Author: HCNewton Page 206 of 610

The Friday 56 for 9/30/22: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

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On September 30, 2022

In Currently Reading, News/Misc., Quotations, The Friday 56

The Friday 56This is a weekly bloghop hosted by Freda’s Voice.

RULES:
The Friday 56 Grab a book, any book.
The Friday 56 Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your ereader. If you have to improvise, that is okay.
The Friday 56 Find a snippet, short and sweet.
The Friday 56 Post it.

from Page 56 of:
A Death in Door County

A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan

He paused and pulled at his beard. “I suppose one explanation is that whatever bit them fellas carried them to the waters near the beaches where they were found.”

“But why?” I said, a mostly rhetorical question. I was merely thinking aloud. “If the men weren’t killed for food, why were they killed? It doesn’t fit with typical animal behavior.”

“Well, this ain’t exactly a typical animal we’re thinking about here, is it?” Marty said, arching those scraggly eyebrows.

Directed by James Burrows (Audiobook) by James Burrows et al: Behind the Scenes of the Best Sit Coms

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On September 29, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Non-Fiction

Directed by James BurrowsDirected by James Burrows
Five Decades of Stories
from the Legendary
Director of Taxi,
Cheers, Frasier, Friends,
Will & Grace, and More

by James Burrows, with Eddy Friedfeld; Narrated by James Burrows and Danny Campbell

DETAILS:
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication Date: June 6, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 12 hrs., 18 min.
Read Date: September 23-26, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Directed by James Burrows About?

This is largely a professional memoir about the long and storied career of TV director/producer James Burrows.

The book starts with a chapter and a half (or so) describing his childhood, early family life, and so on—talking about his father’s Broadway writing and directing a bit and how that did/didn’t influence his career choices. Then we get about a half-chapter talking about his education/theater work. Which is all a lead-up to his TV career. We get a little more of his personal life sprinkled in throughout the following chapters, but not much—Burrows knows the interest in his own story is in the stories he told—and more importantly—helped others to tell. That’s where the focus of the book is—he’s giving the people what they want.

And it feels like a pretty a fairly exhaustive tale of the various shows he worked on and his involvement in them, with an occasional interlude to talk about something like screwball comedy and why one would use it, with some examples from his own career. There’s no way it can be exhaustive—and it sure isn’t detailed by any means*—he’s got too much under his belt, but he comes close.

* That’s a description, not a criticism. Burrows gives plenty of details, but not blow-by-blow kind of stuff too often.

He starts with a discussion of his time on The Mary Tyler Moore Show where he learned from some of the best around how to do what he does—and a lot about comedy. Then he moves on to where he becomes a driving influence on the show—and that’s the majority of the book. Which is what’s named in the subtitle: Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace. There’s plenty covered in the “and More” for sure—including many things I hadn’t realized he’d worked on (but make a lot of sense knowing that he did). The book does cover what he did in 2020 and 2021, so it’s about as up-to-date as you could want.

The stories of these shows include a lot of how they came about in terms of writers and networks and what kind of story they were going to tell before moving into casting, shooting the early episodes, audience reception, and success. The bulk of the material is behind-the-scenes, but there are a lot of descriptions of what ends up on-screen (including short-to-lengthy portions of the script), and how it landed. Most of his work is done with a live studio audience, so the immediate audience reception is almost more important than the TV audience’s.

There are stories of failure, things not working out quite right—and how he/the show recovered—either immediately or long-term. But almost all of the book is about the successes (why give more than a few sentences, for example, to a pilot episode that less than 100 people have seen/will see?)

The Narration

Burrows has some performing in his background, but not a lot. And that’s pretty evident in the narration here. He’s just not that good—there’s very little feeling in it—even when he’s telling a story he clearly (and correctly ) thinks is funny, you don’t hear it. When it’s an emotional moment for him, you don’t hear it. His affect is pretty much the same no matter what he’s talking about, and that really hurts the book.

