Book Log 2019 #32: Maeve in America by Maeve Higgins

I first encountered Maeve Higgins on the NPR show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!, where her wit and humor far outpace her knowledge of current events (it's kind of a running joke that Maeve will finish last, even if she's not in last place going into the final game). From those appearances I decided to read her book, which is loosely based on her podcast of the same name.

I say loosely because most of the material in the book is apparently not from her podcast at all (admittedly I have not listened to it), but rather mixes essays on topics related to her podcast (like immigration and her decision to leave Ireland and move to New York) with personal and cultural reflections. On the whole it works really well, and I got a much better sense of who Higgins is and what challenges she's faced in her career, as a single woman, and as an immigrant. I also got to read the essays with her delightful accent in my head, which just added to the enjoyment.

 Book Log 2019 #31: The Malta Exchange by Steve Berry

You may remember that, in the past, I've said that the Cotton Malone series should return to Europe as the US-based books weren't that great. Well, be careful what you wish for.

In this installment, a papal conclave, the Knights of Malta, the Donation of Constantine, and a pair of scheming twins all come together to put the world in peril, and only Cotton Malone can stop things. It's all a bit clunky and unnecessarily complex, which is too bad as I'd think there's enough actual history to mine for a good thriller. I also thought that it wasted Malta as a setting, as the country's unique culture and history should also be able to help flesh out a good thriller.

For completists only.

 Book Log 2019 #30: A Mind to Murder by P. D. James

Adam Dalgliesh is back on the case, looking to solve the murder of an employee at a private psychiatric clinic. There are plenty of possible suspects between the clinic employees and patients, and as he begins to investigate he finds that there are plenty of goings-on at the clinic that could drive someone to murder.

I still kind of feel like Dalgliesh doesn't do much in the course of his investigations, and had a hard time really getting into the book. I have to say I'm not particularly compelled to continue the series, but may go back to it after a while. I did read some of the books that come later on and enjoyed those more, so it could just be me.

 Book Log 2019 #29: We That Are Young by Preti Taneja

This book takes King Lear and puts it in present day India, where the founder of a large and prosperous company suddenly calls it quits and pledges the leadership of the company to two of his daughters (a third daughter is missing). The book follows the two daughters, and the two sons of the father's right hand man, as they start to wield power and face conflict from an unexpected direction. Or wholly expected, if you are familiar with King Lear.

Which I was not, at least not in anything beyond a cursory understanding of the story. You really don't need to know anything about the play to appreciate and enjoy this book. I do think that the setting is perfect for such a retelling, with India continually straddling the line between tradition and modernity. It's a long book but well worth the investment of time.

 Book Log 2019 #28: Old Man's War by John Scalzi

The colonization of space is on, but the other races we've discovered along the way are less than happy that humans are claiming planets left and right. The ongoing war requires that the Colonial Defense Force find a new source of soldiers, which they do in an unexpected place: senior citizens. Through the magic of bioengineering and a mind-transfer process, humans who reach their 75th birthday can be transplanted into a new, young body, the idea being that the combination of years of wisdom and experience paired with a body made for battle will result in superior soldiers.

The catch: you can never return to Earth. If you survive your enlistment, you'll be given a homestead on a new planet. Even with that restriction, it's a winning deal for many, including John Perry, whose experience as a new CDF soldier make up this novel.

I really enjoyed this book, which is much more in the vein of pulp science fiction rather than, say, The Three Body Problem. It's nice to remember that not all science fiction needs to be a somewhat dire philosophical meditation on Big Issues. 

 Book Log 2019 #27: Into the Woods by Tana French

In 1984 Dublin, three children go missing, and in the ensuing search only one of them is found. He's in the woods, sneakers soaked with blood, and no memory of what happened. 

Jump forward to today. That boy is now a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad, and he's just been assigned a case with a number of similarities to what happened in 1984. Only his partner knows about his past, and if the higher ups learn about it he'll be taken off the case. Complicating matters is the very close relationship between the partners - they're not romantically involved, but everyone assumes they are. All of these personal and professional entanglements are pushed to the brink over the course of the investigation, with life-altering results.

This is the first of the Dublin Murder Squad series of novels, and if the others live up to this initial entry it's going to be a very good series indeed. It's one of the few books of this type that works as both a murder mystery and a psychological thriller.

 Book Log 2019 #26: The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

Nombeko Mayeki, born and raised in Soweto, seemed fated to a short and miserable life. But her natural intelligence allowed her to succeed where other orphaned children did not. But it also landed her in some unusual situations, forcing her to find ways to outwit and outlast the people behind South Africa's secret nuclear weapons program, the Mossad, domestic terrorists, and a potato farmer, and eventually save the King of Sweden.

It sounds a little crazy, and it is, especially told with the book's great humor. I don't often audibly laugh when reading, but did so at least a couple of times with this book.  There are parts where being able to suspend disbelief comes in handy, but by and large the comedy supports and advances the story. It's very much worth reading.

 Book Log 2019 #25: Blood & Ivy by Paul Collins

In 1849, Dr. George Parkman went missing after making a visit to the Harvard Medical School. While the search focused on where he may have gone after the visit, the school's janitor had the thought that Parkman may have never left the school. What followed is a classic true crime story, complete with the sort of investigative twists and legal drama that helps flesh out the whodunit.

I enjoyed this more than expected, possibly due to the case being local and thus involving locations and people with which I have some familiarity. It's well-paced and doesn't delve into hyperbole as some true crime books do. If you're interested in historical crime it's worth picking up.

 Book Log 2019 #24: The Throne of Caesar by Steven Saylor

All good things must come to an end, as the saying goes, and this book represents the last case of Gordianus the Finder, the Roman detective who has been involved in most of the major events in the last years of the Republic. Fittingly for the last book in the series, this one is set during the assassination of Julius Caesar.

At this point Gordianus has moved into a kind of semi-retirement, and is about to be made a Senator. He is summoned by Caesar a few days before the Ides of March to see if there are any plots brewing, and while Gordianus does get the sense that trouble is brewing, he (spoiler alert!) doesn't uncover the full conspiracy, with the history-making results we all know. 

This isn't a mystery in the same vein as the previous Gordianus books, but rather the assassination story as seen through Gordianus and his investigations. This is an effective approach to the killing, as you can't change what happened, and any case created to run parallel to events would always pale in comparison.

I was surprisingly moved by finishing this series, sad that I would no longer enjoy the exploits of Gordianus and his family. I had been hopeful at one point that the finding would be taken up by Diana, Gordianus' daughter, but that wasn't to be. This series gave me great joy over nearly 30 years (!) of reading, which I suppose I can only recapture by starting the series all over again.

 Book Log 2019 #23 Masyryk Station by David Downing

It's 1948, and postwar Berlin is still unsettled. Still occupied by the four Allied powers, there's a sense that this arrangement can't last much longer, and that if it does collapse it will be in favor of the Soviets. Journalist and spy John Russell continues to play the major powers against each other by working for both the NKVD and the new CIA, trying to keep both at bay while he tries to figure out a way to free himself from both.

Aiding him in this quest is his Soviet handler, who appears to be looking for his own way out. Together they put together a plan where they gain the sort of intelligence that will buy their freedom from one service and the silence of the other. 

