Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
Running late (again), a lot of people-ing. Started with the Boise Library’s Comic Arts Fest (more about that later), and then ran into some family time. Sorry about that.
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:
My students resisted reading books. I found an unexpected solution.—One Middle School teacher makes a breakthrough by remembering what had worked when he was a student
One of my favorite novelists, Matthew Norman seeks a (bad) Answer to one of the 20th Century’s Biggest Literary Questions
Petty Revenges to Wish Upon Your Booksich Arch Nemesis—Some of these are Cru-EL. (so bad you have to pronounce it that way).
Monthly Manga Mania Featuring Firsty Duelist: Kamen Rider by Shotaro Ishinomori
I’m Currently Disillusioned with New Releases—Brianna has broken free from the Tyranny of the New. (sorta jealous, really)
10 Urban Fantasy Books That Blend Magic and Mayhem—Anca Antoci features some really solid choices, and a few I’m going to have to sample
On Setting Expectations For Writers—Peat Long drops some wisdom
There is a Season…Turn, Turn Turn—a great post on Witty & Sarcastic Book Club about the importance of beginner books to parents (particularly as the kids get older)
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson—In retrospect, I want to quibble with my rating from back then. I just don’t get it.
Hostile Takeover by Shane Kuhn—I wish he were still producing work (if he is, it’s under a different name, and I’d like someone to clue me in)
And I talked about the releases of: X by Sue Grafton; Randoms by David Liss; and Koko the Mighty by Kieran Shea
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
The Art of Legend by Wesley Chu—The trilogy concludes, and I can’t wait to see how.
Katabasis by R. F Kuang—A Dark Academia take on Dante’s Inferno.
I’m pleased to host this spotlight for Vidya Murali’s recent release, How to Survive in a Scale-up Business. From what I can tell, I wouldn’t understand most of the book, but their publicist asked nicely. So why not help bring this to the attention of someone who is interested in business writing?
Book Details:
Title: How to Survive in a Scale-Up Business: Master the Human Skills Needed to Thrive in Young, High-Growth Businesses by Vidya Murali
Format: eBook/Hardcover/Paperback
Length: 166 pg.
Publisher: Routledge
US Publication Date: August 20, 2025
About the Book:
Working in a scale-up is exciting, but it can also be exhausting. This book is your emotional survival kit for succeeding in a fast-paced and unpredictable environment.
Scale-ups attract ambitious, driven and hardworking individuals seeking excitement, ownership, freedom and greater rewards. However, these opportunities often come with challenges. Understanding the emotional and behavioural patterns commonly seen in scale-ups – and learning from others’ experiences – can help you move from struggling to thriving.
In this book, author Vidya Murali brings together:
- A personal scale-up suitability checklist to help assess and understand whether scale-ups are the right environment for you based on your skills and preferences
- Guidance on what to look for when interviewing, and how to set yourself up for success in the first 90 days
- Insights, frameworks and coaching questions to tackle toxic patterns commonly seen in scale-ups
- Real-life case studies from scale-up leaders with lessons and strategies
- Practical strategies for introverts, highly sensitive people, ethnic minorities and people with ADHD and/or dyslexia to thrive in scale-ups
- Tools for building your emotional skills to progress and thrive in scale-ups – including if you lose your job or face a mental health breakdown
A must-read for anyone transitioning into scale-ups or already working in one, this book will be of immense interest to graduates seeking their first full-time role, professionals transitioning from corporate environment, leaders – including founders – as well as HR professionals and coaches.
Book Links:
Amazon UK ~ Amazon US ~ Bookshop.org
About the Author
Vidya Murali has been working in the UKu2019s leading tech businesses, including Amazon and high-growth scale-ups such as Deliveroo. Having grown up in India before moving to the UK in 2006 and completing her MBA at the University of Cambridge, Vidya brings a unique perspective as a woman of colour and an introvert navigating high-growth and fast-paced business environments. She experienced significant anxiety in the wake of the pandemic, which prompted her to reflect on what matters most and prioritise her well-being. During this time, she started practising mindfulness meditation and began supporting others through coaching and mentoring. She now holds a leadership position and supports her colleagues and clients as they navigate the exciting u2013 yet chaotic u2013 environment of fast-moving scale-ups, helping them navigate the challenges and seize opportunities, and thrive.