Also, when he’s reading dialogue from a scene? You wonder how an actor will listen to him and come up with a good way to deliver a line. That feels harsh to say, but that’s the way it struck me. I think here it’s a deliberate choice—my gut tells me it’s a desire not to try to do an impression of an actor (especially one that would come across as unflattering) or he could be avoiding trying to give a different/competing take on the line. I don’t know—it comes across as flat, and these lines shouldn’t.*

* See We Had a Little Real Estate Problem for where a similar approach to narration worked better.

I know Burrows can tell a good story—I’ve heard and seen him interviewed. But here, he just comes across as wooden.

So, what did I think about Directed by James Burrows?

It’s clear to readers of this blog that I read a lot, but I could’ve easily done a TV-watching blog—and started one about the same time as this (but that’s another story). James Burrows is one of the first non-actors whose name I recognized as creating the TV I watched back in elementary school, and his involvement in a show will definitely get me to watch at least an episode or two if I’m at all interested in the premise. I’m the target audience for this book, no doubt.

The material overcame the narration—the first chapter and a half were really rough, I couldn’t connect with it at all, and was thinking about giving up. But once he moved into TV, I got over the fact that I didn’t care for the narration and had a blast with the book. The man has many insights, anecdotes, and memories that TV fans will eat up, and shares many of them.

Directed by James Burrows is full of trivia, insights, and just great stories. If not hampered by the narration, I’d be gushing about this. Instead, I’m just giving a hearty recommendation. TV junkies? You’re going to want to get your hands on this one.

3.5 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.

Hell and Back by Craig Johnson: They Say All Haunting is Regret

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On September 28, 2022

In Craig Johnson, Fiction, Walt Longmire

Hell and BackHell and Back

by Craig Johnson

DETAILS:
Series: Series: Walt Longmire, #18
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: September 6, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 336 pgs.
Read Date: September 21-22, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

“Something wrong?”

“I’m not sure, but I’m thinking I might’ve screwed things up.”

“How?”

“The way you always do, by doing a good deed.”

What’s Hell and Back About?

Recently, Walt has across repeated references to Fort Pratt—a military base and a school for natives there. Neither Walt nor Henry had heard of this place before, and it made him curious—he did a little looking and asking around about it and found one person who knew something.

And now…Walt wakes up in the middle of the street in that town. He doesn’t know who he is, or what he’s doing there, and keeps running into people he vaguely recognizes (or thinks he should) and readers do. Then he finds himself witnessing events surrounding that school’s destruction by fire—which killed the 31 boys living there.

Meanwhile, Henry Standing Bear and Vic are trying to track down Walt. He’s been on the hunt for a suspect in a murder and hasn’t checked in for a while—they get to the area he was last known to be and find some disturbing signs, but no Walt.

While they look for Walt, our favorite sheriff and the reader have to figure out where he is and why—and does it have anything to do with the Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, that Walt encountered in the last book?

Hmmm…

I wanted to give a section focusing on each of our main trio of characters—or at least the two main storylines. And I can’t. Anything I say would divulge so much of the plot/mechanics of the novel that I’d ruin something.

So why am I spending time talking about this? 1. I don’t want it to look like I’m harping on just one point (see the next section) and 2. to make a point—these threads are so tightly woven in this book that to look at any of them, you have to look at how it all plays out—from beginning to ending. Don’t decide—or try to decide—what you think of anything until the ending—you’ll be wasting time and effort.

Is Craig Johnson Taking a Stand?

A mixture of native Spirituality (beliefs, practices, and possible occurrences) have been around since the beginning of this series as a constant, but emphasized in books like Hell is Empty and last year’s Daughter of the Morning Star. But the novels have never really taken a stand on whether a spiritual entity/entities or powers are interacting with Walt and others or whether that’s one possible interpretation—and maybe Walt was hallucinating/dreaming due to physical injury, mental exhaustion, hypothermia, etc.

It really seems like Walt believes it’s true in the moment (sometimes he has to be convinced), but then brushes it away. Although a couple of times, I thought it was Henry who suggests an alternate explanation—Vic never seems to give a mystical idea any precedence.

