Persons of Interest (Audiobook) by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson: DC Smith’s Tie to a Murder Victim Leads to a different Twisty Case

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On January 4, 2021

In Audiobook, DC Smith & Kings Lake, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller

Time’s gotten away from me on this one, been trying to get it done since August and keep getting distracted. But…I won’t let myself listen to the next one until I get this posted. So…

Persons of Interest

Persons of Interest

by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)
Series: A DC Smith Investigation, #4

Unabridged Audiobook, 10 hrsl, 30 min.
Tantor Audio, 2017

Read: August 14-18, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Allen wrote a short email of his own to Detective Inspector Reeve. The first version included the phrase, “Tell Smith to carry on as normal.” Then he had second thoughts and deleted that, telling Smith to carry on as normal might not be wise, because “normal” for Smith was not the same as it was for other people. [guessing on punctuation, etc.]

What’s Persons of Interest About?

DC Smith is called to a nearby prison to answer some questions. It appears that a murdered prisoner had a connection to Smith. Smith has never had anything to do with this man. Oh? Then why does he have your phone number? This is technically true, but it hasn’t been Smith’s number since the first book in the series. DC’s written off pretty quickly as a suspect (thankfully! I’ve made it clear that I just don’t like those stories), but he is curious about the man having his number.

But he can’t focus on that—the case belongs to a different jurisdiction, in the first place. In the second place, there’s a major new drugs task force temporarily in Kings Lake and he needs to focus on the new initiative. DC is enough of a cynic to have little use for it, seeing it as a PR stunt more than anything else.

Sadly, because of this task force, Smith and his team realize that something has happened to the drug trade in Kings Lake recently, power has shifted and the old players aren’t in the game anymore, or are playing a diminished role. So who’s running the show now, and how did this happen without any of the police aware?

Oh, and there is that nagging curiosity in the back of his mind about the murdered prisoner.

The On-Going Arcs

I really appreciated the way that Smith is still dealing with the, er, shortcuts he took to make sure he passed his physical exam. It was semi-comedic in the previous book, but that’s over and now DC is paying for it.

The new team member is becoming part of the crew but there’s still some room to grow—which is how it should be. There are some other internal moves, and potential moves, even some cooperation where I wouldn’t have expected it. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all resolves. I’m being vague, but it’s hard not to be without spilling details.

The story involving DC’s True Crime Writer friend was really scaled back, and I kept wondering if it was going to come into play more in this book. It didn’t, which I assume means that it’ll play a big role in Book 5. Which works for me. It’s not my favorite part of any of these books, but I’m really curious about how it’s going to play out.

Jackson’s Narration

Everything I’ve said before still holds. The perfect combination of text and narrator, protagonist and portrayer.

That’s it, that’s all I can say.

So, what did I think about Persons of Interest?

The reason that it’s taken me months to post about this book is that I don’t know what else to say about this series. I think that there are a couple of more compelling police procedural series out there, but I can only handle so much of them at one time. It feels like I could listen to this series on a loop and be perfectly content for a few weeks.

I love the cast, I love the way Smith’s mind works, I love his quiet little humor (he reminds me of a more realistic Francis Xavier Flynn making jokes that only he will understand or appreciate), I really like the cases this team works, and Jackson’s narration puts it over the top.

I’m not 100% convinced that this case was as compelling as the previous three, but the way Grainger tells the story makes up for that. I can’t wait to get back to Kings Lake Central and see what they get up to next.

4 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, opinions are my own.

My Favorite Theology/Christian Living Books of 2020

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On January 3, 2021

In News/Misc., Theology/Christian Living

I knew I’d done a lousy job of keeping up on my Theology/Christian Living posts this year. But assembling this post let me see just how bad I’d done—five posts this year, and only one from this list made was covered in them.

Maybe that’s part of why I was rejected by NetGalley for every book along these lines I requested this year? In retaliation, I bought every book I was rejected for. That’ll teach ’em…

Anyway, these books are important enough to me—and this category makes up enough of what I read that I figured I’d keep up the tradition of making this list. And I’ll try to do better on this front in 2021.

As always, re-reads don’t count for these lists. It’s a self-imposed rule, but in a year when I re-read Calvin’s Institutes, some Machen and Prayer by O. Hallesby, it’s just not fair to almost everything else I read.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Who Is God?Who Is God?: Key Moments of Biblical Revelation

by Richard Bauckham

This is one of those deceptively easy reads that shouldn’t be read easily. Based on lectures that Bauckman has delivered, the book takes a Redemptive Historical approach to God’s revelation of Himself. “Jacob’s dream at Bethel (the revelation of the divine presence), Moses at the burning bush (the revelation of the divine Name), and Moses on Mount Sinai (the revelation of the divine character)…He then shows how the New Testament builds on the Old by exploring three revelatory events in Mark’s Gospel, events that reveal the Trinity: Jesus’s baptism, transfiguration, and crucifixion.” After looking at the particular text, Bauckman then traces that revelation through Scripture showing how the same thought it echoed and expanded throughout.

