Tag: 3 1/2 Stars Page 13 of 41

Deeper: Real Change for Real Sinners

Kindle Edition, 144 pg.
Crossway, 2021

Read: October 26, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Deeper About?

The goal of this book is to call believers to grow in Christ, to experience a deeper kind of Christian life. Ephesians 4:15 and 2 Peter 3:18 call for the Christian to grow, and that’s where Ortlund wants to focus.

He eschews the typical calls for greater discipline, certain acts/habits, intellectual pursuits, or behavioral changes for this aim. Instead, Ortlund wants to pursue this through a focus on Christ we are changed as we look to Him and his benefits.

Growing in Christ is not centrally improving or adding or experiencing but deepening…deepening is that you already have what you need. Christian growth is bringing what you do and say and even feel into line with what, in fact, you already are.

To point the believer to looking to Christ, he focuses on nine different aspects of that action—with one chapter per aspect (that I’ll gloss over because I get into it later).

Sources/Influences

Early on, Ortland makes several references to Henry Scougal’s The Life Of God In The Soul Of Man, which just made me happy. Introducing contemporary readers to Scougall’s classic is a great thing—also, it reminded me that I need to dust off my copy. I’m far overdue for a re-read of that.

I also assumed that the whole book was going to be along those lines. Instead, he seemed to lean primarily on Martin Luther, C. S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer—not a slouch among them, but none of them are really all that well-known for their work on sanctification.

I’m not saying that’s bad, I’m just wondering if his influences led to some of my ambivalence about the book as a whole.

So, what did I think about Deeper?

I do not have nine things to say. I have one thing to say. Look to Christ. You will grow in Christ as you direct your gaze to Christ. If you take your eyes off of Jesus Christ and direct your gaze to your own growth, you will prevent the very growth you desire…

The nine chapters of this book are not sequential steps in growing; they are different facets of the one diamond of growth. In order to grow, we need to see who the real Jesus is (chap. 1), collapsing into his arms and continuing to do so all our lives long (chap. 2) as those united to him (chap. 3), drinking down his undeserved love (chap. 4) and full legal exoneration on the basis of his own finished work (chap. 5), being therefore freed up to walk in the light (chap. 6) and receive the anguish of this life as the gentle hand of God to help us rather than to punish us (chap. 7), seeing the love of Christ by inhaling the Bible and returning our love to him in exhaled prayer (chap. 8), and actually experiencing the love of heaven through the indwelling Spirit (chap. 9).

It is, no question about it, better than the previous volume in the Union series. But for a book called Deeper, it really leaned toward the shallow, he needed to expand every one of those facets—if for no other reason than to do a better job of showing how they’re facets of the one idea. Because as much as he claims he had one idea in the book, not nine, I really never got that impression. Like the Reeves book on Fear of God, if this is intended to be the “full treatment” of the idea for pastors and other leaders, it falls short.

I liked everything that he had to say, I appreciated the wisdom of it, and I agree these things, as they are rooted in the gospel, need to be emphasized in the believer’s attention and life. But…I always felt like something was missing. Both in his thinking and his presentation—it’s likely just the latter, but without the more thorough presentation, it seems like it’s his logic.

I think most people will find some benefit to this book—not as much as Ortlund aimed for, perhaps–and I’m glad I read it. I just wanted something deeper.

3.5 Stars

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

Holier Than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry: We Can Trust God Because of His Holiness

By HCNewton

On September 12, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Holier Than Thou:
How God’s Holiness Helps
Us Trust Him

by Jackie Hill Perry

Paperback, 168 pg.
B&H Books, 2021

Read: September 5, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

I don’t remember the day I thought about it and i my coffee was iced or warm. What I know is that what I thought, and what I thought of, I wanted an answer for: “If God is holy, then He can’t sin. If God can’t sin, then He can’t sin against me. If He can’t sin against me, shouldn’t that make Him the most trustworthy being there is?”

What’s Holier Than Thou About?

The impetus for this book came from that above thought—although as she notes, one of the goals of the book is to remove that “if” from the phrase “If God can’t sin.” If He, and He alone, is really worthy of that trust—how should that impact our lives? What a “blessed” assurance it is to understand and embrace God’s holiness as an intrinsic part of His nature and to then remember his promises are “Yea, and amen.”

On the one hand, that might seem kind of obvious, nothing worth writing a book about. But if you stop and think about that for a minute, what all the implications of it are, how it can (and should) shape our lives? That’s when you remember that that profundity is often hidden in simplicity.

