An Individual Retreat for Seeking Humility: Reviewing "Simplifying the Soul" by Paula Houston

True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit--it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us.

Tryon Edwards

Humility means knowing the good about yourself and the bad about yourself. It is about having proper perspective. It is only when we are truly humble that we can be Christ-like, obedient to God the the right spirit, and learn to love God selflessly.

I'm terrible at it.

I try. Sometimes I succeed (always through God's grace ... do I need to even say that part?). But mostly, I try. And forget. And fail.

So it was with a sense of relief that I saw the Patheos book club was going to be discussing Paula Huston's new book, Simplifying the Soul: Lenten Practices to Renew Your Spirit.

Though, to be honest, it was with a sense of "what? already!" that I realized Lent must be coming up if this book was considered timely.

I really loved Huston's book, By Way of Grace (excerpts and my comments are here), which took readers on a tour of the virtues via selected saints and Huston's own life. I knew I'd probably like this book. What I didn't expect is that Simplifying the Soul is an actual retreat-in-a-book. When she says "Lenten practices to renew your spirit," she isn't kidding.

Huston talks about the desirability of humility and then points out that Lent is like the Church's annual retreat for all of us to stop, take a fresh look at ourselves (with God's help), identify what is impeding our ability to follow Christ, and then to apply the antidote.

To this end, she sets forth the way of simplicity, following in the footsteps of the desert fathers and mothers ... those who dwelled in the desert, seeking God ... with daily quotes and practices to help us notice and shed our sins. Huston adds her own wise observations and examples from her life to help the reader have proper perspective.

Each week is unified under its own theme and practices follow suit. Thus "simplifying space" may call for cleaning out a junk drawer one day and setting up a special prayer place on another. "Simplifying relationships" may ask you to sit in silence with a friend and, later in the week, to forgive someone in person.

None of the practices are difficult although, naturally, some may need adaptation to live up to the spirit of the thing if something doesn't particularly apply to you. For example, I tend to dread social engagements of any kind (no matter that  I enjoy them a lot when I'm actually there), so asking me to cancel a social engagement is going to do nothing but make me happy, instead of inspiring the inward examination Huston hopes for. However, I bet my husband will be able to come up with an appropriate substitute.

There are some practices, however easy, that may make us quail. That's part of the point. It is one thing to think about carrying out good works and quite another to commit to actually doing them, even if for only one day. Work in a soup kitchen for a day? Scary to step out like that ... at least it is for me ... but I am willing to try.

I considered following this individual retreat myself during Lent. It is solid and has a great combination of "adding on" and "giving up" to help us know ourselves better while seeking God. However, I realized that the different daily practices actually would be playing into one of my main faults: jumping around from thing to thing. Although they are all contained within the larger framework of simplification, to jump from thing to thing is something that brings out the worst in me. My own nature requires being forced to stick with one thing.

I don't think this applies to everyone and I believe that Huston's retreat will be a great blessing for most readers. I will be reading along daily because even considering her "help at a soup kitchen" practice made me realize that there are members of my own family who I am not giving enough time to ... such as not visiting my mother-in-law enough. On that larger level, this retreat will work really well for me as a self examination of ingrained habits. Hopefully, I will learn enough from it that I can take on some good practices as a long-term habit.

Here's a sample to give you an idea of how a day looks. There is quite a bit missing from Huston's comments, because I'd have been typing for a long time, but as I say ... this gives you a flavor. Bon appetit!

third week of lent:
SIMPLIFYING THE MIND

The desert dwellers believed that our souls need proper nourishment--spiritual food--in order to achieve clear spiritual vision. Jesus often withdrew into the desert or the mountaintops at night in order to rejuvenate his soul through prayer.

Monday: Spend a Day Without TV

A brother, possessed by sadness and melancholy went to an Elders and asked of him: "What am I to do? My thoughts present me with the idea that perhaps in vain I denied the world and that I cannot be saved."


Thoughtfully, the Elder answered as follows: "My child, even if we do not succeed in reaching the promised land, it is  better that we should give our carcasses to the desert than return to the Egypt of fearful enslavement" (Numbers 14:29-33).

MEDITATION

I live in a busy place. With a garden, orchard, kitchen, and grandkids to care for, my mornings are filled with physical labor. By the time I sit down for lunch, I'm tired. But then I go to my studio, where I spend the next four or five hours researching and writing. When I get back to the house at six or so, it's time to cook the evening meal, eat dinner, and clean up the kitchen. As the working day draws to a close, I find myself fighting to stay awake. But 8:00 p.m. is just too early to go to bed. Instead, I look around for something that will not only keep me up but also distract me!

... After all what could be wrong with a little entertainment after a long day's work?

What's wrong is that a steady diet of over-stimulating or fantasy-inducing distraction eventually reshapes our perception of the world and prevents us from dealing with reality. ...

Jesus, however, links genuine freedom to our ability to recognize truth. "If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" (Jn 8:31-32). Free from what? Misperception, melodrama, falsehood, artificiality, superficiality, and self-indulgent egoism--everything the entertainment industry depends upon to hold our attention. ...

PRACTICE

Today fast from TV. If you are not a TV watcher, then choose another form of entertainment that you rely upon to keep you stimulated and distracted. notice what happens when this habitual method of reinvigorating yourself is removed. Do you feel restless? Bored? How deeply ingrained is the entertainment addiction? While you fast, pray for new insight in this area and for the strength to try new ways of dealing with mental exhaustion.

I am the light of the world Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (Jn. 8:12)

March for Life - UPDATED

We were at the March on Saturday. It was a sunny but cold day and there were thousands of people marching, which is always heartwarming. Part of the point is to show through physical presence that we are standing up for life, but part of the point is to feel that solidarity. To know that we aren't alone. It is something you can know intellectually, but there is a difference in seeing, hearing, and (occasionally) bumping into all the others who feel the same.

The media has gotten good at ignoring this event, although I notice that we can have ten protesters outside our office building (we are next to Jeb Hensarling's office) and several news cameras will descend upon them.

This year, the media continued ignoring us ... except for WFAA, Channel 8, who we were pleased to see did a very nice piece.




UPDATE
I didn't see until now that President Obama spoke about Roe v. Wade.

As we mark the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we must remember that this Supreme Court decision not only protects a woman’s health and reproductive freedom, but also affirms a broader principle: that government should not intrude on private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose and this fundamental constitutional right. While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue- no matter what our views, we must stay united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, support pregnant woman and mothers, reduce the need for abortion, encourage healthy relationships, and promote adoption. And as we remember this historic anniversary, we must also continue our efforts to ensure that our daughters have the same rights, freedoms, and opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.

I have to pray for that man more than I do.

I can't ever think of President Obama and abortion without remembering that he, tellingly, in speaking of his daughters, said, “I don’t want them punished with a baby.”

Nice, right?

I have other thoughts that sprang to mind but I see that The Anchoress has comprehensively communicated them already. (Sometimes it is scary how much we think alike.)

L. A. Diary: We Begin

An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.

G.K. Chesterton, On Running After Ones Hat, All Things Considered, 1908

I came across this quote at exactly the right time.

We were beginning to plunge into executing the seemingly endless details necessary to drive Rose to Los Angeles. She finished college in three years after majoring in film editing. After a few months off to enjoy the holidays at home, was ready to begin job hunting. Tom thought that the film industry is such a tough field to break into that we would support her using the money we planned for that unneeded fourth college year. That way she could afford to take a low paying, beginner's job somewhere that she could get a toe-hold for better things later.

Complicating things somewhat was the fact that Rose wanted to take Zoe, one of our Boxers. We applauded this impulse, not least because Zoe was the most annoying member of the household. A rescue dog of show-quality beauty, Zoe combined a high-strung, fashion model's temperament with several ingrained habits learned at her first home. We spent a lot of time judging whether Zoe's restlessness called for rawhide bones, which she consumed at an alarming rate, but which also acted like a drug on her system. She would begin gnawing and she would "put on her soft face" as we called it, with her eyes turning red with relaxation.

