Tag: 3 Stars Page 2 of 54

I’d held off posting about this while waiting for the author to get back with his Q&A answers. But he’s either too busy (or didn’t think the Qs were that interesting, and I have no problem with him thinking that). But National Dog Day seems like a good day to post about this book. So here we go.

The Teachings of Shirelle:
Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead

by Douglas Green

DETAILS:
Publisher: Circuit Breaker Books LLC
Publication Date: July 09, 2024
Format: eARC
Length: 266 pg. 
Read Date: TEXT

What’s The Teachings of Shirelle About?

I’m just going to go with what’s on the author’s site:

“Relish the day. If you’re not in awe, you’re just not paying attention.”

She hadn’t even been in the crowded pound a week, but she’d already developed a nickname, “Knucklehead.” As a puppy she destroyed property and precious clothes; as an adult she injured her owner, ruined romances… and changed the world-views of those around her.

Have you ever watched an animal and wondered how it thinks, how it sees the world, how it views you? And have you ever wondered what wisdom you might learn if you could see things as that animal does?

This unique book is many things: an amusing and moving memoir about a memorable dog, a poetic ode to a human-animal connection, and a serious philosophical, psychological, and spiritual inquiry into the lessons a man gleaned from the simple-minded brilliance of a teacher, a lover, a liver of life to the fullest… a Knucklehead.

That penultimate sentence is demonstrably false, but the rest of that gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from this book.

The Good

Douglas Green truly loved his knuckleheaded canine companion. That is incredibly clear. She was frequently a goof, that’s clear, and brought a lot of joy and laughter to Green’s life and to those with whom she interacted (mostly).

The parts of the book that were just stories about Shirelle were great and brought several smiles to my face (and I expect the same will be true for many readers). They’re relatable, they’re fun, they might make you chuckle.

I really appreciated moments like where Green tried to describe things like the joy Shirelle (and just about every dog) expresses when their person returns home. And he’s right—why don’t we have the same kind of joy for each other? (we could probably express it without the jumping). Many—maybe even most—of the lessons he takes from Shirelle are similarly well-written, well worth the time, and showed the a smilar kind of thinking.

I couldn’t help but think about Dave Barry and David Rosenfelt’s lessons from their dogs during this time.

Even the parts about Shirelle’s medical struggles—that eventually ended—and what Green went through to get her the care she needed were rewarding reading (although by the time we got to that part, a lot of the book fell into what I talk about in the next couple of sections). Her making it through so much was great to see, even as you feel bad that she had to go through it.

The Meh

I’m going to lump in just about everything that Green puts about his biography, his various jobs, his love life, and his professional and semi-professional pursuits here. I didn’t pick up this book to read about Douglas Green, his career in film or stage—or his move into psychotherapy.

When Green wrote about Shirelle in conjunction with this, that really helped—she’s why people come to the book after all. Shirelle as an unofficial and untrained therapy dog is the kind of thing readers want to see.

The Bad

The metaphysical claims that Green makes, the philosophy he espouses, and things along those lines were tiresome, not well conveyed, and typically interfered with the book as a whole. Your results may vary, obviously, but if I want to read about manifesting or things of that nature—I’ll go grab Rhonda Byrne’s book, not a book about a ridiculous dog.

I’m not entirely sure that those parts of the book were all that internally coherent—I mentally checked out during most of those parts of the book for both of our sakes. That way I wasn’t miserable and I wouldn’t end up going on an extended diatribe about them. I’m on the verge of that now, however, so I’m going to shut up.

Well, after this one additional note. If you’re going to appeal to a term from Christianity (or any other religion) to buttress your point, you should maybe do a quick web search to make sure it means what you think it means. Hint: Christ’s “Passion” doesn’t come close to contemporary usage of “passion,” no matter their etymological link. It’s hard to take someone seriously when they do that.

So, what did I think about The Teachings of Shirelle?

I don’t think that Green and I would get along in person (I’d be glad to be given the opportunity to discover otherwise, and the drinks would be on me). I don’t think we’d actively dislike each other, but we’d just rub each other the wrong way. Until we started telling stories about the silly balls of fur, energy, and devotion that we share our lives with. Then, I think we’d find some great common ground and probably enjoy the conversation.

I bring that up because I think this book works for me along the same lines. When it’s about Shirelle as the animal companion that makes people laugh and/or feel good in other ways, I think the book is at its strongest and most appealing. I’m down for that kind of thing anytime and Green handles it well.

When the book strays from that, it loses me—and the further it strays, the less I care about it and the more I’m going to find things to quibble with.

Are you going to agree with me? I don’t know. Are you going to think I’m out to lunch and really jibe with Green and everything he has to say? It’s possible.

Either way, if you’re a dog-lover—or if you’re someone who enjoys reading about dogs. You’ll probably be glad you gave this a shot, I am (generally).

