My book club meets on the last Wednesday of the month, and the hostess is expected to lead the discussion. That was supposed to be me — but the evening before the meeting, I was still only halfway through our 900-page Lincoln biography. So why did I waste an hour on the computer planting sunflowers in a frantic attempt to stay one step ahead of an army of nasty zombies? Because I was hooked on Plants vs. Zombies, that's why, and to cover up my addiction, I tried to steer Wednesday's discussion away from the Civil War and back to the election of 1860. And why didn't this review make the June issue of the MLMUG Newsletter? Because I it took me two days, untold hours, and an entirely new strategy to finally conquer level 4-4. Really now, how could I admit to being stuck on a level most ten year olds would whiz by in a single try!

The only games I previously kept on my dock were Solitaire and Snood. Neither is a "timed" game since I tend to clutch when I have to shoot things while the clock is ticking. But the learning curve for Plants vs. Zombies is extremely low and the first couple of levels are fairly effortless. By the time it became difficult, I'd already bonded with my sunflowers with their cute bobbing heads and bursts of sunlight.

Plants vs. Zombies, by PopCap Games, Inc. is humorous and simple. Unlike some overwhelmingly complex games I've tried where I end up dead before I've even figured out how to send up rockets or fire weapons, this one is basically self-explanatory. If there's something you need to learn, Crazy Dave pops up and clues you in. The object is to use a variety of plants to defend your home, and your brain, from a horde of hungry zombies. I dare you to download the free 60-minute trial and not get hooked. As you progress in the game you'll be given new plant types to aid your fight against the new breeds of zombie introduced after each round. These plants are specially adapted to combat the special abilities of the increasingly diversified zombies. Choosing which plants to sow is a significant part of the strategy since there are always more plants than available seed slots.

Within a few levels, as you begin to get the hang of this game, you'll suddenly have to deal with environmental challenges. The Sunflowers you need to produce sun don't work during the night; graveyards are in your way and your vision is obscured by clouds of fog. Every so often, the zombies drop coins. Scoop them up and they can be used to purchase upgrades, such as a zombie-killing rake or a more powerful plant.

Once you've achieved a certain level you can play a variety of "mini-games" that also allow you to collect coins. You can choose among zombie bowling, a slot machine game, and dueling peashooters. Progressing even further will unlock puzzle mode, survival mode and the zen garden. The graphics are simple and cute and I find even the meanest zombies somehow likeable. Although I've heard the theme song over and over as I work my way through the game, it doesn't yet feel repetitively annoying (although that day may yet arrive). I love the event sounds, for example, the satisfying "wooden" sound as zombies get bowled over by "wall nuts," and the "splat" of a zombie being squashed. I could do without the scream that accompanies "The zombies ate your brains!" graphic when I've been beaten, but perhaps that's a statement about my performance as much as it is of the sound. In short, the game is fun, simple, yet challenging and for some of us, addicting. It loads quickly and works well as a warm up to a real task or reward for the completion of one. If you decide to try it, prepare to ... warning, pun ahead ... soil your plants.