As these chapters were originally lectures, they’re not full of footnotes—but they’re clearly the product of a lot of scholarship. There’s deep thought here and great spiritual nourishment.
4 1/2 Stars

The Hope of IsraelThe Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles

by Brandon D. Crowe

It makes no sense to me at all that there hasn’t been a book-length look at the theme of Resurrection in Acts until now. It’s so clearly important to the message of Acts that you’d think there’d be dozens. But nope.

Crowe does a masterful job of filling that lacuna. It is all over Acts—more than I’d have guessed, too. First, he focuses on the topic in general, then focuses on the speeches/sermons of Peter, then those of Paul, and then those of everyone else. The exegetical material is just Part One, and it’s worth the purchase price right there.

But then he goes on to examine the topic from four theological perspectives, fleshing out the exegetical material and it gets so much richer.

This isn’t as easy to read as Bauckman, but it’s not too difficult if you’re willing to put in the work. Fascinating topic and helpful reflections.

4 Stars

From Adam and Israel to the ChurchFrom Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God

by Benjamin L. Gladd

Gladd traces the idea of the people of God through successive Redemptive Historical eras, showing how each built on the one before and points to the final form in the New Heavens and Earth, fulfilling the original Creation design. A helpful way to look at this topic, it’ll challenge, inform and inspire.
4 Stars

Struck Down But Not DestroyedStruck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety

by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

Written twelve years after Hibbs was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, he takes a different approach to anxiety disorders than you typically see. It’s not about denying the problem, it’s not about overcoming it, and striving to lead an anxiety-free life. Instead, it’s about relying not on our own strength, but on Christ who is sufficient when we are not; it’s about learning to see what God’s purpose in the suffering is, understanding that His hand is guiding all things—including our problems—so how do we in faith (without denying the suffering) rest in faith.

If like me, you don’t suffer from an anxiety disorder, you have your own challenges in your life, ways in which you suffer. It’s easy, thanks to the way Hibbs wrote this, to see how you can apply these principles to your own circumstances.

Very practical, but not at the cost of truth and theological reflection.

4 Stars

Bearing God's NameBearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

by Carmen Joy Imes

I had some real problems with this book—I quibbled with more than a few points, and flat-out disagreed with others (although I think her arguments are interesting and I’d like to see someone who knows what they’re doing dissect them). And I’m not so sure her thesis is all that revolutionary—I’ve heard it in almost every (maybe every) sermon I’ve heard on the Third Commandment in Confessional Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the last two and a half decades.

That said, it’s a thesis that more people need to hear. The commandment isn’t primarily about our language, it’s about taking the Name of the Lord our God in the sense of “bearing.” When God’s people call themselves that, certain things are expected of them to not bring shame to that name (which will involve treating His name—and the means by which He is revealed—with the due respect).

She starts at Sinai and then traces the idea (a theme in this post, no?) through the rest of Scripture, showing how God’s people have done this—and how they’ve failed at it, too.

It’s a popularized version of a good portion of her dissertation, and is so accessible it’s ridiculous. Thought-provoking and helpful (even when I think she’s wrong about something), it’s a book I can’t help but recommend. My disagreements (and the way she expressed problems that don’t exist with the Reformed understanding of the topics) led to my reduced rating, not anything to do with the way the book was written.

3.5 Stars

The Identity and Attributes of GodThe Identity and Attributes of God

by Terry L. Johnson

The reason I haven’t written anything about this is simple: I don’t know how to start—or how to finish (or anything in between). This is a modern, less-exhaustive version of Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God. Full of quotations and lessons from Puritans and others in church history, this is an excellent introduction (and then some) to the classical doctrine of God so often ignored or downplayed today. If we don’t know who He is, how will we know how to worship and serve Him?

It’s convicting. It’s informative and educational. It’s devotional. It’s probably the best thing that Johnson’s written—and that’s saying something.

5 Stars

Exodus Old and NewExodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption

by L. Michael Morales

“Morales examines the key elements of three major redemption movements in Scripture: the exodus out of Egypt, the second exodus foretold by the prophets, and the new exodus accomplished by Jesus Christ.” Like so many others I read this year this takes a Redemptive Historical approach seeing the way these ideas play out throughout Scripture, are echoed and expanded in successive eras.

The exodus from Egypt is the template (not the best word, but the only one that comes to mind at the moment) for redemption in general, and we see this figure used time and time again in Scripture. Morales is a helpful guide through this progression.

4 Stars

With All Your HeartWith All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ

by A. Craig Troxel

Troxel begins by fleshing out a Biblical understanding of the heart (short version: the governing center of life). That understood, he then moves on to show how we’re to use that heart to fulfill Christ’s commands—how we keep it pure, how we protect it, how we keep it obedient. Most of all, how we respond when we fail (and fail, and fail).