This is the last book of the series, and is a fitting finale. 

 Book Log 2019 #22: The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian

If it wasn't enough that Jack the Ripper is back on the streets, there's now a second serial killer working in London, putting maximum pressure on Scotland Yard's Murder Squad to capture both. This gets Walter Day back on the case after being deskbound due to an injury. Neville Hammersmith isn't quite so lucky, as he's off the force, but as a private detective he enlists his own motley crew of helpers in the pursuit of Jack.

I had mixed feelings about Jack the Ripper making a reappearance, and was further concerned about grafting a second high-profile serial killer onto the existing story, but it turned out better than expected. At least for me as the reader; it's a decidedly mixed bag for Day and Hammersmith. 

 Book Log 2019 #21: Cover Her Face by P.D. James

A summer church fete and the personal intrigues of the family whose manor hosts the event combine when, on the day after the fete, the fiancée of the family's son turns up dead. With the locals a bit overwhelmed at investigating a murder, they call in Adam Dalgliesh, who uses his powers of detection to solve the case.

This is the introductory novel for Dalgliesh, and to be honest it's a little underwhelming. I didn't feel like he did that much detecting, but waited until the pressure on the family caused enough of the truth to come out that he just needed to finish the job. It's not a bad book per se, it was just a little surprising when compared to someone like Morse, who seems much more involved in his cases.

 Book Log 2019 #20: Through Darkest Europe by Harry Turtledove

In this alternative history, changes in both Islamic and Christian theology see the Islamic world become what we would consider the First World, while Europe stagnates and becomes a breeding ground for fundamentalist groups. Into this, a couple of investigators go to Rome to protect an Italian duke and the Pope in the hopes of keeping the violence common in their part of the world from spreading into the Middle East.

There's not much to recommend about this book. The plot isn't particularly interesting, and while the investigative duo are entertaining they don't do that much actual investigating. It's all a bit ham-handed and clumsy. You'd be much better off reading The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson (which I apparently read before starting the Book Log), which approaches a similar idea with much better results. 

 Book Log 2019 #19: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

In 1862, 11 year old Willie Lincoln died after contracting typhoid fever. He was interred at a cemetery in Georgetown, and Abraham Lincoln reportedly visited his crypt often. It's from this start that we get a story of how Willie's soul is in peril, and may be potentially stuck in this transitional space between death and whatever comes after death known as the bardo.

I don't think any explanation I can give here is going to do this book justice (not to mention it's been too long since I've read it to comment on it accurately). So I'm just going to recommend it highly.

 Book Log 2019 #18: Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker

Benoit Courreges, known to all as Bruno, is a former solider who has returned to the Perigord, an area of southwest France, to be the police chief in a small town. He enjoys coaching rugby, having great meals with his friends in town, and hanging out with his dog. He doesn't wear his gun, and will take the extra time to work out disagreements rather than arrest someone.

But when an elderly immigrant from North Africa is murdered, Bruno has to team up with an ambitious (and attractive) officer from Paris to investigate if the killing may be terror-related. 

While this does suggest the trope of small town cops who don't actually enforce the law, the book takes a more nuanced approach. Bruno has no problem with his job, but he sees greater value in maintaining harmony among the townsfolk and preserving the area's way of life when he can. The story is entertaining, with good characters who fit the setting. It also made me think for a hard second about moving to the Perigord. A strong start for what will hopefully be a fun series.

 Book Log 2019 #17: The Cloister by James Carroll

A young priest caught out in the rain takes shelter in The Cloisters, a New York art museum that specializes in medieval art and is designed to look like, well, a cloister. While there he meets a young French woman who works at the museum, and they strike up a friendship over time. The woman's father was a scholar in France who was trying to prove that medieval scholar Peter Abelard was the author of some anonymous works sympathetic to Judaism, which put him at odds with the Nazis after they invaded France.

The book uses three timelines to examine religion, politics, and the limits they can place on intellectual pursuit. There's also a fair amount of introspection by the priest, who is trying to figure out if the religious life is for him. 

Carroll is a former Catholic priest who has written extensively on the relationship between Christianity and Judaism, and is successful at weaving that knowledge into a fictional setting. It's very much worth a read if you're into this sort of thing.

 Book Log 2019 #16: The Bishop's Pawn by Steve Berry

This is last of the Cotton Malone novels to take place in the US (for now, at least), and that's probably for the best. A prequel, we get a lot of backstory about Malone's personal and professional life, notably how he winds up working for Stephanie Nelle and the Justice Department. The actual case (his first for Nelle) involves the Martin Luther King, Jr. assassination, and you'll be surprised to learn that what the public thinks happened is not what actually went down.

I liked that the book spent time filling in the past, but the actual historical conspiracy fell flat. Maybe there just needs to be more World Heritage Sites in the US for Malone to shoot up. 

 Book Log 2019 #15: Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin

John Rebus is once again brought out of retirement to help with a case, this time the killing of senior prosecutor that appears to be connected to a shooting at the house of crime boss "Big Ger" Cafferty. The shootings may also be related by the arrival of a father and son team of gangsters from Glasgow, who may be looking to break into Edinburgh.

All of the usual trappings of a Rebus novel are present, and his continued friction with pretty much everyone - but most notably Cafferty and internal affairs officer Malcolm Fox - is a continued source of entertainment. It's always great to see Rebus at work, and given his advancing age I fear that we may not have too many of these stories left.

 Book Log 2019 #14: An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters

The eleventh book in the Brother Cadfael series sees a pair of monks arrive at the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul with bad news - the civil war has heated up again, with the fighting destroying much of Winchester, including their priory. The pair - one old and frail, the other young and mute - are given refuge. 

But as the pair settle in, it's clear that there's more to this pair than meets the eye, which piques Cadfael's interest. He then discovers who the older brother actually is, and things go on from there (while I won't go into detail, the story involves a canceled betrothal and the suspected murder of the potential bride).

It's another solid outing in the series, and different enough from the typical outing to keep things fresh.

 Book Log 2019 #13: How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr

We never really think or talk about the US as a physical empire. We know that we have overseas territories, but not really about how we gained them, or what we've done there (with maybe the exception of Alaska and Hawaii, which we think about mainly in the context of World War II and statehood). This book examines how the US came to collect the various possessions that extended American presence from the Caribbean almost into Asia.

It's not always easy reading, as the history of how a country acquires territory (and then what it does with that territory) comes with a body count. Mostly of the locals. But regardless of how you feel about the imperial nature of our expansion, this book at least brings the topic into conversation. It helps that the book is well-written and engaging. 

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 40: Easter Island

While the island may be named for the holiday, the locals on Easter Island do not share the sort of passion for it that their fellow Chilean citizens do. I suppose this shouldn't be a surprise, given the small population (just under 5800) and that the island is ethnically much more Oceanic than Hispanic (it's basically a 60/40 split between Rapa Nui and Chilean background, though even the Chilean fraction includes people of mixed Chilean-Rapa Nui ancestry).

There's not much out there about how residents of Easter Island (who are largely Catholic) celebrate Easter, but I did find this one account that makes it seem pretty low key. There's a mass, maybe some extra singing and blessing of foods, and then a communal meal afterwards (which appears to be common on holidays).

