Book Review: Reclaiming Vatican II by Fr. Blake Britton

Reclaiming Vatican II: What It (Really) Said, What It Means, and How It Calls Us to Renew the Church by Fr. Blake Britton

Among controversial topics in the Catholic Church, the Second Vatican Council is frontrunner. Conservatives complain about the liturgical changes and moral upheaval that happened in the wake of Vatican II. Liberals see those changes as progress, but hardly enough progress has been made. Often, people who comment about Vatican II have not studied its history or even read the documents it published. Instead, they rely on "what everyone knows" about the council as it has been passed down by media and pundits on both sides of the political aisle.

This book does not provide the documents of Vatican II. Rather, it gives an overview of the historical reaction to the Council and summaries of the teachings of the four key documents produced by the Council: Sacrosanctum Concillium (On the Sacred Liturgy), Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations), Dei Verbum (Word of God), and Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope). The history is interesting because it identifies the sources of the many misunderstandings during and after Vatican II. The Council was the first in church history to happen when media coverage was immediate and world-wide. A lot of media, then as now, is not focused on depth of understanding but on interesting conflicts or controversies. Also, the media used a political lens to look at the proceedings, though the Catholic Church does not divide into the typical governmental left- and right-wings. Even the progressive/conservative divide is inaccurate since the actual Church embraces both, recognizing a need to develop and to preserve. Fr. Britton shows that both are needed for authentic spiritual growth to happen. Unfortunately, many theologians with personal agendas were able to use the media as a platform to claim their viewpoints were where the "spirit of the Council" intended the Church to go. This "spirit of the Council" became a tool to advance a left-wing agenda within the Catholic Church. More unfortunately, the conservative backlash to the changes in the 1960s and 1970s took the media and the self-proclaimed experts as accurately representing the Council. So they became anti-Vatican II without understanding the Council's true teachings. 

To rectify this unfortunate situation, Fr. Britton encourages study of the actual documents. He also provides overviews of each document and what they actually teach about the liturgy, the Word of God (both the Biblical texts and the Second Person of the Trinity), and the Church's role in the modern world. He shows the relevance by discussing his own pastoral activities, implementing the call to beauty and faithfulness that he finds in the documents. His efforts have had many fruits in renewing fervor and devotion in his parishes. He makes a very compelling case to study the documents, to implement changes slowly (people get whiplash from quick changes, as history shows), and to proceed in the spirit of Christ who offered His life to the Father and renews that offer every time at Mass.

Highly recommended--the only downside is that I feel I need to read the documents of Vatican II!

Sample quote:

There is a crucial point here: the Eucharist is not primarily Jesus' gift to us. It is first and foremost his gift to the Father. We are not the center of attention in the liturgy. It is not about us. Rather, it is Jesus actively incorporating our lives into his worship of the Father. We are not the origin of the liturgy; we are participants in it. This is a point that was skewed by the paracouncil in the years following Vatican II. In an attempt to emphasize the role of the congregation, some people unduly accentuated the communal aspect of the liturgy while suppressing its most vital component: sacrifice. The Mass became primarily an act of the worshipping community as opposed to an act rooted in the activity of Christ. [p. 52 italics in original]

Also, this book was the subject of A Good Story is Hard to Find Podcast #294. Check it out!

Book Review: Death Note Short Stories by T. Ohba and T. Obata

 Death Note: Short Stories written by Tsugimi Ohba and art by Takeshi Obata

This manga includes a variety of stories that are adjacent to, but not part of, the main narrative in the Death Note series. Here is what's included:

C-Kira--Years after the series, a new person gets the Death Note and decides to kill old people. Hey, it helps out the economy, or so that's the thinking. Near (the new L) is not interested in investigating because the deaths are morally ambiguous, especially when people (including those who aren't old) start asking to get knocked off. The ending is not quite convincing or satisfying (just like Near's thinking).

A-Kira--Also years later, Ryuk offers the Death Note to a kid who has great grades. Ryuk wants apples, of course. The kid thinks up a plan and asks Ryuk to come back in two years. Then, the kid enacts his scheme to sell the Death Note to the highest bidder. This story plays out with more interest and intelligence that the C-Kira story. I liked it.

Four Panel Comics--These are some short, newspaper-style comics that are fun jokes but don't add much if anything to the greater mythology. They are worth reading for fans.

L--One Day and L--Wammy's House--These stories about L give more details about his life and quirks. Again, this doesn't really add anything to the overall story but is interesting and fun.