From this jumping-off point, Perry spends the five chapters looking at the holiness of God from various perspectives—as a characteristic of God, as His moral perfection, as His transcendence—what the implications of God’s holiness mean that when it comes to sinful men, and (in a great angle) what it would mean for Creation and Humanity if God were not holy. Then she follows that up with two chapters on the sanctification of believers—how we reflect that Holiness.

The Gospel

One thing that I found reassuring and impressive throughout the book was that while the point of the book was to remind us about the holiness of God, how He should be seen as perfect in distinction to the fallen humanity we see all around us. She never uses that as a way to induce fear and despair, never tells the reader to give up—or to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps to a makeshift righteousness (a futile effort, anyway). Instead—she points to the Gospel. There is always the promise of Christ’s work for His people, His redemption in the midst of this—our only hope.

Sanctification

The other strength of this book is the way that Perry uses two chapters to address the believer’s response to God’s holiness in their own.

The first chapter is what will separate her from most books on the topic—following John Owen, she talks about sanctification as the immediate* work of the Spirit through the work of rebirth/regeneration and the changing the nature of the believer.

* that is, “acting or being without the intervention of another object, cause, or agency;” not “instant.” (definition from Merriam-Webster.com).

That established, she can then move in the next chapter to the transformation of the believer through beholding the Holy One of Israel, believing in Him, and thus becoming like Him as we follow His ways.

Keeping the horse before the cart on this topic is so essential, and so often overlooked.

The Cover

This isn’t something I usually address, but I have to take a moment to talk about the cover design—it’s just brilliant. It may be difficult to see in the thumbnail above (it probably is, but I have the paperback sitting next to me, so it’s impossible for me to not pick up the details on the .png file), but there’s this faux-distressed, bent cover, well-read/reread look to it. The book looks like I’ve read it a few dozen times—and carried it with me for a couple of moves, probably had it stacked under something for a few months.

I absolutely love it (sure, when I pulled it out of the box, I was initially annoyed when I saw the condition it seemed to be in, before I realized it was supposed to look beat up and worn).

So, what did I think about Holier Than Thou?

God’s holiness is essential to His nature and fundamental to His being. His holiness is what makes Him good, and loving, and kind, and faithful. Without holiness, God wouldn’t be beautiful, and so because of it, He is eternally attractive. Think about the opposite of it being present in Him and you may see my point. If He were sovereign, but wicked, with no inner righteousness to restrain His hand, I wouldn’t be surprised if the world was no more. If He had all power without love, our refusal to love Him back would result in cosmic abuse or maybe a million more floods with no rainbow to promise His relent. If He were an unholy God, what would salvation even mean? What is deliverance to a self-centered “savior”? Thankfully, our God is incomprehensibly holy and therefore completely beautiful in all of His ways and works. This is why we are invited to worship Him as such, and in so doing, we become just as beautiful as He is.

This is a terrific review or refresher on this vital topic. It can also serve as a wonderful introduction to it for those who need one. And for everyone, using the works Perry footnotes and alludes to would be a great way to follow up on this book.

For myself (and this is why I’m rating this low for a book I just described as “terrific”), I didn’t learn much—if anything. It felt like a retread of a lot that I’ve read before. It could’ve been a little deeper and still qualified as a retread. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s near-underwhelming.

However—her starting point for this book really impressed me, although I’d have preferred another chapter or two working out that idea after the rest of the book. But it’s Perry’s prose, her style, her near-lyrical* descriptions and depictions of ideas, events, and concepts—that kept me going. There are paragraphs that demand to be re-read—and occasionally to read aloud—I absolutely loved this aspect of her writing, and it’s going to be why I gladly recommend this to others, why I’d likely buy it for others, and why I’ll likely be quick to buy her next book.

* How not-at-all-surprising for a poet and hip-hop artist to have lyrical prose.

3.5 Stars

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

The Genius’ Guide to Bad Writing by R.T. Slaywood, R.C. Martinez: For Those Who Are Curious About Writing Worse

By HCNewton

On September 7, 2021

In Humor, Non-Fiction

The Genius’ Guide to Bad Writing

by R.T. Slaywood, R.C. Martinez

Kindle Edition, 39 pg.
2021

Read: September 4, 2021

It’s time to disappoint your readers!

What’s The Genius’ Guide to Bad Writing About?

A guide for the writer who is tired of success and wants to reclaim their lives from answering the siren call of fortune and fame that comes to every author. Slaywood and Martinez have a 10-Step program guaranteed to ruin a novel or two and stop a career dead in its spot.

Obviously, this is a satire—although I can think of more than a few authors that seem to have found this book before its publication (I’m going to assume it slipped through a wormhole and was delivered to them years ago). I’ll be nice and not name names here, but I think Slaywood and Martinez are owed some money if they could figure out how to collect it.

