Friday Book Review: A Canticle for Leibowitz

I read this book and wrote this review a while ago, but the book itself seemed appropriate for this week. It's very much a sci-fi book, but I enjoyed it quite a bit.

In the twenty-sixth century, the world is barren, having been destroyed by the “Flame Deluge,” a worldwide nuclear holocaust in the twentieth century that leaves few survivors. Those who survive decide to end the possibility of further destruction: They burn all books, all knowledge, all possessors of knowledge, and forget their past. This becomes known as the “Simplification.” But not everyone is interested in forgetting. In the midst of the Simplification, I.E. Leibowitz, one of the fathers of nuclear weapons and a recent convert to Christianity, forms a monastic order to protect knowledge from the “simpletons.” It is in the process of memorizing and booklegging (a book rescuing and smuggling operation) that Leibowitz is martyred for his faith, leaving his order to persevere without him.

Friday Book Review: The Guide by R.K. Narayan

I've been thinking about restarting the evening book club a lot lately, which has made me remember the last one I led. R.K. Narayan's The Guide was the first book we read together, and it remained one of the best discussions we had--mostly because the group members couldn't come to a consensus on what happened. If you read my review, you might see why we had trouble agreeing. (I, by the way, take the saint position.)

The Guide opens with Raju leaving prison. He goes to the barber, gets a haircut and shave, and has no idea what to do afterward. He was once India’s most famous tour guide. He was then the famous companion of the dancer Nalini. But having burned both of these bridges and defamed himself, his prospects are limited and his options few. Because he has nowhere else to go, Raju takes up residence at the local temple, because no one can really force him to leave.

Friday Book Review: Manalive

I've decided to use my Fridays in July to get back into book reviews. Now that I'm reading for prizes, I should have plenty of fodder. Still, as it's late and I'm not sure I'm thinking properly, below is a repurposing (lightly edited) of an unpublished review I wrote of G.K. Chesterton's Manalive, which, incidentally, turns 100 this year (and thus is available in the public domain free of charge). And yes, I will probably reread it soon.

Murderer. Thief. Deserter. Polygamist. Innocent?

Manalive begins in a way similar to Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat, only the tenants of Mrs. Duke’s boarding house have no rainy-day excuse for their inactivity. The day is nearing its completion, and the boarders are divided into male and female, the females languishing inside, the males in the garden, neither group saying or doing much of anything. Into this "dead" setting blows (literally) Innocent Smith, a man so fully alive that those he comes in contact with seem like statues by comparison. (On his arrival at the boarding house, he climbs a tree in pursuit of a hat, and one of the boarders says, "I never even noticed that tree before." This is typical of the experiences to follow.)

Housekeeping

I'm trying to get feedback on my blog. You can read the post, which will eventually direct you to this survey link, or if you don't want to read the post, you can click it directly. I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

Now that my blog has been going for a few months, I thought I'd use this space to talk about some housekeeping issues related to it. (This post is not, unfortunately, a review of the Marilynne Robinson novel of the same name, though that could come this year--it's on my list.)

First of all, I have to consider the question, why blog at all? Abby mentioned to me early on--and she's right--that the most successful blogs typically choose a single theme and stick with it. So, if I know this and am obviously not choosing to do this, what does this mean? Do I not care about success? Is success measured differently than in terms of numbers, and if so, how can it be achieved?

High Adventure in High Finance

When I first came to Illinois, I moved into a house where I had three roommates. The roommates bonded over several shared experiences--the change-jar meals at Outback Steakhouse, watching Boston Legal, the near losses of the Indianapolis Colts--but none as much as the game Acquire.

I hadn't played Acquire before moving to Illinois (despite its age--it was first printed in 1962--and its many iterations), but it soon became one of my favorite board games. We played often, and while I seldom won, it is a fun game to lose, one of the marks of a good game.

Doctor Lucky Meets His End

My brother-in-law introduced me to a game company several years ago that seemed to fit with the way I spent (read: didn't spend) my money, and which he pronounced Chee Apess. The company made their games to use interchangeable bits; the only thing they sold you was the parts unique to the game (the board and the cards, generally), which made their games, well, cheap. One of these games that I bought ages ago is Kill Doctor Lucky, and it has been a game collection hit ever since.

Quest for Riches in the Ruins

Playing games with kids can be a drag sometimes. You have to put up with the tantrums. You have to spend lots of time explaining and correcting. And, worst of all, most games for kids are just not fun for adults to play. Uno? Life? Even Clue? No thanks. This was primarily my reasoning behind trying Incan Gold, a 3-8 player party game based on Diamant (and this video review was what convinced me--those kids are great salespeople). I wanted a game to play with my niece and nephew that the adults would enjoy, too. I just wasn't expecting to play it so much when only adults are present.

Hot Basket

One of the best purchases I've made--at least, if we define best as "gotten the most use out of for the price"--only cost me $5.99, and it can fit in my pocket. It's a little card game called Canasta Caliente.

I know, I know--isn't that a game for old people? That's what I thought, too. I thought it belonged to the category of old people card games, along with Bridge and Pinochle. And perhaps it does. But I do love Pinochle...

A Saturday Review

It's not often that I get to review a book by or about one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to be given the chance to review Kevin Belmonte's Defiant Joy for The Englewood Review of Books. If you're interested, you can find my review here.

Riding the Train

To keep up the streak, here is another Monday board game review.

I first played Ticket to Ride (the original, U.S.-map version) a few years ago. I liked it, but for whatever reason, I forgot about it. (It might have been the severe beating I took the first time I played.) Then for my birthday, my sister bought me Ticket to Ride: Europe, which, as I mentioned before, has started a gaming renaissance with me. In fact, the first weekend I had it, Abby and I played seven times, and it has been a frequent guest at our dining room table since.

