Introduction

Happy New Year to you all! It was a record year at Bob on Books. Over the course of the year I posted 237 reviews, including the 20 that are listed below for December. I retired in August and that has afforded some additional reading time.

This month included some wonderful reads. Taking the last first, Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures is a wonderful new entry in the world of fantasy literature by a john Donne scholar, no less. Why I Am Roman Catholic by Matthew Levering is a wonderful testimony to his faith and reminded me of an amazing conversation we had a number of years ago. I loved Plough’s graphic biography of the life of Jakob Hutter, one of my Anabaptist forebears. Quentin Schultze You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out is a delightful reflection on The Christmas Story, and his relationship with screenwriter Jean Shepherd. Matthew Desmond’s Poverty, By America is a hard-hitting critique of the economic structures that keep people in poverty in the U.S. Meet Me At the Lighthouse is a delightful poetry collection by Dana Gioia.

Finally, I read Georges Simenon’s Maigret and the Wine Merchant at the time of the murder of the CEO of a major healthcare company. Maigret’s murder victim was despicable, and yet it was his conviction that this also was a human being that drove him to seek the killer. It seems to me right to ask whether corporate algorithms that deny needed, life-giving care amount to corporate murder. But Maigret teaches me that nothing justifies murder, nor the valorizing of the murderer.

The Reviews

One, Two, Buckle my Shoe (Hercule Poirot Number 23), Agatha Christie. William Morrow Paperbacks (ISBN: 9780062073778) 2011 (originally published 1940). Poirot seeks the murderer of his dentist, found dead not two hours after Poirot visited him. Review

Orbital, Samantha Harvey. Grove Press (ISBN: 9780802163622) 2024. A day aboard the International Space Station as six people recount their work, weightlessness, and the wonder of earth below. Review

Meet Me at the Lighthouse: Poems, Dana Gioia. Graywolf Press (ISBN: 9781644452158) 2023. A collection of poems reflecting memories of people from several generations as well as the places of Gioia’s life. Review

The Church in Dark Times, Mike Cosper. Brazos Press (ISBN: 9781587435737) 2024. Understanding and resisting the evil that seduced the evangelical movement, drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt. Review

The New Anabaptists, Stuart Murray. Herald Press (ISBN: 9781513812984) 2024. An effort to describe the practices emerging Anabaptist communities embody with three case studies as examples. Review

Lieberman’s Day, Stuart M. Kaminsky. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781480400207) 2013 (first published in 1994). Abe’s nephew is killed and his wife shot in a mugging while a murderer stalks the abused ex-wife Hanrahan is sheltering. Review

Poverty, By America. Matthew Desmond. Crown (ISBN:9780593239933) 2024. An argument that poverty in America is the result of choices made knowingly or not by affluent who benefit as a result. Review

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!, Quentin Schultze. Edenridge Press LLC (ISBN: 9781937532017) 2024. Life lessons from the movie “A Christmas Story” from a friend of storyteller and screenplay writer Jean Shepherd. Review

By Fire: The Jakob Hutter Story (Heroes of the Radical Reformation, Number 2), Jason Landsel, Richard Mommsen, Sankha Bannerjee. Plough Publishing House (ISBN: 9781636081434), 2025. A graphic biography of this early leader of the Anabaptist movement, marriage to Katharina, and martyrdom. Review

Answering the Psalmist’s Perplexity (New Studies in Biblical Theology Number 62), James Hely Hutchinson. IVP Academic/Apollos (ISBN: 9781514008867) 2024 (Apollos-IVP UK website). How would God fulfill the promise of an everlasting Davidic throne when the kingship had ended in exile? Review

The China Governess (Albert Campion Number 17), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504087247) 2023 (First published in 1962). An engaged orphan adopted by the Kinnits hires Campion to find his roots, stirring up a crime spree and a family secret. Review

Thunder Bay (Cork O’Connor Number 7), William Kent Krueger. Atria Books (ISBN: 9781439157824) 2009. A search for Henry Meloux’s son leads to an attempt on Meloux’s life and a love story from the 1920’s. Review

Eight Million Exiles, Christopher M. Hayes (foreword by Robert Chao Romero). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802882394) 2024. How theologians, researchers, and local church leaders teamed up to support Columbia’s internally displaced persons. Review

Good Book: How White Evangelicals Save the Bible to Save Themselves, Jill Hicks-Eaton. Fortress Press (ISBN: 9781506485850) 2023. An argument that evangelicals try to explain away the misogyny and patriarchy that the author finds inherent in the biblical text. Review

Maigret and the Wine Merchant (Inspector Maigret Number 71), Georges Simenon (Translated by Ros Scwartz). Penguin (ISBN: 9780241304280), 2020 (First published in 1970). Maigret investigates the murder of a wealthy wine merchant, a womanizer and a ruthless employer. Review

Pillars of Creation, Richard Panek. Little, Brown and Company (ISBN: 9780316570695) 2024. The development of the James Webb Telescope and what scientists have discovered about the cosmos in its first years. Review

Why I Am Catholic, Matthew Levering. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514003145) 2024. A Catholic theologian explains why he is Christian and Catholic and what it means to embrace this tradition. Review

The Way of Christ in Culture, Benjamin T. Quinn & Dennis T. Greeson. B & H Academic (ISBN: 9781087775111) 2024. How those walking in the way of Jesus might live faithfully in all aspects of our cultural life. Review

A Simply Healthy Life, Caroline Fausel. Tyndale Refresh (ISBN: 9781496486905) 2025. A guide to health focusing on our bodies, our homes, our relationships, and our spirituality. Review

Impossible Creatures, Katherine Rundell, illustrated by Ashley Mackenzie. Alfred A. Knopf (ISBN: 9780593809860), 2024. Christopher helps Mal, a young girl who can fly, as she flees a murderer and seeks the reason why the magic is fading. Review

Book of the Month

Reading Richard Panek’s Pillars of Creation was a journey of wonder in learning what we’ve already learned in the first two years of the James Webb Telescope. Our universe, even our own solar system is more wonderful than I imagined. I posted this review on Christmas Day, so if you missed it, take a look. Great science writing!

Quote of the Month

My quote of the month also comes from space. Samantha Harvey’s is a science fiction work based on the observations and thoughts of seven people during a single day on the International Space Station, during which they orbit Earth sixteen times. Many of us have been awed by the aurora borealis in this years night skies. Harvey describes what it is like from space:

“The airglow is dusty greenish yellow. Beneath it in the gap between atmosphere and earth is a fuzz of neon which starts to stir. It ripples, spills, it’s smoke that pours across the face of the planet; the ice is green, the underside of the spacecraft an alien pall. The light gains edges and limbs, folds and opens. Strains against the inside of the atmosphere, writhes and flexes. Sends up plumes. Fluoresces and brightens. Detonates then in towers of light. Erupts clean through the atmosphere and puts up towers two hundred miles high. At the top of the towers is a swathe of magenta that obscures the stars…”

What I’m Reading

Since I preview the coming week’s reviews each Saturday in The Weekly Wrap, I won’t do that here. I’ve always enjoyed the writing of Ann Patchett and she has drawn me into the plotline of Tom Lake. I’m also reading Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, the thirty year story of Sadie and Sam, their fraught friendship and collaboration as game developers. It’s not a world I inhabit, but I’m 80 pages in and drawn into what seems an unusual and exceptionally written story.

