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#BookReview: Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around by Camille Pagan

Return To Vieques. As it turns out, this book is a sequel to Life And Other Near Death Experiences. I didn’t know that going in, but I’ve read a couple of Pagan’s other books and had to read this one too. (And yes, I *have* Life already, I just haven’t *read* it yet. :D) But this is a “sequel” in that it follows some of the same characters years later, rather than being an “immediate aftermath” type sequel. So in that sense, think of it more along the lines of Nicholas Sparks‘ The Wedding (“sequel” to The Notebook, years later) or maybe the new Saved By The Bell reboot (which I haven’t seen yet, but have seen the premise of). In other words, not knowing the first tale might have *slight* detriments here as far as getting the full potential impact of certain scenes, but overall this book is closer to being a standalone book rather than a “you MUST read this other book first” type.

Within this tale itself, you get a strong look at what life in the Caribbean (and, technically, nearby Atlantic) can do for a “mainlander” – but also a view of what life there is *really* like, specifically in the aftermath of storms like Irma and (specifically used in the text) Maria. Potential real world spoiler sentence: (view spoiler) And we’re back: Overall, this book is what I’ve come to expect from Pagan: Tackling solid, hard hitting issues with enough humor to be enjoyable and enough heart to be heart wrenching. So read it, enjoy it, and consider the possibilities. Very much recommended.

This review of Don’t Make Me Turn This Life Around by Camille Pagan was originally written on January 5, 2021.

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Featured New Release Of The Week: The Accidental Text by Becky Monson

This week we’re looking at an excellent source of a few hours of escapism. This week we’re looking at The Accidental Text by Becky Monson.

In between the time I originally wrote the Goodreads review below early this morning and when I am forming this actual post closer to sunset, social media exploded with real world news today that has many on edge. Which actually makes the release of this book even better – it really is engrossing escapism that will allow you to take a few hours to calm down from the real world before responding. And let’s face it, if there isn’t an actual imminent danger to your life – and for the vast majority of us, there isn’t -, taking a few hours to calm down before responding is generally a very good strategy – it is why we are told to sleep on a major decision before executing on it.

So take a few hours with this world. You’ll laugh. You might even cry. But you’ll have a good time regardless. And then you’ll be more ready to handle whatever may be out there when you’re done with the book. 🙂

As always, the Goodreads review:

Perfect Distraction. If you’re like me, you’re damn near desperate for any distraction from the constant fighting in “the” “real” world. Well, good news for you – Monson has written a poignant yet hilarious tale of love, loss, and adventure that will take your mind away from said “real” world for a couple of hours. And you’ll have a blast on the ride as you skydive, cliff jump, drive fast cars, and do other adrenaline junkie type stuff… all while being embarrassed for the awkwardness of the main character accidentally texting someone else when she thought she was texting her recently dead mother… 😀 Truly funny book with heart, and since the only weighty real world issue is the death of a parent (in non-recently-in-the-headlines fashion), a truly great escape and perfect distraction. Very much recommended.

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#BookReview: Light In The Darkness by Heino Falcke

Phenomenal Achievement, Well Written Story Of How It Happened. That may leave a bad aftertaste with its final section. 200 years ago, humanity didn’t even know black holes existed – nor did actual photography quite exist yet. Now, not only do many of us carry around highly detailed cameras in our pockets, but humanity – led, in this effort, by this very author – has now taken a picture of a black hole. Falcke does a remarkable job through the first three (of four) sections of this tale setting the stage for that ultimate day in April 2019 when his team held half a dozen press conferences simultaneously all over the world announcing what they had done. He also spends a bit of time in the third section discussing the fallout of that day through about a year ish later, as the COVID pandemic changed the way most of the world worked… but didn’t really change much for this already global team. The way Falcke builds the history of the achievements that led to his is nothing short of poetic, yet also very easy to follow along with for those of us *without* PhDs in advanced theoretical astrophysics, and is truly remarkable. Even when Falcke begins speaking of even more theoretical concepts such as Einstein-Rosenberg Bridges (aka “wormholes”) and Hawking Radiation, he grounds these concepts in the work that has already been done. Even when speaking of the intermingling of religion and science sporadically through much of the text, Falcke is still remarkably grounded. But then, in the final chapter or two, he goes off into more “Your Mileage May Vary” territory when he begins speaking directly of God in light of what is shown via black holes. And that is where the potentially bad aftertaste comes in. Had Falcke made the worldwide announcement truly the climax of the book, with an epilogue of the team’s post-2019 efforts, this could arguably have been a bit tighter and less potentially controversial. Still, a very well written tale about one of the most monumental human achievements of my own (mid 1980s-forward) lifetime, and thus very much recommended.