One of the most humbling—yet helpful—books I’ve read in years. Troxel pierces the heart in the best way, so that we can see our need for repentance.

4 Stars

The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the ChurchThe Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church

by Geerhardus Vos

This work “surveys the teaching of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. It covers the kingdom in the Old Testament, the meaning of the biblical words for kingdom and kingship, the present and future aspects of the kingdom, the essence of the kingdom, the relationship between the kingdom and the church, and finally the saving benefits of entering the kingdom…Vos exposited an inaugurated kingdom with a future consummation long before G. E. Ladd popularized it.”

This is a slim, dense volume. Vos demands care and close attention to his work—but it’s so worth it (and after a while, you don’t notice how much you’re working to read). Fascinating and still helpful a century later.
5 Stars

Song of SongsThe Song of Songs

by G. I. Williamson

My original post
Yeah, I gave this one only 3 1/2 Stars, but it’s on this list because it stuck with me. It’s been since April and I’ve thought about this book a few times (definitely during the two times this year I’ve read the Song of Songs). Williamson’s wisdom and carefully Christ-centered approach to the book makes these sermons really valuable.

3.5 Stars

Saturday Miscellany—1/2/21

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On January 2, 2021

In Books, News/Misc., Saturday Miscellany

It’s January 2nd, which means I’m inducing anxiety with my 2020 Best-Ofs list (too many good things…). Hope you’re all enjoying the last little drips of this holiday season as we all gear up for a return to Regular Life (COVID Edition) on Monday.

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 Thursday came with grim news about the death of Anton Strout, author and podcaster. He was on my short-list of authors I really wanted to meet in RL. I’ve read almost everything he wrote (everything I could get my hands on, for sure), and interacted a little with him online. I’m pretty sure his podcast was the first one I listened to, too, now that I think of it. Anyway, he seemed like a great guy—supportive of other authors (both in his day job and personal life) and was always super-friendly to this fan (and all others I saw him interact with). More importantly, he was a devoted family man and leaves a wife and seven-year-old twins, a GoFundMe has been set up to help them out, if you’re in the position to chip in.
bullet On a similar note, Literary Hub has compiled Notable Literary Deaths in 2020: An Incomplete List of the Writers, Editors, and Great Literary Minds We Lost This Year
bullet Book sales are up, but is that helping independent sellers?
bullet 2021 Ultimate Book Blogger / Reader Spreadsheet Template—Last year, I abandoned the home-brewed Spreadsheet I’ve been honing since 2010 or so in favor of Kal’s far superior one. This one looks a smidgen better. I highly recommend it.
bullet Favorite Things About Book Formats—Cozy with Books breaks down the best of each format.
bullet 2021 Reading Challenge for backlogged books—If I hadn’t forced myself into abstaining from almost every challenge this year, I’d be diving into this Challenge from Entertainingly Nerdy. Looks like a great way to force yourself out of a rut or three.
bullet What Makes a Good Coming-of-Age Story—for some reason, it’d been a while since I dropped by The Bookwyrm’s Den, missing out on posts like this one. Who doesn’t love a coming-of-age story?
bullet #R3COMM3ND3D2020—For weeks, I have left reminders for myself to link to this series from the great Emma at damppebbles, and ignored them all. It’s a place for “authors, book bloggers and bookstagrammers to shout about three (yes, only three) books they love” published in 2020. There are some great reads here—and the books they link to aren’t shabby, either.
bullet Favorite The Write Reads Tour Books of 2020—I’ve done a few tours with The Write Reads last year (and have one scheduled for this new one), and while I didn’t participate in this poll, I’d have been pulling for 3 out of the 4 listed here. Also want to echo the compliments about The Write Reads in the post.
bullet 2020 Recap – A Year in Blogging—I really liked Way Too Fantasy’s approach to the Year-End Wrap-Up post.
bullet Ditto for Bookstooge Reviews 2020
bullet This post would be freakishly long if I didn’t exercise some restraint here, but how’s about some Best-Of 2020 Posts?
bullet My Favorite Reads of 2020—we’ll kick things off with this one from Witty & Sarcastic Bookclub
bullet The damppebbles Top Ten (sort of!) of 2020—(also a nice Wrap Up, but not even Emma gets listed twice for the same post)
bullet My Top Ten Novels of 2020—Char’s too horror-centric for me to really get into their recs, but when our reads overlap, we’re usually on the same page. So if you’re looking for a horror read, here’s some doozies.
bullet Raven’s Yearly Round Up 2020 and Top 10 Books—anyone else worried about their bank balance after these lists? I think Raven could push me over the limit.
bullet Top 20 for 2020!—The Orangutan Librarian won’t be limited by an arbitrary 10!
bullet Top Twelve Books of 2020—neither will A Little Book Problem
bullet My 2020 Notable Book List—from the Fantasy Book Nerd
bullet Favorite Reads of 2020 by Month (Ft. More Than 12 Books Because Choosing is Hard)—Bookwyrm’s Den tries an approach that would drive me to all sorts of anxiety in a particularly good month.
bullet Best Books of 2020—Books, Bones & Buffy does in one post what it’ll take me four or so to accomplish

This Week's New Releases That I’m Excited About and/or You’ll Probably See Here Soon:
bullet Black Canary: Breaking Silence by Alexandra Monir—the latest in the DC Icons finally moves away from the Big 3 (Catwoman’s still Batman-adjacent, so she doesn’t count), and I’m eager to see how they deal with Dinah Lance.