Mothers, Children, and the Body Politic by Nadya Williams explores the devaluation of motherhood and child-bearing in our culture, and looks at the countercultural way early Christians valued women and children in a Roman culture that didn’t. Intrigued by the idea. I’d love to know how she deals with the fear of Handmaid’s Tale scenarios. Seeking the City is a big book surveying scripture and western history in defense of free-market capitalism. Finally, The Love Habit is a book on self-care that seems a current version of The Power of Positive Thinking. As you may guess, I’m not that keen on the book but want to give the writer a chance.

I so appreciate you reading with me this past year. Just from the books on my TBR pile, I think I have some great books to talk about in the coming weeks of the new year.

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book.

Introduction

I’ve been reviewing books for over a decade now, and I have to admit it is quite a privilege to read and write about so many amazing books, including the twenty in this “Month in Reviews.” Beside the Campion and Cadfael mysteries, in which I continue to delight, I read the newest Gamache from Louise Penny. It was worth the two year wait! From mystery to memoir, I finally read Joan Didion’s profound reflection on grief, the Year of Magical Thinking and Catherine Meeks, A Quilted Life, the marvelous account of the life journey of a sharecropper’s daughter.

I always enjoy some good history, and this month I surveyed turning points in American church history, an account of the Challenger disaster, whose lesson might be, “listen to the engineers,” and Bob Woodward’s account of the Biden years. Oh, and I also reviewed a Candice Millard book, one of my favorite writers. Equally, I love biographies, two of which I reviewed: an intellectual biography of Blaise Pascal, and one of J. Gresham Machen. Finally, I will highlight two of the theology books I reviewed this month, one on Bonhoeffer’s theology of the church, a refreshing break from the squabbles about his life, and a challenging argument from New Testament and early church sources against remarriage after divorce. Enjoy!

The Reviews

Beyond the Wager: The Christian Brilliance of Blaise Pascal, Douglas Groothuis. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514001783) 2024. Argues that Pascal’s brilliance extends beyond his famous “wager” to his scientific, philosophic, and Christian insights. Review

The Man Within, Graham Greene. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504054003), 2018 (First published in 1929). Francis Andrews flight from smugglers he betrayed endangers a girl with whom he takes refuge. Review

J. Gresham Machen: A Biographical Memoir, Ned B. Stonehouse. Banner of Truth Trust (ISBN: 9781848718746) 2019 (First published in 1954). A biographical memoir chronicling Machen’s evangelical faith and scholarship, first at Princeton and then at Westminster. Review

River of the Gods, Candice Millard. Doubleday. (ISBN: 9780385543101) 2022. The story of the explorers who sought the Nile’s source, the clash between them, and their unsung African guide. Review

Hide My Eyes (Albert Campion Number 16), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504087384) 2023 (first published in 1958). Campion closes in on a serial killer unknowingly supported by a widow with an odd museum and a young niece visiting. Review

Cultural Sanctification, Stephen O. Presley. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802878540) 2024. How the early church pursued cultural engagement through holy discernment rather than fight or flight. Review

Word Made Fresh, Abram Van Engen, foreword by Shane McCrae. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802883605) 2024. An invitation to delight in poetry while discovering how form and language help make meaning that may enrich our lives. Review

The Lost World of the Prophets (Lost World Series), John H. Walton. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514004890) 2024. How understanding the ancient Near East context of the prophets can shed light on their message for us. Review

Bonhoeffer for the Church, Matthew D. Kirkpatrick. Fortress Press (ISBN: 9781506497822) 2024. A study of what Bonhoeffer wrote about the church’s identity, purpose, practices, and life together. Review

War, Bob Woodward. Simon & Schuster (ISBN: 9781668052273) 2024. Summary: A behind-the-scenes account of three wars during the Biden administration–Ukraine, the Middle East, and for the American presidency. Review

The Grey Wolf (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache Number 19), Louise Penny. Minotaur Books (ISBN: 9781250328144) 2024. Gamache, Jean-Guy, and Isabelle seek to avert a plotted catastrophe, trusting no one but each other. Review

The Way of Belonging, Sarah E. Westfall (foreword Lore Ferguson Wilbert). InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514008539) 2024. How our longing to belong is an invitation to embrace and extend the deep love of God. Review

The Holy Thief (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael number 19), Ellis Peters. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781497671614) 2014 (first published in 1992). During a flood in Shrewsbury, the relics of St. Winifrid are stolen; a dispute over their disposition and a murder follow. Review

The Good News of Church Politics, Ross Kane. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802883834) 2024. Proposes politics as a spiritual practice by which we love each other within and beyond the church walls. Review

Turning Points in American Church History, Elesha J. Coffman, foreword by Mark A. Noll. Baker Academic (ISBN: 9780801097492) 2024. Shows ways the church contributed to American history through 13 key events over four centuries. Review

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion. Vintage (ISBN: 9781400078431) 2007. A memoir of grief and remembrance for Joan Didion’s husband, John Gregory Dunne. Review

Challenger, Adam Higginbotham. Avid Reader Press (ISBN: 9781982176617) 2024. The heroism of the seven Challenger crew members and why a critical design flaw was ignored, resulting in their deaths. Review

The Integration Journey: A Student’s Guide to Faith, Culture, and Psychology. William B. Whitney and Carissa Dwiwardani. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514000564) 2024. An approach to integrating faith and psychology focused on lived experience, one’s culture, and pursuing justice. Review

A Quilted Life, Catherine Meeks (foreword by Michelle Miller). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802882899) 2024. The story of a sharecropper’s daughter who overcame racism and health issues to teach and to lead racial healing efforts. Review

Remarriage in Early Christianity, A. Andrew Das. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802883742) 2024. A study of both NT texts and early church fathers offers no basis for remarriage after divorce.

Book of the Month

According to the National Endowment for the Arts, only 12 percent of Americans listen to or read poetry. Abram Van Engen’s Word Made Fresh is a wonderful introduction to poetry. He begins by proposing that we read poetry for pleasure. He provides a number of poems with brief introductions for the reader to find ones they like. Then he offers practical helps in going deeper into how poets make meaning in poetry. This is a great book if you have wanted to read poetry but have no clue where to begin or have read something and have no clue what the poet is saying. I also can’t help but wonder if the beauty and care with words we find in poetry may be a help to us in our troubled times.