The “Illustrations”

I thought the idea behind this was clever and well-executed. They picked up a half-star from me for this. It reminded me of the footnotes in Heads You Lose by Lisa Lutz, David Hayward, but with a different flavor.

Formatting

The formatting on part of this is a little iffy—it largely is going to depend on what device you use to read it. My Paperwhite was fine but it was irritating to read on my phone (I’d wager my Fire Tablet would’ve been okay, but maybe not as nice as my Paperwhite—I’m just too lazy to charge the thing for this post). But the amount of irritation is minimal, this is just a caveat lector (mostly inspired by an online review that seemed overly irritated).

The Table of Contents is just wonky and ugly, but I’m 60% sure it’s supposed to be. And even if I’m wrong, it’s the Contents, if you’re spending enough time on a 39-page book to get worked up about a poorly formatted Table of Contents, you really need to ask yourself some questions about your priorities.

So, what did I think about The Genius’ Guide to Bad Writing?

It bothers me greatly to write something so brief, but with 39 pages, there’s not a lot to say unless I give a line-by-line commentary.

It is intended to be a brief work, and I don’t hold the length against it. I enjoyed what is there, while I do think I’d be happier on a bang-for-my-buck level if the book was twice as long. Unless the authors were just on fire, more than twice as long would’ve gotten tiresome (see: The White Man’s Guide to White Male Writers of the Western Canon).

This is a quick, fun read that’ll bring a grin to the face of readers. Take a few minutes and enjoy yourselves.

3.5 Stars

Faith Among the Faithless by Mike Cosper: An Example of Being Faithful (while Stumbling) in a Hostile World

By HCNewton

On August 29, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Faith Among the Faithless:
Learning from Esther How
to Live in a World Gone Mad

by Mike Cosper

Kindle Edition, 208 pg.
Thomas Nelson, 2018

Read: August 8, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Faith Among the Faithless About?

This is hard to sum up briefly, but I’m going to give it a shot—we live in a compromised age, society is changing, shifting—it’s difficult to predict what the next few years are going to look like, but one thing is certain: Western Culture, particularly that of the U. S., isn’t going to look anything like it did before. How is the Christian to react?

Many hold up Daniel as the model of how to behave in a culture hostile to the Faith. Cosper thinks he’s the wrong model

…there’s a problem with looking to Daniel: Most of us aren’t a Daniel. In fact, we are far from it. As much as we recognize that our culture is in decline, we also kind of . . . like it. Christians in general consume as much mass media and are as addicted to pornography, as likely to divorce, as consumeristic, and as obsessed with social media as the rest of our world. Again: we’re immersed in a secular age, and it’s had a profound effect upon us…while [Daniel is] a great model of faithfulness, I’m not sure he’s the best reference point for most of us.

Instead, he suggests we look to Esther.

…her story is more complicated than [the storybook versions we’re used to]. And much darker. It’s less VeggieTales and more Game of Thrones, with a lot more sex, murder, and impaling than the usual version of the story would imply. (There’s actually quite a bit of impaling.) Mordecai and Esther’s motivations are sometimes murky and sometimes blatantly self- serving.

As in Esther’s day, the Church is compromised, we’ve taken on a lot of the World’s values, and we should look for people in the Bible who find themselves in that situation rather than men like Daniel.

Esther’s story reveals a way forward in a culture where people of faith find themselves at the margins of society. She neither clutches for power nor seeks self- protection. Instead, she faces reality, embraces weakness, and finds faith, hope, and help from a world unseen…Her story is also an invitation to those whose faith, convictions, and morality are less than they wish they were.

When we examine Esther, we see that

…the story is a reminder that God doesn’t abandon his people, no matter how dark their circumstances, how compromised their hearts are, or how hidden he may seem.

So Cosper examines the Biblical account, retelling the story in a very non-Sunday School way and uses that to illustrate the situations that believers may find themselves in and how we can learn from Esther and Mordecai (both positively and negatively) in our cultural moment.

I’m going to end up writing twenty thousand words if I don’t cut myself short, so I’m going to do that.

So, what did I think about Faith Among the Faithless?

Whatever happens in the years and decades to come, we can be sure that faithfulness looks pretty much like it did three thousand years ago. Sometimes it looks like Daniel: a steady path of spiritual formation and obedience. But sometimes, and perhaps more often than not in the world we occupy today, it looks more like Esther: a path of awakening, risk, vulnerability, and, ultimately, hope.

This book is told in an easy, breezy style—full of wit, and wisdom. Cosper knows how to communicate engagingly and clearly. I walked away thinking Cosper would be a fun guy to talk books, TV, and The Bible with. But that style doesn’t belie the seriousness of the material, this is a high-stakes situation, and he’s fully aware of that. But Cosper uses his style to connect to the audience, not to sugarcoat anything.