This review of Light In The Darkness by Heino Falcke was originally written on January 4, 2021.

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#BookReview: Changing The Rules by Catherine Bybee

More Action, Arguably Less Romance. Still Bybee. This book – arguably a *version* of a take on 21 Jump Street (though admittedly my only exposure to that franchise is the Tatum/ Hill movies) – continues Bybee’s recent (2020+) path of moving to less saccharine / comedic romances and to more thriller-ish romances. There is still comedy and sweetness here, but it takes more of a backburner to the thriller elements. Also continuing is Bybee’s more recent examination of weighty real-world topics while telling a romance tale, and in this case the topic in question is sex trafficking – particularly of high school/ just after high school age young women. Bybee, at least in my experience with her books, isn’t really known for having multiple sex scenes throughout the tale, and this particular book is no exception to that norm. Truly a solid romance, with all of the old RWA standards I am aware of met, and a pretty good (low body count) thriller to boot – particularly when considering that the author is more known in the romance world and has written far more in that genre. This reader, for one, is looking forward to seeing where this series goes. Very much recommended.

This review of Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee was originally written on December 28, 2020.

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#BookReview: Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd

Solid Escapism. This is one of those books with enough twists and turns that it truly provides a great deal of effective escapism – even if you manage to put it down, you’re going to be wondering what can possibly happen next. As a setup to a series… I’m interested to see where it goes from here, honestly. To me, it didn’t really feel too “setup” ish and almost completely read like a true standalone book. There weren’t any real threads left dangling here, so other than setting up the backstory of the primary character and a few key supporting characters…. like I said, not overly obvious what this series will entail. Which is unusual for a Book 1. Still, in and of itself this was an excellent twisty mystery/ action book, though the climax did feel a bit abrupt. Overall a fun read, and very much recommended.

This review of Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd was originally written on December 2, 2020.

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#BookReview: Dead Of Winter by Pandora Pine

Another Solid Entry In Series. At this point, the Cold Case world Pine has created is fairly similar to later seasons of long running police procedural/ action TV shows like Law and Order or NCIS. Long time fans will love this latest chapter, but there is enough distinct story in this “episode” that people wanting to try out the show can understand what is happening here and see if they like the style and want to go back and see how the regular characters got to this point. (Which is very much recommended, btw.) The mystery here is compelling – the coldest case the team has worked yet. The family dynamics are interesting – will Ronan go back to being a cop? The Christmas scene in the epilogue is fun, touching, and sets the stage for future episodes. In other words, the book solidly accomplishes everything it is supposed to. Very much recommended.

This review of Dead of Winter by Pandora Pine was originally written on December 23, 2020.

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#BookReview: Tongue Tied by Sara Wenger Shenk