If only for the amount of this book that appears not to transpire in our world, I think that Johnson’s not really pretending to be neutral anymore. Even Walt’s “but maybe…” take seemed halfhearted.

I think I’m fine with it—if only so we don’t have to have this discussion so often within the books. As long as Johnson isn’t trying to veer into Urban Fantasy or anything (and I don’t think he is), go for it. Let Walt be convinced by his experience, embrace them, and move forward that way. At least let him wrestle with it, not just brush it away.

Now, if Vic starts seeing Virgil White Buffalo or something like him…that might be a problem.

So, what did I think about Hell and Back?

In his Acknowledgements, Johnson says he attempted to create “a Western, gothic-romance with traces of horror.” “Traces” is a good word—it’s just a hint, like the hint of whatever fruit a particular can of La Croix tells you it has (maybe a little heavier). The rest seems like a good description of the result—I guess I’m not sold on “if” he should’ve tried, or at least tried in this way. I don’t want this series to turn into a bunch of cookie-cutter novels about Walt and the gang solving mysteries at home or in a nearby county. But…not all experiments are successful.

I’m torn. I enjoyed this, I like that Johnson is constantly trying to keep each novel from being a duplicate of a previous one and trying to do new things with well-established characters. I thought the ideas were great, I appreciate that Johnson wants to discuss things like the horrible conditions and events in “Indian schools.”

But I think this was a lousy Walt Longmire book. There were some strong character moments for Vic and Henry (and a moment or two that I’m not so sure about for each). I don’t think it was a good use of the character of Walt Longmire or the kind of story that’s good for the series. There are a couple of things that could spring from this for future books, but I think Johnson probably could’ve gotten there a different way.

Yes, I’m prepared to eat my words in that last sentence, but I feel pretty safe about it.

This was a good follow-up to the previous book, but it’s also a wholly unnecessary follow-up. It ended so well, and yet so ambiguously on one point that I thought was very effective. This book takes away that ambiguity and takes away the power/mystery from the conclusion.

Long-time fans will find enough to justify their time (there’s a moment where Vic reveals a lot of herself to another character that’s one of the most honest moments in the series for her, for example), but I expect most will be unsatisfied by the book as a whole. I think I was. Still, while this might not have been the most successful Walt Longmire book, I tip my cap to Johnson for giving it a shot.

3 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.

Book Blogger Hop: Do You Reread Books?

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On September 28, 2022

In Book Blogger Hop, Books, News/Misc.

Book Blogger Hop

 

This prompt was submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer:

Have you ever reread a book? If so, why did you decide to reread it?

Have I ever? There’ve been times in my life when re-reading was the majority of my reading. Thankfully, a better library, a larger budget, and the occasional book in exchange for a review have prevented that from being the case lately.

Sometimes, I re-read because I have nothing else on hand to read (it’s been ages since this has been an issue). Sometimes it’s because I need to refresh my memory before a new installment of a series comes out and I want to get the last book or two in my mind as a refresher. Sometimes it’s because I didn’t understand something the first time—or I need to review the material in general (I’m thinking primarily of non-fiction books here). But the primary reason I re-read is that I liked the book and want to experience it again.

A lot of it is the comfort of returning to a world and characters that I liked—when I get sick, for example, a quick visit to the Brownstone on West 35th Street* does as much good as chicken noodle soup. Or it’s the writing—the wordplay of Ellen Raskin or Gregory Mcdonald always makes me smile. Or just to relive the story—I could give too many examples here.

* That’d be Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin books.

Sadly, I really don’t have that much time anymore to re-read and I miss it. I feel a little guilty that I’m not reading something I can blog about when I do that (sure, sometimes I do talk about re-reads, but it’s not often)—and even without the guilt, I just don’t have the time. Largely, that’s what I use audiobooks for now.

Are you a one-and-done type of reader, or do you keep circling back?

