Tag: General Fiction Page 3 of 45

I See You’ve Called in Dead (Audiobook) by John Kenny, Sean Patrick Hopkins: Friendship and Funerals

DETAILS:
Publisher: Zibby Publishing    
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 7 hrs., 33 min.
Read Date: June 6-9, 2025

What’s I See You’ve Called in Dead About?

One night after a disastrous blind date (oh, and the word disastrous seems inadequate), obituary writer Bud Stanley gets drunk and accidentally publishes his own obituary. This earns him a suspension (once you get to the part where it’s revealed why he can’t be fired, you’ll roll).

During this suspension, he’s inspired to attend the funerals of strangers. He drags his close friend with him to these, and the two of them gain some new perspectives, new insights, etc.

I should add—before the drunken mistake, during the date itself, is when I decided I liked Bud and couldn’t wait to spend seven hours and change with him.

It’s, of course, after he published the greatly exaggerated reports of his own death that Bud finally has the opportunity to learn how to live. Will he take advantage of it?

Is He Maybe Too Perfect?

I’m not talking about Bud here. No one is going to spend more than a half a paragraph before they start finding flaws with him (love the guy…but man, is he a work in progress). But his landlord/friend, Tim, just might be too perfect.

He’s kind. He’s generous. He’s wise. He’s…well, really, you’re going to have to look long and hard for a problem with the character. And that, of course, is hard to swallow for a primary character in a work of fiction. As in life, so in fiction, pobody’s nerfect.

But…and here’s the thing that applies to a lot of Mary/Marty Sues (and I don’t think Tim is one, but he might be their first cousin)—he’s so fun that you get over it. He works as Bud’s Jiminy Cricket as well as the guy he can joke around with. It’s likely that Bud just doesn’t give us a lot of Tim’s flaws in his narration, because he doesn’t see them.

Friendship

Which leads us to one thing (there are others, but this dominates the novel) that Bud seems to be pretty good at, friendship. Sure, frequently being a selfish jackwagon, he’s not great at being a friend—but the bonds he’s made are strong enough that they can take it.

There’s Tim, Bud’s office-mate (a strange friendship, but one that’s deeper than one might think), the friendship between Bud and his editor/boss, and then a sweet friendship with a lonely and eccentric little boy* who lives nearby. Bud may not have figured out how to successfully adult, but he’s assembled a great group of friends to help him navigate through it.

I’ve read/listened to a lot of people (in fiction/non-fiction) talk about how close male friendship has really taken a hit in the current culture—it’s not emphasized, it’s not modeled, and almost never discussed after a certain age. Take or leave that argument, it’s rare enough to see a decent portrayal. Bud has four of them—of various strengths and circumstances. But all are wonderful to watch.

* That kid (his name escapes me, and that bothers me) deserves a book of his own. I need someone like Wesley King, Victoria Willimason, or R.J. Palacio to buy the rights.

What did I think about the narration?

Well, there were a couple of location names that I wondered if Hopkins was pronouncing correctly (he probably was). But beyond that, he nailed the work. He got the humor, he got the heart, he got the…strange mental place that Bud spent most of the book in.

I don’t believe I’ve heard him in action before, but I’d like to.

So, what did I think about I See You’ve Called in Dead?

I assumed this would be a fun read from the premise. I wasn’t prepared for something that would make me care so much.

I did think the humor around the millennial HR employee felt overplayed, and that Kenney should’ve dropped it (or skipped it entirely). There might have been one or two other jokes that he could’ve skipped—but on the whole? Some of the best comedy I’ve encountered this year—and some of the dumbest, too. Bud, Tim, and Tuan (his office-mate) don’t seem to think there’s a joke to dumb to make. I don’t disagree, but I figure I should warn you. They also aren’t afraid of being awfully clever in their jokes as well.

There’s an extended bit in a Greek funeral that Tim and Bud attend, for example, that will make you roll your eyes—and then you’ll end up really loving as it continues.

I haven’t talked about the strange friendship/romance at all between Bud and the woman who starts him attending the funerals of strangers. It’s the kind of quirky thing that filmmakers used to give Zach Braff, Michael Cera, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and the like. But it rarely feels forced, and she’s definitely not manic. I don’t think her storyline is nearly as well-done as the others, but it’s satisfying enough that I’m not going to complain.

And of course—we need to talk about death and life. Bud and his circle spend a lot of time witnessing death and grief—and how it looks for various people. And from that, they all take different lessons about death and what can—and should—come before. Sometimes it feels a little heavy-handed, or rather, it feels like it’s going to be—you can feel the “special episode” atmosphere building. But it typically is delivered subtly and almost seamlessly. Kenney does it the right way.

This is a funny, wise, and heartfelt book—affirming, challenging, and downright entertaining. What’s not to like?

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 Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters by Zephaniah Sole: The Revolution Will Not Be Pasteurized

By HCNewton

On June 20, 2025

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

I’m incredibly dissatisfied with this post. But I don’t think I’m possible of doing better. I want to, the book deserves better than this. But I’m punching above my weight-class with this. Give me a couple of weeks doing nothing else, 15-20 pages, and a few consultations with one of my old university professors, and I might come up with something I liked. Since that’s not going to happen, I’ll just go with this.

The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters

by Zephaniah Sole

DETAILS:
Series: The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters, Book 1
Publisher: Run Amok Crime
Publication Date: May 5, 2025
Format: ARC
Length: 204 pg.
Read Date: June 7-9, 2025

A Couple of Content Warnings

I don’t normally do these kind of things, but it seemed like a good idea for this book. First, there’s some active suicidal ideation at the beginning of the book. It’s (first chapter, so not a spoiler) not effective. Also, it’s rapidly moved on from, and if the characters bring it up again, it’s briefly (I don’t think they do, but I failed to track it). In some books, the way the characters leave it behind would be a problem, and worthy of some discussion. But here? It works.

Secondly, Sole gets pretty close to sacrilege with a number of religious figures—Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist (and likely some others). Particularly with a certain Tibetan Buddhist. I tend to have a hair trigger on this kind of thing, but I think Sole landed pretty firmly on the right side of the line. If for no other reason than his depictions of the persons in question are so far from the way the religions think about them or they’re depicted in their texts, it’s hard to take the identification seriously.

(except for that Tibetan Buddhist, but even there, it’s a stretch)

What’s The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters About?

Jake and Joy meet one night under poor circumstances and do not get along at all. But then they find themselves in an unfamiliar and possibly hostile situation dressed in chicken suits (that not everyone sees but also they can’t get out of).