Traveling across the country with Zoe would be interesting, to say the least. For one thing, we thought she was leash-trained for going out, but weren't sure how this would work out on the road. For another thing, finding hotels that would take dogs was problematic. Luckily most Holiday Inn Expresses did, for an extra fee.

Zoe also made internet apartment hunting an interesting challenge. However, Rose was determined. She saw Zoe as protection for a girl alone in the big city. We agreed and also liked the idea that Rose would have some "family" with her while learning the L.A. ropes before making new friends.

Then there was the fact that we'd be gone from work for ten days. We'd never been gone so long from our business. While Rose was packing everything she owned into boxes, Tom was measuring furniture and consulting with the local U-Haul, I was arranging for a house-sitter who would care for Wash the Boxer, and Hannah was moving out to a duplex with her two dogs.

Amid the whirlwind of activity, changing plans, uncertainty, and fears, I saw that G. K. Chesterton had the proper perspective. It didn't change my harried state of mind but it became the mantra I repeated whenever I felt overwhelmed. I was mired in inconveniences but somehow, I knew, these could be the doorway to adventure.

And G. K.'s wise words followed us on the road to L.A. as we drove with the complications of U-Haul and Zoe, spending money like water on the way.

There were inconveniences to be sure. But the adventures were great and varied.

More to come tomorrow on all that, from the small observations to the absurdities that introduced us to Los Angeles.

Reviewing "The Father's Tale" by Michael O'Brien

He was losing all affection for Russia. It was a crazy country, full of crazy people. At any moment, crazy things came out of nowhere and ran over the unsuspecting traveler, shot him with an arrow or shook him like a pea in a tin can. Moreover, he realized that he had left behind at Obsk the bag in which he had carried his clothing, and he was doubly disturbed that he had not noticed until now. He possessed only the clothes on his back and the shoulder bag containing his documents, money, and a few books. Once again, everything was going wrong.

Alexander Graham, is the father of two sons, both old enough to be living their own lives. A widower living in the small Canadian town of Halcyon, Alex runs the bookstore on a shoestring, barely making ends meet. When he attempts to call his son Andrew in Oxford for Christmas, Alex finds Andrew is unexpectedly missing. Further investigation reveals that Andrew may be in the clutches of a New Age religious cult so Alex borrows money against his store and sets off to England. He winds up following them to Europe and then across Russia as the pursuit takes on a life of its own.

Clearly Michael O'Brien has a passion for Russian literature and for the Russian people who are so affectionately and realistically portrayed in this novel (as far as I know ... since I don't know any Russians). Just as clearly, he has passion for music, poetry, fathers, and sons as evidenced by continuing threads throughout the book.

Whether it was necessary for him to write a 1,072 page book to tell his story is not as clear.

You'd think the story of a father trying to find and rescue his missing college-aged son from a religious cult would be sensational, quick paced, and shocking. Well, no. However, as O'Brien told it, the story kept pulling me along. I could feel for the father's uncertainty about what action to take, his constant worry about lack of funds for continuing Russian travels, and his worry over whether his son was being held against his will or whether this was the son's choice ... and what to do in either case.

This was definitely an interesting tale in that it contrasted the usual thriller type fare of cults and being lost in a strange country while steadily losing every possession against Graham's traveling with a slow, meditative pace. The face that  we understand very little of what occurs makes us equal with the protagonist. The one thing that is clear is that O'Brien provides food for thought sprinkled throughout the journey. I have never read Tolstoy so I can't say if this book is similar (as one endorser did), but it is definitely worth reading.

I have to say that this book began dragging for me after the doctor left her two sons in Alex's charge while she went on her trip. I am not sure if I simply was impatient with reading the book after so much time (which is a fault I have, admittedly) or if enough cogitation along the same lines as Alex's had been done already and so was a rerun in some ways. Also his time after coming down the mountain had a completely unrealistic, forced feel to me although I did value its nightmarish quality and the way Alex was used by God after surrendering himself completely. It felt tacked on, especially once he was moved further east. This is a problem I ran up against in the one previous O'Brien book I read. It was as if having satisfactorily reached the last fourth of the book, he felt some compulsion to ratchet up the pace in a way that was completely out of synch with the rest of the book. In this book, I found many of the plot points at the end completely ridiculous. I'd have preferred it if some points were left hanging rather than reading the explanation that the author provided.

Oddly enough, despite my complaints about things going on too long, I felt as if Andrew's story, once finally revealed, was incomplete. Too short, too few details ... more of "a shot rang out and everyone dropped dead" quality.

Interesting.

So, it is a good book and worth reading, but definitely not perfect. I am not sure where I'd do it if I were the editor, but I don't think it needed to be so long to tell the story. Long, yes. 1,077 pages long, no.

"That was my papa's hat," Kiril informed him with a smile that said, I'm glad it's on your head; it's a fine thing to see it in use; that's what hats are for. And so Alex felt the pain of his new role, a transient father filling in the gap left by the real father. A token hat. Could a child survive on symbols alone?

Alex felt at such moment the strangeness of his situation, as if his life's meaning was taking a form that had been chosen for him by someone else, leaving him only small freedoms. Within that limited zone he could choose to love or not love, to speak truth or not speak it. But it was undeniable that he was locked within a prison of circumstances.

He reminded himself that he was not in solitary confinement. This was some comfort, but it did not answer the fundamental question: Why was he here? If life was neither purely accident nor purely determined, what was going on? Was it a mixture of accidental and determined? And why was the world perceived so differently by two souls standing side by side? For Alex, the world threatened at every moment to become a neo-Pavlovian maze. For Kiril, it was always a vast playing field. Which of the two was the correct view of existence? Neither? Both?

You may read a longer excerpt of a section I particularly liked here.

The Martians Are Attacking and Only Gil Chesterton Can Stop Them! Reviewing "The Tripods Attack!"

The Tripods Attack! by John McNichol

I read the second book of this series first (my review here) just because the initial book, The Tripods Attack!, was being reprinted at the time. However, I recently received Tripods where we are introduced to a steampunk world in which young Gilbert Chesterton, recently orphaned, went from his home in Minnesota and found himself working in a computer factor in London (they call it something else, but punchcards and machines work everything so these are early computers). Downtrodden, barely making a living, and with no discernibly bright future, Gil is unexpectedly called into the Chairman's office one day and upgraded to journalist. He is sent to Wokking to investigate mysterious happenings, which any science fiction fan worth their salt will recognize as the Martian invasion written of in War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells.

Along the way, Gil meets Herb Wells, a level-headed cleric named Father Brown, and a mysterious Doctor who seems to know more about the Martians than he lets on. There is also a beautiful red-headed woman who seems to always whisk around corners when Gil is just about to be able to speak to her.

The Tripods Attack! is an enjoyable mash-up of real and fictional characters in a vividly portrayed world where anything can happen. I would have preferred less time spent in the tunnels where the story seemed to drag on at times. Also, when occasionally told the Martians' thoughts I was jerked out of the story. Their actions spoke for themselves and knowing what they felt didn't further the story any.

As with the second book, The Emperor of North America, here are strains of Catholic worldview that are shown as part of various characters' moral fiber and others are shown espousing different views that are set in opposition. We see how Gil became Catholic and how Herb's "foxhole conversion" affects his life. These weren't preachy or moralistic, and weren't not the main focus of the action, although again they definitely motivated actions. As with all things of this nature, your milage may vary.

This is definitely a fun book and I recommend it.

More Book Lists

Sherry at Semicolon is opening up her comments as usual on a Saturday, except that today she's inviting people to link to their 2011 Best Book Lists. Which I did, natch!

AND she's adding recommendations for the readers in the comments. Now that's a blogger who understands community ... and reading! Check it out at Semicolon.

Also, while you're there, check out her other posts. She's run a series of links to other bloggers' best book lists and future reading lists. Great stuff!

Weekend Joke

An oldie but a goodie.

One bright, beautiful Sunday morning, everyone in tiny Anytown got up early and went to the local church. Before the service started, the townspeople were sitting in their pews and talking about their lives, their families, and so on.

Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church.

Everyone started screaming and running for the front entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil incarnate. Soon everyone had left the church except for an elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his pew, not moving, seemingly oblivious to the fact that God's ultimate enemy was in his presence.

Now, this confused Satan a bit, so he walked up to the man and said, "Hey! Don't you know who I am?"

The man replied, "Yep, sure do."

Satan asked, "Aren't you afraid of me?"

"Nope, sure ain't," said the man.

Satan was a little perturbed at this and queried, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

The man calmly replied, "I've been married to your sister for 25 years."

Fathers and Sons and Rembrandt

The Return of the Prodigal Son

c. 1669

Oil on canvas, 262 x 206 cm

The Hermitage, St. Petersburg

via Web Gallery of Art

This is a very long but moving passage from The Father's Tale by Michael O'Brien. I quite liked it and think it gives a good representation of what I liked in the book. To set the scene, Alex Graham has pursued his son from Great Britain to Scandinavia to Russia, trying to rescue him from the cult that has him in its clutches. He's not sure whether his son is with them willingly or not. Therefore, sons and fathers are much on his mind at present. The review will come next week, but for now, enjoy this.

When his head cleared a little, he looked up. Before him was Rembrandt's Return of the Prodigal Son.

At first glance, the painting seemed to be immense, because he was standing only a few feet from it, and he was forced to crane his neck as he looked up from the battered feet of the son, through the tender hands that embraced him, to the face of the father.

Alex stepped back a few paces.

Red, umber, and sepia bathed the image in warmth. The son knelt before the father with his head on the old man's chest, as if seeking refuge in the folds of his garments. The father bent over him, both hands on his son's back, the fingers splayed slightly, palm to the flesh that had come from him, that had fled from him, and that was now returning to him. The hands protected and comforted. The tilt of the aged head and the half-lidded eyes conveyed infinite compassion, a wisdom that was in no way naive about the sins of the son but that submerged all wrongs in mercy. The dignity of the father embraced the degraded son in a communion that would restore him to his lost dignity.

To the right, robed in a different kind of dignity—that of the righteous, the good, the responsible—was the elder brother, who regarded the scene dubiously, and with resentment. His upright body was unbending, his hands clasped tightly around the staff of his authority.

Alex could hear the words of protest muttered by the elder son: "This son of yours..."

And the words of the father's answer: "This brother of yours..."

Was lost and is found.

Alex closed his eyes for a few moments. When he opened them again, he noticed that the youth who had been going slowly from picture to picture at the far ends of the gallery now stood a pace to his left. Oblivious to Alex's presence, he gazed solemnly at the image, his arms hanging by his sides.

Alex regretted the interruption but stepped aside to allow the other a central place before the painting. He expected the interloper to move on quickly, but minutes passed. How long they remained like this was impossible. to tell. The boy's stillness and rapt attention to the painting were inexplicable. He was in his late teens or early twenties, and Alex wondered how one so young would be capable of such concentration, if concentration it was Why was he not at school? Why was he not tinkering in the innards of a car engine, or pounding around an athletic field?

His face in no way displayed typical Slavic features. It was quintessentially primitive, the forehead slanted, brow ridges heavy, eyes small and inexpressive, cheeks hollow. His thin lips were parted slightly, and his chin was unevenly shaved. Brown hair was cropped close to the skull. His hands were large and his fingernails dirty. His blunt and muscular body was a peasant's torso with slightly bowed legs hinting at malnutrition. He wore a dingy green coat full of holes, and baggy workman's pants with cuffs suspended inches above wet, down-at-heel shoes.

Heaving a sigh as old and as freighted as humanity, the youth caught himself, perhaps becoming fully aware that there was another person beside him. He shot a swift glance at Alex and shifted his body away. His face, which had been open and defenseless while absorbed in the painting, now closed in on itself, guarded and anonymous.

Alex too retreated into himself, wishing the other would depart.

Eventually the youth turned a few degrees in Alex's direction and murmured, "Zto horosho." It is good.

"Yes," Alex replied in the same tone, "it is good."

Now it was possible to attempt more.

"The father..." said the youth.

"Yes, and the son..." Alex replied.

"And...you see...the hands..."

Each sentence was left unfinished with spaces of many seconds between the responses. It was neither interruption nor inarticulation; it seemed to Alex that it was a necessary reduction, so that speech would not ruin what was now flowing back and forth between them.

"The boy...he came home," said the youth.

"And the father ran out to meet him," Alex replied.

A sudden tension crossed the youth's face. "If the father had not, what then?"

"But the son trusted."

"He risked..."

"The father also risks."

The youth turned to face Alex. He crossed his arms as if holding himself, as if he were cold.

"I...my..." He looked down at the floor, his eyes haunted.

For a moment or two, Alex could find nothing to say, and when he spoke he did not know where the thought had come from:

"The son should return to the father," he said.

"But what if the father does not want the son?" replied the youth.

"If he does not, then the son must remember." Alex pointed at the old man in the image. "Remember this face. It is a window. Through it you see the hidden face."

"The hidden face?"

"Yes. He is looking at you."

The youth glanced up at the painting again. Then back at Alex.

"How...this speaking...you and me speaking?"

"I seek..."

"You seek your son?"

"Yes. He is lost."

"I think maybe you will find him. A father such as you will find him."

"Will he want me?"

"I do not know. But I think it will be so."

"And your father?"

Once again a spasm of pain crossed the boy's face. He did not answer.

"Have you lost him?" Alex asked.

"I have run from him."

"You must return to him."

"Will he want me?"

"I hope it will be so. He should want a son such as you."

"But..."

"It may be he does not yet know you."

"Who are you?" the youth asked.

"You know me."

"Do I know you, sir?"

"Yes. And I know you."

Strangely, this did not disturb the other, though he spent a minute pondering it.

"Surely we have met before?"

"No."

"But tell me, who are you?"

"I am you."

the boy uncrossed his arms. He opened his mouth but said nothing.

"As you will be, in time," Alex said.

"I..." The eyes blinked rapidly, withholding tears.

"The child is father of the man," Alex said, looking up at the father in the painting. "Remember his face, for he too is your father. Remember my face also, and the words we have spoken to each other."

The boy looked into the man's eyes and nodded. Unable to speak, he walked from the room.

Alex left the Hermitage soon after, overcome by this inexplicable exchange. It was by now late afternoon and growing cold. The rush hour traffic had begun in earnest along Nevsky, but despite the roar he decided to walk the entire length of it to the Moskva. It took more than an hour, but it seemed to him that time had continued to alter its nature. he looked into many hundreds of faces on the way, and in all of them he saw what he had seen in the face of the peasant youth.

All men are my son, and all women are my daughter.

He arrived at his hotel room after six o'clock. There no messages. He lay down on the bed and covered his eyes with a hand.

Best Movies of 2011

There's not much point in having only a year end list only of books, to my way of thinking. We've got to include movies too. Not that I watched that many movies, but in looking back over my journal, there were some that definitely stood out above the crowd.

This list is based on what was new to me this year, not solely on what was a new release.

• Midnight in Paris - the Golden Age in the City of Lights from Woody Allen (my review here)
• Exit Through the Gift Shop - documentary about an eccentric French shop keeper and amateur film maker who attempted to befriend famed graffiti artist Banksy, only to have the artist turn the camera back on him. Brilliant.
• True Grit (2010) - gritty, funny, and (I'm told) truer to the book than the original movie (my snapshot comments are here)
• The King's Speech - before King George VI of Britain was forced to ascend to the throne by his brother's Edward abdication, he struggled mightily with stuttering with the help of an unconventional speech therapist. The story is sensitively told and brilliantly portrayed by all.
• To Be or Not to Be (1942) - Jack Benny and Carole Lombard, directed by the great Ernst Lubitsch. During the Nazi occupation of Poland, an acting troupes helps track down a German spy. Really funny while making a definite statement about the tragedy of the Polish occupation. Watching this made me appreciate Lombard's acting skill.
• Up in the Air - corporate downsizer corporate downsizer Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) lives an isolated existence traveling the country firing people and giving seminars on success. Even he balks, however, at the changes proposed by a young woman and when he is called up on to show her the ropes, both their lives change (my snapshot comments are here)
• Gone Baby Gone - This tale a a young couple detecting a little girl's kidnapping was as wonderful as critics said. The story was morally grounded and made me want to look for Dennis Lehane's books, as this was based on one of his. All round a wonderful movie.
• Waking Sleeping Beauty - how Walt Disney Studios went in a mere ten-year period from the depths of The Black Cauldron to the heights of animation in Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King is the subject of this behind-the-scenes documentary from the point of view of the animators (my review is here)

You Know What I Love?

