Over the Christmas period I played a lot of board games with my family. We recently started following the Spiel des Jahres in order to discover more unusual games and so I thought now would be a good time to share my favourites with you.

Go

As a child I was a big fan of the Japanese game Go. I ended up getting very good and toured the country playing tournaments. It is easy to learn, but is said to be one of the trickiest games to master – it is one of the only games in the world where a computer has yet to beat one of the top human players. It has been a long time since I played (mainly due to lack of an opponent!), but I still think of it fondly.

Monopoly

Monopoly has always been a favourite. I remember playing it for days at a time as a teenager. The novelty has worn off a little bit, but I’ll never refuse a game and can’t wait to teach my children how to play (the children’s version just isn’t the same).

Risk

I still haven’t worked out how to beat my husband at Risk, but I love trying! Games can take hours (or even days!) so we often revert to the shorter “missions” version, but this is the perfect introduction to the strategy games I love.

Carcassonne

This was our first introduction to one of the more unusual games and we fell in love. The great thing about it is that you can start off on a really basic level (ignore the farmers and five-year-olds can play) or you can add an increasing number of expansion packs until even the most skillful player is confused!

Settlers of Catan

This is my favourite game at the moment. It can feel frustratingly slow at the beginning, but I love the way every player is involved in every turn. There is a lot of strategy and the fact that the set up is random means that no two games are ever the same. I bought my husband the Seafarers of Catan expansion for Christmas and it makes the game even better. Recommended to all strategy game fans! Has anyone tried any of the other expansion packs?

Stone Age

Stone Age is similar to Settlers of Catan in that you have to collect resources . It is better in that there are numerous different tactics you can use to win, but the disadvantage is that it can take a while for everyone to have their turn. It is also quite complex to learn so isn’t a good starting point for this type of game. I find it a great alternative for when I’ve played Settlers of Catan too many times in a row!

Hey, That’s My Fish!

Hey, That’s My Fish! is a recent discovery. It is one of those rare gems that children love (even my five-year-old enjoys it) but it also works well for adults. It is a bit fiddly to set up, but requires a great deal of strategic thinking to win.

Balderdash

Balderdash is the perfect game for all word lovers – especially if you have a larger number of people (6-10 works best). We also play our own version which involves picking a book and getting people to guess the first sentence. I haven’t played the expanded version pictured, but the original is a firm favourite.

Pictionary

Pictionary is another good game for a larger group. It is great for both adults and children and is especially amusing as my family aren’t very good at drawing!

Do you enjoy playing any of these?

What is your favourite board game?

Happy New Year! I hope that you’ve had a good start to 2013 and have had a nice few weeks with your friends and family.

I’ve had a good Christmas and loved seeing my boys enjoy the excitement of it all. They got lots of toys, lego, books and games, but their favourite present appears to be a light saber torch that they enjoy “zapping” each other with.

I didn’t get any books for Christmas (everyone thinks I have too many already!) but I got a big fluffy dressing gown, a warm jumper, lots of chocolate and my husband bought me a Sonos Wireless Hi-Fi so that I can listen to my music (and audiobooks) in different rooms of the house.

I bought my husband a tow bar and a cycle rack so that we can now fit all four bikes onto the back of our car. We’re all looking forward to travelling further afield with our bikes.

We also got (and played) lots of board games over the holidays. I was going to tell you all about them, but ended up writing so much that I thought they deserved a post of their own. I’ll expand it and let you know all about my favourite board games next week.

I haven’t read much over the last few weeks, but I am now 300 pages into A Suitable Boy. I found it difficult to get into as there were so many different characters – it probably took about 150 pages for me to be fully engaged. But now I’m loving it all – even the political bits! I can see it becoming an all-time favourite. The only problem was the weight of the book, but I solved that by chopping it into manageable pieces – the greatest book vandalism I’ve ever been guilty of. I don’t regret it, there is no way my wrists could cope with the entire 1500 pages. Have you ever chopped a large book into pieces?