3 Stars

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this ARC by the author in return for my honest opinion, which he may be rethinking now.

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.
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Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland: Mixing Drinks and Starting Over

By HCNewton

On August 22, 2024

In Fantasy, Fiction

Cursed Cocktails

by S.L. Rowland

DETAILS:
Series: Tales of Aedrea, #1
Publisher: Aethervale Publishing
Publication Date: February 18, 2023
Format: Paperback
Length: 265 pg.
Read Date: July 22, 2024

What’s Cursed Cocktails About?

The cynical side of me wants to summarize this as a gender-flipped Legends & Lattes with a couple of twists. But as apt as that is, it feels petty and dismissive.

Rhoren is a retired blood mage. I won’t get into what a blood mage is, but it’s about as pretty as the name would lead you to believe. The fact that his nickname “Bloodbane” (a nickname known throughout the nine kingdoms, I should add), is another clue. The “retired” part of Rhoren’s description is a rarity, not many blood mages survive long enough to retire. Those who do, like Rhoren, aren’t in the best of health. Rohren’s given some advice about relocating to the coast (and away from the cold) for his health. Needing a change of pace and scenery, that’s just what he does.

And it’s just the right call for him.

Being in the military (and a fairly active part of it), he didn’t have a lot of chances—or reasons—to spend his earnings, so he has a pretty nice nest egg in addition to his pension. A new place to live and a good amount of funding—just what you need to start the second part of your life.

One of the first things he does when he moves to his new city is befriend a bartender, Kallum. Kallum loves his job, but dreams of being able to be more creative with a menu and creating new cocktails.

Rhoren needs a new purpose in his life and finds an open storefront building with an apartment above it. Sure, it’s open because it seems to be haunted, but what’s a rogue spirit (if the place is actually haunted) for a guy like Rhoren? So he buys the place, moves in, and suggests a partnership with Kallum.

It’s not smooth sailing by any means from this point forward, but chasing dreams (old or new) is worth a few risks, right?

Bloodbane

Rohren doesn’t like to think about his days of service—and likes to talk about it even less. He doesn’t want anyone to know he was a blood mage—especially not Bloodbane. He’s ready to shed that name, that vocation, and the reputation that follows both.

Also, using that kind of power the way he has for decades is the biggest thing impacting his health—the very reason he had to move.

But even the best-kept secrets have a tendency to come to light—especially when events outside of Rohren’s control might call upon him to unleash his abilities.

While I really have no complaints about anything in this book, I thought this was its strongest point. Rowland depicted Rohren’s desire to get away from his past, dealing with his health (both how he’s still limited, and how he’s improving with the weather), and having to step up and tell people about his past, with sensitivity and precision. That was really well done.

The Cozy-ness

After a little peak at the hardships of those who serve and protect in the north and the hazards they face, we shift into the cozy atmosphere we’re promised in this book. And aside from a scene or two (which don’t detract that much), that atmosphere pervades the rest of the book.

There’s some light humor (including some fantastic liquor names—and a cameo from a distinctive bottle design)—there’s a warmth between the characters, a largely supportive populace in the city, and the setting is ripe for stories.

You just can’t help but feel comfortable while reading this. You really might as well be kicking back in your favorite cocktail bar while reading this (and, I should add, you really should have something to drink—not necessarily alcoholic—nearby), you just feel content and warm.

So, what did I think about Cursed Cocktails?

There’s just enough conflict and danger to keep this from being the coziest fantasy that I’ve ever read—but it’s close. In fact, one source of potential conflict never produced any (which was a relief, but also a mild irritation), making the whole thing cozier.

That doesn’t mean the book is dull—far from it. It’s just that you turn the pages for another reason—instead of being on the edge of your seat to see what happens next. You keep going to keep the warm and fuzzy feelings going. It’s here that my mostly joking comparison to Baldree’s book really comes into play, if you got into one, you’ll get into the other.

And that’s a feeling that I don’t mind in the slightest. If you need a break from mayhem and suspense in your reading—or an escape from the world at large—Cursed Cocktails will give you the oasis you need. With at least two more books in this series that promise the same kind of thing, you’d best be hopping on board—you’ll be glad that you did.

3 Stars

Steam Opera by James T. Lambert: Choosing It Not Because It Was Easy…

By HCNewton

On August 14, 2024

In Fiction, Literary Locals, Steampunk

Steam Opera

by James T. Lambert

DETAILS:
Series: Moon Men, Book One
Publisher: Bert Books
Publication Date: November 18, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 416 pg.
Read Date: July 8-12, 2024

What’s Steam Opera About?

I’m both tired and apt to meander too much when trying to answer this question, so I’m just going to lift the answer from Lambert’s website:

London, England, 1894

Patrick Smythe lives a comfortable life in London coming up with new inventions. His close friend Thomas Melton finances many of these ventures and together they advance technology. Geoffrey Trenton takes the occasional investigative work after retiring from Scotland Yard.

