Musings

The Weekly Wrap: January 4-10

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The Weekly Wrap: January 4-10

Making Peace With My Unread Books

Umberto Eco had a library at one time of 50,000 books. He certainly never read them all. When asked about why he had so many more than he could read, he commented

“It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones.“

He actually considered his unread books as a kind of “anti-library,” representing what he did not know. He thought our libraries ought be made up of both kinds of books.

I’m in conversation with many bibliophiles online and it seems to be almost universally the case that we have more books than we will probably read in this lifetime.

I think I’m coming to a greater peace with this. For one thing, I don’t know which books I won’t read. Nor do I know which books that have lounged about unread, I will find the need to read. For example, someone might mention a book, author, or topic, and I realize I have that book! And it all came in handy during the pandemic!

Of course, part of my peace with this is the prior decision to live generously. Acquiring books ought never be a miserly activity. I love giving good books to others who will read them. Likewise, our commitment to charitable giving is the first one set in my budget. Books still are discretionary, after charity, fixed expenses, and basic necessities are met.

So, I think I’m OK with what I’ve not read and won’t be able to. While there is always that yearning for “the next book,” I also find that there is a growing pleasure in having read great books and recalling them (at least as long as the memory works!).

Finally, I like to think of reading as conversations with other minds. And my TBR stack reflects others waiting their turn. It’s as if I am at a reception, engaged in a stimulating conversation, even as I’m aware of someone I’d like to meet. I savor the time in conversation, and then if our times allow, I go to make a new friend.

Five Articles Worth Reading

So, what do I do now? I share the New York Times “The Novels Everyone Will Be Talking About in 2026.” They have looked out to September and offered a list of what they think will be the talked about novels this year. I was excited to see that Ann Patchett and Elizabeth Strout have new books coming out!

On a different topic entirely, I was often asked during my years in campus ministry about spiritual attitudes on campus. “How Big Is the God Gap on College Campuses?” gets down into a lot of stats and an interesting correlation between attendance and political attitudes.

One of the “go-to” books for writers is Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. Briallen Hopper offers her own appraisal of how well the book has held up after 30 years in “Anne Lamott’s Battle Against Writer’s Block.”

I’m not the only one who thinks that coarse, rude, and aggressive behavior is becoming increasingly the norm since COVID. James McWilliams noticed this on a book tour and writes of his own response in “Why I Try to Be Kind.”

Finally, an aspect of bibliophilia is not only creating a library but enjoying the libraries of others. Enjoy “The Most Beautiful Home Libraries” from the editors of The New York Times Style Magazine.

Quote of the Week

As it happens, we celebrated Umberto Eco’s birthday on January 5. Here’s another quote about unread books:

“There are books on our shelves we haven’t read and doubtless never will, that each of us has probably put to one side in the belief that we will read them later on, perhaps even in another life.”

Miscellaneous Musings

A mute clockmaker finds himself in San Francisco to repair a a giant clock and runs into Jack London. All this just before the Great earthquake. This is the setting for Norman Lock’s Eden’s Clock. I just began reading it and found myself engrossed. Then I discovered that it is the final book in a twelve book series by Lock with Bellevue Press. I wonder if I’ll be going back and reading earlier numbers.

One of my resolves has been to read more humor. Most of the recommendations I’ve gotten are P.G. Wodehouse and Bill Bryson. Terry Pratchett, who I’m reading has also come up. I’ve read Wodehouse, all of Thurber, none of Bryson, so I’d love more suggestions.

I don’t know about you but I feel like I have whiplash from this week. The fifth anniversary of January 6, the seizure of Maduro and the US “takeover” of Venezuela, and the death of a mom in an ICE-involved shooting. I don’t want to debate the politics as everyone on social media are doing. This new video by Amy Grant, who I haven’t listened to in years, captured my own sense as one of the “Woodstock” generation, that, from such “wide-eyed hope,” we’ve “lost our way.” It seemed a kind of lament to me, a place where I find myself in prayer. I take comfort from the fact that those who lament in scripture are renewed in hope.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: J.D. Lyonhart, The Journey of God

Tuesday: Richard Osman, The Man Who Died Twice

Wednesday: Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor

Thursday: Dale Allison, Jr. Interpreting Jesus

Friday: Ann Hagedorn, Beyond the River

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap  for December 28-January 3.

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The Weekly Wrap: December 21-27

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The Weekly Wrap: December 21-27

Reading Realities

“When evening comes, I return to my home, and I go into my study; and on the thresh-hold, I take off my everyday clothes, which are covered in mud and mire, and I put on regal and curial robes; and dressed in a more appropriate manner I enter into the ancient courts of ancient men and am welcomed by them kindly, and there I taste the food that alone is mine, and for which I was born; and there I am not ashamed to speak to them, to ask them the reasons for their actions; and they, in their humanity, answer me; and for four hours I feel no boredom,I dismiss every affliction, I no longer fear poverty nor do I tremble at the thought of death; I become completely part of them.”

― Niccolò Machiavelli

I came across this quote by Macchiavelli this week, describing the ideal, even transcendent, experience every reader hopes for. Maybe you have to live in a different century. But my reading experience is rarely the exalted experience of Machiavelli’s

Most often, it is like this. I sit down to read, mug of coffee at my right hand. I read a few pages and my dentist office calls-an automated message reminding me of my dental appointment next month. So, I recover the train of what I’m reading, get another sip of coffee and read a few more pages–good interesting stuff. Then my mind wanders to a conversation with a friend where something like this came up.

