Trans rights are human rights. In a world where trans rights keep being taken away, the joy that comes from art, music, and theatre matters more than ever. Within this landscape, Cats: The Jellicle Ball gives the pure joy and O-P-U-L-E-N-C-E that is resistance in a world that can be dark and threatening. 

In 2024, Cats: The Jellicle Ball sold out the initial shows at the Perelman Performing Arts Center. Having seen it come across my TikTok feed, I waited and waited for another extension so that I could purchase tickets. Unfortunately for me, the timing didn’t work out. I closely monitored the socials until the show announced its move to Broadway. 

Let me tell you, nothing prepared me for the pure electric surge of joy and community that existed in the Broadhurst Theatre on March 18, 2024. However, what I can tell you is that you should be jumping and diving your way to get tickets. 

What is Cats: The Jellicle Ball?

Cats: The Jellicle Ball reimagines the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical as a Ballroom competition. Ballroom culture is an underground Black and Latin LGBTQIA+ community. According to the Human Rights Campaign,ballroom culture dates back to the Harlem Renaissance era that expanded its reach and community in the late 1970s and early 1980s. 

According to “Constructing Home and Family: How the Ballroom Community Supports African American GLBTQ Youth in the Face of HIV/AIDS,” consists of two primary features: “anchoring family-like structures, called houses, and the flamboyant competitive balls that they produce.” The research explains: 

Led by house mothers and fathers, houses function as families whose main purpose is to organize elaborate balls and to provide support for their children to compete in balls as well as to survive in society as marginalized members of their communities of origin.

Setting the story of Cats within this found-family setting transforms the traditionally disconnected poems into a more cohesive narrative. Each “cat” is now a member of a house strutting down the runway, voguing to updated beats, and cheering for all winners. 

The First Time Cats Made Sense

The Jellicle Ball takes the iconic music and truly gives us a story that we can care about. For the first time, we understand Grizabella’s pain. Without going into spoiler territory, the second act opens with an homage to ballroom’s founding trans mothers, including Grizabella. 

“Tempress” Chasity Moore’s performance of “Memory” is absolutely devastating. Her performance gives us every emotion imaginable from tentative fear to heartbreaking despair. Ultimately, to joyous rebirth. 

The rebirth within Cats: The Jellicle Ball is so much more than the original story. When we see these people celebrating their culture, we experience the joy of finding a community where you can finally be your whole, true self and others around you accept and love you all the more for it. 

Cats: The Jellicle Ball Is An Experience of Community

From the beginning, audience members are active participants from their seats. In the opening, Junior Labeija’s voice gracefully and powerfully reminds us that we might normally be reserved when we go to the theatre, but “this is a ball, darling.”

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During that first night, the audience screams and the sounds of fans opening and closing nearly obscured his announcement. The reason? Junior Labeija, who plays Gus the Theatre Cat, is more than an actor, they were adopted into the one of the oldest ballroom houses and are a pillar of the ball community. 

And here is where Cats: The Jellicle Ball shines. I’m a white, non-binary femme raised in a conservative home in suburban Connecticut. I was never a part of and likely will never be a part of the ballroom community. 

The references to ballroom culture were not for me. They were all for the people who know the culture, who know who Labeija is, and who could celebrate with one another. 

And yet, during that performance, I was part of the ballroom culture for just a moment. 

Before the performance and during the intermission, I watched as queer audience members and community members showed up in their best looks, hugged one another, and celebrated seeing the trans and queer joy that existed in that room. 

During the performance, I had the honor and privilege to watch as the gay couple a few rows in front of me placed their arms around each other. I was able to watch the elder gay gentleman wave his fan and applaud his community and his culture. 

I was transported into a world where fashion glows, where bodies express, and where music lights the soul. 

In those moments, Cats: The Jellicle Ball transcended that theatre, becoming more than a performance by allowing everyone to experience community together. 

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I didn’t want another story about a young adult attending a magical school. However, I had to give Half City by Kate Golden a chance, because she had completely proved her worth in her Sacred Stones Trilogy and as a result was firmly on my “authors to watch” list.

I really didn’t want to love another story about a young adult attending a magical school.

Some tropes are tropes through sheer repetition, bordering on the chasm of cliche and relying on familiarity for popularity. Yet some are tropes because the device is universally appealing, has enduring appeal, and just works. No matter how many times I say I am getting tired of mystical schools, schools of magic, schools in other realms, I never actually do tire of them. I suppose as long as authors such as Kate Golden, Rebecca Yarros, and Leslie Vedder keep rising to the challenge, I will keep taking the delicious, enticing, all-consuming bait.

Half City follows the story of Viv Abbot, a 21 year old museum assistant who lives on the almost nearly sealed off mouth of hell. She also happens to be a demon hunter by birth, a rather peculiar strain of demon hunter. Having learned to hunt alongside her father at a young age, his death under mysterious circumstances has left her alone in a world that does not see the demonic forces around them. Her best friend and roommate do not see, her boyfriend does not see, not even her own family sees what she does. But with her father’s blood pumping through her veins, Viv sees all the creatures that hide in the darkness and lurk around each corner. She is compelled by a fire inside her to fight them, to protect those around her, and the fire threatens to burn her up.

One night after saving a mother and her children, Viv is drawn into a world that she did not know existed; Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. At Harker students are trained to do the very thing that she has been doing since infancy; know demons, fight demons, kill demons.

Making new friends, learning new things about herself is only the beginning of Viv’s first year. Not only does she discover that her father once attended the school before hiding its existence from her, but strange occurrences around campus suggest that something more unusual is going on than her growing attraction to reformed demon professor Reid. Can she and her plucky band of new demon hunting friends figure it out before the semester or the world comes to an end?

I jest, but I thoroughly enjoyed the world of Harker Academy, and where Golden began to scratch the surface of this universe she sets up several elements to be explored in future stories. Also Half City ends on a gut wrenching cliff hanger leaving me both angry and in awe at her skill with a quill.

Viv finds herself living two different lives. One with her roommate and best friend Penny, easily the nicest person in the world. Penny is blissfully unaware of the real world around her and cute as an absolute button. The other with new bestie Sofia, an Amazonian huntress herself, with more self knowledge and self esteem than anyone person should have, but also the nicest person in the world. One cuddles stuffed animals and watches Rom Coms, the other fights demons in spandex and lace. But their differences are not the thing that defines them. Their honesty, their kindness, their humanity, these things rise above all other circumstance and opinion to show that we are more alike than our differences. Watching Viv’s changing relationship with both, gives me hope for our actual world with our actual demons, and is an amazing journey to read.

While it may have been begrudgingly at first that I walked the halls of Harker Academy, I found myself doing so with as much joy and intrigue as I did Basgiath or Hogwarts. I can’t even stay mad at the soul crushing cliff hanger, because Golden set up so many fascinating avenues throughout Half City to explore in future books that I am just praying she has some Sanderson like stamina coming her way.

Incidentally I began reading this book the day an oft repeated library meme came across my feed once more, and so I started this book with the notion “Once I crushed a beetle with my bare foot… and then the librarians came.” which had me giggling until the fight scene got going and completely pulled me out of my silliness.

Half City by Kate Golden was released on February 17th 2026 and will thankfully be followed by Cursed City this coming October. GeekMom received a copy for review purpose.

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Bold and minimalist. Clean lines. Function as well as form. Large-scale prints with memorable color palettes, reflecting the colorful houses and buildings that dot the Finnish landscape, a place that is cold and snowy for large parts of the year. That is Marimekko.

Discovering Marimekko

I discovered Marimekko about 30 years ago through, naturally, their most famous pattern, Unikko. I was in love. But I was also very put off by how much Marimekko’s items cost. Back then, their patterns were on a more limited number of products. Clothing, bedsheets, and even fabric yardage were available, but being a high-end name using high-quality fabric, I only managed to afford one yard of fabric once when it was on sale. I made a skirt out of it and still have it to this day.

But it seems I am not the only one who yearned for more affordable ways to have items that reflect my taste, as Marimekko patterns can now be found on a much wider variety of products.

Marimekko’s Origins

Marimekko is a Finnish brand that began in the textile industry and later expanded into women’s fashion. Their designs are bright, colorful, fun, and timeless, their clothes comfortable and simple but bold, feeling as fashionable and relevant now as they did at their start in 1951.

The company has had multiple designers working for them over time, each bringing their own flavor of bold design. Unikko, as a pattern, didn’t arrive on the scene until 1964, but it is usually the pattern that people think of when they think of Marimekko, me included. This beautiful poppy design puts the oversized petals front and center, making the bloom the star of the show. Many of Marimekko’s other patterns also reflect the organic shapes of nature, referencing a connection to the outdoors.

Marimekko had a brand revival in the 1990s, which is when I first learned about them. There was a new generation of people to appeal to, but the company worked hard to keep their focus on quality and durability, as well as on sustainability, both in their practices, and in the more slow-fashion of their own clothes.

Marimekko Today

Marimekko’s style has inspired countless others to create similarly bold and organic designs, including IKEA, which has made fabric for years (to which my fabric stash can attest) at a much more affordable price point, though IKEA’s fabric types are less versatile. Many other companies are finding new ways to reach consumers too (KFC has been especially creative with this), putting their names and/or designs on a wider variety of products than ever before.

For Marimekko, much to my benefit, that includes their designs showing up on some stationery and desk items, which are considerably more affordable than high-end clothing fashion and allow one to enjoy these designs on a more ongoing basis than an outfit or two would allow.

I recently was sent a couple of samples where they teamed up with publisher Chronicle Books for some products that have been successful for Chronicle Books in the past, namely the One Line a Day journals and the boxes of 100 Postcards.

(This isn’t the first time that Marimekko has partnered with Chronicle Books, but the One Line a Day journals are a new combo, and the postcards are a new version of the collaboration.)

One Line a Day Journals

The Marimekko One Line a Day journals come in two different styles, both Unikko, both the red style that drew me to Marimekko in the first place, and the blue colorway, which I also adore. As with all other One Line a Day journals, these have pages for January 1 through December 31, with five sections per day where you fill in the year, then write your short entry. One journal lasts for five years, and includes a ribbon to mark your place. You can begin on January 1, but you could technically start any day of the year.

I’ve been keeping a One Line a Day journal for the past 12+ years. I’m on my 13th year of writing one long sentence or several short sentences each day about what I’m up to. It takes very little time, and it’s quite fun to look back on previous years’ entries. It’s amazing how often patterns emerge! These journals are also great for even sporadic journal keeping, as they’re affordable and last for five years. And, because you are meant to use these journals for such a long time, I have found them to be quite sturdy.

Journals that last five years are not a new concept, however. I have a couple that my great-grandmother kept in the early 1900s, containing mostly commentary on social engagements, but also entries that spanned when my grandmother was born and was a newborn. It was also notable to see what my great-grandmother wrote down and when she stopped writing before she died in 1918 in the flu epidemic. I can only hope that my descendants will also read about the mundanity and excitement of my own life.

100 Postcards Boxes

The Marimekko postcard box provides a wide range of the company’s illustrations for a great price. And, you get 100 of them, so you can keep your favorites while mailing out the rest. You could even frame some that you especially like. When I send out these and other postcards, I have fun matching patterns and designs with recipients, trying to find something that might speak to them. With such a large stack of postcards to choose from, it’s pretty easy to do, as well as having 100 different designs to enjoy before mailing any out.

Conclusion

If you, like me, are often sad that children get the most interesting, fun, and colorful clothes and accessories, check out Marimekko’s style, and bring some color and whimsy into your life, either through their clothing, or through some of their affordable and accessible partnerships such as Chronicle Books’s One Line a Day journals and boxes of 100 Postcards. Marimekko offers something for everyone’s budget, and these two options are only about $20 each.

Note: I received a couple of samples for review purposes.

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The fight between winter and the onset of spring is something we know well in Maine, as I sit here facing down another winter storm that may keep my kids at home, I find myself thinking back to one of my favorite books of 2025, The Winter Goddess by Megan Barnard.

Cailleach, goddess of winter, scorns the mortals that she walks amongst until one day she goes too far and her winter kills thousands. Her mother Danu, queen of the gods, curses her in punishment. She must live and die perpetually amongst the mortals she disdains until she is able to appreciate the value of human life. Stripped of her powers, she dies very quickly again and again, until she learns how to live. Determined to live alone, she finds that she cannot help but be drawn to the people she once hated. Opening herself up to humanity piece by piece, she learns things she never knew as an immortal.

This is a stunningly beautiful rendition of Irish mythology and a captivating exploration of the human condition. Of what it is to love and to lose, to love and to grieve. I couldn’t not be drawn back to Tennyson’s poem with every new life that Cailleach lives. 

I hold it true, whate’er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
‘Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
(In Memoriam A. H. H., 27.13-17) – Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Tennyson penned this poem after the death of a close friend in 1833, a loss he believed he could not recover from. The poem in full describes three years of processing this grief. Ultimately he found hope in the idea that the knowledge of the love would ultimately surpass the grief of it.

These words have brought condolence to monarchs, poets, and everyday people for almost two centuries now, and are brought to life vividly in the journey that Cailleach takes over the course of her many lives. Joining her on her rollercoaster of emotion, I felt myself vacillating wildly from perspective to perspective. Wanting to shut myself away in her hut, shunning all contact to protect my heart, and then wanting to run down the hill into the arms of a child or lover.

Last year we spent a day in the Emergency Room for my husband, and each time I think of how close we came to losing him, I throw up a little. I have friends who have lost children and twenty years later still feel the grief keenly. Whether or not the love Cailleach finds in her lives will be great enough to assuage the losses she faces is too much of a spoiler to reflect on, but the journey is not what she expected, and the ending is not what I expected.

