Who'd a Thunk It?

Jeepers, imagine a city of 20,000 people in our Midwest in the year 1050 or so . . . can you? It's mind-boggling. But there was such a place, and apparently it was quite the sophisticated metropolis with cited evidence of peoples from various locales around (what is now) the country having spent some time there. Of course not all the answers are provided; there will probably always be some questions. But it's sure interesting to learn of, read about, and ponder what brought about its creation . . . and its demise. Hmmm.

If Only It Had Vanished

Dangit. This book had all the key words on the back: "drafty", "tension", "obsession", "disappear", "unsolved". I was completely smitten. However, I was quickly disappointed by the klutzy writing and mismanagement of words. Particularly one. Allow me please to quote a few gems for you.

"Irony had drained our energy."

"Where was irony now when we needed her most? All shields were gone, all masks removed."

"Sometimes I would see Victoria as she was on the first day. Just a girl in love with irony and looking to be noticed." (Sure that's the character who's in love with irony?)

"I think how it is ironic that there should be darkness and light, even now." Seriously?

Interestingly, none of these scenarios are remotely ironic. So there you go. At the end I didn't care who lived or died. Maybe I was just being . . . nope, I can't do it. I was just being a B.

Well, Define "Christian" . . .

This beautifully researched book starts with an obituary. Very fitting, since the rest of the book is a complete autopsy. Layer by layer, the author peers into the patient to find the former life inside, and like all of us, there are things to be celebrated and there's a lot of other stuff which is, at best, shameful. One wonders about the assumed "separation of church and state" that is supposed to be woven into the fabric of our nation--seems to have been maybe a great idea and message but not so much a practice. Fascinating to read and ponder. However, it was written in 2016, and that's a while ago. His afterword addresses that election and although he predicted some of what ultimately happened during that presidential term, he skews more hopeful than, say, Margaret Atwood's interpretation of things. It would be so interesting to talk to him now. Another book, Robert?