Lastly I’d like to say hi and extend a warm welcome to Priya Prakash who followed the blog this week. Don’t be a stranger, and use that comment box, would you?

The Irresponsible Reader in 2020: Thoughts, Thanks and Stats

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On January 1, 2021

In Calendar Items, News/Misc., Nick Kolakowski

Programming Note: Over the next few days, I’ll be looking back over 2020—but I’ll trying to come up with some new material, too. Many/most others have already done their best-of/year-end wrap up posts, but I’m a stickler—I can’t start doing this kind of thing ’til the year is over—a few years ago, pre-blog, the last thing I read (finished on 12/31, as I recall) just blew me away and was easily the best thing I read that year. Ever since then, I just can’t start to think about it until January 1.

As we kick off 2021, as is my custom, I wanted to take a glance back at 2020. 263 books finished (plus comics, picture books, short stories, and the like that I don’t know how to count)—and that’s with pretty much taking one month off! I exceeded my goal (nothing like exceeding an arbitrary number to boost the ol’ ego), too; around 80,000 pages; with an average rating of 3.77 Stars. I only DNF’d one book, which is nice (and man, it was bad).

On the blog front, I put up 480 posts—128 more than last year!! (and again, that’s with some time off). I had some strong gains in traffic—views and visitors—actually, strong gains doesn’t quite cut it. Consider my mind boggled. I’m also seeing good growth in followers here and on various social media fronts, which is encouraging as all get out—not just growth in numbers, but the level of and amount of interaction is up to the point that my socially awkward self doesn’t really understand it.

I didn’t finish two of my projects for the year—my trip through The History of Tom Jones and my survey of the first twelve Spenser novels. I’m getting back to both of those in the coming days (and I might lengthen the Classic Spenser series by three or four, we’ll see).

In addition to the changes in lifestyle brought on by the global pandemic (perhaps you heard of it), I moved my blog to a self-hosting platform. That created more headaches than I want to think of (comments went down at least 3 times, for example). But I think it’ll be worth it in the long-run. And not just because I can save some money. And then, my family had to move, which was a lot more disruptive than I expected. I know I’ve talked too much about it already, just a little more…in the first decade or so that my wife and I were married, we lived in 6 different places, moving was just a thing that happened. In the next 13 years, we lived in one place and planned on at least two more years there. That’s a lot of inertia to overcome—but we’re almost settled, most of my books have a place to be, and I’ll soon shut up about it all.

As is my habit, here’s my breakdown of books by genre (and I’m going to have to change things soon, this chart doesn’t show up well anymore, I just like showing the trends). Genre labeling is more difficult lately as I’m reading a lot of hybrids (most of us are, they’re being produced more), but I tend to go with the overarching genre. Basically, everything’s the same, with just a percent or two of adjustment. It’s been forever since I’ve read a Western or a Horror novel—and “humor” is pretty useless, as a lot of things I read could be considered that. Once again, for someone who doesn’t plan too thoroughly, the percentages stay remarkably consistent from year to year—tastes (and series I follow) apparently stay the same.

Genre 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012
Children’s 5 (2%) 7 (3%) 11 (4%) 7 (3%) 5 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Fantasy 35 (13%) 28 (10%) 30 (11%) 7 (3%) 31 (13%) 17 (9%) 11 (7%) 15 (8%) 12 (6%)
General Fiction/ Literature 16 (7%) 21 (8%) 22 (8%) 29 (10%) 27 (11%) 17 (9%) 7 (4%) 30 (16%) 30 (14%)
Horror 0 (0%) 1 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (.4%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 2 (1%) 4 (1%) 3 (1%) 1 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (1%) 3 (2%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 90 (34%) 105 (38%) 107 (38%) 102 (37%) 61 (25%) 64 (34%) 62 (37%) 63 (33%) 73 (35%)
Non-Fiction 28 (10%) 25 (9%) 22 (8%) 10 (4%) 11 (5%) 8 (4%) 4 (2%) 2 (1%) 11 (5%)
Poetry 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Science Fiction 20 (8%) 30 (11%) 25 (9%) 27 (10%) 37 (15%) 16 (8%) 17 (10%) 14 (7%) 11 (5%)
Steampunk 2 (1%) 1 (0%) 3 (1%) 1 (0%) 2 (1%) 7 (4%) 3 (2%) 3 (2%) 11 (5%)
Theology/ Christian Living 23 (8%) 34 (12%) 25 (9%) 30 (11%) 33 (14%) 42 (22%) 42 (25%) 37 (19%) 10 (5%)
Urban Fantasy 42 (16%) 25 (9%) 29 (10%) 45 (16%) 36 (15%) 19 (10%) 20 (12%) 26 (14%) 48 (23%)
Western 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) 1 (0%)

Thanks to the nifty spreadsheet made by the Voracious Reader, I was able to get a few more stats. I find them interesting, maybe you will to.