That I saw on Facebook that my mother is playing Words with Friends.

My mom. On Facebook. Words with Friends.

She also has had a Kindle for a while.

This lady is the most happening person at her assisted living place.

Let's not even get into how she and her friends have the "party table" at dinner every night. You know. The one with the bottles of wine and the laughing and joking.

Yep.

I love it.

Best Books of 2011

Best to me, of course, not definitively "best," which is impossible to say.

This was the year I was not going to do a "best of" list.

Not. going. to.

Done and done.

And then The Anchoress challenged me and put her own book list up. Plus she put Brandon Vogt's 2011 book list link ... which further challenged me.

Darn it.

In general I tend to be puzzled by many Catholic's book lists. So many religious books, so few zombie books. Although, I note with approval that Brandon read the Harry Potter series last year. There is hope.

So here we go, top 10 books with descriptions in 10 words or less. Plus a few bonus items at the end.

1. Mystery of Grace by Charles DeLint
   Urban fantasy about Grace (the person) and grace (of God). (discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
2. East of Eden by John Steinbeck
   Genesis, Cain, and Abel ... in California. (review at A Free Mind; discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
3. Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux
   Little things can make you a saint. (review at A Free Mind)
   
   
4. Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
   Red, white, blue, and zombies. (review at SFFaudio)
   
   
5. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
   Concentration camps and God from an unlikely storyteller. (review at A Free Mind)
   
   
6. White Cat / Red Glove (The Curse Workers series) by Holly Black
   When a touch can curse, gloves alone can't protect you (SFFaudio reviews: White Cat / Red Glove)
   
   
7. Declare by Tim Powers
   WWII, Cold War spies, and the supernatural with Catholic details. (discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
8. The Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Brant Pitre
   What the title says. (review at Happy Catholic)
   
   
9. Desert of Souls by Howard Andrew Jones
   Rattling good adventure in ancient Arabia with djinn and improbable heroes (review at Happy Catholic)

BONUS

AUTHOR DISCOVERIES

• Diana Wynne Jones - I never knew how fabulous her books were or how inventive or how different they were from each other. Thank heavens my pal D.J. took it upon herself to lend me carefully selected stories each month. YA fantasy that is a treat for any age to read.
  
  
• Norbert Davis - who wrote the short but memorable series featuring Doan and Carstairs. Doan is a short, chubby man in rumpled clothes who, despite appearances, is "the most dangerous little devil I've ever seen, and he's all the worse because of that half-witted manner of his. You never suspect what he's up to until it's too late." At least that what his boss says. Carstairs is his Great Dane who is one of the most intelligent characters ever included in mysteries. Together they are a duo to reckon with. And the stories are not only interesting but are tinged with humor throughout.
  
  
• Louis L'Amour - I grew up scorning Western stories, even though I did occasionally dip into Zane Grey along the way. I'm not sure what made me sample a few of Louis L'Amour's short story collections on my Kindle. I was surprised to find his stories compelling and so picked up this collection via Paperback Swap. He has a talent for making you speed to the end of the story even when you're fairly sure you know what will happen ... because you're only fairly sure and often he flips the story just a bit on you.

SERIES REREADING

Two words.

Harry Potter.

When the last movie came out, it made me suddenly realize that the Potter books probably were available in audiobook format. Sure enough they were and Jim Dale's narration was nothing short of inspired. I began at book one and "reread" them all. Surprisingly, I remembered only a few key elements of the last three books and so was able to experience them once again with breathless anticipation.

A truly wonderful experience.

What a Great Christmas!

I have to say that one of my favorite things about Christmas is going to Mass. I never want to go before-hand, but when I am there I am always so glad that the Church requires it. Nothing reminds me more of why Christmas matters and puts the rest of the day into proper perspective. I am more grateful and happy afterward for that very reason.

That aside,  we ate a lot (the roasted pork shoulder came out a treat ... I resorted to my old Doubleday cookbook and roasted it at 325 for 40 minutes a pound), played games, laughed, listened to music, had many a Christmas cookie, and much merriment ensued from all the above. We also received a good many wonderful gifts, among them a streaming box so that Tom doesn't have to hook his computer up to the TV in order for us to watch Hulu (or other similar things). He has been playing with that and having a very good time learning the ropes and seeing what is out there for free.

A couple of standouts for me ...

FAMILY GAME
A standout at this point is the family game for the year, Pandemic. The goal of Pandemic is for the players, in their randomly-selected roles, to work cooperatively to stop the spread of four diseases and cure them before a pandemic occurs. I was fascinated to think of a game requiring cooperation from all players, rather than rivalry. All the reviews I read on Amazon spoke glowingly of how much fun it was and many appreciatively mentioned the "cooperation" element. I had to try it.

It turns out that this game is addictive. It is the nearest thing I can imagine to a role playing, computer game, but in board game form. You just have to keep trying to cure those darned diseases before the game beats you and that keeps you coming back time after time as you think of new strategies.

In the "introductory" game playing mode, we had to play four or five times before we finally beat it by curing all four diseases. We are now curious to try it in "regular" mode.

Highly recommended.

TILTING TEAPOT

Tom really surprised me by giving me a Tilting Teapot. I saw this so long ago that I'd forgotten all about it. And, the poor guy had to buy it from Canada because they only have one distributer on this continent. Nonetheless, it was a sheer delight because of those things and more.

The idea is that you lie it down to put in the tea (in a little compartment) and water in the larger chamber. After brewing, it tilts up to keep the leaves out of the water. And when it is standing, that is when the hotel staff brings you more. Not having a hotel staff, I am having to learn a new skill set in order to keep the tea leaves from floating out of their compartment into the pot, but it is great fun. And makes a good cuppa, too!

Gone for now ... back on Tuesday

I'll stick this at the top of the blog.

I have a few things ready to come up over the holidays, so just scroll down ... but in the meantime let me wish you a very Merry Christmas.

I hope your Advent has been a fruitful one. Mine certainly has and I am longing to welcome the Christ Child ... and also to reap the benefits of all the Christmas baking, planning, and decorating that have been going on at our house.

Have a wonderful time and I'll see you soon!

Christmas Playlist

I picked up three new Christmas CDs this year and two went on our permanent household favorites list.

The one that didn't was Christmas Party With Eddie G. which was so much like Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour that it conclusively proved who the genius was behind that concept (for which we are forever grateful). However, it isn't something you like to have pop up constantly in your play list.

1. What a Wonderful Christmas - Louis Armstrong & Others (a new one, purchased after I heard Jazz Record Requests ... a BBC show ... play "Zat You, Santa Claus?"
2. A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector - when I was looking for the Louis Armstrong cd, I kept coming across this. Many described it as a "wall of sound" which can be good or bad. In this case, it works ... as long as you like The Ronettes. Which we do. 

We added this to our usual playlist, which you may read all about here, but for the short version I'll tell you that it includes:

• Let It Snow Baby, Let It Reindeer - Reliant K
• Ella Wishes You a Swingin' Christmas - Ella Fitzgerald
• I Wanna Be Santa Claus - Ringo Starr
• Christmas With the Rat Pack

Romeo and Juliet in Limerick Form

My friend DJ wrote this delightful piece. It is too good to keep to myself so, with her permission, I am sharing it. For best effect, read aloud (with dramatic gestures). It's what I did.