Quote of the Month

Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking is marked by her elegant and eloquent prose as she processes the grief of losing her husband. Here is one example nearly a year after he died:

“I know why we try to keep the dead alive; we try to keep them alive in order to keep them with us.

“I also know that if we are to live ourselves there comes a point at which we must relinquish the dead, let them go, keep them dead.”

What I’m Reading

If you read my most recent The Weekly Wrap, you will see I have these books ready to review this week: Agatha Christie’s One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, Samantha Harvey’s Orbital, Dana Gioia, Meet Me At the Lighthouse, and Mike Cosper, The Church in Dark Times. Cosper’s book is a powerful exploration of the cults of authority and ideology, and the erosion of meaning, and the corrosive and dangerous effects these have on the church

As for current reads, The New Anabaptists by Stuart Murray is of interest because I worship in a church in the Anabaptist tradition and it is intriguing to explore how our community might live more fully into that tradition. I recently discovered Stuart M. Kaminsky’s Abe Lieberman stories. He’s a worldly (and maybe spiritually) wise Jewish detective in Chicago. I’m currently reading Lieberman’s Day, centering around the murder of his nephew. Poverty, By America, by Matthew Desmond is a research based study of poverty in the US. He finds its source in the power structures of society that benefit by keeping people poor. He is the author of Evicted and combines personal story telling with data-driven conclusions, as he did in that book.

Another book in the Anabaptist tradition is By Fire: The Jakob Hutter Story. It is a well-drawn, graphic biography of Hutter’s life, when “heretics” were burned at the stake. You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!: Life Lessons from the Movie A Christmas Story is written by Quentin Schultze, the mentor of Jean Shepherd, the film’s screenwriter. He proposes that there are a number of “secret” parables in this modern classic. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the film, having lived in greater Cleveland during the time the movie was filmed there.

Well, that’s the Month in Reviews for November 2024. Hopefully it suggests some gift ideas, and maybe something for your own reading wish list

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book..

Introduction

This month, my reviews were dropping like autumn leaves–twenty-two in all. Among them were a new and a classic work of literary fiction, books by Colm Toibin and Willa Cather respectively. I reviewed two collections of poetry, one an anthology of Catholic poetry and the other, a chapbook of nature poetry from well-known poets. Then there are always those mystery series I’m working through–two Brother Cadfael’s, a Campion, and a Cork O’Connor–all quite engaging!

Turning to non-fiction, I reviewed biographies of Civil War general James Longstreet and the Van Sweringen brothers of Cleveland. While we are on the topic of Cleveland, I thoroughly enjoyed Luke Epplin’s account of the 1948 World Champion Indians. And I read a strange account of a talking mongoose that haunted a family on the Isle of Man.

As always, there were some books of serious theology, including a monograph on the priest-king of Psalm 110, a finer grained study of the divine imperial cult the Apostle Paul encountered, a biographical study of John the Baptist, and a history of the Churches of Christ in America. Then there were devotional works including a collection of prayers compiled by Evelyn Underhill, a wonderful introduction to prayer practices, and a delightful book of Advent and Christmastide readings and resources for families of all ages. Finally, I rounded out the month with a fine book weaving bird watching and the grieving of a grandfather’s death, and a thought-provoking book on our beliefs and practices around death and burial.

The Reviews

The Potter’s Field (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael No. 17) Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Media (ASIN: B07B6B2CSP), 2014 (First published in 1989). The Potter’s Field, a gift to the abbey, turns out to be a mystery rather than gift when a plow turns up a woman’s body with long black hair. Review

Long Island (Eilis Lacey No. 2), Colm Tóibín. Scribner (ISBN: 9781476785110) 2024 Eilis Lacey returns to her home in Ireland when she learns the wife of a customer of her husband is carrying his child. Review

Contemporary Catholic Poetry: An Anthology, Edited by April Lindner and Ryan Wilson. Paraclete Press (ISBN: 9781640606463), 2024. An anthology of works in diverse styles, aesthetics, and forms from 23 Catholic poets born since 1950. Review

Paul and Imperial Divine Honors, D. Clint Burnett. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802879851) 2024. Studies inscriptional evidence in three cities offering a nuanced treatment of the Roman imperial cult. Review

The Fast: The History, Science, Philosophy, and Promise of Doing Without, John Oakes. Avid Reader Press (ISBN: 9781668017418) 2024. The history, science, philosophy, and promise of doing without, set against the author’s own experience of a seven-day fast. Review

Invisible Giants, Herbert H. Harwood, Jr. Indiana University Press (ISBN: 9780253341631) 2003. The story of two brothers from Cleveland who built a rail and real estate empire centered on Cleveland’s Terminal Tower. Review

Longstreet: The Confederate General Who Defied the South, Elizabeth R. Varon. Simon & Schuster (ISBN: 9781982148270) 2023. From Lee’s “old war horse” to the Radical Republican who defied the “Lost Cause” and fought to vindicate his war record. Review

Christmaker, James F. McGrath. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802884008) 2024. A life of John the Baptist making the case that he was a far more important figure than just the opening act for Jesus. Review

Looking Up: A Birder’s Guide to Hope Through Grief, Courtney Ellis (Foreword by Kay Warren). InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514007167) 2024. A birder’s guide to hope through grief consists of reflections on various birds as the author grieves a grandfather’s death. Review

Copper River (Cork O’Connor Number 6), William Kent Krueger. Atria Paperback (ISBN: 9781439157817) 2009. Cork hides at a cousin’s from hit men who have wounded him only to be drawn into a search for killers preying on runaways. Review

The Beckoning Lady, (Albert Campion Number 15), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ASIN: B08CRRLLC2) 2020 (First published in 1955). While friends prepare for a midsummer party, Campion tries to unravel two murders in Pontisbright. Review

Creating a Life with God (20th Anniversary Revised edition), Daniel Wolpert. Upper Room Books (ISBN: 9780835820394) 2023. Prayer practices for relationship with God, in silence and solitude, with mind and body, alone and in community. Review

The Joy of Advent, Rebecca & Stephen Grabill, Illustrated by Claire Therese Gray. Paraclete Press (ISBN: 9781640609556), 2024. Daily readings, reflections, activities guiding families to create meaningful Advent and Christmastide traditions. Review

The Royal Priest: Psalm 110 in Biblical Theology (New Studies in Biblical Theology), Matthew Emadi. Apollos/IVP Academic (9781514007396) 2022 (Apollos [UK] website). A study of the theme of the priest king of Psalm 110, tracing this idea from Genesis through the New Testament. Review

Our Team, Luke Epplin. Flatiron Books (ISBN: 9781250313799) 2021. The story of four men who propelled the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World Series Championship and how they changed baseball. Review

The Song of the Lark (Prairie Trilogy), Willa Cather. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504035361), 2016 (First published in 1915).  A young woman from a frontier town discovers her passion for music, eventually taking her to the world’s opera stages. Review