Thanks to Ambition Public Relations Limited for the request to feature this!
With August winding down, I’m scurrying to finish some books by Saturday. I probably won’t get all of my 20 Books of Summer done, but I’m going to be close. And…eh. I’ve read so many good things that I really don’t care. For example:
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?
Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:
What are you currently reading?
 |
 |
| Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation by Jim O’Heir |
Lloyd McNeil’s Last Ride by Will Leitch, read by Chris Andrew Ciulla |
Jim O’Heir’s book about the making of Parks & Rec starts off strong and will probably keep going that way. It feels as comfy as the show. And after some of the stuff I’ve read lately, I could use that.
By the time this posts, I’ll have barely scratched the surface of Will Leitch’s newest. But the mix of sentiment and humor seems like a good time, I’m finding out if I’m right as you read these words.
What did you recently finish reading?
 |
 |
| Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson |
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, translated by Lisa Hartford, read by Erik Davies |
Gibson’s book is as weird and good as I expected it to be. I’ll try to come up with a better take on it than that, but it’ll do for now. (yes, it took me a long time to finish it, but that’s because I interrupted reading it for Ryka Aoki’s beautiful Light From Uncommon Stars for book club on Monday)
I don’t know that I’ll come back for more of Dept. Q’s mysteries (in print, anyway). But I just might–if only to see how it works without me constantly comparing it to the adaptation. It was a good read, maybe too long. But a solid read.
What do you think you’ll read next? (and I’m stressing the “think” more than usual here)
 |
 |
| The Lords of the West End by Peter Blaisdell |
Dead Beat by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters |
I don’t remember much about The Lords of the West End. All I remember is that this post from Witty and Sarcastic Book Club led me to buy it.
Dead Beat was my entry point into The Dresden Files. Can’t wait to revisit such a dear friend (even if it’s a really messed up book).
Are you getting in some good reading this long weekend (in the US, anyway)? Or do you have another way to spend the last gasps of Summer?
Book Blogger Hop
This prompt was submitted by Snapdragon @ Snapdragon Alcove:
Have you ever read a book with a character with the same name as you?
Yes. Which isn’t easy. I grew up as one of those kids who never found their name on the license plate souvenir, bracelet, Coke bottle, etc., etc. So, that I can think of three books that have a character with my name in it is pretty surprising (I want to say that I’ve read four, but I can’t think of the other one).
Except it appears that I’m mistaken. I was sure that Thomas Rockwell’s How to Eat Fried Worms featured a kid with my childhood nickname, but I can’t find proof of that (and don’t want to re-read the book for a passing reference just for this post). It must’ve been a book I read about the same time. And now it’s bugging me that I can’t think of it.
Sometime between writing that paragraph and scheduling this post, I remembered I had access to this thing called “The Internet”—perhaps you’ve heard of it? Typing “hobie juvenile books 1980s” into DuckDuckGo led me to Thirteen Ways to Sink a Sub, which is obviously it—and was the first of the Hobie Hanson series, of which I was previously unaware. I do think I remember reading 4B Goes Wild, the sequel. But there are 7 books in this series (most published after I was too old to read them, but not yet old enough to not care). I’d completely forgotten about this book’s existence—and while my memories of it aren’t full. I do have warm, fuzzy associations with it. I don’t remember Hobie being an incredibly great kid, but he had potential—and wasn’t as much of a snot as some of his classmates.
Last year, for our Science Fiction Book Club, we took on Robert R. Heinlein’s The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. If I didn’t know better*, I’d have assumed the leader, 
George picked the book to needle me, because it features a former Federated Nations Senator, Mortimer Hobart. Also known as “the Warden” and “Mort the Wort.” I’m just glad that the colonists didn’t use his surname as the source of their juvenile nickname (having survived Junior High School, it’s an easy mark). While I can’t say that the Warden is the worst villain in the novel—but he’s sure a convenient figurehead for everything wrong on the colony—and is one of the first targets of the revolution.
* And I really don’t.