So many things about this narrative captivated me all the way through. The different ways in which Cailleach dies, and what she learns or doesn’t learn from each death. I have spent much time imagining myself in survival situations, and I never live, so I found it very close to my own skin every time she died. I adored the lyrical and yet down to earth exploration of the very nature of the gods themselves. And as Cailleach the god learns new things in each life, Barnard delicately weaves this discovery into the tapestry of a mortal life, fragile and different each time, much like the delicate snowflakes that Cailleach loves.

Every time it has snowed since I read this book, which is many times, I find myself back in the village with Cailleach. This world that Barnard has created is haunting, not just because of it’s ethereal subjects, but because of the way the ethereal touches the earth.

One final note of praise, I adore the description of the author in her author biography:

“Megan Barnard is the author of novels born from an obsession with ancient myths, powerful women, and forgotten voices”

Oh that someone would describe me as such some day.

GeekMom received a copy of this book for review purposes.

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To say that Loon Point by Carrie Classon is engaging, would be to diminish the effect that this first time novel had on me. Before I had time to think about what I should be doing with my day, I had read through a third of the book. In no time at all I was completely invested in the lives of Norry, Lizzie, and Wendall. So seamless was the investment of my time and emotions that it gave me pause, this is exceptionally skillful storytelling.

Set deep in the northern woods of Minnesota, Loon Point is primarily a story of found family, with a spoonful of the simple life, and a whole case of lemons to turn into lemonade. Norry Last has settled in for her annual springtime lull at the family lakeside resort she returned to when her marriage fell apart. Content with her solitude and routine, her peace is quickly disturbed. A blizzard brings her Lizzie, an eight-year-old voracious reader who is periodically left alone by a mother struggling with addiction. Then comes Wendell, a cantankerous old neighbor whose house collapsed around him during the storm. Lizzie is drawn to Norry by chance and location, Wendell is brought there by Bud, a local who Norry has known her entire life, but who she is starting to see may be something other than she has assumed all these years.

These unlikely companions learn to share space with one another, and become far more than the sum of their parts. As life moves on around them, they all have to decide what, and who they need in life.

While the story of Norry and Lizzie, of Lizzie and her books, of Lizzie and her mother is a wonderful exploration of love and need, it is Wendall’s story that hits me in the gut. Wendall was going to be something. Wendall was going West to be a Hollywood writer, but didn’t. Wendall knows what is wrong with the world, and no one else does. Wendall has everything figured out. But Wendall is now in his 70s, still living in his mom’s dilapidated trailer, surrounded by the rotting remnants of a life unlived. When his roof caves in while he sleeps through the blizzard, he is pulled through the roof from the wreckage of his house. He wishes he had been left with his things to die. When he is gifted a second chance, he resents the intrusion on his life. When a Doctor treats his failing eyesight, he yearns for his old eyes. Yet as he starts to unpack all the things he knows that no one else does, he comes to realize that in so many ways, he is not seeing things clearly. It’s not that his heart grows three sizes in one day, but it definitely grows three sizes in one season. His journey from an introverted loner, jailed by the limitations of his thoughts and regrets, to the adopted grandpa of the story is pure joy and gives redemptive hope to even the most cantankerous of us.

Wendell got a sense of satisfaction from knowing the truth. He was willing to accept things other people were just too timid to accept. He was part of a small minority who knew more than most people. He was special.
And now he wasn’t sure he knew a damned thing.

I am loathe to say that I saw elements of myself in his growth because his starting point is not flattering at all, but his journey is so highly reflective, and deeply honest, that it is hard not to see aspects of your own life journey in his transformation. Whether you are a mother, a grandfather, or a volunteer fireman, there is something in Wendall’s revelations that speaks to the heart of this journey of being human in such a fast changing world.

The other character that I loved most was the resort itself. Set in the woods of a deep and old Minnesota, Norry works hard to keep the resort in a sort of time loop, so that guests get what they remember when they visit. As someone who has spent many Spring and Summer days on lakes in Maine, I could feel and smell Classon’s descriptions of the resort and the surrounding woods. I could hear the creaking of the log floors, smell the remnants of a fire over a mist-covered lake. Could hear the loons as they returned to nest. Her words evoked all kinds of memories both recent and old, and had me pining for the snow to melt so that I could get back out to the water.

Ultimately the story of Lizzie and her mother, and of Lizzie and Norry, which shapes the larger narrative, is both troubling and deeply moving. It is heartwarming and devastating all at the same time. It is so reflective of things you see in the news daily, that it makes me want to break something, mostly the patriarchy and the medical system.

Norry stepped back and looked at the mother and daughter. She felt her heart hurt with a cocktail of emotions that were hard to identify. It shouldn’t have to be this hard was all she could come up with. It shouldn’t have to be so hard to be a mother – or a person.

Whether painting a picture of characters or location, Classon has created a beautiful and evocative world here on Loon Point. The author biography in the book, which I usually do not read but was too curious not to, includes the note that “In her weekly column, The Postscript, Carrie writes about the transformative power of optimism and how to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.” This perfectly captures how I felt after reading this book, a renewed feeling of optimism and wonder in the small things. Loon Point is the perfect escape for these long winter days, that seem so much longer and darker 475 days into January.

Loon Point was published on January 27, 2026 by Lake Union Publishing, it is the first novel of columnist Carrie Classon. GeekMom received a digital copy for review purposes.

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Somewhere in the vicinity of early 2013, I’d been scanning some of the bookshelves in our local library, near the children’s section, as my kids were 12 and 9 at the time. That’s where they kept all the graphic novels, which I had recently discovered that I enjoyed reading and looking at. I had thought I didn’t like graphic novels because I didn’t get into mainstream superhero type stuff, but it turns out that I still like the format for stories that are more compelling to me.

Among many pretty cool titles in the graphic novel section were Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 and Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, which I immediately checked out and devoured. I’d been drawn to the style of the adorable illustrations, the small world of the small creatures, and the universal struggles contained within the stories. I later nabbed what other Mouse Guard content that I could at Free Comic Book Day events and sought out the other published stories. Mouse Guard: The Black Axe is probably my favorite of the books, but all of them are so good, and the art is some of my favorite anywhere. The world of Mouse Guard is so rich, however, and there are so many characters, that there remained so many stories untold. But there is one story for which we have to wait no longer: the origin story of the Black Axe.

Coming out today, January 20, 2026, is Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe, the origin story of the Black Axe, both as a weapon to wield, and as a wielder of said weapon. Written by David Petersen and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez, this book is a worthy successor (and antecedent) to the existing Mouse Guard content. The writing and pacing of this book continue to have the same feel and be just as compelling as the earlier published ones. I read Dawn of the Black Axe last month, immediately following re-reads of Fall 1152, Winter 1152, and The Black Axe, and it flowed from one to another really well.

Note: If you need to do some catching up on Mouse Guard characters, stories, or other content, check out David’s newly updated—as of the end of 2025—and very helpful index on his website.

I recently had the opportunity to interview David Petersen in advance of the release date of Dawn of the Black Axe and asked him a slew of questions about the Mouse Guard series, his process, and the new content.

1. For someone new to the series, do you recommend reading the books in the order in which they were published, or in chronological order? Or some other order?

Somehow, according to fans, I’ve managed to write a series that can be read in any order. I didn’t intend this, and I’m not sure I fully believe it, but over the twenty years of talking to fans (fifteen years that there have been multiple hardcovers) I’ve been told that fans read them out of publication order and had no problem going backwards or skipping around. I think I write the books so they build off of one another and are best read as published (Fall, Winter, Black Axe, etc.—with Legends of the Guard and the short stories falling between those books somewhere), but I certainly won’t argue with anyone who’s enjoying my books in the order they prefer. It’s true that the in-world chronological order would have started with Black Axe (third in publication), but now with Dawn of the Black Axe taking place before that, I suppose the latest release is a place to start for new fans as well.

2. Where have you drawn inspiration from for the characters, settings, and plot lines?

The setting is a blend of my love of talking animal stories, the natural world, and fantasy adventures. I think my time in the Boy Scouts informed a lot about the Mouse Guard. The landscape all is set in my home state of Michigan, both because of the bio/climate diversity and because I have handy visual reference by just living here. My parents took me to several living museums (Gettysburg, Greenfield Village, Colonial Michilimackinac, etc.), and seeing reenactors use historically appropriate equipment in period clothing to do everything from mill wood to make wheels to weave cloth certainly made an impact on building the world of how I think about and draw the mice doing all of those things at mouse-scale.

Friends and family are the jumping off point for many of the characters. Kenzie, one of the main characters, is based on my best friend Jesse Glenn who I met when I was 11 in Boy Scouts, and his calm, methodical demeanor is very much the counter point to some of my worse traits that I poured into his mouse patrol companion Saxon; so that relationship was one I knew well. The mice are all certainly playing into archetypes and exaggerations (or perhaps simplifications) of close friends I roleplayed with as a kid, or family I’ve known my whole life or that I met as an adult through my wife.

Plotlines are usually inspired by ideas mashed together of three things. One: what I want to tell the audience (like the first book was not just an adventure story, but also needed to help define both what the Mouse Guard is and is not by example). Two: twists on tropes from other stories or movies (or the monomyth Joseph Campbell explains in his work). And three: what is the logical next step or consequence for the characters in-world from whatever moment(s) they are coming out of. I’ve also done homages to Chaucer’s “The Pardoner’s Tale,” Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” as well as putting my experience with end-of-life care for my Mom into a tale.

3. What’s your story writing process?

That has certainly changed over the years. My earliest process was to not write any dialogue or much in the way of page by page instructions for myself on what to draw, but rather it was just an outline of bullet points of what happens in each issue. I’d put tick marks next to each of those to denote about how many pages I thought I should take to show that part of the tale. As long as the tick marks matched the page count, I could just draw as I went making those decisions in sketches and on the pages, and adding all the text and dialogue at the very end where I thought they were needed.

As the books went on, I definitely did more and more writing beforehand, planning out the dialogue especially so I knew I had enough room for it all as well as panels in the right spots for the characters saying it. I still start with that bullet point outline, but I expand it into a full dialogue script with notes about action when writing for myself.

For Dawn of the Black Axe, because I was writing for someone else for the first time, I had to provide a lot more to the artist Gabriel Rodriguez. I was self-aware of giving him all the info he needed about what I intended for the visuals or pacing or mood, while also giving him enough room to be an artist and not have me describe the finished panel art but rather the intention of the page, actions of the characters, and descriptions of the settings.

4. I know you’ve shared a lot of your illustration process on your blog and elsewhere. Do you have a favorite example?

I suppose one of the better ones to show the full process is the Mouse Guard 20th Anniversary Print. It’s a good example because it has all the regular pencils/inks/colors process but also has photo reference/inspiration and a physical model I built for reference. That post also shows that things don’t always go according to plan and that I ended up redrawing a character entirely and mirroring the composition before starting the inking process. But, any of the posts of my cover work or pinups will break down my process consistently.

5. What do you hope readers take away from these stories? What themes do you hope readers latch onto?

Everyone knows what it’s like to feel small—these stories are about the smallest of smalls in a very big world where nearly everything is a threat, and yet, it’s not a dystopia, it’s not hopeless grim-dark… it’s enthusiastic about altruism, working together, helping the most in need, and using every resource of bravery and wisdom combined to make life not only better for yourself but your species.

For Dawn of the Black Axe, I wanted to be sure that our hero is not a hero due to an exceptional background or already being great––he’s not the most likely candidate, and his peers worry about his sanity. He wants to take short cuts and give up multiple times, but what makes him a hero is caring about others and putting one paw in front of the other even when against all odds or all seems hopeless.

6. Which of your characters speak to you the most?

Usually, I say that, because Saxon is based on some of my most unflattering traits, I empathize with him the most because his struggles are my struggles. But, it’s Celanawe (the mouse who we first meet as the true Black Axe) who I can’t seem to shake. I created the character to be my Obi-Wan Kenobi mouse—a mentor character who is still impressive at a senior age with a history of being legendary long before that. He appears in the first book, the second has a major theme of mentor/mentee that he’s a part of, and then the third book is a prequel all about him. I thought I was done with the character, but he popped up in my mind as I was starting work on the eventual fourth book (The Weasel War of 1149). I thought he might appear as an Easter egg rather than a cameo, but he’s already included more than that. Not sure when or if I’ll ever get to it, but I also have outlined a whole story about his years with the Black Axe that wasn’t covered in the material I mentioned already… I dunno why, but I can’t seem to quit him. Perhaps it’s the Black Axe itself I can’t ignore.

7. There’s a lot of death in the stories, and a fair amount of violence in the new one. What do you hope readers, including children, get out of that aspect? Do you have different age recommendations for the different books? Do you recommend families read the books together?

I always love the idea of reading books together—at any age! We recommend about 8 and up as a reading age for Mouse Guard books (especially if you read them in publishing order), but any reading age number is an arbitrary estimation since all kids are different with what they can handle emotionally. With the heavier topics like violence and death, I try to never trivialize them or do them just for their own sake—I give all of that weight and meaning. Everyone is going to go through conflict and loss at some point in life; I think letting kids practice their emotional journeys when it’s in the pages of fiction is the responsible thing to do rather than shield them from it until they must unfortunately face it in real life -or- expose them to it irresponsibly with gratuitous examples of it.

And as you mentioned, parents or adults taking an active role in reading helps for there to be guardrails, to say it’s ok to put the book down for a few months, or to have a chat about the questions or feelings—even if that just means letting the young reader know they are available as soon as a moment on the page hits them in a way they need to come talk about.

8. Some time has passed since the last book was published. What’s it been like moving another book through the publishing process?

It has been a while since the last book in the main series, but I’ve been putting out Mouse Guard short stories or anthologies since then and also had to navigate all the changes in the publishing world while keeping the existing books in print, so I was prepared with getting Dawn of the Black Axe through that process. My publisher Boom! was great about working with me, like the other Mouse Guard books, so that the entire book design (even as the individual comic issues were coming out) were what I wanted and met the same branding aesthetics. They were great about working with artist Gabriel Rodriguez, since this is the first Mouse Guard story that wasn’t a short tale in an anthology with another artist drawing. I was just glad to hear from so many fans and comic shops that were thrilled to see a new Mouse Guard book coming out again.

