Transcript / LoLT: Dave's Board Game Recs and Two New Books — 06 December 2024

This is a transcription of LoLT: Dave’s Board Game Recs and Two New Books — 06 December 2024

[cheerful music]

Melissa: Coming up, a cozy festive crime story set in Scotland.

David: A literary writer takes on a science fiction trope.

Melissa: Plus, our Distraction of the Week. I’m Mel.

David: I’m Dave. This is The Library of Lost Time.

Melissa: Last fall, I recommended ‘The Three Dahlias’ by Katy Watson. It’s a modern take on a golden-age crime novel. The world of this book features a lady detective named Dahlia Lively. She’s like a blonde version of Phryne Fisher from Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries — and the author who created her is a fictional version of Agatha Christie.

Melissa: ‘The Three Dahlias’ introduces us to three actresses who’ve portrayed Dahlia on screen through the decades. They get caught up in a murder mystery at a fan convention at the author’s former estate. There are secrets, betrayals, and moxie galore.

Melissa: This year, the author Katy Watson has gifted us with a new adventure starring the three Dahlias. It’s called ‘A Lively Midwinter Murder,’ and this time the action takes place at a remote Scottish castle. At a posh wedding. On Christmas Eve. [DAVE]

Melissa: The castle sits between two lochs, and the only way to reach it is via a stone bridge. I’m delighted to report that a light dusting of snowflakes turns into a snowstorm that cuts the wedding party off from civilization. And then there’s a murder!

Melissa: The first Dahlias book was a light, fun read. It’s a cozy mystery with a strong sense of place and lots of heart. I can’t wait to see how Katy Watson brings all of that to a Scottish Christmas. One of the reviews of THIS book said the murder kind of takes a backseat to the setting and the atmosphere. That is a selling point for me! Gimme all the roaring fires and mulled wine! It’s ‘A Lively Midwinter Murder’ by Katy Watson.

Melissa: If you want to pair it with another murder mystery written in the golden age style, I recommend ‘The Dead of Winter’ by Nicola Upson. It’s set in a manor house on the tidal island of St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, England. It’s 1938, so the cloud of war is looming. When there’s a murder most foul, the amateur sleuth on the case is a fictional version of the real-life golden-age crime writer Josephine Tey. The suspects are very yummy: There’s a dubious housekeeper, a questionably pious clergyman and his wife, a Nazi sympathizer, a constantly bickering couple, and a mysteriously absent guest. Despite the murdery bits, the story is a celebration of love and is, ultimately, infused with the spirit of Christmas. That’s ‘The Dead of Winter’ by Nicola Upson.

David: My book is ‘The Way’ by Cary Groner. Cary Groner has the background of someone who would be writing literary fiction. He’s got a Masters in the field; he’s an award-winning short story writer. His first book was about a cardiologist and his daughter moving to Katmandu. Groner also studied Buddhism with lamas in Tibet for a decade and a half.

David: All this makes it sound like I’m about to tell you about maybe a family saga set in modern Asia. That is not what this book is. ‘The Way’ is the story of a rag-tag team on a journey across post-apocalyptic America. The setup sounds like Groner watched “The Last of Us” and thought, ‘You know what you could do there…’

David: The story starts with Will Collins. He’s the last surviving resident of a Buddhist retreat center in Colorado. He’s got a raven and a cat. He says he’s worked out enough of raven-language so they can talk to each other. Groner writes, ‘Once you get used to Raven, it’s actually quite musical, as if you’ve interspersed a variety of resonant vowels with castanets for consonants.’

David: Will is definitely suffering from some kind of trauma. But also: maybe he can talk to these animals? We’re not sure.

David: In the first chapter, Will, his cat, and his raven are going through the ruins of Santa Fe. He’s in the shell of an old Ford F-150. It’s pulled by two mules. Unless you read the flap copy — we don’t know where they’re going, or why. (Boo, flap copywriters.) We do know Will and his animals are being chased by armed men. And then our heroes run into a wild tiger.

David: The book has some humor, good dialogue, and a lighter touch than most post-apocalyptic stories. This is definitely not Cormac McCarthy. The tone is more in the direction of Becky Chambers. Ultimately, I think it’s about keeping one’s mind together in tough times. That’s speaking to me right now. You may enjoy it too. It just came out this week. It’s ‘The Way’ by Cary Groner.

