In an effort to keep my “To Write About” pile from getting out of control, I’ve set a requirement to myself to write a catch-up post at the end of the following month (e.g., At the end of February, write about January books; at the end of June, write about the May books I haven’t gotten to yet; etc.). As always, the point of these quick-takes is to emphasize pithiness, not thoroughness.
Robert B. Parker’s Big Shot
DETAILS: Series: Jesse Stone, #23 Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Publication Date: February 10, 2026 Format: Hardcover Length: 320 pg. Read Date: February 19-20, 2026
This was a perfectly decent Jesse Stone adventure. Jesse’s fate never felt like it was really in danger—but that’s okay, it’s about the struggle, the journey, right?
I’m a little disheartened by the way that Farnsworth is dealing with Lundquist. I know he’s not Healey—and I’m glad for it, I don’t want Farnsworth or anyone else turning him into a version of him. But the version of him being all by the book and cold here, really doesn’t match with the willing-to-be-maverick we met in Pale Kings and Princes, and I don’t think we’ve been given reason for that change (and I want to say this isn’t the first time I’ve been troubled by his characterization).
I really didn’t like Molly’s depiction for good chunks of the book—Farnsworth had a plan for her, and I liked most of what she did—I just think there was a better way to set up her investigative arc. (it’s hard to talk about vaguely). I think Farnsworth is really finding difficulty with her as she grows as a police officer—I think Lupica, did, too. Hopefully he figures it out soon (I should note, I like the way he’s dealing with Suit in the same situation).
Anyway, it’s not a stellar installment in the long-running series—but it did its job well.
Fairest Hunter
by M. K. Felix
DETAILS: Series: The Favored's Curse, #1 Publication Date: January 9, 2026 Format: e-Book Length: 351 pg. Read Date: February 25-26, 2026
A little heavy on the romance for my taste—but that’s what it’s marketed as, so I lived with it. I’ll note it’s pure and chaste romance, with no need for doors to be closed (well, at least the primary romance…the door might be firmly shut on another).
So it’s a gender-swapped Robin Hood—who also happens to be the King’s Huntsman. So, instead of taking the (male) Snow White figure and leaving him with some dwarves, he’s left with six merry men. These men rob from the rich, give to the poor, while looking for an opportunity to take out the Evil King (who turns out to be using a bespelled mirror to work his magic).
It’s a fun story, just deep enough to justify—fast acting enough that you don’t care. I quite enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading further in the series.
Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person’s Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds
DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: September 09, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 24 min.
Read Date: January 30-February 2, 2026
Okay, I’d played with doing a full post on this one, interacting with all the issues I had—but I didn’t take notes or anything as I was listening. So, I’ll try this.
First—I have a lot of sympathy toward the Fugelsang’s goals and aims. Not to the same extent as he does—but still, I lean in very similar directions and/or share concerns.
Second—this book is a mess. There’s a good deal of re-hashing of Liberal* Theology that has been answered no later than the 1920s and 30s. There’s as much special pleading and Scripture twisting in these pages as he accuses those he takes issue with of doing. His notion of the purpose of Christianity, its content, and its focus—are completely wrong and foreign to the Bible itself. (as is the case for many of his targets).
I’m glad I read it because it scratched an itch in curiosity, but…that’s the only good thing I can say about the experience.
* There’s a distinction between Liberal Theology and Liberal Politics. While the Venn diagram has some overlap (a lot of overlap for Fugelsang), they shouldn’t be confused.
All Accounts Settled
by Drew Hayes, read by Kirby Heyborne
DETAILS: Series: Fred, The Vampire Accountant, $9 Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc Publication Date: January 13, 2026 Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 11 hrs., 44 min. Read Date: February 25-27, 2026
Fred’s adventures bow out the same way they entered the scene—mildly amusing, full of kindness and hope, generosity of spirit, and community. There’s almost no suspense—which is fine, this series didn’t depend on that.
It’s just Fred facing overwhelming odds, coming up with a clever solution or two, relying on his friends (and them relying on him, too). He found a new level to his magic—which was pretty cool, I’ve gotta say. And scored some major victories. The last chapter (or was it an epilogue?) ties up a lot of loose ends and provides a glimpse into Fred’s future.
Heyborne’s narration was as good as ever.
This was a fitting and entertaining ending to this series. Glad I was along for the ride.
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books
by Hwang Bo-reum, translated by Shanna Tan, read by Rosa Escoda
DETAILS:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: December 2, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 3 hrs., 49 min.