9. You’ve always included art from other artists in the Mouse Guard world (profiled here). What has the experience been like to have an entire book be drawn by someone else? How did you decide whom to choose? What works of Gabriel Rodriguez‘s do you find yourself going back to, time and time again?

The plan for this book (and more of them if there’s enough of a market for these stories about past axe wielders) is to have a guest artist draw a story of one of the past wielders of the Black Axe. As you mentioned, Legends of the Guard was a preparation for handing over the art duties to someone else, but in those cases the stories were all tall tales of legends, not canon material––so if something didn’t fit with how I would do it in the main series, there was a built-in explanation for it being an in-world fairy tale. For Dawn of the Black Axe, I was writing it as an official story and I wanted an artist I could trust to get that right. I’ve known Gabe for years. He’s a master draftsman and genius storyteller. I know his work most from Locke & Key (a series I really love). That series was a collaboration with him and writer Joe Hill. Knowing Gabe’s work, us having toyed around with ideas to work on something together, and his long-standing collaboration made him my only choice for Dawn of the Black Axe. In fact, we postponed starting the project for at least a year until his schedule was clear for it.

10. I liked how the illustrations in Dawn of the Black Axe had enough in common with your own art style so as to not be jarring, to be a smooth transition if you’re reading the books in published order, and yet also be its own thing. How much collaboration was there between the two of you during the book’s creation?

Gabe and I certainly share some artistic sensibilities about details and texture and well as line weight and making locations feel believable. It was one of the reasons I wanted to work with him. I also knew there would be fans worried that I wasn’t doing the art on this one, and I knew that Gabe’s work was enough of a kindred spirit it shouldn’t be too jarring to anyone.

It was Gabe who insisted that I should color the book, so he pushed for that part of the collaboration that I wasn’t expecting (I’d planned that we’d hire one of the colorists he’d worked with before). Before any pages were drawn, Gabe was very generous in working with me to be sure my scripts were what he needed and not problematic for space on the page. As a first-time writer-for-someone-else, I didn’t know if my scripts were giving him too much or not enough, so we had a healthy chat where I let him know to speak up if anything was a red flag or simply didn’t work. I provided Gabe with all the Mouse Guard books and even some sketches and things I had behind the scenes that were relevant to this story, but I then assumed I was done until inked pages came in to color, but Gabe asked if I’d draw at least one diagram/reference (if not a more detailed idea) of each location we visit in the book. I did some doodles, and blocked in some digital color on them, and sometimes provided photos (some of my own or gleaned from the internet) of landscapes or real locations to be inspired by. As his penciled pages came, I think I only gave him two artistic notes in the whole book. One was more of a story beat thing he thought would be visually interesting (it was more interesting than what I had) but it wouldn’t have worked with what happens later in the story. Beyond that, I stood out of the way to let him do the genius work that led me to want him on the book. I tried to write towards his strengths, so it would be wrong for me to obstruct his path by being overbearing.

11. The Mouse Guard books are filled with great quotes and wisdom, including the famous, “It matters not what we fight, but what we fight for.” One of my favorites is from Winter 1152: “Collect all of what you can while along a life’s route: Lessons, friends, mentors, loves and truths worthy of pursuit. They offer no guarantee to be there still if missed once before.” Is there advice or other specific quotes from the books that you keep coming back to personally?

“A mouse who offers no care for those most in need around them is a wretched thing,” and, “Because you do not understand a creature doesn’t mean they haven’t anything important to say,” are two from recent short stories that stick with me. The main quote you mention (that has become synonymous with Mouse Guard) is, “it matters not what you fight but what you fight for”—I slowly realized to stand up against all odds for what you know is right can easily be warped and interpreted as “the ends justify the means,” which I have Celanawe point out in the Winter book as the frightening and dangerous flaw of mottoes and slogans.

12. Here’s a more selfish question. Em’s backstory—will it ever be shared? I’d love to learn more about her, her work and notebook, and her bird affinity. I think she’s my favorite character.

I love it! Can’t say that I have any plans to do more with Em, but you’re right, there’s certainly fertile story ground for her younger life befriending birds, her brother Benn, tracking down history and lore, her ties with the Haven Guild, and how cozy her apple-tree apartment life is with the loom and natural history specimens she has there. I guess never say never.

13. What’s next for the world of Mouse Guard?

I’m slowly working on the next Mouse Guard book called The Weasel War of 1149. It’ll be the longest of my books (each issue/chapter being 36 pages instead of the usual 23). I’m not far enough along with the pages that we can schedule a release date yet, but I hope to make enough progress on it in 2026 that I won’t overstretch my fans’ patience too much longer.

——

Catch up with the Mouse Guard universe by re-reading as much earlier content you can get your hands on, and then check out the brand new Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe, out today! It’s a worthy addition to the world of Mouse Guard. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

Click through to read all of "‘Mouse Guard: Dawn of the Black Axe’: Interviewing David Petersen on the Black Axe’s Origin Story" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

As we get older, we tend to forget about some of the things we played with when we were kids. Some toys that were so fun in the moment just fade into the recesses of our memory, only remembered when some retro page shares an image of it on Facebook and you gasp, “I remember that!” (Or maybe it’s just me.)

But other toys from our childhoods were so solid, so fun, and so appealing to people of different ages, and even different generations, that they stick around, popularity ebbing and flowing but never quite disappearing.

Two such toys are Rubik’s Cubes (and its many variations and knock-offs) and Tetris (granted, a video game rather than a toy).

Rubik’s has now come out with a toy that combines the two in a fun way. My younger kid is the Rubik’s Cube expert in the family, so he gave it a whirl.

Note: A sample was provided for review purposes.

Here’s his review:

The Tetris Rubik’s Cube is a unique twist on the standard Rubik’s cube. Unlike a standard Rubik’s Cube, where the puzzle is solved by matching the colors of each face, the Tetris Rubik’s Cube is solved by forming each of Tetris’s Tetrominos (shapes made up of four consecutive squares) in their respective colors. Of the seven possible 2-dimensional Tetrominos, six are represented, and each must be represented in its appropriate color (shown on the box and the provided guide) for the puzzle to be solved. (The remaining Tetromino, the I-Shape Tetromino, is too long to fit on a 3x3x3 Rubik’s Cube, and is still represented in the well-made stand the Cube comes with.) Because the math does not quite work out to make the cube solely comprised of these Tetromino pieces, there are also two additional pieces on this puzzle that do not belong to a Tetromino: an unobtrusive black center, and a white edge piece with the Rubik’s and Tetris logos on it. The puzzle is constructed of a glossy plastic, and the turning quality is quite good, if a bit catchy at higher turning speeds. The colors of the puzzle are vibrant and easy to tell apart at a glance (though possibly not set up for those who have trouble distinguishing colors).

The challenge of this puzzle manifests in two ways: the first comes with creating every Tetromino on the puzzle at once, as they are prone to getting in each other’s way during the solving process, and a configuration must be found that allows all Tetrominos to be present at once. To alleviate this challenge, the Tetris Rubik’s Cube comes with a guide in the bottom of the box showing the solved configuration of the cube. The second way this puzzle’s challenge manifests is in figuring out how to get all the puzzle’s pieces into their correct spots without messing up what has already been constructed. If one knows how to solve a standard Rubik’s Cube, this is less of a problem, and even if not, this factor of difficulty is, in many ways, easier than it is on a standard Rubik’s Cube, due to this puzzle having several duplicate pieces and orientation being unimportant for them.

Though it is a unique challenge to figure out how to solve the Tetris Rubik’s Cube, the puzzle’s replayability is lower than on a standard Rubik’s Cube. This puzzle’s primary point of interest in comparison to the standard Rubik’s Cube is to figure out how all the Tetrominos can fit together, and this factor is reduced on replays when one already knows how the pieces fit together. Even so, it can still be an interesting challenge to manage to configure all of the pieces into a solved position, and it can still be satisfying on retries. In addition, it is possible to make many interesting patterns on this puzzle, and even when the puzzle is not actually solved, it can still look coherent and interesting—a factor that can contribute to its replayability. Overall, this is an interesting and unique collaboration between two of the most popular square-themed toy/game companies out there, and it is a great addition to any collection.

Though I’m no expert in Cubes (I never did figure out how to solve the one I got in the ’80s, despite having a booklet on how to do so), I did notice the quality of this product, with no stickers to get in the way, vibrant colors, and a handy stand for display.

If you were to own only one Cube, I’d probably suggest the original 3×3 one, but if you, like my kid, has dozens and is looking for a new variation, the Rubik’s x Tetris Cube is a perfect addition to your collection.

Click through to read all of "The New Rubik’s x Tetris Cube Is a Fun Mashup of ’80s Toys" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Like many others, I jumped directly into my Apple Music Replay this year filled with more than a little enthusiasm. For the first time, all the music would be mine and not tied to my kiddo’s account. 

And apparently, my top artist was Sumo Cyco for a total of 575 minutes of playing time. Introduced to the Canadian punk metal pop band for an interview opportunity at New York Comic Con, I found myself playing their new album Neon Void on repeat. The hard yet upbeat sound appealed to my perimenopausal 2025 feminine rage. 

The lyrics to “Villains” offer the perfect anthem as I embrace my own personal villain era bringing questions that directly respond to the current zeitgeist where money and power seem to outweigh kindness and humanity:

“Don’t you know, if you stoop low, then they stoop lower?”

“Pressures reached a boil, what sits atop your list? Exploitation? Profits? A martini with a twist?”

Sitting down with Sky Sweetnam, the lead singer and one of the band’s lyricists, I had an opportunity to explore building a community through a shared love of music. 

The Two Way Street of Personal Connection

Given the music industry’s current state, building a career is more challenging than ever before. Streaming services pay artists fractions of pennies per stream, the highest in 2025 being $0.01284 and the lowest being $0.00200. The primary income streams for most artists now lie in concerts and merchandise, the in-person experiences that build human connections. 

In a world dominated by social media and parasocial relationships, these personal connections between artists and fans give us the community we need. Sweetnam explained:

We’d go on tours, and every single fan is important. We wanted to remember all these fans’ names because it was really important that if you saw them at the merch booth when they were buying a shirt, you could say good-bye at the end of the show. And they were like “what? You remember my name?” I realized how important it is. People want to feel a part of something. Why wouldn’t I support knowing you more than just as a fan, there’s more to it.

Music brings people together in unique ways. Different music genres offer everything from escapism to social activism. Punk culture has historically been non-conformist, anti-capitalist-, anti-authoritarian, and annti-corporate, with a do-it-yourself ethos. Heavy  metal culture was driven by working class struggles and collective resistance. 

For fans, the music is about personal alignment to a philosophy as much as it is the sound. For artists, the music is about self-expression and connecting with people who share their musical sensibility. Like most relationships, the symbiotic nature allows fans and musicians to succeed. 

From IRL to Digital to IRL: A True Community

For Sweetnam and Sumo Cyco, community building is an ongoing process that began with getting to know their fans after shows. Fans would share everything from challenges getting to a show to how a show was a sibling’s first concert. Skye explained, “we realized how those people that we took the time to have conversations with were really becoming this core group of people supporting what we did, becoming family.”

As the band built this community of fans, Sweetnam found herself struggling. She felt that algorithms and social media platforms began dictating how they could interact with fans, explaining, “I realized how important it was to have a little bit more ownership for our community. That’s when I started Only Cycos last year.” Community members gain access to different feeds and content while being able to interact with each other and the band members. For Sweetnam, these connections are incredibly important:

Some of these people have been following us for so long. They’ve seen the ups and downs, and they’ve seen the struggles. They’ve seen us posting about our car getting broken into, and they raced to help. 

We’ve had fans literally drive car parts from one part of the state to another so that it could get to the shop in time for us to fix our bus so we could make it to the next show. A fan drove eight hours one night to drop a car part off for our RV so we could get back on eight hours later, and he wasn’t even able to make the show. We sent him a care package after. 

Social Media vs. Social Connection

The band’s owned forum gives fans a better social experience. Social media is about glossy, finished products. While many musicians work with social media platforms and their algorithms, Sweetnam explains that she finds it “very exhausting on a creative soul,” continuing:

I consider myself, before anything else, an artist. I found myself in those moments, making those decisions, asking “should I do this?” Everyone has to do it for themselves, what they feel comfortable with. I do find that it is important to rein yourself back into your true artist self when you’re starting to feel that frustration and pull, like you’re at odds with what you’re doing.

While most social media only offers glossy, finished products, Only Cycos gives fans the behind-the-scenes look at everything from choosing an album name to finding the right dress for an event. Sweetnam elaborated:

Social media ended up being about presenting the best version of yourself. I think with those people that have earned our trust, and we’ve kind of earned theirs, that we can say, “Well, you guys are past that. You’re not our buds. You know how it works.” 

I want to make them feel like they can get as much information as they want about how things are done. I think that really brings them closer. There’s only a certain type of person that will really spend that type of deep dive into you. If they’re willing to do that, then I want to give it to them. 

This mutual respect between artist and fan sits as the core of building a digital community, especially in the arts. Sweetnam and Sumo Cyco do more than say that their fans matter, they take the actions that speak louder than words. 

Anything But Boring

With 575 minutes of listening to Sweetnam’s singing with Sumo Cyco in less than two months, I’ve been converted. If the music alone didn’t connect with my soul, the band’s approach to building a community of fans resonates with everything I think the internet and social media are lacking in 2025. 

To close out, I want to quote some of my favorite lyrics from the song, “Boring,” as a call to action for moving into the new year: 

We’re on trial, you’re on trial… 

The world seems to be in denial,

But could you accept the truth, if it were strangling you with its sweaty, calloused red hands!?

