A Book Review: Defiant Joy

After reading a collection of G.K. Chesterton quotes, I decided to follow it up by reading a biography of him. Defiant Joy is written by the same man who assembled the book of quotes, and it is sprinkled with a delightful shattering of quotes. Perhaps the best compliment I can give it is to state that one quote from the book had me running out to find the book it was from.
Four of five stars.

Vegitation

This afternoon at church, I told someone I was going to vegitate all afternon. And then I recognized that my plans--reading The Everlasting Man, editing a novel in progress, and watching an intense episode of Doctor Who--are not quite in line with the lack of mental activity implied by "vegitating." On the other hand, I do find it more interesting and relaxing than homework.
What about you? Are your relaxing activities likely to be considered 'stressful' to others?

The Quotable Chesterton

Even though I had never read Chesterton before, I had heard of his influence on Tolkien and Lewis, so I thought I'd give this volume a try. I was amazed at how witty and relevant Chesterton is on a wide range of topics. This book is well-organized and an excellent introduction for new readers.
5/5

Technobabble disclaimer: I recieved this book free through the BookSneeze program but was not required to write a positive review, yadda yadda yadda

The Charlatan's Boy

This book will be welcomed by fans of Roger's previous WilderKing Trilogy, even though its relationship is uncertian. The vibrant feechiefolk of WilderKing have been reduced to legends. The young orphan Grady travels the wilds with the showman and hustler Floyd, participating in a series of frauds and tricks.
My main problem with the book is the episodic nature of the plot. While the various tricks of Floyd are amusing enough to keep young readers interested, Grady is a rather static character. Instead of actively searching for the truth about himself, he merely stumbles into a happy ending, as if the author grew tired of him.

Ten Lessons I Learned in 2010

10. Psalm 19 was C.S. Lewis' favorite.
9. low d high minus high d low over low low
8. Computers are excellent cell phones and TVs.
7. Beware wisdom teeth.
6. Free is good.
5. Hunger is a state of mind
4. "He saves planets, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures ... and runs a lot. Seriously, there is an outrageous amount of running involved."~'The Doctor's Daughter'
3. "Just because I love you doesn't mean I'm not evil"~Friend
2. "Write what makes you burn with holy fire." ~Bryan Davis
1. "Today, I realized that college students are just like toddlers. I idolize anything that my mother gives me from home, I take naps, I don't sleep at night, I get frustrated very easily, crayons are awesome again, a pet fish is all I'm allowed to have, there is nothing better then homemade cookies, and most of all...it's... a huge drop from the top of my bed to the ground. And here I thought college would make me grow up."--Friend's Facebook status