I also started Parallel Stories but abandoned it as there was no special spark to justify dedicating that much time to it. There was nothing wrong with the writing and I could see myself picking it up again at some point in the future – perhaps as a read-along?

I also abandoned Canada by Richard Ford as the characters were flat and I failed to empathise with any of them. I was expecting a deep literary tome and so was surprised by how light the tone of it all was.

On a more positive note I finished War with the Newts and A Trick I Learned from Dead Men; two wonderful books that I’ll tell you about soon.

Enjoy the rest of the week! I’ll be back soon with some book reviews.

Last week I posted: The Best Books of 2013? Part 1: Authors We Know and Love

This time it is the turn of new authors. Here are the 2013 releases that caught my eye:

Note: UK release month shown, date may be different in other countries.

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

Hutchinson, January

This book has been getting lots of praise in the US, with Oprah picking it as one of her books of the year. It is about one woman struggling to raise her children in 20th century America. It sounds like an emotional read.

Y by Marjorie Celona

Faber and Faber, January

This book follows a baby abandoned on the steps of the YMCA. It promises to uncover the true meaning of identity, family and the place we call home. I love books that provide more questions than answers!

The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

Hodder and Stoughton, January

This quirky book about a teenage boy sounds very entertaining. It questions our moral judgement and claims to be “one of the funniest, most heartbreaking novels you’ve ever read.” I hope it lives up to my expectations!

The Mussel Feast by Birgit Vanderbeke

Amity & Sorrow by Peggy Riley

Tinder Press, March

A story about God, sex, and farming. It is described as having dark shades, similar to Room, and has been getting a lot of positive early reviews. I’m looking forward to giving it a try.

Butter by Erin Lange

Faber, March

This YA novel about an over-weight boy who pledges to eat himself to death live on the Internet sounds like a cutting edge analysis of our society. I hope that it has cross over appeal to the adult market as it sounds very intriguing.

The Coincidence Authority by JW Ironmonger

W&N, March

I’m always attracted to authors that are compared to David Mitchell. This book is said to combine Mitchell’s ideas with the warmth of David Nicholls. It also deals with coincidence. Sounds perfect for me.

Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi

Viking, April

Taiye Selasi is a protégé of Toni Morrison and Salman Rushdie, so this multi-generational drama spanning three continents has a lot to live up to. I hope it meets my high expectations.

Telling the Bees by Peggy Hesketh

Oneworld Publications, April

An eighty-something beekeeper discovers the murdered body of his neighbour. This sounds as though it could be a very entertaining book.

The Hive by Gill Hornby

Little, Brown, May

Set around a school this book concentrates on the relationship between the mums. It is said to be a fascinating and subtle story about group politics and female friendship. I see complex interactions taking place every time I drop my boys off at school so am interested to see how this story pans out.

Dirty Work by Gabriel Weston

Jonathan Cape, June

Last year I listened to (and loved) the dramatised version of Direct Red, Gabriel Weston’s memoir of the years she spent pursuing a surgical career. Dirty Work is her debut novel and it centres on a doctor who performs abortions. I can see this being controversial, thought provoking and emotional – just the way I like them!

Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach

Picador, July

This book has an unusual concept that grabbed me straight away. It revolves around a woman who wants to commit suicide, but doesn’t want anyone to know she is dead. In order to keep her secret she hires someone to maintain her online profile. This person must first learn everything there is to know about her and then keep the secret for as long as possible. It isn’t going to end well, is it?!

Other books to look out for:

How To Be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman Picador, January

First Novel by Nicholas Royle Jonathan Cape, January

Intermission by Owen Martell William Heinemann, January

White Dog Fell From the Sky by Eleanor Morse Fig Tree, April

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole Hutchinson, August

Do you like the sound of these books?

Which 2013 books are you looking forward to?