Is that too much for you?

Click through to read all of "Skye Sweetnam, Sumo Cyco, and the Power of Community" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Now that “the stockings have been hung by the chimney with care,” let’s stuff them with all the goodies. Here is our final gift guide of the holiday season, covering all our favorites to stuff those stockings.

FanRoll Dice

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: FanRoll
Price: Varies (Liquid Core, shown above, start at $74.99)
Purchase: FanRoll

I love the mesmerizing look of liquid-core dice. The floating glittery liquid captivates me. FanRoll’s liquid core dice are handcrafted and polished with pristine edges and designed to steal the show while rolling your way through a D&D campaign. These full-sized polyhedral dice come in a set of 7 dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d10%(00-90), d12, and d20) and come in a metal case to keep them safe before games. – DS [Review sample received from FanRoll.com]

Brick-You Custom Brick Set Gift Card

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Brick-You
Price: Varies
Purchase: Brick-You

Brick-You offers custom brick style sets of anyone in your life including your pet. They come with clear instructions via QR code and neat little card that shows the original photo you submitted alongside the bricked out version. They sent me a version of myself and my husband and I couldn’t be happier with the results. They even captured the print on my t-shirt under my jacket! If you are looking for a personalized stocking stuffer, this is is. – DS [Review sample received from Brick-You]

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2026

Suggested By: Sarah P.
Mfg: National Geographic Kids
Price: $15.99
Purchase: National Geographic

It would not be a successful Jólabókaflóð without one us sitting and reading facts to the rest of the family. And so there is always a National Geographic offering under our tree for such entertainment. This year we are going straight to the granddaddy of facts and tidbits with the 2026 Almanac. The 2026 edition includes updated maps, homework help and all the new discoveries and cutting edge information on the natural world that we’ve come to expect from National Geographic. – SP

Funko Pop! Plus: Demon Slayer – Nezuko Kamado

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Funko
Price: $14.99
Purchase: Amazon

One of the most popular movies released this year was Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle. I attended the panel for this anime film at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, and the house was packed for the event. This 3.5″ collectible figure of one of the best-known characters, Nezuko Kamado, is dressed for the holidays here with a festive outfit and a matching bit of mistletoe in her hair. – PB

Hammer and Nails Salon Gift Certificate

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Hammer and Nails
Price: Varies
Purchase: Hammer and Nails Salon

Give someone the gift of a day at the spa with the Hammer and Nails salon gift certificate. They currently have over 50 locations nationwide and offer packages from shaves to foot massages. The prices are resonable for a time at the spa, starting at $55 and going up to $249 for the LUX experiences. If you want to go the extra mile, check out their grooming club that offers various services for a flat fee each month. – DS

Cinema Lens Candle

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Film Pin Society
Price: $35
Purchase: GiftShop.com

Got any movie buffs in your life? Then they’re sure to enjoy this 100% soy wax candle that comes in a matte black glass vessel printed to look like a camera lens. The candle smells great with scents of firewood, sandalwood, and sage, and will burn about 35-40 hours. – PB

Highball Shaker

Suggested By: Paul B.
Mfg: High Camp Flasks
Price: $129
Purchase: High Camp Flasks
This 1-liter, vacuum-insulated shaker lets you mix 6-8 cocktails at once, keeping them perfectly chilled without freezing your hands. It’s made of the same high quality distiller-grade steel as their flasks which I’ve reviewed on GeekDad, and available in 4 different finishes. The shaker also includes the “Upscale Jigger” which is extra-large with measuring marks for perfectly-crafted cocktails. – PB

Tom & Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology (1940-1958)/span>

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
Price: $46.79
Purchase: Amazon
Surprise the animation enthusiast on your gift list with this spectacular Tom & Jerry collection. Presenting the entire series—all 114 cartoon shorts— complete and uncut, The Golden Era Anthology presents 13+ hours of content across its five discs. Fully restored and boasting 20 additional commentary tracks from artists and enthusiasts, it’s an amazing document of the cartoon that shaped generations of American viewers. – Z. [Review materials provided by Warner Bros.]

Boundless 10,000mAh Handheld Power Bank

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Boundless
Price: $79.98
Purchase: Boundless

Boundless 10,000mAh handheld power bank with built-in cables and AC plug is for the traveler. I took this one on a recent cruise aboard the Disney Destiny and it saved me a few times from having to camp out in my stateroom waiting for my phone to charge. Its a little on the heavy side, but I like the shape because it feels good in my hand. It works fast and can charge a USB-C or lightnigh cable device. It also has an open USB-C port for plugging in an external cable (this feature saved me because our stateroom didn’t have enough charging ports for all our stuff at night). – DS [Review sample received from Boundless]

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69
Purchase: Amazon
Arriving scant days too late to be included in our games gift guide, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is another standout holiday release for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. While it sticks close to the tight run-and-gun nature of the previous Prime titles, it’s not afraid to give more game time to the deep exploration of the 2D Metroid series making for an unforgettable deep space adventure! – Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Benu Euphoria Fountain Pen from Goldspot

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Benu (sold by Goldspot)
Price: $157.99
Purchase: Goldspot.com (Benu Euphoria)

This one might look familiar if you saw our Clothing and Everyday Essentials guide this year. Is it that good? Yes. Yes it is. The Benu Euphoria fountain pen from Goldspot is the ideal size for slipping into your favorite writer’s stocking. Make sure to check what nib size they prefer before purchasing. – DS [Review sample was received by Goldspot.com]

JISULIFE Portable Handheld Fan Ultra2

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Jisulife
Price: $76
Purchase: Amazon

The Jisulife Handheld Fan Ultra2 is designed to deliver super cooling and excellent speeds. It features adjustable speed settings and a 9000mAh battery that powers the fan and your electronic devices for up to 25 hours. It comes equipped with accessories perfect for inflatables, keyboards, and similar items. It’s like a little powerful workhorse.- DS [Review sample received from Jisulife]

Limitless 10,000mAh Magnetic Wireless Power Bank

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Limitless
Price: On sale for $49.98
Purchase: QVC

The Limitless 10,000mAh Power Bank with built-in cables and MagSafe ability. If your phone offers wireless charging but is not MagSafe, no worries, because it comes with an adapter to give it the ability to attach. 

This little charger packs a punch in a small package. It fits in the palm of your hand and offers a digital readout and built-in lightning and USB-C cables. It weighs just under half a pound, so it’s great for tossing in your bag when running out the door.- DS [Review sample received from QVC]

Click through to read all of "GeekDad/GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Stocking Stuffers" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

It’s time to get styling and stocking up on everyday necessities that we think you should consider this gift-giving season. Here are our favorites from around the web.

Displate Metal Posters

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Displate
Price: Varies (Generally starts around $49)
Purchase: Displate.com

Displate metal posters are a great way to add art to a room without damaging walls or being committed to the same look. Displate prints its art on stainless steel and uses a magnetic hanging system so you can swap out the art at your leisure. Posters come in a wide range of art styles and brands and sizes from medium to x-large. If you’d like something personal, get them a custom Displate! – DS [Review sample was received by Displate.com]

Benu Euphoria Fountain Pen from Goldspot

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Benu (sold by Goldspot)
Price: $157.99
Purchase: Goldspot.com (Benu Euphoria)

Last year, I embarked on my journey into fountain pens. I started with the basics and finally worked my way up to the finer things in the fountain pen world. Benu is a brand people trust for reliability, quality, and beautiful design. In terms of pens, they are a little more expensive but they are well worth the investment. The Benu Euphoria writes like a dream. It has wet feel to the nib and glides along the paper like butter. You can pair this pen with any ink including shimmer. It has become one of my favorite pens and I’m looking forward to buying a couple more from Goldspot after I get my hands on some gift cards. – DS [Review sample was received by Goldspot.com]

Levenger’s The Great Gatsby” Pen Box

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Levenger
Price: $279.50
Purchase: Levenger.com

For the pen lover, check out Levenger’s The Great Gatsby Pen Box. The box is part of The Great Gatsby line commemorating the 100th anniversary of the classic story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Art Deco style will look great on any desk and screams elegance. The soft felt lining protects up to 20 pens and provides a luxurious place for them to hang between uses. – DS [Review sample was received by Levenger.com]

Chocolaticas Shoes “Sea Demon”

Suggested By: Ruth S.
Mfg: Hot Chocolate Design
Price: $80.65 (but sometimes on sale for less)
Purchase: Amazon
This is the year Hot Chocolate shoes became my favorites. The Chocolaticas line comes in this nearly flat design with just a hint of a wedge to the heel. They’re super comfy, easy to walk in, and the designs are the best. (I also have the <a href=”https://amzn.to/48vNIYl”>Medieval Bestiary</a>.) – RS

Godzilla in Color T-Shirt

Suggested By: Paul B.
Mfg: Alamo Drafthouse
Price: $30
Purchase: GiftShop.com
Oh no, there goes Tokyo! Designed by Tom Whalen, this 100% cotton shirt strikingly depicts Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla, and King Ghidorah. The shirt itself is super soft and nicely thick, and is great for any Godzilla fan. -PB

Professional Shusher Trucker Hat

Suggested By: Paul B.
Mfg: Alamo Drafthouse
Price: $35
Purchase: GiftShop.com
Alamo Drafthouse is famous for serving dinner and drinks during the film, as well as its strict policy of requiring its audiences to maintain proper cinema-going etiquette. It’s that policy that you’ll celebrate with this trucker hat, with its embroidered quote, “Shushing jerks for over 25 years.” It’s a structured black cap with a mesh backside and an embroidered patch. -PB

HiRise 3 Deluxe MagSafe Charging Stand

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Twelve South
Price: $99.99
Purchase: Amazon
iPhone users will love this MagSafe charging stand that charges your phone, Apple Watch, and AirPods. This three-in-one charger is sleek and minimalistic, only taking up enough space to do the job. The iPhone stand has an adjustable tilt so you can angle your phone just right. The bottom has vegan leather to protect any surface and the stand itself has a matte, polished aluminum look to it. I think this is the perfect iPhone stand.  – DS [Review sample was received by Twelve South]

CrapKeeper Bag

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: CrapKeeper
Price: $39.99
Purchase: CrapKeeper
CrapKeeper is the first shoulder bag that straps on and hangs on to your shoulder, bike, chair, or car. I like that it has two spots to hold my drinks as well as plenty of pockets and organizational options on the inside.  It comes in five colors and includes different straps for different situations. – DS [Review sample was received by CrapKeeper]

Plum Paper Planners

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Plum Paper
Price: Starts at $47.99
Purchase: Plum Paper
Get the new year started off on the right foot with a custom planner from Plum Paper. You are in the designer seat with more options than you can shake a calendar at. Customize everything from the cover to the inside pages and tabs. This is a great gift if you want to give something personal but don’t have the means to make it yourself. Choose on of their pre-designed layouts or go with something of your own making. – DS [Review sample was received by Plum Paper]

The Halloween Rose Scally Cap

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Boston Scally Company
Price: $52
Purchase: The Halloween Rose Scally Cap
The holiday season is also peak hat season, and if you’re looking to step up someone’s headwear game for Christmas, the Boston Scally Company has exactly what you’re looking for. Not only does Boston Scally sell exquisitely crafted, high-quality caps, pins, and apparel, but they’re also happy to provide you with a brief history of the flat cap; a look at the finer points of single-, six-, and eight-panel construction; and an expansive line of specialty and seasonal designs to choose from. As a year-round Halloween guy, I went with a piece from this year’s autumnal selection, but Peaky Blinders and A Christmas Story products are also available to make your yuletide merry and bright. – Z.

Overlord X Transformers: Starscream

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Overlord Caps
Price: $35
Purchase: Overlord X Transformers: Starscream
For casual headwear, my go-to has recently become Overlord Caps. With amazing designs sure to transport the wearer back to a childhood Saturday morning, Overlord has licensed fare from Astro Boy, Care Bears, Fraggle Rock, and more. My personal favorite is their Overlord X Transformers collection—specifically the Starscream cap. I’ve been wearing it out all season, and it never fails to elicit compliments from my fellow Gen-Xers. – Z.

Crease Beast Starter Kit

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Crease Beast
Price: $32.99
Purchase: Crease Beast Starter Kit
If you regularly wear Jordans or Nike Dunks, you’re no doubt familiar with the dreaded toe crease! After years of investing in bulky shoe trees and uncomfortable plastic toe box supports, I recently found a solution that actually works. Crease Beast pairs specially designed socks and foot sleeves with pockets and their custom memory foam inserts to reinforce the problem area even while you walk! Comfortable and affordable, they’re the perfect gift for the sneakerhead on your list. – Z.

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Every geek loves a new gadget. Here’s a selection from the GeekDad and GeekMom writers, featuring their favorite gadgets to add to your Christmas list.