The best is from Jeff Noon’s book Vurt. At a summer job while in college, a co-worker got a strange look on his face when we met. Once he found out I was a reader, too, he wanted to know if I’d read Vurt—I hadn’t, but it was absolutely up my alley. Turns out he reacted to my name because he remembered this passage:
Everybody knew about Hobart, but nobody knew anything. Just the hundreds of rumours that surrounded the name: Hobart invented Vurt. Hobart is alive, Hobart is dead. Hobart is a man, a woman, a child, an alien. Some have called her Queen Hobart, and they have worshipped her. To others Hobart is a dream or a myth, or just a good story that somebody made up, so good that it stuck around, became truth. Nobody knew anything.
Sure, the more you read in the book, the less you want to be associated with Hobart. But…c’mon, how often do you get to (mis-)appropriate a quote like this? “Hobart is a dream or a myth, or just a good story that somebody made up, so good that it stuck around, became truth.”
I still can’t remember if there is a fourth book—and that’s okay. Three is enough.
What about you, reader? Do you have a literary namesake or two? Are they more flattering than mine?
(Updated and Revised 8/26/25)
It’s National Dog Day, the annual celebration of “all dogs, mixed breed and pure. Our mission is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort.” So it seemed like a good day to post another version of this. I haven’t added much to this since last year’s edition (and the same goes for 2024). This worries me a little bit. What have I been wasting time reading?
This was a hard post to come up with a name for‡. Essentially, this post came from a comment not too long ago about being hesitant to read books about animals if the reader doesn’t know if they survive the book. I get that, I absolutely do. I still bear the scars of Where the Red Fern Grows and Marley and Me (sure, that wasn’t that long ago, but the wound still stings). So, for readers like my correspondent, here are some perfectly safe books prominently featuring dogs!
I plan on updating this regularly at least annually, perhaps more often. So by all means, chime in with comments about Dogs I’ve forgotten about/haven’t encountered yet!
Non-Fiction
Life Lessons by Titan as told to Melaney Taylor Auxier—accompanied by photos of this very good boy, Titan teaches some life lessons. He teaches about friends, making mistakes, eating well, being grateful, that sort of thing. (my post about it)
The Particulars of Peter by Kelly Conaboy—this is a collection of humorous essays giving Conaboy the opportunity to rave about her dog, Peter. In her eyes, Peter is a perfect dog, and as you read this, you’ll be tempted to agree. (my post about it)
Olive, Mabel & Me by Andrew Cotter—Cotter’s charming book describes his life with the two dogs that rocketed to international stardom (and brought him along). (my post about it)
My Life as a Dog by L. A. Davenport—Davenport’s short little book about the relationship between the author and his dog, Kevin, a black and tan, pure-bred dachshund. It focuses on what the two of them did over two days and then a weekend selected from the years they spent together. (my post about it)
Dogtology: Live. Bark. Believe. by Jeff Lazarus—Humans are so obsessed with their dogs, we’ve devoted so much time, energy, and work into them that it’s become a religion, with humans essentially worshipping their pets. This book is a look at that devotion and the rituals and beliefs that accompany it. It’s technically humor, but a lot of it seems pretty on-target. (my post about it)
What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs by Cat Warren—Warren basically covers three topics: there’s the science and history of using working dogs (of all sorts of breeds, not to mention pigs(!), birds, and even cats) to find cadavers, drugs, bombs, etc.; there’s the memoir of her involvement with cadaver dogs via her German Shepherd, Solo; and anecdotes of other cadaver dogs and trainers that she’s encountered/learned from/watched in action. (my post about it)
What the Dog Knows Young Readers Edition by Cat Warren, Patricia J. Wynne—The above book adjusted for younger readers, with some great illustrations. It’s not dumbed-down, just adjusted. (my post about it)
Fiction
Frida, The Good Dog by Daniel J Breen, Jeff Ross (Illustrator)—this is a cute picture book about a very good dog named Frida (that was self-evident, I guess). It’s a quick and adorable read.
Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series by Jeffrey B. Burton—A Dog Trainer/Cadaver Dog Handler and his dogs get involved in serial killer cases. Warning: Like many heroes in action novels, most of Mace’s dogs get beat up/injured. Some pretty badly. (my posts about it)
Suspect by Robert Crais—One of my all-favorite books, a cop with PTSD gets assigned to the K-9 Unit and works with a dog fresh from Afghanistan combat. (my post about it) The pair also plays a major role in The Promise.