Before they can fully wrap their heads around that, they find themselves running for their lives and involved in a cosmic struggle for the fate of humanity. As they were prophesied to be.

No, really. That’s the plot.

Jake, Joy, and their new mentors/companions vs. Hip Gnosis* and his bickering subordinates. What follows is zany, action-filled, profound entertainment.

* Readers of Justice League comics of the late 80s may be interested to know that Gnosis reminds me of Lord Manga Khan, and his associate, Madelyn has a certain L-Ron quality to her, too.

The Book’s Humor

This book is hilarious—it’s more than that, but let’s start with that. But what kind of humor is it?

There’s word play—some very clever and sophisticated, and some painful puns. There’s some scatological humor (including one of the all-time greatest scatological jokes). There’s philosophical humor. There’s some jokes that are fit for an elementary school playground. There are some that are fit for a New Yorker cartoon.

Basically, the humor is all over the place. I mean that as a compliment and a description—definitely not a criticism. Primarily because every, and I stress every joke* lands. The book was so funny that you could miss everything else going on (and you shouldn’t) and you’d have a wonderful time.

* I should probably note that I may have mistaken a few lines for jokes that weren’t (but I laughed anyway), and I may have missed a few (which annoys me to admit).

That Hideous Strength

Somewhere along the way…either in the last two-thirds of the book, or maybe when I was finished (I can’t tell from my notes, and I can’t remember), it struck me that this book is a strange, non-Christian version of C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength.

That’s not a spoiler—because Sole doesn’t resolve things in a way that resembles Lewis at all (and frankly, I think Sole’s is more narratively satisfying, which is odd for a book that is so messy). This isn’t a hill that I’d fight to possess, but I think the parallels are clear. In essence, you’ve got the same two opposing forces and similar groups to take action on Earth—for very similar ends. I’d be more specific, but you need to read the book to appreciate it. Do that and come back, and we can talk.

Maybe it’s That Hideous Strength mixed with Dirk Gentley’s Holistic Detective Agency. I should take a day or two to develop that idea into a few paragraphs, but I won’t.

So, what did I think about The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters?

This book is just absurd—and I mean that in both the technical and the vernacular uses. I’m struggling to find words to describe it beyond that.

By page three, I was smitten with this book. By page 60, I wrote that, “This is either brilliant or the ravings of a madman. Possibly both.” And stuck with both of those reactions until the last sentence.

I talked about the humor above—and that would be enough to get me to recommend this book. But there’s so much more going on in these 204 pages. Things I haven’t begun to fully unpack yet. Things I’d probably need three or four reads to glimpse.

Sole doesn’t just play with narrative rules here. Nor does he simply experiment with them. He ties them up, tosses them in the trunk of his sedan, and goes for a joy ride. Less violently, you could say that Sole treats them as if he were Bugs Bunny after too many espressos and they were Elmer Fudd.

Then you throw in the prophecies, the philosophy, the semi-spirituality discussions, the action, the whale, teleporting via bathrooms/port-a-potties, the…I don’t know how to finish this sentence.

The plot is solid and interesting—but only somewhat important. The primary characters are three-dimensional, but only by the skin of their teeth. It’s not that important that they’re incredibly well-developed (as much as I hate to say something like that, it’s true here). What’s important is why things are happening and how Sole describes it.

Toss your suspension of disbelief in the trunk with Sole’s narrative rules, and dive in. You’ll be glad you did.

People who’ve read this site much know that I’m a huge Jo Perry fan. After I read the book, I noticed she’d provided a quote for the Publisher about it. As I’d fully expect, she put everything so wonderfully. I can’t match it, so I’m just going to close with what she said.

The Amazing Twin Chicken Freedom Fighters is the deep, learned, bookish, illogical, profound, effervescent, scatological, otherworldly, etymological and hilarious history of a shift in Joy’s and Jake’s (not their real names) ways of being and ours after they leap as one from a bridge and become heroic, pizza-eating—not just any pizza, but The Pizza Eternal-soul-yoked chickens. Enchanters, clicking and singing cetacean metaphors, the-down-and-out, lambs, assassins, the sorrowful, the faceless, the brain-on-fire, the ego-mad, the blind and seers inhabit Sole’s audacious and ambitious soul-adventure. This is a wild novel as sweet and hot as a from-the-oven lemon rosemary scone. Onward to Book Two.

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the Publisher in exchange for my honest opinion and this post. They got short-changed in this deal.

The Great Gatsby: Alphabetised Centennial Edition by F. Scott Fitzgerald, edited by Chris McVeigh: A Classic Reorganized

By HCNewton

On June 19, 2025

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

The Great Gatsby: Alphabetised Centennial Edition

by F. Scott Fitzgerald; edited, with an introduction by Chris McVeigh

DETAILS:
Publisher: Fahrenheit Press
Publication Date: May 14, 2025 
Format: Paperback
Length: 197 pg.

What’s the Deal with The Great Gatsby: Alphabetised Centennial Edition?

I could (should?) save myself a bunch of time and just point you to The Publisher’s Explanation of the book and its background. Seriously, skip most of what I write here and just read it.

But because I feel compelled to say something about this unique offering, I’m going to plow on.

Inspired by Concrete Poetry (which is something I don’t think I’d heard of until I read the above from Fahrenheit Press) and the centennial of The Great Gatsby, Chris McVeigh has taken the classic, and as you should assume from the subtitle, alphabetized it.

As McVeigh writes in the introduction:

…this alphabetised edition of The Great Gatsby is not a puzzle to be solved, or a parody to provoke. It is rather, a re-seeing of language in the raw – a confrontation with the building blocks of a story we think we know.

Removed from their narrative scaffolding, Gatsby’s words fall into new patterns, unexpected rhythms, and visual clusters. “Daisy” “dream” and “death” no longer emerge from plot, but jostle for position in a flattened, democratic field. The result is a text not about the American Dream, but made of it—its’ language laid bare, its’ seductions and emptiness exposed with surgical neutrality.

What would T.G. Eckleberg have to say?

Who knows, but those giant eyes of his would probably enjoy taking this in.

You really don’t even have to read the words, you can just open any page and take in the visual impact, the shapes that emerge from just bare words—limited punctuation (mostly apostrophes), no paragraphs, just a word-space-word-space-word sequence for 197 pages.

It’s striking, mesmerizing, and can even evoke an emotional response somehow.

So, what did I think about The Great Gatsby: Alphabetised Centennial Edition?

