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The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson: Old Crimes and New

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On September 20, 2023

In Craig Johnson, Fiction, Mystery/Detective Fiction/Crime Fiction/Thriller, Walt Longmire

The Longmire DefenseThe Longmire Defense

by Craig Johnson

DETAILS:
Series: Series: Walt Longmire, #19
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: September 5, 2023
Format:  Hardcover
Length: 351 pg.
Read Date: September 9-11, 2023
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I paused as Dorothy Kisling, the owner and operator of the Busy Bee Café, sidled up to the table, pen and pad in hand. “Howdy. Whose murder?”

I sat my menu back on the table and looked out the window at the ducks treading water in Clear Creek. “An old one.”

“What, you’re running out of current ones?”

“Thank goodness.”

What’s The Longmire Defense About?

While out on a search and rescue hunt for a woman who hit snow she wasn’t ready for, Walt comes across a place his father had told him about—the place where his father saw his first dead man. That’s the kind of story that sticks with you, I’d imagine. At the time, it was ruled an accidental death, but no one ever figured out who had shot the man. Shortly after encountering the woman he was looking for, Walt’s dog finds a gun that had been tucked away for years—the kind of gun used in that accident. Assuming it wasn’t an accident (and the way the gun was left at the scene, that seems likely), Walt suspects the men who were hunting with the dead man. Except, of course, his father.

One of those men in the hunting party was Walt’s grandfather, Lloyd. Walt narrows in on him almost immediately as a suspect and charges into the investigation—not to clear him, either. It’s not long before Walt starts to uncover a motive for the killing—and it suggests something far bigger than one murder—and maybe to criminal activities that are continuing today.

Meanwhile, the woman who was stuck in the snow keeps getting into trouble. Walt does what he can to help her, but is so focused on the cold case that he maybe doesn’t do everything he could for her. It’s understandable, but it rankles me (and probably will bother Walt once he realizes it)

In the end, Walt’s past—and his family’s past—and future collide in a way that will leave him knowing much more about his family than he expected to learn.

Off His Game?

Walt’s still recovering from the injuries suffered in Hell and Back, technically, right before Hell and Back and this is really his return to work. He needs to shake a little dust off to return to form. That’s derailed as soon as he uncovers that rifle and connects the crime with his grandfather. He also has to deal with a personal issue or two, a personnel issue or two, and some other changes (including the return of an old friend to town—not all of the distractions are negative)

We’ve known for some time that the relationship between Walt and Lloyd wasn’t good—Walt clearly holds a great deal of resentment (to maybe understate it) toward his grandfather. But it’s here that we really dig into things—but I don’t think we get to the bottom of it all. Walt rarely has seemed so determined to prove something—perhaps forcing clues to lead to a conclusion.

Because of these distractions, he’s missing some things—he certainly doesn’t handle things as well as he could with a couple of personal items. The contemporary crime he’s confronted with really could’ve used more attention, and I’d like to think he’d typically give it that focus, and prevented some of the worst outcomes. But he’s so preoccupied with his grandfather and what might have happened in the past…

Walt’s human. He makes mistakes. He holds grudges. We know this—but it’s not often we see it placarded like this. Anyone tempted to hero-worship the Absaroka County Sheriff should get disabused from that by this book. It’s the way he reacts to these errors that will tempt the reader back toward the idolatry (however tarnished).

Saying Goodbye

Wow, there’s a lot of goodbyes to take in over the course of this novel. Some are said, some are implied, and others just happen. Absaroka County won’t look the same after The Longmire Defense

Okay, maybe it’s not saying goodbye in every case. I guess there are several points along the way that make this more of a “Death Card” in tarot (at least as far as I understand it)—there are a lot of phases of life that close here. Many things change. Careers, families, and so on.

Johnson isn’t letting anything like a status quo settle in with the series—and for book 19, that’s great to see. It’d be really easy for him to coast along and just keep getting the team back together for another adventure like one or two they’ve had before. Instead, Johnson moves several characters in new directions, introduces someone we may see a lot more of, and makes sure we see parts of Walt we’ve never seen before (whether or not we may like those parts).

Ummm…What?

When you read this from start to finish, everything works—you’re going to be into it and will be enjoying yourself. Once everything is over, you’re going to look back over things and think of one scene/event and it’ll be jarring. In retrospect, I absolutely don’t understand it. I wonder if one of the people involved could’ve used some therapy leading up to it—and one of them might need a little after it. I’d seriously like to ask Johnson what he was thinking when he wrote it (and why his editors let it stand).

Once you’ve read this book, and are wondering what I’m talking about, feel free to send me a message to see if I’m talking about what you’re thinking I am. (you’re probably going to be right)

So, what did I think about The Longmire Defense?

The snow dropped down to about six inches and I couldn’t help but feel good chugging along with the rays of the sun warming my back and doing one of the things I really enjoyed: putting a little effort out to help someone. I sometimes wondered how I’d ended up being a sheriff—if it had simply been the path of least resistance from being a marine investigator in Vietnam, becoming a deputy when I’d gotten back stateside, and then eventually running for the office. I like to think it was more than that, and the thing I usually settled on was being of assistance when people needed it the most.

I know it sounded corny in the modern era, but it was what I was good at, something I did well.

Yeah, maybe corny, but it makes me feel better to think that there are people out there like this.

I’ve been up and down when it comes to this series since Depth of Winter—The Longmire Defense is an up— big up. I think it’s entirely possible when I reread this (and I will) that I’ll wonder why I only gave it 4 Stars (but then I’ll remember that therapy-inducing scene and a couple of other things).