Read Date: February 23-24, 2026
This was a perfectly pleasant book. And that’s about all I have to say—there was nothing that made me think—wow! She gets it. Nothing where I thought—I’ve been trying to find the words to express that as a reader. Just a vague pleasantness—that maybe went on too long. Maybe 25-40 ways, max, would’ve worked better.
There seemed to be an expectation that the reader would be familiar with her other work(s) anytime she referenced them—and if you weren’t (or even aware of their existence), it was hard to connect with what she was saying. I can both understand that given the nature of this book she didn’t have time (or possibly the need) to add context, explain the gist of whatever she was referencing. But…it left me cold.
Hidden in Smoke
by Lee Goldberg
DETAILS: Series: Sharpe & Walker, 3 Publisher: Thomas & Mercer Publication Date: April 22, 2025 Format: e-Book Length: 300 pg. Read Date: February 5-6, 2026
I feel like I should have a lot to say about this book—but I don’t. Goldberg delivers what we expect from him—a fast and fun story, some good twists, some great lines—and the return of a few characters I didn’t expect to see again.
There’s part of me that wonders about the scope of all the fires in this series—but, we’ve all seen what happens to California all too often lately. It’s sadly realistic.
I really enjoy these characters, and can’t imagine that ending. I just hope that I can find something to say about the next book (which I can’t wait for).
A Particularly Nasty Case
by Adam Kay, read by Andrew Serkis
DETAILS:
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Publication Date: September 16, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 10 hrs., 9 min.
Read Date: February 2-5, 2026
This was…a mess. There’s just no character that I could enjoy spending much time with. The characters’ motivations seem inconsistent and capricious. The comedy (or what I think was comedy) didn’t work, the mystery was pretty weak, and the book seemed more interested in the chaos surrounding the murder than anything else.
Take the murder out, tell some other kind of story, and it probably would’ve worked better. And still wouldn’t have been for me—but I wouldn’t have complained about it.
The Fact Checker
by Austin Kelley, Jacques Roy
DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 1 min.
Read Date:
If the destination was satisfying, I think I could’ve put up with the journey. If the journey was a bit more interesting/engaging, I could’ve put up with the destination.
But a miss on both, just made this a waste of potential. I liked the premise, there were some good moments, I liked the writing—it just seemed wasted.
City of Others
by Jared Poon, read by David Lee Huynh
DETAILS: Series: The DEUS Files, #1 Publisher: Hachette Audio Publication Date: January 13, 2026 Format: Unabridged Audiobook Length: 9 hrs., 16 min. Read Date:
This is the first installment in what could become a favorite UF series. Think about the Folly (from The Rivers of London)* filled with humanoid characters from McGuire’s InCryptid series. But set in Singapore. our under-funded and overworked team deal with the supernatural side of Singapore—without letting the non-supernatural set know what they’re up to.
As things are wont to do—something goes wrong, in a very significant way—and the entire city (at least) is soon at risk.
Poon writes with a lighter touch, but he’s not afraid to let things get serious. There are some great emotional moments, and some great mystical/magical scene, too.
* It might be more accurate to describe it as Strout’s Department of Extraordinary Affairs than the Folly—but the Folly is better known.
This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase from any of them, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.
My Favorite Theology/Christian Living Books of 2025
By HCNewton
On January 11, 2026
In News/Misc., Theology/Christian Living
It’s finally time to wrap these lists, with my favorites in Theology and Christian Living (and related things). There’s some overlap in some of these titles, which just shows what kinds of things I was thinking about this year, I guess. I didn’t read as many books along these lines as I expected to/usually do–mostly because the ones I did read took some work to get through (and I had too many “project reads”). But these would’ve floated to the top in any year.
As always, re-reads don’t count for these lists.
(in alphabetical order by author)
by Michael P. V. Barrett
Barrett writes brief devotional meditations on some Old Testament passages (I’m not sure how brief because I read electronically, but they didn’t take terribly long to read). Which is good enough for a book–but Barrett writes with a depth that I don’t think I’ve come across in a devotional before. He gets to the heart and the nitty-gritty of the passages he looks at–and writes in a way that the reader will find application for their life, understanding of the passage, and a new/renewed reason to worship and serve the One who bought them.