I honestly don’t know. But I can say I’ve thought about it a lot since getting it.

McVeigh asks:

Is story found only in sequence? Can meaning survive fragmentation? Might new meanings emerge—accidental, ambient, and poetic—from the ruins of arrangement?

At this moment, my answers are: Yes. Possibly? (pronounced with a heavy question mark) Yes, just don’t ask me what any of them are.

I’ve picked this up and read through a few pages several times in the week or so since I got this, and each time I start to think I’m getting something. Like Dirk Gentley said, I felt like I could “grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.” But I’ve fallen short each time, but I’m going to keep trying.

But this is not a book for everyone, I should stress. For example, I showed this to my wife, who I thought might appreciate the idea. She looked through it and gave me one of those looks and asked, “You spent money on this?”

Yes, I did. Happily so—and am still glad I did. Not just for the novelty (which probably drove the purchase, to be frank), but because it’s giving me the opportunity to ask those questions I started this section with. This might not be much of a review, but I think it’s the heartiest endorsement I could give of the project.

I spent money on this, you should consider doing the same.

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Lights of Shantinagar by Nidhi Arora

By HCNewton

On June 13, 2025

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

I’m very pleased today to welcome The Write Reads Ultimate Blog Tour Nidhi Arora’s The Lights of Shantinagar! If you take a look at the feed for https://twitter.com/WriteReadsTours over the next few days, you’ll see a lot of bloggers who did find the time to write interesting things about it (or, check out the banner below).

Book Details:

Title: The Lights of Shantinagar
Genre: Contemporary, Family Saga
Age Category: Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 272 pages
Publication Date: June 5, 2025

About the Book:

The Lights of Shantinagar is a warm and lively portrait of family life set in modern India where new philosophies are reshaping old traditions and one woman’s astute observations can change everything.

Aspiring quantum physicist Sumi is newly married and has moved into her husband’s family home. Here she observes that the beguilingly tranquil middle-class town of Shantinagar is not very different from her beloved quantum world: the happenings in one house are cryptically entangled with things next door, objects mysteriously disappear and unexpected interactions reveal surprising truths.

As the line between right and wrong begins to blur, new discoveries force the residents of Shantinagar to reflect on what they truly know about themselves and the ones they love. Meanwhile, Sumi must blend logic with love to make sense of her new circumstances.

Book Links:

Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph

About the Author:

Nidhi Arora’s stories and essays are featured in international journals and anthologies including Best New Singaporean Short Stories, Out of Print, The Hooghly Review, QLRS, Cha, and Popshot. She has self-published two books on Secure Attachment: A parent-child bonding series and edited a third. More at www.nidhi-arora.com.

My thanks to The Write Reads for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.

My Documents by Kevin Nguyen: Who will survive in America?

By HCNewton

On April 18, 2025

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

My Documents

by Kevin Nguyen

DETAILS:
Publisher: One World
Publication Date: April 8, 2025
Format: eARC
Length: 352 pg.
Read Date: April 7-9, 2025

What’s My Documents About?

Soon after the fall of Saigon, but not soon enough, a woman named Bà Nội manages to escape Vietnam with her four-year-old son—she’d been able to send two of her children to the U.S. earlier. Sadly, her husband was unable to leave with them. As the novel opens in the mid-2010s, we meet four of this son’s children—Ursula, Alvin, Jen, and Duncan.

These siblings and cousins are on the cusp of adulthood. Ursala is trying to make it as a journalist in NYC, Alvin is starting an internship (that will hopefully/likely turn into something more) at Google, Jen is enjoying the freedom that comes from being away from home at NYU, and Duncan’s passion is playing on his high school football team—and he’s pretty successful at it. All in all, this is a pretty good realization of Bà Nội’s American Dream (even if most of the family had hoped for something more lucrative for Ursala than being a writer).

Then the U.S. is rocked by a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that result in the overwhelming majority of Vietnamese-Americans being placed in various internment camps. Jen, Duncan, and their mother are placed in Camp Tacoma, while Ursula and Alvin are able to get exemptions.

The novel traces the lives of these four (as well as some of their relatives) through this dark time—showing how technology, business, the media, the government, and prejudice collude to create and maintain this system, as well as the public reaction and eventual distraction (with sporadic moments of attention and protest). But beyond that, we see how those most impacted by these policies survive this—and how they try to adjust, cling to their humanity, and try to do more than survive.

The Cousins

First, I should note that we also get some time with their shared father (who was not really involved in their lives growing up), Dan. Without getting into it, Dan took a very different path than his children—or the majority of Vietnamese-Americans—during this time. His actions—which we check in on sporadically—serve to contrast what the rest go through.

But I want to focus on—as the book does—the cousins. These are fantastically drawn, deeply flawed, and relatable characters. They all react very differently to their circumstances, and grow (or at least develop) through them in ways that are completely believable. In much the same way that the fall of Saigon and escape to the U.S. shaped the lives and psyches of their grandmother and father, this period does that to them.

More than Survival

In the beginning—even for those outside the camps—it’s just about survival. You do what you’re told, you make sure to obey the men with guns, you keep your head down and just hold on to whatever you can. But in time, you find ways to breathe, to relax, to find community and support, you even find ways to help others.

The guards organize football games for the detainees, which are attended by most of those in the camp. It allows Duncan to thrive. Jen gets work on the camp’s official newspaper—which, yes, is basically a propaganda machine (everyone knows this), but it helps her hone her writing and gets her exposure to most of the camp, as well as access. Because of her access, she’s brought into the circle of a smuggling operation that brings in some forms of food, life-saving medicine that the camp won’t bring in, and even digital copies of TV, movies, and music.

It’s through these temporary escapes from their daily circumstances—authorized or not—that the detainees are able to remember that there’s more to living than existing. There are flashes of joy and relief in the midst of their tense, precarious, and tragic circumstances.

It’s in this part of the novel that the reader is able to find more than just a frighteningly possible dystopia; it’s what elevates this.

So, what did I think about My Documents?

One of the more chilling aspects of this book is how most Americans move on from the internment. It makes headlines and creates some scandal for a bit, and then the attention of the public shifts to something else. Every now and then, something will come up that gets people riled up a little bit, but nothing sticks for most of the public. This is a dystopia—but not for everyone. Not that many people suffer. And while things could be better for people like Ursula and Alvin, outside of their own missteps and failings, their lives are pretty good.

The more I think about that, the more terrifying it is. The more realistic and possible it seems, too.

