Books read in 2026: No. 13 -- The Screwtape Letters

by C.S. Lewis

Started: Sept. 27

Finished: October 8

Notes: I just finished this authors' novel The Great Divorce and found it interesting enough to want to consider reading further of his material. Outside of his Narnia fantasy novels, this Christian fiction is perhaps the author's best known work. This novel is about a demon writing letters to his son, but the demon eventually comes around to a Christian point of view. Or so I've heard. I'm looking forward to this one.

Mini review: Turns out it was a demon uncle writing to his nephew. This one could grow monotonous as its just letter after letter, but those letters did provide an interesting look at how our lesser actions or thoughts can become sins. The best part was the final chapter, which was not a letter but a speech from the demon named Screwtape, and it sounded very prescient to our day and age despite having been written about seventy years ago.

Books read in 2026: No. 12 -- The Great Divorce

by C.S. Lewis

Started: Sept. 24

Finished: Sept. 27

Notes: I'm more a fan of this author's nonfiction Christian apologetics than I am his fiction, but this short novel seems to be something of a mix of both, telling of a bus ride, potentially to Heaven, where those riding the bus have decisions to make upon the way, decisions that might decide whether they reach Glory or not. I'm sure I'll learn more as I read.

Mini review: Those who wish to study Christianity would do well to read this book, though I would not suggest doing so until after studying the religion somewhat beforehand. It's not that this book is difficult to read, quite the opposite, but some of its leanings might not seem familiar to those with only a cursory understanding of Christ and Christianity. This is not a book of the superficial, nor of superficial religion. Yes, there's a bus ride from Hell to the outlying lands of Heaven, and in those outlying lands there are sinners who are greeted by spirits and given a choice in determining their fate. All that sounds rather simple, but this is truly a novel of putting aside expectations, of asking humanity to truly study itself at its deepest parts and to do away with all that could be considered evil in any fashion. This is not a book for casual believers, who might go away from reading this only confused or even angry or upset. Complexity, time, our very thoughts, are all questioned here, but not in a destructive or negative manner. Non-believers might consider this a trite book, or they might even think of it as stupid. Or perhaps I'm wrong, putting my own impressions upon what I might think others would think. It's that kind of book, seeking to have you question everything about yourself.

Books read in 2026: No. 11 -- 20th Century Ghosts

by Joe Hill

Started: Sept. 10

Finished: Sept. 24

Notes: I've read a couple of novels and one collection of novellas from this author and generally enjoyed them. Some of his writings I found quite good, others simply okay, but nothing ever bored me or left me disgusted. All that being said, I thought I try out this collection of his short stories, especially as it came from early in his writing career about 20 years ago. Hill is mainly known as a horror writer, but he has been known to pen other works, so this could prove interesting.

Mini review: Not a lot of horror here, but there is some on the leaner side of darkness. Most of these were a little too meandering and literary for my taste, and too often I felt the stories simply ended without a real climax. The final story, "Voluntary Committal," is the longest and perhaps the best of the lot, a little long-winded but more moody than dark and somewhat similar to the works of the author's father (Stephen King). "The Cape" is also another that I might call the best of these tales, at first seeming like a tale of wonder but eventually in a flash becoming a tale of darkness. I didn't love this collection, but I didn't hate it, though I think I've determined I like Hill's longer works more than his shorter ones.

Books read in 2026: No. 10 -- The Lies of Locke Lamora

by Scott Lynch

Started: July 30

Finished: Sept. 10

Notes: Not only have I consistently heard good things about this fantasy novel, I also have to admit it's one of those that continuously pops up on my radar either online or out and about in actual book stores. Also, for some reason, I find the title intriguing, pulling me in. I've never read this author before, so here's hoping for good things.

Mini review: This one was a fun read, even if it did take me far longer to finish it than I would have expected, but that's mainly because I've been busy of late without a lot of reading time. If you lover other-world fantasy with thieves and assassins and political intrigue, this one should be for you. A nice touch was the dangerousness of magic but without magic being too overpowering to the story. I'm glad I read it.

