Tag: book-review

Simply Yes She Said to Me That One Fine Winter Day

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I’m a bit tired and don’t think I shall spend much more time on the computer this day. Leftover sausage and lentil stew for dinner, hurrah! And more Olympics-watching for Dani and I! We shall soon find out who wins the ladies’ figure skating gold! But for now, thought I might as well spend a few minutes of my time writing a bare few words on my latest read.

10. A Haunt for Jackals by J.L. Odom. A great read. As previously reported, read a new book recently (By Blood, By Salt) and was so struck by its uniqueness and high quality that I couldn’t help but immediately source the second book. This is that second book and I am very sorry to say that the third book is not yet available so I must wait for the conclusion (or just continuation?) of this series! Ahhh! But anyways, A Haunt for Jackals was a fantastic book, even if it was even more grim than the first book, if that was possible! This book is a very…how shall I describe it…muddy and bloody book. I think that description is apt. So I read this one a bit slower than I originally thought I would, simply because I had to be in the right mood for it. But once I slipped into the world again with Azetla and Tzal and others, well…the pages just rolled by. The world is so richly textured and the characters feel so real, I simply delighted in the reading experience every time I opened the book. There is definitely trauma in this book, especially with the history of Tzal being unveiled. It was…hard to read at times. Be warned. Still yet, there is beauty in this book. I’m grateful for this book, even though I must confess I was a bit surprised by a revelation at the end that I thought was too obvious to be true! But we shall see what the next book holds. Sad I have to wait!! Oh one more point. This book is definitely more of a military book than I am used to reading. Not sure if that’s my thing, but I have to say the battles were thrillingly told and even for someone as militarily inexperienced as I, was not bored. This author knows how to spin a tale.

Notes

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It’s a Tuesday night. It’s warmer. Why. I want our nice cold winter weather back! Alas, I suppose I will just have to grin and bear it. For now. So while I bemoan the unseasonably warm temperatures and pine for winter once again, I will write a few words on my latest.

7. The Winds of Change by Isaac Asimov. I’d forgotten I’d read this before and pulled it off my shelf thinking it was a new read. By the time I had a funny feeling that I had indeed read this before, I was already about halfway through and decided to just finish it! And it…was fine? Either I’m starting to outgrow Asimov a bit in my advanced age or this is one of his weaker collections. Either way, the short stories were reasonably entertaining in the moment, but not much more than that. Some of them were downright clunkers! Ah well, still better than a lot of sci fi being published at the moment!

8. By Blood, By Salt by J.L. Odom. What a stupendous book. Oh how I do delight when I find a book that so thoroughly surprises me as this one did! I bought this one off a recommendation and kind of forgot about it until a few days ago when I was perusing my shelves looking for a new read. Saw this and shrugged and thought why not try it? It looked a little grim and daunting and I wasn’t entirely sure I was in the mood for such. Still yet? It won my heart. I shall attempt to not spoil this one as I really feel much of the beauty of this book is in the discovery. But it is a fantasy, I guess you could say. A work set in a place and time not quite our own. Yet there are similarities – obvious and not disguised ones – to cultures and personalities of our own human history, and while I first wondered if it was perhaps a bit too pat in its appropriations, I soon found myself marveling at the deep and intricate world the author had constructed. This may be a debut novel, but the writing feels confident and self-assured. The author knows where she’s going with this. One of my only qualms is that this book is not the end! I have already sourced the next book and eagerly await it arriving so I can drop once more into this world. Some may think her themes and touchpoints too obvious, yet I feel they work. I do wonder where she’s going with this and I’m pleased that I can’t quite tell. I get whiffs of some of my all-time favourites (particularly some resonance to Till We Have Faces) and I’m frankly a little shocked that this is the author’s first published book. The writing is grounded, detailed and feels utterly real. The characters are a bit foreign at times yet…with the world and history that they’ve lived, is that not surprising? I mentioned at the start, but this is indeed a grim book. Not much light-heartedness, quite a bit of violence and trauma. If you’re looking for a bloodless adventure, this is not the book for you. Yet sometimes the shedding of blood is necessary, is it not? I can’t wait to read the second and see how the story of Azetla continues. Stunning work, truly.

