Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones

The Dervan Empire has at last triumphed over Volanus, putting the great city to the torch and selling survivors sold into slavery. It is an absolute victory for the Dervans in every way but one.

Hanuvar, last and greatest general of Volanus, still lives. He travels the length of the Dervan Empire to find what remains of his people and free them.

Against the might of a vast empire, he had only an aging sword arm, a lifetime of hard-won wisdom, and the greatest military mind in the world. No matter what what man or monster stands in his way, from the empire’s capital to its furthest outposts, Hanuvar would find his people and set them free.

I have a real weakness for this sort of sword-and-sorcery tale. I don't love them indiscriminately. Conan the Barbarian isn't my style. But there is a way to tell these stories that adds a bit of humor, a touch of irony, a soupçon of larger themes than merely adventure and magic. Fellow fans will know what I mean when I mention Lord Dunsany's stories and Fritz Leiber whose Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser stories are so much fun.

I've long been a fan of Howard Andrew Jones for his wonderful book The Desert of Souls. Here's my review. I lost track of Jones after his Asim and Dabir stories ended. So I was really interested when I saw that Jeff Miller (always trustworthy in pointing to new books) was had given five stars to the first two books in the series. I agree — this first book is really good. 

Lord of a Shattered Land is a series of short stories that can stand alone but which make up one tale by the end. There is no purple prose here, just good modern storytelling set in a hostile land filled with magic, quests, and monsters — both Lovecraftian and human. As Hanuvar travels he picks up a complimentary companion and encounters others who may become allies in later books. 

This world is loosely based on the Carthaginians and Romans.  In that scenario, Hanuvar is Hannibal. The difference, of course, is that this is the author's world and it is filled with interesting characters, compelling storytelling, and a quest that we want to see fulfilled. I liked seeing new facets to Hanuvar with each new adventure. I also appreciated that Jones doesn't give an info dump on the world we're in. He reveals it as needed for the story, bit by bit. Each story adds a little to what we know. This is really well written. No purple prose here!

Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes

Richard and Frances Myles are preparing for their annual European summer vacation in 1939 when they are visited at their Oxford college by an old friend who has a seemingly simple job for them. But in the heightened atmosphere of pre-war Europe, nobody is above suspicion, in fact the husband and wife are being carefully monitored by shadowy figures.

This was Helen MacInnes' first book and remains one of her best. She was a popular writer of spy novels for 45 years. Frances and Richard Myles are asked by an old friend to see if the head of an European underground railroad is still in place. This is before Britain is drawn into what will become WWII. While following clues backwards from person to person down the "railway", they discover that the open, friendly Germany they have loved has changed under the Nazi regime.

This is both an exciting spy story and an interesting look at the pre-war Germany. This book was written as the Nazis increased power and published in 1941. It seems surprisingly true to life and a fellow reviewer explains why:

She married Gilbert Highet, a Classics scholar, in 1932 and translated German literature with him. Like the characters in this novel, both her and her husband spoke fluent German and spent their summers travelling in Europe. Gilbert Highet also served as an MI6 British intelligence agent and his wife's novels were so realistic that her third book, "Assignment in Brittany" was required reading for Allied intelligence agents about to be sent to work with the French Resistance. As you can tell, you are in safe hands for a realistic novel about Europe in 1939, which is where Above Suspicion is set.

I didn't know all that but it helps explain why the book is so good. I haven't reread this for many years and was happy to find it remains as good as I remembered.

My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme

This book is the charming and fascinatingly told story of Julia Child and her husband living in France. What elevates this beyond the usual food/life memoir is Child's telling of the whole picture, not just the food oriented moments. Yes, the food is there. After all, we are in France, n'est-ce pas? And this is Julia Child's story. However, just as in life, the food memories wind their way through the rest of her stories which make us understand just why she adores France. A snippet to whet your appetite.

... I had come to the conclusion that I must really be French, only no one had ever informed me of this fact. I loved the people, the food, the lay of the land, the civilized atmosphere, and the generous pace of life.