JLab JBuddies ANC 2 in 1 Wireless + Wired Kids Headphones

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: JLAB
Price: $24
Purchase: Amazon
JLAB JBUDDIES ANC 2 in 1 Kids Headphones provide a safe listening experience to little ears. They come in blue/red and purple/pink and boast an impressive 50+ hours of battery life. The active noise canceling helps to block out loud noises for little ears. You can connect two devices with wireless share mode, allowing more than one child to enjoy the entertainment. – DS [Review sample was received by JLab]

JLab JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: JLAB
Price: $24
Purchase: Amazon
For adults seeking high-quality sound without the high cost, the JLab JBuds Lux ANC Wireless Headphones will fit the bill. With the JLab app, you can customize your sound, including touch controls, ANC levels, EQ presets, and more. The 70+ hour battery life even beats some of the pricier brands. – DS [Review sample was received by JLab]

S2 Power Bank

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: KUXIU
Price: $49.99
Purchase: KUXIU
This battery pack magnetically attaches to your phone for wireless charging, but its most interesting feature is inside: it’s a solid-state battery, which should improve both its performance and safety. Until December 8, use the code BLACK25 for an extra 15% off. Read more about it here. – JHL

Mixx Revival 55 Record Player

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Mixx
Price: $99.99
Purchase: Amazon
This record player is a terrific way to add a tactile bit of ritual to your music listening and it can really shift your relationship with how you experience your playlists. The retro look and compact size are adorable, at a price that won’t break the bank. (No guarantees on how much you’ll spend on records, though!) Read the full review here. – JHL

Arlo Video Doorbell 2K – 2nd Generation

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Arlo
Price: $49.99
Purchase: Amazon
The Arlo Video Doorbell delivers clear 2K monitoring indoors or outdoors with a weather-resistant design, two-way talk, and a wide 180° field of view. With the Arlo app, you can get instant alerts, set up night vision, watch your door with live streaming, and activate a remote siren for emergencies. With a paid Arlo plan, you can get advanced benefits like 60-day video storage and smart detection for people, vehicles, packages, and animals. Setup and mounting are super easy, and it comes with everything you need to get it up and running. – DS [Review sample was received by Arlo]

Viaim RecDot and Nano+ Earbuds

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Viaim
Price: $129.99
Purchase: ReDot on Amazon and Nano+ on Amazon
Viaim’s AI-powered earbuds are the perfect gadget for the student or professional in your life. The Viaim RecDot makes the perfect meeting assistant with an incredible 48dB aNC. It features real-time translation and transcription.

The RecDot provides users with a unique blend of high-end audio with productivity-boosting smart technology.

For the day-to-day user, Viaim Nano+ combines versatility, comfort, and smart features for regular daily use, travel, and work. They provide up to 40 hours of battery life when used with their charging case and have the same 45dB ANC as the RecDot. They also utilize AI to perform tasks like transcription and live translation. – DS [Review sample was received by Viaim]

Crucial X10 external SSD

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: Crucial
Price: $89.99
Purchase: Amazon
Extra storage is essential these days and Crucial is the brand I trust. They make reliable and affordable tech that keeps me going. I love their line of external solid state drives for their reliability and pocket size. The X10 comes in 1TB – 8TB and delivers read speeds of up to 2,100MB/s.This drive is IP65 dust and water-resistant and drop-tested up to 9.8 ft. – DS [Review sample was received by Crucial]

GoPro LIT Hero

Suggested By: Dakster S.
Mfg: GoPro
Price: $229
Purchase: Amazon
If someone on your list is looking to get into the GoPro world, the LIT Hero is the perfect introduction. The simple interface uses tap-and-swipe controls to switch between video, photo, and slo-motion modes. It’s waterproof in depths up to 16ft and it’s built tough for rain, sleet, or snow. I like that it has a built-in light with three brightness levels to help me shoot in a range of lighting scenarios. – DS [Review sample was received by GoPro]

Mini Arcade Pro

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: iMPGaming
Price: $82.87
Purchase: Walmart
Launched earlier this year at Gamescom, the Mini Arcade Pro is the perfect present for the retro gamer on your gift list. Compatible with the Nintendo Switch and the new Switch 2, this device turns your system into a tiny arcade cabinet tailor-made for your favorite old-school fighting and shooter titles, not to mention the massive retro library available to Switch Online subscribers. With all the face and shoulder buttons laid out arcade-style, a nicely balanced joystick, and its own turbo function, the Mini Arcade Pro is an ideal addition to even the most modest game room. There are dedicated buttons for the Switch home menu and the Switch 2’s Gamechat functionality, and with easily updated firmware, it’s a practically future-proof solution for all your gaming needs. –Z. [Review materials provided by iMPGaming.]

Gibson x Loog Les Paul

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Loog
Price: $229.00
Purchase: Loog Guitars
The Loog 3-string electric guitar was originally conceived as a way to inspire the next generation of musicians with a child-sized instrument that was as easy to play as it was to pick up. Not only does Loog still excel at this mission, but it’s also a great way for those of any age to take that first tentative step into the world of guitar playing. Developed by Loog in collaboration with industry giant Gibson, the new Loog Les Paul captures the overall look and feel of the original instrument–complete with a smooth rosewood fretboard and its own tiny dogear pickup–and includes everything else you need (chord flashcards, app access, picks, a fun activity book, and even stickers) to start learning guitar ½ a chord at a time! –Z. [Review materials provided by Loog.]

NEO S Daft Punk 5-Fret Fortnite Festival Edition

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: CRKD
Price: $49.99
Purchase: CRKD
Commemorating the robots’ (sort of) return via the Fortnite special event “The Daft Punk Experience,” this CRKD wireless controller is the perfect match for however you game. From PC to Nintendo Switch to your favorite cloud platform, the NEO S boasts an ergonomic design with ultra-stable Bluetooth connectivity. Add to that hall effect thumbsticks (to prevent drift), adjustable rumble, motion gaming support (Switch only), and a removable 5-fret attachment for use in rhythm games, and you have an all-in-one controller with the unmistakable style of Daft Punk. –Z. [Review materials provided by CRKD.]

TurboPoly Fan 707S

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: DREO
Price: $179.99
Purchase: Amazon
If you’re one of those people like me who’s always hot, you’ll love to have a great fan that will cool you down quickly. This 3D oscillating fan gives you full room circulation in a compact package. It features five wind modes, four speeds, and smart control via the DREO app. You can even operate it with your voice if you have Alexa or Google! – PB

Lifestudio Flex Plus Projector

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Epson
Price: $999.99
Purchase: Amazon
If you’re looking for a portable projector for gaming and media consumption, then you’ll probably want to take a look at the Epson Lifestudio Flex Plus. Featuring 4K UHD video, 1000 lumens of brightness, and audio by Bose, this projector will fill your room with great picture and sound. You can project up to a 150″ image, and the low latency is perfect for when you want to play your games on the BIG screen. And it’s powered by Google TV, so you can easily load all your streaming apps right onto the projector. -PB

Carvera Air Desktop CNC

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Makera
Price: $2,199
Purchase: Amazon
For the home workshop/hobbyist maker who has (almost) everything, the Carvera Air Desktop CNC is the perfect option for a CNC machine that doesn’t take up a ton of space while providing a ton of functionality at an easy entry point. The Carvera Air is a fully enclosed CNC machine that also has the option to add on a 4th-axis and a laser engraver! And it does all of this with minimal mess, and software and functionality that makes it accessible to folks with little to no experience using a CNC or Laser. I’ve been experimenting with the machine for a couple of months now, and a full in-depth review is coming soon, but I cannot recommend it enough! – WJ

Photon Mono M7 Max Resin 3D Printer

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Anycubic
Price: $664.99
Purchase: Amazon
I have been 3D printing for 15 years, and hands down, my favorite brand of printers for resin printing has been Anycubic. Every time I’ve tried another brand, I’ve been sorely disappointed. For anyone wanting to print larger resin pieces, the Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Max is THE best bang for your buck, hands down. Not only does it feature a large print area and 7K resolution, it also has additional upgraded features that actually work well and make printing easier and better, like a heated resin vat, resin run out sensor, and resin refill (AND unfill!), and remote printing and monitoring. And if the Mono M7 Max is to big or out of your price range, then the Mono M7 is a great smaller alternative while providing a lot of the same features and reliability expected from Anycubic. – WJ

Intuos Bluetooth Graphics Drawing Tablet

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Wacom
Price: $69.95
Purchase: Amazon
If you have a budding artist in the family, the Wacom Intuos Small Bluetooth Drawing Tablet is a perfect budget-friendly entry into the world of digital art! The tablet is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Chromebooks and can work both wired or wirelessly via Bluetooth. Its small size makes it easy to take on the go, which makes it perfect for students and creators on the go. – WJ

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If you enjoy 3D printing with filament and are interested in something new, resin printing is a great option. There are some definite challenges–resin is notoriously messy and has more safety issues to think about. But the HALOT-X1 from PioCreat is a solid way to solve a few of the older issues and get started.

If you’re completely new to the idea, resin printing involves a vat of liquid resin and a plate. (Some printers lower the plate into the vat, others, including the HALOT-X1, raise the vat up to the plate.) It flashes a UV light to harden the resin one layer at a time to build your print object. So instead of putting down one layer at a time of plastic from heated filament, you’re hardening one layer at a time of liquid resin. 

The result is incredibly smooth prints. And if you like to print multiples of something–say, jewelry or minis for painting–resin prints multiples on the same plate at basically the same time as one, unlike an FDM printer where each one has to be printed individually. It’s been great for cosplay needs, printing things like custom buttons and uniform pieces. For example, I printed the shoulder rank stripes for my Orville costume on an earlier resin printer.

The HALOT-X1 is a very beginner‑friendly resin 3D printer with high detail and a lot of automation, making it easy for you to get started. It arrives pretty much assembled–you just need to attach the resin vat. There’s not a lot in the way of an instruction manual, but for the most part, using it is pretty straightforward, and there’s a decent number of users online as well as in Creality’s Discord, which is always helpful when you’re starting with a new device or hobby.

Specs

• Unit dimensions: 344 x 331 x 434 mm
• Build plate: 211.68 x 118.37 x 200 mm
• Layer thickness: 0.01-0.2mm
• Price: $599 ($469 as of this post)
• Info sheet

If you’ve been around 3d printing for a while, you may be familiar with Creality’s printers. PioCreat3D is a newer brand founded by one of the creators of Creality, and the desktop resin printers from the HALOT series have been separated from Creality into PioCreat3D. 

Leveling

One of the biggest challenges with resin printers can be leveling the bed. With some resin printers, the recommended method for leveling involves a paper test, in which you want a piece paper to be held just tightly enough. Not an exact science, to be sure. The self-leveling feature of the HALOT-X1 is a huge win and massive time saver in comparison. It’s also super stable. I haven’t had any trouble with banding in prints.

Auto Feed Unit (AFU)

A second super useful feature is an optional add-on called the Auto Feed Unit, which can top off the vat as you go and put the unused resin at the end of a print back in the bottle. One of the most annoying things when printing large resin pieces is the vat running low. The AFU reduces your chances of a failed print from running out of resin (and helps with your post-print cleanup). And while you still need to clean the vat at the end of your printing session, the AFU is a great way to get a head start. The AFU can also use RFID recognition on Piocreat’s resin to automatically recognize and handle resins, including warming.

Resolution

The HALOT-X1 boasts “16k” printing. What does resolution mean in this context? You might understand it in printing on paper or on your television, but 3D printing adds another dimension. Resin printers generally offer the highest resolution, which you can think of in terms of smoothness and detail. In resin printing, the accuracy of that extra dimension, the z-axis, is important. The HALOT-X1 claims z-axis accuracy of 0.01mm.

Another important aspect, more than what number a printer claims in front of a “k” for its resolution, is the pixel size. The X1 is at 14×19µm. What does that mean for you as a beginner? Take a look at these test prints and see if they are sufficient for what you want to print!

Test prints

For a start, I ran Garage Science’s Resin Printer Torture Test. It checks for the ability to print very thin pieces, overhangs, spacing, and in general all the bits that could go wrong with a print. The HALOT-X1 did really well. One of the cones snapped off pretty quickly, but I’m pretty sure because of my handling, not because of the print itself. The narrowest pillar warped, as did the spacing in some of of the gap areas. But overall, a smooth first print.

Here you can see the warped pillar, but also the very fine horizontal hole details in the rear piece:

Next I tried some very thin, geometric earrings. The thickness is not 100% consistent throughout the design, but this is definitely the kind of piece where a resin printer excels. The flaws are only noticeable upon very close examination. Of course, if you want to print for fine detail rather than aesthetics, you have some different concerns, which can be challenging to address in any 3D printing, and particularly in resin, depending on the level of precision you’re seeking. Different brands and colors of resin may have varying levels of shrinkage, and exposure time can have an effect as well. I did not try adjusting any settings to perfect these earrings, so it may well be that with some experimentation, I could clean up the imperfections.

Finally, a larger print: a Klein bottle vase. It’s smooth. No failed spaces.

A close-up:

My favorite feature: Twist-to-release

With previous resin printers, I’m always a little nervous about trying to pop a print off of the plate. The HALOT-X1 solves this with a quick-release build plate. Instead of aggressively scraping at your print with a spatula, you twist the handles on the build plate a bit to pop the model off.

Problems with resin printing

Again, if you’re new to resin printing, there’s a bit of a learning curve in terms of safety, as well as finishing prints.

Liquid resin is a hazardous chemical. You can find plenty of forum posts that say, “I never use PPE, and I’m fine!”, but you can also find plenty of people who never wore gloves and were fine until they weren’t. You must wear gloves and work in a well-ventilated area or otherwise mitigate fumes. There are lower-VOC, lower-odor resins, but I’ve yet to find one that doesn’t have an aroma at all. Spills are messy, sticky, and require thorough cleanup with isopropyl alcohol. Absolutely do not put your printer on your favorite piece of furniture, especially unprotected!

The HALOT‑X1 is no exception to these rules for all resin printers. You still need gloves, eye protection, ventilation, and a clear workflow for washing and curing prints. It does have some features that help compared to some other printers: the hinged top cover means you don’t have to find a spot for a separate UV shield, and the quick-release vat latch makes draining and cleaning the vat much easier. Built‑in air filtration and smarter resin management help reduce the smell and chance of spills, but that’s still not zero.

While it’s outside the scope of this review, before you buy your first resin printer, you should also look into what’s required for curing prints. FDM prints are generally good to go straight off the plate–not so for resin prints, which must be designed with drainage in mind (for thicker prints) and UV-cured after printing.

Where to buy

You can pick up the HALOT-X1 from the Creality store, usually $599, currently on sale for $469. 

GeekMom was provided with a unit for review.