Airships fill the sky

The world is on the move with dirigibles and Zeppelins hauling freight and passengers. On land and sea people travel at will in an era of plenty.

Unbridled invention fills the laboratories

New discoveries fill the news as scientists probe past the boundaries of human knowledge. Every field advances as knowledge of the natural world drives new innovation.

Telescopes scan the heavens

The Royal Observatory at Greenwich has a new telescope and the astronomers are using it to view the universe. Even when they’ve been told to take the night off. A strange discovery and a brutal murder draws Trenton out of retirement to investigate.

And we want to go to the moon!

Patrick develops his most ambitious project: a trip to the moon and back! With Thomas’s help securing financing and Trenton running security, what could possibly go wrong? But a mysterious organization wants to prevent this and will go to any length to stop them!

My Big Complaint

The next section will touch on a maybe larger concern. Or maybe it’s a quirk. I’m not sure. But I had an easier time getting over it than this part. There’s a quick arc that introduces us to the future security chief for this endeavor—it starts out pretty interesting, maybe more interesting than the “go to the moon” story at that point. And just as that story gets your hooks into you…it’s dropped. I do think that I can see where and how Lambert is going to pick it up again in the future. But the way he abandoned the story in this novel was abrupt and off-putting.

Lambert is capable of better.

Um…Where’s all the Steam?

You call something Steam Opera, you set it in the latter 1800s in London, you make it about inventors and engineers (among others), you give it that color scheme and cover design—you sorta indicate to your reader that this is going to be a Steampunk novel.

But we really don’t get one—we get a lot of Zepplins and dirigibles, science that’s more advanced than it should be, and the rest of it is pretty era-appropriate. No gadgets, no science that’s hard to pull off on this side of the Industrial or Digital Revolutions. Sure, there are plenty of people wearing goggles—but that’s about it. This is the least Steam-punky Steampunk I think I’ve read.

And I know Lambert can pull off Steampunk gadgets—Aether Powered demonstrated that clearly. So why not here?

Really, why not?

So, what did I think about Steam Opera?

Okay—all I’ve really said after the description sounds negative, and I don’t want to sound that way. Because once you get past the above quibbles (which is really pretty easy), this is a perfectly entertaining read.

This is easily the most ambitious of Lambert’s first three novels, and his writing has improved over what his first books delivered (and I liked those I want to stress). His characters, prose, eye for detail, and imagination are better represented here (as is a capability to carry a story for another 100 pages or so than he has in the past). If he keeps improving like this, he should get the fanbase he deserves.

Lambert does a good job with the pacing—sometimes it seems he speeds up more than is advisable, and occasionally he swings the other way—but overall, he keeps things moving well enough to keep you engaged while dipping into some pretty technical areas (even if the technology is made up). It’d have been very easy for him to get so into the technical descriptions that he’d kill any momentum and turn this thing into a slog. All things considered, he made the right choices on that front.

And the technical bits themselves? I think Lambert really succeded there—both the way he adapted Zepplin-esque technology to mimic the work that the Atlas and other rockets did in our timeline and in the way he described their flight while still in Earth’s atmosphere—I bought it all. It seemed plausible enough for this world (moreso than, say, the music devices that The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences enjoyed, for example)—particularly the in-flight moments.

I wouldn’t have minded some more named characters—and some female characters would’ve been good to see*. This is very much a book about Moon Men. However, the characters we did get were engaging and interesting (even the antagonists). The more time we spent with all of them, the more I wanted to spend time with them—which is always a good sign.

* The lack of female characters probably deserves its own section, I now realize—but what more is there to say? Yes, the Victorian-era was dominated by men in engineering and business, so it helps things ocme across as more realistic to not have women around. But if we’re going for that level of realism…maybe keep everyone on Earth?

What we learn in the closing pages and what leads up to them is came out of nowhere—or so it seems, but really didn’t. What’s better is it sets up the next book and satisfies your curiosity about “Why is this a Book One?” Sure, it creates a whole bunch of new curiosity about Book Two (and maybe beyond, I’m not sure how long Lambert is thinking), but that’s the point. As long as you give me some answers, you can add all the questions you want.

In short, I had plenty of fun with this book and this world, and am eager to return to it. As good as Lambert’s next release, Relics of War, looks—I can’t help but be irked that it’s not Moon Men Book Two. I really want to know where he’s going with this. But that’s a problem for future-H.C. Present-H.C. is happy to recommend this to you and strongly suggests you become familiar with the very pleasant experience that is reading a James T. Lambert novel.