There’s a moment toward the beginning of the book where Ursula is attending a lecture from a working journalist, who says that a good story tells us something about people—how they live and how they are self-deluded. It seemed like a pretty obvious spotlight on one of Nguyen’s themes. And it happens so early, I don’t feel bad getting that specific. Not only is that a good way to think about stories (true and fictional) in general—it’s a key to this work.

Every person we spend extended time with—and several that we don’t—are under one or more forms of delusion—some external, but many come from within. This, too, is Nguyen’s realism shining forth. The way these four fool themselves is so relatable and so pitiable. It may sound like I’m criticizing the characters (and maybe I am a little), but this is a testimony to the way Nguyen depicts them, they come alive in their failings more than in their strengths.

I would’ve liked to see a little more of the relationship between Duncan and Alvin. But the way we—and they—were denied that is one of the stronger elements, the more I think about it. Once they’re unable to communicate after the internment (which, naturally, comes with a total lack of mobile phone/internet access), they themselves think about the ways they missed out.

I do think some readers will be put off by how fun this book sometimes is. Jen has a similar thought when the underground starts distributing TV shows and people get so into them—but her smuggler acquaintance assures her that this is good. There’s a little bit of enjoyment in these people’s lives now—they’re doing more than just existing.

Also, the moments of lightness do a great job of setting you up for the next gut-punch of a development. Nguyen’s is good at lulling his readers into that.

This is a gripping, well-plotted read that keeps moving along, too. There’s a momentum that slowly builds, almost like a thriller, until you’re barreling toward the conclusion.

This is a powerful, haunting, uncomfortable (purposefully) read that will also charm you. I’ve been having a hard time moving on from this book in the days since I read it. I keep finding ways to talk about it or think about it—and the more I do either, the more I appreciate this work. This is definitely one of the best—both affective and effective—books I’ve read in some time.

5 Stars

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from Random House Publishing Group – Random House via NetGalley in exchange for this post which contains my honest opinion—thanks to both for this.

The Pilgrim’s Regress by C.S. Lewis: Everyone Has to Start Somewhere

By HCNewton

On February 6, 2025

In Book Blogger Hop, C.S. Lewis, Fantasy, Fiction, Further Up and Further In, General Fiction/Literature

Further Up and Further In A Year with C.S.Lewis

The Pilgrim’s Regress

by C. S. Lewis

DETAILS:
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Publication Date: October 22, 2014
Format: Paperback
Length: 230 pg.
Read Date: January 1-3, 2025

A Bit of Personal History (feel free to skip)

Back in ’91 or ’92, I saw a copy of The Pilgrim’s Regress on a bookstore shelf. I was in a “read everything by Lewis you can get your hands on phase,” so I instantly picked it up. But the back of the book talked about it as the modern equivalent of Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress in a way that I figured I should read Bunyan before it.

It took me a little while to track down the Bunyan (the toilsome times before online bookshops), and by the time I worked my way through it, the bookstore didn’t have that copy any more and I was distracted by other things.

I’ve often thought about trying this book since then—but it wasn’t until I started thinking about this project that I finally combined ambition with general curiosity.

What’s The Pilgrim’s Regress About?

This modern-retelling of The Pilgrim’s Progressis an allegory about a man named John on his journey from childhood exposure to religion in Puritania to an Island of pleasure. Along the way, he has to deal with several physical, spiritiual and itellectual challenges to take him away from his journey (pretty much like Bunyan’s Christian).

This was the first thing that Lewis wrote after his conversion, and it’s considered to be an intellectual biography of that journey.

Basically, think Bunyan for the early 20th Century and you’ve got it.

A Couple of Things That Helped Me

Early on, John encounters a “brown girl” who distracts him from his interest in—or at least pursuing that interest. They begin a sexual relationship, which goes awry and causes some serious problems for John (actually, that entire relationship from her introduction on is a serious problem.) I was pretty sure that Lewis wasn’t making any kind of ethnic characterization or anything, but it’s hard to shake the feeling. Thankfully, reading this blog post by a Lewis expert made me feel so much better (and shows I was on the right path in general with it). I’d explain it, but Dr. Hurd does it better.

The other thing that helped was the afterword that Lewis wrote for the Third Edition, ten years after the original publication. He points to some flaws, or at least things he could’ve done better. I agreed with most of his self-diagnosis, and at least one point, his explanation made me understand an aspect of the book (and, yes, he was right to critique himself).

So, while I’m glad for the additional things that helped me appreciate the book, I trust that with very little effort, I could find more. I shouldn’t have to look to these kinds of things to appreciate a book. To gain a better understanding, sure. But to move me from “meh” to “okay, that wasn’t that bad/objectional” should come from the text itself—not from others.

So, what did I think about The Pilgrim’s Regress?

It’s been almost a century since this was first published, and I cannot decide if it’s a good thing or not that so many of the characters and ideas John encounters are still relevant and identifiable (although some details may have altered a bit). The reader can see that these intellectual movements are nothing new—sadly, many of them haven’t been forgotten. One of the best things about reading theological works written generations before me is wondering exactly what the author is targeting (or why they’re bothering)—but the ideas that Lewis wants to confront are still in his readers’ lives. Probably even more than they were for him.

The beginning of the book seemed promising with an uncaring and cold clergy, parents who were off the mark, and so on—I thought John’s journey would lead us to a correction of or confrontation with these things. But no, we get the brown girl and then things go far from where I thought we were going. Naturally, I don’t mind that—but I would’ve appreciated something more definitive. That’s personal taste, though.

Like many allegories, particularly Bunyan’s, there is nothing subtle about The Pilgrim’s Regress. That doesn’t mean it’s not good, or that it’s so clear always that there’s no thinking involved, but, wow—it does tend to feel like it’s hitting you with a brick when John encounters a new person/idea.

Am I glad that I read this? Yes. So I can see Lewis’ development as a writer, to satisfy a certain curiosity in general, and to cross off a decades-old item from my “To Read List.” For people who don’t have at least two of those motivations to pick this up, I can’t really recommend it. I’m not sure I really can for those who do have those motivations—but it satisfies those particular itches.

Is this bad? By no means. It’s not good either. I did particularly enjoy certain lines, scenes, or encounters. I thought some of the ways that Lewis framed the better alternatives to be refreshing and helpful. But overall this really did nothing for me.