Lay Me in God’s Good Earth, Kent Burreson and Beth Hoeltke. InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514007600) 2024. A Christian approach to death, care for body of the deceased, and burial, making the case for natural burial. Review

Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book, Evelyn Underhill, edited by Robyn Wrigley-Carr, foreword by Eugene Peterson. SPCK (ISBN: 9780281078738) 2018. Prayers compiled in two books by Evelyn Underhill for retreats she conducted, edited into a compact edition. Review

Reviving the Ancient Faith, Third Edition, Richard T. Hughes and James L. Gorman. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802877291) 2024. A history of Churches of Christ in America, from sect, to denomination, to recent fragmentation and decline. Review

The Summer of the Danes (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, Number 18), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Media (ASIN: B00LUZNZ60) 2014 (First published in 1991). A peaceful embassy with Brother Mark to two bishops results in both becoming hostages to Danes at war with Wales. Review

Gef!: The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose, Christopher Josiffe. Strange Attractor Press (ISBN: 9781907222481) 2017. The strange tale of an extra-special talking mongoose that inhabited a home on the Isle of Man in the 1930’s. Review

Poems on Nature (Signature Select Classics), various authors. Sterling Publishing Co. (ISBN: 781454944768) 2022. A chapbook of several dozen poems by the world’s greatest poets on the natural world, the air, the sea, and the land. Review

Book of the Month

Courtney Ellis’s Looking Up deftly weaves reflections on various bird with the process of grieving a beloved grandfather’s death. It is not only a profound exploration of the seasons of grief but guaranteed to make you look up and “consider the birds of the air.”

Quote of the Month

Robyn Wrigley-Carr’s, Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book work to edit the two prayer books, compiled by hand by Evelyn Underhill for the retreats she gave, is a marvelous gift. Here is one of the prayers I loved from this book:

O blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who bid your disciples stand with their loins gird and their lamps burning, be with us at this hour. Here we dedicate ourselves to you anew. Help us to run the race that is set before us with redoubled vigour and fresh vision. Teach us how to trim our lamps that they may not burn dim. Guide us to the constant recollection that the candle of the Lord is the Spirit of humanity. And by Your risen power, make us a power for you in this place, for Your own name’s sake. (Number 131)

What I’m Reading

I’m nearly finished with Ned B. Stonehouse’s biographical memoir, J. Gresham Machen. Machen taught New Testament at Princeton until a reorganization of the board communicated doctrinal drift, leading Machen and several others to found Westminster Theological Seminary. Douglas Groothuis’s Beyond the Wager is a wonderful commendation of Pascal as a theologian and apologist, far beyond his famous “wager.”

Then, in fiction, I’m reading Graham Greene’s The Man Within, his first published work. Another writer I enjoy is Candace Millard, whose River of the Gods chronicles Richard Burton and his company’s search for the source of the Nile. Finally, in my quest to grow as a reader of poetry, I am finding Abram Van Engen’s Word Made Fresh most helpful. He gives us permission to find and read poetry we enjoy and then leads us into even greater enjoyment of those works.

I was also excited to receive today Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf. I’ve mentioned a number of times how the Gamache stories got me through the pandemic. I read all eighteen and after a two year break, I’m looking forward to number nineteen and the chance to catch up with old friends in the village of Three Pines.

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book.

Introduction

I did something this month I’ve never done before. I reviewed a book every weekday (except for last month’s Month in Reviews). All told, that is twenty reviews. I guess retirement is agreeing with me! Since this is a long list, I will let you get to them. Just a few I will highlight. Disarming Leviathan explores Christian nationalism and may be of value in this political season. Lovers of the Little House Books will find A Prairie Faith of interest. A few months ago, I reviewed Richard Goodwin’s memoir of the Sixties. Here, I review Doris Kearns Goodwin’s An Unfinished Love Story narrating going through 300 boxes of archives with Dick in the last years of his life, discussing the Sixties once more. Finally, I would call your attention to a modern classic, Discipleship by J. Heinrich Arnold. It will challenge you wherever you are in your spiritual journey.

The Reviews

Woke: An Evangelical Guide, John G. Stackhouse, Jr. THINKBETTER Media (ISBN: 9781738098316) 2024. A brief and balanced introduction and response to the terminology associated with being “woke.” Review

Waiting for Al Gore, Bob Katz. Flexible Press (ISBN: 9798988721321) 2024. A story that pairs a struggling writer and a struggling environmental group hoping a conference becomes a big story when Gore shows up. Review

Disarming Leviathan Loving Your Christian Nationalist Neighbor, Caleb E. Campbell. InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514008515) 2024. Focuses on how we discerningly engage people who embrace Christian nationalism with grace and truth. Review

The Heretic’s Apprentice (Brother Cadfael, 16), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road (ASIN: B00LUZNZ42), 2014 (First published in 1989). The Heretic’s Apprentice is charged with heresy for defending his deceased master’s theological views and held for murder of his accuser. Review

Living with Purpose in a Polarizing World, Albert M. Erisman and Randy Pope. Hendrickson Publishers (ISBN: 9781496487155) 2024. How twelve people in the Bible seek the world’s good and cooperate with God’s redemptive purposes. Review

Chasing Sacred, Mikella Van Dyke Tyndale Momentum (ISBN: 9781496480712) 2024. Using inductive Bible study methods to encounter God and find hope in Him. Review

Cultures of Growth, Mary C. Murphy. Simon & Schuster (ISBN: 9781982172749) 2024. Cultures of Growth applies the science of mindset, distinguishing fixed and growth mindsets, to the culture of organizations. Review

Metaphysics of Exo-Life, Andrew M. Davis. SacraSage (ISBN: 9781958670040) 2023. Metaphysics of Exo-Life constructively engages the naturalistic cosmotheology of Steven J. Dick using A.N. Whitehead’s process metaphysics. Review

The Printer and the Preacher, Randy Petersen. Thomas Nelson (ISBN: 9780718022211) 2015. Recounts the story of the unlikely friendship of George Whitefield and Benjamin Franklin. Review

The Return of the Kingdom (Essential Studies in Biblical Theology) , Stephen G. Dempster. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9780830842919) 2024. Traces the themes of kingship and kingdom throughout Scripture from creation to new creation. Review

Mercy Falls (Cork O’Connor Number 5), William Kent Krueger. Atria Books (ISBN: 9781439157800) 2009 (First published in 2005). Mercy Falls, number five in the Cork O’Connor series finds Cork in a hitman’s sights and danger to his wife in the form of her old flame. Review

The Tiger in the Smoke (Albert Campion Number 14), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504087483) 2023 (First published in 1952). In a soupy fog, a war widow about to re-marry receives photos of her husband while an escaped killer is on the loose. Review

Christianity and Constitutionalism, edited by Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh. Oxford University Press (ISBN: 9780197587256) 2022. Christianity and Constitutionalism explores the contribution of Christianity to constitutionalism in light of history, law, and theology. Review