The character work was fantastic—for Walt, Henry, and Sancho in particular, along with the rest of the regulars and all the new characters, too. The murder investigation (not-really-a-spoiler to say that) was intriguing, and the lengths people went through to cover up the details of the related crimes were astonishing (until you realized what the related crimes were, anyway). The final reveals and ultimate resolution to that story were fantastic.

Early on, I sent a message to a friend who’s had to delay reading the book saying, “I know exactly when you’ll be texting me.” And it has nothing to do with anything associated with that case. Rather it’s one of the Death Card moments. That one in particular, but all of them, were just so well-written and timed that long-time readers will love them (even if they’re not crazy about what they mean long-term). New readers to the series will pick up on a lot of the weight thanks to Johnson’s writing, and won’t feel lost, either. They just won’t get it all, as you’d expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read—it’s one of those that you don’t want to end because you’re having so much fun, but AAAARGH! you just have to know how it all gets resolved ASAP. I hope this is a true return to form for the series*. If not, I’ll love that we got The Longmire Defense. I strongly recommend this to Longmire fans new, old, and yet to start.

* I’m going to keep reading them regardless, it’ll just be nicer for me if it goes this way.

4 Stars

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

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On September 15, 2023

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

FarsicknessFarsickness

by Joshua Mohr

DETAILS:
Publisher: House of Vlad Press
Format: eARC
Length: 140 pgs. 
Read Date: September 8-9, 2023
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A Quick Vocabulary Lesson

Leave it to our Teutonic friends to have a word for every occasion—in this case, we’re talking about “Fernweh.” Briefly, it’s the opposite of homesickness. It’s a longing for a far-off place, a farsickness. Not necessarily a particular place, but frequently it is one. The desire to travel would be another way to put it.

What’s Farsickness About?

Hal—he doesn’t really remember much about himself beyond his name—is hearing a voice inside his head. A voice telling him to go home. To go to Scotland (a place Hal doesn’t think he’s ever been, so how is it home?), to a particular castle there. Hal decides to call this voice “Fern” (from Fernweh, in case it wasn’t clear why I started talking about it) and does what Fern tells him to. Hal asks a lot of questions, only some of which get answers.

Then like Dante with Virgil, Christian with Evangelist (and others), Hal is taken on a journey once he gets off the plane in Scotland that is so strange, so fraught with peril and symbolism, and the difficult to explain, that I’m not going to bother trying. But in the end, Hal is taken on the journey to the places he’s really longing for.

So, what did I think about Farsickness?

The writing here—regardless what you think of what and who Mohr’s writing about—is worth your time. He’s got some of the nicest, most evocative phrases and sentences I’ve come across this year. They can make you grin until you remember he’s describing something horrible (or just plain weird). I think some passages would be great to read aloud—or listen to—just because of the sounds. There’s a scene of a submarine sinking, for example, it was a pure pleasure to read, the imagery was fantastic, it was a little funny, the vocabulary was vivid—and yet, it was about a manned vehicle going down. I tell you what, Tom Clancy, couldn’t have done it better (and he’d have taken multiple pages rather than the very tight paragraph or two Mohr used)—or as well.

I only have an ARC, so I’m not going to quote from it, just in case something changed—so you don’t get samples, but I’m telling you, it’s great. Think Lance Olsen, Mark Richard, or (because those names are likely too obscure) a decaffeinated Mark Leyner, and you’re on the right track. Kind of.

I’m clearly having trouble talking about that, so let’s move on to the who and what.

The more I think about it (and I’ve spent longer on it than I anticipated), I don’t know that Hal actually had fernweh. I think it’s something else—or we’re talking a metaphorical other place he wants to go. Or he thought he had fernweh, but was mistaken/confused/deceived. And…ugh. it’s hard to talk about what I’m trying to say without a lot of citations and deep-diving. It’s just something to think about as you read, I guess—”is ‘fernweh’ an appropriate term?” I actually think it adds another layer or three to things if Hal wasn’t feeling that after all. Not that it’s a bad or misleading title. I’m just wondering if we need to ponder it a while.

I’m also tempted to say that I’m overthinking things. But I’m reasonably sure that Mohr wouldn’t agree that I was.

(this would be so much easier to talk about if you had all read the book already. Why don’t you all agree to go read it right now and come back in 140 pages or so to read the rest of my post about why you should read it? Yeah…there’s something about that proposal that doesn’t work.)

Farsickness is one of those books that will tempt you almost immediately to try and figure out “what’s really going on,” to dive into the symbolism and other figurative representations to get to the bottom of things. I’d encourage you not to, just let Mohr and Hal take you along this surreal exploration of parts unknown (or are they?). Just let it unfold—relatively quickly you’ll start to think, “Oh, this is about ____.” Not long after that, you’ll know, “this is about ____.” Then you’ll start to see why it’s about ____, and why it matters. And everything you wondered about at the beginning will make utter sense. Then you’ll get some resolution to the story. Yeah, you could suss it out early on if you set your mind to it—but I think it’s a more satisfying experience (at least with this novel), if you let Mohr do the work.

Also, that approach lets you soak in and enjoy the very peculiar characters and imagery. Both of those deserve discussions of 500-1000 words a piece, but I’m not the writer to provide that.

There’s a pretty simple—and heart-tugging and sweet—story at the center of all this. But the 3+ licks to get to that Tootsie Roll center are enjoyable in their own way—and might do a little heart-tugging of their own. Yes, that candy shell is about trauma, healing, violence, forgiveness, and horror. But it’s not presented in a way that will make it too difficult to read. Like Hal, I didn’t know where I’d end up when I started the journey through Farsickness and I ended up far away from where I started—but it was absolutely worth the time (actually, it’d have been worth longer than it took, too).