3 Stars

Broken Bonds by Amy Mantravadi: 16th Century Figures Come to Life in This Novel

By HCNewton

On January 26, 2025

In Chet and Bernie, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, History, Theology/Christian Living

Broken Bonds

by Amy Mantravadi

DETAILS:
Publisher: 1517 Publishing
Publication Date: November 26, 2024
Format: Paperback
Length: 300 pg.
Read Date: December 15-22, 2024

What’s Broken Bonds About?

This is a work of historical fiction focusing on April 1524-January 1525, at what will prove to be a significant period in the German Reformation. The narrative focuses on three men: Desiderius Erasmus, probably the greatest scholar of the era, and a would-be reformer of the Church; Martin Luther, the Reformer (who went further than Erasmus would’ve), and Philipp Melanchthon, a promising young scholar with ties to them both.

The book follows their connections and interactions with each other—as theoretical as some of them might be—as leaders put pressure on all three to sway them one way or the other, to pick up their pen (or lay it down) for an end, to cease their efforts to reform the Church, to increase their efforts to reform the Church (in ways they cannot agree with), and so on.

Martin Luther

Luther is the most well-known of the trio today, for good reason. In this novel we see Luther trying to reason with his former friend Karlstadt as the latter continues to cause trouble for Luther and everyone in their area. Luther is also trying to get more compensation for and more opportunities to teach and write for Melanchthon—for the sake of the young man’s family and the University of Wittenberg, who could use him.

He’s also dealing with some personal issues—how far does he go himself? Does he give up the monastic robe for that of an academic? It’s so much of his identity, he still holds the vows he swore before him, it cost Luther so much personally to follow this path—and despite the upheaval in his life, is he prepared to lay it all aside? This was so excellently done.

We get some glimpses of some of Luther’s multiple medical issues, a little bit of his humor, and a delightful relationship with and interaction with his goddaughter, too. Mantravadi is careful to present us with a human Luther, not some superhero.

Looming over all that Luther does here is an impending intellectual showdown with the one man he’s not sure he wants to debate with, but is steeling himself to lock horns with:

Desiderius Erasmus

Before Luther burst on the stage, it was easy to think of Erasmus as the greatest Christian thinker, writer, and scholar of his time. Erasmus did try to push for some institutional reforms and had many of the same aims as Luther, but he went about things in a less inflammatory way.

He’s been dodging requests and pleas to interact with Luther for quite some time now—but the pressure is mounting and he’s not certain he can do so much longer. Reluctantly, he picks up his pen to compose On Free Will to directly counter some of Luther’s teachings.

We get a very sympathetic view of Erasmus and his interactions with friends and Protestants he interacts with daily. His health struggles are different than Luther’s but painted just as vividly here. One bout of kidney stones, in particular, almost triggered flashbacks to my last one. I found myself really liking Erasmus and pulling for him.

One of Erasmus’ greatest goals—to chill the Lutheran movement, to further promote diverse ideas in the Academy/Church, and to hand off his work to a brilliant scholar—is to get Melanchthon to come to work with him, and essentially assume his mantle when he’s gone.

Philipp Melanchthon

Melanchthon is a struggling academic, just trying to make enough money to provide for his wife and daughter. He loves to be in the classroom (and it shows), but he’s equally open to teaching in other places, too. He sides with Luther, just not as vociferously as some may want—but Luther appears to trust him.

Melanchthon is tempted to take Erasmus’ offer—it’s a dream situation for him, it’s exactly what he wants. But he’s afraid that he’d have to water down or abandon his Protestant convictions and he’s not ready to do that.

His depiction is easily the most relatable, the most appealing—between the way other characters (particularly Erasmus and Luther) talk about him and the way that Mantravadi shows him, you could make the argument that the others are supporting characters in a novel where the young man is the protagonist.

He does frequently seem too much like a 21st-century man rather than one from the 16th. Particularly when it comes to talking about his wife and daughter. But maybe that’s just me. I really liked it, so I don’t care. Hopefully, it’s close to the truth.

The last thing I want to say about Melanchthon is that there’s a scene with a bunch of students for a sort of study club (best way I can summarize it). It is one of my favorite fictional depictions of a teacher and a group of students since John Keating and that ill-fated group at Welton Academy. I don’t want to give you details, but more than I want his family life to be the way that Mantravadi depicts it, I want this to be true.

The S-Word

So, a lot of the subjects of this book—particularly when it comes to health, but even beyond it—are what some would call “earthy.” It wasn’t a pleasant time to live in many ways, particularly digestive. Anyone who’s read much of Luther’s daily life, humor, or personal history well knows that he can be somewhat scatological. The working of his bowels is a frequent topic for him.

Erasmus isn’t much different. Melanchthon, thankfully, is—but not the people he spends time with.

It’s likely not enough to put anyone off—if anything, it might recruit some younger readers 🙂 But Mantravadi has her characters use vocabulary that Christians in the 16th Century would for these processes and products, even if most 20th/21st Christians would hesitate to use it. Just a word of warning for those who might be put off.

So, what did I think about Broken Bonds?

I went into this with some hesitation—the last two fictional works I read about this time period put me off in a serious way. (one was pre-blog, so I can’t point you at anything I wrote, and I don’t feel like picking on the other again). But I know that Mantravadi has a good reputation among some Church Historians—and even heard her interviewed by one a few years ago, so I felt safe.

I’m so glad that I did—these characters came alive to me in a way that two of them haven’t before (even if I think she handled Luther with kid gloves). She used their positions, arguments—sometimes even words—well in the progress of the novel. There are plenty of footnotes for those who want to dive more into their works. Which is always a bonus in this kind of work (also, footnotes—not endnotes).

The historical detail is there, but not so much of it that you get bogged down in it—the pacing keeps moving at a good clip throughout. Are some of these events overly-dramatized? Quite possibly. Are some of these under-dramatized? Equally possible. It is, in the end, a work of fiction and that needs to be remembered.

It’s a fast-paced read for something in this genre, it’s sympathetic to all its protagonists (even when they’re at odds), there’s good tension—even when it comes to talking about academic pursuits (not the easiest thing to dramatize), and there’s a heart and warmth to it all.

I think this would work for middle school-aged readers, and for most adults, too. You might even learn a little about history and theology while you’re at it. It’s definitely worth the investment of time. I’m more than ready for the second in this duology.