Interesting Counter And Companion To Learning To Speak God From Scratch By Jonathan Merritt. Having now completed ARC readings of both of these books about Christians speaking about their religion, I can definitely see why Merritt’s work is quoted so often in the first part of this work. Whereas Merritt spends much of the back part of his book looking at individual words heard nearly every time Christians speak, Shenk spends more of her time looking at *how* Christians speak. Their tones, their mannerisms, the very way we speak religion as a social construct. Which is a very interesting dichotomy when Merritt’s work is also something you’ve considered. But be forewarned: Shenk *does* come from a “progressive”/ leftist background, so there is quite a bit of “white man evil!!!!” and other standard leftist tropes here, and even a degree of radicalism not even any vegan I’ve ever encountered professes as it relates to her eating habits (discussed in a late chapter). However, whereas Merritt’s work could strike some as being a tad too conservative – he comes from a background where his dad was the President of the Southern Baptist Convention during his later teens/ the early George W Bush years, including 9/11 – the dichotomy continues here with Shenk’s leftist background. Which is yet another reason the two books are so intertwined to me, and why they balance each other so well in my mind. Beyond the leftist drivel (and hypocrisies), Shenk makes a lot of genuinely great points and has a truly solid discussion about the need for Christians to reconsider exactly how we speak religion both within our communities and to the larger world, and indeed *that* we need to be more proactive in doing so. Ultimately, the reduced star here isn’t over Shenk’s beyond-the-scope-of-this-narrative commentary, but because she, as so many others in this genre, prooftexts. In one case late in the text, *literally the next paragraph after decrying the practice*. Still, on the beyond-the-narrative-scope stuff here, the book is very much YMMV level – the more partisan you are either direction, the more you’ll love or hate that part of the book. On the actual thesis of the book, the book is enlightening in areas and thought provoking, at minimum, in many others. And thus, very much recommended.

This review of Tongue Tied by Sara Wenger Shenk was originally written on December 23, 2020.

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#BookReview: Journey Through A Land Of Minor Annoyances by Al Kline

Death… Is The Ultimate Road Trip. This is one hilarious book that will leave you in tears – even as it ends exactly the way it must. A trippy road trip through space and time at the edge of the Millenium, this is one of those random, stoner-esque comedies with soul that makes you laugh out loud so very often and yet makes you fall in love with the characters at the same time. Truly an excellent, feel-good work and a great short-ish (under 300 page) escape for the holiday season. Very much recommended.

This review of Journey Through A Land Of Minor Annoyances by Al Kline was originally written on December 12, 2020.

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#BookReview: Solemn Reverence by Randall Balmer

Solid If Brief History Marred By No True Scotsmen. This is a seemingly comprehensive – more comprehensive than any other I’ve ever read, and I’ve read many – yet brief (around 100 pages, including all non-narrative book material such as table of contents and bibliography) look at the issue. It even manages to include several historical facts of which I was hitherto unaware. Which is not overly easy to do, given that I’ve been speaking on this exact issue, from both sides at varying times, in depth off and on for over 20 years now. HOWEVER, particularly in its later chapters when it begins to get into more modern times – the last 40-50 years or so -, Balmer allows a tinge of “No True Scotsman” to invade his narrative. Even though I largely concur with these particular points, that the Baptists of the modern era – particularly the Southern Baptist Convention post “Conservative Resurgence” – have lost much of what it historically meant to be a Baptist (*even in the SBC itself!*), it taints what is otherwise a largely strictly fact based discussion of the history of the separation of Church and State in the land now known as the United States of America. Still, I don’t find it quite significant enough to downgrade the overall rating a full 20% that the loss of one of five stars would denote (though if I were grading on a typical A-F scale, I would probably drop this into B+ territory over the issue). Very much recommended.

This review of Solemn Reverence by Randall Balmer was originally written on December 21, 2020.

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#BookReview: The Glitter In The Green by Jon Dunn

Love Letter To Hummingbirds. This is a travel/ bird spotting book following the author’s adventures as he seeks to see as many hummingbirds as possible in their natural (ish) settings, from pole to pole. The narrative structure follows the author as he starts in Alaska chasing down a particular bird that was reportedly seen there – that had been originally tagged in Tallahassee, Florida. A bird that weighs just a few ounces, making a flight that many of its far larger brethren would never imagine. We continue to follow the hummingbirds into the US, spending a fair amount of time in Arizona and Mexico, and we continue all the way down to Tiego Del Fuego – the bottom of the world (as far as hummingbirds go, where here they share their habitat with penguins!). Part ornithological expedition, part history, part current events commentary, this is a solidly written – if a bit esoteric – book perfect for bird watchers and related enthusiasts. Even as a generic travel book, this still works well as Dunn so completely describes the environs he finds himself in – including an up close and personal encounter with a puma! Very well done, and very much recommended.

This review of The Glitter In The Green by Jon Dunn was originally written on December 21, 2020.