Month: May 2023 Page 1 of 6

DETAILS:
Publisher: Red Dog Press
Publication Date: May 30, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 495 pg.
Read Date: May 24-30, 2023

Not What I Thought I Was Getting Into

At a certain point, I realized this novel was going in a direction that I wasn’t expecting—and not in an “I didn’t see that twist coming” way, but in a metaphysical sense. I was a little annoyed, to be honest. I felt like Pepper was cheating, changing the rules governing the book like he did. I was still going to finish it—you give me an ARC, I’ll read it. Also, I was curious about the fate of one or two of the characters. I just was less enthused about the prospect.

In a minor huff, I went to Red Dog’s website to read the description and realized I’d read only most of it initially (when I copied and pasted the text into my cover reveal). I got to a certain point, saw where the blurb was going (or so I thought), remembered Pepper’s Man Down, and put the thing on the TBR.

No one cheated. No one changed anything. There was no bait-and-switch here. I just didn’t do due diligence. I probably wouldn’t have read this if I’d read the whole thing.

And I’d have missed out on something I’m going to remember for a while—because once the (for lack of a better term) supernatural element entered the novel, it got a lot more twisted, darker, and exciting.

Let that be a lesson, kids—read the whole description. And then give the benefit of the doubt to a writer you enjoyed already. Or skip the description part and just trust the writer.

Wait a Second—What’s Man on a Murder Cycle About in the First Place?

Oh, yeah, I’ve gotten a little ahead of myself.

Tom Roker is a writer. Well, he wrote one very successful thriller some time ago. And has written four stinkers since then—so bad that his agent can’t get anyone to publish them, despite the (now waning) shine his previous success might bring.

While his writing has gotten worse—his desperation to repeat his success has built—driving him to work on his books more and more. Which had a horrible impact on his wife and daughter. Well, his now-remarried ex-wife and daughter who now live in the U.S.

While giving his agent his latest novel (which she’s pretty sure is going to be as bad as the others), she mentions that she’s just received a new manuscript from an unknown author that’s as good as his first book. This was her first mistake. She then agrees to let Roker read it and gives him her copy. This is her second mistake.

He reads it and is blown away—yes, it shows just how bad his current work is—and it could’ve been written by the author he was years ago. Coincidentally, Roker sees that the author had just been killed. And he hatches a plan. They publish the book under his name, his agent pockets a larger-than-usual commission, and no one is the wiser. She signs on to this plan (after he blackmails her a bit)—this is her third big mistake. Many more follow.

Things happen. The book is published—and Roker is re-invigorated. He’s writing like he used to.

But then the police show up—people are being killed using the methods employed by the maniac in “Roker’s” new book. Guess who suspect #1 is?

If nothing else, this book should ensure that no one ever plagiarizes Mark Pepper.

A Couple of Content Warnings

There’s an attempted rape scene—emphasis on attempted. But still, that can be too much for some readers. So caveat lector.

There’s also a scene that’s difficult to categorize…it’s kind of a rape scene, but it’s also a psychosexual game played by the “victim.” It’s (intentionally) disturbing and off-putting. If you can get through the previous attempt, you’ll be okay once you’re past this one.

There are, of course, also several murders. Gory, bloody, and macabre. We read about most of them after the fact, or see the lead-up to it without getting the details of the killing itself. That’s pretty much a given, I realize, but while I’m talking about potential areas of revulsion, I thought I’d throw that in.

So, Was I Right?

When I posted my spotlight on the book yesterday, I was around 75-80% through the book and said, “At this point, I can think of at least 5 different ways this book will likely end.” Three of them would’ve been satisfactory, the other two less so—but I assumed that had Pepper picked one of those he’d sell me on it.

So how close was I? Let’s imagine that the right answer is in the heart of Chicago, Illinois. I might as well have been camping out on Triton, Neptune’s largest moon.

Thankfully, I’d also said, “I’m pretty sure they’re all wrong—and what I have waiting for me over the next 25% is going to throw me for a loop.”

So I’m counting this as a win—I was correct when I said I was wrong, and the several loops that came in those closing pages were wilder than I’d have bargained for.

So, what did I think about Man on a Murder Cycle?

The first chapter of this book was stunning. If the rest of the book disappointed me, I still would’ve given it 3 stars based on that chapter. (thankfully, I didn’t have to, so this post would’ve been very difficult to write)

I wonder if the Epilogue takes away a bit of the punch of the last page. But it made me smile, so I’m not going to complain. I’ll just wonder.

Everything in between was a heckuva ride. I think I’ve used all the adjectives I want to use here already in this post: Twisting, dark, exciting, gory, bloody, and macabre. That sums it up. There’s a tinge of hope, too—but given the rest of the book, you wonder if it’s misplaced when you’re feeling it (and I’m not going to say). I really don’t know what else to say here while not giving away too much.

There’s a dark humor that shines through frequently—particularly in the closing stages of the book. There are a couple of scenes that I imagine Pepper smiled throughout the writing, and if you have a certain sense of humor, you will, too.

This is not for everyone. How many books worth the time are? But this is for a narrower audience than others. But for those who read the description and are intrigued? You’re in for a treat.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Red Dog Press in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks for this.

4 1/2 Stars

WWW Wednesday, May 31, 2023

By HCNewton

On May 31, 2023

In Books, Currently Reading, News/Misc., WWW Wednesday

The day I’ve long-dreaded has arrived–I don’t mean a WWW Wednesday, or the end of May. The last episode of Ted Lasso is released today, and I’m just not ready for it*. I’d best distract myself by talking some books.

* Yes, I know that Season 3 has had its detractors, and I haven’t loved every moment of it, but I’ll just tell you now, keep your negativity about the show away from me.

This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Easy enough, right?

What are you currently reading?

I’m reading Real Tigers by Mick Herron (it only took me 6 months since the last one) and I’m still listening to Iron Gold by Pierce Brown, Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds, John Curless, Julian Elfer, and Aedin Moloney on audiobook.

Blank Space

What did you recently finish reading?