3.5 Stars

My Favorite Non-Crime Fiction of 2024

By HCNewton

On January 9, 2025

In Fantasy, Fiction, General Fiction/Literature, News/Misc., Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy

My Favorite Non-Crime Fiction of 2024
Back when I started this site, I knew the content would be largely “genre”-oriented. I’d have wagered the content would be roughly 1/3 Mystery/Detective fiction, 1/3 Urban Fantasy, and slightly less than 1/3 SFF, with “non-genre” fiction, humor, and non-fiction being enough to make my one-thirds just an approximation (honestly, if you asked me what I read regularly, that’s pretty much how I’d describe it today). Actual numbers show that’s wrong—it’s typically almost 40% Crime/Thriller Fiction, the rest of fiction is around 30% combined. This is just a long-winded way to get to these two points: because Crime Fiction takes such a big chunk of my reading, it gets its own “Favorite” list, but none of the others really garner enough numbers for their own.

When it comes to this particular list of favorites this year, it was tough to continue after the first cut. But no one wanted to read my top 30 (well, I didn’t want to put it together, anyway). I got it down with a little effort. So here’s my list of 10 favorite non-Crime Fiction Novels of 2024. Hopefully, you will find something here to tempt your.

As always, re-reads don’t count—only the works that were new to me.

(in alphabetical order by author)

No Two Persons

by Erica Bauermeister, read by a full cast

My original post
For those who don’t know, this is a series of interconnected short stories about a novel. From the struggles the author had getting it written, to it being “discovered” by an overwhelmed reader at an agency, to the audiobook narrator, to readers, booksellers, and others who came into contact with it. We get a look into their lives before and after the novel enters their orbit.

And I loved it. I loved it so much that the day after I finished the audiobook that I borrowed from my library I went and bought the hardcover because I needed it on my shelf just to feel better.

I can’t promise anyone else will react to the book the way I did–or that I will react to it when I read it again. But yeah…I loved this thing.

4 1/2 Stars

The Tainted Cup

by Robert Jackson Bennett

My original post
This was the first (non-beta) novel I read in 2024 and it was also the first book I gave 5 stars to (odd how that worked out). It takes the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin dynamic, changes it up (Wolfe becomes a woman who stays inside for different reasons, gives the “Archie” a different explanation for his memory, etc.), and shoves it into a Fantasy world. And this fantasy world is so different than one I’ve run into before, so full, so well-developed, so intricate and “lived in” that it blew my mind from our introduction to the world through the end of the novel.

The magic, the science, the architecture…all of it was…I’m running out of believable superlatives to use here. And don’t get me started on the wonderful characters–from the detectives to the killer to the suspects to everyone else.

Possiby the best book I read all year–if not, it’s close enough that almost everything else was a let-down.

5 Stars

The Blacktongue Thief

by Christopher Buehlman

My original post
About the time I started the above, I finished this. Clearly 2024 was going to be a good year of Fantasy for me. I talked about the audiobook yesterday, so let me try to focus on the story.

You’ve got an irreverent thief, the kind of guy that other thieves don’t trust (which actually makes sense, honor among thieves has to be the dumbest idea….but I digress), a knight on a (probably) doomed mission, some strange magic and…forget it. You need to do this yourself.

It’s just bonkers. The book is fun, the dialogue is spot-on, the stories are harrowing, tragic, and gripping. It’s the whole package.

4 1/2 Stars

The Olympian Affair

by Jim Butcher

I haven’t written anything about this yet because I’m just too overwhelmed and the words can’t come out right. I loved being back in this world. I was surprised and wonderfully entertained by this story and the way it all played out (even the parts you could see coming). There’s a death that probably needed to happen, and I’ll think about forgiving Butcher for it someday (long before I forgive him for the big one in The Dresden Files).

I like the new characters (at least the ones I should), I loved catching up with our old friends. I enjoyed the whole thing. I know some people aren’t crazy about the space the new characters took compared to some of the old ones, and I get that–but the story was so fun!

4 1/2 Stars

The Legendary Mo Seto

by A. Y. Chan

My original post
Speaking of fun…here’s Mo (Modesty) Seto and her story. In my original post, I said, “I had about as much fun as is permitted by law while reading this.” And I still remember it that way.

You’ve got martial arts, you’ve got a fantastic underdog, you’ve got a funny and caring grandfather/grandfather figure, you’ve got family tension, you’ve got strange history, you’ve got a movie set and tall the nonsense entailed by that, you’ve got a treasure hunt (of sorts), and a great cast of characters.

Chan brought it all to life and actually has me eager to get my hands on the sequel. And I shouldn’t be this excited about a new MG novel, but I am.*

* Not because I’m some sort of snob, or that I look down on MG books. I’m just 4 decades too old to be that excited.

4 Stars

The Space Between Worlds

by Micaiah Johnson

My original post
This is, simply, a stunning SF novel. It’s a stunning novel with no genre label necessary. It’s so beautifully written. The worldbuilding and SF-sciency stuff is so good that you wonder why it took until 2021 for someone to use it. I can’t believe it’s a first novel.

I don’t know what else to say. Go read my original post where I at least have some more room to babble. Just go get it.

4 1/2 Stars

The Last Shield

by Cameron Johnston

My original post
If I start on this one, I don’t know when I’ll stop. So I’ll just copy some of what I’ve already said.

The Publisher’s description of this novel starts off with, “A gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle.” And that’s absolutely what the book is—is that description reductionistic? Yes. Is it apt? Also, yes. But it’s also so much more than that summary. (but what a great elevator, pitch, right?)

It’s is a heckuva thrill-ride. Like its cinematic predecessor, the action in this novel is top-notch. It’s not non-stop, there are moments of reflection, of exhaustion, of trying to figure out how to survive—much less succeed against this force. The set-up to the main action also takes longer than you might think (but you should really just relax and let Johnston do his thing, it’s all important and helps establish what comes later). I was hooked almost immediately—and while I wondered when the “Die Hard” part of the book would kick in, I really didn’t care. I was having a good enough time with Briar, Alaric, and the rest.

But, boy howdy, when the action kicked in? What was a perfectly enjoyable book got so much better. Johnston can write an action scene—whether the action is hand-to-hand, bladed weapon against something else, supernatural-based…you name it, he can handle it with panache and aplomb. It’s well paced—with just enough downtime between fight scenes for you and the characters to be ready for the next. Once the book builds up enough steam, forget it—you’re not going to willingly put it down.

It’s not all about swords, shields, axes, and spells, however. There’s real growth—and real injury (and not just physical)—to be seen in several other characters. No one survives this time unscathed in one way or another.

