Books read in 2024: No. 53, Books read in 2025: No. 1 -- Storm Front

by Jim Butcher

Started: Dec. 28, 2024

Finished: Jan. 1, 2025

Notes: I've read next to no speculative fiction this past year, and definitely little fantasy, so I'm going to correct that in coming weeks and months. Though I've not read any of Butcher's Dresden Files books, it's almost impossible to be a fantasy enthusiast and not having heard at least a little about them. Anyway, I was gifted a few of these books a while back, and I thought it time I dropped myself into one, this one apparently being the first of the series.

Mini review: A wizard in the modern world works as a private investigator and finds himself facing off against a new foe while ancient powers threaten. This one wasn't bad at all. Not the greatest I've ever read, but definitely worth my time. If you're a fan of John Constantine, and/or maybe even the TV show Supernatural, you might enjoy this one.

Books read in 2024: No. 52 -- Like Love

by Ed McBain

Started: Dec 26

Finished: Dec. 28

Notes: I'm in need of what I think of as "popcorn" fiction, so I'm returning to one of my old favorites, Ed McBain's 87th Precinct series.

Mini review: When is a suicide not a suicide? When it's a homicide, or course! Or is it? Those are the questions the gang of the 87th Precinct has to focus on in this novel. Another great read from McBain, perhaps even one of my favorites.

Books read in 2024: No. 51 -- The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

Started: Dec. 16

Finished: Dec. 26

Notes: I'm need of some fiction, so I thought I'd check out this novel. To tell the truth, I know little about this book, book it seems to have been calling to me as I run into it every time I visit a book store. Maybe marketing works, or maybe the universe is telling me I should read this one. I hope the universe didn't make a mistake.

Mini review: An Afghani boy in the 1970s experiences some awful events and eventually is forced to flee his homeland to America. Years later, in the early 2000s, the boy is now a man and finds himself having to return to Afghanistan to go on a quest of sorts. I'm barely touching the plot of this novel because I don't want to give too much away in case you reading this decide to read the book. I will say, I did not care much for the first half of this novel. It is written well enough, but a tale of a non-American youth who lives through terrible times and then comes to America and does well has been written enough times to practically be cliche. I know I've read it, or something similar, in plenty of other novels. That being said, a little more than halfway through this novel there is a single, short scene that suddenly changes everything for the protagonist, and the rest of the novel is worth taking the time to read. So, yes, I can recommend, but I would suggest some patience.

Books read in 2024: No. 50 -- The Faithful Executioner

by Joel F. Harrington

Started: Dec. 7

Finished: Dec. 15

Notes: As the year is winding to a close and I've been reading a fair number of biographies these past 12 months, I thought I'd delve into another one. This one is based upon a journal of a Renaissance-era executioner. Sounds interesting to me.

Mini review: This turned out to not only be a well written book, but quite the intriguing one as well. The Nuremberg executioner who left behind his journal, plus other historical documents, reveal that at least this executioner was not the cruel, evil, unthinking creature such figures are often personified as. Also, this book suggests that the supposed cruelty of earlier eras isn't perhaps as cruel as our modern minds might think, and that our modern day might prove quite cruel and even evil to those of earlier generations. Worth a read.

Books read in 2024: No. 49 -- Country Hardball: The Autobiography of Enos "Country" Slaughter

by Enos Slaughter with Kevin Reid

Started: Dec. 1

Finished: Dec. 7

Notes: I've been on something of a biography kick this year, so I thought I'd wind down the year with some more biographies. This one is about a Hall-of-Fame baseball player who is from the region I have called home for nearly two decades now, so it should be interesting to see local and historical connections. Also, I actually met Mr. Slaughter at his house years and years ago before he passed.

Mini review: If you enjoy reading about baseball from about 1938 to 1960, this book could be for you. Seasons are mostly broken down into chapters with Enos Slaughter telling of plenty of games he played with the Cardinals, the Yankees, and other teams. Most of this book is just that, about the games, with some minor talk of personalities. Towards the end the book gets a little grumpy, but at this point Slaughter was an older man, and he had his opinions like anyone else.

Books read in 2024: No. 48 -- Blood Meridian

by Cormac McCarthy

Started: Nov. 19

Finished: Dec. 1

Notes: I've been in the mood to read Westerns of late, and since this is a Western and it's by the late, oft highly-regarded McCarthy, I thought I'd give it a go. Also, I've had more than one individual express to me that this is their favorite of McCarthy's works, so that also intrigues me. Personally, I have something of a love-hate relationship with this author's writing. Some of his work I've found to be near masterpieces, while others I've found dreadful. I'm hoping this will be one of the masterpieces.