I just finished Mark Pepper’s Man on a Murder Cycle, a fast and furious read. The last audiobook I finished is still The Only Truly Dead by Rob Parker, Warren Brown (Narrator), a great way to end the trilogy.

Blank Space

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be A Necromancer Called Gam Gam by Adam Holcombe, a book I have to try based on the title alone. My next audiobook should still be a revisit of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t with Her Mind Narrated by Lauren Patten and Graham Halstead.

Blank Space

What about you?

Help a Buddy Out: Does Anyone Know What Series This Is?

By HCNewton

On May 30, 2023

In Book Tag, Miscellany, News/Misc.

I was texting* with a friend yesterday and he said that he cannot remember the name of most of what he read in middle school. He was largely okay with that, but there’s one exception:

there’s only one series I desperately want to remember what it was.

Was sort of spooky mystery, 1950ish settling with some siblings always visiting this wise professor who always made them chocolate cake and they were always getting on the wrong side of evil magicians and eldritch powers.

It’s a vague amorphous memory that gives me super nostalgia and angst that I can’t remember anything beyond that image lol

Think back 15 years or so, does any one have an idea what he might have been reading? It’s not necessarily (probably not at all likely) YA. I can’t think of anything, and search engines aren’t working for me.

* I have to stress this conversation was in text–he’s a proofreader, and if it got out that he typed like this outside of a text environment, he’d probably stop talking with me outside of formal letters.

100 Places to See After You Die by Ken Jennings: The Tour Guide No One Wants, But Everyone Needs

By HCNewton

On May 30, 2023

In Humor, Non-Fiction

100 Places to See After You Die:
A Travel Guide to the Afterlife

by Ken Jennings

DETAILS:
Publisher: Scribner Book Company
Publication Date: June 13, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 304 pg.
Read Date: May 24-26, 2023

What’s 100 Places to See After You Die About?

Ken Jennings provides a handy tour guide through one hundred visions of the afterlife for the modern reader. Complete with tips on places to see, areas to avoid, local lingo, bits of trivia, dining tips, and so on, it’s just the kind of thing you’re going to want to peruse before you shuffle off this mortal coil, so you know where to go.

The book is broken down into: Mythology, Religion, Books, Movies, Music and Theater, and Miscellaneous. Then (alphabetically) Jennings looks at a variety of afterlife locales in each category.

For example, the Books section covers:

Aslan’s Country • The Bridge • The Cemetery • The Empyrean • The Five Lessons • Half-Life • The Inbetween • Inferno • The Kingdom • King’s Cross • Mansoul • The Null • Pandemonium • Paradiso • The Parish • Purgatorio • Riverworld • The Third Sphere • The Time Bubble • The Undying Lands • The Valley of the Shadow of Life*

* From Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia and The Great Divorce; O’Connor’s story “Revelation”; Saunders’ Lincoln in the Bardo; Milton’s Paradise Lost; Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven; Dick’s Ubik; Sebold’s The Lovely Bones; Dante’s The Divine Comedy; Twain’s “Captain Stormfield’s Visit to Heaven”; Rowling’s Harry Potter; Moore’s Jerusalem; King’s Revival; O’Brien/O’Nolan’s The Third Policeman; Farmer’s Riverworld; Matheson’s What Dreams May Come; Oliver’s The Time Bubble; and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

Jennings describes each place with wit, humor, Dad Jokes, puns, irreverence, and plenty of facts.

Dancing Through a Minefield

It’s one thing to talk about places like Valhalla, Hades, The Bad Place, Bill & Ted’s Bogus destination, or Futurama‘s Robot Hell in a light-hearted or flippant fashion. It’s an entirely different can of worms to discuss the LDS Three Kingdoms of Glory, Jannah, Jahannam, Ariel Toll Houses/Telonia, and so on—in the same tone.

I will not say that Jennings was able to fully succeed in discussing the afterlives described in some major religions in an unoffensive manner. Primarily because I’m not an adherent of any of the religions he discussed, so my tolerance for that is really high. Had he tackled something I believe in, I very well could’ve been at risk of insult.

That said, I think he did okay. Yes, he walks close to irreverent. But he maintains a decent degree of respect. The humor largely comes from the way he describes the beliefs not at the expense of an article of faith.

Still, some people might want to skip over a chapter or two if they’re worried about getting their toes stepped on. (but those people probably aren’t going to be reading this book in the first place)

A Few Highlights

Ohhh, there are just so many.

The Books section was my favorite—followed closely by Movies and Television—this is the kind of thing I blog about, think about, and so on, so it makes sense that those sections resonated with me most. The Books section, in particular, discussed portions of those works in ways I could really sink my teeth into.

But there were multiple highlights in each section—I learned a lot about D&D, I couldn’t help singing “Ghost Riders in the Sky” during that chapter, I think he pointed out a good plot hole in It’s a Wonderful Life (I don’t know, maybe he’s not the first), I loved the discussion of Bosch’s paintings, and so on.

The chapter on The Good Life was fantastic—a great systematization of the series’ take on the afterlife (and several characters). The chapter on Nirvana was sublime.

Books, movies, mythologies, songs, etc. that I’ve never heard of, much less, read/watched/listened to/studied were described in enough detail that I could appreciate those chapters and maybe even develop an interest in following up on.

Problems/Quibbles/Things That Didn’t Work for Me

Um. Hold on, I’ll think of something.

…

oh! Here’s a problem: the eARC came with the typical “don’t quote from this version until verified by the published edition” warning—but it was more pronounced than usual. I really want to use samples throughout this post, but I can’t. (and I wouldn’t have even without this warning, because I know things get tweaked in the final stages).

Actually, I do have a legitimate gripe. There are no footnotes—or even endnotes*—for anything that Jennings says. Most of what the book contains could fall into the category of “General Knowledge” (at least for people who know anything about The Good Place, Dante, or the religion of the Maori). But I wouldn’t have minded a point in the right direction to learn some more details, context, or background on many, many, many things Jennings wrote about.