It’s clear that Cosper has done his research on the book—I wish he’d shared more of his homework in footnotes for the reader. Not necessarily to check his work, but to expand on it—to get a greater appreciation for what he summarized.

Do I agree with every jot and tittle? Of course not. But there’s a lot to appreciate here, and more to chew on, to reflect on, and to learn from. There’s hope in the darkness—and Cosper is good to point the reader to it. It’s not because we’re morally strong and faithful like Daniel, nor does it come from the weakness that characterized Esther’s early life and then the ways she found to do the right thing. The hope of the book of Esther is that the Lord is faithful when we are not, and he will provide for His people.

I do recommend this book, it’ll entertain you and then make you think as well as pray.

3.5 Stars

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

The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott: Imagine if Don Winslow Tried to Write a Craig Johnson Novel…

By HCNewton

On August 20, 2021

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

The Far Empty

by J. Todd Scott
Series: Chris Cherry, #1

Paperback, 446 pg.
G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2019

Read: August 16-17, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

At dawn, when the sun’s up ove rthe mountains and it hits the far edges of twon at the right angle, the pink caliche on the bluffs burns crimson and everyting runs red. Murfee alwasy wakes up bloody. The dead are her secrets…The missing are her ghosts.

I know who Deputy Cherry found out at Indian Bluffs, and so does my father.

My mother…his missing wife.

What’s The Far Empty About?

This is so hard to sum up in a few paragraphs. Murfee is a small town in Texas near the southern border—the area around Murfee is even less populated. There are farms, ranches, and a lot of uninhabited land—very close to the border—a great place for smugglers (of people and substances) to ply their trade.

We open on one of the ranches that’s used as a crossing point. The owner has discovered a body on the land and newish Deputy Chris Cherry goes to look at the scene. Any other deputy would do what the rancher wants and write this off as another dead Mexican*—but Chris wants to do it right. And as he’s careful about his business, he notices something that compels him to dig in and really investigate the circumstances around the death—and the identity of the victim.

* Actually, it’d be a slur, but let’s keep this civil. I’m not sure I read many terms for minorities in this book that weren’t racist slurs. Thankfully, the characters that are on the admirable side of things (not necessarily “good guys”) don’t use that kind of language.

Actually, that’s incorrect—we start with the Sheriff’s seventeen-year-old son, Caleb, talking about the men that his father has killed (that Sheriff Ross—aka “Judge”—is willing to talk about in public, anyway), the women he married and the reasons they’re no longer around. Up to a year ago when Caleb’s mother left town—or so the official story is—Caleb says he knows his father killed her.

“The Judge” is the most powerful man in this part of Texas—he doesn’t enforce the law, he is the law, in just about every sense of the word. He’s what Walt Longmire and Quinn Colson could be with a lot more ambition—and an utter lack of morality. He sleeps with who he wants to, takes what he wants to—and, presumably, kills who he wants to. And the people who keep electing him love him, he’s their hero. He’s really one of the more despicable characters I’ve read this year.

So we have Caleb trying to find out what happened to his mom, Chris trying to figure out how this corpse ended up buried on the ranch, Sherrif Ross up to all sorts of things—and a few other residents of Murfee up to things full of secrets and lies. Too many threads are interwoven to do a decent job of talking about them here—but it’s safe to say that because of what Caleb and Chris are up to, there’s a chance that this intricate web could start to fall apart.

A chance.

The Exception

We learn so much about every major character—their backstory, the secret lives they live, the lies they tell the world (and, in some cases, themselves)…with one exception—Melissa, Deputy Cherry’s girlfriend.

We get a hint about her past—just the barest of hints—and we know a lot about her life with Chris—before and after Murfee. But that’s all. Just a hint? It drives me crazy that I could write a page or more on the backstory of every other major character, and I can’t about her. She’s largely a mystery.

And the part that isn’t being driven crazy about that loves it. She’s shrouded in shadows, and someone in this town needs to stay that way.

Series Premiere vs. Stand-Alone

I knew this was the first novel in a series, but it never felt like it. I kept thinking that this was a stand-alone. It was only in the last twenty pages that I could see how it could continue.

I have to wonder—did Scott’s publisher say, “We like this and would like to buy it from you—but we’re going to need this to be a series, add something to the end, okay?” Because those twenty pages don’t need to be there—I’m glad they were, it was easier to move past the darkness that characterized the 426 pages before because of those last twenty.

But I’m not sure it’s a better novel because of them.

So, what did I think about The Far Empty?