August in Paris was known as la morte-saison, "the dead season," because everybody who could possibly vacate did so as quickly as possible. A great emptying out of the city took place, as hordes migrated toward the mountains and coasts, with attendant traffic jams and accidents. Our favorite restaurants, the creamery, the meat man, the flower lady, the newspaper lady, and the cleaners all disappeared for three weeks. One afternoon I went into Nicolas, the wine shop, to buy some wine and discovered that everyone but the deliveryman had left town. He was minding the store, and in the meantime was studying voice in the hope of landing a role at the opera. Sitting next to him was an old concierge who, twenty-five years earlier, had been a seamstress for one of the great couturiers on la Place Vendome. She and the deliveryman reminisced about the golden days of Racine and Moliere and the Opera Comique. I was delighted to stumble in on these two. It seemed that in Paris you could discuss classic literature or architecture or great music with everyone from the garbage collector to the mayor.

Just Plain Fun Reading — Dragon Heist by Alexander C. Kane

Birdie Binkowitz is just a little bitter. As a young actress, she was the toast of Hollywood, definitely destined for greatness. Then the dragons had to rise up from their thousand-year slumber, take over Earth and ruin everything. Twenty years later, Birdie is living her worst life in her hometown of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, working at her father's Seed and Feed (and Bagels).

Then, the world's smallest dragon mysteriously appears in front of the store seeking her help. He’s got a bone to pick with his fellow dragons–and he wants to hit them where it hurts.

This book was mildly entertaining during the first few chapters of set up. But I definitely cracked up when Jim (the Dragon) announced that in order to accomplish their goal, they were going to have to get a fighter, a thief, a giant, and a mage. Hey, that's dungeons and dragons quest stuff! All in modern-day Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Then it started to get fun and imaginative. My favorite character was the thief, Dottie Three Hands.

As the story went on, I became more curious about the goal of looting a dragon's lair. There seemed to be more at stake than simply getting treasure. As it turns out, that was correct and the twist was predictable but not disappointing for all that. I thoroughly enjoyed the team getting through the puzzles at the gates. I also really enjoyed Birdie's talent being that of annoying people beyond their ability to keep their minds on what they were doing.

All in all, this was a perfect summer read and I'd love it if there is a sequel.

How the Church Has Changed the World by Anthony Esolen

I've become a big fan of Anthony Esolen's essays from his daily posts at Word & Song. In particular the Word of the Week essay every Monday is always an engaging, wide-ranging reflection on the word from personal experience, far-flung sources, scientific or historical links, and, finally, etymology - the origin of the word itself.

When I came across this series collecting monthly essays he'd originally written for Magnificat I was excited to see that the same captivating, wide-ranging style was used. Quite often I'd find myself thinking, "Oh this is definitely about this well known saint" only to find that I was reading about someone I'd never heard of. Although that "well known saint" might have been best friends with the subject of the piece.

Esolen ranges across time and around the world to show us the many ways that the love of Christ has been expressed by the Church through history — in art, song, customs, and people. Each book has twelve essays and they make wonderful daily reading — if you can hold yourself down to one a day. I couldn't!

Just Plain Fun Reading: Galaxy Outlaws by J.S. Morin

I've been rereading this light, fun series which I first reviewed below in 2019 as I was listening to the audiobooks. Now, I've got the series of four-packs on my Kindle. They're just what you want for brainless reading fun.

Meet the galaxy's unluckiest outlaws.

Carl Ramsey is an ex-Earth Navy fighter pilot turned con man. His ship, the Mobius, is home to a ragtag crew of misfits and refugees looking to score a big payday but more often just scratching to pay for fuel. 

Along the way, the Mobius crew crosses paths with the Black Ocean's vilest scum, from pirate fleets to criminal syndicates, and most law-abiding scum, including Earth Interstellar Enhanced Investigative Organization, ARGO high command, and the Convocation of Wizards.

Time and again, riches lie just out of reach, because for all the talents Carl Ramsey and his crew possess, they've also got an outlaw's greatest weakness: a conscience.

Galaxy Outlaws is a collection of all 16 Black Ocean missions chronicling the adventures of the starship Mobius and her crew, along with six short stories. This series is the perfect cure for the Firefly Season 2 blues.

This was $5 on an Audible sale and the reviews were mostly so glowing that I didn't let the 85 hour length intimidate me, especially since it is a 16 book series inspired by Firefly. (How much did we love that show? Our dogs are named Zoe, Wash, and Kaylee - which gives any fellow fans the clue.)