The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien (Maigret Number 4), Georges Simenon, translated by Linda Coverdale. Penguin Books (ISBN: 9780141393452) 2014 (First published in 1931). The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, in which Maigret’s swap of a suitcase as he follows a suspicious character results in the man’s suicide. Review

Othered: Finding Belonging with the God Who Pursues The Hurt, Harmed & Marginalized, Jenai Auman. Baker Books (ISBN: 9781540903914), 2024. How God sees, loves, and pursues those hurt, harmed and marginalized by the church and offers them rest, healing, and hope. Review

Dream Work, Mary Oliver. Atlantic Monthly Press (ISBN: 9780871130693) 1986. Poetry of Mary Oliver running the gamut from dogfish to Dachau, from starfish to Orion, and Robert Schumann to Stanley Kunitz. Review

A Prairie: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Library of Religious Biography), John J. Fry (Foreword by Mark A. Noll. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802876287) 2024. The religious life of Laura Ingalls Wilder drawn from her books and manuscripts, other writings and the places she lived. Review

An Unfinished Love Story, Doris Kearns Goodwin. Simon & Schuster (ISBN: 9781982108663) 2024 An Unfinished Love Story: Doris and Richard Goodwin remember the 1960’s as they review Dick’s archives of work with Johnson and the Kennedys. Review

Discipleship: Living for Christ in the Daily Grind, J. Heinrich Arnold (Foreword by Henri J.M. Nouwen. Plough (ISBN: 9780874868760) 1994. A collection of forthright counsel on various aspects of following Christ. Review

The Divine Christology of the Apostle Paul, Chris Bruno, John J. R. Lee, and Thomas R. Schreiner. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514001141) 2024. On recent scholarship considering how Paul reconciled monotheism and the divinity of Jesus. Review

Book of the Month

It’s a deep read and it’s not cheap. But I thought Christianity and Constitutionality an exceptional piece of scholarship from a Christian perspective. In addition, it considers the vitally important matter of how governments may be constituted in ways that promote human flourishing and the common good. Another plus was the international makeup of the contributors. Finally, although a first rate piece of scholarship, it was written with a clarity making it accessible to reader willing to give it their attention.

Quote of the Month

I mentioned J. Heinrich Arnold’s Discipleship, which is coming out in a new edition in November, from Plough Publishing. Arnold writes with a refreshing candor and forthrightness. Specifically, he can be downright blunt. Yet this always is shaped by a shepherd’s tough and tender love. But he isn’t “nice.” I loved his self-awareness of his character and explanation of it:

“It is important to be straightforward and honest about your true feelings. Rather be too rude than too smooth, to blunt than too kind. Rather say an unkind word that is true than one that is ‘nice’ but untrue. You can always be sorry for an unkind word, but hypocrisy causes permanent harm unless special grace is given.”

What I’m Reading

I have another Brother Cadfael ready to review as well as Colm Tóibín’s Long Island, an exploration of the choices a wife faces when confronted with evidence of marital unfaithfulness and a renewed connection with an old flame. Anyone who has lived in Cleveland has fixed in mind an image of Terminal Tower. But I did not know the story of the brothers behind it as well as the development of Shaker Heights. Invisible Giants is the biography of the Van Sweringen brothers. I’m nearly finished with an anthology of Catholic Poetry since 1950, a great way to find poets you like.

I love an occasional Civil War book and Elizabeth Varon’s Longstreet is a fascinating study of this Confederate General who after the war supported Republican reconstruction efforts and thus was branded a traitor to the South and blamed for the Lost Cause. Paul and Imperial Divine Honors studies the practice of declaring Roman rulers to be gods, usually after death and how this affected Paul and the Christians of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth. Lastly, The Fast considers the spirituality, philosophy, history, and physiology of fasting against the backdrop of the author’s own seven-day fast.

I won’t always be able to keep up the daily review pace. Longer books throw a wrench in that but I like to read them. And I hope to throw in some bookstore reviews and other articles from time to time. I always appreciate book recommendations and ideas from my readers!

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book.

Introduction

Despite this being my last month of work, I reviewed nineteen books. Of these, four were in mystery series I’ve been working through by Marsh, Allingham, Peters, and Kreuger. I returned to Stanislaw Lem after a hiatus of several years. I finished the mammoth On The Resurrection: Evidences. And I read the authorized biography of Willie Mays for my baseball book of the summer. Jon Meacham’s And There Was Light on Lincoln underscored the importance of presidential character.

I reviewed a succinct commentary on Galatians, a devotional on gratitude, and a book of prayers for those going through serious illness–very different books. Munther Isaac’s The Other Side of the Wall is a heart-wrenching lament for the plight of the Palestinian people by a Palestinian Christian pastor from Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. I had the privilege to interview him. Among the other books I reviewed was memoir of Edwin Yamauchi, that tells the story of a professor who wedded devotion to Christ and his mission, excellence of scholarship, and love for students in a public university setting.

The Reviews

Galatians: A Life in Letters, Johannes W. H. van der Bijl. Langham Global Library (ISBN: 9781839739200), 2024. A narrative commentary on the Letter to the Galatians, reconstructing the circumstances leading to, and the actual composition of the letter. Review

On the Resurrection, Volume 1: Evidences, Gary R. Habermas. B & H Academic (ISBN: 9781087778600), 2024. Evidence for the resurrection of Jesus based upon a minimal historical facts approach comprehensively researched and documented. Review

The Star Diaries: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy, Stanislaw Lem. Harper Voyager (ISBN: 9780544079939), 2012 (First published in 1971). Ijon Tichy’s voyages across the galaxy, satirical short pieces of science fiction by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem. Review

Story, Ritual, Prophecy, Wisdom, Mark W. Hamilton and Samjung Kang-Hamilton. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802883186), 2024. Four modes of scripture for religious education and their use in teaching the Bible: story, ritual, prophecy, and wisdom. Review

Scales of Justice (Roderick Alleyn, 18), Ngaio Marsh. Felony & Mayhem (ASIN: B00Q3JQMJ0), 2014 (First published in 1955). A giant trout beside a murdered aristocrat from one of four families, all having motives or opportunity for murder, in a small rural village. Review

Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, James S. Hirsch. Scribners (ISBN: 9781416547914), 2011. Willie Mays’ authorized biography, his passion for every aspect of the game, and his greatness on and off the field. Review

Towards an Incarnational Spiritual Culture, Gordon E. Carkner (Foreword by Iain Provan). Wipf & Stock (ISBN: 9798385203772), 2024. The Incarnation and our quest for identity, addressing the rootless identities of modern gnosticism and expressive individualism. Review

The Confession of Brother Haluin (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, 15), Ellis Peters. Open Road Integrated Media (ASIN: B00LUZNWTU), 2014 (First published in 1988). From deathbed confession to arduous journey, Brother Haluin’s miraculous recovery results in a journey of penance accompanied by Cadfael. Review

