This Thanksgiving, I don't want to talk about politics. Here's what I'll focus on instead.

Two humans, a Jack Russell terrier mix and a Chihuahua are headed to the Atlanta area to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.

This is the first road trip for Millie Mae, the nearly 2-year-old Jack Russell mix who followed me home shortly before last Easter while I was walking 12-year-old Bandit, a cute but curmudgeonly gray and white Chihuahua. His last road trip was nine years ago when Darren and I moved to Nashville with him and his deceased sister Zohie, a white Chihuahua.

We will be meeting up with relatives for a mini-family reunion and we look forward to eating a lot, telling many stories, playing games and making new memories.

There are all sorts of anxieties that pop up: Will our dishes taste good and not make anyone sick? Will the dogs behave? Will anyone bring up topics that will cause someone indigestion?

I grew up in a family where we frequently discussed politics, religion and other typically taboo subjects, but the days of civil dialogue seem so last century, and political polarization, war and other ills make such topics less palatable – at least for a Thanksgiving family gathering.

While the nature of my job requires me to be current about the news, I want to bring up topics that will mix conversation up, hopefully for the better, and yield laughter rather than heartache.

These are four topics that will make for better conversation on Thanksgiving.

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Talk about the books that make you think

I love reading and I prefer to buy my books at independent bookstores. So, when I learned via Instagram that Parnassus Books’ proprietor and novelist Ann Patchett was holding “office hours” all month to sign her books, I decided I had to be there.

On Monday, I was second in line and Patchett signed my copy of her novel “bel canto.” I hope to get some of it read before Thanksgiving comes, but I definitely want to hear what other relatives are reading and what they like about their books.

When I read for pleasure, I take my time and absorb sentences, and sometimes I read and re-read a particular passage to fully embrace it.

Storytelling is what has connected human beings over history and can make dinner more appealing.

Talk about the food that brings back good memories

I’m planning to make rice pudding in honor of my maternal grandfather who died in 1999. He was a great cook.

I can imagine smelling the sweet and savory aroma of the dessert from the stove top and tasting its creamy texture at my grandparents’ home in Tampa, Florida.

An aunt of mine who keeps family recipes did not have my grandfather’s version, but she sent me hers, which involves infusing the rice and milk mixture with orange rinds, cinnamon sticks and raisins.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I did not really know how to cook. I knew how to make a few things, such as breakfast, but when I had more time at home because we could not go many places due to shutdowns, I started really to learn how to cook and understand the science behind cooking. I read “Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat and practiced by cooking dozens of HelloFresh recipes, graduating from burning rice once to making a savory French onion soup from scratch.

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My goal at the dinner table would be to share with others how we made our dishes, why we made them and what makes them special.

Sharing food traditions is another way to connect with our humanity.

Talk about music that evokes deep emotions

The advantage of working in a newsroom with a music team is that I am exposed to so many artists, and I like going down a rabbit hole to explore their work and the stories behind them.

Our reporters have recently written about Stephen Sanchez, Lauren Daigle and Reyna Roberts, among others.

Now, we also have reporters dedicated to covering Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.

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Growing up in Chicago in the 1980s, my parents love listening to classical music and Latin American folk songs, and my older brother progressed from rock groups such as Duran Duran to house music. So, I grew up with an eclectic mix and like exploring different sounds.

Among the recent albums I’ve streamed are “You’re the One” by Rhiannon Giddens, “Live for Me” by Omar Apollo and the “Star Trek Strange New Worlds” musical episode (yes, this is real).

Hoping to hear what my relatives are listening to.

Talk about your pets that warm your heart

A recent meme I saw on Instagram claimed, based on a 2019 report from Science magazine, that dogs can tell how many treats they get in their bowl.

As someone who has tended four dogs over 18 years, I am aware that my dogs know when they are not getting as many treats as they want.

My dog showed me incredible trust – even at the end when I had to euthanize her

Pet lovers like to ascribe human traits to their furry, feathered or scaled friends, and that can make for fun conversation and comparisons. Plus, looking at pet photos puts me in a pretty good mood.

Inevitably, harder subjects may emerge from including election news or family drama, and it may not be so bad.

On the other hand, it might create a perfect excuse to go for a walk alone or with others to clear your head and burn off some of those calories from that rice pudding.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters.. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Thanksgiving: Books, food, music, pets are good conversation starters