Taro Kagami-This was the "pilot" story, so it is the first working out of the Death Note system. The book is lost by Ryuk the Shinagami. It's found by Taro Kagami, a school student who is bullied. He uses the book as a journal and writes about his bullies. The next day at school, he finds out they died. He is surprised, especially when another group of bullies give him a hard time. He writes again and they die. By this point Ryuk has found him and given him the scoop about the book. The big change in this pilot is a Death Eraser--if it's used to erase the name of someone who died but hasn't been cremated or otherwise destroyed, they come back to life. The eraser robs the narrative of some drama and was wisely discontinued in the regular story.

The stories are interesting but meant for fans of the main story.

Mildly recommended unless you've read all the rest first.

Broad Creek Park, Annapolis, Maryland

On a trip to Annapolis, I stopped off in Broad Creek Park to find a couple of geocaches, not realizing the park had a nice, adventurous trail to explore.

My first destination was Hamilton! On the way I saw some interesting natural formations and unnatural ones (but made of natural materials). 

Some big boulders

A small shelter near the boulders

Little did I realize that my destination was right by the shelter. The geocache was hidden in a tree, but way up in the tree.

Hidden in plain sight

I am tall enough to reach it unaided. Unfortunately, there was no log to sign inside the hanging cache. The discovery was an amazing moment.

The next cache I searched for was Naptown Trails. The trail to it runs along a tributary that feeds into Broad Creek. I was close but not too close to the water on the trail.

Water down below

The trail was encouragingly flat and easy to follow. The park service even cut a log out of the way!

Easy access

As I went along, I ran into another man-made construction, this time one to help the hillside from washing away into the creek. A sign explained the project.

Slowing down erosion

An explanation of the project

Things took a turn for the worse as I continued down the trail. My first obstacle was a more recently fallen tree that was not cut through. I had an easy enough time getting under it.

Less easy access

As I was about 100 feet away from the cache, I ran into a more substantial obstacle.

No access at all!

I might have been tempted to jump the fence and look around but it was Friday morning and the work crews were not far away. This is another part of the park that is being modified to preserve the park. So I decided discretion was the better part of valor and decided to head to a third geocache in the park, Truman Parkway Rain Garden. I said goodbye to the swampy bit of the creek and headed uphill.

Creek or swamp?

Further up the hill, I ran into the red fence again and had to jump it to get to the nearby parking lot where the final cache is located.

Not too tall

The final cache is an Earthcache, which does not have a container with a log to sign. Instead, it points out a location of geological interest. In this case, the locals installed a rain garden to catch all the water coming down off Truman Parkway. Road water often has pollutants that are bad for the flora and fauna of the creek. A rain garden is a drainage area that the road water has to go through. The soil and specially-selected plants absorb the pollutants before they can go downhill. The sign was just barely legible.

Don't come here at night if you want to read it!

The rain garden caught a lot of leaves

After sending an email with information from the sign (the typical way to get credit for an Earthcache), I headed back to the car. On the way I saw a fun sculpture outside the Parks and Recs building.

Happy kids

By my parking spot, I saw the most unusual bench ever. It was nailed to a tree and far too small for human usage. Maybe it's a spot for birds to perch and poop instead of hanging out on cars? The "seat" of the bench is a metal mesh, just the sort not to keep any droppings.

Convenient for someone?

The park was fun to visit and I may come back in a couple of months to check on the other cache if the construction finishes.

Movie Review: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022)

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) directed by Eric Appel

An entirely true and accurate record of the life and death of Weird Al Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe), the pop music talent famous for his parodies of hit songs. From his early childhood his parents discouraged a musical career (his mother advises him, "You shouldn't be yourself or do anything you enjoy"). Undaunted, he moved away to college and fell in with supportive college roommates. They helped him record his first parodies and perform his first gigs. Yankovic's meteoric rise led him to become boyfriend with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood) who only used him to advance her own career. Will he manage to get out from under her creative wet blanket and reconcile with his parents before it's too late?

The movie does a great job parodying musical biographies. He has the standard problems: unsupportive family and skeptical music execs (one of whom is played by Weird Al himself), creative dry spells, the need to be taken seriously as an artist, the need to cram in as many classic songs as possible. The movie succeeds in delivering a cliche-ridden narrative that pokes good-natured fun at those cliches. Radcliffe is very convincing (even with the increasingly ridiculous plot) and leads a very good cast. As the latest parody in a long line of Yankovic parodies, this movie is a lot of fun and well worth watching.