It definitely has that vibe and is just plain fun - space opera in the old style. The narrator is really great, perfect for voicing these scalawags. I like the idea of having these stories in the background always ready to pick up.

I'm halfway into the fourth book and I'm enjoying the heck out of these stories so far.

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong

A young “national model worker,” renowned for her adherence to the principles of the Communist Party, turns up dead in a Shanghai canal. As Inspector Chen Cao of the Shanghai Special Cases Bureau struggles to trace the hidden threads of her past, he finds himself challenging the very political forces that have guided his life since birth. Chen must tiptoe around his superiors if he wants to get to the bottom of this crime, and risk his career—perhaps even his life—to see justice done.

I really loved this book and couldn't put it down. China and the Chinese people are almost as much characters as the police detectives in the book - Inspector Chen and his assistant, Detective Yu. It is a great mystery but so much more as we are immersed in the culture of 1990s China.

Like his protagonist, Qiu Xiaolong is a is a poet, translator, and academic. He was born in Shanghai and came to the US in 1988 to write a book about T. S. Eliot. After the 1989 protests and massacre in Tiananmen Square, Qiu stayed in the U.S. Ten years later he wrote this book, set around the time of the Tiananmen massacre, which looks at the changing political culture as experienced by Inspector Chen in his investigation.

The mystery was good, as I mentioned, but I also loved the way the tension was ratcheted up partway through when Chen comes under political pressure to save face for the party.

I'm waiting for the second book from the library!

WARNING NOTE: There are some descriptions of sex and of photos thereof. It is easy to skip, which I did, but I wanted to mention it.

Just Plain Fun Reading — Andrea Vernon series

The Andrea Vernon books are perfect light, fun reading. These are what you get when you mix the workplace, romance, and superheroes. Andrea sees all the action from behind-the-scenes at a corporation which manages their contracts and assignments. Which is very funny indeed.

The audiobooks are read by Bahni Turpin who is as good as you can get for expressive reading.

Andrea Vernon's drowning in debt and has no prospects. Then, one morning, she is kidnapped, interviewed, and hired as an administrative assistant by the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection. Superheroes for hire, using their powers for good.

Her coworkers may be able to shoot lightning out of their hands or have skin made of diamonds, but they refuse to learn how to use the company's database. And there's the small matter of a giant alien space egg hovering over Yankee Stadium, threatening civilization as we know it.

Alexander C. Kane has an inventive mind when it comes to superheroes and villains. The range of abilities and the uses to which they are put are both believable (in a superhero universe) and funny. Combining this with an office atmosphere full of sales meetings, government restrictions, and contracts is surprisingly effective and ... of course ... funny. My favorite hero is Inspector Well Actually. He's the most brilliant man on earth but can't analyze a situation unless someone makes a flatly wrong statement that he can contradict. Hence the name "Well Actually."

Andrea's adventures wrap all these elements together into a surprisingly tense tale of saving the world from aliens. It's like a comic book but without the pictures. And that works because Bahni Turpin's narration is spot on.

More than a year after she helped save the world, Andrea Vernon is in a good place. Her boss is giving her greater responsibility and she’s getting to travel a lot. And she has a really fun new BFF, Never More.

One small issue, though — Never More is a supervillain bent on world domination, and it looks as if nothing can stop her. Especially since Congress is determined to bring the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection and all of “Big Supe” under government control.

Even with mankind’s greatest heroes fighting back, will it fall on Andrea to save the day — again?

This book is even better than the first. Alexander Kane has a positive genius for combining superheroes with the mundane activities of business and life. Corporate takeovers, inappropriate best friends, and adapting to new business techniques are melded hilariously with some of the most inventive superheroes yet. As always, I love Andrea's personality, Ms. O, and Inspector Well Actually. Now I can add Andrea's frenemy Never More to the list.

The supervillains of DESTRON have conquered the country, The Big Axe has been imprisoned, and the heroes of the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection have been reduced to hiding behind a force field surrounding New York City.

And if that's not enough, Andrea Vernon is pregnant. With a Little Axe.

But Andrea’s not one to sit on the sidelines. She has to make a plan to save the country, rescue her boyfriend, and figure out what exactly people do with babies. And a whole new slate of enemies is coming for CUP, led by the newly installed dictator of America, Dr. Robotfury, and his ingenious mecha-administrative assistant who bears a rather frightening resemblance to Andrea.