WWW Wednesday, September 28, 2022

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On September 28, 2022

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

It seems like my library has decided to bring me every book I’ve put on hold in the last three months at once. I’m drowning in books to read–and don’t get me started on books I pre-ordered months ago that are gathering dust. On top of that, it feels like I’m getting interrupted and distracted every time I sit down to read or blog. Basically, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread” (a few days too late for Hobbit Day). Humbug.

On the other hand, it’s been so long since I read/listened to a dud, that I don’t remember what it was, and am having a great time with these books.

Anyway, here’s this week’s WWW Wednesday, as I chronicle my attempt to tread water in the middle of this flood.

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 really enjoying, but making slug-like progress in, Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty and am digging into For We Are Many by Dennis E. Taylor, Ray Porter (Narrator) on audiobook. And boy howdy, is that title correct, I’m having trouble keeping track of the “many” POVs.

Station EternityBlank SpaceFor We Are Many

What did you recently finish reading?

I was apparently in a subtitle mood last week with a couple of fun and informative books celebrating some of my favorite books/shows: Danielle Higley’s The Stories Behind the Stories: The Remarkable True Tales Behind Your Favorite Kid’s Books and Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More by James Burrows with Eddy Friedfeld and Read by James Burrows and Danny Campbell on audio.

The Stories Behind the StoriesBlank SpaceDirected by James Burrows

What do you think you’ll read next?

My next book should be the ARC for Santa’s Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt (moved up the list to make sure I hit the publication date) and my next audiobook should be Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality by Jacob Tomsky, Jacob Tomsky (Narrator), something I stumbled onto at the library that caught my eye.

Santa's Little YelpersBlank SpaceHeads in Beds

How are you closing out this ninth month?

Movies (And Other Things) (Audiobook) by Shea Serrano, Mario Toscano: The Answers to Pressing Movie Questions

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On September 27, 2022

In Audiobook, Non-Fiction

Movies (And Other Things)Movies (And Other Things)

by Shea Serrano, Mario Toscano (Narrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Twelve
Publication Date: October 7, 2019
Format: Unabridged Audiobook 
Length: 11 hrs., 7 min.
Read Date: September 21-23, 2022
Support Independent Bookstores - Visit IndieBound.org

What’s Movies (And Other Things) About?

Serrano discusses movies from the point of view of a massive fan—he knows what he’s talking about, he can discuss them objectively, critically, and as a fanboy—mostly a combination thereof. In this collection of essays, he approaches films of the mid-80s (largely) to today, answering burning questions such as:
bullet Who’s the better tough guy movie dog owner? (Will Smith in Legend, Tom Hardy in The Drop, or Keanu Reeves in John Wick?)
bullet Which Movie had the more intense opening, Face/Off or Finding Nemo?
bullet When did you know Booksmart was special?
bullet Who’s in the perfect heist movie crew
bullet Which race was white-saviored the best by Kevin Costner?
bullet When did Michael B. Jordan break your heart into the most pieces? (which was immediately followed by)
bullet When was Diane Keaton the most charming in Something’s Gotta Give?

The mental whiplash between those last two shows the range that Serrano is capable of. He also ranks the deaths/trauma in the Kill Bill movies, discusses adjusting recent Academy Award nominations/wins after making sure Romantic Comedies are given their credit due, what movie villains would be fun to hang out with, and how aN NBA post-game style press conference with Michael Myers would go.

There’s a great combination of movie knowledge/insight, social commentary, and humor mixed throughout each of these. Even when it came to movies I’ve never seen, have no interest in seeing, or saw ages ago and don’t remember well, Serrano kept me pretty engaged and entertained.*

* Except maybe with the Fast and the Furious discussion, I don’t know why…I just can’t care about this franchise.

A Word About the Narration

I’ve heard Serrano as a guest on podcasts, and would’ve assumed his natural ability, experience, and passion would’ve made him a natural to read his own audiobook. But for whatever reason, Mario Toscano got the nod instead.