Realizing that my mind has been somewhere else while my eyes were scanning the lines, I back up to the point where I hopped on a rabbit trail. After reading a bit more, I notice my mind wandering somewhere else–to my bladder. The inevitable consequence of that coffee. After addressing that bodily need, I come back to my book and read another ten pages, feeling like I’m getting in the flow. Then I hear the mail truck…with a shipment of books I’ve been awaiting.

Am I the only one for whom this is true? And this is only a sampling. I haven’t even gotten to dozing off, or having a limb “fall asleep” or a myriad of other interruptions like clothes in the dryer that need to be hung up, a drain clog, or those annoying pre-registration texts from all our doctors. Maybe Machiavelli had household servants to take care of stuff like this. I don’t.

I’ve stopped dreaming of four hours without boredom in the company of great minds. An interesting new thought or an intriguing plot turn is enough. Reading doesn’t fail me. And as for the rest? It keeps me grounded in life beyond the book.

Five Articles Worth Reading

Saul Bellow was one of the authors my mother enjoyed. When I started reading him, I discovered an intelligent mind with incredible reach who created memorable characters. Tyson Duffy recalls “The Manifold Mind of Saul Bellow.”

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first son asked him about Father Christmas at age three. For the next twenty-three years, his children received an annual letter from Father Christmas, in which Tolkien created yet another imaginary world. Jake Rossen describes “When J.R.R. Tolkien Posed as ‘Father Christmas’ for 23 Years.”

Last week I posted the most popular stories from Literary Hub. This week, the editors of Literary Hub posted “Our Favorite Lit Hub Stories From 2025.” Ten more great articles selected from this year’s output.

I’m always surprised by the writers who win big awards I’ve never heard of. For example, Rabih Alameddine won this year’s National Book Award. Lily Meyer profiles him in “The Writer Fueled by Life’s Randomness.”

Finally, what do Betty Boop, The Maltese Falcon, The Little Engine That Could, and The Murder at the Vicarage all have in common? All of them will pass into the public domain on New Year’s Day! Learn what else is passing into the public domain in “The cultural works becoming public domain in 2026, from Betty Boop to Nancy Drew.”

Quote of the Week

Poet Thomas Gray was born December 26, 1716. You may have heard a version of this but never knew who said it:

“Where ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise.”

Miscellaneous Musings

My Christmas book haul began on Christmas Eve. Just when we were headed to church, we spotted the box on our doorstep that contained Beth Macy’s Paper Girl. An Ohio native, the book is her narrative of growing up in nearby Urbana, Ohio.

Christmas Day brought four more from my son and his wife. Two were on my wish list: Thomas Pynchon’s Shadow Ticket and Robert McFarlane’s Is A River Alive. They also came up with two others, one a mystery and one sci fi. All of them look like good reading!

I’ll be posting my 2026 Reading Challenge next week. One preview–I’ve decided to limit myself to five challenges for the year. I’m keeping it real with challenges I intend to pursue personally to enrich my own reading life.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: William Kent Krueger, Manitou Canyon

Tuesday: Louis Markos, Passing the Torch

Wednesday: Bob on Books 2026 Reading Challenge

Thursday: The Month in Reviews: December 2025

Friday: David W. Opderbeck, Faithful Exchange

And as a preview to future attractions, I will be reviewing the first Jane Austen novel I’ve read the following Monday, Sense and Sensibility.

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap  for December 21-27.

My best wishes to you all for your New Year’s celebrations. Stay safe!

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The Weekly Wrap: December 14-20

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The Weekly Wrap: December 14-20

A Reading Holiday?

Our consumer economy wants us to spend the day after Christmas shopping after-Christmas sales. But I came across a good counter-suggestion yesterday. Jamie E. Davis is the genius behind “Because All The Books,” one of my favorite sites for bookish memes. Yesterday, she posted one that said, “I think the day after Christmas should be officially declared a reading holiday.” While I love the idea, I think there is little chance of that happening. However, the U.S. President just spoke of making the days before and after Christmas federal holidays. While he is not a great fan of reading, it doesn’t mean we can’t make the day after our reading holiday.

There are good reasons to do this. Many of us readers are introverts. All the holiday visits, fun as they are, mean extroverting. The last thing we need is all the crowds at the sales! We’re ready to curl up and read!

Then, there are the new books we received as gifts, or the ones we bought while gift-buying. They are calling!

But, you may say, “I didn’t get any books, just some gift cards burning a hole in my pocket!” The last thing I want is singed clothing, so if you can’t wait, go ahead (and often you can do this online on a reading break). But if it means a trip to a bookstore, I always find it more relaxing when there aren’t too many people around, especially in my favorite sections.

Above all, I like the idea that Christmas just begins on Christmas Day. Remember the twelve days of Christmas, which end January 6. Why not give yourself the gift of a reading holiday?

Five Articles Worth Reading

“The Pamphlet That Has Roused Americans to Action for 250 Years” explores why Thomas Paine’s Common Sense has continued to be read.

Henry James often wrote of the magic of Venice. Departing from her usual writing, Anne Applebaum retraced his steps and discovered that the city, facing inundation, still has that magic. “Henry James’s Venice Is Still Here” is a delightful photo essay of her journeys.

Literary Hub is one of my sources for thoughtful writing on all kinds of books. If you’ve not discovered this online resource, “The Most Popular Lit Hub Stories of 2025” is a great place to start. And if you do follow Literary Hub, it is a great recap of this year in books.

A new short story by J.R.R. Tolkien has just been published, The Bovadium Fragments. It’s a satire rooted in Tolkien’s deep seated aversion to motor vehicles. Christian Kriticos reviews it in “Isengard in Oxford.”

Finally, The Public Domain Review posted Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Christmas Sermon, piblished in pamphlet form in 1900, six years after his death. No matter your religious persuasion, I think you will like his ideas.