Mini review: In the mid-19th Century, a teen boy hires on with a group of mercenaries (of a sort) who are hired to kill Apaches. There is some beautiful prose here, and some interesting dialogue, plus a number of great characters, but over all ... I didn't care for it, which might seem blasphemy to some because this is supposed to be McCarthy's magnum opus. Why didn't I care for it? For a few reasons. One, it's supposed to be dark and violent, and I didn't find it to be either. Oh, sure, there is some extreme violence that occurs, but much of it happens off screen (so to speak) or is mentioned with little to no description, which I felt was strange considering this is a novel with lengthy descriptions of just about everything else. Secondly, I felt this novel was overly literary, that it was just literary for its own sake, which felt fake to me, it felt false. And then there is the ending, or at least the protagonist's ending; it's left unexplained, obviously intentionally so, and this also felt fake to me, like a trick the author was doing simply to be performing a trick.

Books read in 2024: No. 47 -- Deadwood

by Pete Dexter

Started: Nov. 6

Finished: Nov. 19

Notes: To be clear, no, this novel has nothing to do with the television show of the same name, though obviously it is based upon the same time period, region, and probably some of the events and real-life characters. That being said, I know that history fairly well, so I'm looking forward to this author's take on it.

Mini review: An interesting novel, almost literary but not quite. There's not a lot of action here, in case you might be expecting some Old West shoot-em-outs, but there is some little violence from time to time, though much of it happens "off screen." Most of the notable historical figures of the time and place are present, as well as some minor figures. The main character is Charlie Utter, and though the murder of Bill Hickock is a main part of this tale, it's not the culmination but almost a beginning. The last half of this book is mostly Charlie's experiences with other people and how the death of Hickock affected them, and how the man's death affected the town of Deadwood. However, Hickock's murder isn't the only event that brings about conflict and story. Ultimately, I got the impression this novel was supposed to be somewhat humorous, but the truth is, I find it mostly sad, many of the characters seeming to have sad or sometimes even awful fates. I wouldn't call this a great novel, but it's not a bad one, and it's definitely an interesting one, probably more for writers than for historical buffs of the Old West.

Books read in 2024: No. 46 -- Son of A Wanted Man

by Louis L'Amour

Started: Oct. 27

Finished: Nov. 6

Notes: I was traveling recently, and while I brought a book with me for reading, I didn't plan on finishing that book so soon. So, on the road without a read, I had to drop into the Back Again Bookshop in Myrtle Beach, SC, my favorite little used book store in that region. And since I was in the mood to read westerns and had just finished one L'Amour novel, I thought I'd snag another one. This one is about a young man who has been groomed by a powerful crime boss to take over the business, but the young man has to decide whether he wants to become a criminal in the Old West or to become a law-abiding citizen. Guess I'll find out.

Mini review: I didn't enjoy this one as much as the last L'Amour novel I read. The plot was good, about a young man raised to be an outlaw though he didn't really want to be one, and the characters were interesting enough. But the story was a bit slow, in my opinion, and the action lacking at least until the end, and even then some of the action was off screen, not something I prefer.

Books read in 2024: No. 45 -- Showdown at Yellow Butte

by Louis L'Amour

Started: Oct. 23

Finished: Oct. 26

Notes: Having just finished a non-fiction book about Spaghetti Westerns, I find myself in the mood for some Western fiction. Thus I turn to the master, Louis L'Amour. Actually, though I've read a half dozen or so of his Westerns and a handful of this other fiction, I've never been all that big a fan of L'Amours, though I do consider his autobiographical Education of A Wandering Man to be among my favorite books. In fairness to L'Amour, I've never been much of a fan of Western fiction, though I do love the movie genre. Something about Western fiction often feels fake to me, full of a machismo and bravado that just doesn't ring true. But that's just me. Still, every so often I give L'Amour another chance to win me over.

Mini review: A former army officer who has become a mercenary is hired by a company to drive some squatters off land in New Mexico, but the mercenary begins to wonder if he is on the wrong side. There's plenty of action here and not a lot of depth, so that made this novel a fun and easy read, making me somewhat re-evaluate my earlier thoughts on L'Amour's fiction. Also, this book definitely made me think of Gunsmoke and other older Western TV shows from the '50s and '60s. I only had two problems with this book: 1.) There were too many characters to keep track of, in my opinion, and 2.) There were potential actions scenes which were not portrayed but told to the reader "off screen," though this might have been because of limitations the original publisher set for this book and might not be the author's fault. Either way, this was still a pretty good read, and Western fans could do worse.

Books read in 2024: No. 44 -- 10,000 Ways to Die

by Alex Cox

Started: Oct. 4

Finished: Oct. 23

Notes: Written by a film director, this book is apparently an extensive look into the Spaghetti Western movie genre, a genre which happens to be one of my favorites (at least when done well). There have been several editions of this book over the last few decades, but I believe the copy I have is the most recent edition from a decade or so back.