This book deserves kudos for the atmospheric writing—you feel the emptiness of the geography. It also draws on the legends (and history) about Texas Lawmen and Criminals—placing these events squarely in that vein. It’s hard to walk away from this book thinking that any part of Texas could possibly be different from Murfee.

I spent a lot of the novel thinking “This is almost too noir, I need someone I can believe in, someone who seems to care about the law, morality, simple decency.” I knew from the first chapter on that it was brilliantly written—Scott’s voice, style, and ability shone throughout the novel.

But, man…it was so bleak.

Caleb and Chris, sure, did care about justice, what’s right, and so on—but their efforts seemed so Quixotic that it was almost painful to watch these two and their futile quests.

I don’t know if the novel eased up on that eventually, if Scott’s writing won me over, or if I eventually grew numb to it all. But at some point, I bought into it—I needed to know what was happening and started to care about many of these characters.

When I get to the sequels, I might change my opinion of the book as a whole—but on the whole, it didn’t work for me as much as I wanted it to. It wouldn’t surprise me if by the end of book two, I’m a rabid fan of this series, but for the time being I’m unable to think of it as more than “pretty good.”

I do recommend The Far Empty, Scott’s a guy to keep your eye on. Just don’t go into this thinking it’s a fun adventure.

3.5 Stars

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

Twice Cursed by J. C. Jackson: It’s Time to Bring Werewolves into this World

By HCNewton

On August 17, 2021

In Fantasy, Terra Chronicles

Twice Cursed

by J. C. Jackson
Series: Terra Chronicles, #3

Paperback, 241pg.
Shadow Phoenix Publishing, 2018

Read: August 5, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

Since it’s been awhile (too long) since I posted about this series, I thought it’d be a good idea to copy a bit of the introduction to this series I posted back in 2018 (slightly edited):

I had a brief conversation a couple of weeks ago with J.C. Jackson and she described the book as “Science Fantasy” and told us a little about the series. Something about fantasy characters but with modern technology, but phrased better. Not really getting what she said, I asked why not just call it Urban Fantasy, and she gave a decent answer—basically that she didn’t have enough vampires or werewolves in the books so readers told her she couldn’t. I was a chapter or two into the book when I figured out what she was saying.

In your mainstream Urban Fantasy, you have fantasy creatures—wizards, druids, werewolves, fae—popping up in our world. On the other end of the spectrum (or an other end, anyway) you have things like the Eddie LaCrosse novels or the Dragon Precinct books that have modern ideas (police squads, private investigators) used in a fantasy series. Jackson takes a different tack—it’s a typical fantasy novel in that there’s a lot of magic, elves, halflings, Dark Elves, etc. living next to humans—very standard kind of thing, but their technology matches ours (actually, it’s slightly more advanced). I loved this approach and there’s a good chance that I’d have had nice things to say about the book just because of this idea.

What’s Twice Cursed About?

Ketayl and her Paladin partner, Silver, are sent off to do fieldwork, bringing along another lab tech to look into a rash of werewolf deaths in the territory of the Alpha Prime’s pack (he’s sort of like the Marrock of this world). The local Terran Intelligence Organization office is primarily full of recent graduates from the Academy, most still learning the ropes—they’re not up for dealing with both the investigation and dealing with the Alpha. So, instead, they throw Ketayl into leading her first team because of her investigative abilities and to get her to grow into leadership.

She interacts better with the pack than anyone (except maybe her boss) expected—certainly better than she assumed. She and Silver quickly decide that this is another example of the rise in Necromancy that they’ve been chasing.

Through a combination of good procedure and being in the right place at the precisely right time (or wrong place/wrong time, depending on their perspective), they make great strides in the investigation—even if it essentially puts multiple lives on the line. Through it Ketayl gets a crash course in juggling personalities, abilities and unprepared-for team members.

A Gripe Resolved

Something that bugged me through a lot of the first book, and that really got on my nerves in the second book was (to cite that post) that most characters treat Ketayl “with the kind of care usually reserved for glass on the verge of shattering, they only tell her as much of the truth as they want—all the while, wanting the benefit of her intelligence, abilities, and magic. It feels condescending and manipulative. And for that to be the way those closest to her to treat her? I can’t stomach it.” There were characters throughout that didn’t treat her that way, but they were the distinct minority.

None of them were around this time—only those who saw her strength, who believed in her when she didn’t really believe in herself (which is still going on ), and those who didn’t have preconceived notions about her. Despite herself, she responded to that kind of confidence well and is able to rise to the occasion.

I do wonder what it’ll be like when they spend more time around some of those other characters—will they see the growth in her?