I suppose what makes Easter on Easter Island interesting are the ways in which Rapa Nui culture and mythology are worked into the church and the service. This page gives a good rundown on how the building's decoration reflects the local folklore, from the images that appear on the front of the church to the use of a Rapa Nui deity as the base of the baptismal font. Beyond decoration, the hymns appear to be sung in the Rapa Nui language, and (at least on Easter) local dress is also incorporated into the priest's ceremonial clothing.

While much of what makes Easter on Easter Island unique isn't specific to the holiday, it does reflect more generally those other countries we've seen that have taken local practice and found a place for it in Easter celebrations. Which really does make it a fitting place to wrap up this year's Lentorama.

I actually enjoyed this year's edition more than most (heck, this is the first year in a long time where it will actually be done before Easter!), and will hopefully find another good idea for next year.

 Book Log 2019 #12: The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

I don't know if I can add to what's already been said about this book, Wolfe's investigation into the test pilots who would bring the US into the Space Age and largely serve as the country's first astronauts. We get an idea not only of what drove these men to do what they did, how they internalized the danger, and how they functioned within the Mercury astronaut team.

Not that it's only about space flight. There's a significant chunk of the book about being a test pilot and the chase to break the sound barrier, and Chuck Yeager figures prominently even though he never became an astronaut. 

I really did enjoy this book, and found it especially compelling at a time when going into space seems kind of pedestrian. When you can send random billionaires and nonagenarian  actors into space, it's good to be reminded of the incredible peril that a handful of men endured in order to get there.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 39: France

Eggs are central to Easter, whether they're boiled and dyed, plastic and filled with jelly beans, or chocolate wrapped in foil.  It's likely that you'll buy more eggs around Easter than you would normally, which could lead you to have some left over. What to do with them?

If you live in Bessières, a town in southwest France, you make a giant omelette on Easter Monday. 

The story goes that Napoleon was passing through, and after enjoying a local omelette he asked for one to be made for his troops. And as you don't say no to the emperor, a giant omelette was made using all the eggs the locals could find.

Jump forward a couple hundred years, and the town brought the giant omelette back as part of a larger festival (though the official history suggests that the omelette tradition was kept alive by local kids, who would ask for eggs and then distribute the omelettes to the poor). The brotherhood that oversees the event does see it as a kind of charitable and cultural thing, and not only continue the practice of giving diners their eggs for free, but have established links with similar festivals around the world (if you're in the States like me you can stop by Abbeville, Louisiana, though theirs appears to be held in November).

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 38: Iceland

A law from the 1920s in Iceland bans a large swath of public festivities on Good Friday, as it's a day for solemn reflection and worship (as you can imagine, the law was enacted during a time when the Icelandic government and the local Lutheran church had a pretty cozy relationship). While the law is not enforced with any real vigor, it is still on the books, and does cause a lot of closures across the island.

To protest the law, a local atheist's group organizes an annual bingo game on Good Friday (so it's more of an anti-Easter tradition, but a tradition nevertheless). No one's been arrested yet, and the games seem to be having some impact, as there's talk of changing the law.  At which point the thrill of breaking the law by playing bingo will be gone, but hopefully the games will persist.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 37: Luxembourg

While most of the Easter celebrations are similar to those of their larger French and Dutch neighbors, there are two traditions specific to Luxembourg worth mentioning.

The first is specific to the town of Vianden. On Good Friday, they celebrate a festival called Jaudes, which refers to a bouquet made by boys out of flowers, twigs, ribbons, or whatever is on hand (the name specifically refers to the dog rose, but it doesn't seem to be a required element of the bouquet anymore). At noon, boys will take the bouquets and burn them, as a symbol of their displeasure with Judas.

On Easter Monday you have the Éimaischen, or feast of Emmaus. This historically coincided with the annual celebrations of the potter's guild, and eventually this developed into a festival. It's most notable now for the Péckvillercher, a terra cotta bird that you can blow into, making a sort of cuckoo sound.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 36: Italy

There is no shortage of Easter celebrations in Italy, spurred on by its regional nature and being the home of the modern Catholic church.  But my favorite may be the most explosive: the Scoppio del Carro, or Explosion of the Cart.

The story starts about a thousand years ago, during the Crusades. The son of a prominent Florentine family is in Jerusalem, and is the first to scale the walls of Jerusalem and raise the crusaders' banner. To honor his bravery, the young man is given three flints out of the Holy Sepulchre. The young man brings his relics back to Florence, where they are invested in a local church. The Easter tradition soon starts that a torch is lit by these flints, and the torch is used to light candles around the city.

At some point, the torch is replaced by a large candle on a cart, and later still that candle is replaced by fireworks, which are still the focus of the tradition today.

The modern procession starts at the church that houses the flints. They're used to light the "holy fire" (now typically some coals), which is put on the cart along with the fireworks. The cart, pulled by two white oxen garlanded with flowers, goes through the city and stops in the square outside the cathedral. A wire is strung between the cart and the altar in the cathedral, where a dove (representing the Holy Spirit) loaded with its own rockets awaits. At a specific point in the mass, one of the celebrants lights the dove (using a flame started by the holy fire), and if all goes to plan it shoots along its wire and into the fireworks, setting them off in a loud and colorful display.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 35: Senegal

Going into Good Friday, Christians in Senegal will prepare a dish called ngalakh which they'll eat to break the fast and over the holiday weekend. It's made with millet, nut paste (often peanuts), the fruit of the baobab tree, sugar, vanilla, and orange blossom. 

When they're not eating this dish, Senegalese are packing up containers of it to give to neighbors and friends, which is interesting as it's likely the vast majority of them aren't Christian (over 90 percent of the population follow Islam). It's not unusual in Senegal to distribute food at the end of any religious holiday, regardless of the religious background of the people you're feeding. Which is a nice reminder that we can all get along, and food probably helps.

 Book Log 2019 #11: Death's End by Cixin Liu

I'm not sure how to describe this, the last book in The Three Body Problem trilogy. Trisolaris and Earth have an unsteady peace, set when Earth threatened to broadcast the location of Trisolaris to the universe, putting them in jeopardy of being invaded by some other alien civilization. This works - for a while. And when it doesn't work, it really doesn't work. 

I think I had more moments of "what the hell is going on here" with this book than the other two, which speaks more to my ability to grasp concepts than any defect with the writing or translation (I also should have taken more time in reading, but it was hard to slow down, even when I was a bit lost). It's a fitting end to the trilogy, not a particularly uplifting one but true to the events and narrative of the whole.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 34: South Korea

South Korea has a small but significant (just under 28 percent) Christian population, so Easter is more visible than in many Asian countries but isn't a national holiday. Many of the typical Western trappings have made it over, though there's apparently an issue with decorating eggs, as most Korean eggs are brown. There is at least one effective, if not particularly eco-friendly, solution to this dilemma (though there are the occasional, more serious, problems with Easter eggs).

One thing that appears to be traditional is the large Easter service/rally at Yonsei University (a result of its heritage of Christian leadership and founding by various Protestant missionaries). I wasn't able to find too much information about the actual service, but odds are if you look at one of the "Easter around the world" slideshows you'll see either a picture of a large chorus or of large crowds outside attending the service.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 33: Sweden

Sweden's Easter celebrations are pretty similar to other Nordic countries. They have kids dressed as witches going door to door as in Finland, and those witches often bring letters to request candy, similar to what goes on in Denmark.  That being said, there are a couple of things that can make Easter particularly Swedish.

