Beer of the Week: Sierra Nevada Celebration

Beer score: 3.0

Company: Sierra Nevada

ABV: 6.8
IBU: 65

Anyone who has read this blog will likely know I'm flat out not a fan of these spiced holiday drinks. So, in all fairness, my brief reviews and scores for these beers tend to be less than positive.

Which is pretty much the case here.

The color is amber. The scent is hoppy with a touch of fruity. The flavor is a strong, bitter mixture of cinnamon and holiday spices.

Sierra Nevada puts out some great beers, but I can't say this is one of them. Though this is no fault of their own. I simply don't like these kinds of beers.

Books read in 2020: No. 35 -- The Code of Honor

by John Lyde Wilson

Started: Dec. 29

Finished: Dec. 31

Notes: I always find it interesting to read books on dueling, yet it's been a while since I've perused such, so here goes. This one comes from 1838 and was written by a governor of South Carolina.

Mini review: In many ways, this is a book about avoiding a duel, of how quarreling gentlemen can come to an agreement. Oh, there are sections here about how to perform a proper duel, too. Most of this is about pistol dueling, the author preferring flintlocks over percussion pistols, but there is some mention of swords.

Books read in 2020: No. 34 -- Tombstone's Most Haunted

by Joshua Hawley

Started: Dec. 28
Finished: Dec. 29

Notes: A couple of years back I took a car trip across the U.S. and on the way purchased a bunch of books. I've read some of those books but still have several left. This is one of those, and of course I picked it up in Tombstone, Arizona.

Mini review: This brief read was fun, not only bringing back to me fond memories of Tombstone but also expanding a little upon some of the tales of haunting I'd heard about the area. I wouldn't say this is an exhaustive book, for surely more could be said on the subject in such a famous locale as Tombstone, but it was a nice place to start.

Beer of the Week: Veltins Pilsener

Beer score: 5.2

Company: Veltins

ABV: 4.8
IBU: 21

Made under the German purity law of 1516, as are many fine German brews, this beer has been around a long time.

Out of the bottle or can, it has a smooth, clean golden color. The smell is a very traditional, grassy smell that can't be mistaken for anything but beer.

Sweet on the tongue at first, but the bitterness grows in the bottom of your throat. Over all, this is just a nice, clean, smooth beer that tastes like a beer and nothing else. Lots of fizz comes to a head when you put the bottle down, but that fizz doesn't fill your mouth.

Probably best served cold. The bitterness grows the more you drink, but not annoyingly so.

Not a favorite, but not bad.

Books read in 2020: No. 33 -- The Red Badge of Courage

by Stephen Crane

Started: Dec. 22
Finished: Dec. 28

Notes: Yet another classic of literature I've yet to read, not even back in school, so now I thought I'd get to it.

Mini review: The author was born a handful of years after the U.S. Civil War in which this story takes place, but he did an excellent job of portraying the chaos of war. The story is from one Union soldiers' point of view and covers a few days, moving the main character through a few skirmishes and at least one battle (though it's a bit difficult to tell how big the fights really were as the protagonist's literal viewpoint is limited). The main character goes through much mental and emotional change in this tale, and that is part of the point. I can't call this novel a favorite, but it wasn't written badly and was an interesting read.

New book: Adventures of the Weird

It's been a while since I've self-published anything, but now available is my latest, Adventures of the Weird: 12 Short Stories of Fantasy, Horror and Beyond. This is an unusual collection in that every story here has been accepted for publication at one Web site or print venue during the last decade, but only a few of them actually saw publication. As anyone who has submitted plenty of short stories to editors and publishers will come to realize eventually, sometimes a story is accepted but doesn't always see print for one reason or another. And while a few of these stories did actually make it to readers before now, most didn't, and I believe they were deserving. So, after collecting these tales during the last 10 years or so, I now present them.

Amazon e-book: $2.99

Amazon print book: $12.99

Adventures of the Weird will soon be available at other online retailers.

Books read in 2020: No. 32 -- The Book of Ruth, KJV

published by Zondervan

Started: Dec. 21
Finished: Dec. 22

Notes: I began the year reading the Bible, so figured I'd end the year in the same vein.

Mini review: This short book is interesting in that it shows an early inclusivity among Israelites, or at least that God was willing to accept those who were worshipful of him and faithful to him even if they themselves were not Israelites. To be brief, a Moabite woman's husband dies and she goes home with her mother in law only to find favor with a wealthy Israelite man.