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Title: The Power
Author: Naomi Alderman
Average PSG Rating: 4.3/5
Favorite Quote: “One of them says, ‘Why did they do it?’ . . . And the other answers, ‘Because they could.’ That is the only answer there ever is.”
March was a long month (winter packed its bags then decided to stay a little longer), but that gave the PSG Book Club more time to read and discuss Naomi Alderman’s 2016 novel, The Power.
This science fiction novel, arguably more realistic than we’d like to believe, is about what happens in the days, months and years after women suddenly develop the ability to conduct electricity through and out of their bodies. Their power can cause healing, pain, pleasure and death depending on how they decide to yield it.
We follow four main narrators—Allie, Roxy, Margot and Tunde—experiencing the tumultuous changes in the world as women discover just what this power can do. Gender roles and politics are upended while governments and leaders around the globe struggle to control this newfound ability. With every chapter leading to some unknown event at the end of the novel, it’s easy to get caught up and accidentally read the whole thing in one night.
There’s so much to talk about in the book that we’ve had many subsequent discussions since our official meeting. We enjoyed the diversity of narrators and the interspersed images of artifacts that gave us an idea of the society we were watching change before our eyes. Colleen commented that, “It was interesting to see where this new world evolved to once the balance of strength/power had shifted from men to women.” As this was our book club’s highest rating so far, it’s safe to say this book was a thought-provoking and electrifying read.
Love this post? Read our previous PSG Book Club picks here.
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FEBRUARY
Title: Life After Life
Author: Kate Atkinson
Average PSG Rating: 3.875/5
Favorite Quote: “Sylvie’s knowledge, like Izzie’s, was random yet far-ranging, ‘The sign that one has acquired one’s learning from reading novels rather than an education.’”
Although the PSG Book Club was a little behind this month (we blame February) we’re excited to reveal our thoughts on our second pick—Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
The novel follows its lead heroine, Ursula Todd, through many twists and turns and, somehow, through many lives. Should we call it reincarnation? A second (third, fifteenth) chance? Or does Ursula simply feel the flow of life differently than her family and the rest of us do?
But it is still life (after life after life), after all. Childhoods in the English countryside, filled with family and foxes and a very English diet, disrupted by World War I. Teen years darkened by disaster and discovery. A life (or two) in London during the Blitz. Marriage and love and visits to Germany that each offer opportunities for Ursula to act on with the lingering shadows of her lifetimes guiding her.
Just when you thought you’d mastered the nonlinear novel, Atkinson challenges you as a reader again. Ursula’s ability to remember each version, each attempt, of her life brings us in and out of her world, but Atkinson guides you through it all with her expert handling of language, characters, and setting. And if you love Atkinson’s Todd family like we did, there’s A God in Ruins, which follows the life (just the one) of Ursula’s beloved brother Teddy.
If you missed our first review in January, be sure to check it out here. We’ll be back to report on March’s book, The Power by Naomi Alderman, so be on the lookout!
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New year, same resolution. When we realized that each of us had plans to read more in 2019, the PSG Book Club was born.
Eager readers all, we got started right away. Each member was given three slips of paper to write down their book suggestions, then we mixed them all in a bowl for drawing. We drew our first title in December for our January meeting. Follow us as we meet monthly to discuss our newest reads!
JANUARY
Title: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Average PSG Rating: 3.7/5
Favorite Quote: “Miles of blade-grass so tough it grew in salt water, interrupted only by trees so bent they wore the shape of the wind.”
Though the book is partially billed as a murder mystery, the true focus of the book is the development of its main character, Kya, and the Carolinian marsh she grows up in. The marsh becomes its own character, the only presence that is ever reliable for Kya. Weaved into her relationship with the marsh and the town that has spurned her is Kya’s evolution from abandoned child to independent woman and natural naturalist.
As a group, we all had positive reviews, and found that we had each been unable to put it down for the final third of the story. We were all drawn in by Owens’s descriptions of the setting and by Kya’s unimaginable ability to survive. Annette notes that, “While I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the scientific observations about nature woven throughout, it made for a richer and more complex novel that was a pleasure to read.”
We would definitely recommend Owens’s debut novel—there’s a little something for everyone to be found in this marsh on the coast of North Carolina. That, and a movie adaptation to look forward to.
Keep an eye out for our February post, where we’ll review our next pick—Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.