* It’s been decades since I haven’t asked why a book uses endnotes when footnotes exist, and yet I’d have liked to have them in this book more than the nothing we got. That’s how much this bothers me.

I Can’t Help Pondering…

Given the argument of Planet Funny: How Comedy Took Over Our Culture by Ken Jennings, I wonder about his approach to the subject of the afterlife. Sure, even Planet Funny was frequently funny as it critiqued the overuse of humor in our culture, but for his next book to take this tone, seems to undercut the work.

Or maybe it just shows that even as he can look with clear eyes at some of the weaknesses of our culture, he’s part of it and is subject to the influences. It’s almost like he’s human.

So, what did I think about 100 Places to See After You Die?

This section is going to be shorter than usual because I think I’ve pretty much answered the question already.

From the “throwaway lines” to the big ideas, this was a delight from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this approach to the subjects—quick hits that tell you the essentials and make you smile while telling them.

Jennings’ style is one I aspire to, and can’t say enough good things about.

I can’t think of a reason not to give this 5 Stars, but my gut tells me not to. So I’ll knock it down to 4 1/2 (which isn’t a big deal since Goodreads, NetGalley, etc. won’t let me use 1/2 stars, I’ll round up). It’s educational, it’s entertaining, and it’s thought-provoking. You can’t go wrong with this.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Scribner via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

PUB DAY SPOTLIGHT: Man on a Murder Cycle by Mark Pepper

By HCNewton

On May 30, 2023

In Book Tour, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

I’d been planning on posting about Mark Peppers’s Man on a Murder Cycle this morning, but sadly I’m about an hour away from finishing it. Hopefully I can get something in this space tomorrow. But, today is Release Day and I want to get at least something up about it today–Mark Pepper and Red Dog Press have put out a heckuva book and I want to help them get eyeballs on it. At this point, I can think of at least 5 different ways this book will likely end, and I’m pretty sure they’re all wrong–and what I have waiting for me over the next 25% is going to throw me for a loop.

Book Details:

Book Title: Man on a Murder Cycle by Mark Pepper
Publisher: Red Dog Press
Release date: May 29, 2023
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 505 pages

About the Book

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE AN AUTHOR BETRAYED.

Tom Roker’s debut thriller was an instant bestseller. Since then, he has written four more books, none of which have been published. His reputation has faded from overnight success to one-hit wonder.

Now, finally, he’s making a comeback. His latest novel, Man on a Murder Cycle, is a blockbuster. The dark tale of Milton, a vengeful biker with a penchant for brutal acts of violence, perfectly recaptures the mood of Roker’s first novel. And everyone loves it!

It’s just a shame he didn’t write it.

The real author is recently deceased. Roker stole the manuscript, passing it off as his own. He’s covered his tracks well, so the trivial matter of who wrote what can be overlooked.

That is, until a mad man on a big bike starts killing people, exactly as described in the stolen novel – even those scenes that didn’t make the final cut.

Only one person can know what was written in those scenes, and he’s dead.

Isn’t he?

Purchase Link

Get it from Red Dog Press

(it’s probably also available on Amazon, Kobo, Google Play Books, and all good bookshops—but why not support an independent publisher?)

About the Author

Chris Mark lives in Manchester with his wife of 30 years, Jeannifer, and his daughter, Jade.
In his day job, Mark is an Intelligence Analyst for a financial regulator in Washington DC. He is a qualified secondary school drama teacher, and worked as an actor for fifteen years, having graduated from RADA in 1990.

His first two novels, The Short Cut and Man on a Murder Cycle, were published by Hodder & Stoughton, and his third, Veteran Avenue, originally published by Urbane and now by Red Dog Press. Veteran Avenue, is mainly set in LA, and is currently being developed as a TV series by the actor Warren Brown.

Find him on twitter: @PepSixSix

How Has Book Blogging Changed the Way I Read? (Blogiversary ruminations)

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2023

In Books, Calendar Items, News/Misc.

This was originally published for my 8th Blogiversary, and I liked it enough that I figured it was worth reposting today. There’s some unfortunate overlap with other posts from today, but I’m feeling self-indulgent enough to do it anyway.

I started this thing on May 29, 2013, with no real idea of what I was doing—or getting myself into. At this point, I’m still not sure what I’m doing. But, I’m apparently doing it for a while.

A few months ago, one of the blogger prompt/meme things asked “How has book blogging changed the way you read?” As per my norm, I over-thought it and didn’t get around to writing anything for that particular day/week’s prompt. But that question has lingered in the back of my mind. So here are some thoughts about it—I’d have preferred to polish this some more. But I’m pretty sure if I polished/reworked this to the extend I want, there’s no way it’d go up today. It might be ready for my 9th Blogiversary (almost certainly my 10th).

How Has Book Blogging Changed the Way I Read?

I think about what I’m going to read more

I decide to read a book largely by whim (or I picked a book in a series or by an author months/years/decades ago by whim and have to keep going), but the question of when is given thought. But it’s kind of the same thing—did I just read something in a similar genre? Do I have time due to library due dates, blog tour, publication date?

Pros: Thinking about reading is almost as good as actually reading, and I generally enjoy the thinking.
Cons: I feel a little silly when I think about how much effort I put into this. Also, I can slip into spending too much time on this to the neglect of other things—like a youtube hole. I’m not talking about hours or anything. But I can spend a ridiculous amount of time on it. Deciding what to put for the “What are You Going to Read Next” part of a WWW Wednesday post can easily take 3-5x longer than assembling the post itself.

I’m better informed about selecting what I read

I almost never go into a book blind anymore—I know something about the book, the author, or the publisher. Someone—not an algorithm—has done something to bring it to my attention.

Pros: Forewarned is forearmed, right?
Cons: Even before the pandemic eliminated this possibility, it’s been forever since I just browsed my library’s New Release shelf (or any other shelf) just to see if something caught my eye. I’ve stumbled onto real gems that way.