This is no straightforward narrative, but the prose isn’t terribly dense and is fairly effortless to get through. After a few pages, you won’t notice it at all, Mohr will have sucked you into his absurd little reality and you’ll be turning pages like this is a thriller. I don’t know that I’d have gone out of my way for this (particularly with the cover), but I’m very glad Farsickness came across my path, and I wager you will be, too, if you give it a chance.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from the author and Lori Hettler of The Next Best Book Club in exchange for this post—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 33: Player 2 by R. T. Slaywood: From Strange to Stranger

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On September 15, 2023

In Urban Fantasy

Life, the Universe, and Everything has taken me away from this longer than I realized. Glad to get back into this series. I’m apparently 27 episodes behind, that’s a lot. I’d better try to avoid breaks for a bit.

The Ballad of BonadukeThe Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 33: Player 2

by R.T. Slaywood

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #33
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: September 14, 2023

“You gave an NPC your magic, and now we’re in the game.”

I nodded pretending to know what the hell she was talking about, trying to temper my anger. ‘Ah yes, I see, that makes sense.” I said putting as much dripping sarcasm I could into each word.

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down.

What’s Player 2 About?

As Episode 32: Suspect number 1 wrapped up, Bonaduke tried something wreckless—even by his standards. This episode is about the results of that move.

So, Zero’s power involved tying reality into a video game, which helped her accomplish things that were impossible. As a result of Bonaduke’s meddling, they’re now in that video game—and they have a limited opportunity to get back out of it. And yeah, that sounds strange. But what do you want for this series?

So, what did I think about Player 2?

When I talked about the last episode, I said I wasn’t sure what Bonaduke was trying to do there—and honestly, I’m still not sure. But I enjoyed the fallout from his dumb move (not that he realized it was that dumb when he made it). I wonder how long Slaywood is going to stick with this arc within an arc, but I think it’s going to be fun.

Despite Zero’s attitude (and comments) about Eric, I wonder if he’s going to play a bigger role in this story than I’d anticipated. I think that’d be good. The more this series has Bonaduke with people rather than just bouncing around from event to event/location to location by himself, the better it is. You get Zero and Eric with him for a prolonged time and I think it’ll only improve. Especially if they all start understanding each other.

And if that doesn’t happen and we just get Zero for a bit? I’m okay with that, too, she’s one cool character. (and I mean “cool” in a number of ways)

This was a fun episode and the next episode or two that it sets up should be as good.

4 Stars

Minor Threats: A Quick End To A Long Beginning by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Scott Hepburn: They’re Going to Save the Day?

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On August 28, 2023

In Comics, Fiction, Science Fiction

A Quick End To A Long BeginningMinor Threats: A Quick End To A Long Beginning

by Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Scott Hepburn (Artist), Ian Herring (Colorist)

DETAILS:
Series: Minor Threats, Vol. 1
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date: July 12, 2023
Format: Trade Paperback
Length: 136 pg. 
Read Date:  August 11, 2023
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Not Sure Why I Feel Compelled to Say This, But…

I’m going to make a lot of allusions to other comics/superhero stories. This is intentional and, I think, warranted. Oswalt and Blum are satirizing, paying tribute to, and playing with tried-and-true superhero ideas. When I say they’re doing something ____-esque, or in the vein of, etc. I’m not criticizing, I’m describing. Their work is derivative of more things than I’m aware of because they’re commenting on those things. Oswalt and Blum know their stuff, they’ve drunk deeply from more comic wells than I can imagine and used that to produce this series.

Frankie

When she was a kid, Frankie was the costumed sidekick of her mother, a supervillain/thief. At some point, they were arrested and Frankie went to prison. When she got out, she tried to go straight and get a decent job, but we all know how hard it is for an ex-con to get a job, when that ex-con is a Meta? Forget it—door after door slammed in her face. Finally, she found a job working as a bartender in a bar that catered to supervillains. Not really the elite-level villains, but the “lower ranked” ones—with just enough power to typically need a superhero instead of the police. Think the sillier ones in the Suicide Squad.

I’ve seen this kind of bar in Spider-Man comics, a superhero version in The Tick (animated), and a few other places like that. Frankie is friendly with a couple of her regulars but regards most of them with a kind of contempt/pity mixture. Frankie’s the stereotypical Alcoholic in Recovery working as a Bartender—just her addiction is using the abilities that got her locked up.

Not-Jason Todd/The Joker/Batman

So remember what Batman wanted to do to the Joker after he (assisted by the readers of DC Comics) beat the life out of Jason Todd? What would’ve happened if Superman hadn’t stepped in? Well, we get the answer here—after a Joker-esque character (The Stickman) kills the kid sidekick (Kid Dusk) of a Batman-esque hero (The Insomniac), The Insomniac goes on a vigilante rampage looking for The Stickman—and woe to anyone who gets in his way. The story kicks off with someone stumbling into the bar holding the beaten near-corpse of one supervillain who was “interrogated” by The Insomniac.

This leads to the biggest crackdown on Meta criminals ever—the heroes and the police are trying to lock them all up for their own safety more than because of any crimes. It’s wreaking all sorts of havoc. To put a stop to this, Frankie and some acquaintances/customers decide they need to find The Stickman themselves and kill him themselves. Why wait for the good guys to do the job? If Stickman is out of the picture, The Insomniac might be able to be stopped—or maybe stop himself.