Just pasting in these paragraphs, I’m ready to set everything aside and re-read it.
4 1/2 Stars

Charm City Rocks

by Matthew Norman

My original post
It’s a love story. It’s a story about a father and a son. A son and his mother. It’s a story about music and its power. It’s a story about second (and third and fourth) chances. It’s a tribute to Baltimore.

It’s charmingly told. It’s sweet (but not overly). It will make all but the most jaded smile. Actually, I noted earlier that “I think the best way to sum up my reaction to the book is that I noticed that every time I put the book down for some reason, I was grinning. Not because I set the book down, but it just made me happy.”

4 1/2 Stars

Christa Comes Out of Her Shell

by Abbi Waxman

My original post
One of the worst-kept secrets on this here blog over the last few years is that I’ve become an Abbi Waxman fan, I’m almost guaranteed to rave about her books. And of the four I’ve read, three deserve (and the other was a really strong read, if not rave-worthy). So of course, she’s going to show up here.

The first 87 pages of this book might have been my favorite 87 pages this year. That trend might have continued, but I wrote that note then. Everything just worked.

Christa is more abrasive than your typical Waxman protagonist, which was a nice change. But the rest are just about who you’d find peopleing her other works.

A couple of scenes between a couple could’ve faded to black a little earlier for my prudish taste. But outside of that, I was in hog heaven as I read this.

4 1/2 Stars

Project: Hail Mary

by Andy Weir

Why didn’t I read this the day the hardcover arrived in my mailbox like I’d intended to? I’ll never know. I’ll regret it for quite a while, though. I spent a lot of time castigating myself for that choice as I read this.

But the important thing is that I read this. Yes, Ryland Grace is like a friendlier, less-sweary Mark Watney. But who cares? I’ll live in Watney’s head again. The jumping around in the timeline nature of this book made it different enough to keep it from being The Martian-but-different. The type of calamity that put Ryland out in space by himself is so far removed from a mission to Mars that it’s hard to compare it to.

The stuff on Earth was tense–even as we know how it’ll end (or at least that it’ll result in Ryland in space), you’re gripped. And then once he’s there? It’s just so great.

I won’t even talk about the way the ending hit. It’s just too much for a paragraph. I admit I loved The Martian more, but that’s solely because I read it first, so PHM had to compete with it. Were the situation reversed, I’d be saying that Watney is almost as great as Ryland.

It’s a must-read for SF readers or not. (unless you didn’t enjoy Weir’s other work. Then you’d better stay away.)

5 Stars

A few books that almost made this list and that I want to be sure to mention:
Return of the Griffin by JCM Berne (My original post), Blood Reunion by JCM Berne (My original post), Shadow of Hyperion by JCM Berne, The Tenacious Tale of Tanna the Tendersword by Dewey Conway & Bill Adams (My original post), and Buddy the Knight and The Queen of Sorrow by Peter David (My original post).

My Favorite Audiobooks of 2024

By HCNewton

On January 8, 2025

In Audiobook, News/Misc.

I’m about 30 hours behind with this 2024 wrap-up. Hopefully, I can pick up the pace so we can move on to 2025 soon. But for now, let’s talk about my favorite Audiobooks. How do I keep this from being just a rehash of my other year-end lists? By focusing on the audiobook experience over the content. What was it like to listen to it? How engaging was it, how did the narrator do? Was it a good match in terms of tone, content, and performance? All of these books are/were good—but the audiobooks are a bit better because of the narrator and the rest of the people involved in the production.

As always, re-reads don’t count for these lists.

(in alphabetical order by author)

No Two Persons

by Erica Bauermeister, read by a full cast

My original post
I don’t want to say that I had low expectations going into this, but they certainly weren’t high. But by the end of the first of the interconnected short stories, I was really hooked on it and wasn’t ready to move on. The second story didn’t do much for me…until I was convinced it was far more intersting (and the new narrator was just about perfect), and I didn’t want it to end. A phenomenon I repeated almost every time the story/narrator switched. The cast and Bauermeister’s text together turned me into a raving fan.

The Blacktongue Thief

by Christopher Buehlman

My original post
First, Buehlman is a dynamite narrator. He brought this to life in a way that few could. This is a great fantasy story filled with characters you don’t come across all the time. There’s a strange and sweet love story as a subplot that blew me away. The magic, the worldbuilding, the protagonist’s voice. . . just about everything made this possibly the best audiobook I listened to last year.

Erasure

by Percival Everett, Sean Crisden (Narrator)

The first half of this blew me away. The second half was almost as good. But Crisden’s narration kept me hooked the whole time. This satirical look at books, critics, academia, and more in the middle of a family story was nothing like I expected and almost never failed to impress.

Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture–and the Magic That Makes It Work

by Jesse David Fox

This really just feels like you’re sitting down with an acquaintance who knows a lot about comedy and enjoys talking about it. Fox’s delivery–as well as his material–is like cat nip to a comedy nerd. I love hearing stand-ups talking about performing, writing, and reacting to other comedians–this was very similar to it. I mis-read a description of the book before I picked it up and expected it to be something like Ken Jennings’ book on humor. I was a little disappointed when I saw that wasn’t it–but I got over it quickly. This was just a blast to listen to.

Another Girl

by Peter Grainger, Gildart Jackson (Narrator)

My original post
Serena Butler takes center stage here and her UC work makes this entirely different from any of the other books in this series. The level of danger she’s in for significant portionns of the book is also a change of pace for the books. Jackson’s narration somehow conveyed that danger credibly, while remaining the steady and calm presence that he fills Kings Lake Central with.

I know it’s probably not a suprise to find a Grainger/Jackson collaboration on this list–they keep showing on it. But they keep belonging on it.

The Body’s Keepers: A Social History of Kidney Failure and Its Treatments

by Paul L. Kimmel, M.D., read by Lane Hakel

My original post
A Social History of medical treatment of many kinds of Kidney Disease doesn’t really sound like a gripping listen. So the fact that it’s showing up here should underscore just how impressed I was with this. Hakel keeps the listening experience accessible and interesting–even when the text seems just to be a list of names and acronyms. He maintains the appropriate tone and seriousness to the subject, but with simple and subtle changes in inflection and so on to help maintain the listener’s engagement, while helping the little flahses of personality that Kimmel shows shine through.

Also, man, I learned so much…I probably annoyed everyone in my family with sharing little bits and pieces over and over.