Sharp Investigations by E.N. Crane—A series of comic investigations about an Ex-MP and her K-9 partner in Ohio. Both are pretty skilled and are walking disasters at the same time. (my posts about them)
Pug Actually by Matt Dunn—Doug, a loyal pug, plays cupid for his owner. This is a cute rom-com with a charming canine narrator. (my post about it)
Stepdog by Nicole Galland—A love story where the major impediment to happily ever after is her dog (a gift from her ex). (my post about it)
Noodle Conquers Comfy Mountain by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)—This picture book is about Noodle’s search for a place to spend the day where he can have all his needs met: to be able to smell nice smells, see his Jonathan, watch for a snacking opportunity (or several), and—most importantly—feel comfy. Impossible to not like. (my post about it)
Noodle and the No Bones Day by Jonathan Graziano, Dan Tavis (Illustrator)—This picture book relates the origin of the Internet Craze and the wonderful, photogenic pug behind it. (my post about it)
Kay-9: The Robot Dog by J.M. Gulmire—maybe doesn’t belong on this list (see: “Robot”), but it’s too cute to leave off on a technicality. What’s an inventive boy to do when his very supportive mother won’t let him get a dog because she’s horribly allergic? Why, build one with an incredibly lifelike AI. Obviously. (my posts about it)
Oberon’s Meaty Mysteries by Kevin Hearne (Audiobooks narrated by Luke Daniels)—Oberon, the scene-stealing Irish Wolfhound from The Iron Druid Chronicles narrates this series of novellas (my posts about it)
Neah Bay series by Owen Laukkanen—Lucy is a dog who is trained by prisoner Mason Burke, who has to track her down when he gets out. She’s a service dog for Marine Vet Jess Winslow. Lucy connects the two humans in her life and helps to keep them safe when a corrupt deputy comes after Jess. (my post about it)
Pupposites Attract 1 by Hono Natsuna, Matt Trayvaud (translator)—This manga is the story about the beginning of a relationship—two really. Boy walking dog meets girl walking dog. The dogs (one very small, one very large) become good friends and their humans? Well, something starts between them, too. It’s as cute as you can imagine. (my post about it)
I Thought You Were Dead by Pete Nelson—I’m not sure how to sum this one up in a sentence. It’s a pretty typical novel about a troubled writer with a romantic life and family in shambles. But his dog is the thing that makes all the difference. (my post about it)
Chet and Bernie books by Spencer Quinn—Bernie Little is a PI in Phoenix. Chet’s his four-legged partner and the series narrator. It’s too much fun to miss. (my posts about it)
The Right Side by Spencer Quinn—”a deeply damaged female soldier home from the war in Afghanistan becomes obsessed with finding a missing girl, gains an unlikely ally in a stray dog, and encounters new perils beyond the combat zone.” (my post about it)
Woof by Spencer Quinn—The beginning of an MG series about a with a penchant for trouble and her dog. (my post about it)
A Tail of Mystery by Paul Regnier—this is the first novel in a series about a journalist who moves back to his small hometown, develops the ability to communicate with his dog, and starts solving cozy murders. No, really. It’s a great time, I can’t wait to read more in this series. (my post about it)
Andy Carpenter books by David Rosenfelt—Andy Carpenter is New Jersey’s best defense lawyer and a devoted dog owner. He helps run a rescue shelter, too—and almost every client he takes as some sort of connection with a dog. These books aren’t dog-centric like the others on this list, but they’re dog-heavy. (my posts about it)
The K-Team books by David Rosenfelt—a spin-off from the Andy Carpenter series. This features a PI team made up of Andy’s wife/investigator, Laurie; the near super-heroic Marcus; and Corey Douglas, a freshly-retired K-9 officer. His canine partner, Simon Garfunkel, comes along, too. Simon Garfunkel doesn’t play a giant role in the books, but he gets at least one good action scene per book. (my posts about it)
Voyage of the Dogs by Greg van Eekhout—SF for all ages about a team of dogs on a long-distance space flight. (my post about it)
Supportive Roles
These dogs aren’t as significant a presence in their books as the prior group, but they’re important enough to mention.