3 Stars

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Chasing Empty Caskets by E.N. Crane: Missing Bodies and a Belgian Malinois in a Tutu

By HCNewton

On July 24, 2024

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

Chasing Empty Caskets

by E.N. Crane

DETAILS:
Series: Sharp Investigations, #2
Publisher: Perry Dog Publishing 
Publication Date: March 17, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 251 pg.
Read Date: May 6-8, 2024

What’s Chasing Empty Caskets About?

So, sure, Cyn (and Winnie) has opened a P.I. business, but is there that much for a Private Eye to do in Sweat Pea, OH? As the book opens (and for some time before that) Cyn is taking on cases involving missing pets, potentially haunted homes, and the like.

But then a makeup artist at a local mortuary approaches her with a case. The paperwork at her mortuary indicates that there are more bodies there than she can find. This has been going on for a while and she wants Cyn to look into what’s happening to the missing bodies. Rhetta doesn’t want to bring it up to her boss herself and risk losing her job, but something isn’t right.

Some of this investigation will end up right where the reader assumes—but there’s also plenty going on that you don’t expect until it’s in your face like a proverbial thrown cream pie.

Meanwhile, Cyn tries to have a love life. She goes on one of the worst dates you’ve read about and stumbles across another crime or two that she needs to look into. But there are some better developments in that area afterward (after you read about the date, you’ll realize what a low bar that is)

We meet a potential new recurring-character and spend time with plenty of those we met before.

Take This With Whatever-Sized Portion of Salt You Wish To

Even if the rest of the book was a dud*, the first chapter was so funny that I’d have been more than happy that I paid for the book. Particularly the first 8 pages, the 243 that follow were just gravy.

* It was not

Obviously tastes, especially when it comes to humor, differ, so I can’t promise that everyone will have this reaction. And there might be a bit of hyperbole expressed above. But, I started this book the evening after that surgery I had a couple of months ago, and laughing at those pages hurt me. They also made me chuckle as I re-read them before I wrote this section.

HEADING

So, what did I think about Chasing Empty Caskets?

The important thing to remember is that this is a comedy with a mystery thrown in. Suburban Dicks and the Fox and O’Hare books, for example, are Comedic Mysteries/Thrillers. This is a Crimey-Comedy (there’s probably a better name for that somewhere).

So, yeah, the mystery parts may not be the clearest at times. Cyn may overlook some pretty obvious clues, and an action scene or two may come across as convoluted. But that’s because they’re there to serve the comedy. This isn’t to say that this isn’t effective as a mystery novel, the “may”s in the opening sentence should be emphasized, but it does come into play.

The running jokes in this novel are—mercifully—different than the ones in the first Cyn/Winnie novel. Crane isn’t setting us up for a running gag like Stephanie Plum’s car problems (seriously, at this point why does anyone let her drive anything other than that ’53 Buick? Why does she try to?). I enjoyed the cast-gag in Barking for Business more, but these were good enough, and I applaud Crane for going somewhere new.

There are many other things I’d like to compliment, but I don’t know how to do that without ruining plot points or jokes, so I’m not going to try. Basically, if you want silly, madcap, fun with plenty of canine-involved slapstick, look no further than Chasing Empty Caskets and the Sharp Investigations series.

3 Stars

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Grammar Sex and Other Stuff: A Collection of (mostly humorous) Essays by Robert Germaux: A Collection That (mostly) Amused Me

By HCNewton

On July 23, 2024

In Humor, Non-Fiction, Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

Grammar Sex and Other Stuff:
A Collection of (mostly humorous) Essays

by Robert Germaux

DETAILS:
Series: Grammar Sex Collection, #1
Publication Date: February 19, 2017
Format: eBook
Length: 82 pg.
Read Date: June 22-25, 2024

Research shows, and here I’m talking my made- up research, but I’m sure actual research would back me up on this . . . anyway, research, real or otherwise, indicates that once you’ve grabbed your readers’ attention (by, for example, throwing the word sex into your title), the best way to keep them turning those pages is to present them with prose so superbly written, so free of errors in spelling and punctuation and syntax, that they simply lose themselves in your wonderful narrative.

What’s Grammar Sex and Other Stuff About?

Well, that’s in the subtitle—it’s A Collection of (mostly humorous) Essays. The word “brief” is the only thing missing from the title—there are 32 of them and the book is 82 pages long, so none of them are all that long.

The title itself comes from the sixth essay, “Grammar Sex (How Dangling Your Participle Can Hurt Your Book Sales),” a fun list of tips for authors—aspiring or otherwise—when it comes to learning how to use language. That’s not all he has to say about grammar, either, a little later we’re treated to a series called “The Grammar Snobs Trilogy”—a combination of useful tips and some silliness (neither of which interfere with the other).

We also get essays about the brief experience he and his wife had as being an Arbitron family, Jury Duty, baseball (and the money behind it), a dog he bought in college, some semi-random observations, and more.