I think about what I read more

The origin story of this blog focuses on this point. I used to just read constantly, one book from the next, and would barely give what I read any thought. Just put one book down and pick up the next. It bugged me, but I couldn’t do much about it. My family would only put up with so much book talk from me—my eldest was a young teen when I started this and my youngest was in early elementary school, just not the right ages to talk about most of what I read, and my wife did/does listen to me prattle on, but even her eyes glaze over at a point. So writing about every (or almost every) book I read helped me stop, think about, consider, evaluate, and spend more time in each book.

I should note that there are now four people in “Real Life” I can chat with about books—which is nice. Thanks, Paul, Nicole, Tony, and Adrianne.

Pros: I stopped feeling like I was short-changing myself and the effort the authors put into what I read. Sure, I’d think about what I read a little, but not much—at least not enough to satisfy myself. I know I’m getting a lot more out of what I read.

I read more widely

Sure, if you look at my genre breakdowns, it may not look like it. But from my point of view, I’m reading a greater variety of things than I think I would’ve. For example, I can’t imagine I’d have heard of, much less purchased from, 95% of the indie presses/authors I follow now. That goes for a lot of non-indie authors, too. This goes along with the being better informed—I’m reading other readers’ blogs/tweets and whatnot, and people I’ve never heard of are asking me to read their stuff (I’m still getting used to this idea, and that’s been happening for 7 years). Sub-genres, perspectives, settings, you name it—there’s a greater variety to my menu. (even bigger if I throw in the “I should get into that one day” list)

I re-read less

I have a hard time spending time with a book unless I can think of something to do with it for the blog. Which means fewer re-reads. No one wants to read bi-annual posts about Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout—and I probably can’t find things to say about it every few months.

Pros: I’m sure there are some.
Cons: I miss re-reading. I’d do it because I love the world, the characters, the author, whatever. And I like revisiting them. I like getting to know them better, understanding more, finding details I’d missed and/or forgotten. It used to be when I got sick, I’d grab a random Nero Wolfe book for some comfort to go along with the chicken soup, but I haven’t done that in, well at least 6 years (hmmm, that’s 2 Wolfe references on this point, I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something).

The best part

When I actually get to the reading. When I get the couple of minutes-a few hours to read, all of the above stops mattering. I don’t think about blogging, I don’t think about my reading schedule, or any of the other paraphernalia. I’m just lost in a book, I’m really no different than the seven-year-old kid on his first out-of-state road trip with his parents who didn’t realize how mind-numbingly dull riding in a car would be so didn’t bring anything to read. He ended up complaining so much that his parents stopped, bought a couple of books at a grocery store, and shut him up for the next week or so as he read the two books—Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective and Sugar Creek Gang: Screams in the Night*—multiple times, perfectly content to be lost in the worlds created by Donald J. Sobol and Paul Hutchens**, while his family was having fun in this one***.

At the end of the day, that’s what counts, right?

* More than four decades later I still have both of those books.
** Mysteries and a thriller. Pretty easy to see the effect of that on me, isn’t it?
*** Make no mistake, when we got to Disneyland, Universal Studios, etc.—I put the books down and had fun. Even I’m not that strange.

They Asked, so I Answer (just about) Anything for My 10th Blogiversary

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2023

In Miscellany, News/Misc.

As has been noted previously, today marks 10 years since I started putting things up on teh IntraWebs as The Irresponsible Reader. inspired by A Literary Escape (and some others that I forgot to note), I decided to do a little AMA to go along with that. I had a great time doing this—and hope at least one other person enjoys reading this 1/8th as much as I enjoyed the questions.

Thank you to JCM Berne, Kyle, Paul Nydegger, Noelle Holten, Lashaan Balasingam, Celeste, Jodie, Bob Germaux, and (a different) Noelle for these questions.

I should have realized that my good friend Paul, who is convinced (and is correct) that I don’t make fast enough progress through certain series/authors’ works, would take this opportunity to publically nag me. Well played, Paul, well played.

I realize now that I maybe should’ve split this up into a few posts, because I get to rambling here. But…eh…no one says you have to read it all at once. Come back and finish it up.

What are your beard care secrets? (You have a very handsome beard)
asked by: JCM Berne, http://jcmberne.com
When I initially asked for questions for this, I said “I’d prefer the questions to be about books, reading, the blog—that sort of thing.” But did leave the door open for anything. It took precisely…zero questions for someone to walk through that door. I asked for it. But I do think this will give me a chance to display my superpower.

First, thanks for the compliment. The key to my beard care is minimalism. I’m too lazy to shave regularly, hence the beard. I’m lousy at trimming it, hence the length. Wash it 2-3 times a week with a beard soap/shampoo. Pat dry—don’t let the towel do much damage. Use a good beard oil or balm (I prefer the latter). Don’t use vinyl or plastic combs/brushes (the whole static thing might be an Old Wives’ Tale, but why take chances?), I use wooden combs, boar’s hair brushes, or a metal pick. I haven’t found Biotin or any of the vitamins frequently recommended to be that helpful. What I have found is that as your own health goes, so goes the health of your beard.

Here’s the superpower bit, I can take any conversation and work in a recommendation for a book. I usually realize I did it after the fact, but occasionally I do it with forethought. Like here. This comes from Jack Passion’s book, The Facial Hair Handbook, and a couple of barbers who have guided my pogonotrophy.

Have you ever dabbled in writing fiction?
asked by: Kyle (who has a website, but apparently doesn’t want publicity)
I have dabbled in Fiction. Like anyone obsessed with books as I have been for most of my life, I’ve often thought about writing my own work. In college, I had a double-major—and Creative Writing was one of those. I didn’t end up getting that degree, because it would’ve required another semester just to get 4 credits, and that was too much money for me at the time. I’ve taken a couple of courses in writing since then, too, and tried one local workshop that wasn’t a fit. One thing that I learned from my time in my Creative Writing classes is that I was surrounded by writers that far outclassed me. But I did produce a few short stories that I liked (and a few that I’m iffy about)—and several humorous essays that I really liked.