Sure, none of these criminals are the best choices for this—and most are past the prime of their abilities—but it’s not like they have a better idea.

The Art

I can’t put my finger exactly on how to describe the art—it reminded me of a lot of mid-80s Marvel Comics art, with shades of Gotham Central. That’s going to help precisely no one, but it’s the best I can do.

I really dug it—the art fits the story and the characters well. It wasn’t too flashy or too polished—neither would fit this story. There’s a roughness to it (but not in a negative way) that really suited what Oswalt and Blum were doing.

So, what did I think about Minor Threats: A Quick End To A Long Beginning?

This is dark. It’s twisted. It’s funny—and it’s not really funny at all. There’s some tragedy to this, too.

I want more. Now.

Is it the greatest comic story I’ve come across lately? Nah, but the way the creative team is playing with, exploring, exploiting, and so on with tropes, stand-bys, themes, character-types, etc. is just so much fun and so interesting.

There’s just a solid story in the midst of all this, too. It’s more than meta-commentary on superhero stories, it’s a good one itself. But for me to really dig into it the way it deserves would take more time and energy than I’m willing to devote to it. So I’ll just leave it at this—you’re going to dig this.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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The Character of Christ by Jonathan Landry Cruse: The Fruit of the Spirit in Our Lord

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On August 27, 2023

In Theology/Christian Living

The Character of ChristThe Character of Christ:
The Fruit of the Spirit in the Life of Our Saviour

by Jonathan Landry Cruse

DETAILS:
Publisher: Banner of Truth Trust
Publication Date: April 04, 2023
Format: Paperback
Length: 154 pg.
Read Date: August 6-13, 2023
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The Goal/Design of the Book

The introduction is called “This Is Not A How-To Book.” This is vital, and this emphasis is likely why I bought this book* after hearing Cruse interviewed about it. Christian bookstores (wherever they may still exist) and websites are full of books on how to generate the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives, and are great ways to make yourself feel guilty when they don’t work.

Also, those books really miss the point anyway.

Cruse is clear about the need for believers to produce fruit—and he’s also clear about the way that happens. But that’s a secondary matter for this book—this book is about focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit and seeing how they were seen, manifested, and taught by our Lord.

This is a book about Christ, first and foremost. Following John Owen (and others) Cruse is convinced that as we see Him better, as we understand Him more, we will be transformed and those fruits will be seen.

* Given my appreciation for Cruse, that’s likely an overstatement–but I would’ve bought and read other books first.

What’s The Character of Christ About?

Okay, I just answered that—oops. After the Introduction, Cruse takes one chapter to look at each of the Fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The organization of each chapter varies—which is annoying for trying to sum it up briefly, but so nice when it comes to reading. It’d have been very easy for each of these chapters to have the same outline, just with different topics—and my eyes would’ve glazed over a lot.

Essentially, we get a good definition of each fruit along with examples of how we see that in the life of our Savior. Cruse will often show us what Christ Himself taught about the fruit, too. Each chapter ends with some sort of application—not in the “How To” sense. But here’s how you can display Christ, go to Jesus, and pray for this to be shown in your life as it applies to each fruit.

The book concludes with a reminder to look to Christ and how He has perfectly kept in step with the Spirit and borne the fruit. As we do so, as we are united to Him by the Spirit, we can be transformed as well.

So, what did I think about The Character of Christ?

This is too brief, not because Cruse was skimpy on details or needed to explain anything better. But each chapter could’ve been twice the length and not lost my interest, I could keep reading more and more about each of these ideas in this manner. Although I’m pretty sure if he did give us twice the length, I’d still be asking for more.

This was a great balance of doctrine and example/illustration. He’s careful not to let the reader focus too much on themselves as they ponder each idea but consistently points to the Author and Finisher of our Faith. It’s easy to read, wonderful to chew on, and truly helpful in the way that how-to books can’t be.

I strongly recommend this to your attention—not just for the content, but the manner in which Cruse presents it.

4 Stars
This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
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PUB DAY REPOST: Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung: A Call for Assured Disciples

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On August 15, 2023

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Impossible ChristianityImpossible Christianity:
Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time

by Kevin DeYoung

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 160  pg.
Read Date: July 23-30, 2023
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What’s Impossible Christianity About?

On the one hand, the twenty-eight(!) words of the subtitle give a handy summary of what the book is about—but there’s still more to say. But it’s difficult to summarize outside of that without going on too long. Still, it’s worth a shot.

While exploring things like personal wealth, corporate guilt, and the call to individual holiness and sanctification, Kevin DeYoung reminds readers that our goal isn’t to change the world, it isn’t to achieve a perfection in behavior or ability, nor is it to wallow in our shortcomings and weaknesses. Rather, we are to press on when we stumble, ask God for forgiveness and help; keeping our eyes on our goal, see how far we’ve come; and rejoice in the work of grace in our lives—knowing that our Father is pleased with us.

There’s more to it than that (obviously, he spends eight chapters developing what I just used two sentences to convey). But that’s a decent thumbnail sketch.

The Highlights

In chapter 2, “Who Is It That Overcomes the World?,” we get an exploration of some of the more challenging material in 1 John. This treatment of 1 John and assurance is enough to justify picking the book up in the first place (for me, anyway. But I doubt I’ll be alone).

Where DeYoung will take these ideas from the epistle to encourage believers, to see signs of their faith and draw assurance from them, too many have taken the same words to use as tests of faith, to spur an attitude of “I must do more to earn God’s favor” or “I need to prove my devotion.”