Romeo and Juliet
(with apologies to Wm. Shakespeare)


In Verona, a city so fair,
Two families were oft feuding there.
In this mess we do find
Star-crossed lovers entwined
And I fear that they haven’t a prayer.

Young Romeo and family most rash,
A Capulet part did crash.
‘twas there that he met
The sweet Juliet
And fell deep in love, in a flash.

Poor Juliet felt rather blue.
Her beau was a dread Montague.
Yet she loved just the same
Asking “What’s in a name”
Still she didn’t know what she should do.

Then Romeo that lover so keen
Climbed to her on vines, strong and green.
Together these two
Vowed they’d always be true
In what’s known as the balcony scene.

But trouble in Verona did grow
When Tybalt stabbed Mercutio.
Cried he “You’re all louses,
A plague on your houses!
I’m dead from a murderous blow.”

Wedded bliss just was not meant to be
For Romeo slew Tybalt you see.
As the Princes’ law writ
Romeo’s live was forfeit
So our hero had to pack up and flee.

A plan to fake death went awry
When Romeo thought Juliet did die –
So he offed himself then
She did herself in.
Thus together entombed they both lie.

Then the Prince scolded both families
Take a look at these two, if you please.
Because of your hate
Juliet and her mate
Are now one of the Bard’s tragedies.

Solid Common Sense from a Non-Believer on the "War on Christmas"

John Scalzi, popular science fiction author, says what we all know as he answers the email question: Any thoughts on the current state of the War on Christmas™?

Here’s the thing: If you’re using the holiday season to go out of your way to be an asshole to someone, believer or non-believer, you’re doing it wrong, and I wish you would stop. That’s not a war, it’s a slap fight and it’s embarrassing. As a non-believer, when someone says “Merry Christmas” to me, I say “Merry Christmas” back, because generally speaking I understand that what “Merry Christmas” means in this context is “I am offering you good will in a way I know how,” and I appreciate that sentiment. Left to my own devices, I use “Happy holidays” because I know a lot of people who aren’t Christians (or at least Christmas-centered) and that seems the best way to express my own good will; the vast majority of people get what I’m doing and appreciate that sentiment too.

Here's a bit but do go read it all (note: occasional off-color language).

North Korea's Information Isolation

Jen at Ambrose-a-rama has great links about what life is like inside North Korea, including one to a piece with this stunning statement:

When I visited North Korea on a tightly managed trip in 2005, I was well into an hour of chatting with a local mountain guide, a former military man, when he paused and asked sincerely about a detail of American nuclear policy: “I don’t understand why you had to use nuclear weapons in Iraq.” He was a handpicked interlocutor for foreigners, with a warm coat and privileged access to information, and he was, by all evidence, convinced that America had nuked Iraq (or was willing to maintain the charade that it had). I had a hard time coming up with another closed society in which the words from the top had been so efficiently delivered to the bottom. If that’s what he thinks about the occasional use of nuclear weapons, I wondered, what else does he believe?

I have a sudden vision of a sci-fi type movie where the dome is lifted off of an entire society who never realized how the world really works around them. Mind boggling and so very sad.

Lemon Grass Pork ... It's What Was for Supper

Last week at our house. Get the recipe at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Made Me Laugh - Out Loud: Savage Chickens

Doug Savage does it again ...

I think you might have to be American to really get this one. An American who grew up watching the Rankin and Bass version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Weekend Joke: 'Tis the Season

There is a dearth of Advent jokes, so we're going to mentally hop ahead a week and go for the Christmas cheer. Enjoy!

Good King Wenceslas phoned Domino's for a pizza.

The salesgirl asked him, "Do you want your usual? Deep pan, crisp and even?"

Alien First Contact with a Catholic Twist: Reviewing "The Deacon's Tale" by Arinn Dembo

"This enemy seems to arrive in small numbers, but their attacks result in mass disappearances: once a system's defenses are overwhelmed or circumvented, the rippers are able to kidnap thousands at a time. And regardless of the defenses available on the ground, they seem to meet with little resistance once they land..."

"They take our people," he said quietly. "They snatch up their victims whenever and wherever our backs are turned, anywhere that they find our defenses weak. By the time we can react, they've vanished again without a trace. The ones we lose are never seen again."

Cai Rui is Task Force Commander of the infamous "Black Section" of the Sol Force Intelligence Corps. He's also a loyal Archdeacon of the Roman Catholic Church. There are four intelligent species in the known universe, including humans or "apes" as they call themselves. Cai Rui must work with each group if he is going to track down and foil the brutal, new species that is preying on them all. Even more disturbing than the slave trade is that the evil aliens are led by one who calls himself Black Deacon and seems to be able to read souls.

The subtitle is "a Sword of the Stars novel." I've never heard of the "Sword of the Stars" before but I see from checking the Amazon reviews that it is a video game. If they had a Mac version, I'd try it because it looks interesting. However, you don't have to know the game to read the book. Also the game developer is the author of this book which is an interesting twist.

I wound up enjoying this book which was a fast-paced military sf book. Catholics will enjoy the fact that Cai Rui is absolutely a "good" and loyal Catholic who can best practically everyone in combat and smarts. Catholic elements are treated with respect although not everyone who is Catholic is a good person which, sadly, is quite true to life. We are happy to despise a certain Cardinal who seems to be meddling with nefarious purpose.

I also enjoyed the alien races who the author portrays vividly. They do not fit our expectations of the "classic" alien race types which is a nice surprise. The Hivers are insectoid but don't have a hive mind. The Tarkas are reptilian but artistic and sensitive. The Liir are an air-breathing aquatic species (which made me think of dolphins although they have tentacles) who are powerful telepaths.

The Deacon's Tale was a bit too fast-paced in some places as I finally had to read the appendix on the alien enemy to even get a decent idea of what they looked like. In fact, until I checked the appendix on Liir I didn't have a good grasp on their appearance either. This isn't the case for the other species but, again, the book often eschews description for action. A few other details were also glossed over in an unsatisfactory way. I wanted to know more about why the traitor betrayed his race in favor of the enemy, for one thing.

Overall, however, The Deacon's Tale was a fun read that kept me up late to see what would happen. I'd definitely be interested in reading the sequel.

"You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting.*" St. Therese, intercede for us.

Lately I've been thrown into contact with a person who knows everything.

Seriously. Everything.

Anyone around them can say something and this person's opinion is delivered like the word of God: quick, definitive and absolute.

With no conversation. And no take backs.

Now, there is nothing wrong with having an opinion and Heaven knows I have plenty of my own.

However, what makes this interesting is that each opinion is delivered also as a judgment of anyone who is not of a similar mind. There is no give and take, no "oh, why do you think that?" This may be about important matters of faith and family or it may be about something as inconsequential as what sort of cell phone to buy.

Either way, judgement is rendered.

Needless to say, any variation is not looked upon with favor. This is daunting, tiring, and can be quite infuriating. Not to mention being a conversation stopper. Especially to someone like me who is used to exchanging ideas rather than receiving verdicts upon my person based on very little evidence.

However, it is also valuable.

It reminds me that my own reactions reveal more about me than about this person. For example, Tom just lets it roll off his back, saying that he knows what this person is like and most of it is due to extreme youth and lack of life experience.

True enough.  I feel that if this person knew how they appeared to others when in this mode, they would be taken aback. So I'm also a bit sorry for them. Because I've been there. I was the hard edged, sarcastic, opinionated person that God has been working on for a long time to soften. Tom says that I wasn't as similar as I think, but I recognize that quality and am somewhat mortified to think how I appeared to others long ago. And, shamefully, occasionally may still appear these days.

I'm also thankful that God's been so faithful in continually softening those blunt edges.

Thinking all this over, St. Therese of Lisieux came to mind. In Story of a Soul** Therese recounts her determination to love even the most annoying person in her convent. Why? Because the artist loves nothing better than to have his art praised and Jesus is the artist who made that annoying woman's soul.

A sobering thought.