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After spending some time with xTool’s M1 Ultra, the other tools in my maker arsenal are feeling sorely neglected. This machine is a laser cutter/engraver, which it’s great at being. But it can also be a blade cutter (e.g. for vinyl), an inkjet printer, and a pen plotter, potentially replacing some other devices or eliminating the need to have them. I love a multitasker, and given that this machine has a fairly sizable footprint, it’s even better for it to do more than one thing. Let’s start by taking a look at each of its functions.

Diode laser

If this is your first laser, I recommend starting with some research based on what you most want to cut or engrave and thus what kind of laser you’re going to need. The M1 Ultra offers a 10W or 20W diode laser. The 10W is recommended for cutting up to 6mm basswood, and the 20W up to 10mm. If you’ve been imagining cutting or engraving harder materials like glass and a variety of acrylic, you’re likely to need a much more expensive CO2 laser.

So what can you cut with the M1? I’ve discovered I can make far more things cutting, engraving, and layering wood than I ever would have thought to do. (See the ornament at the top of this post!) You’ll also be able to use it on plenty of soft things, like leather and cork. When it comes to acrylics, it will work on darker-colored, opaque acrylics, but it’s not going to work on anything transparent, like clear acrylic or to engrave glass. And if you’re thinking it’s time to start engraving your own metal tumblers, there’s a great rotary attachment to help, but you’ll need to coat it first.

If you’re new to lasers and cutting things, your first question is probably, “but if it can cut wood, surely it can cut vinyl?” It’s really a difference of can and should. xTool has a blog post explaining in more detail, but the short answer is that using a laser to cut vinyl can release toxic gasses, and it is likely to have a less clean result than using a blade.

Cutting blade

Conveniently, that’s where the M1 Ultra’s multiple functions come in. If you want to cut vinyl or paper, you can pop in one of several blade options and let it go to work cutting for you. The tapered cutting blade can cut up to 2.5 mm, so thin leathers and craft foam are a go, my cosplaying friends. There’s also a rotary blade if you need help with some detailed fabric cutting.

Inkjet printing module

I’ve taken to hand-coloring a lot of my wood projects with alcohol markers, but sometimes for various reasons, that’s not ideal. It’s super quick to snap in the M1 Ultra’s inkjet module and let it print for you just like any color inkjet printer, except you’re not limited to paper. For example, one of my favorite projects was printing an image on wood using the inkjet module and then putting the laser back on to cut it into a puzzle for my kids.

Pen module

The final piece of the multi-function abilities is the pen module. If you’re familiar with a plotter, or if you’ve ever used a pen in a Cricut/Silhouette/Scan n Cut type device, it’s the same idea: Your own drawing robot.

Lessons learned: Make a test grid

I got a little too brave early on and assumed that settings I found online were a good enough start. My mistake. Here’s how that turned out:

Great news, though. I can confirm that the M1 lets you know when it detects a fire. I was able to quickly take care of the problem with no lasting damage to the machine–or my house! But when it tells you not to leave it unattended, I’m telling you: do not leave it unattended. Do not go downstairs to make dinner/do some laundry/work on something else while the laser runs. The M1 did its job, but if I hadn’t done my part, this story could have had a very different ending.

To prevent that, now before I take the laser to any new material, I use the xTool software’s built-in test grid tool https://support.xtool.com/article/872 to make sure things are going to come out how I expect. There’s still a bit of a learning curve. Sometimes what I think is perfect on the test grid doesn’t work quite the same in the main project. Fortunately, xTool’s products are popular enough that there’s a pretty robust community available to help you out.

In the future

I’ll be back with reports on materials and projects. Meanwhile, I recommend checking out xTool’s Black Friday sales this week. The M1 Ultra is on sale for $999, which is $250 off. You should also check out the materials section. I recommend starting with a large box of 1/8″ basswood. It’s inexpensive and great for learning and experimenting with, but it’s good enough to create some fun first pieces with.

GeekMom was provided with an M1 Ultra unit for review.

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I liked being the weird girl. Picture me in England in 1995. I have a Tardis embroidered on my shoulder bag, wear off brand platform shoes, and carry a picture of Riker around in my wallet. I write poems when I should probably be playing Netball, and I made one of my best friends by singing along to the Red Dwarf theme music after gym class.

I liked being the weird girl. But not everyone’s experience of the word weird is positive. So it is with TJ Klune, who explains in the notes to The Bones Beneath My Skin that hearing an off hand comment from his publisher describing this book as “ weird even for him” was jarring, and had him running right back to his teenage self.

So I say this with all the positivity I myself associate with the word weird, with the love I have for the descriptor, The Bones Beneath My Skin is a weird book.

Weird is in fact the first thing I thought when I finished the book. It is also a book that I read straight through in less than 24 hours over a snow storm that found me trapped with my kids, husband, and inlaws in a cabin in the woods. Well my in-laws’ house in Northern Maine, but a cabin in the woods is what it felt like when reading this book. This is not my usual area of fiction, it’s an unusual choice for me, but it is also a book that I could not stop turning the pages of, and kind of want to read what happens next.

The story is set in 1995, which is considered by my peers and I to be one of the perfect years. This was the year of the original Toy Story, Apollo 13, and Goldeneye. TLC’s “Waterfalls” won the MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year, and has been stuck on loop in all of our minds ever since. In the 1995 of The Bones Beneath My Skin we join journalist Nate Cartwright at a pivotal moment in his life. He has lost his job, his family and his sense of direction, all of which lead him to his family’s remote cabin in Oregon. This is where stranger things start to happen. The cabin is not as empty as he expected, and he stumbles on an ex-Marine, a 10 year old girl, and a whole lot of trouble. On the run from a secret government organization the three are quickly running together across the country.

I have been wanting to read TJ Klune for a while, but this is the first one I picked up. From what I now know, I think his other books are more in my wheelhouse, but it is not an exaggeration to say, this guy can write. From descriptions of Artemis exploring the world, to Artemis destroying the world, to Artemis discovering a gas station, he has a way with story telling that tingles every facet of all the senses. He creates complex characters of few words that pull you along into their stories and their rhythms. He makes you think, and then re-think, and then think again about things you already know, fictional and in the real world.

The biggest non-spoiler theme of The Bones Beneath My Skin is humanity. What is humanity? Where do we get our humanity? What drives our humanity?. Just this week I ended up in a conversation with three grocery store workers as they were checking out me and my stash of fun size Twix bars. Two teenagers were saying that only bad people do bad things, and the third teenager was saying that good people do bad things. This kind of conversation is my jam, so I piped up with my personal belief that people do all kinds of things, good or bad, because people are people. Humanity is self destructive and this book takes a birds eye view of what makes us destructive but also what makes us beautiful.

So yeah, it’s weird, but I’m weird. I’m still not sure this book was entirely my cup of tea, but it was definitely riveting, it was definitely thought provoking. I have already recommended it to several people, and willfully not recommended it to several others. For me it was weird in all the good ways, and in all the weird ways.

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On a fall weekend in Quebec City in 2023, I devoured the Before the Coffee Gets Cold Stories by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It was all the things I love about cozy Japanese fiction, curious, odd, well presented, and a little off key, as well as something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. A kindness perhaps, or a sentimental style without being too saccharine. The hours I spend idling in the Cafe Funiculi Funicula were a welcome respite from my own brand of crazy. A little repetitive maybe, sometimes simplistic, but something nice and comforting for an overtaxed brain.

With this memory stored in my heart, I entered the Chibineko Kitchen in 2025. The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takashaski carries with it the sentimentality and loose relationships with time as my beloved cafe, but with a focus on a specific set of events that was able to ground the reader more in a time and place rather than in the fantastical.

When we first encounter Kotoko, our main protagonist, she is grieving the loss of a most beloved brother and is drowning not only in her own grief and regret, but in that of her parents. Her own feelings she might be able to handle, but she is taking on the grief of her parents as well as the regrets she ascribes to them through her own guilt ridden imagination.

Through a chance encounter with an old friend, she learns of the Chibineko kitchen, a place that serves remembrance meals for those in mourning, that may allow her to speak to her brother one more time. I love the willingness with which she believes and pursues the visit offered by the kitchen. Is it the grief compelling her to an absurd hope, or an innate belief in the things of our world that we casually hide in story and myth?

Through a series of interconnected encounters we are given three chances to view the “magic” of the kitchen. But is it magic? As I think upon the story, and I have often come back to think on this story that has lingered in my soul, I wonder over the nature of magic and mythology (and magic mushrooms) in our world. Perhaps it is not the son and his mother, but some well wishing fairy. Perhaps it is not the aroma of a favorite meal, but a sprite of the ocean come to remember its own mortality. The unsaid story is as intriguing as the narrative is enchanting.

Ultimately it is the story of the boy, Taiji Hashimoto, that captured my heart. I have not lost a sibling, or a parent, but even at 43 I remember keenly the feeling of being a teenager, saying the wrong thing, dwelling on something, overreacting to something. His story is the most relatable to me. Perhaps also in his reaction to the magic I see my own temper and impatience.

The kitten played far less of a role in the story than I was anticipating which I enjoyed, because while I love cozy Japanese fiction, I do not enjoy cats or stories that center them. I was also pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of recipes for the remembrance meals.

This book was a wonderful break from reality for me, and gave me a chance to ponder one of my favorite things to ponder, where the lines of mythology, story, and reality blur, and a little magic creeps in. I am looking forward to returning to the kitchen in 2026 in The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen

Click through to read all of "The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Books! Whether you’ve constantly got a book in progress (or two or three) or you read several books a night to your kids, books have a heavy presence in our lives. We can use them to learn, to imagine, and even to escape, and they always make great gifts. You can gift your favorite books to your loved ones, or perhaps your loved ones have asked for specific books. In any case, there is a book out there for everyone. Here are some of our favorites this year.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small amount of commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Collector’s Edition, curated by Barbara Heller

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Chronicle Books
Price: $60
Purchase: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Collector’s Edition
Description: If you, like me, can’t get enough Jane Austen, this newest, fanciest edition of Pride and Prejudice is a great gift idea, for yourself or for your favorite Austen fan. Building on the quality and success of the 2020 version with all of its handwritten letters and bonus material (and check out the Persuasion version from 2022 too), this Collector’s Edition has five additional inclusions and new bonus content, along with higher quality materials, gorgeous endpapers, a more sturdy build, and an included slipcase for the two-volume set. If you want to feel immersed in the Regency era, this is a fun way to do it. Read my full review on GeekMom. JB

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy S. Kaufman

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Viking Penguin
Price: $18
Purchase: The Traitor of Sherwood Forest
Description: As a fan of alternative reality fiction, I was delighted to come upon this first novel by renowned medievalist Amy S Kaufman, The Traitor of Sherwood Forest is her reworking of the myths of Robin Hood, form the perspective of one of his merry men – or merry girl as it were. The story follows Jane Crow as she works for the Lord of the Greenwood, being drawn further into his world with every work and whisper. She must ultimately carve a path for herself as player or prize. The story feels rich and vibrant like only a medieval scholar could create, but with a passionate tale that keeps pushing you through the story. Great for fans of British mythology. SP

The Binti Trilogy

Suggested By: Mariana Ruiz
Mfg: The Folio Society
Price: $100
Purchase: The Binti Trilogy
Description: Neddi Okorafor is the best science fiction writer alive. She has a powerful voice, a mighty blend of African roots and outer space imagination, and Binti is one of her most respected works. The first novella of the trilogy won her both the Hugo and the Nebula. The Folio Society collects the three novels of this young Himba girl, an expert mathematician, who faces alien creatures that kill her entire crew on her way to Oomza University. Facing the Medusae is the bravest thing she has ever done, and her bond will forever alter the interspecies war between them and the human Khoush race. The luxury set has all-new illustrations by David Palumbo, a box case, and dark blue metallic endpapers. MR

The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Edited by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene
Price: $20.91
Purchase: The End of the World As We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand
Description: An expansive collection with a little something for everyone, The End of the World As We Know It is a veritable love letter to Stephen King’s The Stand, chock-full of names you’ll recognize. In its weaker moments, contemporary authors try to ape King’s style, from his effortless wit and the turn of a phrase to his penchant for injecting magical realism into even the most mundane prose. At its best, though, it moves the spirit of The Stand through otherwise uncharted waters, taking Captain Trips to Puerto Rico, Pakistan, and even the multiverse of the Dark Tower. —Z.

Levenger Master Class Writing a Novel Circa Workbook

Suggested By: Dakster Sullivan
Mfg: Levenger
Price: $59.50
Purchase: Levenger Master Class Writing a Novel Circa Workbook
Description: Everyone talks about writing a novel, and the Circa workbook is basically the friendly shove that helps you go from talking the talk to walking the walk. The step-by-step exercises make figuring out genre, theme, characters, and plot feel fun instead of intimidating. It reads like having a gentle writing master right at your desk, guiding you from dreaming to accomplishing. DS

Return to Sender by Vera Brosgol

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Roaring Book Press
Price: $18.99
Purchase: Return to Sender
Description: Oliver discovers a weird mail slot inside his new apartment, and is delighted to find that it can grant wishes, usually by way of a Rube Goldberg-like series of events. But if getting what he wants also means that somebody else suffers a little, is it still worth wishing? This is Vera Brosgol’s first middle grade novel (after many graphic novels and picture books), and it is absolutely delightful. JHL

Codex Regenesis

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Chronicle Books
Price: $40
Purchase: Codex Regenesis
Description: If you like the book-as-puzzle genre with an occult theme, the new book Codex Regenesis will be a fun one this holiday season. Mystery, mystical elements, and story drive the content. This Codex is not just a simple book with pages—it’s a journey, an artifact, with built-in puzzles and devices that you solve and use as you navigate five different tales and solve the mysteries, then use those answers to solve the final mystery. There is a ribbon bookmark to keep your place. A tad on the creepy and gruesome side, the book is filled with carefully crafted art and even a custom typeface. With flaps to lift, letters to read, and clues to uncover, this book will keep you and/or your loved ones engaged for quite a while, and then be something fun to turn back to over time. This is one to savor. JB

The Viscount St. Albans by Natania Barron

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Solaris Nova
Price: $16.99
Purchase: The Viscount St. Albans by Natania Barron
Description: It is a truth universally acknowledged that the imagination of Jane Austen has inspired many a continuance, spin off, and expansion of her universe. Former GeekMom writer Natania Barron has done just this with her Love in Netherford fantasy series, taking beloved settings and themes from Austen’s works and creating a wonderful fantasy adventure with just the right amount of romance, and a perfect amount of supernatural. Book 2, The Viscount St. Albans was released this year, and discovering the world of these gentle witches and regency vampires is a wonderful way to spend the last reading days of 2025. You can see a full review of the first book in the series on GeekMom here. SP

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Stephen Graham Jones
Price: $24.28
Purchase: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
Description: When academic Etsy Beaucarne is contacted about the discovery of a journal penned by an unknown great-great-grandfather, she thinks the manuscript might be just the shot in the arm that her flagging career needs. Instead, she uncovers a startling tale packed to the rafters with generational trauma, cold-blooded murder, and hot-blooded vampirism. Vicious and visceral, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is Stephen Graham Jones at his best. With all his influences on display—from slasher cinema to Louis L’Amour’s frontier tales to the Native American Renaissance—Jones winks at more conventional undead narratives (like that other novel about interviewing a bloodsucker) while simultaneously decolonizing vampire lore. —Z. [Review materials provided by Saga Press.] 