Quote of the Week

john Greenleaf Whittier was born December 17, 1809. He remarked:

“When faith is lost, when honor dies, the man is dead.”

This quote reminds me of the question Jesus asks, “ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

Miscellaneous Musings

I’ve been reading Louis Markos’ Passing the Torch. It is an argument for an educational curriculum for youth built around the classics and other great books as well as the trivium and quadrivium. I’m conscious of how these elements were not part of my childhood education and of my unsystematic efforts to make up for this deficit as an adult. He also helps me understand the growing movement of classical education in both Christian and secular contexts. I hope he will offer some critique as well as affirmation before he finishes.

Manitou Canyon is the 15th book in William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor series. In some ways, it strikes me as a parable of the consequences of when we cede the implementation of technology to those who will most profit from it.

I posted about this earlier this year but Publishers Weekly reminded me in “Last Call for Mass Market Paperbacks” that the death of the mass market paperback is upon us. I wonder if some of those classics will become collectors items?

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Gordon Fee and Cherith Fee Nordling, The Kingdom of God is Among You

Tuesday: Michael Grunwald, We Are Eating the Earth

Wednesday: Gerald L. Bray, Athens and Jerusalem

Thursday: Audrey Davidheiser, Grieving Wholeheartedly

Friday: Alan Noble, You Are Not Your Own

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap  for December 14-20.

My best wishes to you all for your holiday celebrations, including that reading holiday!

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The Weekly Wrap: November 30-December 6

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The Weekly Wrap: November 30-December 6

Will AI Replace Writers?

One of the articles posted in this Weekly Wrap addresses the concern of writers that AI will replace them. At least half of UK novelists think this possible. And to be honest, I think it possible. AI can produce works in the style of any writer. For some readers, this may be all that’s necessary. Personally, I think to accept that is “welcome to The Matrix” material.

Yet real novelists who are good at their work don’t write in a “style.” There is a certain mystery to the human creative process, but it involves synthesizing a variety of elements and one’s own vision of the world into a story that is recognizably unique.

The challenge is not to write better than Atwood, McEwan, or King (even if you are them). Rather, it is the hard work of birthing words on the page out of that mysterious process, something very different from Large Language Models. I suspect there is a significant cadre of readers who will be able to discern and want the products of such a process.

Still, I think there ought to be some safeguards. The biggest is transparency. Ultimately, most people don’t want to be deceived that something they thought human authored was not.

While Amazon will sell most anything, with some exceptions, bookstores don’t have to. And perhaps it is time for those who buy books to decide, will I buy AI-written books? The danger I see is that the low cost of producing AI books might allow discount pricing that makes this attractive to buyers on a budget. And if an AI book can be written that is a page-turner, that might be all you need at the airport. But do you want to fill your life with airport fare?

People feared that print books would die with the advent of e-books. They haven’t, although the mass market paperback may be on the ropes. I wonder if we will see something of the same here. I also wonder if we will see a resurgence of small indie publishers who will go against the grain of those publishing AI material. What strikes me is that publishers and authors won’t decide this. Readers will–at least I fervently hope so!

Five Articles Worth Reading

The article I referenced is “A troubling question has been raised around human authors vs AI.” The article raises an interesting question about only the rich being able to afford books by human authors.

Technology has also changed public discourse. Formerly this was the purview of a class of intelligentsia. Now everyone with a smartphone is part of the conversation. Dan Williams thinks the elimination of “gatekeeping” a good thing. In “Let’s Not Bring Back The Gatekeepers” he argues that the once privileged who are on the margins need to learn to engage and persuade, not whine about media-facilitated populism.

The theory that Hamlet was inspired by the death of Shakespeare’s son has gained currency with the publication Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet in 2020 and the movie adaptation of it recently released. James Shapiro engages this trend in “The Long History of the Hamnet Myth“

The work of giving reasons for one’s faith, know as apologetics, was always a part of my collegiate ministry experience. So I was very interested in this interview, “Godly Persuasion,” with Ohio historian Daniel K. Williams on his new book studying the character of Christian apologetics from the English Puritans down to contemporary evangelicals.

Finally, many are turning to Hannah Arendt as a kind of prophet concerning totalitarianism. In “Hannah Arendt Is Not Your Icon,” New York Times non-fiction reviewer Jennifer Szalai profiles Arendt and proposes that one may find someone quite different than who they are looking for.

Quote of the Week

Poet Rainer Maria Rilke was born December 4, 1875. There are various versions of this translated quote, but one I’ve seen is:

“Live your questions now, and perhaps even without knowing it, you will live along some distant day into your answers.

Miscellaneous Musings

I’ve written before of the exceptional place Hearts and Minds Bookstore is. Owned by Byron and Beth Borger, they stock a wide array of thoughtful Christian books and other genres. They can get anything. Late last week I ordered three books. They arrived Tuesday, carefully packed and undamaged in a sturdy box. In addition, while on their website, you can sign up for Byron’s “Booknotes,” a regular newsletter reviewing books, usually on a theme, and all are discounted!

I’ll be compiling my “Best Books of 2025” to post next Friday. I choose an overall book as well as exceptional books in a number of categories. Don’t miss it!

I’ve just started Michael Grunwald’s We Are Eating the Earth which makes the case that our current practices of food production are unsustainable and contribute to climate change. I hope he offers practical help concerning what ordinary citizens can do.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Rick Atkinson, The Fate of the Day

Tuesday: Esther Lightcap Meek, Loving to Know

Wednesday: Dave Ripper, Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus

Thursday: Robert Garcia, Paul Gondreau, Patrick Gray, Douglas S. Huffman, eds., Watching The Chosen

Friday: Bob on Books Best Books of 2025

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for November 30-December 6.