My Heart Overflows: A Treasury of Readings, Poems, and Prayers on Gratitude, Compiled by the editors at Paraclete Press. Paraclete Press (ISBN: 9781640609617), 2024. A treasury of reflections on gratitude, a compilation of poetry, quotations, readings and art on thanksgiving for blessings, others, and God. Review

Blood Hollow (Cork O’Connor Number Four), William Kent Krueger. Atria Paperback (ISBN: 9781439157794), 2009. A murder is pinned on Solemn Winter Moon, but Cork thinks otherwise, confronting resistance and wounds from the past. Review

Faith Embodied, Stephen Ko. Zondervan Reflective (ISBN: 9780310151692), 2024. Bringing physical and spiritual health together, a physician/pastor connects senses and bodily functions with our worship of God. Review

The Other Side of the Wall: A Palestinian Christian Narrative of Lament and Hope, Munther Isaac. InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9780830831999) 2020. A Palestinian Christian narrative of lament and hope, describing the situation from his perspective and offering hope for a shared land. Review

The Waters of Siloe, Thomas Merton. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (ISBN: 9780156949545), 1979 (First published in 1949). A history of the Trappist monks, from Cistercian beginnings to the reforms at La Trappe, foundations in America, and the contemplative life. Review

Irreverent Prayers: Talking to God When You’re Seriously Sick, Elizabeth Felicetti and Samantha Vincent-Alexander. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing (ISBN: 9780802882639), 2024. Talking to God when you’re seriously sick is modelled in this book by honest, unvarnished prayers written during such illnesses. Review

The Five Spaces, Dustin White. The Brethren Church (ISBN:9781732268180), 2019. Understanding the church’s spaces of discipleship, a study of how the church may leverage the different relational spaces we inhabit. Review

Coroner’s Pidgin (Albert Campion, 12), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ISBN:
9781504087230), 2023 (First published in 1945). Back from war, Campion finds a corpse in his bed, brought to his flat by an aristocratic lady protecting her son. Review

And There Was Light, Jon Meacham. Random House (ISBN: 9780553393965), 2022. The convictions shaping Lincoln’s public life including his opposition to slavery, the importance of the union, and his belief in providence. Review

Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China, Glen L. Thompson (foreword by Samuel N. C. Lieu). Wm. B., Eerdmans (ISBN: 9780802883520), 2024. The earliest Christian Church in China came via the Silk Road in the seventh century, substantiated by the Chang’an stele and other documents. Review

An Asian American Ancient Historian and Biblical Scholar, Edwin M. Yamauchi (Foreword by Stephen B. Kellough). Resource Publications (ISBN: 9798385211609), 2024. An Asian American Ancient Historian and Biblical Scholar is the memoir of Edwin M. Yamauchi, professor of history at Miami University, chronicling his family, faith, scholarly work, travels, and church leadership. Review

Book of the Month

Gary R. Habermas On the Resurrection: Evidences runs to over a thousand pages. Yet it is highly readable, thorough, amply documented, and well-argued. Consequently, it is simply the best presentation of the arguments based on evidence for the resurrection that I have read.

Quote of the Month

Irreverent Prayers is a book written by two Episcopal priests facing life threatening afflictions. Specifically, one fought of a MRSA infection of her leg involving months of treatment. The other went through successive surgeries for two different cancers, and was diagnosed with a serious recurrence during the writing of the book. In contrast to the pious language of so many written prayers, those in this book are raw and honest, giving words for what soi many in similar circumstances face. For example, here is a “Prayer When People Call Me Brave or Inspiring”:

“Gracious God, help me to react graciously when well-meaning people call me brave. I’m not brave. I didn’t choose this and wouldn’t if I had a choice. All I do when I’m not in treatment is sit around or sleep, which is hardly inspiring. I should pray that you shield them from knowing that they would react as they must if they were in this situation too, but I would like them not to say stupid things in the future. So please sort it out, God. Amen.”

What I’m Reading

Because I currently have five books awaiting review and five others I am reading, I’m just going to list them, with at most a few words when the title alone doesn’t make clear what the book is about.

Books awaiting review;

• Woke, John G. Stackhouse, Jr. Explores this and other epithets in our current political discourse
• Waiting for Al Gore, Bob Katz. A gentle satire on environmental activism by an author I like.
• Disarming Leviathan, Caleb Campbell. On loving our Christian nationalist neighbors.
• The Heretic’s Apprentice, Ellis Peters. Another in the Brother Cadfael series.
• Living with Purpose in a Polarizing World, Albert M. Erisman and Randy Pope. Twelve biblical figures, how they engaged their culture, with contemporary illustrations from business and professional settings.

Books I’m Reading

• Chasing Sacred, Mikella Van Dyke. On inductive Bible study and how it impacted the author’s life.
• Cultures of Growth, Mary C. Murphy. How organizations can foster cultures of growth by the kind of mindset they foster.
• Christianity and Constitutionalism, Nicholas Aroney and Ian Leigh, eds. Explores the Christian sources that have and may inform constitutional forms of government.
• The Preacher and the Printer, Randy Petersen. On the unlikely friendship between George Whitefield and Ben Franklin.
• Metaphysics of Exo-Life, Andrew M. Davis. Draws upon the metaphysics of A.N. Whitehead to formulate a cosmotheology addressing possibilities of extra-terrestrial life.

As you can see, there are lots of interesting reviews coming in the weeks ahead. I’d encourage you to sign up to follow Bob on Books to see them when they are posted! Happy reading friends!

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book.

Summer is a good time for mysteries and thrillers. In this list are two Albert Campions, a Brother Cadfael, my first read of an Abe Lieberman mystery, and the third in the Cork O’Connor series by William Kent Krueger. On the theology front, I reviewed an interesting work on Pauline theology, a study on righteousness, Marilynne Robinson’s reading of Genesis, and a critique of neurotheology. I finally read Maus I and II and can’t understand the kerfuffle about these books unless one wants to suppress truth about the holocaust. There’s a thought-provoking proposal for “reclaiming the courageous middle” and a wonderful set of reflections on aging gracefully, written by a friend. And there are books on Dante, Flannery O’Connor, George MacDonald and Marvin Olasky and even a fascinating account of the social life of books in the 18th century! And I cant forget Percival Everett’s magnificent James!

