As the holidays encroach, we have lots to contemplate.

That includes the lyrics of the songs sung around this time of year. The Word Nerd, our resident wordster Emily Brewster, senior editor at Merriam-Webster, locates some of the more archaic maxims from the tunes of the season so we can explore the merriment of bygone carols.

and it’s in the ways the world is changing. Hip-hop MC and Author Tem Blessed and artist Mike LaRiccia have teamed up to create the graphic novel series “Planeta Blu” which looks at the intersection of climate change, class and racial equity, and afro-futurism. We delve into their meeting, influences and inspirations for the book, and the importance of seeing oneself in one’s visions for the future.

And it might be in finding a gift for that special nerd in your life. If that’s the case, Kaliis has some recommendations for games the tabletop board game lover in your life. This time around she recommends Intrepid, Red 7, Chicken, and the Tiny Epic Series.