"We Built This City"

My first experience was bad...really bad. The side of the box says the game takes forty-five minutes, but it took the three of us two to three hours to play, which was way too long. At the end of it, I was lapped a time or two on the score track and received the comment, "You might as well not have been playing." It was bad.

But, thankfully, I decided to give Carcassonne another chance (though almost a year later). I got this game on megadeal from Barnes & Noble (a trend, it would seem) before our vacation to Tennessee, and it was a good companion on the trip, especially since I forgot my bag of books.

"God's Gonna Cut You Down"

It's not often that Abby and I pay to go see a movie, especially not at the first-run theater and especially not now that we subscribe to Netflix. But a well-timed NPR interview with the Coen brothers, a love for O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Raising Arizona, and a free Friday night all conspired to get us in the door for True Grit (though just at the buzzer, thanks to a slow-moving Portillo's run). It was money well spent.

Pandemic!

A few days before Christmas, with gift card funds burning in my pocket, I purchased the cooperative game Pandemic on megadeal from Barnes & Noble. I had never played it before, the box didn't look that exciting, and I was leery of the idea of a cooperative board game in which players are on a team against the game. Nevertheless, the reviews from multiple sources were glowing, I had no cooperative games in my collection, and the resale value seemed high (always a consideration when purchasing an untested game), so I went out on a limb and bought it. I am not disappointed in this decision.

Throw Down Your Heart

Last night after watching Once Upon a Mattress (Abby's pick), I was allowed to choose something to watch while Abby finished knitting a time-sensitive scarf. After a false start with Darkon, I landed on Bela Fleck's Throw Down Your Heart. This was an excellent choice.

Throw Down Your Heart follows banjo musician Bela Fleck as he travels through Africa, searching out the origins of his instrument and playing with local musicians. The search for the ancestors of the banjo was interesting enough, but even better was listening to the fantastic music that results from musicians of different backgrounds playing together. True to Fleck's pre-trip thoughts, the banjo blends in well with the other instruments he encountered.

The Finkler Question

I mentioned in my last post that I am woefully behind the times, considering that most of the items on my best of 2010 list were not released in 2010, but acquired in 2010. What I didn't mention is that I have indeed read many books released in 2010...it's just that none of them made the list (except The Wisdom of Stability and The Narnia Code). Some were close (namely, The Lost Books of the Odyssey by Zachary Mason), but for the most part, I wasn't wowed by the new books I read.

One book that had potential to wow me was The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson, winner of the 2010 Booker Prize. I've generally been a fan of the Booker Prize-winning books that I've read (the list of which escapes me now), moreso than books that have won other prizes. (Nobel, you're dead to me.) So it had that going for it before I picked it up. Still, I felt something was lacking--and something else was far too present.

The Best of 2010

It's surprising that it's already that time, but it is now appropriate to reflect on 2010, separating the wheat from the chaff, as it were. I mentioned in my last post that, despite my having read more books than I think I've ever read in a year, this wasn't a fantastic year for reading, which is disappointing to me (especially since, on top of that, I didn't reach my goal). Still, I'll pass on what I thought was best, and there really were a few gems--it's just that choosing my top five was easier than it should have been.

As usual, for all of these lists, the main criterion for inclusion is not that something was released in 2010, but that I acquired it in 2010. From these lists you will be able to see how woefully behind the times I am. Also, I didn't see very many movies this year, so take my movie selections with a grain of salt. Commentary follows where it is merited. (If you're interested, here is my list for 2009.)

"I Shall Rule the Land and I Shall Call It...This Land"

So this isn't quite my next post, but it's next in succession from my post on collectible card games. I thought I should explain what's good and bad about collectible card games before I showcase a recent game that has already become one of my favorites: Dominion. (By the way, my friend Wolfie has an excellent review of this game on his blog--you can read his in lieu of mine or in addition to it. But you might not want to take what he says too seriously, since he is my Dominion nemesis.)

Dominion comes in (probably) a bigger box than is necessary. From the size of the box, you might guess it's a big-box board game. In fact, Dominion is a card game, and the box is a giant sorter (which I'll get to later).

Christmas Recommendations

I normally do a year in review post at the beginning of each year, letting my readers know my favorite things of the previous year. But since Christmas is coming up and you may need ideas for what to get those hard-to-buy-for people on your list, I decided to take a top item from each category and let you know what I really liked this year. So here's a sneak peak at 2010 in review.

Bean Farming Has Never Been So Fun

I mentioned before that my sister got me Ticket to Ride: Europe for my birthday. I believe I also mentioned that this has rekindled my excitement for board games. What I didn't tell you about is Bohnanza.

I had some birthday money, and I thought I would try a new game. I read several reviews, and my choice came down to two games: Puerto Rico and Bohnanza. I thought Puerto Rico was a better bet in terms of which game I would prefer...but I also doubted I could find anyone to play with me, since the rules look complicated. Bohnanza looked stupid, but the Amazon customer reviews were glowing, and I also thought I had a better chance of finding other players, so I chose in favor of it. When the game arrived in the mail and I examined the simple, cartoony cards, I thought I had made a huge mistake.

I was wrong.

A Brief Audiobook Recommendation

If you like words, Southern drawls, and authors who read their own books, I recommend Alphabet Juice by Roy Blount Jr. I picked this up from the library after hearing the author on the radio quiz show Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! He didn't speak often on the show, but whenever he did, each word was gold. Anyone who could exhibit that level of restraint on a show that rewards frequent witticisms I thought was worthy of seeking out. I have not been disappointed, and I don't think you will be either.