Recommended.

Book Review: One-Punch Man Vol. 1 & 2 by One and Yusuke Murata

One-Punch Man Volume 1 story by One and art by Yusuke Murata

A new hero named One Punch Man travels the land, fighting monsters in the various cities (which are all named after alphabet letters for some reason). His civilian name is Saitama. His hero name refers to how he beats every villain with one punch. He's a bit bored with the routine. He became a hero for fun, working out so hard he made himself prematurely bald. In one adventure he crosses paths with Genos, a lone cyborg who fights for justice and to hunt down the villain who put him in his half-robotic state. Genos wants to be One Punch Man's protégé. This leads to a battle with a group of animal-themed monsters who might be more of a match for Saitama.

The story is entertaining but not particularly deep. It's enjoyable enough to keep going.

Mildly recommended.

One-Punch Man Volume 2 story by by One and art by Yusuke Murata

With his new follower Genos, One Punch Man goes after the House of Evolution. The House's leader is a  scientist who wants to evolve the human race. None of his colleagues believe he is right or even can succeed. With an eminent attack, the House of Evolution pulls out all the stops to halt the heroic duo. Meanwhile, a new group of villains want to eliminate the need for work so people can just enjoy life. They call themselves "Paradisers." They are all bald, so people start assuming One Punch Man is one of them. Saitama has to take them down to protect is reputation. During the conflict, he realizes he has no reputation--no one recognizes him as a hero! So he has other problems to deal with.

This is another light-hearted volume that is entertaining.

Mildly recommended.

Game Review: Unlock! Timeless Adventures by Space Cowboy

Unlock! Timeless Adventures designed by Aristide Bruyant, Cyril Demaegd, Guillaume Montiage, and Yohan Servais and published by Space Cowboys

Another set of three Unlock! escape room-style games in one box. Each of the games is a deck of cards and one supporting item that is used in one or more of that game's puzzles. The box also comes with the standard tutorial deck.

The first adventure is "The Noside Show." Infamous Professor Noside has taken over a traveling circus. Players similar to those in previous Noside adventures. The game even comes with a circus program that is part of the puzzles. We found this quite delightful and imaginative though we did brute-force our way through one of the puzzles, thus the eight minutes of machine penalties below. Maybe that's why we got the thoroughly average three-star score? The experience was a lot of fun.

"Arsene Lupin and the Great White Diamond" is an adventure in Paris circa 1900. Arsene Lupin is a famous gentleman burglar who has set a challenge for the orphans of Paris. Lupin has stolen a 180 karat diamond from the world expo and hidden it somewhere in the city. The players are a group of orphans chasing around, solving puzzles and traps set by Lupin and by another roving gang of orphans. The theme is a lot of fun and very engaging. In addition to the deck of cards, there's a letter from Lupin with a map of Paris on the back showing various places to investigate. The puzzles are enjoyable and, I thought, easier than the Noside adventure. I only used one hint and sailed along quickly and happily through the adventure.

"Lost in the ChronoWarp" has the player investigating the disappearance of Alcibiades Tempus, a friend who lives nearby. In his living room are clues that lead to a time traveling adventure that goes far into the past and the future. The player puts together clues to get the professor back to his own time and to restore the temporal order. The deck of cards is enhanced by a fold-out picture of Tempus's living room which changes as the game progresses (the player lays cards over the picture to change the images). I was bummed when the television changed from a weather report to a nuclear armageddon report! I did say the player has to restore the temporal order. I enjoyed most of the puzzles. The very first puzzle was inexplicable to me. Even after using the in-app hints to get the solution, I am not really sure anyone would get the first puzzle without brute forcing or making a very lucky guess. After that, the rest was a lot easier. I was surprised to see a four-star rating at the end. I was sure I did too many wrong things to get a good rating. 

Overall, this is another fun set of Unlock! games. The extra component in each made for a more interesting challenge. My favorite was the Lupin adventure--it captured the race against time the best and brought back happy memories of visiting Paris. The time travel was a lot of fun too with the shifts in narrative as the player changes things in Tempus's past and nearly ruining his future.

Recommended.