While avoiding any kind of “cheap grace” (or whatever people call it today), DeYoung points to John’s heart in dealing with “little children” and encouraging their continuation in the faith.

He does something similar in Chapter 7 when reminding us of God’s Fatherhood and what the Scriptures tell us about Fatherhood. It’s an encouragement to fidelity and activity, not a whip to drive us to it. We’re called to virtues, not to-do lists—to reflect a character, not to change the world. The world (or at least things in our immediate vicinity) may be changed as a result, but that’s not our goal. Rather (as he argues in Chapter 8 ) is to live a quiet life of faithful discipleship.

I Could’ve Used a Bit More

DeYoung is known for frequently being on the pithy side with his books, and that’s certainly the case here. As it is characteristic of him, I don’t want to complain about that too much—I knew what I was getting into when I picked this book up.

Still, it felt a bit too brief. I wanted a little more from some of the chapters—a little more explanation, a little more depth, a little fuller idea of what he was trying to convey. It’s hard to explain while speaking broadly (and without citations because it’s an ARC), but I need 10-20% more of everything.

One thing, in particular, I wanted fleshed out was some criticisms he pointed at Christians who teach that we’re constant failures and should feel that weakness. I’d have appreciated less vagueness—direct citations, or at least references in a footnote would’ve been helpful so I could compare what he was arguing for to what he was arguing against.

So, what did I think about Impossible Christianity?

I think that’s my largest complaint—the book’s just a bit too brief. DeYoung was his typical engaging, clear (with the exception listed above), and helpful self in these pages. His illustrations and examples from his own life were amusing and helpful. If nothing else, I enjoyed reading the book.

On top of that criteria (in this type of book, it’s the least important), the book was helpful, encouraging, and gracious. Which is what it set out to be, so kudos for that. There was some material that was good to chew on, some healthy reminders of truths easy to forget or neglect, and a few moments to inspire a renewed activity.

Would I have appreciated more? Yes. Do I appreciate what DeYoung delivered? Also, yes. I’m afraid I come across as too critical, so let’s be clear—I wanted more of something helpful so it could’ve been more helpful.

From the smile-inducing opening illustration to the closing paragraphs of benediction (what a great addition to this book)—this was a pleasure to read. I do recommend this book and encourage others to pick it up.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

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

However Long the Day by Justin Reed: One Eventful (some might say Disastrous) Night

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On August 14, 2023

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, Literary Locals

However Long the DayHowever Long the Day

by Justin Reed

DETAILS:
Publisher: Bulrush Press
Publication Date: February 15, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 402 pgs.
Read Date:  August 8-11, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s However Long the Day About?

This is a The Prince and the Pauper-esque story set in New York in 1918 with the son of a wealthy politician and an activist mother hiring his doppelganger, a recent Irish immigrant, to stand in for him for one night. Fredrick (the rich guy) got caught (again) doing something reckless and is about to be subject to a lecture/tirade from his father before being sent to his room for the evening (a room, it should be noted, that’s bigger than the apartment Niall is sharing with his uncle). Sure, it’s ridiculous that someone in his early-to-mid-20s (I’m guessing) is being treated that way. But if he wants to siphon off of his parents, I’m guessing he has to put up with ridiculous things like this.

I’d better move on before I open another parenthesis.

Niall was offered more money than he could make in a year, so he has to sign on. This kicks off 12 hours (or so) of mistaken identities, women kissing the wrong me, kidnappings, abductions, fights, beatings, criminals, police, criminal police, plots being hatched, secrets being exposed, plans going awry, plans coming to fruition, and so much more.

Frederick Philips

Frederick is a spoiled and apparently useless man desperate to get out from underneath his father’s thumb. He’ll do anything to accomplish that, except get a decent job and put in an honest day’s work. He needs to live in the manner to which he’s become accustomed, and there’s no way he can do that easily. I’m pretty sure Archie Goodwin would call him a “fop,” and although that word’s not really used anymore, it feels rather fitting (and not just because of the setting for the book).

He appears to have tried gambling and some other hare-brained (and likely illegal) schemes that have put him on the wrong side of at least one crime syndicate. One of the things he’s trying while Niall pretends to be him is the culmination of a lot of his scheming—he’s trying for the big score that’ll equip him to set up a new life in Philadelphia.

Niall Donovan

Niall has been in NYC for a month and we meet him as he’s struggling to substitute for his Uncle Paddy on his ice delivery route. Paddy’s fighting off the Spanish Flu* and needs someone to cover so he can keep his job. Niall’s not that good at the fairly thankless job, but it’s a way he can contribute.

* The grief given to the police officer wearing a mask—and his defending the practice—feels pretty timely.

Other than in appearance, Niall’s everything that Frederick isn’t—he’s a hard worker, he’s honest and honorable—and can acquit himself well in a fight. You’ll have a really hard time not being immediately charmed by him and wanting to see him succeed everywhere. He might be so loyal, so devoted, so determined to do the right thing that he puts himself in some stupid and dangerous situations, quite honestly. And more than once you’ll shake your head at him making a choice that’s sure to lead to problems—but you’ll still root for him.

Other Characters

Frederick’s ally/accomplice in all this is named Ivy. She lives near him, with parents in a similar social standing—she’s equally miserable but doesn’t have the means to get away from home. She’s a little more level-headed than Frederick and works with him—urging him to take some chances for both of their sakes.