The first is going out to the country to open up the family cabin. Where Sweden is increasingly secular, there's more interest in using the long weekend to open up the summer cabin and give it a good cleaning. It also appears that what celebrations there are for Easter will happen there, as family and friends stop by for a meal and something to drink.

And the menu does include some traditionally Swedish dishes. One that stood out to me was Jansson's Temptation, which is a sort of casserole of onion, potato, and pickled anchovy. Not sure how tempting something with pickled anchovy can be, but it's a popular holiday dish (it also crops up at Christmas), so I'll take the Swedes' word for it. The other thing that caught my eye was a carbonated beverage called paskmust (which is the Easter version of julmust, the same drink but made for Christmas). It's similar to root beer in taste, but a review of the IKEA version suggests a much broader taste palate.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 32: Poland

Easter celebrations are pretty well focused on religion, which isn't surprising given that Poland is almost completely Catholic - and pretty devoutly Catholic at that. When you get to Easter Monday, though, things take a turn.

Easter Monday is known locally as Śmigus-Dyngus, or "Wet Monday." On this day, boys try to soak girls with water, using anything from buckets to squirt guns, and will also try to spank them with willow branches. Tuesday sees the roles reversed.

The origins of all this soaking and spanking is unclear. It appears that they may have been separate activities that eventually merged into one. There's also some thought that there's a pagan fertility ritual at the heart of things, with throwing water on women taking over from watering a Corn Mother doll as an offering to make crops grow. There's also some thought that it represents the baptisms of early Poles when Christianity arrived.

This tradition also takes place in a number of neighboring countries, so the idea that there's some common Slavic origin seems likely.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 31: Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's most populous Islamic country, but its colonial and trading history gave certain parts of the country a sizable Christian minority. One such location is Larantuka in the region of East Flores, whose Christian (largely Catholic) population is heavily influenced by the Portuguese sailors, traders, and missionaries who came through.

Legend has it that a statue of a woman was found washed up on shore in the early 1500s, and when the Portuguese arrived they recognized the statue as that of Mary, which fit nicely into plans to convert the local population.

Today, the statue (along with one of Jesus) is part of a notable Good Friday procession. Both statues are kept in sealed caskets, and on Holy Thursday the casket of Mary is opened, the statue washed, and then dressed in mourning clothes. On Good Friday, the statue of Jesus is taken out, and both are processed, including a segment where the statues are placed on boats and sailed around the bay. The two statues eventually join up at the local cathedral in time for mass.

This article gives a good look at some of the celebrations and activity in Larantuka's Semana Santa, though I'm not sure if the captions are all that accurate (for example, they have Holy Week running from Ash Wednesday to Good Friday).

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 30: Finland

In a tradition that I tend to associate more with fall, children in Finland dress up as witches and go door to door (either on Palm Sunday or Holy Saturday) and recite a poem asking to trade a willow branch for a treat. This apparently grew out of two separate traditions, one the use of willow branches in place of palm fronds to celebrate Palm Sunday (which is quite common in central and eastern Europe), the other the belief that witches would be about on Holy Saturday (which seems more specific to parts of Finland and Sweden). This is known in Finnish as virpominen.

Finland also has a couple of traditional puddings eaten around Easter. There's mämmi , a dark pudding made of malt and rye flour. As it can be kept for several days, it was often made ahead and eaten on Good Friday when cooking was considered off-limits. It can be eaten sweet or savory, and is apparently a bit of an acquired taste. The other is pasha (or pashka), which came over from Russia. It's a cheese or custard-based dessert, and usually served in a conical or pyramid shape.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 29: Trinidad and Tobago

While it's probably better known for its Carnival, Trinidad and Tobago does share a couple of Easter traditions with other countries. On Good Friday you have the beating of the bobolee, an effigy of Judas, which is reminiscent of the many countries that burn an effigy of Judas.  And as with much of the Caribbean, kite flying is a popular Good Friday pastime in Trinidad.

One tradition that's specific to Tobago is the Buccoo Goat Race, held every year on "Easter Tuesday." The races started as a response to horse races held on Easter Monday, which were really only open to the rich, but is now the centerpiece of a festival that attracts thousands (and now also includes crab racing).

 Book Log 2019 #10: Vengeance by Benjamin Black

Irish pathologist Quirke gets involved in another death, though this one is clearly a suicide. What's odd about it is that the deed was intentionally committed with a witness, the son of the dead man's business partner. The mystery, a question of why rather than who. A second death further confuses the issue, leaving Quirke (and police detective Hackett) to wade through the personal and professional entanglements of two families.

I was going to say I'm still on the fence about this series, but as I keep reading the books I can't be that much on the fence. The central mystery is fine, I'm still not sure why Quirke is as attractive to women as he apparently is, and I would like to spend a little more time with his family (specifically his brother, who was a significant character in earlier books but has since faded to the background). All things considered once you get five books into a series you're more or less committed.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 28: Ecuador

Ecuador has a Semana Santa similar to other countries in the Latin world, full of colorful processions (such as the procession of the Jesus del Gran Poder in Quito, as the name apparently translates to "Jesus of the Great Power," which makes him sound like one of the Avengers).

Outside of the religious traditions, the one that seems most uniquely Ecuadoran is the preparation of fanesca, a grain-based soup that can include things like salt cod, squash, fried bread, cheese, peanuts, and green banana. While the origin of the soup isn't known, many theories have it coming from Europe (either Spain or Italy), with the ingredients changing to reflect what's local.

Fanesca is a big enough deal that in Quito there's an annual competition between restaurants as to who makes the best version (though the article indicates there are other judging criteria, such as the use of sustainable ingredients), though there's widespread agreement that the best dish is made at home, typically by someone's grandmother.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 27: Greece

Many of the Easter traditions in Greece are going to be familiar to people either from that part of the world or who are familiar with Orthodox Christianity, from the preparation of red eggs (I have Greek Orthodox friends, and the quest to find the best red dye for the eggs is never-ending) to the church decorations and masses to the Easter Sunday feast featuring some sort of roasted meat (more often than not lamb).

If you want something specific to Greece, go to Corfu. On Holy Saturday, residents of that island celebrate by throwing clay jars full of water out their windows to smash on the street below. It's become a bit of an attraction, with spectators trying to get wet or hit by a (hopefully non-jagged) potsherd.

Why this is done is a bit of a mystery, though there are several theories that link it to former Venetian rulers, ancient Greek springtime practices, or Biblical references to smashing pottery.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 26: The Netherlands

The town of Ootmarsum has an unusual set of traditions centered around an Easter committee of eight men known as Poaskearls. These men are required to be born in the town, Catholic, and single. They also have to plan to remain single for four years, as once selected the person serves as a Poaskearl for four years.

They dress in a trenchcoat and hat getup that makes them look a lot like Inspector Gadget (the costume is modeled after that of a statue of eight men in the square near the church). 