The Fashion in Shrouds (Albert Campion, 10), Margery Allingham. Open Road Integrated Media (ISBN: 9781504088367), 2023 (originally published in 1938). Albert Campion investigates three deaths connected to a fashionable actress, Georgia Wells, whose fashion designer is Campion’s sister Val. Review

Paul and Time, L Ann Jervis. Baker Academic (iSBN: 9781540960788), 2023. A proposal that believers live, not at the intersection and the age to come, but that we have been delivered from the present evil age to live in Christ, including living in his time. Review

Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History, Art Spiegelman. Pantheon Books (ISBN: 9780394747231), 1986. Volume one of a graphic novel rendering the tightening control over Polish Jews, portrayed as mice, which ends at the gates of Auschwitz. Review

Diary of an Old Soul, George MacDonald, with introduction and notes by Timothy Larsen. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514007686), 2024 (originally published in 1880). A new edition of MacDonald’s extended devotional poem, with seven line stanzas for each day of the year. Review

Purgatory Ridge (Cork O’Connor, 3), William Kent Krueger. Pocket Books (ISBN: 9780671047542), 2002. A murder investigation becomes far more when a kidnapping plot involves Cork’s own family as well as that of a prominent mill owner. Review

Righteousness: Volume 1: History of Interpretation, Jeffrey J. Niehaus. Pickwick Publications (ISBN: 9781666738018), 2023. The first of three volumes, beginning with a history of defining biblical righteousness, considering the leading interpreters in the light of the author’s own definition. Review

The Social Life of Books: Reading Together in the Eighteenth-Century Home, Abigail Williams. Yale University Press (ISBN: 9780300240252), 2018. A study of reading together in the eighteenth-century home, looking at how books were used and contributed to social life. Review

Dear Dante, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell. Iron Pen | Paraclete Press (ISBN: 9781640609372), 2024. Summary: An imagined conversation with Dante responding to the three sections of the Divine Comedy in sonnets and terza rima. Review

Flannery O’Connor’s Why Do The Heathen Rage, Jessica Hooten Wilson with illustrations by Steve Prince. Brazos Press (ISBN: 9781587436185), 2024. The text of O’Connor’s unfinished work with commentary on her literary process and the tensions she wrestled with in writing. Review

The Hermit of Eyton Forest (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, 14), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road (ASIN: ‎B00LUZNWNG), 2014 (originally published in 1987). A hermit’s arrival brings death and mayhem in a quarrel over a boy’s fate, damage to Eyton Forest, and a search for a fugitive villein. Review

Reading Genesis, Marilynne Robinson. Farrar, Straus and Giroux (ISBN: 9780374613440), 2024. Marilynne Robinson’s interpretation of Genesis, exploring the problem of evil in the world and the goodness of God. Review

Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: And Here My Troubles Began, Art Spiegelman. Pantheon Books (ISBN: 9780679729778), 1992. Volume 2 of a graphic novel on surviving Auschwitz, the story of Art Spiegelman’s parents and his struggle to care for his father. Review

Claiming the Courageous Middle, Shirley A. Mullen. Baker Academic (ISBN: 9781540967046), 2024. Claiming the courageous middle in a polarized time as a risky and redemptive adventure of pursuing a hopeful future. Review

The Last Dark Place (Abe Lieberman, 8), Stuart M. Kaminsky. Mysterious Press/Open Road Media (ASIN: B00AYRI5DI), 2013 (originally published in 2004). Who ordered the hit on the hitman? That’s what Lieberman, who was transporting him back to Chicago tries to figure out as he tries to head off a gang war and pay for his grandson’s bar mitzvah. Review

Have We Lost Our Minds?, Stan W. Wallace. Foreword by J. P. Moreland. Wipf & Stock (ISBN: 9781666789133) Have we lost our minds to neuroscience? A challenge to neurotheology’s eclipse of the soul and reduction of mental events to brain events. Review

James, Percival Everett. Doubleday (ISBN: 9780385550369), 2024. A retelling of a Mark Twain classic in which the slave, James, rather than Huckleberry Finn, is narrator. Review

Traitor’s Purse (Albert Campion, 11), Margery Allingham. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504087254), 2023 (Originally published in 1941). Amnesiac Campion thinks “fifteen” of vital importance. It holds a key to a vital mission he tries to fulfill, though he knows not what it is. Review

Growing Old Gracefully, David J. Claassen. Elk Lake Publishing (ISBN: 9798891341890), 2024. Navigating the transitions of our senior years with grace and joy. Review

Pivot Points, Marvin Olasky. P & R Publishing (ISBN: 9781629959535), 2024. Pivot points of a compassionate conservative, a memoir tracing the journalistic and writing career of Marvin Olasky, former editor in chief of World magazine. Review

Book of the Month

There were so many good ones in this collection, it was a hard choice. I’m going to go with George MacDonald’s Diary of an Old Soul. It is a new edition of a classic, in which MacDonald offers a seven line devotional poem for each day of the year. The facing pages are left blank for the reader to add personal reflections. A wonderful Christmas gift.

Quote of the Month

Marilynne Robinson captures in these words, from Reading Genesis one of the major themes, for me, of the Bible:

“The Bible is a theodicy, a meditation on the problem of evil. This being true, it must take account of things as they are. It must acknowledge in a meaningful way the darkest aspects of the reality we experience, and it must reconcile them with the goodness of God and of Being itself against which this darkness stands out so sharply.”

What I’m Reading

I’ve spent the month of July working my way through Gary Habermas’ On the Resurrection Volume 1: Evidences. This is the first of a four volume work, volume 1 running to over 1000 pages. Habermas writes well, and carefully lays the groundwork for evidence supporting the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Another, not quite so long book, is Willie Mays: The Life, The Legend, recommended by a friend on Mays’ passing this summer. It takes the measure on the greatness of his performance and character without overlooking his flaws.

Galatians: A Life in Letters by Johannes W H Van Der Bijl is a recreation of what it was like for Paul to write Galatians, the thought process behind the letter. Story, Ritual, Prophecy, Wisdom: Reading and Teaching the Bible Today considers these four aspects of the Bible and how they influence Christian education. After a hiatus of several years, I’ve picked up another Stanislaw Lem book, The Star Diaries: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy. Lem has a way of pursuing serious philosophical questions with a mixture of wit, tomfoolery, and incredulity.

Well, that’s the Month in Review for July. Hope you get some good reading time in during what remains of summer.

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book.

I love writing about books. This month, I read and reviewed eighteen of them. Great reads, important topics, informative presentations, and beautiful writing. On this last, I loved a collection of poetry by 95 year-old Luci Shaw and a delightful short-story collection by Peter Kostoglou. Significant non-fiction reads: Jonathan Haidt on the devastating effects of smartphones on teens, Austin Knuppe on how ordinary Iraqis survived the Islamic State, and Charles Taylor’s magisterial analysis of secularity. John Fea makes a great case for why we should read history.

Then there were so many riveting fiction reads. Kristen Hannah’s The Women, like so many of her books was one I kept thinking about when I wasn’t reading it. I’m amazed at William Kent Krueger’s ability to write so well and make you turn the page in his Cork O’Connor stories. I continue to enjoy the Brother Cadfael stories, reading number 13 in the series this month.

I always read a selection of Christian books, both popular and serious. Nancy French and Curtis Chang have written a must read for anyone looking for a better approach to our politics in The After Party. I read a fascinating biography of William Carey and a tale of a recently discovered diary revealing the story of a group of Christian abolitionists centered around Oberlin College. Robert Cochran’s The Servant Lawyer is a great treatment of the calling of lawyers and the great good they may accomplish.