I keep saying I want to re-read more, I’m doing okay on that front, but want that to get higher.


I knew I was listening to more audiobooks this year (just the nature of my work enables me to do a lot of these, plus gym time—before March, anyway), but that it’s the majority of what I “read” in 2020 is pretty surprising. A lot of the “Borrowed” and re-read slices above are tied to that.

Enough about me. I want to talk about you, who keep me going and show an interest in what I’m doing here and give some thanks to people for their impact on The Irresponsible Reader (the blog and the person) in 2019:

 

Have a great 2021, hope you find plenty of good things to read!

The Friday 56 for 1/1/21: Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten

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On January 1, 2021

In Currently Reading, DC Maggie Jamieson, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, News/Misc., Noelle Holten, 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 56% of:
Dead Perfect

Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten

…I apologize if this is slightly repetitive. Remember when we were talking about strange people you may have come across or who’ve made you uncomfortable? Can you just remind me of them again and maybe what made you feel weird around them?’

‘Erm … All right. Is this one of those times I have to just give you what you ask and trust that you have your reasons?’

‘I’m afraid it is.’

December 2020 in Retrospect: What I Read/Listened to/Wrote About

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On January 1, 2021

In Books, Calendar Items, Currently Reading, News/Misc.

December is over, 2020 is over–approximately 8 years after it started, somehow. I didn’t read quite as much as I wanted to (nor write nearly as much as I wanted to), but I’m getting back to form. I finished the equivalent of 9,447 pages (or the equivalent) over 25 books. And I think this may have been my best month of the year, a 3.88 Average. A couple of the posts I did write this month are my favorites for 2020, which makes up for the lack of productivity.

I’ll be back today (I think) with a look back on 2020 as a whole but let’s focus on what happened here in December.
Books Read

Greenlights One for the Money The Silver Arrow
3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars 3.5 Stars
Free Fire Amari and the Night Brothers First Lord's Fury
3.5 Stars 4 Stars 5 Stars
The Sentinel Is this Anything? Cooking for Cannibals
3.5 Stars 3 Stars 4 Stars
Lost Hills The Fey and the Furious The Brightest Fell
4 Stars 3 Stars 5 Stars
From Adam and Israel to the Church And Then You're Dead Forged
4 Stars 3.5 Stars 4 Stars
Bone Canyon The Graveyard Book Twisted Twenty Six
4 1/2 Stars 4 Stars 4 Stars
No Time Like the Future Olive, Mabel & Me Institutes of Christian Religion vol 2
4 Stars 3.5 Stars 5 Stars
Prayer Light It Up Mythos
4 Stars 4 1/2 Stars 3 Stars
The October Man
r3.5 Starsating25

Still Reading

Tom Jones Original Cover Dead Perfect

Ratings

5 Stars 3 2 1/2 Stars 0
4 1/2 Stars 2 2 Stars 0
4 Stars 9 1 1/2 Stars 0
3.5 Stars 8 1 Star 0
3 Stars 3
Average = 3.88

TBR Pile
Mt TBR January 20

Breakdowns
“Traditionally” Published: 20
Self-/Independent Published: 5

Genre This Month Year to Date
Children’s 0 (0%) 5 (2%)
Fantasy 4 (16%) 35 (13%)
General Fiction/ Literature 0 (0%) 16 (7%)
Horror 0 (0%) 0 (0%)
Humor 1 (4%) 2 (1%)
Mystery/ Suspense/ Thriller 8 (32%) 90 (34%)
Non-Fiction 3 (12%) 28 (10%)
Science Fiction 0 (0%) 20 (8%)
Steampunk 0 (0%) 2 (1%)
Theology/ Christian Living 4 (16%) 23 (8%)
Urban Fantasy 4 (16%) 42 (16%)
Western 0 (0%) 0 (0%)

Review-ish Things Posted

Other Things I Wroteotherwriting
Other than the Saturday Miscellanies (5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th), I also wrote:

  • A Few More Quick Questions with Gray Basnight/a>
  • Down the TBR Hole (17 of 24+)/a>
  • A Few Quick Questions with D. B. Borton/a>
  • Festivus 2020: For the Rest of Us/a>
  • 2020 While I Was Reading Challenge/a>
  • WWW Wednesday for December 8, December 16, and December 30.
  • The Friday 56 for 12/4/20 and 12/18/20.