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The Weekly Wrap: November 23-29

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The Weekly Wrap: November 23-29

Thanksgiving Reflections of a Bibliophile

We celebrated Thanksgiving in the United States on Thursday. It is often the custom to share for what we are thankful, often at the overladen dinner table! But if I were to share for what I’m thankful for as a bibliophile, no one would get in a word edgewise! So, here’s my chance.

First of all, there are the books themselves! They entertain, capture the imagination, inform, and inspire. They enlarge my world and make it more interesting.

Then there are those who sell them! Almost to the person, booksellers are people who share my booklove and love to serve others by connecting them with books they’ll love. I most admire those who own bookstore–always a challenging financial proposition and a labor of love. I don’t know any rich booksellers.

It’s been a privilege to connect with a number of authors. No matter what I think of their books, I am aware of the arduous work of writing and rewriting and the courage to believe others will be interested in what they’ve written. I’m thankful for the disciplined passion that gives birth to their books.

Then there are the publishers. I’m especially grateful for the small publishers who take the risks to bring new authors to our attention. I think of all the people in publishing houses whose work makes this possible: editors, publicists, graphic designers, marketers, and the administrative people who support the enterprise.

A group I increasingly admire are librarians. They do so much more for their communities than help us borrow the books we want or learn about those we might like. They serve a variety of community needs from job searches to dealing with drug overdoses. Increasingly, they are the front line troops ensuring that the books we want, no matter how controversial for some, are available to read.

Finally, as a “book influencer,” I have the chance to interact with many other booklovers and my life is so rich for it. I’m constantly learning from their insights and book recommendations. And its a joy when I learn a review has helped someone find a book they love. Summing it all up, there is so much for which I’m grateful–and I’ve spared you!

But if only my beloved Buckeyes can break their losing streak today and defeat That Team Up North! Then all will be right in my corner of the world!

Five Articles Worth Reading

“Bibliomania, the only hobby which is also a mental health affliction. The person with piles of titles on their nightstand, in their closet, in the trunk of their car. Books in front of books on their bookshelf.” Ed Simon explores why this is true of so many of us as bibliophiles in “Nothing Better Than a Whole Lot of Books: In Praise of Bibliomania.”

But what happens to all those books when we die? Kelly Scott Franklin especially explores the fate of all the e-books on our readers as he deals with his mother’s passing. Along the way, he asks profounder questions about our lives, libraries, and literary productions in “The Bad News.”

Meanwhile, literary studies are facing steep cuts in many of our universities. Against that backdrop, Johanna Winant celebrates her experience teaching of close reading through her classroom interactions with appreciative students. She raises important question of what we are in danger of losing in “The Claims of Close Reading.”

The name Czesław Miłosz keeps coming up for me–a signal that I ought to explore his work. This article, “A Quarrel with the World,” piques my interest as it explores his underground work and internment in World War Two and how Communists tried to claim him as one of theirs, necessitating his flight from Poland to France.

Finally, in early November, Marilynne Robinson received the Lewis H. Lapham award from Harpers Magazine. In her brief remarks, she incisively puts the case for the necessary work of maintaining our democracy. You can read her remarks in “‘The Voice of a Free People is Full of Turbulence and Grace.’ Marilynne Robinson Accepts the Lewis H. Lapham Award.“

Quote of the Week

Poet and hymnwriter William Cowper (pronounced as we would pronounce “Cooper”), was born on November 26, 1731. I will leave you with this aphorism, a rhyming couplet:

“They whom truth and wisdom lead, can gather honey from a weed.”

Miscellaneous Musings

I finished one of the more profound books this week that I’ve read in some time. Esther Lightcap Meek’s Loving to Know explores what she calls “covenant epistemology” which she frames as a radical alternative to both Cartesian and post-modern epistemologies. She draws heavily on the work of Michael Polanyi to propose a way of leaning that is neither merely objective nor subjective but personal.

I also finished Rick Atkinson’s Fate of the Day, the second in his planned trilogy of Revolutionary War books. What most impressed me was that to a significant extent the colonists, and especially Washington, won by avoiding outright defeat, until France could help administer the final coup de grace.

Finally, I am returning to a writer whose work I’ve loved, Tish Harrison Warren. An Anglican priest and former New York Times op-ed writer, she wrote a book a couple years ago, Advent, that a book group I’m a part of is reading. I like her idea of “making Christmas weird, again.”

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: The Month in Reviews: November 2025

Tuesday: Tish Harrison Warren, Advent

Wednesday: Mark R. Glanville, Preaching in a New Key

Thursday: Mark Tabb, Am I a Better Christian on Zoloft?

Friday: David McCullough, Brave Companions

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for November 23-29.

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The Weekly Wrap: November 16-22

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The Weekly Wrap November 16-22

Bookstore Serendipity

“Serendipity” was one of Merriam-Webster’s “Word of the Day” offerings. They defined it as “luck in finding valuable or pleasant things unlooked for.” And that is why I love going to bookstores, or any book sale–even a box at a garage sale!

I asked this on my Facebook page this week: “When you visit a physical bookstore do you tend to be looking for particular books or do you prefer the “surprise me” approach?” From this poll, it appears I’m not alone. One person wrote, “it is very simple, I don’t find books, they find me.”

However, there were a number of “boths.” I’m also like that when I go to Barnes & Noble. I often have a book or two I’m looking for. But what I walk out with doesn’t always reflect that. For example, on my most recent trip, I had a book I was looking for, couldn’t find it but spotted two others that I bought. One was by a favorite author. The other was non-fiction that caught my fancy. I feel like those books found me!