And I can see why—I had no problem believing I was hearing Serrano himself read these (maybe if I’d pulled up a podcast to listen to first, that wouldn’t have been true)—which is important when I’m hearing something so personal or passionate as this often is (see Black Nerd Problems, for example). Toscano sounds like a knowledgeable film geek going off on various topics—I think he could’ve put a little more energy into some of the quotations, but I’m sure there are good reasons for not doing that.

Ohh, man…

While researching this post, I saw that the ebook has three additional exclusive chapters…I might have been able to resist, but one of the chapters is “When Was Hans Gruber’s Subtlety the Most Threatening?”

So, I’m going to have to buy a print copy of this, too. I have to read this take.

So, what did I think about Movies (And Other Things)?

I had a blast with this—it’s the equivalent of sitting around with a bunch of friends talking about movies for far too long, which is one of my favorite ways to spend a lot of time. Even when I think he was out to lunch or arbitrary in some of his choices, I could get behind them for the sake of argument or be entertained by them.

Man, I wish I knew where he came up with some of the topics. If I spent a year doing nothing more than coming up with the chapter titles (never mind the content), I couldn’t be half this creative.

I didn’t need anyone reminding me of Opie Winston’s death scene—ever. But especially not in a book about movies where I didn’t know to be emotionally prepared for such a thing. Serrano lost a star from me for that one.*

* Not really, but it was cathartic to say that.

That incredibly important quibble aside, if you’re a current/former/would-be movie geek, grab this, you’ll have a blast.

3.5 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.

GUEST POST: Using Horror to Cope With Anxiety by C.J. Weiss

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On September 26, 2022

In Fiction

Using Horror to Cope With Anxiety

Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease. Serious cases can induce negative compulsive behavior or even panic attacks. Horror as a genre is intended to evoke apprehension or dread.

Given this, it’s fair to ask: how can horror help one’s anxiety?

Well, it’s precisely because of this apprehension and dread that horror is such a powerful tool. What’s happening in a book or on a screen isn’t real. There’s no lasting impact. When you step back into reality, the threats causing you tension vanish. Some may experience lasting effects such as nightmares, but for many, horror allows us to experience fear in a safe environment. This experience can aid in processing related feelings, providing a valuable understanding of one’s emotions, why they arise, and how to deal with them. In fact, a branch of psychotherapy called exposure therapy works along these lines.

Exposure therapy has existed since the 1950s. The purpose is to provide people with a safe method to confront whatever triggers their fears. Humans tend to react to fear with avoidance, and exposure therapy is targeted at this gut response. Familiarity with a situation or thing tends to lessen the anxiety it causes, whereas avoidance can actively make it worse. Engaging or disengaging from anxiety’s root cause almost works like an inverse sliding scale. The more you lean into it, the less it impacts you.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. There’s a reason that highly educated professionals dedicate so much training to exposure therapy. Fortunately, some of this can be tapped into on our own. Understanding and recognizing the mental and physiological impacts of fear can aid us in coping with anxiety when it strikes. If you react similarly to real-life crowds as you do to a fictional haunting, you can assess and question these responses side by side. What can you control? Are you in immediate danger? What’s one thing you can do to feel better right now? You may find that answering these questions in regards to a horror movie will help you solve real-world fears too.

Whereas anxiety often deals with future events that never come to pass, the worst-case scenario happens quite frequently in horror. It’s healthy to experience those feelings from beginning to end while the danger is minimal. After all, we can’t really know how bad things can get unless we see how bad things can get. Coming out the other end safely after watching a heart-pounding horror movie adds a notch to one’s belt. It showcases how terrible sensations of fear and anxiety don’t necessarily result in something terrible happening to you. Humans feel fear so that our bodies activate our fight-or-flight response, but that doesn’t mean we should limit ourselves to these two options. What happens when this response is illogical, like so many anxieties are?

Taking a second to breathe and assess a fear’s cause can lead to healthier outcomes both now and in the future. Horror provides that safety net. It’s a lot easier to analyze one’s emotions when the biggest threat is targeted at a fictional character. Experience in “taking a second to breathe” can make it easier to do so in the future when a perceived threat is targeted at you.