A Quibble Exasperated

I do have another quibble with the series—Jackson has two story arcs that she appears to be taking a “slow burn” approach to. I’m all for that, but while she’s letting the development of those arcs build deliberately—she’s telegraphed where they’re both going in a way that takes away the deliberate, careful way she’s going about it.

It’s hard to talk about that without getting into plot specifics, but hopefully, that paragraph makes sense.

Now, that’s a quibble—not a full-on gripe or criticism. It’s a thought I have every so often while reading (and when writing about it), but I shrug it off and move on with a fun read.

So, what did I think about Twice Cursed?

I really dug it. The Alpha and his crew were a lot of fun (I hope we get to see them in a book or two). Ketayl’s growth was great—both in leadership and social interaction, but she has a few places where she’s able to flex the magic muscle that she’s long kept under wraps, and…yeah—I really loved those scenes.

I’ve been kicking myself for getting behind on this series—I had this and the next book on my shelf for years untouched—and I’m so glad I got back into this world and with these characters. The mix of tech and Fantasy, and characters you can’t help but want to befriend makes for a fun time. I’ll be back for more soon.

(Over the weekend, I bought the next two books, so even after reading this, I’m more behind).

3.5 Stars

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

Lessons from the Upper Room: The Heart of the Savior by Sinclair B. Ferguson: A Guided Tour through The Savior’s Night before His Death

By HCNewton

On August 15, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Lessons from the
Upper Room: The Heart
of the Savior

by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Kindle Edition, 241 pg.
Ligonier Ministries, 2021

Read: July 25, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s Lessons from the Upper Room About?

In his Gospel, John spends 4 chapters (13-17)* on the night before Jesus was betrayed. The last night He spent teaching, serving, praying with (and for), and being with the Twelve (then Eleven). In this book, Ferguson walks through those chapters, well…let him describe it in his own words:

Lessons from the Upper Room is by no means a complete exposition of John 13– 17. If that were attempted—to adapt some words of John himself—an entire bookcase could not contain the books that would be written!

Nor are these pages a commentary in any technical sense. They are, perhaps, more like the “audio description” function on my “smart” TV set. This facility provides a running commentary on the action taking place on the screen to help those who can follow the dialogue but are too visually handicapped to see it.

* Yes, I know John didn’t think of it in terms of chapters, shush, you know what I mean.

That’s basically what this is, a guided tour through these beloved passages from a trusted guide—pointing out interesting features, maybe helping the reader to think of them in a way they didn’t think of before. Maybe picking up a detail they never notice (or had forgotten they had).

Occasionally, there’s a pointed observation, a reminder that we should do more than read these words, a call to action. Nothing burdensome (see Matt. 11:30), but nevertheless, Jesus’ followers are to serve others as he did himself before supper.

So, what did I think about Lessons from the Upper Room?

I don’t have much to say about this book—that simple description is really all you need to know. Especially if you’re familiar with Ferguson, you know that what you’re getting is helpful.

Speaking of being familiar with Ferguson, I really want to get my hands on the talks that this book started out as. They have to be great—as much as I like Ferguson’s writing, his teaching and preaching are so much better.

I’m not sure I learned a whole lot from this read—a did pick up a thing or two. But this refresher on these passages is a great way to look at again at them. It’s warm, it’s reassuring, it’s stimulating. I can see this as the kind of thing I can read every couple of years as a little boost.

I commend this to you and your attention—it’ll reward your time.

3.5 Stars

Firefly: The Magnificent Nine by James Lovegrove: The Hero of Canton Lives!

By HCNewton

On August 12, 2021

In Fiction, Science Fiction

I could go on for a long time about all sorts of details about this book while still avoiding spoilers, but I’m going to force myself to be brief. However long this ends up being, just know, it’s probably about 1/4-1/3 the length I wanted it to go.

Firefly: The Magnificent Nine

by James Lovegrove
Series: Firefly, #2

Hardcover, 384 pg.
Titan Books, 2019

Read: July 27-28, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

“If” he said, and he repeated the word for emphasis, “if I go along with this entirely hare-brained idea, which’ll most likely end up gettin’ us all killed, Jayne’ll be in my debt.”

“That he surely will.”

“And I’ll have this to rub his nose in for months to come.”

“Again, yes.”

Mal crooked one corner of his mouth. “Then what the heck? I’m in. Just tell me this: when did a shipload of criminals, desperadoes, and fugitives become such a bunch of do-gooders?”

Inara had the answer. “When their captain showed them how.”

What’s The Magnificent Nine About?