It’s a lot to wrap up before you go on maternity leave.

This was a good addition to the series. I thought the Executive Committee subplot was very, very dumb. However, the rest was great fun. I especially liked the new super C'Mon.  Recommended to anyone who likes Andrea Vernon.

Scum of the Earth by Alexander C. Kane

I have enjoyed Alexander C. Kane's writing from the moment that Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection came out on Audible. That series dealt with superheroes from a business management point of view. The Orlando People series featured X-men style mutants and the prejudice they faced for having small talents. Dragon Heist was just glorious fun looking at looting a lair, pulling together a band of thieves in a small Southern town, and Alabama football. (Also the funniest dragon you will ever meet.)

All of these books all fell under the category of "fun summer reading." Sure, they had underdogs and might touch on deeper issues but it was always in service of the adventure and humor. They are popcorn books, fun and funny.

This book is something else. Kane actually writes a real science fiction novel. This book looks at alien invasion from the point of the collaborators, the turncoats who wholeheartedly cooperate with the subjugation of the human race to a life of fear and misery.

So it's dark. And it's about a topic that I do not want to read about. That's why it came out in January and it took me until September to try it. In fact, I did something I never do — I picked up the Kindle copy (only $4.99 - his books are always reasonably priced) — and read the last chapter first. Hey, I read 1984 last year and I didn't need that kind of thing hitting me again. So I'll tell you it isn't 1984.

Reassured I began reading. Then, as is the case with Kane's books, I began reading faster and faster, unable to put it down. Although the book is definitely dark, it has ironic moments that help lighten the mood. There also are small humorous comments that I didn't notice until I was listening to the audio book. Kane's books have always really shone in audio.

I was surprised to see that, although it isn't 1984, there are definite echoes of concepts and themes that I found when reading it. Doublethink, to name just one example, is everywhere.

There are chances for redemption which are examined through the lens of all sorts of characters from True Believers (ah, but what do they hitch their belief to?), opportunists, and those seeking fulfillment in doing what they do best. All of this is expressed through the way people are living under the invasion.

And all this is still, as is Kane's talent, expressed through a riveting adventure story that you can't put down. Highly recommended.

NOTE: I realized that I've been very lax about posting reviews of Kane's other books. I'll be catching up on that soon!

Gentle Reading of Long Ago Times: Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson

I've read this on and off over the last 30 years. My daughter, Hannah, has my copy of this book and I recently remembered that it is gentle reading for troubled times. There is an inexpensive Kindle version which is perfect for occasionally dipping into this soothing, fascinating look at bygone days. 

My original review is below.

===========

This is probably my third time reading this trilogy. I used to keep it in my desk at work for lunchtime reading when there was no one else in the break room.

These three books are chronicles of small village, larger village, and small town life in rural England in the late 1800s. Told with fictionalized names this is nonetheless acknowledged to be a good record of what life was really like back then, from the farming/working class point of view. As such, Thompson didn't populate it with a main story line but centered it on one family (her own, one presumes) and then told all she had observed growing up. We see working habits, tavern stories and songs, pig killing day, and much more. In a sense, I suppose one could call it "Little House" stories for grown ups - set in Britain.

The rhythm of life gently washes over the reader and, if one isn't too worried about driving storylines as I mentioned, then there is a great reward in these books. They are perfect for unforced reading whenever one has a chance.

I was unaware that there was a television series based on these until reading some GoodReads reviews. No wonder many of them were slightly disappointed. There would have to be a great deal of "reading into" to get storylines for the Lark Rise village setting. I've also seen a variety of rather judgmental reviews commenting on sexism, politics, and so forth. Those entirely miss the point of history, for one thing, and of these books, for another.

Here is an excellent overall review of the book for anyone who'd like an overview.

King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels

An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and
the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village

I ran this review back in 2013 when I first read it. Since then I've read it several times and it has become one of my favorite books. I thought I'd rerun this for anyone who missed it the first time around.

A native Ghanan, Peggy was working at the Ghanan embassy in Washington D.C. when she got the call that her uncle, the king of their village, has dies and that she was chosen the next king. This was really unusual because women were not usually kings.