Horror can act as simulations of terrifying scenarios in order to prepare for the future. Hauntings may be unlikely, but break-ins and contagions are real risks. Seeing or reading them play out in fiction can prepare you for the real thing. Not surprisingly, fans of horror films exhibited less psychological distress during COVID-19’s outbreak.

Anxiety also tends to build up over time, especially when it’s commonly avoided, as mentioned before. Many stressors in life exist as permanent fixtures. Horror gives us a lever to release these pent-up emotions. We can funnel our fears and worries into the scenes playing out before us and feel a weight lifted when it’s done. I’m not going to say horror is a substitute for exercise, but it sure gets my heart rate up. The release feels cathartic.

Finally, there’s perspective. At the very least, you’re better off than a Final Girl trying to survive a knife-wielding psycho. There are many ways horror can help us cope with anxiety. Finding what works best for you is a journey in and of itself.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. This article is not intended as medical advice. Anxiety is best treated by a physician or qualified professional.

C.J. Weiss writes horror, supernatural thrillers, and other speculative fiction. He also loves peanut butter.

His debut novel, A Broken Clock Never Boils, is a supernatural psychological thriller. A psychiatrist’s initial infatuation with an influx of schizophrenic patients turns to terror as their ailments infect her too. You can find it on Amazon as well as digitally through most major retailers.

BOOK SPOTLIGHT: A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. Weiss

By

On September 26, 2022

In Fiction

Today I’m very pleased to offer this Spotlight post for A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. Weiss, a compelling-looking read. Weiss also provided a great Guest Post, Using Horror to Cope With Anxiety, that’ll be posting here later this morning. You should definitely check it out–but first, let me tempt you with his new (published today!) paranormal thriller.

Book Details:

Book Title: A Broken Clock Never Boils by C.J. Weiss
Publisher: Bowker
Release date: September 26, 2022
Format: Ebook/Paperback
Length: 285 pages
A Broken Clock Never Boils Cover

About the Book:

IS IT MADNESS OR THE SUPERNATURAL?

Psychiatrist Claire Rossi seeks cases nobody else can treat—cases like her mother’s, whose misdiagnosis of schizophrenia and subsequent death inspired Claire’s career. Initially infatuated with an influx of seemingly schizophrenic patients, interest turns to terror as their ailments infect her too. She sees and hears a man who grows more violent with every encounter. The analysis and training she’s relied on her whole career fail to explain his presence, leaving only one conclusion: that what haunts her isn’t in her head at all. But maybe that’s just what she wants to believe.

As her symptoms escalate, she’s left with two unsettling clues. Her mother speaks to her in twisted idioms, and a mysterious letter taunts her with a single line:

Enjoy your gifts.

Purchase Links

Amazon ~ Apple Books ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kubo

About the Author:

C.J. WeissC.J. Weiss loves hiking, board/video games, traveling, and obviously reading (particularly speculative fiction and some history). Trying out new stuff is his jam, so he figured why not spend a few years breaking into one of the world’s most competitive industries?

Weiss lives in Austin, TX. Amazing city, but he’s mainly there because he’d rather walk outside when its 110° than 50° Fahrenheit. Suffice it to say, he’s not moving up north anytime soon. He’s married to his high school sweetheart, “She’s amazing (duh).” They have two cats (mostly hers).

Find C.J. Weiss online at:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Blog ~ Newsletter

The Soul’s Conflict and Victory Over Itself by Faith by Richard Sibbes: Sibbes Gets a Lot out of Psalm 42:11

By

On September 25, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Soul's Conflict and Victory Over Itself by FaithThe Soul’s Conflict and Victory Over Itself by Faith

Richard Sibbes

DETAILS:
Publisher: Monergism Books
Publication Date: July 1, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 230 pg.
Read Date: September 4-18, 2022

What’s The Soul’s Conflict… About?