Book Review: Priest and Beggar by Kevin Wells

Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz by Kevin Wells

Aloysius Schwartz had a fairly normal childhood grown up in 1930s Washington, D.C. He loved his family and read comic books, dreaming of being a Nazi-fight hero. As he grew up, his priorities shifted and he desired to become a priest and work in missions, living a life of poverty and service as Jesus did. His American seminary wanted to shift him to an academic life, so he went to Europe to join the Societe des Auxiliaries des Missions, which had a focus on missionary work. He saw the fine, large, comfortable seminaries as totally unlike the life of the poor in the street, with whom he wanted to identify so he could serve them better. One academic break, he visited Banneux, France, where Mary had appeared as "the Virgin of the Poor." At the Banneux shrine, he promised his service in her name if she would help him get to mission country. His desire was to go to South Korea, which had just finished the civil war that left the country divided and devastated. He returned to D.C. to be ordained and was sent from there to the diocese of Busan. 

Arriving in Korea, he was shocked at the poverty and corruption everywhere. He started to learn Korean and work in a local parish but fell deathly ill. He had to return to the United States to recuperate, which turned out to be a blessing. After his recovery, he traveled around telling American Catholics about the conditions in Korea. People started donating money. Eventually, the Busan bishop came over and they criss-crossed the country in a broken-down car, getting donations everywhere. They returned to Korea where they used the money to open shelters, schools, clinics, and hospitals for the poorest of the poor. To staff these, Fr. Schwartz founded the Sisters of Mary, an order of young women who served in simplicity and love. In the orphanages, each sister had six to eight boys assigned to her. She was a mother to them. She cleaned them up and cared for them, playing with them and teaching them the Faith. The concept expanded to Boystowns and Girlstowns founded first in Korea, later in other countries.

His success did not come easy. The American bishops complained to Rome about the needs of the poor in America. Why should all the money go to Korea? The papal investigation validated Fr. Schwartz's work. The local bishop had some of the Korean relief money but was not handling it well, so Fr. Schwartz cut him off, not a popular move. Fr. Schwartz also had to deal with the Korean organized crime, which was exploiting the civic welfare system, taking the medicines and food intended for the homeless and selling it on the black market. Through courage and hard dealing, Father Schwartz was able to take over several ghastly "relief" homes and convert them to serving the poor, not the community organizers.

All the while, he kept up his priestly duties and lived a very humble life. He lived in a shack behind his rectory with no electricity or running water. He never had cash on him and was very thin. He had a joyful disposition and was able to inspire others to help him. The Boystown/Girlstown model expanded to the Philippines and Latin America. In the last years of his life Fr. Schwartz developed ALS, a debilitating disease that slowly took away his physical abilities. He died in 1992 but his legacy lives on.

His story is inspiring and well-told by author Wells. Schwartz was declared Venerable in 2015 and his cause for sainthood seems assured. So many people who knew him thought of him as a saint. He is a great and inspiring example of faith in action, like Mother Theresa or Damian of Molokai.

Highly recommended.

Book Review: Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown

Andre the Giant: Life and Legend by Box Brown

This graphic novel tells the life story of Andre Roussimoff, better known as the professional wrestler Andre the Giant. He grew up in France and was afflicted with acromegaly, with his body continually growing even as an adult. He was a big child and just became bigger and bigger. He had some odd jobs before he found professional wrestling. In that career, his amazing and intimidating size was a benefit. He traveled around the world, wrestling in Japan and Europe before heading to North America. He became a celebrity in 1970s and 1980s professional wrestling. He had a friendly, outgoing off-stage demeanor that endeared him to many. He also drank a lot (partly to deaden the pain of his condition) and would occasionally mouth off to people. He was quick with an apology later. His fame was astronomical and he earned enough not to have financial worries. He was also free enough to do what he wanted, including his charming turn in The Princess Bride.

Author and artist Box Brown is a wrestling fan and put in a lot of research into this book. Brown has plenty of insights into wrestling culture (how it is fake but back in the day no one said so because it was a form of entertainment) from those times. He relates the legendary stories (Andre turning over a car with two people in it, for example) in a charming narrative that gets the reader to see more of Andre's life than his public person. The book is not too in-depth but is enjoyable and gives fans a better understanding of what Andre went through.

Recommended.

Movie Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) co-written and directed by Tom Gormican

Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, an actor whose career is in a slump. There are no plum roles coming in and he has to beg for an audition. If that wasn't bad enough, his personal life is also in very bad shape--his wife is divorcing him and his teenaged daughter can't stand to be around him. Nick's agent (Neil Patrick Harris) has a million-dollar offer from Mallorca to attend a fan's birthday party. The fan (Pedro Pascal) really loves Nick Cage but also has some dark secrets that have drawn the attention of the CIA. As Nick takes the paycheck, a CIA operative (Tiffany Haddish) approaches Cage and convinces him to work for them to find out about the dark secrets. The story just gets crazier from there.

