Books read in 2025: No. 19 -- The Magician's Nephew

by C.S. Lewis

Started: May 26

Finished: May 30

Notes: I'm reading the Narnia books and this one is next in my lineup. It's also one of the few Narnia books which I've not read before now. My understanding is that this is the tale of how Aslan created Narnia, so hopefully it'll be interesting.

Mini review: This turned out to be one of my least favorite of these books. I've found Lewis to be one of the strongest Christian apologists, but I feel his creation myth here was fairly weak, as was the overall plot. I suppose part of my feelings about this are the fact the reader knows everything is going to turn out all right, that there's no real threat to the characters. Lewis was creating not only a mythology and something of a metaphorical tale for Christianity, but also a fairy tale, so I supposed he can be forgiven for what I consider weak storytelling here.

Books read in 2025: No. 18 -- The Horse and His Boy

by C.S. Lewis

Started: May 22

Finished: May 26

Notes: This is the first of the Narnia books I've not read before, so I'm looking forward to what it might hold. My understanding is that it doesn't follow the general timeline that's been presented so far in the earlier novels.

Mini review: I have to say, other than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, this has been my favorite Narnia book so far. There's nothing like a good quest story, and this one was done well in a fairy-tale sort of way. Of course I have some quibbles, such as I felt the ending came a little too easy for the good guys, but all in all this was a fine story.

Beer of the Week: Franziskaner Hefe-Weissbier Dunkel

Beer score: 8.4

Company: Franziskaner Weissbier
ABU: 5.0
IBU: 10

Pours a reddish brown color with a foamy head while giving off smells of dark fruit, caramel, and burnt nuts, but the smell isn't overly strong.

Smooth on the tongue with more of that caramel, along with some bready tastes.

Stronger, fruitier, and a little sweeter than the non-dunkel version of this beer, but not overly powerful, which is somewhat surprising in a German brew.

Definitely worth trying. Too complex for most amateur beer tasters, as they might not even realize this is a beer.

Books read in 2025: No. 17 -- The Silver Chair

by C.S. Lewis

Started: May 15

Finished: May 21

Notes: I took a brief break from reading the Narnia novels, but now I'm jumping back into one. This is the last of the handful which I've read before, but it has been probably nearly 40 years since I read this novel and I remember nothing about it.

Mini review: The first half of this one I didn't care much for, but the second half grew on me until what I felt was a fair and fitting ending. Funny thing, the actual silver chair is barely in this book, just a matter of a few pages, and is destroyed soon after its appearance.

Beer of the Week: Neon Beer Hug IPA

Beer score: 6.0

Company: Goose Island Beer Co.
ABU: 7.0
IBU: 40

Pretty pale when pouring into a clear glass, with some light yellow coloring. The smell isn't strong, but hints at orange and honey with a touch of hoppy bitterness.

In the mouth, this one is quite smooth, but like the scent, the flavor isn't overly strong, though that flavor grows the more you drink. Speaking of flavor, at first there's a slight rush of citrus, but then upon swallowing a smooth bitterness takes over and lays on the tongue for a while. There is a little sweetness at first, but it doesn't last long.

I can't say this one is a favorite, but it's a pretty decent beer. I could see serving this one at parties, or just sitting around drinking one while watching TV. A great beer? No, but it is a good beer.

Books read in 2025: No. 16 -- Fairy Tale

by Stephen King

Started: May 8

Finished: May 15

Notes: I'm taking a break from the Narnia novels so I won't become burned out on them, but I'm still in the mood for some fantasy, so I thought I'd give a try to one of King's more recent fantastical novels. Plus, most times I enjoy his writing.

Mini review: This was a fine tale. It was a combination of what I think of a King's two main styles of writing, his more common one for his horror and thriller novels, and his other style reserved for his fantasy works, especially The Dark Tower series. The first half of this book is of the more traditional, horror type, but the second half dips heavily into the style of King's fantasy works. Worth reading for King fans, and unless you don't enjoy his writing, this one is till worth your time.

Beer of the Week: Tropical Beer Hug Imperial IPA

Beer score: 5.3

Company: Goose Island Beer Co.
ABU: 9.9
IBU: 45

In a clear glass, this one looks like a traditional premium beer in America with a light golden color and a bit of fizz with lacing at the top, maybe a little too much head for my liking. The smell wasn't too strong for me, but I picked up a little wheat a citrus, not uncommon for an IPA.

The taste is quite a bit stronger than the smell. There's barely a touch of sweetness on the tongue, but the bitterness is quite powerful, reminding me somewhat of orange zest. Goes down smooth, but the aftertaste has a harsh little kick that didn't do much for me.

For me, this one wasn't great. It's not awful, but I don't I'll be drinking more in the future. 

Books read in 2025: No. 15 -- The Voyage of The Dawn Treader

by C.S. Lewis

Started: April 24

Finished: May 7

Notes: Since I'm reading the Narnia series, this one is the next I come to. However, I did read this book decades upon decades ago.

Mini review: Right off the get-go, this one was far better than Prince Caspian, but still nowhere near the iconic level of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Still, in many ways this is the most adventurous of this novels, or at least of the ones I've read so far, with an actual quest and strange locales. That being said, I think I'm going to take a break from the Narnia books for a while so I won't become burned out on them.

Beer of the Week: West Coast Beer Hug IPA

Beer score: 6.6

Company: Goose Island Beer Co.
ABU: 7.8
IBU: 45

Lots of foam when I poured this one into a glass. In that glass, it gave off a lightly-cloudy golden color with hints of citrus and bread but not a lot of smell.

Another IPA that's a bit too sour for my tastes, but I have to admit that IPA sourness/bitterness is not overly strong here. The flavor is stronger than the smell, with quite a bit more of that citrus, though that gives away fairly quickly to a smoothness bitterness not uncommon to IPAs. Not a lot of complexity here for an IPA, but that's not always a bad thing, depending upon your mood and your tastes.

I could recommend this to, especially to IPA lovers, but I'm not sure it would become anyone's regular drinking or sipping brew.