Flora works in domestic service for one of the homes on Paddy’s route and Niall is pretty sweet on her (the feeling’s mutual). She’s hands down my favorite character in the book—she’s everything that Niall is (but backwards and in high heels), but generally thinks more clearly (except for the one time she encourages Niall’s foolhardiness. Both of them end up regretting that). I wish I could tell you all the reasons I love Flora, but that’d involve spoilers.

Niall’s Uncle Paddy is a great guy, too. He’s doing all he can (in his very limited way) to help Niall acclimate to New York and to get established.

And I’m going on too long—I can’t talk about all the great characters—but Reed’s got a knack for creating characters that come to life. There’s not one of them that you’re not going to have a very solid impression of—and probably a pretty good mental image for (despite minimal description in the text). I could’ve easily enjoyed more scenes with each and every character—except maybe Frederick—because I just enjoyed watching them in action so much.

The Object Itself

Most of the time I don’t talk about things like covers, printing, and whatnot—it’s just not something I want to dwell on (and frequently it’s stuff outside an author’s control). But when it’s done this well—particularly by a self-published author, I want to take a moment to talk.

The printing, binding, and so on for this book is top-notch. Indistinguishable from most of the hardcovers on my shelf. The cover design as well as the interiors were done with skill and care. Does this help the reading experience much? Probably only a negligible amount. But it’s clear that Reed put some money into the production end of this—money and care. As much effort into that as he put into the words on the page (or close).

I wonder if he regrets that—or if by trimming a few costs, he’d be closer to making a profit. But for me? I appreciate an author putting their money where their mouth is. Again, I don’t know if it added much to the experience, but I sure enjoyed that part.

So, what did I think about However Long the Day?

As far as I can tell—Reed nailed the historical setting. His NYC of 1918 looks and feels like histories of the era that I’m familiar with—and with books from around that era that I’ve read. I’m no expert by any means, but it felt accurate—and if I raised an eyebrow at any of his historical details, they didn’t bother me enough to remember or write in my notes. I’m open to correction on this point, but I’d say he dealt with this part well.

I’ve talked briefly about the characters already, so let’s move on to the plot. It took a while for a clear picture to develop about what was going on, but the ride to that point was so fun, I really didn’t care—I just kept wondering what the next scene would bring. Sure, there were some moments early on that I wondered if he was trying to juggle too many storylines and characters, and I will admit to shaking my head a few times when he’d throw in something new or insert a new difficulty or obstacle for Niall or Frederick to overcome. Eventually, I started to see the tapestry he was weaving and was glad to see that patience rewarded—Reed knew where he was going and led us on a straight path that only seemed to be meandering.

Every now and then, I wondered if Reed was hitting either Niall and Paddy’s Irishisms* a bit too hard—or if he was laying on the 1910s jargon/slang a bit too thick. But it was less often than I assumed I’d think something like that going in—and it really was rare that I wondered that. There was a time or two that I wondered if the dialogue in general was a bit preachy (whether or not I agreed), or wordy in general.

* Flora using the term “Irishism” also seemed a bit strange, but it worked in the moment so well, that I’m not going to complain. And not just because it was Flora who said it. Although that helps. I’m telling you, I loved her.

But overall, I was really impressed with Reed’s writing. Near the 300-page mark I got a little uneasy. There was maybe 30 pages of story left, how was he going to fill up another hundred or so? It turns out that it was super easy, barely an inconvenience. Not only that, it was some of the best story-telling he’d done up to that point. Most of it didn’t even depend on the mistaken/interchangeable identity aspect of the book. It’s not often that I misjudge an author’s pacing anymore, especially not a first-time author (and when I do, it’s generally not a good thing)—but Reed taught me a welcome lesson in humility there.

I was pleasantly surprised throughout this book—I didn’t expect anything much to strike me as funny when I picked it up, for example. I was optimistic about the premise and anticipated enjoying it. But I expected a fairly earnest, straightforward drama. But Reed gave us some good action, some interesting hijinks, and some solid comedy. (Yes, there’s a chance that I found things funny that I shouldn’t have…I’ll grant you that, and apologize to Reed if that offends him).

One example of the comedy that really stood out to me–there’s a recurring discussion about the choice of cake vs. fruit pie. It feels straight out of Tarantino, or maybe Jim Gaffigan. It essentially becomes a personality test–and Frederick fails, incidentally. It becomes this nice bit of humor, it helps solidify Flora as a character, it humanizes some of the gangsters (see Tarantino), and is something that really helps the reader to connect with the characters. The fact that it has almost nothing to do with the plot is a great bonus, it becomes something where the characters can interact as human beings regardless of what’s going on. Also, anything that allows Flora to shine and makes Frederick look bad is worth pointing out.

Clearly, I enjoyed this book a lot. If this is what Reed can do for a debut, I can’t wait to see what he accomplishes for a follow-up. I strongly recommend you all to go pick this one up.

4 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.
20 Books of Summer
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Eye of the Sh*t Storm by Jackson Ford: Flash Floods, Electric Powers, and Teagan Lets Loose in Public

By

On August 11, 2023

In Fiction, Science Fiction

Eye of the Sh*t StormEye of the Sh*t Storm

by Jackson Ford

DETAILS:
Series: Frost Files, #3
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: April 27, 2021
Format: eBook
Length: 512 pg.
Read Date: July 20-24, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

And now I’m trapped under a collapsed bridge, in a burning van, having just taken a faceful of meth, while a biker gang shoots at me and my friends with automatic weapons.

We’ve all been there.

What’s Eye of the Sh*t Storm About?