    • How was your month?

    2020 While I Was Reading Challenge

    By

    On December 31, 2020

    In Miscellany, News/Misc.

    I’ll talk more about the 2020 Reading Challenges I took part in soon, but I want to focus on the 2020 While I Was Reading Challenge today. And not just because it’s the only one I completed.

    This was the third year for it, and the third year I participated and managed to complete. I really enjoy the categories that Ramona puts together, and a few times has made me think about books/titles in ways I wouldn’t normally. And yes, I’m coming back for the 2021 Challenge.

    I finished the last one on this list Tuesday night (“A book that’s been on your shelf for more than a year” YES! One more off the TBR!!), a little closer to the 31st than I’d like, but…eh. Whatever. I’ve written at least a little about all but one of them (although, I thought I’d written about it, too, until about an hour ago), you can read that if you click the links.

    2020 While I Was Reading Challenge Categories

    1.  A book with an emotion in the title: City of Hate by Timothy S. Miller
    2.  A young adult novel: Venators: Legends Rise by Devri Wells
    3.  A book translated from another language: Qualityland by Marc-Uwe Kling, Jamie Lee Searle (Translator)
    4.  A book that’s centered around a holiday: Silent Bite by David Rosenfelt
    5.  A novel based on a true story: Kopp Sisters on the March by Amy Stewart, Christina Moore
    6.  A book with song lyrics in the title: Back to Reality by Mark Stay, Mark Oliver, Narrated by Kim Bretton
    7.  A book that’s been on your shelf for more than a year: Light It Up by Nick Petrie
    8.  A book with a non-human narrator: Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn
    9.  A book with a month in the title: May Day by Josie Jaffrey
    10.  A book you heard about on TV/Radio/a podcast: No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox (heard about on WTF with Marc Maron Podcast Episode 1176)
    11.  A book set in the state you live in: Rattlesnake Rodeo by Nick Kowalski (I actually read 5 books that would meet that this year, never read so many set in Idaho before. Maybe one a year, max. Very strange year)
    12.  A romance novel: Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn, David Levithan, Narrated by Ryan Gesell, Tara Sands

    Light It Up by Nick Petrie: Peter Ash Throws a Monkey Wrench into a Denver Conspiracy

    By

    On December 31, 2020

    In Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Nicholas/Nick Petrie, Peter Ash

    Light It Up

    Light It Up

    by Nick Petrie
    Series: Peter Ash, #3

    Paperback, 381 pg.
    G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2018

    Read: December 28-29, 2020
    Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

    “I could really use your help,” Henry told Peter. “Maybe a week, two at the most. Just until I get things squared away,”

    Peter didn’t have to think before he answered.

    “No problem.” He’d send June a postcard. Maybe leave out a few details. He didn’t want to worry her. “Sign me up.”

    Later, he’d wish he’d answered differently.

    He’d have plenty of reasons.

    But he knew he’d have answered exactly the same way.

    What’s Light It Up About?

    Peter meets and befriends a Vietnam vet on a project in Oregon. His friend, Henry, needs to return home to Denver—his daughter and son-in-law run a security company, escorting money for the cannabis industry. On a recent run, the son-in-law and his team went missing (along with the money). Henry needs to go help run things and hopefully come across a clue about the disappearance. He asks Peter to come along, and he does.

    Four days later, Henry, Peter, and two others are taking care of another shipment of money. It’s a very routine run—until it’s not. They’re attacked by a group of professionals and it’s a very ugly event.

    It’s no longer about Peter trying to help out a friend, it’s now about Peter striking back at the people who attacked his team and making sure they don’t do anything like that again.

    A Three-Headed Monster

    There are essentially three villains to this book. I’d like to talk about all three of them, but I don’t think I really can without taking something away from the experience—one calls the shots, one is the man on the ground making the plans and seeing that they’re implemented, the third is the guy who carries out the plan.

    This latter we’ve seen before—he’s all about killing and raping*—maybe a little pillaging while he’s at it. He really just wants to watch the world burn. The man at the top is another guy we’ve seen before (a good version of him, don’t get me wrong).

    * No, he doesn’t rape anyone in this book. There are some passing references to times he has, and he definitely looks forward to doing it in the future.

    It’s the middle man that’s the guy who captured my attention. The man at the top is probably convinced he’s doing the right thing (for at least some people), the guy at the bottom of the chain of command doesn’t care about right and wrong. But the other one—he knows that what he’s doing is wrong, he is deliberately choosing evil. He has compelling reasons for that, but he’s going in with his eyes wide open.

    Also, he has an interesting tie to Peter, one that adds a new layer to Peter.