I don't know why Therese's experience came to mind but I'm grateful it did. It reminded me to ask Jesus to show me what He loves in this soul He created specifically for this time and place. Who He loves just as much as He loves me.

That prayer is one I ask St. Therese to join since she knows my struggle so well. Whether I receive any further insight remains to be seen. But I actually have received all I need. What I know is that my struggle, my prayer, and my intentions are enough. God will use them as He sees fit for my good and for that of the person. I must just keep on keepin' on.

Lord, hear my prayer. St. Therese pray with me.

* A Knight's Tale
** My review and comments here

Christmas Reading; "Oh Holy Night: The Peace of 1914"

I'm reposting this because I didn't get my review up last year until just before Christmas. It is truly a wonderful book.

We had the time of our lives on Christmas Day. The Germans left their trenches and walked without their rifles half-way across the field to where we were entrenched. There was not a shot fired. Some of our chaps then got out and went to meet the German soldiers. You should have seen them shaking hands with our boys and handing them smokes. Both sides walked and talked with one another as if there was nothing the matter. later on our lads helped the Germans to bury their dead and sang over the graves. It was a sigh you could never forget.

Lance Corporal George Yearsley

Oh Holy Night: The Peace of 1914  by Michael C. Snow is a truly moving account of the Christmas Eve in 1914 during World War I when German and British soldiers left their trenches and met in "no man's land" to celebrate a common day of peace and fellowship. Told through British soldiers' letters home, we see the common themes of surprise and thankfulness over this shared Christian celebration with their fellow men. This is followed by the dismaying official orders from those far from the war who declare that any similar displays of good fellowship toward enemy soldiers will be treated as treason.

The event is then contrasted in the second part of the book with a personal connection between rival nations at a higher level as we see the great affection between Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II and Russia's Czar Nicholas II who were cousins through their grandmother, Queen Victoria. Their personal notes to each other from the year before World War I show their fondness and we follow the breakdown in relations between countries as each cousin strives to believe the best of the other behind the scenes.

Threaded through these accounts are Christmas carols, scripture of Christ's birth and teachings, psalms, reflection from saints and others including Mark Twain. The author uses all of these and his own reflections to bring the reader to consider peace, war, mercy, forgiveness, and living Christ's teachings.

The author provided me with a pdf of this book (I converted it to mobi for my Kindle). I plan on purchasing a copy as I think it is a worthy accompaniment to Dickens' A Christmas Carol in reminding us of the true meaning of Christmas in bringing Christ's light into the world.

Highest recommendation.

It's only potatoes, you say. No. It isn't.

And my sis has the whole story why at her blog, The Guideline.

Guess what?

I already was planning on making those potatoes. Haven't had them for years but they are "on my palate" whenever I think of the roast pork I am planning.

Our family is definitely on the same page.

Dear Hogfather, For Hogswatch I want a doll and a book and a ...

Scott and I talk about Terry Pratchett's Christmas book, Hogfather, at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast. Hilarity ensues while seriously examining belief. Yes, he's that good.

Rose's Culinary Delight Continue with Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Not to mention last night's African chicken dish and the night before's Thai Lemongrass Stir-Fried Pork. Dang that girl's a good cook!

But first things first. Jambalaya. Get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Ten Free Kindle Christmas Books

Here's the list.

Trojan Tub Entertainment: a project from a Catholic author, entrepreneur, and homeschooling Dad

From Daniel McInerny to my inbox and definitely worth checking out ...

This past summer I founded a company, Trojan Tub Entertainment, a web-based children's entertainment company featuring my "Patria" series of humorous adventures for middle grade readers (approx. ages 8-13). Recently Trojan Tub launched its Kingdom of Patria website, an immersive, interactive site for kids and families. The site contains free Patria short stories, fun audio, blog posts from me and the main characters, two clubs for kids to join (one for boys, one for girls), and much more! You can check it out by going here.

The site provides links to the first book in the Patria series, Stout Hearts & Whizzing Biscuits, now available as an eBook here at Amazon (for the absurdly low price of $2.99!). It is also available on barnesandnoble.com as well as iTunes. The unabridged audiobook is also available from Worldwide Audiobooks.

About Stout Hearts Rachel Dove, of Kindle Book Review, wrote in her 5-Star Review: “It's fresh, highly amusing, and with Oliver Stoop being such an identifiable, lovable character (and a bookworm himself to boot!) I can see this book quickly becoming a modern classic that will stay with children long after the last page.”

Trojan Tub Entertainment and my Patria stories have recently been featured on the web. You can check out those features at Catholic Exchange and Ignitum Today.

What I Just Finished Reading: Lit by Mary Karr - UPDATED

This is actually an ongoing commentary on the book as I read it ... not a review really. The update is at the bottom with the bold header.

Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Reading this for my book club.

O.M.G.

If there is a genre I hate, it is that of addicts telling their life stories ... yes, even when they come out Christian at the other end. Just like a bad movie made for Christian ends, an angsty book told for Christian ends does nothing for me. First give me good art (story) I say, then worry about what else is in it.

It isn't that I don't have sympathy for the people themselves, it is that their books inevitably seem to be all about them (me, me, me ... angst and self loathing ... then repeat).

I know, this makes me sound harsh. But there you have it.

The only thing worse than that?

Tell it in stream-of-consciousness (which around our house, we call "lazy writer's syndrome").

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Lit.

FINAL - AFTER THE BOOKCLUB
No one spoke out as boldly as I did against the beginning of the book, but some others acknowledged similar problems, though they soldiered on and didn't skip the way I did. We all agreed that the end of the book, from the point I began reading (page 275 for those who are interested) was where the author "came alive." Obviously this was intentional and reflected the change between the addicted life and a sober life with faith mixed in. However, I'd have liked reading a book that began at that point. Or possibly just a bit before.

So yes I have a very bad attitude going in and after reading the first four pages I was consciously reminding myself that some book club members read 400 pages of Assam & Darjeeling who never have read fantasy before.

Therefore, I manned up and soldiered on. For another four pages. I didn't want to actually weep aloud so I stopped reading.

And then I recalled one book club member who skimmed Assam & Darjeeling in 20 minutes and kept insisting that she'd "read" the book ... but she had so many other books she was reading that she didn't have time to properly sit down with this one.

Right.

But ok, everyone loves her and we have good manners (unlike this commentary, I realize) and so we politely agreed to her fiction.

Which opened the gate for me to do the same. Almost.

I managed to page through and find where Karr actually goes to her knees to pray and gets a bit of response ... and will pick up skimming from there. Although the next meeting isn't for a few weeks. So there's no need to actually rush into this or anything (yes, I also enjoy procrastinating in my spare time ...)

UPDATE
Full disclosure ... I haven't read the first 200-250 pages. It is just that is the spot from which I am taking the plunge. As quick a plunge as possible. The book club is Monday so I've got to begin skimming now!

FINAL
I must say that I enjoyed the last part of the book fairly well. It didn't make me want to go back and read the beginning of it, but I have rarely read a better description of one's interaction with God than the last part of the book. So in the end, I am glad that I read the bit that I did. I'll be curious to see how everyone else liked it.

FINAL - AFTER THE BOOKCLUB
No one spoke out as boldly as I did against the beginning of the book, but some others acknowledged similar problems, though they soldiered on and didn't skip the way I did. We all agreed that the end of the book, from the point I began reading (page 275 for those who are interested) was where the author "came alive." Obviously this was intentional and reflected the change between the addicted life and a sober life with faith mixed in. However, I'd have liked reading a book that began at that point. Or possibly just a bit before.

The Jesse Tree ... and human failings

I started off strong with the Jesse Tree, but only got as far as Day 7 before life intervened and I got off track.

This sort of thing happens to me so often.

However, I can say that up to this point the Jesse Tree has definitely served its purpose, for me anyway. Between thinking about the chain of salvation history it has shown me and reading the daily mass readings each day, I have a sense of the age-old longing for messiah which the Hebrew people felt for so many years. This longing translates into my own longing for Christ, which is a peace-inducing overlay to the Christmas preparations. It has made a difference for me this year.