Here’s the whole list, with links to the publisher’s website in the title and a link to the full review at the end of each summary.

Boundary Waters (Cork O’Connor #2), William Kent Krueger. Simon & Schuster (ISBN: 9780671016999), 2000 (link is to a different edition in print). A young country-western singer hiding in seclusion in a Boundary Waters cabin is pursued by a man claiming to be her father, FBI agents, a father and son from an organized crime family–and a couple of cold-blooded killers for hire. Review

The Rose Rent (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #13), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Integrated Media (ISBN: 9780446405331), 2014 (originally published in 1986). Two deaths and the abduction of a widow seem tied to a white rose bush from which the annual rent of a Foregate property is paid in the form of one white rose. Review

Humility: Rediscovering the Way of Love and Life in Christ, Michael W. Austin. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802882103), 2024. A study of the Christian virtue of humility understood as following Jesus, being formed in his character of humility and love through his people and through spiritually transformative practices. Review

The Father of Modern India: William Carey, Vishal & Ruth Mangalwadi. Sought After Media (ISBN: 9798988783107), 2023. Proposes that missionary William Carey, and not Mahatma Gandhi, is rightly to be considered the father of modern India. Review

The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt. Penguin Press (ISBN: 9780593655030), 2024. Explores the connections between the decline in independent play in childhood, the advent of smartphones, and the sharp rise in anxiety and depression, among adolescents and young adults. Review

Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes, David B. Capes. Kregel Academic (ISBN: 9780825444784), 2024. A commentary on the Gospel of Matthew showing both obvious and subtle references to the Old Testament of how the life and ministry of Jesus fulfilled the plan of God articulated in these passages. Review

Awakening to Justice, The Dialogue on Race and Faith Project, Jemar Tisby, Christopher P. Momany, Sègbégnon Mathieu Gnonhossou, David D. Daniels III, R. Matthew Sigler, Douglas M. Strong, Diane Leclerc, Esther Chung-Kim, Albert G. Miller, and Estrelda Y. Alexander. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514009185), 2024. How a long-forgotten journal led a team to recover the stories of three abolitionists and their times. Review

Sillies, Fancies, & Trifles, Peter Kostoglou. Resource Publications (ISBN: 9798385207695), 2024. Summary: A collection of seven short stories, all with an element of the fantastic, inviting us into the mystery of beauty, the deep joy in the world, and the power of love. Review

Why Study History? (Second Edition), John Fea. Baker Academic (ISBN: 9781540966605), 2024. A Christian historian explains why the study of history is important to us, what historians do, and helpful and unhelpful ways to relate our faith to the study of history. Review

The After Party: Toward Better Christian Politics, Curtis Chang and Nancy French. Zondervan Books (ISBN: 9780310368700), 2024. How we might shift toward a better Christian politics through humility and hope. Review

Gospel Media: Reading, Writing, and Circulating Jesus Traditions, Nicholas A. Elder. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802879219), 2024. Addresses myths and generalizations about reading, writing, and publication in the Greco-Roman world shaping ideas of how the gospels were composed, used, and circulated. Review

The Women, Kristin Hannah. St Martin’s Press (ISBN: 9781250178633), 2024. A historical fiction account of the experiences of women nurses who served in Vietnam war combat areas and what it was like to come home. Review

Reversing Entropy, Luci Shaw. Paraclete Press (ISBN: 9781640608702), 2024. Poems that address the decay in the physical world and how human creativity and transcendent hope reverses entropy. Review

Unfinished Tales Of Numenor And Middle-Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien. William Morrow (ASIN: B00796E7CA), 2012 (originally published by Houghton Mifflin, 1980). A collection of stories, many in unfinished state, by J.R.R. Tolkien providing background information on the three ages of Numenor and Middle Earth, edited by his son. Review

The Servant Lawyer: Facing the Challenges of Christian Faith in Everyday Law Practice, Robert F. Cochran Jr. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514007228), 2024. An exploration of the real work lawyers do and the challenges and opportunities for Christians who practice law. Review

Say Good, Ashlee Eiland. NavPress (ISBN: 9781641587006), 2024. Offers a four-part process for finding one’s voice to navigate the tightrope of challenging public discussions, using one’s voice to “say good.” Review

Surviving the Islamic State, Austin J. Knuppe. Columbia University Press (ISBN: 9780231213875), 2024. A comprehensive study of how civilians survived Islamic State occupation in various communities throughout Iraq. Review

A Secular Age, Charles Taylor. The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press (ISBN: 9780674026766), 2007. How Western society moved from a shared belief in God to a secular age in which belief was one option of many. Review

Book of the Month. As I mentioned above Kristin Hannah’s The Women is a powerful book on the women nurses who served in combat areas of Vietnam. Through the experiences of Frankie McGrath, we learn of the traumatizing experiences nurses faced on the battlefield and the hostility and lack of recognition and PTSD they experienced at home. Like all her women characters, McGrath is a character who discovers her strength, but also her vulnerability.

Quote of the Month. Humility is a quality not often aspired to. Michael Austin’s wonderful little book on humility as following Jesus had this quote that caught my attention:

“What is the person like who follows Christ in his humility? The humble person fights to descend the social ladder, rather than climb it. The humble person makes the interests of others their priority, rather than their own. Instead of always grasping for what they want, the humble person serves others, for their good, often in sacrificial ways. The humble person focuses on God and others, rather than themselves. The humble person is steeped in the love of God, and that love flows from God through them to others” (p. 35).

What I’m Reading. I just finished Margery Allingham’s The Fashion in Shrouds, the tenth in her Campion series. It was not my favorite–I didn’t like any of the characters, even Campion’s sister. I picked up Maus after it was banned for use in eighth grade classes in a Tennessee school district. Why don’t we want eighth graders to read this account of the Holocaust? I haven’t found anything inappropriate for adolescent readers. Paul and Time by Ann Jervis is a fascinating proposal challenging the ” this age/the age to come” paradigm. She proposes instead that we live either in the present evil age or we live in Christ, and to be in Christ is to be in his time, the time of the resurrection. She calls this “life time.”

Righteousness by Jeffrey J. Niehaus is the first of a three-part study on this biblical idea in which he lays out his proposal and does a survey of other theologians. He proposes that righteousness is conformity to God’s being and doing. I’m on to the third Cork O’Connor, Purgatory Ridge, just as riveting as the first two. Finally, I always enjoy books on books and reading. The Social Life of Reading is a study of how people read together in the home in the eighteenth century. It makes me wonder what we lose when we no longer read aloud to each other.

Well, I hope I’ve offered you a few ideas of some good things to read on those hot summer days.

The Month in Reviews is my monthly review summary going back to 2014! It’s a great way to browse what I’ve reviewed. The search box on this blog also works well if you are looking for a review of a particular book.