Cage gives a very interesting and enjoyable performance as himself, or rather as his big screen persona, much like John Malkovich in Being John Malkovich or Bruce Campbell in My Name Is Bruce. The filmmakers know Cage's back catalog well enough to throw in lots of references, both subtle and unsubtle, and add them in creative and entertaining ways. The film does not take itself or Nick Cage too seriously, playing up the comic opportunities. 

The film itself is also self-referential as Nick and the fan start working on a screenplay together that mimics the plot. The idea sounds disastrous but the execution has just the right touch. It bounces back and forth between action movie cliches and Nicolas Cage movie cliches with a sincerity that does not make it credible but does make it enjoyable.

Recommended for a fun time--it's helpful to have seen most of Cage's back catalog but the film is enjoyable even without it.

TV Review: The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009)

The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009) developed for television by Victor Cook based on the character by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko 

Spider-man has had plenty of television incarnations (mostly animated with one live-action show back in the 1970s). This particular version at first glance looks a little too kiddie-friendly, with a semi-anime visual style and simple art that looks more like the comics aimed at the under-ten crowd. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does lower expectations.

The show starts with Peter Parker already swinging around and fighting crime as Spider-man, with an eventual flashback to the origin story. He is a high-school student by day, an amateur photographer for the Daily Bugle after school, and a crime-fighting superhero as often as he's needed. He has the usual teenager complications, dealing with girlfriends and other classmates while trying to help Aunt May make the ends meet in their small home. His efforts as Spider-man often cost him time and credibility with his aunt and his friends. He has plenty of villains to fight, from organized crime bosses to an ever-increasing wave of supervillains (since the crime bosses have deep enough pockets to finance the creation of supervillains). 

The show sets itself apart by the quality of the writing. In addition to fighting a "problem/villain of the week," Peter has to deal with on-going issues. At one point, he has a lab job with Doctor Curt Conners, a man who has lost an arm. In an attempt to fix himself, he crosses reptile DNA with his and winds up as the villain The Lizard. Peter winds up fighting his boss, who is more of a tragic villain than a scheming one. His Spider-man activities keep him from having regular hours, annoying is workmates and his boss. When the Venom symbiote first shows up, it is brought to the lab, leading into a multi-episode story arc where Peter deals with the alter-ego created by the black suit and eventually with Venom when fellow lab-mate Eddie Brock bonds with the symbiote. All the while, Peter is confused as to whether Norman Osborne, head of Oscorp, or Harry Osborne, best friend and high-school pal, is the Green Goblin. Norman seems like the villain type but Harry has been secretly taking the "Green Globulin" formula to enhance his mental and physical performance. Peter also struggles with his feelings for Gwen Stacey and Liz Allen. The show does a great job having multiple narratives and recurring characters strung throughout the series.

The character of Peter Parker/Spider-man is well realized. He is a teenager with familiar problems and a naive optimism about life. Even so, he gets the short end of the stick so many times. He has fun and creative combat with his villains, sometimes using clever tactics to take down foes. His wise-cracking banter from the comics comes across as natural and funny. Spider-man is an easy character to root for and the creators build on the best parts of his personality.

Recommended, highly for Marvel fans.

Book Review: Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen

Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen

This five-act play tells the story of folk figure Peer Gynt. He's an 1800s peasant with dreams of greatness. He starts out crashing a wedding, where everyone expects him to misbehave. He gets drunk and philanders a bit, forcing him to leave town. He winds up in the company of mountain trolls where he almost marries into royalty before fleeing again. His travels take him across the world to many exotic locations where he has fabulous, over-the-top adventures. He winds up back in Norway at the end of his life, reflecting on all that he has done and where is afterlife should be spent.

My interest in reading the play was inspired by my love for Edvard Grieg's incidental music, which is immensely popular (you've certainly heard In the Hall of the Mountain King even if you could not name it). The play moves through a lot of locations and has many stage directions that would be difficult to execute without many elaborate preparations. The narrative moves along quickly and successfully presents a lot of Gynt's history.