A Consideration

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Hello friends! While I hope at some point to do a proper 2025 retrospective and a 2026 looking forward…this is not that. Instead, why not start off the year with a few books? (That I most certainly finished in 2025 but have only gotten around to writing about now!)

1. You Are Not Your Own by Alan Noble. A difficult read at times, but not for any fault of the author’s. Rather, this is a book that shines an unsparing mirror upon society (and yes, ourselves) and asks us to consider if the way we live our lives really properly reflects the truths that sit at the core of our very existence. Of course this is coming from a Christian perspective but if one considers such a perspective is true (which I do), this book is properly bracing in how it lays out the way our modern society has failed us and how our only response can be a reorienting and a considered, intentional way of living that operates with the understanding that we are not our own, but we belong to the God who created us. The first few chapters of this book (really the first half of this book!) are grim indeed, as they lay out the way in which our society and our modern outlook have failed us. It can be a bit of a hard slog and a depressing one as one reads on and on about we are set up for a miserable go of it if we live as if we are our own. I appreciated Noble’s perspective, for as much as I love old books, sometimes it is quite important to have people writing and sharing wisdom on the time in which we now live. This book does that. All the modern Western ailments are dealt with and at times I flinched as I considered how much my own thoughts and actions are coloured by my unthinking adherence to the standards and practices of this age which I call my own. And so, please push through the first few chapters as they are important and necessary for us to understand the problem. Of course, Noble does eventually come to a solution (what I would call the solution) of understanding that only through living as if we belong to God can we properly thrive in our living and being. It is still hard though. We want a practical primer, takeaways and 5-step programs and knowing that if we do the “one thing”, then everything will be better. Well, everything won’t be better immediately, no matter what we do. We live in a broken world, and nothing we can do can entirely redeem it. Thankfully, miraculously, gloriously? We know there is one who came to this world precisely to redeem it, and so in the glorious reality that Christ came to this world to offer salvation and point to a future in which all will be made right, we can also live now in gratitude and joy, beacons of hope to the dark that surrounds.

I am beginning to ramble now, so I won’t say much more, but there are some lovely statements and practical wisdom at the end of this book that helped me to reflect on how I ought now live. Particularly one line I loved was about the importance of “small rearguard advances”, the small things we do that reflect the true and the beautiful.

Actually, I think I will quote that paragraph to end: “I suspect this part of the book would feel much more satisfying if I lied to you, but I’m not going to. You will not save the world; you can’t even save yourself. At best, you may see the corruption in society more clearly, you may be better prepared to deal with the indignities of the modern world, and you may make small, rear-guard advances for truth, goodness, and beauty in your sphere of influence. I hope you do! But if you can get over yourself and stop thinking in terms of efficiency, you can honor God and love your neighbor while having faith that He will set things to right. Don’t let yourself ask, “Is this good deed making any real difference?” If it really is the right thing to do, the efficiency does not matter. Your obligation is faithfulness, not productivity or measurable results.”

2. Voices From the Past, edited by Richard Rushing. A wonderful daily devotional. I read this (almost!) every day this past year and my soul was much delighted in the doing. As someone who appreciates the old Puritan writings, reading a little bit of one every morning was truly balm for the soul. Of course some of the selections are better than others and of course there were times I wondered how the selection reflected the verse chosen. Still yet. It is wonderful to meditate on God and His words and works, and these writings helped me do so. Heartily recommend this if any of you are looking for a new daily devotional!

Snowbound

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A quick book review.