But at a used bookstore or any other book sale, serendipity reigns supreme. I never know what I’m going to find. Here are examples of three of my favorite finds. First was Kenneth Latourette’s history of Christianity in one volume at an out of the way bookstore run by a former college professor. The second was Paige Smith’s two-volume biography of John Adams in a slip case. I honestly can’t remember where I found it. Finally, I found a like-new two volume set of Raymond Brown’s Death of the Messiah at our local Half Price when they used to have 50 percent off sales. Half price of half price–I think I saved $60!

But saving money is only part of it. Often, it is spotting one of those “I’ve always wanted to read that” books. And sometimes, it is just picking up something you’ve never heard of before. But it looks so intriguing. Valuable or pleasant things unlooked for–that’s one of the joys of bookstores!

Five Articles Worth Reading

Ever wonder what it was like to be the daughter of On the Road author Jack Kerouac? Jan Kerouac’s novel Baby Driver conveys much of that. It turns out he wasn’t much of a father. He didn’t even recognize her as his daughter until a paternity test made that unavoidable. This year NYRB Classics has reissued the book. “Father, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?” is Shane Devine’s review for the Hedgehog Review.

A trend in contemporary literature is the plotless novel. That is, it explores the inner life of its protagonist. If you are interested in character development but want a plot, M.L. Rio recommends “Eight Plot-Heavy Books That Will Keep You Turning Pages.”

Were you one of those like me who learned how to type at an actual typewriter? Some authors still swear by them. Somewhere we still have my wife’s college typewriter, the one on which she typed all my seminary papers, working from my hand-written text! She got a dinner out for every paper. If we were ever to break it out, I suspect it would need service. I came across this fascinating photo essay about one of the surviving repair shops that I thought you’d like: “How to Fix a Typewriter and Your Life.”

Remember the great foodies of the past? For example, Julia Child or Anthony Bourdain? “Who Was the Foodie?” explores what it means to be a food influencer in a social media age. And one of the interesting ideas is that good food is about more than preparation and taste. Rather it is about the source of that food.

Speaking of food, next Thursday is the celebration of Thanksgiving in the United States. JSTOR has put together a potpourri of “Thanksgiving Stories” with all the fixings. A veritable feast!

Quote of the Week

Feminist novelist (The Women’s Room) Nancy French was born November 21, 1929. Here’s something she said that offers much to ponder:

“Fear is a question. What are you afraid of and why? Our fears are a treasure house of self-knowledge if we explore them.“

Miscellaneous Musings

Titles are meant to grab attention as well as give a hint of what a book is about. How the Rhino Lost His Horn by Jack Rathmell caught mine. It’s a narrative of the author’s travels from Appalachia to Africa. It was one of those rare books I accept for review because the author pitched the book personally. That’s always an adventure in itself!

I received another book recently titled In Guns We Trust. It is subtitled “The Unholy Trinity of White Evangelicals, Politics, and Firearms.” The cover also shows an image of Jesus holding an assault style rifle. The book compares its work to that of Tim Alberta in The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory as an effort to understand pro-firearm evangelicals from the inside. I hope it is an honest effort to understand, but the cover came across as polemical to me. But authors don’t always have a lot of control over these things. I don’t think polemics will get us to constructive measures to address the pervasiveness of guns and gun violence in American culture.

Next week I’ll be reviewing Paul Kingsnorth’s Against the Machine, a trenchant critique of techno-capitalism. One thing that struck me is how much he mentions Jacques Ellul and Lewis Mumford, who foresaw these things more than a half-century ago. And what arrived today? Questioning Technology with Jacques Ellul. It is a collection of essays co-edited by a good friend and Ellul scholar, David W. Gill. What a treat!

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Catherine McNeil and Jason Hague, Mid-Faith Crisis.

Tuesday: Leyla K King, Daughters of Palestine.

Wednesday: Paul Kingsnorth, Against the Machine.

Thursday: Charlie Mackesy, Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm.

Friday: Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms.

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for November 16-22.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends in the United States!

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The Weekly Wrap: November 9-15

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The Weekly Wrap: November 9-15

Reading and the Senses

Yesterday I saw an ear, nose, and throat doctor. Since the summer, I’ve had a feeling of my left ear being blocked and noticed changes in my hearing. The visit included a hearing test, which confirmed that my hearing in the left ear is diminished, especially in the low ranges. That explains things sounding “tinny” in that ear. It’s caused by fluid collected in the inner ear, a condition called cochlear hydrops. My doctor has prescribed treatment. Thankfully, both ear drums are healthy.

I also learned that my hearing ability in the upper ranges is diminished, almost universal in older adults. I suspected that. When I Iisten to music, as I am while writing this, it sounds more warm than bright. All this brings up one of my fears as one who loves to read and listen to music. What happens should the senses on which visual reading or listening fail?

I watched my mom struggle with this. I probably got my love of reading from her. In her seventies, she experienced the onset of macular degeneration in both eyes. I see an eye doc regularly, try to live healthy, and watch for any signs of vision changes. Until recently, however, I hadn’t thought of hearing problems. I kind of figured that if the eyes went, there were still audiobooks.

I’m aware that there are both treatments and assistive technologies to address these losses. For now, I’m grateful that apart from reading glasses, I don’t require them. But my most recent doctor visit reminds me that I do well to prepare for changes.

Meanwhile, I’m grateful for gifts of sight and hearing that permit me to savor the Hadyn string quartets I’m listening to and a Terry Pratchett novel. After yesterday, even more grateful than ever.

Five Articles Worth Reading

The recent passing of James Watson reminds us of the extraordinary scientific breakthrough of their discovery of DNA and the double helix. Janice P. Nimura reviews a new biography of his partner, Francis Crick, in “The Building Blocks of Life Were Just the Beginning.”