Mini review: I've been in the middle of a move, so I've not had a lot of decent reading time of late. That being said, this book was perfect for such a situation. The author covers the Spaghetti Westerns pretty well, in my opinion, providing posts for a few dozen (or thereabouts) movies of the genre, mainly the better known films and a handful of others. Extensive? Exhaustive? Maybe, maybe not, depending on what one is seeking from such a book. I felt this one did a nice balance, and besides, there were thousands of Spaghetti Westerns back in the day, honestly many of them not very good, so it would be practically impossible for one book to cover every single one of them. Major actors and directors were covered well, in my opinion, but there is also plenty of information about other crew members, from the musicians to producers and more. This book reminded me of a number of films I have not seen in years, and happily so, while also bringing to my attention a few films of which I was not familiar. For instance, did you know there was a Spaghetti Western musical back in the '60s? Me neither. This one is worth checking out for fans of the genre. I would like to add, however, that I did disagree with the author's opinions on a number of points, especially his seeming distaste for Eastwood as an actor and director.

Books read in 2024: No. 43 -- Player's Handbook (2024): Dungeons & Dragons

by Wizards of the Coast

Started: Oct. 1

Finished: Oct. 4

Notes: This is the latest edition of the Player's Handbook for D&D. The publisher has been adamant that this is not a new edition, that it is fully compatible with 5e, though fans often refer to this particular version as 5.5e. I'll check it out and see what I think. Funny enough, I didn't care for the original 5e Player's Handbook a decade ago, but I've been playing the game for 10 years now and mostly enjoy it, though I do have my quibbles.

Mini review: Many of the changes are relatively minor, such as the Vicious Mockery cantrip doing d6 instead of d4 damage, but probably the biggest changes are in how the classes work, though I will agree this version of D&D is compatible to 5e. Do I think this is an approvement? Over all, only slightly so, for some things are done better but others feel like change was done simply for the sake of change. Will I transition to this latest version of the game? Possibly, but it'll depend on my gaming companions. My guess will be we will mix 5e and this 5.5e to accomplish what we want. I will say I feel most of the changes here were done to give players' characters a power boost, and not really for any improvement to story telling or role play, but that's just my opinion.

Books read in 2024: No. 42 -- No One Here Gets Out Alive

by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman

Started: Sept. 10

Finished: Oct. 1

Notes: For years I've had an idea for a short story which would feature Jim Morrison, the late singer of The Doors, but I've never felt I knew enough about the man to attempt my tale. I'm not sure I'll actually ever write the story, but this biography should at least provide me with the info to make the attempt.

Mini review: I wouldn't say Morrison was necessarily a tortured soul, but I would say he was a troubled soul. And could be a bit of an asshole. This book covered his early life to the appropriate degree, giving the right amount of information without going overboard on unimportant details, and it covered Jim's years with The Doors to an excellent degree, but I felt it flew through Jim's death rather quickly and without a lot of detail. In some fairness, the way this book reads, there weren't a lot of details, and Jim's death is something of a mystery even to this day, with some folks at the time suggesting Morrison had faked his own death. Personally, I think it unlikely he faked his death, though I wouldn't say it's necessarily impossible. A decent enough book, and fans of The Doors would likely find this one interesting.

Books read in 2024: No. 41 -- Flavius Josephus: Eyewitness to Rome's First-Century Conquest of Judea

by Mireille Hadas-Lebel

Started: August 29

Finished: Sept. 10

Notes: Earlier this year I was reading biographies, and I've got the bug again. Here, I've read some of the works of the first-century Josephus, but I don't know much about him personally other than a bare sketch of an idea. So, I felt it time I learned more.

Mini review: Josephus turns out to be an interesting, and somewhat controversial, character of history. A Jewish priest and general in the generation after that of Jesus, Josephus had firsthand views of the Jewish war with the Romans and even the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Second Temple. Eventually captured by the Romans, he remained in chains for a few years but eventually became a favorite of a general who soon became emperor. Josephus then spent the rest of his life in Rome sort of as a guest of one emperor or another while working as a writer and historian. Unfortunately not all his works have survived, and we do not even know when or how he died, though he would have been an older man.

Books read in 2024: No. 40 -- The Revelation of Saint John the Divine

published by Zondervan

Started: August 25
Finished: August 29

Notes: I was traveling recently and didn't have with me the novel I had been reading, but I did have access to a Holy Bible. So, at a point where I was seeking something to read, I decided it was time I got to this last book of the Bible, one of the most interesting books but also one that is probably often misunderstood (not that I'm claiming to understand it myself).

