rolling pin or icing without a whisk? I tried so hard to make it work, but nothing I did was good enough. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted my muffin tin. At this point, I was desperate. I took the cookie dough, crammed some in the tin, and shoved the whole thing in the oven. By the time I removed them, they were severely overdone. Looking over at my chopping block, I saw my “icing” that was more of a glaze. I thought, “Why not?” and dumped it over the muffins too. It couldn’t possibly make them any worse, right?
            I still took those cookies/cupcakes/muffins to my family’s Christmas Eve party. I thought, if nothing else, it would be a conversation starter. To my half amusement, half horror, my grandma picked one up and ate it. She noted that she loved them and wanted my recipe. I think my jaw dropped to the floor. Everyone tried one with their coffee and said the same. They all wanted to know where I found the recipe. I hated to tell them, but I didn’t think that was a mistake I could ever recreate.
            Like with most things in my life, I found that my best efforts were, in fact, good enough. I have always been too hard on myself, and this proved to me that I should try to cut myself some more slack. I tried something new, and even though I thought I failed, other people saw it as a success.
Edited by Rachel Menkhus
​
​

By Rachel Menkhus

Why and how do we decide we no longer like or support something? I have been thinking about this question a lot lately. This inquiry comes to mind when thinking about America’s current political climate and it makes me wonder what makes us, as a people, change our mind about something that used to be important to us. Is it age? Education? Could it be that our interests have evolved or even devolved? Don’t worry,—I won’t be discussing politics in this post. Rather I will use an example I am familiar with: DC versus Marvel. The age-old question. If you asked most, I assume they would immediately respond with, “Marvel, you idiot. Have you seen a DC movie recently?” Though for me, I used to be impartial and absolutely support both comic publishers. No, I will not be looking at DC versus Marvel’s cinematic universe. More, I will use the example of DC Comics versus Marvel Comics.

When I was a child I adored Superman. Superman is where many decide they have a love for comics; I know I’m not the only one to have my obsession start with Clark Kent and his love for all things Planet Earth. Now, I certainly have not outgrown my love for Superman, but I have outgrown my love for heroes that I came to cherish afterward. So, alongside many, I decided comics were my destiny. I wanted to know everything there was to know about the industry, its publishers, artists, writers, and characters.

My love for Marvel Comics came fast. I mean, who doesn’t love Captain America, Black Panther, Iceman, America Chavez, Ms. Marvel? Seriously, these are all great characters. But while my love for the publisher began strong, it started to wane when the movies came out. Now here is where I refer to my original question. Why and how do we decide we no longer like—love in my case—or support something? 

In this instance it was not anything Marvel did (though they have had some hiccups recently), rather my love for Marvel waned when I talked to people about the thing I loved. Most people agreed that Marvel was great—“Did you see that last MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) movie? Gosh. No one can compete.” But, when I brought up any of the other publishers that also created comic content, people rolled their eyes. “Yeah, well, DC kinda just sucks. They’re too dark, not funny. Not really superhero movies. Ya know?” The thing is. Whether you like Marvel or DC, sometimes... I wasn’t talking about the movies. So, the conversation, a conversation about the thing I am studying, do for a hobby, and want to spend the rest of my life working with, was no longer fun. It became Marvel versus everyone else. Disney versus Warner Brothers.
​
When I ask why we start to dislike something today, negativity also becomes a factor. When you no longer find joy in talking with others about something ingrained in your personality and life, it wears on you. Life isn’t all fun, I know. But when talking about things like this... Why do we all find it so easy to bash people’s interests in the name of rectifying or praising another’s? It really makes you wonder about why you may have started to lose interest in that thing you once loved.
Edited by London Koffler
 
​

By Emily Chance

I just finished reading Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera. After many adaptions and movies, I realized the story had been skewed. To make the story “better” in the movies and musicals, they made the Phantom somewhat attractive. However, in the book, the Phantom was horribly hideous from birth. So hideous that his own mother didn’t kiss him and just threw a mask at him to hide himself from the world. Everyone he encountered was horrified of him. They stared and were scared of him, so of course he had issues with addressing people. He talked about himself in the third person and had no social cues. For example, he kidnapped Christine out of love, in a way, we do the same to other people, just not as extreme.

In every workplace, inside of every school, there is someone so broken that everyone can see it. However, nobody wants to help them. All they do is pull that brokenness apart and find their flaws. When they find those flaws, they poke fun at them and make that flawed person feel that they’re the only flawed one, like they are ugly inside and out. When that broken person is put down by everyone around them, they haven’t developed proper social skills, and they have issues addressing anyone without anger.

In The Phantom of the Opera, it is revealed that the Phantom is extremely talented. He is a talented singer and ventriloquist, but due to his “ugliness of a corpse,” nobody knows about the talents he had before he went to the Opera. They only cared about the external flaws the phantom expressed, not ever stopping to listen or help him, or give him any sign that he was an interesting man.

In a way, society creates Phantoms doing the same thing. Very few people stop to help or listen. Instead of focusing on skills, they focus on flaws and problems. If one is not guilty of helping to create a phantom, it could be because they, themselves, are phantoms, or they were phantoms at some point and they don’t want to be a part of the issue.
​
Edited by Rachel Menkhus

Title: Polishing the Fragments
Author: John Kaniecki
Published By: Dreaming Big, Nov 2017
Reviewed By: Jessica Bucci
 
Genre: Poetry, Inspirational, Religious, Mental Illness
Pages: 134 (Paperback)
 
Rating: 4/5 Stars
 
John Kaniecki is not afraid to express himself through free form poetry. He examines the mental health care system, critiquing its practices and treatment of patients. The reader is taken on a long journey through pain, struggle, and finally hope. This is the second book I have read by Kaniecki, the first being More Than The Madness.
 
John beautifully crafts his story through 70 poems, each taking on a unique topic. While the message is powerful and thought provoking, because it is in poetry form I unfortunately know I missed parts of the intended message. As I have said before in other reviews, poetry/prose is not my favorite genre to read. However, I believe it can be one of the best ways to express oneself in written form. It captures sporadic thoughts and feelings differently than a fully story might.
 
Polishing the Fragments is a dark collection that explores deep topics. It is for a mature audience who isn’t afraid to delve into serious issues. Although the poems and collection itself are short, it is not necessarily something that can be read in one sitting. The best way to read this collection is in sections, absorbing the heavy contents slowly.
 
About the Book:
In a collection based in self-exploration and realization, Kaniecki takes on issues of mental illness, abuse, and religious actualization. Kaniecki's usage of imagery and theme express a relatable yet unique story of discovery, failure, and hope. The reader is taken on a journey through childhood experiences, growing pains, finding love and Christ, and living with the aftermath of mental illness. This hard look at mental health offers a critique of the current system while expressing hope for a brighter future.
 
About the Author:
John Kaniecki is a poet and prose writer residing with his wife Sylvia in lovely Montclair, New Jersey. John currently has nine books out, five of poetry and four of prose with more to come. John’s primary function is as a caregiver to his wife Sylvia. John also is an activist as a member of Woman’s International League Of Peace And Freedom as well as New Jersey Peace Action. John is a minister of the Church Of Christ At Chancellor Avenue, which is located in the South Ward of Newark. John has suffered from bipolar disorder since that age of twenty. His story is told in his memoirs More Than The Madness also published by Dreaming Big Publications.
 
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review. I was not obligated to give a positive review, and all thoughts are my own.
 
Amazon