Mouse from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. (my posts about it)
The Midnight Plan of the Repo Man by W. Bruce Cameron and the sequel Repo Madness by W. Bruce Cameron— (my posts about it)
Edgar from the Washington Poe books by M. W. Craven. (my posts about it)
Rutherford from The TV Detective series by Simon Hall (my posts about it)
Oberon from the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne. (my post about it)
Ruffin from the I. Q. series by Joe Ide. (my posts about it)
Dog from the Walt Longmire books by Craig Johnson (my posts about it)
Purvis (and Beau) from The Good Kill by John McMahon (my post about it)
Trogdor from The Golden Arrow Mysteries by Meghan Scott Molin (my post about it)
Mingus from The Drifter by Nicholas Petrie (my post about it)
Herbert and Daisy from Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (my post about it)
Books with paws on both sides of the line
Some books that belong on this list, but might be a bit too close to not fitting on it for some readers
Lessons From Lucy by Dave Barry—there’s a strong “my beloved dog is old and will die soon-vibe throughout this (it’s the whole point), so some may want to avoid it. But the focus is on what Barry is learning from his aging but still full-of-life dog. (my post about it)
This Dog Will Change Your Life by Elias Weiss Friedman with Ben Greenman—Friedman is probably better known as The Dogist on various social media programs where he features pictures of dogs he meets around whatever city he happens to be in at the time (typically NYC). This book talks about some of the dogs he’s met, some dog charities and organizations he’s encountered, the way some dogs have changed the lives of people he’s known, and some general thoughts on dog-kind in general.
Max Boucher Mysteries by Troy Lambert—Max used to be with the Seattle Police, but became a P.I. after the deaths of his wife and daughter. Because of the events of the first novel, Max gains a reputation as an animal detective. Particularly specializing in missing/kidnapped dogs. Most of the dogs in the series get out okay, but some are injured or worse. (my posts about it)
Stray Ally by Troy Lambert—this is an action novel featuring heroics from several dogs working alongside a special ops soldier to try to stop a white supremacist group from launching a terrorist action. Some dogs are hurt, and a few die along the way. (my post about it)
Dead is … series by Jo Perry—the canine protagonist in these mystery novels is a ghost, so there’s a dog death involved. But we meet her as a ghost, so she won’t die (again) in the series. (my posts about it)
Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure by David Rosenfelt—For various and sundry reasons, the Rosenfelts decide to move their home and dog shelter from California to Maine. As anyone who’s had to get a dog (or a toddler) into their vehicle for a drive across town can imagine—getting 25 dogs moved across the country is a logistical nightmare. In Rosenfelt’s capable hands, if “tragedy plus time equals comedy,” “nightmarish logistics plus time” does, too. The shelter specializes in senior dogs, so not every dog mentioned or featured lives, but that’s not the focus of the book. (my post about it)
E. B. White on Dogs—if this isn’t every short piece or letter White wrote mentioning dogs, it’s so close as not to matter. Some are witty, some are touching, some are somewhere in between. There are even a few written from the point of view of his dog! Sadly, this does include a eulogy for one dog, a few other mentions of canine mortality, so it can’t make the main list. (my post about it)
Lessons from Tara by David Rosenfelt—a sort-of-sequel to the above. Inspired by the death of their dog, Tara, the Rosenfelts now operate a no-kill shelter for senior dogs. This is the story about the origins and day-to-day of that life. There’s discussion of Tara’s death, and he has to cover the end of days for dogs, but it’s not the focus of the book. It’s one some will want to avoid, but you probably shouldn’t. (my post about it)
‡ I brainstormed this a bit with my family, and wanted to share some of those titles that didn’t make the cut, just because I enjoyed their creativity:
These Dogs Didn’t Go To Heaven/Not All Dogs Go to Heaven implies these dogs aren’t wonderful creatures, and that’s a solid loser
No Kleenex Required too vague, and not necessarily true, they’re just not required because of a death
The Best Bois
Books Where the Author isn’t A Heartless Bastard (Looking at You, Marley and Me) too long, and boy howdy, does it seem my son has bigger issues with the book than I did
Books that Even PETA Would Be Okay With
Books for the Vegan in You suggests the dog books I don’t mention are in favor of eating them…
Paw Patrol I’m almost confident my daughter’s now-husband suggested as a joke, for his sake, I’m assuming it was
Pawfect Dog Stories I refuse to resort to that kind of joke
(Images by S K from Pixabay and josmo from Pixabay)
Music Monday's originated at The Tattooed Book Geek's fantastic blog and has shown up hither, thither, and yon since then.