Fourteen years ago, Temperance Jones walked out of Jayne Cobb’s life without warning. They’d been partners in crime for some time—and in a few other ways, too. Now, while Serenity and her crew are between jobs, Temperance (now using McCloud as a last name) sends Jayne a message—her town’s water supply is being held hostage by a local gang called the Scourers. If they aren’t stopped, her small town, like many others on the planet already—will fall to this group and what little water they have will come at too steep a price.

Mal’s not interested in helping, but the rest of the crew remembers how not long ago, they did something similar for Inara’s friend Nandi—and that went okay, right? (well, eventually). So they convince the Captain that this is the right thing to do.

It was probably when Wash almost didn’t out-maneuver a heat-seeking missile—which still resulted in Serenity being disabled for days—that everyone realized that this was going to be harder than defending Nandi’s ranch. But now, they had to find some way to stop the Scourers to save Temperance’s town and their own lives.

Oh, and somewhere along the way, someone needs to do some thinking about why the not-quite-fourteen-year-old daughter of Temperance is named Jane.

Random Observations

I’m not going to let myself fully geek out about this book, but some of the highlights and/or things I’d like to spend a lot of time discussing include:
bullet River got to talk to more cows!
bullet Shepherd Book’s Christianity was a little more pronounced than I’m used to (and they actually explicitly called it “Christianity”–it was always clear that’s what it was, but no one ever used the C-word in the show/movie)
bullet While trying to fly the ship away from the missile, Wash remembered the words of “his Zen Buddhist flight instructor”: You are a leaf on the wind. I almost threw the book away at that point, why do that to me?
bullet River defended Serenity using blades and guns—and was (again) the hero of the moment.
bullet Wash and Zoë have some great moments together. Zoë has some pretty good moments that have nothing to do with Wash, too.
bullet The Chapter titles (one of those things I never pay enough attention to) are even pretty fun: “The Inevitable Bar Brawl” and “Landmines of an Improvised and Somewhat Homespun Nature,” for example.
bullet Jayne described talking to River as “a radio and the signal keeps hopping, changing channels at random.” Hard to beat that.

So, what did I think about The Magnificent Nine?

This is just so much fun. Lovegrove captures the feel of the show and the voices of the characters so, so, so well that it’s impossible not to enjoy the book if you liked Firefly.

Is there anything else to say, really? This was a satisfying, entertaining, and nostalgic ride with Serenity, with the bonus of getting some good focus on Jayne Cobb—and maybe seeing him in a better light than you’d be tempted to otherwise.

3.5 Stars

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

Finding Hope in Hard Things by Pierce Taylor Hibbs: How the Hard Things Shape Us

By HCNewton

On July 25, 2021

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Finding Hope in Hard Things:
A Positive Take on Suffering

by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

Paperback, 133 pg.
2020

Read: July 18, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

We think we’re stone. Only chisels and hammer strikes can change our shape. But no; we’re wet clay. We’re sediment and soil. We’re waiting for hands. We’re waiting for fingertips. We’re waiting for the pressure of palms. We’re waiting to be shaped by an artist. And the artist’s tools are hard things.

Hard Things are Going to Shape Us in Ways Easy Things Can’t

That’s it, there’s the book in a nutshell—that line and the quotation, there’s the central premise of the book and the kind of way he presents it.

Hibbs focuses on three of the hard things he’s faced in his life—the death of his father, his anxiety disorder, and his struggles with self-doubt. These case studies are just that, things that his readers can relate to, sympathize with, and find similarities in their lives. After that, Hibbs points to finding Christ and His purposes in the hard things, and that’s where we find hope.

Anxiety disorders, Crohn’s disease, cancer of the spine, the death of your father—these things happen. What matters most is not what happens to you but how you perceive and respond to it. Perception and response—that’s the key.

So, what did I think about Finding Hope in Hard Things?

I’ve talked about two of Hibbs’s books here before—Finding God in the Ordinary and Struck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety. The former is a collection of essays about finding God in ordinary, minute things in life; the latter is a thoughtful and thorough look at how Hibbs has dealt with his Anxiety Disorder, and how the reader can apply these things to their own problems. This book combines the best of the two approaches to these books—we don’t get a systematic look at suffering. Instead, we get essays based on his studies, based on his observations and thoughts.

I loved this approach, this style. Most books on suffering that I’ve read are meditations or studies on the relevant Psalms—maybe a passage or two from the Gospels or Epistles. Hibbs doesn’t do that, he talks about where he is, where he’s been, where his readers are/have been/will be. He’s learned the lessons of those other books and now he’s internalized them. He can meditate, muse, and reflect—and that’s what these essays are.

As with his earlier book, these essays are wonderfully put together, a pleasure to read, even without the content.

On an episode of The West Wing, Leo McGarry tells a story:

“This guy’s walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can’t get out.