David: And now, our Distraction of the Week.

David: The holidays are here again, which, for me at least, means board game season is back.

David: I really like getting together with people and enjoying a round or two of a good game. It’s an excuse to spend some time together. They give you something to talk about. And they’re fun!

David: I want to tell you about three board games that came out in the last year or so. These are all simple and easy to get to the table. And they should be available just about everywhere.

David: This first one is for two players only. It’s called ‘Sky Team.’ In ‘Sky Team,’ you and a partner are trying to land a plane. You’re doing this with the magic of dice. Each player rolls four dice, which are kept secret from the other, and then you play them one-at-a-time on a board. The board has indicators for speed, altitude, and horizon level. So, for instance, I might roll a ‘4’ and put that on the horizon level. Then you put a ‘5’ on the horizon level, and now the plane tilts slightly to your side. We have to get the aircraft back to level by the time we land. Or bad things happen. And many bad things can happen — maybe you go too fast, maybe your flaps aren’t down, maybe you can’t set the brakes, maybe you can’t get all the other planes out of your way. This is a surprisingly tense little game. It also comes with many variations, so once you get good at landing the basic plane, you can up the challenge and run it again. It plays quickly enough that you will probably want to play it a few times. That is ‘Sky Team.’ It’s for two players. The recommended age is 10+. It’s about $30.

David: If you’re looking for something a little more cozy, there’s a game called “Harmonies.” Harmonies is about putting together a little map and then populating it with creatures. You do that by drafting some tiles from a stack of tiles. Each turn, you pick three. Let’s say you grab one that represents a field, another a river, and the third is a forest. Then you put those on your map wherever you want. After a few rounds, you might have a lovely long river, or a forest full of tall trees. But that’s only the first half of Harmonies. The second half is that you’re also drafting animals. And those animals have preferences. Llamas want a mountain next to a field. Otters like rivers next to forests. So, while you’re setting up your map, you’re trying to make suitable places for these animals to live. Ultimately, you get points for making a good map and placing your animals. It’s a lovely little thinky game. It’s also pretty. The tiles are made of wood, they have a nice tactile feel, and the animal illustrations are beautiful. If you like Azul, you’ll like this. It’s called ‘Harmonies.’ It plays 2 to 3 players, ages eight and up, for about $35.

David: Finally, let’s say you’ve got a decent-sized group together, some beers have been served, and you’re looking for what the British call a pub game. That’s when you break out ‘Flip 7.’ Flip 7 is a card game. It’s played with what’s called a pyramid deck: there’s one one, two twos, threes threes and so on, all the way up to twelve 12s. Everybody gets dealt a card. From there, you go around the table, and each player can either take a card or a pass. You’re trying to get as many points as possible, but if you get the same number twice, you’ve busted. So if you have a 12 up, and you get dealt another 12, you’re out for the round. At the end of the round, you total up the points. The first player to 200 points wins. There are some other wrinkles – some of the cards save you from your next bust, for instance, or double the point total of this hand for you. But, basically, it’s a press-your-luck game with a heavy nod towards blackjack. One of the nice things about this game is that you can teach it while you’re playing it. ‘Flip 7’ will probably have your friends swearing in no time. It plays 4 to 6, or more, if you buy another deck. Players should be at least 8. It’s about $14.

David: And that’s it: those are three board games that came out in the last year or so that could brighten your holiday. Those are ‘Sky Team,’ ‘Harmonies,’ and ‘Flip 7.’ We have videos in our show notes for how these games play and what they look like.

David: If you are lucky enough to live near an independent board game store, consider shopping there. They can help you with whatever your entertainment needs might be. And it’s nice to help out the local people.

Melissa: Visit strongsenseofplace.com/library for more on the books we talked about today and all the info you need to add board games to your holiday fun.

David: Thanks for joining us on the library of last time. Remember to visit your local library and your independent bookstore to lose some time yourself.

Melissa: Stay curious. We’ll talk to you soon.

[cheerful music]

Top image courtesy of cottonbro studio/Pexels.