Levenger Master Class Master Your Life Circa Workbook

Suggested By: Dakster Sullivan
Mfg: Levenger
Price: $39.50
Purchase: Levenger Master Class Master Your Life Circa Workbook
Description: This 90-day Circa planner is like giving your brain a roadmap instead of letting it chase every squirrel in its path. Dr. Kristen Race mixes neuroscience-backed goal setting with practical rituals. I really like using her monthly goal planning worksheets, daily pages, and a “Three for Me” self-care check to stay focused without feeling stuck in a routine. I also like that it’s only for 90 days, so I’m not committed to carrying a full year around in my bag. DS

Reissued! The Cave of Time and Other Choose Your Own Adventure Books

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Choose Your Own Adventure
Price: $8.99
Purchase: The Cave of Time and Other Choose Your Own Adventure Books
Description: Whether you’re a nerd of a certain age, like me, and remember Choose Your Own Adventure books yourself, or a parent of a ‘tween who is looking for some agency in their fiction, it’s a great time to circle back to these choice-based books that many Gen-Xers know and love from our childhood. The Choose Your Own Adventure folks are reissuing The Cave of Time and quite a number of other early titles, and it’s time to revisit them. See how many different stories you can experience! Read my full review of The Cave of Time on GeekMom. JB

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Bramble
Price: $28.99
Purchase: Swordheart
Description: About a paragraph and a half is all it took for me to be fully invested in this story and in our protagonist Halla. Her world is quickly upended when she inherits her Uncle’s fortune and finds herself in a race for her freedom against an unhappy family, that would trap her in an unhappy marriage to control that fortune. She finds herself the wielder of a magical sword that unleashes a full bodied knight from a previous age and the two set of on a journey to claim Halla’s agency in a world that would deny it. Halla’s quest is strange, silly, and fully captivating. Swordheart is the first of a planned trilogy, with the sequel, Daggerbound, projected to be released in August 2026. I for one, cannot wait. SP

Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Edited by Becky Siegel Spratford
Price: $18.00
Purchase: Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature
Description: Why I Love Horror asks the single enduring question posed to all fans of the genre, and the myriad answers provided by a veritable who’s who of contemporary horror visionaries attest to its undeniable importance. Full of familiar names like Tananarive Due (The Reformatory), Josh Mallerman (Bird Box), Hailey Piper (The Worm and His Kings), Grady Hendrix (My Best Friend’s Exorcism), and Stephen Graham Jones (My Heart Is a Chainsaw), Why I Love Horror explores the simple functionality of horror fiction, and it will likely help the gorehound on your holiday gift list better understand their own love affair with the macabre. –Z. [Review materials provided by Saga Press.] 

The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Ace
Price: $29.00
Purchase: The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson
Description: A society in fear of a magic they were once in thrall of. A mysterious commander in charge of his enemy’s armies. A halfling who may hold the key to reconciling, or annihilating, the kingdom she thought she didn’t belong to. In the world of Anwyvn Julie Johnson has created a beautiful and haunting magical realm that is bursting at the seams to become something other than it’s population is trying to make it. The Wind Weaver is the first in a new series of hidden magic and romance, combing familiar elements with broad new storylines that will sweep you up within the first few pages. SP

The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Berkley Publishing Group
Price: $19.00
Purchase: The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton
Description: India Holton lives in New Zealand where she enjoys wandering around forests, and that is abundantly evident in her prose. Julia Quinn describes the book as a cozy romantasy with a “splash of Indiana Jones,” which is a perfect description of how I felt going along on this journey with Professors Elodie and Gabriel Tarrant. This book further fed my addiction to Fae academic stories with a hint of romance. In this tale the pair follows an eruption of magic in a small Welsh village. Just as in The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, Holton takes pieces of our reality and blends them with magic to create an alternate reality that is just slightly off in another delightful historical parody romcom. SP

Click through to read all of "GeekDad/GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Books" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Another holiday season means another excuse to dive into the music and media we love. Whether you’re shopping for a vinyl collector, a binge-watcher, a bookworm, or a pop-culture completist, our writers rounded up their favorite releases and standout finds to make gifting easy. Here are the picks that hit the right notes this year.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small amount of commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.

Baby Beluga LP

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Raffi/Good Neighbor
Price: Starting at $30
Purchase: Baby Beluga LP
Description: Raffi’s classic album is back, celebrating its 45th anniversary. Enjoy a mix of Raffi’s songs and traditional tunes, including the iconic “Baby Beluga.” The eco-friendly LP is made of a non-vinyl alternative that’s 100% recyclable and contains no PVC. (JHL)
 

Sinners’ – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: MUTANT
Price: $$15-$45
Purchase: Sinners’ – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Description: Following on the heels of one of the most critically-acclaimed films of the year is the <i>Sinners</i> original soundtrack. Available in either a 2-LP set with colored vinyl or a CD, this soundtrack features 22 original songs and recordings from the movie. MUTANT carries a selection of soundtracks and scores from a variety of films, television shows, and even video games.

Human After All Remixes

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Daft Punk
Price: $37.99
Purchase: Human After All Remixes
Description: Originally released in March 2006 as an exclusive Japanese limited edition, Human After All Remixes is the companion piece to Daft Punk’s third studio album, Human After All. This new western iteration includes all 10 tracks from the original project (with contributions from the likes of Soulwax, Peaches, and Digitalism), as well as five new additions—including the Basement Jaxx’s “Kontrol Mixx” of “Technologic.”–Z.

Meliora Deluxe 10th Anniversary

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Ghost
Price: $32.99
Purchase: Meliora Deluxe 10th Anniversary
Description: Before they were a household name, Ghost was just your run-of-the-mill… occult-themed… arena rock outfit from Linköping, Sweden… Then came Meliora, featuring Billboard-charting single “Cirice,” and the rest, as they say, is history. Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Meliora with this two-disc deluxe edition, pressed on neon green vinyl with a commemorative Papa Emeritus III “Mummy Dust” buck! –Z.

My Hero Academia: You’re Next (Blu-ray)

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Funimation / Crunchyroll
Price: $18.94
Purchase: My Hero Academia: You’re Next (Blu-ray)
Description: The latest feature-length entry in the My Hero Academia universe brings big action, heartfelt moments, and plenty of fan-favorite characters to the screen. In You’re Next, Deku and his classmates face a new threat that pushes their powers and teamwork further than ever, delivering a cinematic adventure that blends humor, heroics, and emotional stakes in classic MHA fashion. 

KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Republic Records / Visva
Price: $49.90
Purchase: KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack
Description: If you’ve been waiting for a soundtrack that bridges high-energy pop, cinematic scope, and collectible fun, this hits it. The “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack supports the animated Netflix hit with an electrifying roster of songs featuring fictional idol groups and real-world K-pop stars. It features anthems like “Golden” and “Takedown,” plus bonus items such as a fold-out poster and a random photocard insert, making the physical edition feel like a fan kit you’ll want to keep. 

Ponyo

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Studio Ghibli / SHOUT! Factory
Price: $20.99
Purchase: Ponyo
Description A timeless family favorite from visionary director Hayao Miyazaki, Ponyo delivers a whimsical tale of friendship, sea magic, and childhood wonder. When a spirited goldfish named Ponyo escapes her ocean home and befriends a curious boy, the boundary between land and sea becomes delightfully blurred. This release is perfect for family movie nights, introducing younger viewers to the magic of animation while delighting longtime Ghibli fans.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: DreamWorks Home Entertainment
Price: $17.29
Purchase: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Description: Here’s a modern classic to drop into your family movie-night rotation full of soaring dragons, daring heroes, and the kind of heartfelt friendship that sticks with you. It’s a gift that works for kids and grown-ups alike, whether you’re sharing the story with a six-year-old or revisiting it as a nostalgic treat together.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu

Suggested By: MAJK
Mfg: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
Price: $8.00
Purchase: Pokemon Detective Pikachu
Description: Here’s a family-friendly adventure that blends mystery, humor, and a heartwarming dose of Pokémon magic into one smart film-night pick. With charming performances, fun world-building, and a PG rating, it works for kids and grown-ups alike, whether you’re introducing a brand-new fan to the franchise or revisiting it as a shared treat.

Click through to read all of "GeekDad/GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Music and Media" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Another holiday season means another round of toys that make us smile, laugh, and immediately clear space on our shelves. Our writers pulled together their favorite finds across fandoms, ages, and play styles to help you track down the perfect gifts for the geeks in your life. Here are the toys that stood out this year.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small amount of commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.

Robosen Toy Story Mini Robots

Suggested By: Dakster Sullivan
Mfg: Robose
Price: Starting at $109.99
Purchase: Robosen Toy Story Mini Robots
Description: Robosen’s latest mini robot line gives kids the fun of Robosen tech without the price tag. These tiny and adorable robots come with basic programmable actions to add some fun to your kids’ room or your desk. Using the same base, you can interact with any character in the line (currently Toy Story and WALL-E). The fluid motions and authentic voices will have people wondering if you have the real deal. Using the Robosen Studio & Robosen Hub anyone can unlock their creativity by customizing actions and voices, and immerse themselves in a vibrant community of passionate fans sharing their incredible creations from around the world. The Toy Story collection starts at $109.99 and WALL-E. 

Polly Pocket Back to the Future Compact

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Mattel
Price: $33.00
Purchase: Polly Pocket Back to the Future Compact
Description: Here’s a Polly Pocket set that might end up sitting on mom or dad’s desk instead of in the kid’s playroom—it’s Back to the Future! The compact opens up to show the famous clock tower for the lightning bolt scene, or fold down the facade to switch to the Enchantment Under the Sea dance at the high school. The set comes with Doc, Marty, Lorraine, and—of course—the DeLorean time machine! (JHL)

ChompSaw

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Chompshop
Price: $246
Purchase: ChompSaw
Description: This clever gizmo is like a table saw for cardboard—it’s kid-safe and makes it easy to cut out cardboard shapes for all sorts of projects. Chompshop has some digital patterns available, but there are plenty more to be found on Etsy and other sites, and of course, your kids can come up with their own ideas too! Read the full review here. (JL)

Lego Dancing Groot

Suggested By: Rory Bristol
Mfg: LEGO
Price: $35.95
Purchase: Lego Dancing Groot
Description: This buildable dancing Groot is a great gift for kids and adults, as it has an interesting and creative design, and is one of the best mechanical builds for beginners. Groot’s pot has storage for extra bits, along with a crank that makes Groot dance, and he has accessories from some fan-favorite scenes including sunglasses and headphones for his pre-teen phase. And if you’re worried about the film being a bit old (it was released in 2014), remember that movies may age, but dancing Groot is forever.

Nee Doh Sensory Toys

Suggested By: Rory Bristol
Mfg: Schylling
Price: $9.89
Purchase: Nee Doh Sensory Toys
Description: NeeDoh makes a range of sensory toys, most of which are meant to be squished and/or stretched. The Nice Cube is a 2.25″ cube which features a resilient and stretchy shell, but there are many types of sensory toys, including the Fuzz Ball, Mello Mallo, and the Sploot Splat, each of which offers its own style of sensory input. These toys are great for all ages, and the price point means you can get more than one for a larger gift, or just a couple for stocking stuffers. RB.

Kinetic Sand SquishPizza

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Spin Master
Price: $20
Purchase: Kinetic Sand SquishPizza
Description: Kinetic Sand has slowly replaced all kinds of putty and squishy things in our house, as our go to malleable building toy, so we are excited now that they are branching out into tools and implements. Kinetic sand feels like wet sand, it can be squished, stretched, and shaped, but never dries out for endless reuse. The pizza kit is a great starter set including 1 pound of Kinetic Sand in 4 colors, 2 squishers and 3 tools. It comes in a great carry case so will be good for grandparent hopping over the holidays. SP.

Bitzee Jurassic World

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Spin Master
Price: $35
Purchase: Bitzee Jurassic World
Description: Being a fan of my long dead Tamagotchi and the entire Jurassic Park franchise, it is with great misgivings that I turned this toy over to my ten year old instead of hoarding it away myself. This version of the Bitzee digital pet range allows you to pet a Dinosaur, where the dinosaurs respond to touch, tilts and shakes with sounds and reactions instead of eating you! You can raise a baby dinosaur, play games, and for the first time in the Bitzee range you can connect two Bitzees to play against friends or trade dinosaurs. Utterly mesmerizing for kids and adults!