If You’d Like a Sample

Germaux has provided a few guest posts here over the years, in case you’d like to take a quick look at his work. One of those happens to be an essay from this book, so you can get an actual sample of this book—”Literally? Really?” popped up on this site back in 2016(!). It’s a good way to catch a little flavor of this collection—and just a decent read in general. You might as well read the others, while you’re at it (if you haven’t already—and/or could use a refresher)

So, what did I think about Grammar Sex and Other Stuff?

The non-humorous essays weren’t my favorite—they were a little too generic, a little too…something. They were heartfelt for sure, and I don’t want to take away from that. But they didn’t do much for me, it seemed like Germaux was restraining himself in one way or another so he could make a point, and I don’t think the price was worth the result.

The rest were well worth the (short) time it took to read—and probably worth more than the time. I’m not going to promise you that you’re going to laugh out loud on every page—or even in every humorous essay. But you’ll find enough amusing to keep going.

A couple of months ago, I described the humor of a Patrick McManus book as “gentle.” That’s a good word to describe this humor, too. However, there’s a little oomph to Germaux’s humor that McManus doesn’t really have—I attribute that to the clear influence of Dave Barry on Germaux. He doesn’t rip off Barry’s style or anything (and I should know, I used to do that a lot), but even beyond mentioning Barry a time or three, you can tell that Germaux has read his share of the Floridian humorist.

I had a good time with this collection, and am more than ready to try the next in the series (and not just because I accidentally purchased it when I tried to get this one). I do recommend this for some pleasant and mostly humorous reading time.

3 Stars

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Howl by e rathke: Postapocalyptic Monsters and Those Who Hunt Them

By HCNewton

On July 17, 2024

In Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction

Howl

by e rathke

DETAILS:
Series: The Howling Earth, #1
Publication Date: December 5, 2022
Format: eBook
Length: 177 pg.
Read Date: June 11, 2024

We’d give until nightfall or the first howls before we gave them up for lost. Lost to never be spoken of again. Those ghosts trapped in meat who would become monsters to haunt us, to hunt us.

What’s Howl About?

That’s the end of the first chapter—and it tells you all you need to know about how warm and fuzzy this world isn’t.

This novella takes place in some sort of postapocalyptic future, and the world is in a very confusing place. It could be filled with the sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic or, it could be filled with sufficiently ordered magic indistinguishable from technology. Or maybe in the overlap of the Venn Diagram of the two. Eh…it doesn’t matter—one or both, it’s a cool world (for the reader, anyway, not so great for the residents).

In this harsh world, a young man and woman are kicked out of their tribe, their names taken from them—they’re left to try to survive as long as they can in the wilderness (yes, I’m glossing over important things). Following an encounter with some beasts that no one wants to come across, they meet a woman powerful enough to help them. She’s a monster hunter who has recently lost her team. This pair are a team in need of shelter, food, identity, and purpose. She takes them in, starts to teach them about the world outside all they’ve known and gives them those things they need.

And then…well, as you expect from monster hunters—they run into something nasty.

So, what did I think about Howl?

The writing was solid throughout—with moments that surpassed that and approached “good.” This isn’t necessarily a book that requires good writing—it’s got an inventive setting, strong characters, a propulsive storyline, and strange magic/science. Solid, capable writing is enough to keep you engaged and turning the pages—it’s enough to bring you back for more in the series. But good writing? The parts where you really can tell that craft has gone into a sentence or more? That’s icing on the cake—and rathke brushes up against that on a few occasions. Enough to make you realize he’s capable of it–and that maybe he’ll deliver more of that soon.

That said, there were a few moments where I wondered if he was trying too hard to make some of the emotional beats hit hard. If he’s backed off a bit and let them impact the reader with their own gravity, rather than giving an extra “oomph,” I think it might have been more effective. One of those moments was tied to a big reveal for a couple of the characters—or at least they acted like it was a big reveal. All I could think at the moment was, “Were you not paying attention a few pages back? I was.” Having paid that kind of attention, the (second) revelation didn’t make much of an impact on me, so the characters’ reactions seemed a bit off.

But let’s ignore those points (or at least rush past them), they’re not all that important.

What is important is the action, the worldbuilding, the characters—and the promise that we’ll learn a lot more about everything we see in this novella.

Once it gets moving (and it takes just a little while to get there), things happen quickly and intensely. The action scenes are great, the dashes of humor are fun—and I want more of all of this.

3 Stars

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock, edited by Carolyn Whiting: A Classic Reworked

By HCNewton

On July 7, 2024

In Theology/Christian Living

Divine Providence

by Stephen Charnock, edited by Carolyn Whiting

DETAILS:
Publisher: P&R Publishing
Publication Date: September 1, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 268 pg.
Read Date: June 16-30, 2024

What’s Divine Providence About?