The Poaskearls are responsible for collecting and arranging the wood for an Easter night bonfire and for an Easter Sunday procession that involves singing and another tradition called Vlöggeln, where, after singing the two songs that are sung during the Easter procession, eight children are raised up three times as a symbol of the resurrection.  There's a fair amount of drinking involved, and everything that happens on Sunday happens again on Easter Monday. 

This article gives a pretty in depth review of Easter in Ootmarsum and what the Poaskearls do (it's in Dutch, but the Google translation is pretty readable). What I would really love to know is how all of this got started. There is at least one reference to Vlöggeln going back to 1840, and a list of Poaskearls to 1900, but that's it. I'm also curious how the two new Poaskearls are chosen.

(And there's also this site for all of your Poaskearl needs.)

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 25: Romania

Easter in Romania is pretty similar to other countries in Eastern Europe, from the religious ceremonies to the fanciful decorated eggs. They also share traditions such as taking willow branches to church on Palm Sunday for a blessing and dousing unmarried women with water on Easter Monday.

One traditional belief with a basis in Romanian folklore involves Joimariţa, who seems to have evolved from some sort of local deity to a character in folklore. Her main interest (other than protecting the fire lit on Holy Thursday in memory of one's ancestors) was to make sure that Romanian women had been productive over the winter, with a special focus on weaving and making new clothes. Any woman who slacked off in that department runs the risk of being burned, beaten, killed, or cursed so they won't be able to do any work in the coming year (as noted here, as are several other Romanian Easter traditions).

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 24: Denmark

While Norway celebrates Easter with murder mysteries, Danes go for something less scary and more arts and crafty. Danes will write a letter called a gækkebrev, which is kind of like a cutout snowflake, but with a poem or riddle on it. It gets sent out a few days before Easter, with the sender's name represented on the letter by dots (one dot for each letter in the person's name). If the recipient can guess who sent the letter the sender owes them a chocolate Easter egg, if they can't they owe the sender an egg.

This apparently has its roots in letters sent by young people as a way of flirting (the letters would often include a flower called the snowdrop), but it's now more widely done among friends and families. This article suggests it came over from Germany as early as 1600.

 Book Log 2019 #9: Lehrter Station by David Downing

With World War II over, journalist/spy John Russell appears to finally be out, as he's escaped Germany with his girlfriend and son and looks ready to start over in London. At least until Russell's Soviet handler shows up to tell him he needs to accept an upcoming offer from American intelligence to return to Germany. Considering what Russell did for the Soviets in order to buy his way out of Berlin, he's not in a position to decline.

This wasn't the best book in the series, but I was interested to see how things would transition into the Cold War. It also does a good job of setting up the series finale.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 23: Fiji

Worshipers on the island of Viti Levu spend Holy Week on something called a Cross Walk, where they carry a replica of the cross from the capital of Suva to Nadi, a distance of about 200 kilometers (about 125 miles). It looks like the cross gets handed off from village to village, but I assume there are some especially devoted types who make the entire journey.

I've also found reference to a tradition where several islands share a cross, and it gets floated or swum between islands, but no real information on whether or not this is still done.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 22: Guatemala

In the town of Antigua, locals decorate the streets with "carpets" (or alfombras) made of flowers, colored sawdust, and other natural materials over which processions will travel during Holy Week. Preparation can take months, though the actual construction usually happens the day before (this article gives a little more info on materials and construction). That the carpet is ruined over the comparatively short duration of the procession supports the idea that their creation is a sacrificial act.

It's also not unusual for the carpets to reflect native themes, so there's a bit of a cultural mixing as part of the tradition, too.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 21: Switzerland

Three egg-related traditions from the Swiss.

1. Rather than the Easter Bunny, an Easter cuckoo brings the eggs for Swiss children to hunt. Why this is I have no idea, but the association of Switzerland and cuckoo clocks springs to mind. 

2. Heartier souls can participate in an Easter egg hunt swim in Lake Greifensee, putting a bit of a polar bear swim spin on the event. It's a fairly new event, but seems to have caught on.

3. On Easter Monday in Zurich you'll find people participating in Zwanzgerle, where adults throw 20 cent coins at eggs held by children. If the coin breaks the shell and lodges in the egg the adult wins the egg and gets their coin back. Otherwise, the kid gets to keep the money. Apparently it's pretty hard to get the coin to lodge in the egg, so it's a bit of a money-maker for the kids. 

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 20: Jamaica

Two food-related traditions from Jamaica for Easter.

The one you eat is bun, which is a bread similar to the traditional hot cross bun, except that it's made with molasses and in a loaf form. Locals eat slices of bun with cheddar cheese (the orange stuff), though no one seems to know why.

The one you don't eat involves cracking an egg into water (holy or not, I've seen both) on Holy Thursday, letting it sit overnight, and then seeing what shape the egg white took as a clue for what the coming year may hold (for example, if it looks like a heart you may find love). I wasn't able to find much of any history of this practice (called "egg setting"), but I did find this video saying it's done in Trinidad as well, so it may be something that started elsewhere but really caught on in Jamaica.

 Book Log 2019 #8: The Infatuations by Javier Marias

Every day, the main character stops at a cafe in Madrid on her way to work, and as part of her morning ritual she imagines the perfect life of the young couple who also frequent the cafe in those early morning hours. But then the husband is killed, prompting the woman to approach the now-widow. Their deepening friendship is further complicated by a new romantic relationship for our main character, with a man who may be involved in the murder.

This is the very basic synopsis of the romance wrapped around a mystery covered in philosophical inquiry that this book presents. I wanted very much to like the book based on its premise, but found it way too discursive. I got to the point where I would skim the 10 to 20 page digressions so I could get back to the story. I'm not necessarily a plot-driven reader, but there were times where it almost felt like I was reading two separate books.

The Onion's AV Club picked this as one of their best books of 2013, giving the plot as the launching point for the author's "signature digressions and ruminations," so if that's your sort of thing you'll probably like this book more than I did. Of course, the New York Times and NPR also lauded the book, so it could just be that I've gotten more lazy in my reading.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 19: Lebanon

On Palm Sunday, Lebanese Christians hold a procession called shanineh, where the clergy lead the congregation around the church, with children riding on their parents shoulders (though that may not be required, I've read a couple of sources that just say the kids process). The kids also hold candles decorated with things like ribbons and flowers. I don't know if the candles are lit, but if the kids are riding on their parents I hope not.

The other big tradition in Lebanon is the making of maamoul, a shortbread cookie stuffed with dates, nuts, or similar filling. There's a fair amount of symbolism involved in their preparation, from the wooden press used to shape them representing the cross to whether or not to dust them with sugar (not dusting them apparently represents the solemn nature of Lent). 

Maamoul isn't strictly Lebanese - it's made across the Arab world - but is apparently very traditional for celebrating Easter there. But it's also not strictly for Easter, as it's also popular during Ramadan. Honestly, any observance that ends with cookies is OK with me.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 18: Croatia

Easter celebrations in Croatia apparently have a more martial tone than you might expect. In Dalmatia, you have žudije, who guard the altar in their church from Holy Thursday until the bells toll for the Easter Vigil mass, at which point they fall to the ground in fear of the resurrected Christ. These guards could be dressed as Roman soldiers, but could also be in more contemporary military uniform or traditional dress. This is apparently a big enough deal that the men (it's always men) who serve as žudije meet in a kind of convention every year.