79. A Winter’s Love by Madeleine L’Engle. Well, certainly not my favourite L’Engle I’ve ever read. But not entirely terrible and slightly redeemed by the ending, as I was hoping would be the case. Spoilers for this one may follow, so read further at your peril if that kind of thing will bother you. So. This was a book I saw mentioned in one of L’Engle’s memoirs (she mentioned writing it during a certain period of her life) and I had never heard of it so decided to pick it up. An adult novel, it’s one that feels both very real and also a bit surreal and dreamy at the same time. Like the best of L’Engle’s fiction, she interweaves the spiritual and the real together in such dreamy spirals and writes about characters that feel so real you believe they simply must exist in some reality somewhere. There is a solidity in her writing and yet also a floaty dreamlike sense to the whole thing as she attempts to understand the emotions inside us that we so often don’t understand ourselves. This story is a story grasping at what makes a person breathe and love and step forward once again, and as always, L’Engle’s prose is beautiful to behold, a masterpiece in and of itself. But the story. Ah well, the story is one of my least favourite kinds of stories, the kind that I winced at once I realised what would take up the bulk of this book. It’s the story of a woman (one Emily Bowen) who has lived many years with her husband and young children (Virginia and Connie and the ghost of wee sweet Alice) but now in a fraught time for their family, her heart pulls her in another direction and she begins to yearn after an old family friend who seems so much more solid and real and desirable than her husband. Oh joy. This is a real story though. And as L’Engle weaves in and around the lives of the various characters – as I mentioned, all of them seem so real in their own rights! – we begin to understand a bit of this moment that we have been dropped into and find ourselves seeing how the puzzle pieces of these people fit together. Gertrude and Kaarlo and Abe and Sam and Mimi and Virginia and Connie and Emily and Courtney and all the side characters (even Beanie who somehow L’Engle manages to humanize and make me wonder if I can forgive and understand him) bring this tale to life and I am frankly still awash in the emotions this one stirred up. I was even a bit amused to find a flashback sequence in which Courtney rages against Kempis’ Imitation of Christ, a book I just finished reading a bare few weeks ago!! While I wasn’t the hugest fan of it, I found myself amused to see that I disagreed with Courtney (and likely L’Engle) in the thrust of this one, and wondered if it’s partly the framework and perspective from which I sit. L’Engle has a bit more of a humanistic and individualistic outlook at times and of course this would clash against the humble servitude which Kempis preaches. Anyways! Just one of those happy little coincidences. That all being said? I was very prepared to loathe this book in its entirety, depending how it ended. I suppose I should have had faith in L’Engle though. The book does not end with Emily running to her lover, as much as she makes many decisions that made me wince and shake my head, even to the end. No, in the end, Emily chooses to stay true to her vows and oaths and press forward in her marriage to Courtney and her life with her family. A sigh of relief.

There is much in this book I haven’t talked about and many characters who I’ve barely mentioned in all their richness. But I’m grateful for L’Engle using her exquisite skill to bring forth themes that frankly sing in their brilliance and truth.

See How This Wind Calls to Me

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This beautiful Sunday afternoon, the wind sings and sighs outside my window and it is almost time for a gorgeous walk, says I. But first? Well let’s talk about a few of my latest books – briefly oh so briefly! – and then I shall be off, hopefully returning later this evening with some creative writing if I am so blessed with the time and desire and inspiration for such.

74. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion – Vol. 1 by Beth Brower. Utterly delightful read. I suppose I should not be surprised. I’ve seen these talked about for the past good bit now and have had the strong feeling that I would enjoy. They chronicle the adventures (sometimes misadventures) of the titular young heroine in 19th-century London and there are simply so many things in this volume that resonate with my silly self. Emma is a book lover, a observer of the weird and the beautiful, one whose heart longs for justice and has a good ear for a delightful turn of phrase. I was pretty sure I would like reading this one, but I confess I’m a bit surprised by quite how much I enjoyed this. The author has a wonderful command of the language and I’m almost convinced it was actually written by a 20-year-old woman. Yes, the language doesn’t quite seem like it comes from someone living in the 19th century, but it’s close enough that I can set that aside. There are numerous lines in this that simply sing and there are many times in this book where I laughed or nodded along with Emma’s exuberance and/or absurdity. Let me share one line that particularly touched me – “The lamps were lit, light coming from the houses, and there walked I, alone, and not upset to be so.” Beautiful. There are a few events in this book that brought me close to sympathetic outrage and I confess that I now feel far more invested in the future ongoings of young Miss Lion’s life than I have any right to be. The characters in this one are brilliantly drawn and the emotions sharply poignant, and if one could argue that all seems a bit black and white in Emma’s eyes, well is that not the experience of youth? I am stunned by how much I loved this one. Already halfway through Vol. 2 and a bit perturbed that I do not have Vol. 3 yet sourced.

75. Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour by Bryan Lee O’Malley. A fine conclusion to the Scott Pilgrim saga. A book that does a marvelous job of taking us to a conclusion that feels both right and earned and I can actually chronicle that both Scott and Ramona have grown and somehow matured during the course of these adventures! I do like how well Ramona’s arc is shown in these – very different from the movie – and how she actually feels like a real person and that we actually see how well she and Scott are suited for each other! And the last few pages? Simply profound and beautiful and I do say they make me almost emotional every time I come to them. And so.

Lights in the Deep

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A few thoughts on books this night.

72. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. A book that I probably should have read a long time ago. Reading it now was an interesting experience but I must confess it didn’t move me quite as much as it most likely would have way back in the day. I’ve never seen the movie either (which I suppose I should rectify?), so I had no idea what would happen in this book and I think the fuzzy knowledge I had in my head of this story led me wrong, making me believe this was some sort of portal fantasy. Nope! It’s actually very much a classic coming of age tale. And honestly, it was a bit mediocre at times. But I will say there are some absolute gem turns of phrase in this one and there are a few moments that really rock you. I was very much surprised by the ending though – came out of nowhere and I suppose that’s the point? I did appreciate the messiness of this one and despite the fact that I felt a bit underwhelmed, this book very much did have the air of the real. (Also – the only other book I’ve read by Paterson – Jacob Have I Loved – I thought was far better. Go read that one!)

73. Moon Thief by Rachel Shinnick. A delightful romp of a tale! I read this having zero idea of what I was getting into other than it looked to be a fun read. And it certainly was that, with a lot more to boot! Firstly will confess that it took me a few pages to really get into the swing of things. There were lots of characters, I had no idea of the world or what was going on and…well, I just felt I’d jumped off into the deep end. Classic issue with a new fantasy tale. But quickly enough, I got sucked in and found myself reading a bit later into the night than I originally planned. Finished this one in all of three days, being quite eager to see where this story went. One thing I’ll say – this story moves. Very little downtime, very little time to wonder what the next plot point will be. Plotty in the extreme, I at times wished for a moment to breathe and take it all in! But yes, you’re swept up in the affairs of Ilis and very quickly are as eager as she to discover the mysteries of her world and to see her quest to resolution. Lots of moments of surprise and I am a bit ashamed to confess I did not see the end twist(s) coming at all. All in all, if you want an action packed fantasy with a plucky heroine and a crazy world, this book will be for you. Some of the side characters do feel a bit tropey and/or flat at times (honestly wish we had a bit more time with said side characters!) but that’s a minor concern, especially when the story moves as fast as this one did. Simply not time to get to know all the other characters well when a story moves like this one. Also, I enjoyed seeing a few of the nods to other beloved fantasy novels (particularly some Lewis vibes, along with maybe Sanderson/Rothfuss, though that may be me reading a bit too much into certain lines).

I’ve written too much already, but a couple more notes. Fantastic world-building. Even if my brain is a bit exhausted by trying to make the physics make sense in my head (I still am very suspicious and don’t feel that it really does!), I loved the creativity in building this world and slowly revealing it to us readers. Also? Yes the plot and story is a pretty basic action/adventure but…? There are some deep and profound themes lurking underneath the surface story. I’d love to get more of these themes worked out in future books…especially the themes of trust and hope(add in love for good measure?). The author has some wonderful ideas and this story has good bones. One last? I loved all the words/writing/books elements strewn throughout the world-building of this one. Give me a good library and many literary elements and I’ll be happy.

Reminders of the Autumn

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A bare few thoughts on books this dreary Thursday evening.

68. Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery. This book was far more beautiful and enjoyable to read than I was expecting! Not sure why my memory seemed to think this book was lacking, but it’s not. It’s a wonderful, delightful little book. Of course though, now that I think about it, it is lacking something. Namely, Anne. Anne is barely in this book, but for some reason I didn’t mind it overly much. Instead, this book is all about the children but really more than that, all about the Merediths. The Blythe children have had their book, this book it’s time for the Merediths (and one Mary Vance) to shine. I loved meeting all the new children and reading about the shenanigans in the parsonage and of course the ultimate romance between two who had thought romance was only in their past. And yes, this book has shades of sorrow as well, as it looks to the future when these children will grow up and partake of and witness one of the worst wars known to man. You can feel the sadness as Montgomery writes with this war fresh in her memory. But that’s for next book! This one, by and large, is cheerful and ridiculous and a fun romp of a book.

69. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. This book was simultaneously fascinating and frustrating. Fascinating because it is written of a time and culture I know so little of and hence I much enjoyed reading of the clan and village life in West Africa (Nigeria) of a long ago (19th-century, really not that long ago after all!) time. Frustrating because the story itself felt a bit disjointed, jumpy and sparse and I struggled to stay engaged with the characters. That may perhaps be my own fault, but I simply didn’t think the writing in this one was that good. At times it felt like reading a textbook, even. Still yet. There is value in this book, simply because it reveals and sheds light on a period and place that I knew little of before. I was intrigued to know how I’d find this book because I distinctly remember reading this book back in English class oh so long ago (freshman year of high school!) and I wondered if I’d remember anything from it. Honestly…very little remained in my brain. But I did remember one thing. I remember thinking Obierika is simply the man, and I found that belief reinforced. Love that guy. Apart from that? There’s some fascinating characters – I especially found myself wishing we had more time with Ezinma, who pretty much disappears by the latter part of the book. And there are some deeper themes here, especially as they relate to the effects of imperialistic colonialism and the influence of outsider religion and its interplay with culture and family. In many ways, reading this book reminded me of reading 1984. Some really rich themes and heavy reminders of the brutality of man, yet presented in a poorly-wrapped, overly didactic package. Still – is there value in this book? I believe so. One more thing before I close. The last line? Absolutely brutal and perfect all at the same time. I can’t imagine a better one.

Edoras

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A few little book thoughts this lovely Wednesday evening.

65. Scott Pilgrim vs the Universe by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Another rousing Pilgrim adventure! This one got a little sad and depressing (bit of melancholy always helps with flavouring the whole) but probably necessary to set up the finale. I loved all the Ramona and Kim interactions and also seeing Scott continue to grow. I realised while reading this that one of the things I love the most about the author’s storytelling is his willingness to be random and cut from moment to moment without feeling obligated to explain in detail the narrative. So many little moments that just set the scene so well and then…cut! Next scene and we’re off. So many little slices of life as Scott continues to figure out what’s going on with Ramona. I love it. Also appreciated all the background Scott vs robot combat while the more important conversations happen in the foreground. O’Malley is a superb storyteller.

66. The Story of Christianity – Volume II: The Reformation to the Present Day by Justo L. Gonzalez. For the most part, I enjoyed reading this one and thought it was a decent high level overview of church history from the Reformation to the present day. Still though, even with the high page count, it felt like we were flying through events with barely a space to breathe and attempt to understand the years we were wading through. I’m aware this is really meant to be an introductory work to church history, but I still felt the method seemed a bit scattershot at times. For the first volume which of historical necessity covers a smaller population and land area, the high-level approach worked for the most part. Here, it feels that with such a large amount of history to get through, the choice of the author on which bits to focus on looms large over one’s comprehension of the whole. And sometimes I felt like the author spent time on political or historical events which really were not necessary to the story of Christianity and perhaps the words could have been spent better on other topics. I guess I’m just trying to say that the author has to focus on certain topics and personages to keep the page count manageable, but the selective nature of such feels that there is much that is brushed by. Some prominent theologians are of course mentioned and focused on, others ignored entirely. The author’s perspective of course necessitates such. The first half of this book was fairly good and even-handed, but the last quarter or so (mainly 19th/20th century) was a bit weaker. I would even argue the author’s focus on the liberation and ecumenical movements of the 20th century detract from other theological movements which are ignored almost in total. Still though, this book is still worthwhile in giving a fairly high-level overview of the institutional church. At times I feel a bit annoyed the author doesn’t seem to write from a Christian perspective (i.e., acknowledging work of the Holy Spirit or show passion for the gospel) but I freely admit that’s my own issue – obviously this writer is writing a scholarly look without the apparent bias of personal faith. I understand that! Still though, there’s a reason I love reading Iain Murray’s biographies and histories! Anyways, I’m grateful I read this, just would caution that there is much that is left out of this work and certainly a bit of a bias towards certain perspectives.

67. Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery. A lovely book. I confess once I picked this one up, I groaned a bit inside. My memory informed me that this book and the following one were my two least favourite books of the Anne series. And so it may yet prove to be upon re-read. Yet still. I found myself enjoying this one more than expected, perhaps because of low expectations! Yes, this is a different kind of Anne book. Anne is a wife and mother of a large family and honestly she is not at all the main character in this one. And…well, she seems a bit off and different at times! But is that not fair enough? She after all cannot still be the young lady studying at Patty’s Place with her college chums. Yes, this book mainly focuses on Anne’s children and moves in very episodic fashion. Yes, it relies at times overmuch on random dialogues and conversations that really are a bit much – oh the quilting chapter!! – but still? I found myself reading the last page with a smile and almost a tear. Perhaps helped by the bit that the last few chapters are some of the best of the book and really made me realize anew how much I love Montgomery’s work. Perhaps my perspective is also shaped a tad by the fact that I am now married (which I wasn’t the last time I read this!). I wonder how I’ll react to this one five (or ten!) years from now. Because yes, I will certainly read this again.

Morning Jazz

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I think I should post one more book review because well…why not right? And I shall finally be caught up! At least for the moment that is.

60. The Story of Christianity – Volume 1: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation by Justo L. Gonzalez. Church history has been calling my name lately, especially with so much reading of various Christology works and pondering on the growth and development of Christian thought. I knew I would pull this from the shelf and I finally couldn’t resist. It’s been some time since I read this one – believe it was 2015 when I first read it. I appreciated it then, especially for the insight into church history and the many details that I had never heard of until I read this book. Rereading this one, I found myself a bit more aware and knowledgeable of the broad strokes, but still found myself both encouraged and fascinated as I read. Not at all a book that will bore you, I found this one a page turner and one that I eagerly sought to read whenever I had a moment! That may say more about me, who knows. Anyway! This book – while massive – still felt a tad underbaked at times. It’s really more of a survey, which I suppose makes sense. How else are you going to pack 1500 years of history into one volume? Still many chapters I wished for more details and more development and this really only piqued my interest to find more books on the various characters and chapters of history that you’ll find in this tome. But I suppose I shouldn’t quibble too much. I would call this a very suitable primer to Christian history and I’m very glad I read this. Already have volume 2 on my coffee table ready to begin!

Before Midnight

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Quick book thoughts before going out and about this Friday night!

54. Two-Part Invention – The Story of a Marriage by Madeleine L’Engle. I greatly enjoyed this one. It’s a memoir of sorts and it’s by one of my favourite authors and so the odds were in its favour, I’ll admit. And sure enough, a winner! This nonfiction by L’Engle focuses on her marriage to Hugh Franklin, who I’ll confess I knew very little about going into this one! If you know me at all, you know that I’m already a huge fan of L’Engle’s writing and so of course reading this one felt just like snuggling into a warm blanket and drinking a hot cup of cocoa. That’s not to say this story is all sunshine and roses. There are some very dark and depressing parts of this book, to be sure. But L’Engle is frank and honest as she describes her feelings even in these dark moments. You get a very good idea of what she believes and the nature of her faith in Christ in this book, which I found greatly fascinating and encouraging. You also get many of her musings on marriage and life and death. Of course all of this is intertwined with the narrative that L’Engle unfurls so brilliantly. Her prose is as simple and beautiful as always and the core themes of this book sing true. Oh and also? As someone who loves reading about artsy and literary subjects, I delighted in reading about L’Engle’s growing up and living in a very culturally rich and diverse environment. I most certainly felt some twinges of jealousy at times. All that being said? This was a beautiful read and heartily recommended for anyone who wants to know a bit more about one of the best American authors of the 20th century. I look forward to re-reading at a later date, especially when I’m a bit further along in my own marriage!