I’ve completed NaNoWriMo a few times in the recent past—one book that’s sort of a Werewolf/Lad Lit combo—the kind of thing that Mike Chen would do (but this was years before I read him). Then I tried what can best be described as a reboot of the 80s show Voyagers (a reference very few readers are going to get), but in a Riordan-esque MG way—a Father-Son Time Travel team fixing problems in the timeline. The third book I completed the word count on, but was nowhere near finished—a reverse portal-fantasy where a band of Fantasy adventurers find themselves in the Pacific Northwest. The Werewolf novel is the one I’d really like to get back to one day to see if I can beat it into a decent shape. The Fantasy novel is beyond my abilities. And the Time Travel book would take too much research, so forget it.

For now, it’s all about time and dedication. Or, as Angela Duckworth would put it, grit. And I find myself lacking that when it comes to my own work.

Why are you so slow with Slow Horses?
asked by: Paul Nydegger
I have no earthly idea. It makes no sense to me at all. You’ll be happy to know that within 24 hours of this posting, I will have started the next in the series. At the rate I’m going, I’ll catch up by….

2029 (unless he writes a new book between now and then).

I’d better pick up the pace.

If you could meet any author (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Happy 10yrs!
asked by: Noelle Holten, https://www.crimebookjunkie.co.uk
Thanks, Noelle!!

This is the easiest question in this post! Obviously, the only correct answer is the best-selling author of the DC Maggie Jamieson series and 6 Ripley Avenue, Noelle Holton!

Seriously…to answer that with one name of a living author is just impossible. A dead one would be equally difficult. But okay, I’ll play the game—Rex Stout. I’ve been fascinated with him for decades, have read his biography a couple of times, and numerous short pieces by people who knew him. His life before he got into novel writing is the stuff of fiction—and then when he got into fiction…it’s truly something special.

I’m not just saying this to be nice—it’d be great to meet just about every author I’ve featured here in the last 10 years (there are a few exceptions, but I won’t name names). If I named the ones I’d particularly enjoy spending time with, this post would get too long (and I’d probably forget someone and be haunted by it). But if any author reading this finds themselves in the Boise area—the first round of drinks (of whatever kind) is on me! Probably the second and third, too.

That goes double for Noelle Holten.

Based on your 10-year experience (congrats, by the way!!), what do you recommend to all bloggers if they would like to sustain a healthy blogging routine?
asked by: Lashaan Balasingam, https://roarsandechoes.com/
Thanks!

Lashaan, my friend, I read these questions to my daughter a few days back. When I read this one, she just laughed and said tell him to do everything you don’t. Healthy routines and I are passing acquaintances at best.

So this is (largely) from the “Not What I Do” file.
Find a pattern that works for you—one that allows you to spend time with your friends, family, and loved ones. One, very importantly, that allows you adequate sleep and exercise. Then you need to read (and in your case, there’s also watching and playing stuff). The blogging gets some of the rest of the time—oh, you probably need to work.

Follow that up with being flexible—what pattern works for you now, may not in 3 months. So, adjust. Try new things. Listen to your body when it comes to energy, look for the signs of mental wear and tear, and do something to shake things up to prevent it.

Lastly, and most importantly, no matter what routine you settle on—be gracious with yourself. If your routine falters, or if you fail to stick with it. Shake it off (as Ms. Swift would instruct) and move on. Remember this is a hobby (unless you become one of those people that starts paying their bills with that—at which point, I figure you have to forget about health and just dive in whole-heartedly) and that it should be fun. Don’t lose sight of that.

Just before posting this I thought of another point. It’s small, but it helped tremendously. A couple of years ago, I made a reference to loving the subheadings some blogger was using in her reviews (can’t remember who, but am pretty sure it was a she, and she was clever), and how I wished I had thought of doing something like that. Bookstooge said something like, “well, just start doing it yourself.” And I did—I actually don’t think I would have, if he hadn’t said that.

This tweak to my writing routine helped me tremendously. I have an outline for every post going in (one that I can play with, I’m not beholden to it), so I don’t have to think of how I’m going to structure things. It makes it easier for me to write in sections and not have to worry about the flow of the posts—and it helps the reader (I assume) navigate what they want to read. It was a tiny thing, but it has proved to be a game changer. Again, flexibility.

It’s laughable to me that you’d ask me anything about blogging—your sites and posts are visually my favorites out there, and your content is top-notch. From my vantage point, you’ve got it figured out. That’s likely not true (who among us has?), but it looks that way. Keep doing what you’re doing…

Who or what introduced you to reading and were you always an avid reader?
asked by: Celeste, https://aliteraryescape.com
First, thanks for the idea behind this post. It’s been a blast.

My Mom introduced me to reading me a lot. I’m not saying my Dad didn’t read to me, but I have no memories of it (not that I have a lot of memories of being read to by my Mom, either, but she’s talked about it). Once I got into school and started reading independently, she was diligent in taking me to the local Library until I could get there by the power of my own two feet (Burley Public Library and Payette Public Library—I feel safe saying those words because neither city can be used to get at my passwords)—and believe me, that diligence was not easy (stupid 3 books at a time limit), because, yeah, I was always an avid reader.

I’ve told this story before, but the privilege of age means I get to tell it again. The first time I realized (and likely my parents realized, too) just how avid a reader I was/would be came the summer after second grade. My family was on a forever-long road trip (Eastern Idaho to Southern California) and I was bored, so I demanded my parents buy me something to read. Clearly, I wasn’t a pleasure to be stuck in a station wagon with, because at the next town, they did. I got two books, Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Sugar Creek Gang Screams in the Night. I read them both several times before we got back to Idaho (I don’t think I demanded or received another book on the trip). That was the last time I went somewhere over 40 minutes away from my home without at least one book.

What genre, if any, do you find yourself not reading a lot of?
asked by: Celeste, https://aliteraryescape.com
Westerns, Romance, and Horror. I have nothing against the idea of them—and have read good books in all of them—but I never think of looking for anything in those genres, and most books I come across in those genres don’t sound that interesting. Zombie novels aren’t really a genre (and fit into a handful of them, anyway)—I’m on the record of saying I don’t like them, but the number of them that I’ve read in the last 10 years suggests I might not be as against them as I think I am.