Question and Answer 11 of the Westminster Shorter Catechism are:

Q. What are God’s works of providence?
A. God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

In this classic work (updated for modern readers), Charnock does his best to explain that idea. It’s something that verges on the inexplicable—but something clearly taught in Scripture—and so Charnock seeks to help his readers (originally, hearers) understand it. He doesn’t really engage in debate about it, or defend it against attacks—he does tackle some objections or hard parts to grapple with. But he’s not doing that in a polemic way, mostly he seems to work from the assumption that if he clarifies the doctrine and clears up misconceptions, that’ll be enough. (also, he’s not really trying to engage with naysayers)

That’s basically the first 13 chapters—133 pages or so, almost half the book. The second half is applying that to the Church and individual believers. I remember a former pastor of mine saying that this (and related) doctrines in Scripture weren’t used in the way most contemporary people use them—to beat up on believers who don’t quite agree with us on providence, predestination, election, and whatnot. Instead, the inspired writers used them to comfort, encourage, and give confidence to believers. And that’s just what Charnock does in the second half.

He starts by describing how Providence is an expression of care and protection for the Church and how we see that. Then he focuses on individual Christians, and how we can find comfort and encouragement in all things from these teachings. Even the last chapter here, “The Duty Providence Requires,” is made up of items like “believe in God’s work,” “remember what He as done,” “wait patiently for Him.” and so on—things that really call for the confidence I mentioned earlier to be expressed.

Bonus materials

Before the introductions, prefaces, etc. the reader is presented with a nine-page outline of the work—which is a great bonus and will be very helpful for students and other readers really wanting to dive into the nitty-gritty of this work.

The editor has also broken this down into clearer chapters (see below) and added summary paragraphs to each chapter to help the reader (I’m not sure how helpful those ultimately were and stopped reading them pretty quickly).

There are also study/discussion questions provided at the end of every chapter. They don’t seem too bad—but again, I didn’t spend much time looking at those. But I think they’ll be a strong selling point for many.

The Modernizing of it All

In the Editor’s Preface, Carolyn Whiting states that

I sought to retain the author’s meaning while updating the language and style, sentence by sentence, to make it more accessible for today’s reader. The original volume, which was a compilation of a series of Charnock’s sermons, had no chapters or subheads and few paragraphs. In addition to adding these features, I have inserted the occasional transition, updated spelling and pronouns for a contemporary audience, replaced archaic vocabulary with modern equivalents, and updated Scripture to the English Standard Version except where noted.

Now, I get updating pronoun use, changing to ESV, and most of the other changes (although typically “language” means changing archaic words that have changed meanings, shortening sentences, etc.). The chapters and subheads idea is great—the original edition is tough to read just because of the organization. I have no issues with what Whiting stated there.

But then I started seeing (and I don’t know how often, but it happens a few times) footnotes saying “Charnock goes on to say…” and giving us a phrase or two beyond that. Why those phrases couldn’t be added above I didn’t once understand. But it tripped me up—just how much was Whiting doing to make Charnock accessible to the modern reader? I spent too much of my mental RAM wondering about that while reading and likely didn’t get as much out of it as I should’ve.

To give you a flavor here are the first few paragraphs of the book (and no, I don’t know why the line spacing is that way…I assure you, I’ve tried to stop it).

This Edition
In the beginning of 2 Chronicles 16, we find Baasha, king of Israel, building and fortifying Ramah. Situated on the road between Jerusalem and Samaria, Ramah is about twelve miles from Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judah and the seat of its king, Asa. Baasha intends to isolate Asa and to prohibit anyone from crossing the border between the two nations (v. 1).

Baasha is probably afraid that the people of Israel will revolt and flee to Judah because Asa has reformed the practice of religion there. Therefore, Baasha fortifies Ramah to hinder and intercept any who try to pass by on that account. “For great numbers had deserted to [Asa] from Israe| when they saw that the Lorp his God was with him” (2 Chron. 15:9).

When Asa realizes what Baasha is doing, he is afraid, and in his fear he sins by seeking help through worldly means rather than by turning to God. He enters into a covenant with Ben-hadad, king of Syria, who is a neighbor and an idolatrous prince, and purchases his assistance for the sacrilegious price of silver and gold from the temple treasury. His plan is for Ben-hadad to invade Israel’s territories and distract Baasha from fortifying Ramah. The large payment easily persuades Ben-hadad to break his covenant with Baasha, and his armies successfully take several cities, including all the store cities of Naphtali (2 Chron. 16:2-4). Baasha is forced to abandon Ramah in order to save his country, and Asa seizes the materials Baasha has left behind and uses them to build two cities, Geba and Mizpah (vv. 5-6).

Original Text
In the beginning of the chapter you find Baasha king of Israel raising walls about, and fortifying Ramah, a place about twelve miles from Jerusalem, the metropolis of Judah, intending by that means to block Asa up, because Ramah lay just upon the road between Jerusalem and Samaria, the seats of the two kings, ver. 1.