What is fascinating to me is that, because she lived in America, Peggy sees her home town through new eyes. Just thinking about the 7,000 people she will lead, she flashes on the children carrying buckets of dirty brown water home each day and realizes she has to get them clean water (a minimum standard for living in America). Stuck in traffic on the way to the village, Peggy watches young people peddling junk to make pennies a day and realizes that, as in America, the teenagers from her village should have a high school.

As someone straddling both worlds, Peggy clearly sees the good and bad in both America and Ghana. The book also becomes an open door, inviting us to learn more about Ghanian life (albeit from a king's perspective, which is not as removed from regular life as one might think). I like the way that tidbits of Ghanian history are slipped into the book for context without being lengthy or overwhelming, but giving a perfect perspective for understanding Peggy's situation.

Some of Peggy's realizations about needed change are very straight forward, some are more complex, but they all come from a place of sacrifice for the good of her people. She always knows she can never do this job by herself so she depends on Jesus, God, and her ancestor spirits because she blends belief in Christianity and ancestor worship. Peggy receives spirit guidance, which I tend to view as God speaking through the saints, but ... whatever. As the book continues, we are shown that, in giving, Peggy also receives. We see that Peggy's sacrifices lead to unforeseen growth in character and that the skills she learns to be an effective king may eventually influence those far beyond her village. This is a story not only of a fascinating situation but also of the way to make a healthy community.

And I've kind of fallen in love with her soul stool (something each king is given but can never sit upon). You'll have to read the book to know what I'm talking about but it has a personality all its own. Peggy is always given encouragement for the difficult task because only God can make a king, as a friend tells her. This is a fascinating blend of Peggy using her innate talents, the skills that have been developed in her life thus far, and spiritual guidance.

It is really well written so you feel as if you can almost "hear" Peggy's voice. To say the least, it is fascinating and I am really fond of Peggy.

The key to the story, though, is King Peggy's servant heart.

How Harry Cast His Spell by John Granger

How Harry Cast His Spell explains why the books meet our longing to experience the truths of life, love, and death; help us better understand life and our role in the universe; and encourage us to discover and develop our own gifts and abilities.

I recently listened to a podcast specializing in deep meaning in novels do several episodes on Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone. It was really interesting and led to me to look for information about the following six novels of the series.

This book fills the bill. Not only does John Granger have chapters about Christian and literary symbolism, names, and themes, but he then goes through each book looking beneath the surface. This led me to reread the series for the first time in years, which I enjoyed immensely. Granger's commentary showed me some new ideas about the books and that made them even more meaningful. I enjoyed this a lot. 

Definitely recommended.

Fun Summer Reading — The Empress of Mars by Kage Baker

Empress of Mars is an enjoyable "Western" romp on Mars as seen via Mary Griffith who runs the local saloon and represents society on the fringes being oppressed by big business. As people come and go we see their individual stories and how they fit into the jigsaw puzzle that is this Martian colony. I really loved the romantic Ottorino Vespucci, scion of a wealthy but boring Earth family. He's a misfit due to his love of adventure and "translates" all the finagling for power in the Martian colony in terms of Western movies. And it fits.

I also really enjoyed Baker's ability to tell the truth without worrying about letting the chips fall where they may. Proper society is one that we might predict from watching current popular sociological trends. Although the "Goddess" worship popular among Mary and her cronies is linked to the Virgin of Guadalupe, it is also a nebulous sort of faith which encompasses something far beyond any Christian understanding of the Virgin Mary. And yet Baker isn't afraid to include Christians among those who would be thrown into the Hospital for Eccentrics, which is something a good many authors would have been blind to, depending upon their own prejudices.

This book is set in the world of Baker's series about "The Company." It is a stand-alone and only tangentially connected to that series. I honestly didn't recognize the two obvious Company characters who were included (Mr. De Wit and Mr. Nennius) but knowing who they are explains why they are enemies from the time they meet.

Overall a fun, light, imaginative read.

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president. Goodwin demonstrates that Lincoln's political ability was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires.

It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war.

I'd never have read this if not for The Big Read. I am truly grateful. What a magnificent book.