    No Army of One

    Peter likes to think of himself as a lone wolf—he can do it all himself. Maybe even thinks he needs to (the book delves deep into this toward the end, but I’m not interacting with that part). But he’s not one—unlike Jack Reacher (the easiest guy to compare him to) who will pick up an ally or two for a book, and then will leave them in the dust while “The Lonely Man” (from The Incredible Hulk) plays in the background.

    Peter didn’t want to leave June behind, but needed to (and wants to get back to her). And while he considers Lewis a friend, doesn’t try to get him involved in his messes. But they don’t let him—he needs help, so they come to him, over his objections.

    Peter’s an action hero for our time—he’s dealing with PTSD (not stoically enduring, he’s trying to deal with it, he’s got a counselor), he has a sense of humor, and he’s a social creature. He needs people—for community and for assistance from time to time—and he’s the kind of guy that people are drawn to.

    There’s a moment where Lewis describes why Peter’s men followed him where they did in Iraq. It’s something about his personality, is leadership, his character—he still has that, he just has different people following him in the trouble spots in the U.S.

    The Lone Wolf Hero is a mainstay, it’s a fixture in Fiction—but a hero like Peter? He’s so much easier to believe. Easier to root for. He has more to lose, so you care more for his success.

    A Missed Opportunity

    When it looks likely that Peter’s going to be facing some legal troubles, Lewis arranges for a lawyer for him. She comes on the scene like some sort of oversexed Rita Fiore (from the Spenser/Jesse Stone series), intimidating police and protecting Peter. She’s not cartoonish, but she’s trending that way. She has a couple of good scenes, but then she practically vanishes.

    This isn’t a legal thriller, and a lawyer shouldn’t play a huge role—but if you’re going to put a flashy character show up, use them. There’s no reason to believe that she’ll be around in future books—unless Peter moves to Denver.

    I did like her, I thought she had some good scenes, but it felt like hiring Meryl Streep to play a role listed as “Lady in Restaurant” in the credits.

    So, what did I think about Light It Up?

    This series gets better and better. I thought the whole idea of the security for the cash shipments for the new (at least then) cannabis industry in Colorado was great. It’s the kind of thing that was just waiting for a thriller writer to jump on, and Petrie took full advantage before anyone else saw it.

    There’s a mano a mano fight at the end—fantastic. Just fantastic. There’s plenty of action before that—a chase scene, the ambush of the security team, and some others—just those would’ve been enough to make me commend and recommend this thriller. But that climactic combat? Just wonderful.

    Like with Burning Bright, I lost sleep over this—and did not care. Solid (at least) action, an ingenious premise, good character development, some well-written and well-conceived antagonists (scratch that, they’re flat-out bad guys). There’s nothing to complain about here. Get your hands on this one.

    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, opinions are my own.

    WWW Wednesday, December 30, 2020

    By

    On December 30, 2020

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

    It’s time for the last WWW Wednesday of 2020, and like most people, I’m beyond ready to get done with this year.

    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 the adrenaline-fueled Light It Up by Nick Petrie and am listening to Mythos written and narrated by Stephen Fry on audiobook (it’s charming, delightful, and isn’t doing a great job of holding my interest–I can’t explain it, probably my mood).

    Light It UpBlank SpaceMythos

    What did you recently finish reading?

    I just finished Andrew Cotter’s awwww-inducing Olive, Mabel & Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs and the inspiring and entertaining No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality written and narrated by Michael J. Fox on audio.

    Olive, Mabel & MeBlank SpaceNo Time Like the Future

    What do you think you’ll read next?

    My next book should be Dead Perfect by Noelle Holten (I’ve read the Prologue and it is chilling, I’m a little apprehensive about what follows) and The October Man by Ben Aaronovitch, Sam Peter Jackson (Narrator) on audiobook (it’s going to be weird not hearing Kobna Holdbrook-Smith read Aaronovitch. Fitting, but weird).

    Dead PerfectBlank SpaceThe October Man

    Hit me with your Three W’s in the comments! (no, really, do it!)

    Catch-Up Quick Takes: Greenlights, The World’s Strongest Librarian, No Time Like the Future, A Very Punchable Face

    By

    On December 30, 2020

    In (Auto)Biography, Audiobook, Non-Fiction

    Greenlights

    Greenlights

    by Matthew McConaughey
    Unabridged Audiobook, 6 hrs., 42 min.
    Random House Audio, 2020
    Read: December 1-3, 2020
    Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

    (the official blurb)
    I’m not the biggest McConaughey fan in the world—I don’t think I’ve ever not liked anything he’s done, but I don’t seek him out—and am not at all the target audience for this. But something about what he said about the writing of this book when he was on Hot Ones, made me want to take a look. That my library had the audiobook available to borrow made it all the easier to do so.

    This dude can tell a story. I’m sure he’s exaggerating a lot of the events—not necessarily being dishonest, just spinning a good yarn. And honestly, I don’t care. I had a blast listening to this. If 30% of this stuff is true, he’s led a great life and probably deserves to make up 70% of it for the entertainment value.