Another tradition is the firing of pistols called kubura. It's a practice that apparently dates back to the 16th century (this article gives a good description of the history and current practice in one town), and appears to be celebratory in nature. The kubura is a type of flintlock pistol (as seen here) that apparently is Turkish in origin and I'm guessing spread to Croatia during the Ottoman period. 

On the much less aggressive side, it's also a tradition on Palm Sunday to wash once's face in water that has fresh flowers in it, which has been going on long enough that locals also call the day Flower Sunday

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 17: The Phillipines

As a largely Catholic country with roots in Spain, it shouldn't be a surprise that Easter celebrations in many ways reflect the Semana Santa found throughout the Latin world. That being said, it's not hard to find traditions that are distinctly Filipino. And distinctly extreme.

On the less extreme side is a festival celebrating Longinus, the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance. The story goes that Longinus was blind in one eye, but when a drop of blood from the lance wound got into that eye it regained sight. The festival has people dressing up as Roman soldiers (with brightly decorated masks and helmets), and culminates in Longinus himself going on the run to escape the people dressed as Roman soliders, hiding in houses and trying to lose himself in the crowd.

Which is all fun and games compared to the people who have themselves crucified. The Catholic Church officially denounced this as a form of worship, but it doesn't dissuade people from getting nailed to a cross as a sign of piety, to repay a prayer that was answered, or as penance. 

The practice is most associated with the province of Pampanga, which started hosting a Passion play in the 1950s. At some point some attendees thought it a good idea to add various mortifications to their trip (whipping themselves, making the journey in bare feet and/or carrying a life-size cross), which eventually led to actual crucifixions in the 1960s.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 16: Norway

Just in case there wasn't enough death in the Easter story, Norway has added on some extra with a tradition called Påskekrim, which literally means "Easter crime."

If you didn't click on the link, here's the short version. In 1923, a crime novel was released just before Easter, and the advertising campaign for it involved an ad in a major newspaper that used the book's title for a headline ("Bergen train looted in the night," which I imagine is catchier in Norwegian). The ad was so realistic that many people believed a train had actually been robbed, giving the book a ton of publicity. Sales go through the roof. 

Fast forward to today, and publishers plan major crime novel releases for the holiday and TV stations change their programming to lean heavy on mysteries (this article gives a little more background on how this whole thing started and how it might reflect on darker aspects of  Viking culture and the Easter story itself). Not sure how much stock put in those theories about the deeper roots of Påskekrim, but as the tradition hasn't really spread to other Nordic countries maybe I'm being too judgmental.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 15: Ghana

Most of what surrounds Easter in Ghana would be familiar to most everyone - church services, public processions, etc. Less familiar would be the national paragliding festival.

Promoted as part of an annual Easter festival in Kwahu, people now come from all over the world to enjoy what's billed as some of the best paragliding in Africa, thanks to thermal drafts that are consistent in duration and intensity.

There are apparently other things to do during the festival - the paragliding was apparently added to an older festival that was falling out of fashion - so you've got options.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 14: Uruguay

So Uruguay does things a little differently than the rest of South America. Uruguay instituted a strict separation of church and state in its 1917 constitution, and converted religious holidays into secular ones. So while other countries are celebrating Holy Week, Uruguay celebrates Tourism Week, during which time Uruguayans take some sort of trip, if not take their long vacation for the year. 

Churches do celebrate Holy Week and Easter, of course, but you won't get the sort of public spectacles that you'd see elsewhere in Latin America.

But if you are looking for something to do during the week, there are at least a couple options:

1. In Montevideo there's Creole Week, which celebrates rural Uruguay. It looks a bit like a combination rodeo and cultural festival, with a horse riding competition the main event (think bronco busting rather than show jumping).

2. For something more contemporary, you can head to Paysandú for Beer Week, sponsored by the town's major brewery. It combines a music festival with various cultural and arts and crafts displays. There are also a couple of thermal spas - one with natural salt water - so you can take the waters and relax if you're partied out.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 13: India

Christians account for a small percentage of India's religious make-up, at just over two percent. That does translate to nearly 28 million Christians, which when added to the history of colonialism means you can find Easter celebrations all across the country.

I opted to focus on Goa, a small state on India's west coast, which Portugal ruled for nearly 450 years when India annexed (invaded) it back in 1961. Even with Portugal's long history there, Goa is only about one-quarter Christian, which may be why the Easter celebrations, while more prominent than in other parts of India, is fairly similar to what you'd find back in Portugal. There is a procession called the Way of the Cross, in which locals carry a large wooden cross and an icon of Jesus through the streets as a representation of his march through Calvary, which is similar to the processions you'd find elsewhere.

One more specific tradition is a dish called sorpotel, which is a stew made of various organ meats from pigs (though it's not uncommon to find versions that don't rely on offal). I will say it looks delicious based on many of the pictures I've seen, but I think I'd ask how traditional it is before tucking in.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 12: Andorra

Like Christmas carolers, but for Easter, groups of people will stop at houses and sing songs known as caramelles, often accompanied by music and dancing. I found one reference saying the songs were often profane, but can't find lyrics to confirm that (not that I can tell, what I am finding isn't in English).  Secular songs are also becoming common.

The singers have a basket on a pole, which they raise to get food or money from the people who live in the house. Whatever the singers take in is used towards a group meal.

While I've attributed the tradition to Andorra, it's common across Catalonia as well.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 11: Ireland

Found two traditions that I liked:

1. In many towns om Easter Sunday, the local butcher would put a fish on a stick (often a herring), and parade it through the town in a mock funeral. Locals, sick of eating fish so often, would join in and often take a whack at the herring with a stick. The fish is "buried" (typically thrown back in the water), and the parade returns to town, probably to buy meat.

2. Farm kids on Easter Sunday also participate in what's called a cludog, where they gather up eggs and roast them in an area along the edge of the farmland. This apparently goes back to when eggs were included in the Lenten fast, though it's not clear why it's just kids and why the eggs are roasted rather than fried, boiled, etc.

One newer tradition (sort of) is pubs being closed on Good Friday. This was actually the law dating back to 1927, but the law was lifted last year. So for those pubs that chose to remain closed, a new(ish) tradition was born.

 Book Log 2019 #7: Saints of the Shadow Bible by Ian Rankin

John Rebus is back on the force, just in time for a case from his early days to come back and haunt him. The case comes back as there's an implication that the officers who investigated it - the "Saints" of the title - weren't exactly on the up and up, which may have led to the conviction of the wrong person. Heading up the new investigation is The Complaints own Malcolm Fox, whose become a bit of a nemesis for Rebus.

There is also a new case for Rebus and Clarke to investigate, but the real interest is in seeing how Rebus handles the investigation into the old case, and if he will remain loyal to his squadmates. Or at least as loyal as Rebus can be; while he's not one to rat, he's also really only loyal to himself and Clarke.

While I always like a Rebus novel, I do have to say that I also enjoy seeing on the back end of his career, facing his new limitations as well as his past. Having Fox as a counterpoint add to the nuance of the story, especially as he and Clarke develop their own professional relationship.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 10: Papua New Guinea

Papuans do something a little different for Easter. When decorating churches, a tree is placed outside, from which sticks of tobacco and packs of cigarettes are hung. After services, the tobacco is distributed to the congregants.