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Here at PSG, we have a bit of a collective sweet tooth. Personally, I like chocolate—the darker the better—especially with add-ins like candied ginger or salted almonds. Here are some other favorite candies around the office:
- Angie loves Kit Kats, but Twix are a close second.
- Annette likes Cadbury Creme Eggs so much that for her ninth wedding anniversary her husband got her nine of them!
- Colleen’s favorite year-round candy is the king size Caramello (because anything smaller just isn’t enough). She also likes Cadbury Mini Eggs, which she used to only be able to get around Easter, but they’ve started producing them for other holidays as well now.
- Don’s a fan of pretty much anything with chocolate in it. He’s fine with the addition of nuts, caramel and nougat, but he’d be happy to eat a bag of plain ol’ Hershey kisses.
- Kate agrees with Angie about Kit Kats, but she especially likes Kit Kat Minis for the improved chocolate-to-wafer ratio.
- Nora’s partial to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups because they feature the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate.
The candy bowl in the PSG office is hard to keep full, because we know it’s important to treat yourself! What are your favorite kinds of candy?
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For our summer outing this year, Lori surprised the PSG team with something new—an escape room! With our matching “PSG Summer Escape 2018” shirts on and our limo (!!) ready to hit the road, we headed into the heart of the city to Trapology Boston.
The staff split into two teams to solve riddles in two different rooms. One team had to escape a haunted submarine in the “Crush Depth” room, while the other needed to escape jail in the “Drunk Tank” room. To each team’s dismay, we were unsuccessful in our escape, but we learned how to work together in some very interesting scenarios, and our main goal was accomplished—we had a lot of fun!
After our escape escapades, we grabbed dinner at The Smoke Shop, a BBQ restaurant in Boston’s Seaport district. We started our meals off with tasty appetizers like fried green tomatoes and mac-and-cheese bites before dining on pork belly burnt ends, chicken wings, pulled pork, chicken and so many delicious sides.
To top off our trip, we popped into J. P. Licks, a local homemade ice cream chain known for their tasty treats. Full on ice cream and good times, we called it a night. This summer outing was definitely one for the books—and blog!
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When I first started my internship at PSG, I was thrilled to find out that I would be interning on the same days that the office does yoga.
Since Lori, our president and CEO, also owns CrossFit Exclamation—her gym that’s conveniently attached to PSG’s offices—we’re lucky enough to have hour-long yoga sessions twice a week. Julie, our fantastic yoga instructor, always provides a class that is equally challenging and relaxing. We’ll work on stretching in our downward dogs, balancing in our tree poses and meditating in our savasana—the final relaxation pose of the practice.
Taking a break from work to do yoga doesn’t just feel good—it’s been scientifically proven to better your workday. A yoga session can stimulate brain function to increase productivity and focus. It’s also been shown to reduce anxiety levels and better your mood, helping you to return to work feeling refreshed and more motivated to get things done.
I can definitely testify to the benefits of office yoga. Getting a break from sitting at your desk to breathe deeply, stretch and exercise does more good for a workday than you might expect!
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Behind every great professional is a great source of caffeine. One of the reasons I work as a barista is for the endless supply of free coffee—I basically need it to survive. Most of the staff at PSG feel the same way, but all of us take our coffee a little differently.
- Personally, I usually take mine black—hot or iced depending on the weather—and sometimes with a flavor.
- Don also takes his coffee black—preferably cold brew—but he stays loyal to the iced option, even in the dead of winter.
- Nora usually takes hers with cream and one of the many fun flavors from her favorite local cafe.
- Tim prefers to drink homemade cold brew in the summer, but buys hot coffee with cream during the winter months.
- Matthew has discovered his new favorite in Miami: coladas, which are Cuban coffees made with espresso and demerara sugar.
- Tess is a self-proclaimed coffee addict and likes to try out different coffee shops. But her go-to order is a mocha iced coffee.
- Lindsay is the tea drinker in the office, preferring fruity teas with honey.
- Kate doesn’t like coffee or tea. Instead, her go-to is a hot chocolate with whipped cream!
Apart from a few exceptions, coffee drinkers dominate the office here at PSG!
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Which is better: pens or pencils? It’s a controversy that has been plaguing academia for centuries. Math teachers often tout pencils as superior due to the paramountcy of the eraser. But does the ability to erase mistakes always translate to preference?
Well, here at PSG, that doesn’t seem to be the case:
- Melina prefers writing with a Sharpie ink pen because of the smooth motions it allows across the paper. To her, that outweighs the inherent neatness of the pencil.