Books read in 2026: No. 9 -- Doctor Sleep

by Stephen King

Started: June 18

Finished: July 30

Notes: As this one is a sequel to King's The Shining, I've been looking forward to reading it for some time.

Mini review: This one took me a lot longer to read because initially I found it completely predictable, leaving me to believe I have read to much Stephen King. For the first three-fourths of this book, I always knew exactly what was going to happen to every character, and it bored me to the point of not wanting to read. But then something interesting happened. King flipped the script, so to speak, and the last fourth of this novel was quite good with a decent ending. I generally feel endings are one of King's weaknesses, but here it all came together quite well. Also, it was interesting to re-visit an old character or three, to see what had happened to them years later, though some of the new characters proved themselves worthy as well.

Books read in 2026: No. 8 -- Space Battle

by Jamie Lendino

Started: June 14

Finished: June 18

Notes: Anyone old enough to remember the home video game market of the late 1970s and early 1980s will know the Atari system was king, but second was obviously the Intellivision system. I had both and enjoyed both for different reasons. Here I'm taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane with this book which covers the history of the Intellivision.

Mini review: This one was a fun read and also informative without becoming bogged down. Still, sometimes it got a little tedious reading section after section about the details of various video games of the era, though not enough to keep me from reading. Many of the games for the Intellivision are covered here, and no small number of those not covered in depth still receive mention, and there's also a fair amount about the history of the console itself, most of which I knew though there were still a few surprises. Fans of 1980s video games will want to read this. Fans of the Intellivision definitely should read this.

Books read in 2026: No. 7 -- Dungeon Crawler Carl

by Matt Dinniman

Started: May 24

Finished: June 14

Notes: The girlfriend has been reading this series, which has become quite popular, and she suggested it to me, so I thought I'd give it a go, at least the first book in the series.

Mini review: Fans of silly fantasy and LitRPG, and those who like their D&D or video game RPGs on the funny side, should like this one. It was a fun read, but it didn't really fit my mood of late, though I don't blame that on the book or the author.

Books read in 2026: No. 6 -- The Mystery of Smuggler's Cove

by Retro Myrtle Beach Guy

Started: May 23

Finished: May 24

Notes: The author of this one is a YouTube content creator who focuses most of his material on the Myrtle Beach area. His content tends to be fun and family oriented, and he's created a couple of indie films as well as a number of other projects, including a handful of books, such as this one. As I'm entertained by him and enjoy his work, I thought I'd give one of his books a shot for more fun.

Mini review: Just a fun, silly little adventure of two pals, Retro and Tiki, as they attempt to thwart a villain in the Myrtle Beach area. Fans of Myrtle Beach should enjoy this one as there are a number of local landmarks and establishments mentioned, and the focus is on building community and helping local, smaller businesses. The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce should stock copies of this book in their offices, especially as they turn out to be one of the heroes of the tale!

Books read in 2026: No. 5 -- Long Time No See

by Ed McBain

Started: May 18

Finished: May 23

Notes: My readings so far this year have been on the heavier side, so I decided it was time for something lighter. Yes, for me, murder is lighter. At least when it's written by Ed McBain.

Mini review: Someone is murdering blind people. Why? That's what Detective Steve Carella and the rest of the 87th gang have to determine. Not the best of this series, perhaps even one of the more predictable of these books, or maybe I've just read so many of them I've become overly familiar with the author's style. That being said, it's still an 87th Precinct book, which means it's like pizza ... even when it's not great, it's still pretty darn good.

Books read in 2026: No. 4 -- The Marquis de Sade: A Life

by Neil Schaeffer

Started: April 22

Finished: May 17

Notes: For some while I've been intrigued by the mad figure of the Marquis de Sade, so when I came across this biography, I had to snatch it up.

Mini review: Much as I thought, this book seems to say that Sade was a more complex and misunderstood figure not only today but in his own time as well. That's not to say he was a nice guy, but it does mean his reputation was worse than the reality, at least according to historical records of which there were many. And I've said for some while now that while one might not approve of Sade's material, the man could write. Was he insane? Likely not, though I think it's beyond doubt that he had some emotional and possibly mental issues. Was he a murderer? Rapist? Pedophile? That's not how it looks in the historical records we have. Still, not someone I'd want to hang out with, but he could write.