Mini review: As interesting as I've always found this book, and I do enjoy studying it, I have to admit I feel the words here are so cryptic and steeped in imagery that there's little to truth to be found for most individuals. Oh, of course there are those who will say they know the truth, and I suppose it's not impossible some few do, but I'll admit to being a skeptic towards anyone who proclaims they understand the word of God while the rest of us are simply left out in the cold. For instance, while I realize there are people today who will say we are living in the last days, the truth is people have been saying that for thousands of years. What is the truth? I don't have an answer, not a good one. Yes, I have my own thoughts, but they change from time to time. Anyway, I'm glad to have read this book again, and I'm glad to finally have read every word of the Bible and not just portions I've studied over the years.

Books read in 2024: No. 39 -- The City & The City

by China Mieville

Started: August 20

Finished: August 27

Notes: I've heard good things about this speculative author for some years now and I've been meaning to check out his work. I've also had this novel recommended to me, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Mini review: This was an interesting one. In another version of our world, two cities exist in the exact same place and time, separated by a sort of invisible dimensional wall. Unfortunately for the citizens of each city, to look into or hear into the other city is something of a crime punishable by a sort-of overpolice known as the Breach. Yet each city also has its local cops to deal with more mundane crimes. In this novel, a detective in one of the cities finds himself pulled into a conspiracy that involves both cities, Breach, and ... well, to tell the truth, it gets complicated. It's complicated further by no small part of the words used here (especially for locales) are quite fantastic and foreign. That doesn't mean this is a difficult read, but that most readers will have to pause every so often to get their bearings. Is this a good book? Yes. Is it a great book? Not quite, but it's also not far from being one. Readers who enjoy detective fiction with a speculative twist will find much here to enjoy.

Books read in 2024: No. 38 -- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

Started: August 9

Finished: August 20

Notes: As weird as it might sound, certain books seem to call out to me. I run into them time and time again in unusual places. I'm not talking about bestsellers I see on shelves in bookstores, not at all. I'm talking about books that seem to appear before me time and time again in someone's home or in thrift stores. This is one of those books. I didn't seek it out. It sought me out. I know this sounds odd, but it's how I feel. So, after running across this book time and time again, I finally snagged a copy and decided to read it. I know very little about this book, just that it's some kind of modern fantasy, that it's told in part with old photographs, and that there was a movie a few years back (and no, I've not seen the movie). Hopefully I'll enjoy this, or at the least maybe I'll learn a thing or two.

Mini review: A teen boy discovers his grandfather has a secret past, which leads the lad to an orphanage of sorts for children with special powers. One reviewer mentioned the Harry Potter series, and I could see how fans of those books might also enjoy this one. The vintage photos that were used throughout the book were interesting visually, but I didn't really feel they added anything to the story. However, the prose here is decent enough and the story moved at a decent pace, though there were a few places where my interest began to wane. The ending isn't a cliffhanger, but it definitely sets things up for further tales.

Books read in 2024: No. 37 -- The Epistle of Jude

published by Zondervan

Started: August 8
Finished: August 8

Notes: One of the shortest books in the Bible, I thought I'd read it since I just finished reading several other of the shorter books.

Mini review: In this letter, Jude warns against members of the Christian church who are Christian only in name, but not true Christians.

Books read in 2024: No. 36 -- The Third Epistle of John

published by Zondervan

Started: August 8
Finished: August 8

Notes: Having just finished the first two of John's letters, I thought I'd read this last one.

Mini review: This letter I find to be one of most unusual of the New Testament. For one thing, it really doesn't talk about any Christian doctrine, but is a personal letter to a fellow named Gaius, praising him for his Christian charity. Also, this book warns against someone named Diotrephes, that he is not doing right by the church. To me, this is an interesting change of pace, and honestly, I wish the Bible had more personal letters such as this so we could better study the writers.

Books read in 2024: No. 35 -- The Second Epistle of John

published by Zondervan

Started: August 8
Finished: August 8

Notes: I just read the first of John's letters, so I thought I'd go ahead and read his others.

Mini review: This short letter seems to be sent to an individual, a woman, instead of a church as a whole, which is uncommon for biblical letters. Here John commends the unnamed woman for her faith while also warning against false teachers.

Books read in 2024: No. 34 -- The First Epistle of John

published by Zondervan

Started: August 7
Finished: August 8

Notes: I'm nearing the end of the Bible now, but I'm looking forward to reading these last few letters, some of the shortest books in the Bible, because I've studied them so little over the years.

Mini review: Mainly a testament to Christians on basic attitudes to have and some beliefs, especially concerning love and faith in Jesus. Interestingly, though the word "Trinity" is never used, this book is the one that comes closest to espousing the notion of a holy trinity.