L.O.L. Surprise Powerpuff Girls, Care Bears, and Minions

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: L.O.L. Surprise
Price: $14.99 to $22.99
Purchase: L.O.L. Surprise Powerpuff Girls, Care Bears, and Minions
Description: L.O.L. Surprise dolls and toys have been a favorite of my daughter’s for years now, and this year L.O.L. has released several licensed team ups that no only my daughter loves, but bring loads of nostalgia for me too! Along with surprise balls for Care Bears, Minions, and Powerpuff Girls, there are also three L.O.L. fashion dolls for the Powerpuff Girls. Fans of L.O.L., surprise toys, or any of these franchises, will not be disappointed!

Funstars Racers

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Playmobil
Price: $22.99
Purchase: Funstars Racers
Description: This year, Playmobil released the Funstars racers. These race cars are pullback (and they pack quite a punch) and fully modular so you can customize your car between sets. They are available in four flavors Pizza, Unicorn, Professor, and Wrestler. Check out my full review of Playombil Funstars here!

Switch 2

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $449.00
Purchase: Switch 2
Description: The Nintendo Switch 2 is more than just an iterative upgrade of the previous Nintendo Switch hardware. Its improved graphical capabilities include 4K HDR support and 60 FPS gameplay when docked. Even in handheld mode, the 7.9-inch screen doesn’t miss a beat at 1080p. The Joy-Con 2 controllers magnetically attach and boast additional mouse functionality, and new features like GameChat and GameShare can’t help but make even a solo gamer like me a little bit more social. Additionally, the Switch 2’s robust backward compatibility allows me to revisit my existing Switch game library at any time, often with faster load times and improved visual fidelity. The holidays are the perfect time to pick up this new console, as it’s sure to please the entire family! –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America]

Game Boy 72046

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: LEGO
Price: $59.97
Purchase: Game Boy 72046
Description: While I’m usually pretty good at ignoring the siren’s call of new LEGO products, I forked over the money for this 1:1 scale Game Boy replica as soon as pre-orders opened up. It beautifully apes the overall look and feel of the original DMG, complete with color-accurate buttons and d-pad. A working slot accepts brick-built Game Paks, and it even includes corresponding lenticular screens! Whether you’re a Nintendo fanboy or an avid LEGO builder, you’ll be bowled over by everything this ingenious 421-piece kit has to offer. –Z.

White Stripes Reaction Figures

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Super 7
Price: $24.60
Purchase: White Stripes Reaction Figures
Description: Over time, I have slowly but surely amassed a veritable Who’s Who of tiny rock and roll royalty thanks to Super 7’s Reaction figure collection. In my den, Papa Emeritus III stands proudly next to Lemmy Kilmister and Wu-Tang’s Ol’ Dirty Bastard, all beneath the sightless eyes of the Slayer Minotaur. To celebrate their recent induction into the Hall of Fame, I just added The White Stripes to my musical rogues’ gallery. While there are a couple of versions—Super 7 has never been afraid to add some variation to the product line—I ended up going with the Get Behind Me Satan 2-pack, commemorating the 2005 album of the same name. Jack and Meg’s era-appropriate wardrobes walk a fine line between country/western and goth, adding just the right amount of je ne sais quoi to my growing figure collection. –Z.

Click through to read all of "GeekDad/GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Toys" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Another year, another game to discover. If you couldn’t make it to Pax Unplugged this weekend, try creating your own event at home with these suggestions from our current favorite games to share with your friends and family this holiday season.

Disclosure: Some of the links below may be affiliate links. This means that the GeekDad/GeekMom contributor may make a small amount of commission if you click through and purchase the item at no extra cost to you. We may have also received the item for review from the manufacturer.

Murdle Jigsaw Puzzles

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Chronicle Books
Price: $19.95
Purchase: Murdle Jigsaw Puzzles
Description: Mixing logic with jigsaw puzzles, these Murdle jigsaws bring a lot of fun to the table. Put together a 500-piece puzzle to solve the murder mystery! But you won’t get much help from the box—there is no full reference image! You’re (mostly) on your own here. Then, once you assemble the puzzle, follow the included clues and study the puzzle image to solve the mystery. Full of cute and funny details, these puzzles are fun to do by yourself, or with a whole group. See who can solve the mystery first! There are two puzzles so far, but I hope they make more. (And be sure to check out the full line of Murdle puzzle books!) Read my full review on GeekMom. JB

Donkey Kong Bananza

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69.00
Purchase: Donkey Kong Bananza
Description: The first true must-own of the Switch 2 era, Donkey Kong Bananza manages to channel the very best elements of every Donkey Kong title that’s come before into a remarkable adventure that surprises and delights, rewarding innovation and encouraging experimentation while never failing to let fun be its true focus. Bananza sees DK partnered with a sentient rock creature that is quickly revealed to be none other than a younger version of the songstress Pauline. Abducted by VoidCo, a capitalist cabal of sinister simians, for her powerful voice, Pauline joins Donkey Kong as he delves ever deeper into the underground world in an attempt to recover the stolen Banandium Gems and undo VoidCo’s cruel, exploitative plans via deliberate exploration and wanton destruction—two of my very favorite things! –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Floats McGoats

Suggested By: Sarah Pinault
Mfg: Hootenanny Games
Price: $24.99
Purchase: Floats McGoats
Description: If you just need to laugh with your family for 45 minutes, and also like targeting siblings in attack strategies, then this is the game for you. We have been playing this since last Christmas and it floats everyone’s boats with the hilarity of floating goats. A ship carrying far too many goats has broken apart and you must each save as many goats as you can by building rafts and saving more goats than the other players. Watch out for sharks! SP

Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Wizards of the Coast
Price: $49
Purchase: Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands
Description: If you, a friend, or loved one has been interested in getting into Dungeons & Dragons as a player or a Dungeon Master, but has been intimidated by it or just don’t know where to start, then the Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands is exactly what you need! I recently did a deep dive on just why this is an excellent starting point for all ages and you can read it here. This amazing starter set makes D&D as accessible as most tabletop games. -W.J.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

Suggested By: Jenny Bristol
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69.99 ($59.88 for Nintendo Switch edition)
Purchase: Pokémon Legends: Z-A
Description: Transporting fans back to Lumiose City, the grand Parisian metropolis of Pokémon X and Y fame, Pokémon Legends: Z-A wonderfully combines the spirit of the core Pokémon franchise with the frenetic combat of the Legends spin-off. The shift to a real-time battle system may feel strange at first, but players will quickly get the hang of this new action-heavy approach to Pokémon warfare. Combine that with a healthy dose of urban exploration, tons of character customization options, and even more Mega Evolutions, and you’ve got an irresistible gameplay experience. Available now on the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, Pokémon Legends: Z-A is sure to find itself atop many a gift list this holiday season. –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Giant Foam Dice Set

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: KESS
Price: $24.99 – $119.99
Purchase: Giant Foam Dice Sets
Description: If you play tabletop roleplaying games, you probably already own more than one set of dice. But do you have some truly giant dice that you can chuck across the table? This set of seven 5.5″ dice are brightly colored and made of sturdy foam, and will really make a splash at your RPG sessions. And if you don’t want a whole set, they also sell individual 20-sided dice. -PB

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment

Suggested By: Z.
Mfg: Nintendo
Price: $69.00
Purchase: Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
Description: Filling in blanks left from its brief mention in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment tells the story of Princess Zelda’s adventures in Hyrule’s ancient past. Alongside King Rauru, Queen Sonia, and a truly staggering cast of allies, you’ll mow down wave after wave of enemies in an attempt to stave off the Demon King Ganondorf’s looming invasion. Intricate LoZ lore meets fearsome Musou combat in this stand-out Switch 2 exclusive, released just in time for the holidays. –Z. [Review materials provided by Nintendo of America.]

Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Ravensburger
Price: $$34.99
Purchase: Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons
Description: The Horrified series of games is immensely popular, with one of them, American Monsters, being a 2021 finalist for GeekDad Game of the Year. With Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons, you’ll face iconic D&D monsters, working together with your fellow adventurers to defeat a Beholder, Displacer Beast, Mimic, and the deadly Red Dragon. Great gameplay, iconic D&D artwork and locations, and wonderful miniatures, all add up to an enjoyable night at the game table for anyone. – PB

Hunt A Killer x Sam and Colby: The Haunting at Wicker Ridge

Suggested By: Paul Benson
Mfg: Hunt A Killer
Price: $29.99
Purchase: Hunt A Killer x Sam and Colby: The Haunting at Wicker Ridge
Description: Are you a fan of mysteries, or of the supernatural? Then this game will provide a perfect night’s entertainment for you and your friends and family. In The Haunting of Wicker Ridge, famed real-life paranormal investigators Sam and Colby have been trying to identify and banish a demon haunting the Wicker Ridge house, but when strange forces drive them out, they turn to you for help. With a low difficulty level, this immersive adventure is also a good introduction to the “mystery in a box”-style game. -PB

Miniature Paints

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: Bear Cavalry
Price: $5.99 and up
Purchase: Miniature Paints
Description: Bear Cavalry is a relative new comer to the miniature painting arena, but they are making a huge splash! All of their paints are made in the US and are made as sustainably as possible – recyclable bottles, recycled paper and mushroom fiber packaging, and paint that is as non-toxic as possible – their weathering mud even uses coffee grounds and local sand for its texture! And if all of that weren’t enough reason to try them out, their paint is smooth, vibrant, and has great coverage (better than any other mini paints I’ve tried in all my years of mini painting) and comes in about 50 colors along with several colors of weathering mud and several technical paints (varnishes, canola oil based effects, etc). Colors can be purchased one off at $5.99 a bottle or in a variety of sets. Support a small, sustainable business while leveling up your mini painting game with Bear Cavalry paints. And look for a deeper dive review of their paints coming soon! WJ

Magical Athlete

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: CMYK Games
Price: $29.99
Purchase: Magical Athlete
Description: This chaotic race game is fun for the whole family! While it uses a simple roll-and-move mechanic, each of the 36 wacky racers has a unique special ability, leading to unpredictable results when they’re combined. Read the full review here. (JHL)

Tamagotchi Collections

Suggested By: Will James
Mfg: KESS
Price: $34.75
Purchase: Tamagotchi Collections
Description: Tamagotchi Collections is a fun new table top game from KESS designed to tug at the nostalgia for those of us who remember standing in line at Toys R Us to get their first Tamagotchi back in the ’90s! It’s a great little game for 2 to 4 players ages 8 and up and hits all the notes you’d want from a Tamagotchi game – collecting Tamagotchi, feeding them, playing with them, and, of course, dealing with poop! Look for our full review of the game coming soon! WJ

Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park

Suggested By: Jonathan H. Liu
Mfg: Edition Spielwiese/Hachette Boardgames USA
Price: $29.99
Purchase: Micro Macro Kids: Crazy City Park
Description: Find the clues on the poster-sized map to track down lost dogs, stolen jewelry, and more! This entry in the Micro Macro series has more kid-friendly mysteries, but is still quite the challenge! For mystery lovers ages 6 and up. Read the full review here. (JHL)

Click through to read all of "GeekDad/GeekMom Holiday Gift Guide 2025: Games" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!

Have you checked out Mission Unstoppable on CBS yet? Now in season 7, this show, hosted by Miranda Cosgrove, sends roving correspondents out to meet amazing women in STEM. One of those is Fig O’Reilly, a former Miss Universe Ireland and NASA Datanaut, and I recently got to chat with her about her five years working on the show.

Fig is not only into STEM, but also into STEAM–putting the arts in science and math, most recently as a producer for Broadway shows. “I think science and art go hand in hand, and for me, as a storyteller, it’s really great to be able to work in other spaces as well, taking my background as a systems engineer and being able to apply […] the methodologies that I’ve learned previously and step into spaces where art is the priority,” she said. Mission Unstoppable meets a lot of interesting careers at that intersection, applying science to fashion, food, and more and putting women in science at the center of it all.

From my own work in the STEAM space, I’ve not only read the research, but seen firsthand that around sixth grade–age 11 or so–is a really critical spot for girls’ interest in science and math. That’s when we see the drop-off, with girls walking away from those interests and never coming back. And that’s exactly the kind of audience Mission Unstoppable is hoping to speak to.

“I didn’t know anyone personally that was a scientist,” Fig said of her own childhood. “Being able to show rather than just tell young people what it looks like to work in these roles, and then cover such a wide range of career paths. I think that really can just pull the curtain back and show young people that hey, this is an option for you for you. It may spark their curiosity; they may see it as something that inspires them.”

But of course, getting to work on a show like this, even as an adult, is a thrill. Talking to Fig, you can see how much she truly enjoys meeting people in such a variety fields and having the chance to learn through her work. So much so that when I asked what her favorite thing she’d learned in the last five years of Mission Unstoppable was, she struggled to choose just one before settling on a season 5 episode, in which the team got to talk to Michelle Peters, research director at Zero Gravity Corporation, about living in microgravity and had the opportunity to simulate that experience with zero gravity flight. “It really felt like a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something that I may not have had the chance to do otherwise,” Fig said. “I started prepping for it, learning all about the experiments that can be done in microgravity, [how the] flight works, and the parabolic nature of the flight of the airplane.”

This season of Mission Unstoppable covers everything from bioengineering and blacksmithing to deodorant and giraffes. You’ll see Fig in that last one, which the screenshot at the top of this post is from: “I got to learn how to take an X-ray of a giraffe’s jaw to make sure that it’s healthy!” she told me.

Mission Unstoppable airs weekends on CBS, and seven episodes of season 7 are now available at CBS.com and on PlutoTV.

Click through to read all of "Meet Oceans, Giraffes, Cheese, and More in Season 7 of Mission Unstoppable" at GeekMom.If you value content from GeekMom, please support us via Patreon or use this link to shop at Amazon. Thanks!