Baasha was probably afraid of the revolt of Israel to Judah, upon that reformation of religion wrought by Asa, and therefore would fortify that place, to be a hindrance, and to intercept any that should pass upon that account; and to this purpose makes great preparation, as appears ver. 6, for with the provision Baasha had made for the fortification of Ramah, Asa, after the seizing of the materials, builds two towns, Geba and Mispah.

Asa seeing Baasha so busy about this design, and fearing the consequence of it, hath recourse to carnal policy rather than to God; and therefore enters into league with Benhadad, a neighbour, though an idolatrous prince, and purchaseth his assistance with the sacrilegious price of the treasure of the temple, ver. 2, 3; and hereby engageth him to invade the king of Israel’s territories, that he might thereby find work for Baasha in another part, and so divert him from that design upon which he was so bent: ver. 3, ‘Go, break thy league with Baasha, that he may depart from me.’

Benhadad is easily persuaded by the quantity of gold, &c., to break his league, and make an inroad, and proves victorious, and takes many cities where the magazines and stores were laid up, ver. 4.

Baasha now, to save his country, and make head against his enemies, is forced to leave Ramah; whereupon Asa, who watched his opportunity, seizeth the materials he had left for the fortifying of Ramah, and puts them to another use, ver. 5, 6.

I can’t say the Whiting version is bad…but I don’t know that Charnock needed that much help. My son said it reminded him of copying something (encylopedia entry, article, etc.) for a report in school, but changing just enough of it so as not to be accused of plagiarism.

I do wonder if the wrong name is on the cover/title page, however.

So, what did I think about Divine Providence?

When I could stop focusing on the issues in the above section, I really appreciated the book. The first half was clearly the same kind of thinking seen in The Existence and Attributes of God.

Parts 2 and 3, the application of the doctrine to our lives and the Church? I absolutely loved that and was so encouraged it. There was so much there that was so good to see and be reminded of. It’s truly worth reading the book to get those parts (but you do need to read the first part—you can’t just jump into these sections, you need the foundation).

I can’t be as happy with this as I’d like—I just can’t get over the paraphrasing (for lack of a better term) bothers me more than it maybe should. I do think this is a lot easier to read than the non-modernized version (if only because mostly those are printed with tiny typefaces), and will reach more people. But the purist in me worries we lose too much of Charnock.

The important thing, however, is that Charnock is being brought to readers in a digestible manner. I do encourage people to pick it up because of that.

3 Stars

Grandpappy’s Corner: Under the Barnyard Light by Carla Crane Osborne, Brandon Dorman (Illustrator): A Quiet, Wintry Night’s Chores

By HCNewton

On July 2, 2024

In Fiction, Grandpappy's Corner, Literary Locals, YA/MG/Children's Books

Under the Barnyard Light

by Carla Crane Osborne, Brandon Dorman (Illustrator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Gogonago
Publication Date: November 17, 2020
Format: Hardcover
Length: 26 pg.
Read Date: June 29, 2024

What’s Under the Barnyard Light About?

This book follows a young girl as she takes care of some farm chores on a cold and wintry night.

Let’s Talk about the Art for a Minute

No slight intended toward the text, but the art here is the star of the show. That’s a commentary on the art, not the text. Few authors would be able to compete (not that it’s a competition). Dorman’s just fantastic. In these pages, he combines realism with a style that will appeal to the younger readers. The colors might not be bright enough and the art “loud” enough to get the youngest readers, but he’ll draw in those north of two (I think). It looks painted, not drawn and colored.

When I checked out his website, I realized I’d held other books that he’d illustrated and/or done the covers for–several of them, actually. My kids even owned some of them growing up.

How is it to Read Aloud?

Like Every Dreaming Creature, this book seems to demand a quiet reading voice–this is a book for settling down for the night (or at least a nap).

I will admit that the first time I read this myself, I got distracted by the rhyme scheme and ended up spending more time paying attention to it and trying to suss out the pattern. Take it from me–don’t do it. Just read it line by line–or couplet by couplet–while being ready to deal with frequent non-rhyming lines. If you go looking for a pattern or a rhythm, you’ll be lost.

Just sit back, adopt a hushed tone, and read. If you do that, you’ll find it to be a nice, soothing read. The text–and the art–are gentle and cozy. You read it that way and you’ll be set.

What did the Little Critter think of It?

He seemed to like the pictures, but had no patience for the book, we only got three pages into it before he was finished. In fairness, he’s young–and I picked a wrong time to try it. He wasn’t in the mood for a quiet book.

But I’m confident that when I try again, he’ll be fine with it.

So, what did I think about Under the Barnyard Light?