This week, Meta offered me instant AI translations of the “reels” of my Bob on Poetry series. Ross Benjamin confirms my suspicions of the problems with this offer in “The Costs of Instant Translation.”

One of my “go to” online sources is The Paris Review. Poetry, book excerpts, and great author interviews, it’s all there. Peter Matthiessen was one of its founders. More recently, it has come out that the magazine made a great “cover” for his work with the CIA. Fittingly, The Paris Review has just offered an account of their founder in “What Really Happened with the CIA and The Paris Review?: A Conversation with Lance Richardson.”

We always try to make sense of the senseless tragedy of suicide. Nowhere is this more true than in the suicide death of Sylvia Plath. At the time of her death, she was at the peak of her writing powers and a mother to two children. In “Making Sense of Sylvia Plath’s Final Act,” Carl Rollyson offers his own researched account of what might have been in Plath’s mind as she ended her life.

Finally, it seems no one found more ways to kill of his characters than William Shakespeare. “74 Ways Characters Die in Shakespeare’s Plays Shown in a Handy Infographic: From Snakebites to Lack of Sleep” shows all the ways Shakespeare found for his characters “not to be.”

Quote of the Week

And while we are on the topic, here was the take of Astrid Lindgren, author of the Pippi Longstocking stories. She was born November 14, 1907.

“I don’t mind dying, I’ll gladly do that, but not right now, I need to clean the house first.”

Miscellaneous Musings

Everyone seems to be racing to get their best book awards out. I guess it doesn’t pay to publish in November or December. I suspect it all anticipates the holiday buying season.

I’ve been reading Rick Atkinson’s great series on Revolutionary War history. Fate of the Day underscores the British folly in persisting in the war, which succeeded in turning it into a global war for them. So, I wonder if Ken Burns will reach a similar conclusion in his new PBS series that starts Sunday evening.

Finally, I like to find Indie authors I can support. I can’t do it for everyone but those from Ohio have a leg up for me, A while back Michael S. Moore, from the Columbus area, reached out to me about his first book, Crumpled Paper. I gave it a chance and loved it. He just sent me his newest, Jazz Trash. If you always wanted to play in a band but didn’t play guitar, how would you respond to an ad that said “Wanted. Guitarist who does not play guitar”? It’s got me curious!

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Liam de los Reyes, The Earth is the Lord’s

Tuesday: Wendell Berry, Marce Catlett

Wednesday: Sy Garte, Beyond Evolution

Thursday: Michael A. Evans, David L. McFadden, and Michael O, Emerson, Kingdom Racial Change

Friday: Harry S. Stout, The Divine Dramatist

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for November 9-15.

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The Weekly Wrap: October 26-November 1

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The Weekly Wrap: October 26-November 1

Why I’m Not a Horror Fan

I’ve made through the month of Spooktober! No twelve foot skeletons have snatched me up. Nor have I been bitten by any giant spiders. I’ve not been spirited away by any goblins hanging on trees. And I’ve not read any of the horror novels that were the subject of so many newsletter articles this month.

I’m just not into horror. That’s not a judgement on anyone else’s literary tastes. One could argue that horror makes a great escape from the scary realities of modern life. But not for me. I find that what I need is either perspective that helps me face these things or books of consolation for the precious things we are losing that I have little hope of changing.

One of the phrases that occurs over and over in my Bible is “be not afraid.” Horror functions by saying “be afraid; be very afraid.” So do conspiracy books. Every imaginary fear functions by making us believe something could be so. I’ve simply made a personal decision that I will not live by fear. That doesn’t mean I won’t reckon with danger.

Ultimately what is feared in horror is death–often in a grisly manner. I wonder whether it is good to fascinate oneself with macabre forms of death. And the beings that inhabit the beyond are usually not Caspar the Friendly Ghost. C.S. Lewis offers good guidance that we neither disbelieve in devils nor excessively focus on them. I try to follow that.

Finally, there are just so many other books I am interested in reading that what life I have left is too short a time. And in the Eternity that follows, horrors real and imagined will come to an end. Somehow, horror just doesn’t fit, for me.

Five Articles Worth Reading

But if I were to take a dip into horror, I would probably start with Stephen King. The only one of his books I have read is 11/22/63. Gilbert Cruz has written “The Essential Stephen King,” a guide to his work beginning with your interests

One of the first American masters of horror was Edgar Allen Poe. As it turns out, the most enigmatic mystery has to do with the cause of Poe’s own death. In “The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death: 19 Theories on What Caused the Poet’s Demise,” Open Culture explores the different explanations and the evidence.

In addition to his poetry, T. S. Eliot wrote a lot of prose. Essays, printed lectures, and book reviews (lots of them). People wondered whether he really read all the books he seemed acquainted with. At very least, the reviewer of his Collected Prose, Vols. 1-4, insists that the quality of analysis confirms that he read carefully what he reviewed. “What We Can Do Is to Use Our Minds: T. S. Eliot, Collected Prose” is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of T.S. Eliot and what he gained from all that writing.

I’ve seen several reviews of Paul Kingsnorth’s Against The Machine, which contends that our modern techno-capitalism is undermining the foundations of our civilization and destroying the earth. I have the book and will be reviewing it soon. “Let ‘The West’ Die” is adapted from his book and will give you the gist of his thought.

In my early adult years, it was not uncommon to get some friends together, put on some music (usually on vinyl),” crank it up and either dance to it, or just take it in. Recently, my son brought back a vintage Tony Bennett album. Perhaps the greater gift was savoring it together. Jonathan Garrett, in “How to Make Music Popular Again,” considers what we’ve lost as music listening has become a private experience on headphones.