The World’s Last Night
And Other Essays
by C. S. Lewis
DETAILS:
Publisher: HarperOne
Publication Date: February 14, 2017
Format: Paperback
Length: 122 pg.
Read Date: August 3-10, 2025
What’s The World’s Last Night About?
This is a collection of essays by Lewis, quite simply. I don’t know that they belong together more than that. GIven the original date of publication (1952), he was alive when this was collected, but I have no idea if he was involved in the selection—I am curious about that. So much so that I’ve written 3 more sentences (including this one) about it than I intended to.
Here’s what the jacket flap on my copy says:
In these seven satirical yet poignant essays, C.S. Lewis tackles the temptations of evil. He challenges readers to decide how they would live on thew world’s last night and writes, “We are not the playwright, we are not the producer, we are not even the audience. We are on the stage. To play well the scenes in which we are ‘on’ concerns us much more than to guess about the scenes that follow it.” The infamous Screwtape makes a special appearance with a toast that explores the prospects for exploiting evil. Blending irony, humor, and paradox, Lewis tackles religion’s most difficult and intriguing questions regarding immorality, belief, and the meaning of prayer.
I’m also not sure “satirical” applies to all seven essays. But I didn’t come here to pick a fight with anyone involved with putting this together. So let’s move on with a quick look at each essay (the premise should be clear for most from the title).
The Efficacy of Prayer
I loved this essay. I’m glad I read the collection, if only for this—sadly, the rest of the collection really didn’t live up to it. But I’m okay with paying most of the $17 I spent on the book for this essay. It’s one I will be returning to.
On Obstinancy in Belief
This is sort of a Science v. Faith (a ridiculous debate). Lewis made some pretty good points, and it was generally good. But I’m not sure it’s a home-run.
That demand for our confidence which a true friend makes of us is exactly the same that a confidence trickster would make. That refusal to trust, which is sensible in reply to a confidence trickster, is ungenerous and ignoble to a friend, and deeply damaging to our relation with him. To be forewarned and therefore forearmed against apparently contrary appearance is eminently rational if our belief is true; but if our belief is a delusion, this same forewarning and forearming would obviously be the method whereby the delusion rendered itself incurable. And yet again, to be aware of these possibilities and still to reject them is clearly the precise mode, and the only mode, in which our personal response to God can establish itself. In that sense the ambiguity is not something that conflicts with faith so much as a condition which makes faith possible. When you are asked for trust you may give it or withhold it; it is senseless to say that you will trust if you are given demonstrative certainty. There would be no room for trust if demonstration were given. When demonstration is given what will be left will be simply the sort of relation which results from having trusted, or not having trusted, before it was given.
Lilies that Fester
This is an interesting take on anti-intellectualism and related ideas. It really feels like it could be a recent composition.
There’s a paragraph about a child reading Science Fiction that sold me.
Screwtape Proposes a Toast
I was just going to refer you to what I wrote about this as an add-on to The Screwtape Letters, but apparently, I never finished that post. So, um, that won’t work.
This fell short of the original Screwtape material. It doesn’t have the wit, the insight. It feels like a sequel to The Abolition of Man crammed into Screwtape’s mouth, and it didn’t work nearly as well.
Good Work and Good Works
Second-best essay in the batch.
‘Good works’ in the plural is an expression much more familiar to modern Christendom than ‘good work’. Good works are chiefly alms-giving or ‘helping’ in the parish. They are quite separate from one’s ‘work’. And good works need not be good work, as anyone can see by inspecting some of the objects made to be sold at bazaars for charitable purposes. This is not according to our example. When our Lord provided a poor wedding party with an extra glass of wine all round, He was doing good works, But also good work; it was a wine really worth drinking, Nor is the neglect of goodness in our ‘work’, our job, according to precept. The apostle says everyone must aot only work but work to produce what is ‘good’.
Religion and Rocketry
Huh. Interesting take on extraterrestrial life, etc. I’m not sure what else to say.
The World’s Last Night
There are many reasons why the modern Christian and een the modern theologian may hesitate to give to the doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming that emphasis which was usually laid on it by our ancestors.
It’s hard to believe that someone in the 20th Century could start an essay about escathology that way. But there it is, in black and white.