My apologies as I am not sure I'll be able to get back to the Jesse Tree this year, but am viewing this as a foundation upon which I can build next year (ever hopeful, right?).

For those who are more disciplined and determined than I, Catholic Culture was my launching point and will be a wonderful resource.

Save Greendale (with the cast of Community)

Get the Greendale experience...

If you don't, know what Greendale or Community are, then ... move along, nothing to see here.

Red, White, Blue, and Zombies: Reviewing "Patient Zero" by Jonathan Maberry

My review for SFFaudio which they very kindly let me run here also.

Jonathan Maberry caught my attention immediately with Patient Zero’s dedication:

This book is dedicated to the often unsung and overlooked heroes who work in covert operations and the intelligence communities.

And then he caught it again with the quote with which the book begins.

A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I know a particular person who is one of those unsung heroes and so my natural inclination is to look approvingly upon the author’s sentiments.

However, I wasn’t here for a covert intelligence story or a spy story but for zombies. Also, because I’d heard the Writing Excuses podcasters praising the Joe Ledger series.

Then I heard the first two sentences of the book itself.

When you have to kill the same terrorist twice in one week, then there’s either something wrong with your skills or something wrong with your world.

And there’s nothing wrong with my skills.

Aha. The hat trick … which also informed me that I actually was here for a covert intelligence story, for a spy story, and, this should go without saying by now, for zombies.

Here’s a quick story synopsis.

Joe Ledger is a hardened Baltimore cop with serious skills in physical combat. After a surprise raid on suspected drug traffickers, he is strong-armed into joining the DMS, a rapid response task-force that handles problems too big for Homeland Security. The latest problem is a terrorist’s bio-weapon which, for all practical purposes, turns the infected into zombies. While Joe and his team try to track and stop the threat, we also see the bad guys: a tangled knot of corporate interests and Muslim fanatics gearing up for the ultimate assault on American soil.

In a way this is a meta thriller. It is obvious that there are the standard types which are being used. The Warrior. The Super Villain. The Mad Scientist. The Best Friend who is also The Conscience. Characters will even call people by these labels. This is reinforced by such tidbits as when a scientist excitedly asks Joe if he’s read Doctor Spectrum comics where Joseph Ledger is a character. However, Maberry keeps it from being cliched. Perhaps it is the zombies but I felt it was also due to Joe Ledger’s character and the blistering pace of the book. Short, fast chapters keep the action moving and the reader on the edge of their seat.

As with many thrillers, the story is relatively formulaic. The good guys are very good. The bad guys are very bad. Joe bleeds red, white, and blue and there is no way he is going to let terrorists harm Americans. There is a bit of humor, a touch of romance, and a ton of suspense. And zombies. Lots and lots of zombies coming in wave after wave.

It’s a formula that works. We need heroes and villains in our stories. Sometimes it is easy to see who they are. Patient Zero works because Maberry reminds us of how much entertainment there is to be had in the telling of such a tale.

My one problem with the book was that there were a couple of extended zombie attack sequences where Joe and the team just had to keep fighting and fighting … and fighting. We’d have gotten the same effect by cutting out just a bit of the fighting, particularly in the crab plant. They didn’t really have to be down to the point of ripping legs off of tables for weapons in order for me to understand just how desperate the situation was. However, this is a small quibble.

Much of the delight in this audiobook comes from Ray Porter’s narration. He reads Joe Ledger’s lines as if he were Ledger himself, reacting perfectly with a naturalness that made me feel as if I were hearing Joe’s actual thoughts. I particularly enjoyed the moments when he would hesitate or pause to emphasize points because that carried me into Joe’s emotions much more than if I had been reading.

The only problem with the narration was that Porter was a little too thorough. There is one character whose identity we don’t know until the end of the book but who we hear speaking with his employer. As I listened, I continually wondered if Porter had randomly chosen the accent with which this character spoke. I found myself listening to other characters in the book, wondering if we’d met this character yet and if he had that accent. It didn’t give it away much before the book itself did but it turns out that the narrator was being true to the character and that is something that I don’t think would have come across in the actual book. This isn’t a big deal, but it was an interesting problem.

Overall, you have to like this sort of thriller to enjoy this book. But if that’s the sort of thing you like, as I obviously do, then you’re going to really enjoy meeting Joe Ledger. And wave after wave of zombies.

900+ Free Kindle Books This Morning

You’ll see that this list has all of the non-public domain free books on the Amazon website and, as I type this post, should refer you to 2,735 free Kindle books. If you look on the left-hand side of the Amazon page that pops up, you will see the books sorted by category with 1,988 fiction and 688 non-fiction books.

Wow!

How did this happen? Well, with the lending program I told you about yesterday (click here to see that post again), independent authors now have the ability to offer their books for free for a five day period every 90 days. Needless to say, it would appear quite a few authors chose to offer their books for free starting today. While they won’t make any money off of these free offers, the hope they have is you will try out their book and enjoy it, and possibly purchase some of their other offerings.

Holy Moly! Free Kindle Books has the entire story.

Woah. I've Never Been to an Outlet Mall Before ... But Now I Have.

And it seems that it takes a surprising amount of time.

Precious blogging time, as it turns out.

Back tomorrow!

First Communion Invitations

Here's a great deal! Happy Catholic readers can get 25% off ordering at 1st Holy Communion Invitations. I'm going to put this in the sidebar also, under Catholic Resources, because the site is a nice one and the invitations and gifts look really lovely.

It's an exclusive 25% off code for Happy Catholic readers (and easy to remember): HAPPYCATHOLIC

Swing by and check it out.

A little more like Mary

Renee writes to say she's in RCIA classes right now and thought she'd start an outlet for her studies. It looks as if she's made a good start.

Do check out a little more like Mary and say hello!

When the Fine Art of Storytelling Goes to the Dogs: Reviewing "Hounded"

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This is my review from SFFaudio.

Hounded is the first of a hugely popular YA series, highly recommended by a friend and, luckily for me, available as a review book from SFFaudio.

Here’s the brief summary for those who, like me, hadn’t heard of this book:

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old — when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer. Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down…

Hounded begins with verve as Atticus is a charming narrator who introduces us to his friends, who are mainly from the supernatural world. We meet Druid gods, local werewolves, a Viking vampire, the local coven of witches, and Atticus’s Irish wolfhound, Oberon, with whom Atticus can carry on mental conversations. There are few genuine humans in Atticus’s life and none are developed beyond a paltry few amusing characteristics, such as the Irish widow who likes to get drunk before going to Mass and forgives murder on her lawn if she is told the victims were British. The most likable character in the group is the dog Oberon who is charmingly focused on doggish things and has just enough understanding of Atticus’s world to offer his own solutions from time to time.

My initial attraction to the story soon ground to a halt. The problem with this book, and it is a large problem, is that Atticus is a perpetual Peter Pan character. His emotional development seems to be frozen at several years younger than his outward 21 years since a heaving bosom is all it takes to permanently distract him from whatever he’s doing. Pity. One would have hoped that 2,100 years of living would result in a certain amount of experience leading to wisdom. Instead, Atticus spends more time in a practical joke on an ambulance attendant than in thinking through how much he should have healed himself from a bullet wound to make it seem convincing to local law enforcement. That’s ok though because Atticus has friends and allies who unfailingly show up to give an easy solution without readers ever feeling that Atticus himself is too worried about the outcome. This leads to a permanent lack of dramatic tension.

It’s a pity there isn’t a “Wendy” to accompany Atticus’s “Peter Pan.” That would give Hounded the necessary depth and contrast. Now we can see how wise J.M. Barrie was in the construction of his tale. Without a truly human element who lacks control of the situation, all the adventures are one boring episode after another with nary a worry about how Atticus will escape.

The one good thing about this book is the narrator, Luke Daniels. I haven’t come across him before but will keep an eye out for him in the future. His talents kept me listening long past the point where I would have given up. His voicing of Oberon has found its way into my head whenever we “speak” for the dogs in our household.