I enjoyed this–it did make me think of Every Dreaming Creature and settling down for the night–it’s a quiet book, it’s a calming book. Between the atmosphere, the soft edges of the art, and the way the text carries you along–I imagine this is going to be a bedtime favorite for many. Including the grandcritter in a few months.

This definitely inclines me to read more by Osborne, I’m curious to see what she does with different kinds of stories (for example, I doubt Pony Express is the kind of book you curl up with on your way to sleep).

3 Stars

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

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Poetry Comics by Grant Snider: Simply Bursting with Adequatulence

By HCNewton

On June 12, 2024

In Comics, General Fiction/Literature, YA/MG/Children's Books

Poetry Comics

by Grant Snider

DETAILS:
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: March 26, 2024
Format: Hardcover
Length: 96 pgs.
Read Date: June 1, 2024

What’s Poetry Comics About?

Rather than try to really describe this book (and I wouldn’t do a great job of it), here’s a shody photo of the back cover (forgive the partial library barcode)
Photo of the Back Cover to Poetry Comics by Grand Snider

A Word About the Art

If you’re a fan of Snider’s characteristic simple drawings, you’ll enjoy the art here. I am one of those, so I did.

The panels pair up really nicely with the poems—sometimes augmenting the shape and construction of the poem, sometimes simply illustrating them. Either way, it’s just what you want in this kind of book. They never detract from the poems (they probably make some of the simpler ones better—they definitely disguise their brevity*).

* I don’t mean to suggest that simple/brief poems are bad, they’re simply short.

So, what did I think about Poetry Comics?

This book is a shining example of adequasivity. It was perfectly fine, but on the whole, it really didn’t do much for me.

There were a few poems about writing a poem—they were nice (not particularly practical). Most seemed to be trying really hard to be uplifting—and many of those fell flat to me, primarily because they were clearly trying really hard, but I did enjoy a couple of those. I’m going to guess that I really enjoyed about 10% of them—but there were none that I’d consider “bad,” on the whole, the book was adequate.

So adequate that I knew halfway through that I’d have to look up that Newsradio video linked above.

Do I think readers in the target age range would appreciate this more than I did? Sure, if they like poetry (and possibly those who are ambivalent to it).

3 Stars

The Hope in Our Scars by Aimee Byrd: A Plea for Help

By HCNewton

On June 2, 2024

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Hope in Our Scars:
Finding the Bride of Christ in the
Underground of Disillusionment

by Aimee Byrd

DETAILS:
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: May 7, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 206 pg.
Read Date: May 19-26, 2024

What’s The Hope in Our Scars About?

There are three strands of thought in this book (although two are pretty related, but they struck me as separate).

The first centers on Byrd and her family as they search for a new church home after the events that led to them leaving their long-time church.

The second deals with others—some by name, some more abstract and in a collective sense—who are dealing with disillusionment about the Church today—due to Spiritual abuse, sexual misconduct, financial fraud, coverups of all of the above, and so on. Some of this disillusionment leads to people wandering in a wilderness, looking for a local congregation to call home—others will wander far from the fold.

The third—and most important—discusses the way that the woman/the bride in the Song of Songs longs for her love/her husband. Individual believers should find themselves in that same situation—longing for the presence of our Lord in the place He promised to meet with us—as part of His Bride.

Song of Songs

As with her 2022 book, The Sexual Reformation, the primary portion of Scripture that Byrd focuses on is the Song of Songs. She rejects more contemporary approaches to the text in favor of an allegorical understanding. I really wish we’d get an entire book from her just on the song.

She’s not (as far as I know) a Hebrew scholar, so I’m not looking for a commentary. But Byrd’s a well-read layperson, and largely an autodidact, too—not the type for a technical work, but she has all the tools to provide a great reader’s guide or something along those lines.

So, what did I think about The Hope in Our Scars?

I really don’t know. I really didn’t get the organization—I’m assuming there was one, but I didn’t see it. It really felt to me while reading it that Byrd was just meandering around bouncing from one idea to another, picking up and dropping one of those strands every so often. It’s probably best to think of this as a series of mini-essays loosely connected by themes.

That said—I really appreciated a lot of what she said while pinballing all over. There was a lot of gold there—particularly in the Song of Songs discussion. But beyond that, she just expressed so well struggles so many of us go through. For example, when Byrd just discussed some of the challenges believers go through, how discouraging, how isolating, how alienating it is when we can’t be open with our brothers and sisters to talk about it—either because they refuse to listen, or can’t understand.

This is not her best work—but it might be Byrd at her most heartfelt. She’s definitely pointing to problems the Evangelical and Reformed expressions of the Church in the U.S. need to deal with, both for organizational health and the well-being of the members—more importantly to our witness to a lost and dying world. She’s light on solutions, or proposed solutions (which is probably for the best, as frustrating as it might be while reading). I hope she gets a hearing and that others who are pointing to the same issues do as well.

3 Stars