We must admit at once that this doctrine [of the Second Coming] has, in the past, led Christians into very great follies. Apparently many people find it difficult to believe in this great event without trying to guess its date, or even without accepting as a certainty the date that any quack or hysteric offers them. To write a history of all these exploded predictions would need a book, and a sad, sordid, tragi-comical book it would be.
I’ve read some of those books, and he describes them well.
Overall, this is a really good look at the doctrine of the Second Coming and Judgement and how we should act before then—and why we should do so.
So, what did I think about The World’s Last Night?
I liked this more than some of what I’ve read by Lewis this year, but it doesn’t hold a candle to him at his best. There are moments of brilliance. Moments of spiritual insight and wisdom. Some moments of wit and common sense (which should never be sneezed at). Some moments where you wonder why he has impacted so many (including myself) in such a strong and lasting way.
Still, it’s worth the time—not just for completistis, either. Just know going in that not every essay is going to wow you.
I’m tempted to give it 4 Stars just for the first essay, but let’s not get carried away by such a strong start.
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.
I really should’ve saved a couple of things from last week’s list for today…oh well, it’ll be faster for both of us this way.
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:
ChatGPT Shaming Is Making Our Writing So Much Worse: In the age of A.I. paranoia, people are cutting em dashes, skipping metaphors, and leaving in typos to prove their human.—If it’s a choice of defending my writing as human generated or cutting an em-dash, I’ll go to the gibbet! Leaving in typos? Stuff of nightmares.
Convince Audible to revise it’s New Royalty Model—I’m not going to tell you if you should sign this or not. Or if this should alter your audiobook practices (but there is a libro.fm link in my sidebar and I get a little something from it if you subscribe). But you should give this a read just to understand what Audible is doing.
Linda Castillo on Keeping Her Kate Burkholder Series Fresh and Frightening After 17 Books—I’m way behind in that series and I’m not so sure she’s pulling it off. But maybe I’m in a middling-time for her and things will freshen up. Still, it was interesting to read.
Andy Peloquin and some fellow authors clearly had some fun at WorldCon as seen in Let’s ask random authors some questions…Part One!!
SFF books featuring Characters with Disabilties – Top Ten Tuesday!—2 solid picks here and 8 that probably are, too. Feed your TBR!
Speaking of feeding your TBR, it’s time for Narratess Indie August Sale. My TBR is embiggened!
A Book-ish Related Podcast episode (or two) you might want to give a listen to:
Book Off! Season 14, Ep. 13 JD Kirk and MW Craven—I haven’t listened to a Book Off! in ages, this was a good one to get back into it with. Loads of fun.
To help talk about backlist titles (and just for fun), What Was I Talking About 10 Years Ago Week?
212 by Alafair Burke
Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley
Veiled by Benedict Jacka
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee—Nunc hoc in marmore non est incisum
Lastly, I mentioned the releases of: Hallow Point by Ari Marmell; Zero World by Jason Hough; Last Words by Michael Koryta; Zeroes by Chuck Wendig; and Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan
This Week’s New Releases that I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
A Mother’s Guide to the Apocalypse by Hollie Overton—”a post-apocalyptic mystery exploring the unshakeable bond between mothers and daughters and the sacrifices we make for the people we love.” This looks intense and riveting
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?
Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:
What are you currently reading?
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| Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson |
The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson, read by Eric Burgher |
I’m finally dipping into Gibson’s first book. This is a dark and messed-up world. Really enjoying it so far.
So far, The Dragon and the George is doing a lot of things right. It’s doing a lot of things so-so as well. Still, it’s plenty of fun.
What did you recently finish reading?
 |
 |
| Leveled Up Love by Leveled Up Love by Tao Wong & A. G. Marshall |
Blood Rites by Jim Butcher, read by James Marsters |
Wong & Marshall’s SF/LitRPG/Rom-Com mashup was feel-good fun.
I don’t know that Blood Rites ranks up with Butcher’s best, but the high points of this are so high, I just don’t care.
What do you think you’ll read next?
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| Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki |
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, translated by Lisa Hartford, read by Erik Davies |
Aoki’s book seems to be quite the genre mashup, looking forward to seeing how/if it works.
Netflix’s Dept. Q got me interested in the source material, The Keeper of Lost Causes. Time for some Nordic Noir.
Are you working through anything good?