Why, you ask? I have no idea, and Google isn't proving particularly helpful. Three reasons that likely contribute to this:

1. Papuans like to smoke. A 2016 accounting of cigarettes consumed per capital puts PNG 30th worldwide, with 1689 smoked per person per year.

2. Tobacco was one of the agricultural products introduced to PNG as a commercial crop, and while the country isn't one of the top producers in the world you can see where creating a domestic market for tobacco might be desired by the people who grow it.

3. Chocolate does not do well in PNG's tropical climate. Why you jump to tobacco rather than, say, jelly beans I don't know.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 9: Belgium

Starting after services on Holy Thursday, altars are stripped and bells and organs silenced in order to observe the passion, death, and burial of Jesus. It's a solemn time, and one that may need some explanation to kids who aren't used to the changes.

In Belgium (and in France and the Netherlands), kids are told that the bells are silent because they've flown to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. They return in time for Easter services, and when they come back they are filled with chocolate eggs.

It's not the worst story, and I'd be happy to forego the Easter Bunny in exchange for some nice Belgian chocolate eggs.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 8: Haiti

As a largely Catholic country, Haiti tends to celebrate Easter much like other countries in the Caribbean and Central/South America. There are processions with music (provided by local rara bands), church services, and big meals. But the most unique Easter tradition in Haiti isn't even Christian.

Practitioners of Vodou gather every Easter Sunday in Souvenance to honor the spirits (loas) by performing various rituals. These include bathing in a sacred pool, sacrificing animals, wearing white, and dancing (with more music by the rara bands). 

These rituals aren't that far off from Christian Easter traditions found elsewhere. Wearing white is common in many countries, bathing in the sacred pool evokes baptism pretty strongly, the Eucharist can replace animals at the sacrifice, and the dancing sounds a lot like the parades and processions seen around the world (just with more homemade instruments). This shouldn't be that surprising given the syncretic nature of Vodou, but it's always interesting to see how traditions cross over and are adapted into different cultures.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 7: New Zealand

New Zealand has the same problem with rabbits as Australia, but rather than try to supplant bunnies with a cute native animal, people in Central Otago go on a marathon rabbit hunt instead.

The hunt is somewhat limited - groups are mostly chosen by lottery, and are assigned areas to hunt. The carnage begins on Good Friday (which seems a little on the nose) and ends at noon on Easter Sunday, by which time up to 10,000 rabbits have been given the chance to rise again on the third day. Apparently the hunt is also a fundraiser for a local hospital (not an animal hospital), so it's kind of a win-win... just not for the rabbits.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 6: Australia

Easter in Australia is very similar to Easter in any other English-speaking country, but with one exception: you may get a chocolate bilby in your Easter basket rather than a chocolate bunny.

Rabbits aren't native to Australia, having been introduced to the continent when English settlers started arriving in the late 18th century. It wasn't until the middle of the following century, with a decline in the numbers of predatory species and natural selection producing a heartier rabbit optimized for Australia that the numbers took off.

Since then, rabbits have been responsible for widespread damage to native plants and crops, causing significant erosion problems where they've eaten away native ground cover. Attempts at controlling the population, through hunting, introducing rabbit-specific diseases, and fencing, have not had the effect that Australians were hoping for.

One of the native animals endangered by the rabbits was the bilby, a burrowing marsupial that competes with rabbits for food and living space. A story about an Easter bibly was written by an Australian girl in 1968 (but published later), which helped spark the idea that the native animal was a better symbol for Easter in Australia than an invasive species. More recently, Australian candy companies have made chocolate bilbies as a way to raise funds to both support the bilby and enhance methods for reeling in the rabbit population.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 5: Canada

For the most part, Canada celebrates Easter like most Western countries. Eggs, chocolate, church, etc. But there are a couple of Easter-related things that set Canada apart:

1. Vegreville, Alberta is home to a giant pysanka, or Ukrainian Easter egg. It may be the largest Easter egg in the world. It was built in 1975 to honor the area's Ukrainian population.

2. Montreal hosts Bal en Blanc, a rave that attracts DJs and fans from around the world, over the Easter weekend. So if you like your Holy Week with a trance soundtrack. head to Montreal.

 Book Log 2019 #6: Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman

I'll admit to not remembering much about this book (which will happen when you write your blog entry more than two years after reading it), but I do recall liking it. There's a bit of a John Le Carre vibe about it, as a newly-minted CIA agent learns some things she shouldn't have, revealing the messy (and occasionally lethal) underbelly of intelligence work, with implications that span the decades.

I've liked the two other Fesperman books I've posted about so far (Layover in Dubai, The Arms Maker of Berlin), and think I liked this one about as well.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 4: Estonia

Not surprisingly, many cultures combined local/pagan traditions with Easter traditions as Christianity spread. In Estonia, one of these traditions is the construction and use of large wooden swings. Each town or village would have one in a public space, constructed by the young men (who would get small tokens of appreciation for doing so). People swung for health, happiness, and success (for themselves, livestock, crops, etc.).

The practice is actually common in the Baltic and Eastern European regions, but I chose to mention it with Estonia given the country's passion for swinging. This is probably best seen in the sport of kiiking, which is sort of like pole vaulting, but with the athlete trying to swing around a bar rather than just clear it. Honestly, it looks a little nuts, but you do you, Estonia.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 3: Japan

As you might expect, Japan doesn't have much by way of Easter traditions, given that less than one percent of the country is Christian.

What I did find, though is that the Tully's Coffee chain does serve Easter-specific drinks. I mention this more to talk about the chain, as it has a colorful history, at least in the US.

Tully's was founded in the Seattle area in 1992, and grew to have hundreds of locations in the western US and Asia. Unfortunately for them, the period of their greatest expansion was during the recession in the 2000s, which caused cashflow problems. They raised some quick cash by selling off part of the company, but couldn't stave off bankrupty.

Here's where things get weird. The company was bought out of bankruptcy by an investment group that included the actor Patrick Dempsey. He would later pull out of the group, and file a lawsuit against one of his partners: Stormy Daniels' lawyer Michael Avenatti. A year ago today the chain announced it would close its remaining North American stores.

But in Japan you can still stop in, and apparently get your fix with bunny ears included.

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 2: Spain

Spain takes Holy Week (or Semana Santa) seriously, which most cities having parades on the holy days that feature life-size floats of religious scenes carried on the shoulders of men from various "brotherhoods" (representing a neighborhood, or parish, or some other common bond), bands, participants in hooded cloaks (a little too Klanish for my taste), and so on. Each city has its own spin on things - where certain floats meet, or the use of certain items like candles - so there is some difference in the proceedings depending on where you are.

The tradition that most caught my eye, though, is torrijas, which is basically French toast that is fried and coated with caramelized sugar and honey. My pancreas hurts just thinking about it. But I want some. Right now.

Welcome back, Lentketeers!  Instead of plumbing the depths of hagiographies, papal flair, or social media, we're going around the world on a 40 day tour. Put your rosaries in an upright and locked position for...

Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

The idea is that each day I'll look at an Easter tradition specific to one country (though I reserve the right to be less specific or repeat countries as needed). And to kick things off I'm flying domestic.

Day 1: United States of America

There are several traditions one could point to in the US - Mardi Gras in New Orleans being the most prominent example - but I'm going to go with the Easter parade.

In the second half of the 19th century, churches in the US took more care to decorate for holidays. For Easter, this meant large displays of springtime flowers and plants. As these became more lavish, the trend spread to department stores, and eventually to the congregants themselves. While dressing up for church wasn't a new idea, taking the time to stroll and be seen was.

Not surprisingly, the practice centered on New York. Starting in the 1870s, newspapers would comment about the crowds on Fifth Avenue, taking time to see and be seen before and after the church service of their choice. The annual event became well known, to the point where Irving Berlin wrote a musical film called Easter Parade. And while it may be less of a draw nowadays, people are still making the stroll to show off their threads.

For a more in-depth look at the Easter parade and its meaning, check out Leigh Eric Schmidt's article "The Easter Parade: Piety, Fashion, and Display" from the summer 1994 issue of Religion and American Culture.

 Book Log 2019 #5: The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester

I wasn't looking to read a book about precision engineering - I don't remember what I was looking for - but I'll take whatever happy accident led me to this book. This is one of those rare cases where the enjoyment value came in way over what you'd expect given the subject matter.

It's also a rare case where I can't find something to nitpick. I looked back at the other Winchester books I've read, and I usually either find that the book is too long (gets draggy or feels padded) or I have a gripe with specific points of view or organizing principles. I don't recall having any of these issues with this book. Maybe my complete lack of knowledge on the subject left me open to just enjoying things.

I've been playing catchup with The Hamilcast (a podcast about the musical Hamilton), and am on the series of episodes featuring the show's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. He's talking about the song "Aaron Burr, Sir," and how several of the lines rhyme the next to last syllable rather than the last one (these lines all have "sir" at the end), making it more of a feminine rhyme and not just him rhyming "sir" with "sir."

Which got me thinking. Have I been wrong all this time for mocking Kid Rock for rhyming "things" with "things" in the chorus of "All Summer Long?"

Thankfully, no:

And we were trying different things 
We were smoking funny things 

"Different" and "funny" don't rhyme, obviously. The mocking shall continue.

 Book Log 2019 #4: The Wizard and the Prophet by Charles Mann

I was very much looking forward to this book by the author of 1491, which was a tremendous account of what science, history, and archaeology can tell us about life in the Americas prior to the arrival of Columbus. Unlike that book, though, this tells the story of specific individuals - agricultural scientist Norman Borlaug and environmentalist William Vogt - and their very different approaches to how humans should use the Earth. Borlaug dedicated his life to finding ways to increase what we can get from the planet, while Vogt argued that overuse could lead to long-term problems that would threaten humanity.

The verdict is still out on which man was right, assuming that there is a right answer here. 

I will say that while I liked this book, I was a little disappointed given how much I loved 1491. I probably anticipated this one too much, with a result that it was never going to live up to expectations. It's also a very different book from 1491, being more of a historical and philosophical work. All that being said, I would say if you've not read 1491 you should do so before reading this one. Not because it will add anything to the reading experience for this book; I just think 1491 is the better of the two.

 Book Log 2019 #3: The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

The second book in the Three Body Problem trilogy, the Trisolarans are on their way to Earth, and have used a form of subatomic computers to spy on Earth and prevent scientific or technological breakthroughs that might help Earth defend itself. The book focuses on how the UN tries to get around this, eventually jumping ahead 200 years to show the first contact between the two civilizations and its aftermath. 

I really do like this trilogy, and would suggest taking your time reading the books. As with the first book, I feel like I read this one too quickly, and missed things. So take your time and enjoy this.

 Book Log 2019 #2: The Road Taken by Henry Petroski

In this book, Petroski looks at infrastructure (transportation infrastructure in particular) and, as with many of his previous books, gives its history in great detail and full of the surprising facts that often make his books so much fun to read. Better still, it avoids the trap of getting too bogged down in those facts, a problem that made The Book on the Bookshelf so hard to get through.

And as you might expect from a civil engineer, he also uses this book to argue for both increased spending to fix the things that are broken and better planning in implementing new infrastructure. It's hard to argue with either point, and I was happily surprised at the focus on making better infrastructure in the future. We don't often talk about creating infrastructure to solve (or avoid) future problems, which is how we wind up with ever-wider freeways that still fill up with traffic.

A good read on a real problem that will hopefully get more attention soon.

 Book Log 2019 #1: The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon

Faith, loss, and identity are the major themes of this novel, which sees two young college students interact with a local oddball turned cult leader, with horrifying results. The extent to which each of the characters is driven to do what they did by their past losses or current relationships is left to the reader to consider.

Reading reviews of this book I saw at least a couple of references to Donna Tartt's The Secret History, which I can see. Both books follow close-knit and often unhealthy relationships between college students, and both have tragic endings. One review also noted that the students in both books were not representative of typical college students, as they don't consume popular culture in the way that most do (and in the more recent book, a lack of texting).

That being said, I do find that this book travels much more in the real world than Tartt's book, and it is much easier to identify with the students at the heart of this book than those in The Secret History. I should also note that I hated The Secret History, and did not hate this one at all. 

Was it the most uplifting book to start the new year? No. But it's well worth reading.

 Book Log 2018 #50: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Finally, the last entry for 2018, and I will say it ended on a high note. Set during World War II, this book tells the stories of a blind French girl and a German boy adept with electronics, and how their paths eventually cross as they try to survive the war.

I had no problem getting sucked into this book, as the story is richly told with the sort of detail you'd want from a historical novel, with an additional layer of personal triumphs and tragedies for both of the main characters. I did read one review that faulted the use of modern American style and language, which I admit I didn't notice. Probably not surprising being an American and all.

I really enjoyed this, and was happy to read a World War II novel whose main characters weren't spies or doomed lovers (no offense to Alan Furst, of course, but it's nice to have a change of pace). Definitely recommended.

 Book Log 2018 #49: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell

It's a murderous road trip, as Vowell goes across America to visit sites related to political killings, both to reflect on the history and how these events were used to manipulate politics and popular culture. 

This should be right up my alley, and I mostly enjoyed it, but I never fully connected with the book. Not sure why, it was interesting and often funny (moreso than you might expect from the subject), but I rarely felt like I was engaged to the level I usually am when reading. 

That being said, I do recommend it, especially if you have an interest in US history and/or politics. It's also not a particularly long book, so if you encounter the same issue I did it's easy enough to stick with it until the end.

 Book Log 2018 #48: Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin

John Rebus is finally retired - kind of.  He's working cold cases as a civilian, which isn't as exciting as his old job but gives him something to do. When a couple of current missing persons cases appear to be similar to one of the cold cases, Rebus sees his chance to get back into a real case. With his usual amount of insubordination, verbal fencing with Big Ger Cafferty, and police work that may occasionally cross the line.

I was interested to see how Rebus would operate as a retiree, and was gratified that not much had changed. But I am curious to see how much this continues in future novels (there have to be more coming, right?), and if the series ever makes a permanent transition to Siobhan Clarke and Malcolm Fox as lead characters.