Quote of the Week

Novelist Evelyn Waugh was born October 28, 1903. He made this fascinating observation:

“When we argue for our limitations, we get to keep them.”

Have any limitations you want to keep?

Miscellaneous Musings

I lost a day to sickness on Wednesday. It was kind of weird–just profound tiredness accompanied by unsteadiness on my feet and a fever. I nearly fell asleep in my soup during lunch! Slept all afternoon into the evening, took some acetaminophen and started feeling better, and by Thursday, felt better other than feeling somewhat drained. When I was awake, I couldn’t read–nothing registered. I could handle an episode of The Chosen, a video series. That was all. It meant delaying my reviews by a day. I was in no state to write one on Wednesday for a Thursday posting. It reminded me of what a gift health is, and the amazing, even at 71, recuperative powers of our bodies.

Ironically, on the day when I missed my regular posting time, I had one of the best days of the year with traffic on the blog. Louise Penny’s and Charlie Mackesy’s new books had just dropped and it looked like people were looking up my reviews of their previous books. There’s a lesson for me here. By the way, I have both of the new books and hope to review them in November.

I wonder if there is a silver lining to cuts to the humanities and the arts, and to libraries and public media. If they can replace lost revenue with private support without becoming “beholden” to a particular interest, it seems that they would gain a new degree of freedom in our highly politicized atmosphere. We all can make a difference in our buying decisions and charitable contributions to help make that possible.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: The Month in Reviews: October 2025

Tuesday: Ian Mc Ewan, What We Can Know

Wednesday: Georges Simenon, Pietr the Latvian

Thursday: Crystal L. Downing, The Wages of Cinema

Friday: Jonathan Marks, Let’s Be Reasonable: A Conservative Case For Liberal Education

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for October 26-November 1.

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The Weekly Wrap: October 19-25

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The Weekly Wrap: October 19-25

Book Affordability

BookRiot ran a story this week arguing “We’re in a Book Affordability Crisis.” One of the key pieces in this affordability crisis is the phasing out of mass market paperbacks, hitting the romance segment of the market most heavily (although many mysteries, thrillers, and science fiction/fantasy have been published in this format as well). Remember when you could buy one of these for $.50 to $.95? Even in recent years, prices were under $10, many even under $7.

The next step up is the trade paperback with price points in the $16-20 range. That represents a doubling in cost. Of course, hardbacks are just out of reach for many. So what do people do? Some dedicated readers just cut back in other areas as they can. But the book trade cannot depend on that. Retail sellers will probably lean into loyalty programs and periodic sales, and pre-release discounts.

But many dedicated readers will probably move away from retail purchasing. Second hand sales, ranging from online sellers like Thriftbooks to physical stores and library sales may benefit. But their prices are rising as well, and eventually, their supply of mass market books will decrease. Others will just hit the library, which means longer waitlists. And libraries will feel the pinch of higher acquisition costs in all formats.

And like the folks at BookRiot, I don’t see more e-book buying. Digital Rights Management limits re-selling options for books you only license, not own. And often, the cost is not that different from physical books, unless you spot a discount.

Dedicated readers are resourceful, and most already have an ample stock laid up so that they can “shop their shelves.” One way or another, they will find a way to feed their habit. I’m less sure about “budding readers.” But this also poses challenges for retail sellers, especially indie booksellers, whose ability to buy at discount are less. I wonder, as does BookRiot, whether, in the end, publishers will come up with some kind of under $10 option. Maybe they will realize that the mass market is a market.

Five Articles Worth Reading

But is all this a sign we are entering a post-literate society? I first read many classics — Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, Dickens, and Dostoevsky — in mass market paperbacks (and still have some of them!). James Marriott believes we are on the other side of a three century reading revolution and are witnessing “The dawn of the post-literate society.” I wonder if we serious readers are becoming dinosaurs. At least I will keep doing my part to “light a candle rather than curse the darkness.”

Nevertheless, Thomas Pynchon keeps writing. Gus Mitchell reviews The Shadow Ticket in “The American Dream-Master.” The novel explores fascism in 1930’s America. Hmm.

She’s written “about animals, about orchids, about a female bullfighter in Spain, about the Los Angeles Central Library, about the life and death of a 346-year-old tree, about subjects you didn’t think you cared about but actually do.” “She” is Susan Orlean and her new memoir’s title Joyride gives us a glimpse of what it has been like. So Sarah Lyell sat down with her to talk about that life and the new book and discovered “How Writing Helped Susan Orlean Find a ‘Bigger Place in the World’“

Then another reason for not giving up on the possibility of a return to literacy is that great books continue to be written. This week, Publisher’s Weekly released its “Best books of 2025.” The list covers 150 fiction, non-fiction, teen, and youth books. But it does seem a tad early for “best book” lists. Isn’t there anything good coming out in the next two months?

As I write, baseball’s World Series is underway. College and pro football and soccer are in full swing. The hockey season just began and basketball is not far off. All that is to make the point that literacy need not preclude reading books about sports. There has been and is some great sports writing. David Halberstam, Roger Angell and George Will all wrote great baseball books. Will Leitch introduces us to some great books in “Seven Books That Will Change How You Watch Sports.”

Quote of the Week

Novelist Michael Crichton was born October 23, 1942. He made this pithy observation:

“I am certain there is too much certainty in the world.”

Nowhere does this seem more true than on social media where it seems we need a daily dose of epistemic humility!

Miscellaneous Musings

I’m reading What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. The story revolves around the quest for a lost poem in a post-apocalyptic world, a century from now. Many coastal cities have been inundated. Regional wars, some using “limited” nuclear options, paradoxically have helped cool the climate. But the title reflects the effort to reconstruct a dinner party from 2014 and a poem read in honor of the poet’s wife’s birthday. The poet was famous in his time, the poem thought to be a masterwork. However, in his scenario, the period beginning in 2030 is called “The Derangement.’ That seems plausible.