Sadly, Daniels’ talents aren’t enough to make this shallow story worth your time. There are many wonderful YA stories out there that are worth reading and rereading: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman, White Cat by Holly Black, and Assam and Darjeeling by T.M. Camp are just a few.

For that matter, try Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. You’ll see what Hounded could have been with proper attention given to the storytelling.

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Blue Cheese

Another of Rose's finds which delighted us at mealtime ... get it at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Note to Self: Don't watch the first three episodes of Buffy right before bed.

Even if it is a series in which you can't possibly take the monsters seriously, your brain is still working away in the night ... and the dreams can be horrendous.

Book Blogs Featuring General Fiction - UPDATED

We did a lot of talking about books yesterday and Rose asked if I read any blogs that discuss modern general fiction. She knows my taste is much more genre-oriented. As do y'all, now that I come to think of it.

I was able to direct her to these three spots, where I seldom comment but keep track of their book talk:

• Reading Envy: I "met" Jenny via SFFaudio so it is funny that she actually is much more of a fiction reader. She's one of those people who sees the long list for the Booker Prize come out and instantly starts reading as many as possible so she can see if she agrees with the short list later. So unlike me and, therefore, fascinating.
• A Momentary Taste of Being: Steven Riddle's book blog. Steven has remarked before that he probably will like 95% of what I recommend, whereas the percentage I am likely to enjoy of his recommended reading is much less. True enough. I am sadly limited in my enjoyment of the breadth of literature Steven reads and enjoys. That doesn't mean I don't like perusing the excerpts and reviews however!
• Semicolon: Sherry reads a lot more childrens' books than I ever would, however, she also reads current literature and enjoys coming up with reading challenges for herself to which she invites everyone interested. The latest one focuses on Northern Africa. Sherry wants to read an adult's book and a children's book from each country. I'd never have thought of that!

UPDATE
I realized I do listen to a podcast that talks about current fiction, Books on the Nightstand. The cohosts work in the publishing business so they often are talking about current trends and upcoming books. I think their forums are really active. At least I know the one on Goodreads is.

Another Jesse Tree Online

Karyn at Days of Grace and Stumbling began her Jesse Tree with the beginning of Advent. And she doesn't just give art and readings, but also her own thoughtful reflections on the journey.

Check it out...

Weekend Joke: Christmas Mail

An oldie but it never fails to make me laugh.

A woman went into a post office to buy some stamps for her Christmas cards.

"What denomination do you want?" asked the lady at the counter.

"Good Heavens!" she replied, "Has it come to this? I suppose you'd better give me twenty Catholic and twenty Presbyterian."

Awesome People Reading

Awesome People Reading is just a photo blog on Tumblr but I enjoy the unlikely people who pop up reading books. I feel sure I found this blog via Margaret at ten thousand places. She is a constant source of great stuff to me.

I find that I don't really care about photos of people reading newspapers or magazines ... or even scripts, for that matter. I am interested in people reading actual books and what sorts of material they're interested in.

Therefore, you may understand why I find this photo of Orlando Bloom endearing on several levels.

Orlando Bloom tried to read, but he was too sleepy.

Tips for Protesters: nothing says "easy to read" like Helvetica.

Our office is next-door to Jeb Hensarling's so we've been seeing occasional groups of protesters on the sidewalks outside. (Once I took the elevator with about 15 protesters heading to his office ... leaving the remaining 15 waiting for the next elevator. Suddenly I understood why I'd seen his office manager exiting down the stairs on my way down to the mailbox.)

Anyway.

Usually they have hand-made signs but they are written large and simply.

Today, there is a more organized group, although not many of them, sporting a variety of pre-printed signs.

There is nothing worse for protesters than to have bunch of people working in advertising looking out the window. No matter what our personal political views, there is one thing we can agree on.

NEVER use an open-face type to print a protest sign.

Use Helvetica. Keep it simple.

We couldn't really tell what they were protesting because of the confusing messages on the signs. ("Shop local" - were they protesting the Walgreen's across the street? "We love capitalism but hate greed." The Post Office lay offs? Our building is right next to a huge Post Office and we've seen a protest or two over that. "$$$ ... elections ... blah, blah, blah" The government thing? The Occupy thing? Not that we understand that, but we know it's a thing.)

Again in the elevator, clarity came.  I talked to some other tenants who'd spoken with the protesters ... it's for Occupy Dallas. They probably didn't appreciate this gentleman's advice of, "That's not how you get a job. Go to the unemployment office. Knock on business's doors. No one's going to hand it to you standing by the street, even with a sign."

Be that as it may, take our advice.

Helvetica.

Always Helvetica.

Julie and Scott got out of the convenience store just in time! After calling an ambulance, they talked about Tokyo Godfathers ...

... , a meaningful Christmas movie from an unlikely source. Hear it all at A Good Story is Hard to Find podcast.

More New Liturgical Info: "Stop Holding Hands"

We know what this is about, right? Holding hands during the Our Father. Our family prefers to discreetly hold our own hands ... in other words, we fold our hands in prayer and leave each other alone. If someone insists on grabbing my hand, I'll allow it. But, I don't like it.

Neither does Bishop Foys of Covington who has issued a decree clarifying the proper gestures and postures for Mass and says, among other things:

Special note should also be made concerning the gesture for the Our Father. Only the priest is given the instruction to “extend” his hands. Neither the deacon nor the lay faithful are instructed to do this. No gesture is prescribed for the lay faithful in the Roman Missal; nor the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, therefore the extending or holding of hands by the faithful should not be performed.

This comes via Deacon Greg at The Deacon's Bench who has more pull quotes and a link to the overall decree.

To be fair, I have always known that you really aren't supposed to be doing this. I just didn't bring it up. Trying to keep the peace and all that jazz. But since it's been brought up ... I'll pass it along.

Vietnamese Coffee, Anyone?

It's over at Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen.

Blogging Around: Seasonal Stuff

New Liturgy

• An important point people keep getting wrong about the new Mass - from Deacon Greg
• "Well, actually he's not talking to you." Answering One Critique of the New Translation - from Msgr. Charles Pope

Gift Giving

• Dr. Boli's Encyclopedia of Misinformation -- is now an actual book! If you've seen my sidebar, you know how amusing and clever this book is. It is surprisingly inexpensive.
• xkcd has posters, shirts, mugs, and a book -- you could hardly miss with getting something from here for the geek in your life. Or even just the comic lover.
• Happy Catholic - the book! I'd be remiss if I didn't remind everyone that there's a great book you can give friends and family. Buy it from your Catholic book store, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or ... get an autographed copy from me that has an extra quote that didn't make it into the book.

This 'N' That

• The Emperor's Edge - free on Kindle. I've been enjoying this book read aloud on Podiobooks.com but you can read it for yourself free. It is a steampunk-ish fantasy which I discussed a bit more on Goodreads.
• Danielle Bean to take over leadership of Catholic Digest. So says Jeff Miller with great huzzahs. I never even heard of Catholic Digest. So their appointment of Danielle already is doing them good! Congratulations to Danielle and best wishes for this to be a fruitful period for her and the publication.
• Smile that melts misconceptions: How Taya, who was born with Down's, became darling of the modelling world. Via New Advent comes this wonderful story. Take a look at this little doll ... more photos are scattered throughout the piece.
  
  

New Liturgy - not that hard and I had a few "aha" moments thanks to the new wording.

We didn't have much trouble with the new liturgy although we were probably helped by our deacon's homily, which pointed out that the correct response to "the Lord be with you" was "and with your spirit" ... AND that it happens five times in the liturgy.

There was some stumbling, but not much.

Our favorite of the local news stations, Channel 8, was there during the Mass we attended, and did a story on the new liturgy. You can see quite a bit of our church here ... and also, quite a bit of our Church. I was surprised because I knew practically everyone shown in the video. Rose is in it for a bit, although blurred in the background. On our big tv screen, Tom and Rose said they saw me in the very last shot in the pews, albeit quickly and far away.

You can see it here, if you are interested.