Gynt himself is a scoundrel, often quoting or misquoting the Bible or famous proverbs to his own advantage as he tries to manipulate his various situations and interlocutors. He's not exactly admirable but is interesting and fun. His travels are quite fantastical, leaning into the fairytale roots of the character. It's also very modern for its time (published in 1876), with mentions of steam ships and how he profited off the slave trade in America. Ibsen adds a lot of social and intellectual satire as Gynt runs into a wide variety of people. 

I found the play charming but slight. The occasional forays into philosophical reflection or serious moments are minimal and have no real effect on Gynt's character. At the end, he is little different from the man at the beginning.

Recommended.

Guinness Opengate Brewery, Baltimore

We visited the Baltimore location of Guinness Brewery, the famous Irish brand that ships worldwide from Dublin but does in fact have breweries across the globe. We arrived in time to take a tour on a sunny and pleasant day.

Opengate Brewery

Other breweries are available

The brewery has a large open area with tables, tents, and fire pits--lots of places to hang out and enjoy your time. They have an old-style delivery truck that has taps on the side. It's not actually in use, but makes a nice photo op.

Our next vehicle?

Before the tour, we saw a display about the art of barrel-making. Wooden barrels were used by Guinness (and all brewers) until the advent of metal kegs in the mid-twentieth century. 

Tools of the trade

Various barrels

Barrels came in a variety of sizes. Due to the hand-crafted nature of the barrels, no two were exactly the same size, though a practiced cooper would get them very close.

Choose your portion

When the factory in Dublin transitioned to metal barrels (which also came in a variety of sizes), the owners wanted to keep the coopers in business. They started crafting household items and furniture, some from used barrels!

I would totally buy a barrel-chair!

New-fangled metal barrels

Before the tour, the guide encouraged us to get a drink to take along the way. I went to the bar where they had a surprising variety of brews to try. I sampled the chai stout and the Earl Grey brown ale. I went with the chai since I liked the flavor better.

Chai stout in a chalice!

The tour was a lot of fun, walking through the process of making beer and telling the history of the company in general and the Baltimore brewery in particular. We sampled some of the basic ingredients. The guide also explained how Baltimore was chosen in part for the quality of water (which surprised me that it was so good). Another factor in the decision was the land and buildings that were available.

Describing ingredients

We were not in the main brewery but still had the chance to see a brewer in action. 

Can you find the brewer?

An easier challenge

More of the factory floor

Freaky hybrid barrels?

Cans waiting to be filled

The building was previous used by Seagram's to make hard liquors like rum and whiskey. They still have some of the old valves on display.

Interactive part of the tour

The sign from the previous owners

After the tour was done, we went up to the bar for another drink and a snack. I finally tried the Baltimore Blonde, which was a little too hoppy for me. We ordered our favorite appetizer, a pretzel with beer cheese (and also mustard, though that is not our favorite part). It was delicious.

Blonde in a pint

Maybe a smiley face?

The visit was a lot of fun and the tour was free, so it was definitely worth doing. They have an expansive gift shop that even includes engraving! We did not buy anything but were very interested in some of the recipes from the Guinness cookbook. The recipes that tell you to add a "Baltimore Blonde" sound a little cannibalistic!

Book Review: Spy X Family Vols. 7 and 8 by Tatsuya Endo

Spy x Family Volume 7 by Tatsuya Endo

This volume is a bunch of one-off missions and activities by the various characters. The stories get some chuckles but otherwise don't advance the overall plot. The final story has a mild cliffhanger as the family boards a cruise ship. Yor is there in her role as the assassin Thorn Princess though she's be hired to protect some defectors. Anya pulled a raffle ticket that won two tickets on the same ship on the same day. Loid's handler thinks he needs some rest so she's authorized them to join Yor. They are just getting on board as the volume ends.

Mildly recommended--this reads like filler before the regular story picks up again--entertaining but inconsequential.

Spy x Family Volume 8 by Tatsuya Endo

On the cruise, Loid has a hard time relaxing and taking care of Anya. Anya knows that her mom is defending some people and wants to help out without letting her dad know. Hijinks ensue. Yor has a lot of action and excitement keeping the fleeing family safe. They are about to rendezvous with another ship that will take the family to another country. But there's a gauntlet of goons to get through before anyone can be safe.

The story is fun and action-packed. Yor gets a little philosophical about why she is doing her secret job, which gave the story a little more depth than usual.

Recommended--this filler story is becoming more interesting and it is not finished! Too bad the next volume doesn't come out till March 2023!