I was gratified to write the publicist at a small publisher for a review copy of a new book. She remembered my reviews of a couple of their books from several years back and was glad to send the book. That personal touch is increasingly rare. More often, you just submit a form. Who knows, maybe there is an AI bot in the future, who may seem personal. But the human connection is one of the things about reviewing that I’ve most valued.

I really need to do something for our mail carrier this Christmas. The daily USPS Informed Delivery email from the post office revealed I had four books coming from different publishers. I knew those wouldn’t fit in our mailbox so I raced to meet her when I heard the truck. But she was already on my doorstep, scanning the packages when I got there. She’s really terrific. Any ideas of a good and appropriate gift?

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Andre Trocme’, The Memoirs of Andre Trocme’

Tuesday: Agatha Christie, The Idol House of Astarte

Wednesday: Norah Whipple Caudill, Old Testament Wisdom & Poetry

Thursday: John Henry Newman, An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine

Friday, Ian Mc Ewan, What We Can Know

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for October 19-25.

Find past editions of The Weekly Wrap under The Weekly Wrap heading on this page

The Weekly Wrap: October 12-18

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The Weekly Wrap: October 12-18

The First Amendment and Readers

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

One of the most chilling conversations I had about twenty years ago was with a progressive law student who argued for the repeal of the First Amendment. More recently, the arguments have come from conservative voices. Just as chilling.

The First Amendment, I would argue, is one of the most extraordinary statements in the history of government, perhaps alongside and a direct descendent of the Magna Carta. It sets forth a seamless garment of freedom consisting of five strands: freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom to petition the government.

Those living in the United States may believe, say, and publish what they choose with a few exceptions, gather with like-minded people, and individually and collectively appeal to the government to make right a grievance. It doesn’t mean we are free to defame another, incite to imminent lawless action, threaten violence, engage in obscenity, or commit fraud. And it doesn’t permit civil disobedience, the breaking of a law in making a protest. Those who commit civil disobedience need to understand that they may be charged and punished for their act.

Today is the day of “No Kings” demonstrations throughout the United States. Whatever you think of these gatherings, I hope we can affirm the First Amendment Rights of those who protest, so long as their words and actions do not exceed First Amendment protections. But it means living with speech we may not like, even speech to which we may take offense. That’s why the law students I was speaking with twenty years ago wanted to do away with the First Amendment. They believed in a mythical freedom to not be offended or disagreed with. And I think it is the same thing that may animate calls to repeal the First Amendment today.

Every reader, no matter your politics, should oppose any such effort. To restrict what we may say, believe, and publish is to restrict what we may read and think. But this means seeing books we disagree with. In addition, it means defending the right to publish and seek an audience for such books. However, it also means the freedom to make good arguments about what is wrong with those books. For example, it protects the freedom of book critics to “pan” a book. The remedy for free speech we don’t like or disagree with is dissenting free speech. In essence, that means not less speech but more.

Therefore, as readers, let’s keep the First Amendment first!

Five Articles Worth Reading

But can we use speech to build bridges rather than walls? “The Connector” profiles former atheist turned Catholic Leah Libresco Sargeant. She promotes discourse across divides. Likewise, her own ideas fail to fit neatly into our political boxes.

One of my favorite U2 songs is “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” “A Warning for the Modern Striver” review a biography of Peter Matthiessen, portraying his life as a relentless search for “True Nature.”

Have you ever walked into a bookstore, glimpsed the new releases and wondered what is worth perusing and perhaps buying. The Millions’ “Great Fall 2025 Book Preview” came out this week with around one hundred titles they considered worth reading. They offer brief summaries of each book.

But where do you go to buy such books? One place might be Recluse Books if you are anywhere near Fort Worth, Texas. “Recluse books” interviews one of the store owners who made this comment on the name of the store: “There’s so much focus on the reclusive writer, but reading is also a reclusive, solitary activity. It requires you to focus on something and be alone with the words if you’re really going to do it well.” Sounds like my kind of place!

Finally, developing a kinder, gentler culture begins with each of us. One thing it means is building real friendships rather than just having online “friends” and “followers.” And for parents, it means helping our children build good friendships, as well. “3 Picture Books That Capture the Essence of Friendship” might be a place to begin.

Quote of the Week

Playwright Eugene O’Neill was born October 16, 1888. He made this thought-provoking observation:

“Man is born broken. He lives by mending. The grace of God is glue.”

Miscellaneous Musings

I was captivated by Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. So I was delighted to receive Always Remember, his new book, featuring the same characters, drawn in the same way.

Although I no longer write about Growing Up in Working Class Youngstown, I still love books with a Youngstown connection. Runs in the Family is the story of Deland McCullough, a former NFL running back and coach who grew up on Youngstown’s East side. He was adopted, and only in his forties did he learn who his parents were, giving him the surprise of his life.

I review a lot of Christian literature. So, I found myself resonating with Matthew James Smith’s article “I Don’t Like Christian Literature.” Paradoxically, he argues that the books he has liked are the ones that don’t make him feel good. I agree. Thus, I try to find those books to review (though not always succeeding).

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Mitchell Chase, Walking the Way of the Wise

Tuesday: Ethan Tapper, How to Love a Forest

Wednesday: Stephen J. Chester, Paul Through the Eyes of the Reformers

Thursday: Sarah Spain and Deland McCullough, Runs in the Family

Friday: Erin F. Moniz, Knowing and Being Known

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for October 12-18.

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