    You’re not going to get a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff about his movies (there are a couple of exceptions), it’s mostly about his personal life—childhood, family, friends, wife, and some miscellaneous solo adventures.

    I laughed, I learned a thing or two, I shook my head a few times. Mostly, I just enjoyed a good storyteller at work. (I’m not sure any other narrator could’ve pulled it off, but McConaughey made it feel like we were sitting around a campfire or at a bar somewhere).

    3.5 Stars

    The World’s Strongest Librarian

    The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family

    by Josh Hanagarne, Stephen R. Thorne (Narrator)
    Unabridged Audiobook, 8 hrs., 35 mins
    Blackstone Audio, 2013
    Read: August 25-September 2, 2020
    Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

    (the official blurb)
    I’d started a full post about this book months ago, and just couldn’t get it to the point I was satisfied with it—I think because something about Hanagarne’s story made me want to get granular about it. I’m going to try really hard to limit myself to a couple of quick paragraphs.

    There’s a part of me that wanted more about Tourette’s, but after his initial diagnosis and learning to cope (for lack of a better term), Hanagarne largely left that behind. Sure, it was clear that Tourette’s was a constant presence in his life, but he didn’t dwell on it. He talked about some of the things he did to combat the symptoms, but he didn’t talk that much about having to deal with it day after day. This makes sense, it’s not what I expected, but as I listened to the book, I couldn’t argue with it.

    Hanagarne’s a reader, has been for his whole life—and right there is where I made my connection to him. He talks like a reader, cares about literacy and knowledge, makes reader-ly references—an instant connection between me and his book. I can see myself having regular conversations with him that last for hours.

    A lot of the book focuses on his family—both growing up and then his wife and their struggles to have a child and struggles adopting. A lot of that was heartbreaking, but it was inspiring to see the way that he and his wife kept moving forward.

    I have to address this because Hanagarne does so much in his book, skip this paragraph if you want. What broke my heart more than that though was his repeated discussions of the struggling with his faith. Like every Latter-Day Saint I’ve talked to, he worried about doing enough. Praying enough—and sincerely enough. Doing enough good works. Believing enough. So that God would bless him, help him with his Tourette’s, his depression, his marriage, having a kid. It’s all about his performance, so that he might be enough. There was no Gospel here. No promise. No grace. No faith as the Bible describes. Just human striving. I was sincere when I said my heart broke, I stopped the book frequently to pray that even now, years after this book was written, someone would come alongside him and help. Even now, thinking about this book makes me hope that he actually hears the Gospel.

    He’s living a fascinating life and this book was a great way to talk about it, not only can Hanagarne talk about books, he knows how to write one. There are no easy answers when it comes to religion, family, or Tourette’s. Just one guy stumbling through this and other things as best as he can.

    3.5 Stars

    No Time Like the Future

    No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality

    by Michael J. Fox
    Unabridged Audiobook, 5 hrs., 59 min.
    Macmillan Audio, 2020
    Read: December 23-26, 2020
    Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

    (the official blurb)
    It’d be easier to talk about this if I’d read Fox’s earlier books, to compare. But from what I gather, the past memoirs have been about embracing his challenges and finding ways to celebrate the life and career that he’s enjoyed.

    This book seems to be about when it gets hard to be an optimist. When the challenges seem to be winning (and, sure, he’s in a privileged place, but his challenges are the kind that’d break many people), how do you stay optimistic? Or do you? Well, if you have people like Fox does in your life (and one great-sounding dog), maybe you do. Fox describes himself as characteristically optimistic, but lately, it’s because of the people in his life and deliberate decisions on his part to stay that way.

    He talks about the challenges, he’s honest about the impact on him, and he celebrates the people—friends, family, strangers, medical professionals—who’ve helped him keep going. But told with a lot of heart and humor. I really enjoyed this.

    Fox doing the narration—clearly not the easiest task for him, made it even better.

    4 Stars

    A Very Punchable Face

    A Very Punchable Face

    by Colin Jost
    Unabridged Audiobook, 7 hrs., 41 min.
    Random House Audio, 2020
    Read: October 1-3, 2020
    Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

    (the official blurb)
    Jost tells some jokes about Long Island, himself, cast members of SNL. He talks about growing up on Long Island, some early struggles in his life, his early career and making it to SNL and the ups and downs there, and what’s probably next for him—usually the stories are littered with tiny jokes, but not always.

    The best—and most heartfelt part of the book—is when he describes the work his mother did in relation to the fire department and 9/11. Not that the book wouldn’t have been entertaining without it, but it’s that section that made it feel worthwhile.

    It’s a pleasant way to spend a few hours, and it’ll make you chuckle at least a few times.
    3 Stars


    2020 Library Love Challenge

    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.

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