Abraham Lincoln was already at the top of my admired people list. However, I found a lot in this book that gave me a fuller picture of the man himself. Some things were just interesting such as his very strong passions for women so that he could hardly keep his hands off of them. (My goodness!) And his strong passion for Mary Todd. She's been portrayed (justly) as crazy so consistently that most Americans have a distaste for her. However, she and Abe were crazy for each other, even when she was just plain crazy.

Most of what I learned, however, was simply admirable. He was a shrewd judge of character and dealt magnanimously with even his enemies, which often resulted in their becoming his loyal supporters. He was also a shrewd judge of how and when to push measures to achieve his political goals. This applied both to his personal career and to the laws governing the country. I was impressed by how he would often wait to propose measures until the nation's emotional state had been brought along in understanding so that it would be supported.

In many ways this book inspired me personally because of all the warm, personal examples of Lincoln's forgiving nature.

The author was excellent at unfolding the progress of political measures and the people involved so that I really understood everything going on. Considering how much of the book consisted of that sort of thing, it is a real accomplishment. Plus I was riveted, often not waiting for the next week's "assigned reading" but charging ahead. I can't think of another book of this sort where that has happened.

Highly, highly recommended.

Linnets & Valerians by Elizabeth Goudge

Four endearing but rather naughty siblings–Robert, Nan, Timothy, and Betsy– are left to stay with their grandmother while their father is in Egypt with his regiment. “Grandmother said they were insubordinate; Father only thought them high-spirited.” Since the children’s first acts in the book are to run away from grandmother’s house and to “borrow” a pony and cart full of someone’s else’s groceries, I tend to agree with Grandmother. But the children turn out to be charming, nevertheless.

And they don’t stay with Grandmother very long. It’s not much of a spoiler, since the change happens in the second chapter of the book, to tell that the four incorrigible children end up living with their Uncle Ambrose, a Church of England clergyman, former educator, and inveterate bachelor. Uncle Ambrose also claims to dislike children, but he takes his nephews and nieces into his home anyway. And so the adventure begins.

This description is from the review that piqued my interest in the first place, over at Semicolon blog. Definitely go read that review for a top-notch overview.

My brief take is that in many ways it makes me think of E. Nesbit's tales such as The Magic City, The House of Arden, and The Treasure Seekers. Like those, this book takes recognizable fantasy beats and weaves an entirely new and enchanting pattern. 

Don't go by the cover which is appalling. Do read it.

Mark's Noble Quest by Katharine Campbell

This is a sequel to Rosaline's Curse which is a romantic comedy version of Sleeping Beauty where the 13th century young woman awakens in 2017. She encounters our modern world and Mark, a young man who is not only a nerd but also her true love. It's a lot of fun. Read that first. 

This novelette (longer than a short story and shorter than a novella) follows Mark as he tries to prove to Rosaline that he's just as brave as the guys back in the 1200s. That's not easy in 2024 but luckily a friendly fairy sends him on a quest to climb a volcano and recover a beautiful ring. While undergoing three trials. 

So it is a classic adventure set up. Except that this story is being told by Katharine Campbell which means it is charming, funny, and resonates with modern readers' lives. That's all while following the rules of such a fairytale. 

 This is highly satisfying and I only wish it were longer.

Rereading — How to Pick a Peach by Russ Parsons

"Eat locally, eat seasonally." A simple slogan that is backed up by science and by taste. The farther away from the market something is grown, the longer it must spend getting to us, and what eventually arrives will be less than satisfying. Although we can enjoy a bounty of produce year-round -- apples in June, tomatoes in December, peaches in January -- most of it is lacking in flavor. In order to select wisely, we need to know more. Where and how was the head of lettuce grown? When was it picked and how was it stored? How do you tell if a melon is really ripe? Which corn is sweeter, white or yellow?

Russ Parsons provides the answers to these questions and many others in this indispensable guide to common fruits and vegetables, from asparagus to zucchini. He offers valuable tips on selecting, storing, and preparing produce, along with one hundred delicious recipes. Parsons delivers an entertaining and informative reading experience that is guaranteed to help put better food on the table.

This description may make the book sound clinical but Parsons infuses it with details and personality that make us relate to what he writes about. The argument about whether fat or skinny asparagus are better? Been there. Argued that. To reduce the heat of a pepper remove the ... no, not the seeds ... the ribs, which is where the capsicum is stored. Aha!