Although, as I write this, I realize I might be in the middle of a Horror novel that I thought was something else. But I’m pretty sure that’s my fault for not doing a better job of reading the synopsis—I read the first half and was sold. I think I like it (although I think I’d have liked it better if it was what I thought it was going to be).

What is one of your favorite reading related memories?

Happy upcoming blogiversary!!!
asked by: Jodie, https://wittyandsarcasticbookclub.home.blog/
Thank you, Jodie!

Ooooh…that’s a good one. I probably shouldn’t use that California trip story again, eh?

A lot of my memories are tied to a particular book, so I’d have to think about a book to come up with one, you know? But let’s see what I can come up with.

I remember loaning Dragons of Winter Night to a friend in the 8th grade—and her almost getting the book confiscated by our Science Teacher for reading during a lecture. I clearly didn’t learn anything from that because I then loaned her Dragons of Spring Dawning, which she also almost had confiscated when she broke down crying when the first major character death in that book occurred—this time in Math Class. Okay, I probably learned a lesson the first time—but there was no way my 13-year-old self could’ve said no to a pretty girl who could smile at me like that. It didn’t help my romantic cause any, but…

There was the time I had to dash off to my bedroom one Saturday afternoon to finish Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog so my (then) very young kids didn’t see their father bawling (my wife had finished the book a couple of days earlier, so knew what was going on and kept them distracted). That’s not a favorite, really, but it’s very vivid.

I remember my 9-year-old son (now father of the Grandcritter) who got so invested in the Skullduggery Pleasant series (and who can blame him?) that he and his mom designed a costume for it—and how devastated he was that the Borders staff didn’t realize that’s what he was during their store costume contest. I’m guessing if we’d been better about supporting our Indie Bookstore at the time, someone would’ve recognized it. Not a particularly happy memory, but man…he was so invested in that book that it made my heart grow 3 sizes.

When his sister was 9, she decided that she was old enough to read The Help, and we let her give it a shot. I don’t think she understood everything, but she got enough of it to justify the time she spent. That’s another memory I’m going to keep for forever—it also would be cause enough for many people to vote against me for Library or School Boards, I realize.

Oh, here’s a favorite (just needed to free associate for a bit): Reading The Godfather in the first week of 7th grade was impressive enough to the High Schoolers on the School Bus that they decided I got a pass from the hazing/bullying they had intended for us new riders. It was a fantastic read, too—but the part I remember most was the hint of respect in their voice as they talked about me reading it.

I’m not sure that I actually answered your question, but it took up a lot of space. 🙂

I wanted to share some exciting news with you about a powerful tool that
can revolutionize the way you create content for your business.

Introducing..Ai Pal

See why this may be the last AI app you ever need…
asked by: Shawn Whatmore
I cut this off because no one wants to read it. But I’m sharing this much so people can see what a lousy marketer you really are. Seriously—take a moment to read the form you went to the trouble of filling out. Alex Trebek would be quick to point out that this was not in the form of a question, and anyone can tell it has nothing to do with the subject at hand. If this was the work of an AI/AI-wannabe-bot, your software clearly isn’t worth anyone throwing money at it, either.

Do you sleep with one eye open in case Fiona [Griffiths] finds out you haven’t read all of her books?
asked by: Paul Nydegger
Ha! I finally finished that series last Summer. You can’t beat me up for the inexplicably long time I took on that one, buddy boy.

When you did a Q&A with me some time ago, H.C., you asked about my routine when writing my books, so I’ll turn that around on you now. Do you work on the blog at a certain time each day, or just whenever you find time? Does the routine vary over the weekends? Is there an average number of hours that you spend on the blog each day? And do you prefer working during the day or at night (perhaps when the house is quieter)? Inquiring minds want to know the answers to these questions. Oh, and congrats on the blogiversary. Very cool word.
asked by: Bob Germaux (another writer with a website they don’t want promoted)
Back when I started this thing, I worked graveyard—and my bosses didn’t care much what we did to stay awake to do our duties as long as what we did didn’t keep us from our duties. So I got into the habit of blogging between 4-6 a.m. Thankfully, those days are behind me and I can actually sleep during those hours—the only sensible thing to do with them.

Typically, I work on the blog between 10-12 at night on weekdays, maybe a little on either side. Occasionally, I’ll get up extra-early to finish something (typically for a Blog Tour or something), or maybe during my lunch hour. It’s not so much that the house is quieter that time of day—although, it is, now that I think about it—it’s that my wife has gone to bed so I don’t have to worry about inadvertently—or intentionally—ignoring her. Saturdays, when I’m not doing something with my wife/kids, is for emails, Q&As, bigger projects, things like this post, and whatnot.

Is there a Kleenex shortage in your town, is that why you haven’t read all of Fredrik Backman’s incredible works?
asked by: Paul Nydegger
Um…yeah. That’s the ticket! A Kleenex shortage. A Kleenex shortage caused by Morgan Fairchild (whom I’ve met)…yeah, yeah, that’s the ticket!

Seriously, I have no idea why I’ve only read two of Backman’s books. I’d say that I was planning on fixing that tout de suite, but I wouldn’t believe me any more than you would. I’ve been saying it since 2015.

If a character representing you could be written into a book in any genre but you would become that character and could only live that storyline, what life would you want to live?
asked by: Noelle, http://perrydogpublishing.com/
That’s a head-scratcher. I’ve had fun playing with this idea since you sent it in. Here are my thoughts as of this moment:
I’d die in a New York minute were I a character in a Fantasy or SFF (unless it was a cozy, and even then, I don’t like my chances). Are there cozy Westerns? Same answer—also lack of plumbing is a no-go (another reason to avoid being put into a Fantasy novel). I’m just not smart enough, really, to be a protagonist in a Mystery or Urban Fantasy—maybe I could be the best friend/sidekick, or possibly comic relief.