Obviously, spoilers for the previous book are going to come into play here…if you’re concerned about that, skip to the stars at the bottom and move on. Actually, I’ll make it easy for you: ★ ★ ★ ★. Proceed at your own risk.

It’s been two months since Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air, L.A. (and the rest of California) is still struggling to deal with the loss of infrastructure, lives, jobs, and sense of normalcy that had been ripped from them. Teagan and her team have resumed their work as best as they can.

The book opens just as a mission to uncover an illegal gun sales ring goes horribly awry—leading to my opening quotation. Before the team has a chance to recover from this debacle, they’re sent to investigate a strange occurrence that is right up their alley. A storage unit complex—the entire thing, from asphalt to walls to ceilings and everything in between—has become electrically charged. Technically, that’s impossible, right? But so are psychokinetics like Teagan and the earthquake-inducing little boy we met in the last book.

Teagan figures out a way to get her inside the complex and discovers the cause–another little boy. About the same age as the one she faced off with two months ago. But this boy is different—he’s scared. He’s not in control of his power at the moment because he just wants his dad and to get away from “the Zigzag Man” (whoever that is). Teagan knows her job is to bring the kid in and turn him over to the authorities. But she can’t do that—this boy, Leo, isn’t out to hurt anyone. He’s not trying to fry California or anything. He just wants his dad, and Teagan can’t imagine subjecting Leo to the experiments and testing that he’d be subjected to if she did her job.

So, she goes AWOL, hoping to reunite Leo with his family before she figures out what to do with her employers. She’s eventually tracked down by her friends—some agree to help her, some try to apprehend Leo. Things get messy from there. And they all learn pretty quickly that Leo was right to want to get as far away as humanly possible from the Zigzag Man.

Reggie

Of the group, the character we’ve spent the least amount of time with. This makes sense—she’s the “woman in the chair,” as Ned Leeds would put it. She’s their hacker, their supervisor, the one calling the shots from home base and doing what she can to dig up information for them in the field. She’s also in a wheelchair, limiting what she can do in the field (but she pushes those limits as often as possible).

This book solves the we-don’t-get-to-spend-time-with-Reggie problem by giving her several point-of-view chapters. When we’re not with Teagan, we’re with her. And I loved it—I’d take a Reggie solo story anytime. She’s just a rich character—getting to focus on her and having some of her backstory filled in are just great. She had a pretty impressive résumé already, but what she accomplishes here proves that Teagan’s not the only impressive one on the team (that could be said for all of them, really, but I want to focus on Reggie).

Her future looks pretty different going into Book 4 than it has so far—but I’m looking forward to seeing what she does in this new stage of life. I predict things will look better for her within the next 400 pages than it does now.

I Didn’t Expect This To Come Up

There’s a subplot running through all this where Teagan deals with the come down from an accidental (and large) exposure to meth and struggles to experiment with it some more. This is due to the withdrawal symptoms she’s suffering, and also because it turns out that meth supercharges her abilities for a brief period and that sounds really handy right now.

Now, I don’t know how realistic all the non-superpower effects of meth and the temptation to use it again so soon are. But it feels real. And the fact that I have to clarify “non-superpower” does put us outside the realm of realism already.

Teagan goes through a lot in this book (and series), but the way she looks into the temptation of great power at a great cost and cannot shake it immediately was really well depicted and—so far—the most compelling. This temptation keeps calling her name, she’s able to justify/allllllllmost justify experimenting with the drug. And maybe giving herself over entirely to the addiction.

Teagan’s Growth

I reacted… poorly. Hey, just because I’ve been trying to think through my decisions doesn’t mean I’m perfect, OK?

This is already longer than I’d planned, so I’m going to be brief here—in my post about Random Sh*t Flying Through the Air I talked about Teagan’s growth in terms of power and maturity—and how far she has to go. That’s still present, but she’s making progress—and she’s aware of her need.

I think she gives herself more credit than she deserves in this quest up to this point—but she’s moving in the right direction. And who wants a perfect protagonist anyway?

So, what did I think about Eye of the Sh*t Storm?

Over the past few years, I’ve become very familiar with the giant spurt of adrenaline you get after surviving something that should have killed you.

It always arrives around five minutes after I nearly die, beginning with a prickle on my arms, a delightful tremor in my fingers. Then a feeling of well- being, flooding through me, quickly growing to a kind of hysterical euphoria. It’s like an old friend by now. One I’ve been hanging out with for so long that I know everything they’re going to do before they do it.

There was a point where my eReader was at risk of flying through a window. Thankfully for the sake of marital harmony (and my poor eReader), that didn’t happen (my notes read, “No no no no no no no no,” and I was able to limit it to that). Frost has demonstrated that no character is safe, the status quo is not respected, and that readers should not think that anything is settled. This is not a bug, this is a feature. Not necessarily one that promotes emotional health in a reader, however, but it’s a feature.

What Ford’s cavalier attitude toward my blood pressure does is heighten every moment, intensify every conflict (even if it doesn’t seem like it’s time for a major happening), and keeps you focused throughout as you speed through the pages.

I’ve been annoyed with myself for not staying on top of this series since the summer of 2020—and now that I’m almost caught up—I’m even more annoyed with myself. But for now, I’m just happy I got this posted so I can move on to the next book in a few days.

If you’re into super-hero-adjacent kind of stories, this series is a must-read. Could you do okay by starting with this book? Sure—Ford won’t let you get lost and will help you get oriented in the midst of things. But do yourself a favor and start with the first book and do it soon.

4 Stars

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

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The Ballad of Bonaduke—Episode 31: Cheat by R. T. Slaywood: Buckle Up!