Marvel: What If . . . Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings

by Seanan McGuire, read by Allyson Voller

A Spider-Man story written by McGuire? Take my money, please. Sure, I’ll put up with some Wanda Maximoff stuff (I never really dug her outside of the movies/show, but I never disliked her, either). But in the hands of Voller and McGuire I became a fan. There wasn’t enough Spider-Man for my taste, but I didn’t miss him. And the Doctor Strange content was a great bonus. There’s a case to be made for this being my favorite version of the Web-head, actually. Peter with a sister is a great spin on the character–and this version of Wanda is pretty cool, too. Voller sold me on the heart of the story in a way I may not have been sold had I read this on paper.

Making It So

by Patrick Stewart

My original post
First off, any audiobook narrated by Patrick Stewart is worth your time. And then some. That’s a given, right?

When it’s him recounting events from his life–especially when he makes it clear that he was in the wrong, or foolish, or less-than-ideal in some way? It makes it even better.

I was captivated, I hung on every word (as much as I could while working/driving). I annoyed my family (only some of who are fans of some of his work, the others don’t really care one way or the other) by retelling the stories. Oddly, none of them found them as entertaining as I did. Not that it stopped me…

If you’re a fan of any one of Stewart’s roles, it’s worth the listen just to hear him talk about that role. If you like multiple roles, you’ll have even more fun. If you listen to the whole thing, you’ll be a fan of the man, not just the actor.

I Hope This Finds

by Natalie Sue, read by Nasim Pedrad

I haven’t written anything about this yet, which really bugs me. Was the story predictable? Almost completely. Was the “hook” hard to believe? Yes. Did I enjoy this more than I expected to, even with only moderate expectations? YES.

Nasim Pedrad gets a lot of credit for that (I just now looked her up, and realized I’m a fan of her acting work, no surprise she pulled this off so well). No two ways about it. But Sue’s text, characters, and the way she told the predictable story provided Pedrad the material necessary to get that credit.

Sue’s pacing wasn’t at all what I expected, reaveals happened earlier than I thought they would, the complications were handled in ways I didn’t necessarily see coming, and the resolution wasn’t nearly as tidy as I predicted. And Pedrad had me beliving I was listening to/reading each person.

I thought this would be a nice diversion, and would’ve been satisfied with it. But I got invested pretty easily and didn’t check out until it was over. This also features one of my favorite protagonists of the year. I wish we could hang out sometime.

Zero Stars Do Not Recommend

by MJ Wassmer, read by Stephen R. Thorne

I really don’t know if I’d have stuck with this if I read it in print. But the combination of Thorne and Wassmer kept me going–and I’m so glad I did.

It is funny–both in highbrow and lowbrow ways (well, maybe midbrow and lowbrow). The action is great. The satire is insightful and pointed in just the right ways. The emotional beats were just spot-on. The protagonist is…I don’t even know what to say. I listened to an interview with Brett Goldstein about casting Jason Segal in Shrinking because you need someone you can love even when he does horrible things. Well, if they make a movie based on this book, Segal had better be the first call they make. Or Thorne–because he pulled it off. I was pulling for Dan Foster the whole while, even when he was being a whining jerk (or worse)

This was simply pure entertainment from beginning to end–and it easily couldn’t have been.

Running and Jumping by Steven Kedie: The Problem with Flying

By HCNewton

On December 3, 2024

In Fiction, General Fiction/Literature

Running and Jumping

by Steven Kedie

DETAILS:
Publisher: Wire Books
Publication Date: July 17, 2024
Format: eBook
Length: 352 pg.
Read Date: November 14-20, 2024

What’s Running and Jumping About?

For a brief time, Adam Lowe was going to get the bronze in the Long Jump at his first Olympic Games—the 2008 Games in Beijing. But an American, Chris Madison, ends up beating him by 1 centimeter. Leaving Adam with the worst place to be—the guy just off the podium.

This sets Adam and his coach off on a mission—a detailed training schedule to get to the next two Olympic games—starting with the London games. For Adam, representing his country in the capitol is more than a dream come true. It’s his destiny. Or at least that’s what he’s going to make his destiny.

Sacrifice

We frequently think of the sacrifices an elite athlete has to make to get to that level—and sometimes we’ll even think of what their parents give up.

But what about their siblings? Can you imagine what it must be like having a brother who overshadows everything you do in life (as proud as you may be of them)? Well, we get a little idea here.

And the friends—girlfriends, wives, etc.—forget it. How would you feel to have a best man who won’t drink, who goes to sleep early, and who needs to go out of the country to compete the weekend of your stag night? And that’s when he’s even paying attention to you instead of training.

Then there’s Adam’s sacrifices—being that kind of brother, having to prioritize his career over friends, family, love—because if he takes just a little bit too long off, takes that one drink, loses focus for a moment—it can put an entire year’s work at risk, and the domino effect of that could jeopardize your next Olympics.

Obsession

And that gives you an idea of the way that Adam has to obsess over things—over everything it seems.

Now, I read a lot of Crime Fiction—which is filled with detectives (police, or private), or people who act like them, who are driven to find a certain killer—or all killers they come across. And on the other side of the law, you get those who are driven to fulfill some strange goal/mission, checklist of people who’ve wronged them, or something. Basically, Crime Fiction is filled with driven, ambitious, obsessed (or nearly so) characters. Very few of these can hold a candle to Adam Lowe (and some other athletes we meet, and we seemingly are supposed to generalize to every Olympian).

The focus he demands of himself—and the lengths he goes to in order to maintain it—might be more impressive than the physical accomplishments.

So, what did I think about Running and Jumping?

I’ve said it before, I’ll undoubtedly say it again—I’m not a sports guy. But a good sports novel? (or movie/TV show—Go, East Dillon Lions!). I’m totally game for that.

Still, I wouldn’t have figured that long jumping would be a great focus. Sure, you’re competing against others, but it’s not head-to-head. There’s none of the inherent drama of looking someone in the eyes at the beginning of a play, or seeing someone off to the side in your peripheral vision, etc.

But Kedie made the right choice—he is able to get the tension just right, to get you on the edge of your seat. Yes, it’s largely a competition with only yourself on the field (as much as your scores are compared to someone else)—but really, who’s a better opponent than yourself?

I was a little shaky at the beginning, but Kedie got his hook in me. I was there for the personal ups and downs, the athletic highs (and there were several) and the lows (too many to be good for my psyche), the rivalry between Adam and Chris was just intense.

This was really a surprisingly effective, moving, gripping, and entertaining novel. The psychology alone makes this more than worth the time. I don’t know how accurate it is, or how safe it is to generalize from Adam to Olympians in general—but when you read this, you can’t help but believe it is.

Take a chance on this one.

4 Stars