This is a treatise on:

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted
within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is
the health of my countenance, and my God.—PSALM 42:11.

Sibbes has two types of believers in mind for this—those who are at peace with the world, who enjoy comfort, and those who are constantly troubled. He seeks to disquiet the former and help the latter to find peace.

He spends a chapter giving an overview of the psalm before diving into the discussion. Following it, the book is pretty cleanly divided into two parts—The Soul’s Conflict and The Soul’s Victory Over Itself. It was pretty easy, despite the lack of a Table of Contents saying “Part II,” to tell when Sibbes switched to the Victory side.

Both of these sections are typical of the Puritan era—squeezing every last drop of water out of the rock that was the topic. There is some exegesis, and a little interpretation of the passage, but it can feel like Sibbes was given an assignment for a listicle—here are 12 reasons your soul can be cast down.

So, what did I think about The Soul’s Conflict…?

Faith is an understanding grace; it knows whom it trusts, and for what, and upon what grounds it trusts. Reason of itself cannot find what we should believe, yet when God hath discovered the same, faith tells us there is great reason to believe it. Faith useth reason, though not as a ground, yet as a sanctified instrument to find out God’s grounds, that it may rely upon them. He believes best, that knows best why he should believe. Confidence, and love, and other affections of the soul, though they have no reason grafted in them, yet thus far they are reasonable, as that they are in a wise man raised up, guided, and laid down with reason; or else men were neither to be blamed nor praised for ordering their affections aright; whereas not only civil virtue, but grace itself is especially conversant in ruling the affections by sanctified reason.

I got to the point, I admit, that I had a hard time getting through the first part of the book, and wondered how long it was going to go on. I know that Sibbes actually could’ve—should’ve—gone on longer to be truly exhaustive about the ways we deceive ourselves, find ways to rebel, and so on. I acknowledge I might be one of the ones he targeted as “too comfortable,” who really needed to study and meditate on those parts before going on to the encouraging section.

Or maybe I’m a victim of 21st Century abbreviated attention-span. Or both. But it did go on so long that it felt like he was just stretching things to make word count (I know that’s not true—he didn’t have one). I had a similar reaction in the last couple of chapters of the Victory section, but it took a little longer for that to happen.

I know I’m coming across as negative here, I don’t mean to be. I liked this, just not as much as I expected to. I go into a Sibbes book expecting a 5 Star experience. If I don’t get it, I probably complain too much. Both sides were insightful and helpful—I think I profited more from the last section, a lot of it was great, and some of the better material I’ve read from Sibbes. I certainly think I’d have a different reaction at another time—and I am going to return to this in a couple of years. Both to understand it better and to see how I react.

In the meantime, for a great example of Puritan spirituality, of a spiritual doctor diagnosing and treating his patients (read: readers), you can’t do better than Sibbes (even if he gets tedious). It’s truly rewarding.

3.5 Stars

Saturday Miscellany—9/24/22

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On September 24, 2022

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

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 EveryLibrary Poll Finds Book Bans Are Broadly Unpopular With Voters
bullet The Enduring Allure of Choose Your Own Adventure Books—a tribute to and look at the origin of the series
bullet S. A. Cosby: Interview and Cover Reveal—a nice (but quick) interview with Cosby and a look at the fantastic cover of his upcoming book.
bullet How to Get Books For Free – Legally—a quick, but potentially valuable, list
bullet Misconceptions People May Have About Book Blogging
bullet CANON: It’s Not What You Think It Is—quibbles with some of the details in the first paragraph of “Definitions” aside, I appreciated these thoughts on Canon in SF. (Hat Tip to Peat Long for this one)

This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman—It’s the third Thursday Murder Club book, I really don’t think more needs to be said.
bullet Wealth Management by Edward Zuckerman—Financial shenanigans, international crime, and terrorism mix in this thriller. I talked a bit about it.

Lastly, I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to ominousthespirit, who followed the blog this week. I hope you enjoy the content and keep coming back.
Mencken's definition of bibliobibuli

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