I guess, ultimately, some sort of Lad Lit/Rom Com/Commercial Women’s Fiction kind of thing is my best bet at living past retirement age and living a decent storyline. Preferably one of those where the character gets serious about their health/fitness, because I need that. Also, those characters seem like they find okay and fulfilling ways to live on the whole.

That’s at least my second reference to my health in this post. I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something.

I’m going to close with this email for 2 reasons…it’s the last thing that was submitted, and it’s the perfect closer (but I’ll take it down a font size for the sake of your eyes).

Ok, not a question, but my feelings about you and your blog. Growing up, I had a less-than-nurturing childhood. The one safe constant for me was the Library that was across the street. I use to go over there almost daily. The librarians would have me do chores and they would give me treats and let me check out extra books (I know, I know, letting me check out extra books when I lived across the street was a naïve bonus that I didn’t realize how those old biddies manipulated me until over 50 years later!!). I was a voracious reader. I started down a path of addiction when I was 12 years old. My reading slowly grounded to a halt. I read maybe one or two books a year (usually to impress a girl 🙂 ). By the time I was in my twenties, I was fully immersed in The Darkness. I would choose to live in The Darkness for nearly three decades. In February of 2006, when I was at my absolute end, God did for me what I could not do for myself. I was arrested on Felony drug charges and forced into treatment. After completing my Court-mandated treatment program, I found a new purpose for my life. I wanted to become a counselor myself for the treatment program that saved my life. Our paths crossed shortly after my graduation in 2007. You first introduced me to an incredible world of Film and TV (disclaimer: still pissed about how long you held out on me with Breaking Bad…yes, your intentions were noble and good, I probably wasn’t ready at first, but you held out for at least an extra year…just saying!). And through this you started suggesting books. And then more books. And then more books. And now, reading is the foundation of my self-care. I have been a counselor for that Court treatment program for….you guessed it, the past 10 years (October 22, 2012 anniversary date). The current climate with addiction is very frightening and I hear and deal with so much death. Two last week. The only way I can decompress, suit up and show up the next day, is by unplugging each night and plugging into a book. I know you know how much your friendship means to me. But I don’t think I’ve ever told you how your passion reignited my passion which has become my anchor. Thank you. Here’s to the next 10 years!!!
not asked, but written, by: Paul Nydegger

I don’t know how to respond…I’ve read this half a dozen or more times and still don’t.

TEN(!!!!!) YEARS of The Irresponsible Reader. (or, Happy Blogiversary to me.)

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2023

In Calendar Items, Miscellany, News/Misc.

Several years ago, back when (to borrow from Douglas Adams)

spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri

I found myself reading too quickly, without any reflection, or really thinking about it. I was practically binging non-stop. I’d end up checking out the same book from the library multiple times and wouldn’t understand why it felt so familiar (that’s when I started keeping a log). I didn’t like that. Authors deserved a reader who would take a beat and think about the book, who’d really appreciate their work. Also, what was the point of reading like I was just going through them like Pringles? What was the benefit to me (other than keeping me occupied)?

So I plunged into Goodreads, resolving to post something about every book I read, as a way to force myself to ruminate at least a little on what I was consuming. I wanted to soak it all in. But I largely didn’t have any Friends or Followers there and wasn’t good about finding people to interact with, so it was easy to take breaks from it and fall into old, sloppy habits.

I’d been blogging for over a decade in a few places—some related to theology and whatnot, and I had a personal blog about everything—I thought about putting my Goodreads reviews there, but no one seemed to read/care about any blog post I had about books. So why go to the trouble?

But I’d heard about book bloggers. It’s important for me to say this—I had never read a book blog at this point. But I liked the idea. If I’m just one voice in thousands on Goodreads, who notices if I don’t say anything? But if I’m the voice on a blog (even if only 3 people see it), it’ll be noticed that I stop.

I played around with a few templates, copied over a handful of my most recent Goodreads posts, and dug in with this post. After posting pretty regularly for a month or so, I started to tell people that I’d done it. But not many—I think I was up and running for about three months before I showed my wife! I just wanted to make sure I could do it regularly.

Then I started reading book blogs and tried to up my game.

10 years and 4,455 posts, 2 template facelifts, 2 webhosts, and thousands and thousands of pages read later, here we are.

More important than the numbers—I’ve had a blast doing this. I’ve read so many great things—many, many things I’d never have even heard of without this blog. I’ve corresponded with more great authors than I can think of—and best of all, there’s you readers.

I want to thank all of you for your time, your comments, your encouragement—and occasionally, your editing (I always appreciate it, I just regret the necessity). I assure you that every view, every like, every comment, every retweet, every email is encouraging and I can’t thank you enough. Hopefully, I’m saying that often enough.

(So I don’t get accused of plagiarism, or preparing myself…I borrowed some of this from my post Book Blogger Hop: My Book Blogger Origin Story)

Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition by Bruce Shelley, Revision Editor Marshall Shelley: Gets Too Much Wrong

By HCNewton

On May 28, 2023

In History, Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Church History in Plain Language, Fifth Edition

by Bruce L. Shelley, Revision Editor: Marshall Shelley

DETAILS:
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Publication Date: July 13, 2021
Format: E-book
Length: 624 pg.
Read Date: March 27-May 23, 2023

What’s Church History in Plain Language About?

From the Publisher’s website:

Bruce Shelley’s classic history of the church brings the story of global Christianity into the twenty-first century. Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley begins each chapter with three elements: characters, setting, plot. Taking readers from the early centuries of the church up through the modern era he tells his readers a story of actual people, in a particular situation, taking action or being acted upon, provides a window into the circumstances and historical context, and from there develops the story of a major period or theme of Christian history. Covering recent events, this book also:

Details the rapid growth of evangelical and Pentecostal Christianity in the southern hemisphere

Addresses the decline in traditional mainline denominations

Examines the influence of technology on the spread of the gospel

Discusses how Christianity intersects with other religions in countries all over the world

For this fifth edition, Marshall Shelley brought together a team of historians, historical theologians, and editors to revise and update this father’s classic text. The new edition adds important stories of the development of Christianity in Asia, India, and Africa, both in the early church as well as in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It also highlights the stories of women and non-Europeans who significantly influenced the development of Christianity but whose contributions are often overlooked in previous overviews of church history.