- Tess is also partial to pens, though her preference didn’t solidify until college. The four-colored pens are her favorite, as they allow for easy color-coding!
- Nora often does creative writing in cursive, which is the perfect style for her preference: pens. Contrastingly, she likes using pencils when taking notes, especially when she anticipates erasing a lot.
- Trina sides with the math teachers of the world on this: pencils are her choice, largely for the ease of correcting mistakes.
- I almost exclusively use pens (the Pilot G2 is my favorite) because they glide across the page, which allows me to write faster (albeit messier).
It seems PSG by and large prefers pens, though the merits of a good eraser aren’t lost on the staff!
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Every year for the holidays, I’ll bake hundreds of cookies. For two full days, every flat surface in my house will be covered with ingredients, baking trays, dough, and freshly baked cookies.
It hasn’t always been such a big production at my house. It all started with one cookie: Walnut Cups. I learned how to make them from my aunt, who was more than happy to teach me. When I asked for help, she came over, apron on, ready to go!
Since then, the walnut cups have become my responsibility, and I’ve added many more recipes to my repertoire. A few of my favorites include:
- Walnut Cups: The crust is buttery and flaky, while the center is sweet and nutty.
- Lemon Filled: These are my dad’s favorites. They’re simple, sweet, and traditionally Italian. If you don’t like lemon, you can easily switch the jelly flavor.
- Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate: One of the few recipes I’ve found online that hasn’t failed me. The chocolate is almost overwhelming, but can easily be balanced out by the sea salt—or a glass of milk!
I’ll make all of these and more, and package them into tins. I’ll give them to family, friends, and coworkers. I haven’t had a complaint yet!
Image credit: Whitney
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As far back as I can remember, I’ve been the modest bookworm type. Always the soft-spoken one and often referred to as “quiet Alison,” it’s taken me awhile to accept and embrace my introvert’s personality. Although I’ll never be the life of the party, I like to think of myself as a highly thoughtful and empathetic person. Despite heavy and longtime involvement in team sports when I was younger, my favorite pastimes by far are painting and reading; I’m drawn to the analytical and reflective aspects of such artistic and literary pursuits.
When it comes down to it, though, my first love was the written word. In elementary school, I’d sneak a flashlight into my room and stay up until all hours binge-reading Roald Dahl books. Then, in middle and high school, I was the girl who had her nose in a book as she walked between classes and who actually looked forward to writing essays on Shakespeare. And for me, the best part of Fourth of July celebrations has been the annual book sale held that weekend near my family’s lake house on Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. I’ve been known to spend hours combing through the collection and then leaving with boxes of books in tow. As a result, I am quite literally surrounded by literature at home. My room boasts two large bookcases filled with books, all lovingly alphabetized by author.
So when I decided to major in English at Bates College in Maine, no one close to me was particularly surprised. However, the inevitable follow-up question asked by friends and family—“What will you do?”—was a much more difficult one to field. When I was younger I had dreams of becoming a writer, and during my high school years I briefly contemplated becoming a teacher. But it wasn’t until my college years that I discovered the wide world of publishing while interning at a small New Hampshire publishing company one summer.
Since graduating college, I’ve had the good fortune of snagging two concurrent internships, one of which has been at PSG. It’s turned out to be a very advantageous arrangement, as it’s afforded me the chance to explore and become more familiar with different facets of the industry before I attempt to navigate through it professionally. After all, at Bates there weren’t any courses that related directly to publishing, nor were there any internship opportunities near campus.
But PSG has made up for that in so many ways. I’ve been able to continue writing and to expand my skills in this regard by doing research for and constructing blog posts on a myriad of fascinating topics. I’ve also brushed up on and strengthened my proofreading skills on a few projects. Most recently, though, I’ve begun assisting with fact-checking work, which is brand-new territory to me but very interesting all the same. Nothing makes me happier than the challenge of mastering a new skill.
Little Known Facts about Alison
Many people have a sweet tooth, but few have one to rival Alison’s. If it were socially acceptable, she would spend her days eating bags of M&M’s. Nothing is too sweet for her taste buds, especially if there’s chocolate involved, and she’s never met a dessert she didn’t like. As a result, she loves to bake. From cookies and cakes to brownies and pies, she loves to make anything sugary and nutritionally useless. She is sure to share the scrumptious wealth, though, and her baked goods are well-known and amply appreciated among friends and family.
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