By

On August 11, 2023

In Urban Fantasy

The Ballad of BonadukeThe Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode 31: Cheat

by R.T. Slaywood

DETAILS:
Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #31
Format: Kindle Vella Story
Read Date: August 10, 2023

The shooting is making this difficult!

The Story So Far…

A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.

He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.

Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and seems to have succeeded—well, the two of them got away from the group anyway—breathing but bruised. They make their way to a fast-food taco joint and Bonaduke really needs to refuel to keep going. He tries, but fails to get food because he keeps passing out. Thankfully, the clerk is the same guy from the liquor store and he both recognizes him and gives him first aid. The woman (Zero) wakes up and shows some abilities of her on as she helps them escape from her captors who’ve tracked her down.

What’s Cheat About?

Zero’s driving the car like a bat out of hell—or at least as much as she can. She’s weaving all over, battering cars of the squatters, and essentially barely keeping them all alive. Something about the way that Bonaduke is playing a video game on the clerk’s phone is impacting them—Zero doesn’t really explain, but this has something to do with what she insisted they believe in the last episode.

Still, Bonaduke isn’t that good at phone games. Then he realizes that he borrowed the phone and his grift is able to kick in.

So, what did I think about Cheat?

I want more details about Zero’s ability—but I realize that a high-speed chase isn’t the best place for a conversation.

This episode was a lot of fun. There’s not much more to say.

4 Stars

Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung: A Call for Assured Disciples

By

On August 6, 2023

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Impossible ChristianityImpossible Christianity:
Why Following Jesus Does Not Mean You Have to Change the World, Be an Expert in Everything, Accept Spiritual Failure, and Feel Miserable Pretty Much All the Time

by Kevin DeYoung

DETAILS:
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Format: eARC
Length: 160  pg.
Read Date: July 23-30, 2023
Buy from Bookshop.org Support Indie Bookstores

What’s Impossible Christianity About?

On the one hand, the twenty-eight(!) words of the subtitle give a handy summary of what the book is about—but there’s still more to say. But it’s difficult to summarize outside of that without going on too long. Still, it’s worth a shot.

While exploring things like personal wealth, corporate guilt, and the call to individual holiness and sanctification, Kevin DeYoung reminds readers that our goal isn’t to change the world, it isn’t to achieve a perfection in behavior or ability, nor is it to wallow in our shortcomings and weaknesses. Rather, we are to press on when we stumble, ask God for forgiveness and help; keeping our eyes on our goal, see how far we’ve come; and rejoice in the work of grace in our lives—knowing that our Father is pleased with us.

There’s more to it than that (obviously, he spends eight chapters developing what I just used two sentences to convey). But that’s a decent thumbnail sketch.

The Highlights

In chapter 2, “Who Is It That Overcomes the World?,” we get an exploration of some of the more challenging material in 1 John. This treatment of 1 John and assurance is enough to justify picking the book up in the first place (for me, anyway. But I doubt I’ll be alone).

Where DeYoung will take these ideas from the epistle to encourage believers, to see signs of their faith and draw assurance from them, too many have taken the same words to use as tests of faith, to spur an attitude of “I must do more to earn God’s favor” or “I need to prove my devotion.”

While avoiding any kind of “cheap grace” (or whatever people call it today), DeYoung points to John’s heart in dealing with “little children” and encouraging their continuation in the faith.

He does something similar in Chapter 7 when reminding us of God’s Fatherhood and what the Scriptures tell us about Fatherhood. It’s an encouragement to fidelity and activity, not a whip to drive us to it. We’re called to virtues, not to-do lists—to reflect a character, not to change the world. The world (or at least things in our immediate vicinity) may be changed as a result, but that’s not our goal. Rather (as he argues in Chapter 8 ) is to live a quiet life of faithful discipleship.

I Could’ve Used a Bit More

DeYoung is known for frequently being on the pithy side with his books, and that’s certainly the case here. As it is characteristic of him, I don’t want to complain about that too much—I knew what I was getting into when I picked this book up.

Still, it felt a bit too brief. I wanted a little more from some of the chapters—a little more explanation, a little more depth, a little fuller idea of what he was trying to convey. It’s hard to explain while speaking broadly (and without citations because it’s an ARC), but I need 10-20% more of everything.

One thing, in particular, I wanted fleshed out was some criticisms he pointed at Christians who teach that we’re constant failures and should feel that weakness. I’d have appreciated less vagueness—direct citations, or at least references in a footnote would’ve been helpful so I could compare what he was arguing for to what he was arguing against.

So, what did I think about Impossible Christianity?

I think that’s my largest complaint—the book’s just a bit too brief. DeYoung was his typical engaging, clear (with the exception listed above), and helpful self in these pages. His illustrations and examples from his own life were amusing and helpful. If nothing else, I enjoyed reading the book.

On top of that criteria (in this type of book, it’s the least important), the book was helpful, encouraging, and gracious. Which is what it set out to be, so kudos for that. There was some material that was good to chew on, some healthy reminders of truths easy to forget or neglect, and a few moments to inspire a renewed activity.

Would I have appreciated more? Yes. Do I appreciate what DeYoung delivered? Also, yes. I’m afraid I come across as too critical, so let’s be clear—I wanted more of something helpful so it could’ve been more helpful.

From the smile-inducing opening illustration to the closing paragraphs of benediction (what a great addition to this book)—this was a pleasure to read. I do recommend this book and encourage others to pick it up.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Crossway via NetGalley in exchange for this post and my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

4 Stars

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

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