“A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, ‘Hey you. Can you help me out?’ The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

“Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, ‘Father, I’m down in this hole can you help me out?’ The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

“Then a friend walks by, ‘Hey, Joe, it’s me can you help me out?’ And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, ‘Are you stupid? Now we’re both down here.’ The friend says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve been down here before and I know the way out.'”

I thought about that story a lot while reading this. Hibbs is that friend. He knows the way out of the hole—better yet, he understands why the hole is there and how it’s used by God to make us into who He wants.

This isn’t your typical book on suffering, it’s better.

3.5 Stars

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

Know Your Rites by Andy Redsmith: Murder, magic and now rap music. Oh joy.

By HCNewton

On July 15, 2021

In Fantasy, Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Know Your Rites

by Andy Redsmith
Series: Inspector Paris Mystery, #2

Kindle Edition, 313 pg.
Canelo, 2019

Read: July 7-9, 2021

With his “street” clothes and silly trimmed beard, Dirk remained the most bizarre magical dwarf the inspector had ever seen. Although he was acutely aware of how stupid that sounded.

What’s Know Your Rites About?

It’s been a couple of weeks since DI Nick Paris led the efforts to stop the demon invasion from the magical world—something celebrated on both sides of the portal, with parties, accolades from officials, TV interviews, etc. Now he just wants to get back home to Manchester and investigate some crimes involving humans–no elves, dwarves, talking animals, just people. It won’t be easy, but he really wants to put the whole magical world in his rearview mirror.

He’s called to the scene of a murder—a music producer has been killed in his home, and there’s a suspect in custody. There’s a catch—the suspect is a dwarf who’s in the non-magical world so he can pursue his dream of being a major rap star.

Dirk’s a pretty ridiculous character, but it’s hard not to root for him. You have a hard time believing he committed the crime and how do you not root for a guy who had to leave his own world to follow his passion? (the fact that he doesn’t appear to have a lot of talent, makes him more tragic).

There’s a lot of pressure on Paris to wrap this up quickly—the non-magical authorities are not wanting to publicize the fact that a human was killed by someone from the other side. Those on the magical side are wanting to negotiate trade pacts with the humans, and don’t want anything derailing that. Still, there’s something wrong with the case against Dirk, and Paris learns it quickly. But it’s clear that a “magical being” was the culprit. So the team from last time gets back together and crosses over to find their murderer.

We spend the bulk of this novel on the other side of the portal, getting a better understanding of the world and how it operates—including how the police department, postal service, and tourist travel work. We also get to meet several other magical creatures, and Redsmith’s take on them continues to be a winner.

For example…

Paris and the rest need to cover a lot of ground quickly, so Tergil hires some Lamassu to handle the transportation. What’s a lamassu? I’m glad you asked:

They were flying cows. Or, more precisely, flying bulls. Each had a bull’s body, with lion’s legs, huge wings attached to their shoulders, and a human head. A man’s head with striking noble features, a long yet neatly cut beard, and wearing a silver helmet. A silver jockey’s helmet.

And, for reasons that make a certain kind of sense, they have Australian accents.

I’m telling you, reading the passages about them justifies the purchase price. The rest of the book is icing on the bull-shaped cake.

The Humor: The Crux of the Matter

Paris frowned at her. ‘What?’ he said. ‘How did somebody called Ug Og end up with the middle name Serendipity?’

‘I don’t know,’ said the ogress. ‘It just sort of happened.’

She turned towards the inspector, baring her misshapen teeth in an attempt at a grin.

In Breaking the Lore Redsmith really swung for the fences to establish the series, but it felt like he dialed things back a touch. Which is not to say it’s bad, it’s just not as funny. I think the puns have really dropped off. I also think that Redsmith tries to squeeze more out of the “dwarf who can’t rap with ambitions to be the next Eminem” than is there. But it’s a ludicrous notion, so it’s hard to blame him for going back to it as much as possible.

In the first book, he established a strange, fantastic and ridiculous world (two of them, technically). Now he gets to play in it—he doesn’t have to try as hard, he can just play it straight and let the settings and characters bring the funny to the story just by being the way they are. I’m actually glad that he toned it down a bit. (just a bit—it was frequently chuckle-inducing, I’m not saying the humor is gone)

So, what did I think about Know Your Rites?

I was a little worried about returning to this so long after I read the first book in the series, and I shouldn’t have been, it took no time at all to remember the characters and situation. It’s just as enjoyable this time as it was last time.

There’s a straightforward crime story at the core of this, wrapped in Fantasy garb, enclosed in comedy. I like these characters, I want to spend more time with them, and I hope that there are more books to come. In the meantime, take some time to dive into this series.

3.5 Stars