Books read in 2026: No. 3 -- Anna Karenina

by Leo Tolstoy

translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

Started: Jan. 8

Finished: April 22

Notes: I've read quite a bit of Tolstoy's work, and a fair bit about the man, mainly because I've been intrigued by him as an individual and as a writer, but for years I've been putting off this, one of his most famous works, because of its length. Well, that ends today.

Mini review: It took me long enough to read this one, but not as long as it did War and Peace. What's to say? Most modern readers will find much of this dry, especially the somewhat lengthy sections on farming in Russia in the mid-1870s and the politics of the same era, but all of that slower material serves a purpose in pointing out what Tolstoy considers truly important or unimportant. This is really two lengthy stories that connect only through occasional characters, one tale that of a young nobleman and how he finds happiness in farming and eventually marriage and fatherhood and ultimately to a belief in God or at least a universal goodness, while the other tale is the exact opposite, the tragedy of a young woman who leaves her husband and son for another man. There is a death scene near the end of this book that is not gory, but it is disturbing emotionally after a lengthy buildup. Following that death scene, most of the rest of the novel, something like 30 to 50 pages, is mostly a philosophic debate a character has with himself about the meaning of life, religions, goodness, God, etc. My guess would be most readers will drawn more toward the tragic tale told here, but I believe Tolstoy's point was more focused toward the less melodramatic of these two stories, the philosophical one. But that's mere conjecture on my part. Not a difficult read as far as understanding goes, or at leas my translation proved helpful with all its notes, but this isn't a novel to be gulped down in a matter of days. No, this is a book that needs to be read slowly and steadily, and should be given some thinking. That type of thing isn't for everyone, but I'm glad I read this one.

Books read in 2026: No. 2 -- The Undiscovered Self

by C. G. Jung

Started: Jan. 2

Finished: Jan. 8

Notes: Though I've read a fair amount about Jung over the years, I've never actually sat down and read one of his books, though of course I've read excerpts and quotes, etc. I've been intrigued, so now I hope to learn a thing or two.

Mini review: An interesting look at the individual and his/her relationship with the masses, or Society or the State. Jung seems to reach the decision that the individual must come to terms with the darkness that resides within our subconscious for us to have any chance of facing or even defeating the evil that resides within our world. I can't say I disagree, but I was often surprised in this book how words written approximately 70 years ago are still quite relevant today. On the down side, I don't care for Jung's writing, finding him too ... hmm, "pedantic" doesn't seem quite the right word, but it's close. And Jung is overly wordy, in my opinion, his writing not being overly readable by the average person, though Jung wasn't necessarily writing for the average person.

Books read in 2025: No. 44, Books read in 2026: No. 1 -- A Nefarious Plot

by Steve Deace

Started: Dec. 27, 2025

Finished: Jan. 2, 2026

Notes: I normally don't care to read modern Christian fiction or to watch modern Christian movies, mainly because I find them hugely facile. That being said, I did catch the movie Nefarious a while back and found it quite interesting, the plot being about a murderer in prison who proclaims to be a demon and he does indeed seem to be so when interviewed. This particular novel and the author are apparently connected to the movie, though I don't know if the film is based off this book. It does concern me this might just be propaganda, as is much of modern Christian literature, but I'll deal with it if it comes to that.

Mini review: Basically, this is a long post from a demon telling mankind, and especially Americans, how we're all screwed and going to hell. And the only thing we can do about it is to become Christian Nationalists. I don't espouse that viewpoint, but I can't say this book didn't give me a few things to think about. All in all, I preferred the movie based upon this book much more than I did the book itself. Also, this book is more than a decade old, and I don't think it's aged well considering the current political climate here in the U.S. If you're a Christian Nationalist, this might be right up your alley, but otherwise, I don't think most readers would be drawn to it.