This concise book provides an easy-to-read guide to church history with intellectual substance. The new edition of Church History in Plain Language promises to set a new standard for readable church history.

Bad History

This book is just filled with errors—or questionable statements. The one that threw me for a loop was the description of the Council of Nicea, when the text cites the Nicene Creed (325) saying that this is the one that was agreed upon there. But what is cited is the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (from 381) with the Filioque clause (from 1014). Humbug.

The section on Calvin was a mess. In a discussion, I summed up the section on English Puritans as, “Tell me you’ve never read the Puritans without saying you’ve never read the Puritans.” It’s one thing for Max Weber or H.L. Mencken to mischaracterize them, it’s something else for fellow believers to do it.

And the Crusades? They’re given a tiny amount of space (I’ll be generous and say 6 pages…1 percent of the total work), and the explanation of them is half-hearted at best. Given that people of several faiths (and those without faith) still use the Crusades to evaluate Christianity and the way it interacts with the rest of the world, the reader is not well served that they’re given short shrift.

And I’m no historian—I’m a hobbyist at best when it comes to a couple of time periods in Church History. If I can find problems like that—off of one reading—how many more are there? (this is not an exhaustive list of the problems I noted, just some of the more glaring ones—and ones that I’m more confident in).

The Problem of Perspective

The perspective of this book comes from all over the place. Whatever Shelley did in revising this, he didn’t edit it enough so that the perspective is unified. That’d be okay if each chapter/part of a chapter was identified by a particular contributor. Chapter X is by Y, from such-and-such School/Background. Chapter A is by B, from this other Church. Then you could understand where divergent voices are coming from and understand some of the prejudices (as much or as little as they’re tried to be eliminated).

But here, it’s presented as one voice—when it clearly isn’t—and the perspective isn’t identified. So we get this section with a heavy Anabaptist sympathy, another section with some latent Modalism, some Dispensationalism, and so on.

I just kept getting whiplash as I’d read, where was this coming from?

So, what did I think about Church History in Plain Language?

For a few weeks, I’d been leaning toward giving this 2 Stars (but hoping something would make me change my mind so I could give it at least 3). At least the scope of this work should cause me to give it the benefit of the doubt.

But…I just can’t do that. If you can’t get something so basic as the history and content of the Nicene Creed right, it’s a problem. This is a history book, you should, you know…get the history right. I’ve got other examples—but this is sufficient. If you can’t get the big things like this right, why should I trust you in the lesser?

A bigger problem is being as casual about Christology as this is. If you’re going to be writing a book of Church History, you should get the essentials right. Again, I have other examples—but why? And again, if you’re not trustworthy here, why should I trust you elsewhere?

Now, I’ve been intending on reading this book since I was in college—it was probably the Second Edition that my roommate had on his shelf (but who knows, maybe it was the first). But I hadn’t gotten around to it. I really wish I had read it then, so I’d know how much of the weaknesses of this edition were characteristic of Bruce L. Shelley and how much comes from his son and his collaborators in this mess.

It’s a history book—at most, it should interest and educate a reader—it should not make the reader upset, much less angry. And I got angry multiple times.

At the end of the day, this was a waste of 600+ pages and a whole lot of my time. Avoid this.

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

Saturday Miscellany—5/27/23

By HCNewton

On May 27, 2023

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

No real time for an introduction today (“No blather,” you all cheer) for what feels like a very miscellany list. Hope you enjoy and have a good long* weekend!

* From what I can tell this applies to almost every reader that stops by location, if not by current vocation. If this doesn’t apply to you, I hope you have a good regular-sized weekend, or at least one day off.

Odds ‘n ends about books and reading that caught my eye this week. You’ve probably seen some/most/all of them, but just in case:
bullet Independent bookselling expanded again in 2022, with new and diverse stores opening nationwide—groovy news.
bullet I’ve read almost 50 books so far and the year is not halfway over. Here’s how.
bullet The State Of Being A Published Writer In 2023 Is Really Weird, And A Little Worrisome—Chuck Wendig has a few things to say (and do keep reading through the end)
bullet The big idea: why you should embrace your inner fan—Not about reading per se, but it applies
bullet How do You Write Compelling Characters? Find the Source of Their Pain—I’ve read a few books by Copperman, and “pain” isn’t the first word I’d associate with his material. But reading this, it makes a lot of sense.
bullet Do You Know Who Illustrated This Classic Wrinkle in Time Cover?—I don’t know how I’d managed to forget this cover (I likely spent as much time looking at this cover as I did reading the book the umpteen times I did read it as a kid).
bullet Dos and Don’ts for Reading Outside—the last “Don’t” is where I always failed until I got a backyard, and, well…
bullet Place and Tome: On Two Kinds of Unforgettable Reading Experiences
bullet CrimeBookJunkie turned 8 this week!—Congrats to Noelle Holten for hitting this landmark! Hope it’s just the beginning.
bullet I missed this last week, but Beth Tabler has assembled a great list of 100 Fantastic Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories Written by Women #100 – 70, #69 – 34, and #33 – 1
bullet Hanna’s Holy Grail or White Whale—a bookseller’s hunt for a beloved childhood novel
bullet Book Confessions: I’ll Never Outgrow YA Books
bullet This worked out so well last week, I’ll just repeat it. Check out the Week 3 Wyrd and Wonder Quest Logs at Dear Geek Place and The Book Nook
bullet The Fantasy Hero Blues—Peat Long’s latest contribution to Wyrd & Wonder

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon (I have the impression that I’m forgetting one or two…):
bullet The Moonshine Messiah by William Johnson—this looks too good. A woman sheriff in WV has to tangle with an anti-government militia led by her brother.