The only thing that impressed me–almost every week–as much as the content was Barret’s ability to accomplish it so briefly.
by Mitchell L. Chase
My original post
I personally benefited from Chase’s definition of “wisdom” and how to find it in Scripture. I really appreciated his unwillingness to make Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and James the epicenter of his discussion, but to look for it throughout the Scriptures (see above). Tackling the topic of wisdom from a Redemptive Historical point of view rather than a Systematic perspective (which is what I’m used to, as I expect most are), really helped me to see the breadth of it—and even to help with my Systematic understanding of it (as it should).
All in all, this is a truly helpful and insightful read.
Why the Love of Money Is the Root of Racism and How the Church Can Create a New Way Forward
by Malcolm Foley
I’ve tried on at least four occasions to write a post about this book, and keep failing. I’m going to keep trying, but in the meantime, I’ll just say that this is one of the best books I read in 2025 regardless of genre/topic. Foley starts with Ida Wells’ point tying racism to money, and expands on that. He traces the connection between the love of money (which we know to be the root of all sorts of evil) and racism/racism-friendly policies and attitudes throughout U.S. History–particularly after the Civil War. And how the Church, to her shame, participates in those.
Then he points the way forward–using a variety of theological tools. Including the Westminster Larger Catechism’s teaching on the Eighth Commandment. It’s inspiring, it’s convicting, it’s full of hope.
by Carmen Joy Imes
My original post
Is this the most rigorous, robust work that I’ve ever read on The Church? No. Is this the most technical, theological work I’ve come across? No. Did this take a lot of effort to get through? No (and what a relief). Is this perhaps the most passionate work on the subject I’ve read? Yes. Is it perhaps the most persuasive about the need for individual believers (particularly in an individualist culture) to be involved with the Church? Also, yes.
It’s warm, it’s approachable, it’s learned in a non-off-putting way. Imes is a great guide through the topic and a fun companion through the stroll. She pointed out some things I hadn’t thought of before—and helped me grasp a couple of texts that I’ve struggled with for years.
by C. S. Lewis
There’s a lot of this book that I disagree with–but I appreciate the way that Lewis got to his conclusions. I also admit that Lewis might be closer to right than I am on those points. But the opening letter on prayer is one of the best things I’ve read on the topic, and while the rest of the book doesn’t reach those heights, I truly enjoyed and benefited from considering them. This is one of those books by him I hadn’t gotten around to reading in the past until my little Lewis-immersion project last year. It won’t be the last time.
by Zacharias Ursinus
As this is written by one of the chief authors of the Heidelberg Catechism, it’s impossible to get a more authoritative take on it. This is essentially the director’s cut of the catechism. Sure, we all know the answers, but how’d you get to that answer? Well, you think like so….
This is a treasure for anyone trying to understand and use the Heidelberg Catechism for personal use or for trying to raise the generation to follow.
by Drew Poplin
My original post
I hate the fact that books decrying the sin (or, in Poplin’s argument, heresy) of racism need to be written now. But the need for them is pretty clear to anyone in the American Church. This brief (perhaps too brief) book is a compelling read, calling racism what it is, an attack on God and His creation. Convicting, and hopefully convincing. It’s well worth the time to read.
by O. Palmer Robertson
Did this floor me as much as the first volume of this set (on the Gospels) did? Nope. But am I going to study Acts or Paul’s letters without consulting this in the future? Bigger nope. Robertson first traces the development of revelation and the Church’s understanding of it through Acts, then he spends the bulk of the book watching Paul’s themes develop and change over the course of his career–never contradictory, never inconsistent, but starting with certain emphases that develop into new ones given the events of his life and the needs of the Church throughout the First Century. It’s really a handy book to work through and to keep on hand for future use.
by Mikel Del Rosario
My original post
Del Rosario’s approach to the subject alone could put him on this list–let’s take an in-depth look at two passages and see what Jesus is claiming for himself in both. Let’s consider what the original audience heard–and seek to understand that by the way they reacted. Then let’s consider the implications of both. Del Rosario writes clearly and compellingly. The text—even when it gets technical—is straightforward and approachable by people who aren’t historical scholars.
Not only does reading this help buttress the confidence a reader has in the passage and Jesus’ claims in them, but Del Rosario gives his readers a model to follow when they come across similar passages.
by Cornelius Van Til
My original post
This is some pretty clear writing from a man widely considered not to be terribly clear all the time. Some of the commandments don’t get the same level of attention as others–and it makes sense given who Van Til is and his own driving focus.
It’s a very sound introduction, in line with the bulk of the Reformed stream of thought on the Law and its usage from the time of the Reformation forward. But a little more approachable given the length and the fact it was written in the 20th Century.