For each fruit and veg he provides a very basic preparation method that we might not have considered. Then he goes on to a few more interesting recipes for each. Not too many, but just enough to pique our curiosity and taste buds and make us want to come back for more.

I read this back in 2008 but picked it up again and have been thoroughly enjoying it. It's still as relevant as ever except for some of the comments about the state of modern produce. In some cases it isn't much different, but in others — like grapes — it is definitely better. The few recipes I'd tried all had "excellent" noted and I've now got a list of others to go with them.

What today we term "the West" is less Christianity's heir than its continuation.

Already, by the time that Anselm died in 1109, Latin Christendom had been set upon a course so distinctive that what today we term "the West" is less its heir than its continuation. Certainly, to dream of a world transformed by a reformation, or an enlightenment, or a revolution is nothing exclusively modern. Rather, it is to dream as medieval visionaries dreamed: to dream in the manner of a Christian.

[...]

This book explores what it was that made Christianity so subversive and disruptive; how completely it came to saturate the mindset of Latin Christendom; and why, in a West that is often doubtful of religion's claims, so many of its instincts remain—for good and ill— thoroughly Christian.

It is — to coin a phrase — the greatest story ever told.

Tom Holland, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind

I was given this several years ago and am just now getting around to it. I had been reading a philosophy series where I enjoyed the author's even handedness when it came to various religions. Then he got to the exploration of the New World, slavery, and colonialism and cracks began to show in his veneer — specifically about issues our modern world has ruled upon, without giving proper context to how it would have been viewed. It kind of broke my heart a little to hear how half-heartedly that context was being given.

So, I turned to Tom Holland who has turned out to be much more even-handed. When he talks about Catholic or Protestant events, he really isn't judging for better or worse. He is examining how their actions affected the Western world at large. He also is very good at showing how they thought about things without bringing any modern commentary.

This has been one of the fairest books toward Christianity that I've read. Having read a number of Catholic histories I know a lot of the saints and their contributions to church doctrine and historical developments in the West. However Holland comes at these from different angles that show me new things altogether.

For example, I know that the Church has respected women, marriage, and the family since the beginning. However, I didn't realize Catherine of Siena's strong influence on bringing it to public consciousness. I've always seen her lauded for her influence on the popes of the time. That does get mentioned but not as a main feature. This is a refreshingly different angle against which to view what I already know.

Holland turns this clear-eyed view on a number of unexpected topics as he works his way through history into modern times. It is welcome because he is so unwaveringly honest throughout. He continually stressed how revolutionary and unexpected the Christian values are. And he's right. I already had this viewpoint in that I knew that the values we cherish are a direct result of long-embedded Christianity. Many of the problems we have today come because in our modern culture those values have come unanchored from their Christian roots. We have a lot of mercy without justice and vice versa. The imbalance often leaves us floundering. The reminder of just how unexpected the Christian point of view is was a welcome reminder because I, too, tend to forget that part.

I was surprised, as I have mentioned, by some of the topics and their results that Holland examined. But it was a welcome surprise at meeting someone who valued truth and didn't care who knew it. Simply a fantastic book.

The Power of the Cross by Raniero Cantalamessa

For over forty years, the Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, in his role as Preacher to the Papal Household, has delivered a yearly homily in St. Peter's Basilica during the Good Friday liturgy.

These insightful and moving sermons not only illuminate the mystery of the Lord’s Passion; they are also a precious instrument in view of a New Evangelization in “Spirit and power.” Cardinal Cantalamessa gazes on the cross of Christ in the light of our modern world, and the modern world in the light of Christ's cross.

This proved a powerful daily read during Lent. I am amazed that Father Cantalamessa has such different topics every Good Friday, with each so far providing good food for reflection. I guess that's why he's been the papal preacher to three popes over 40 years!

A secondary advantage to reading these is that they serve as an aide memoir to history itself. Beginning in 1980 and ending with the Good Friday homily from 2022, I was irresistibly pulled back into my own life during those years, as well as the history I have witnessed (even if only through newspapers and television). As Cantalamessa occasionally wove current events into his homilies, I would be jerked back into that time myself. It was salutary in considering how timeless is Christ's sacrifice and how powerful the Cross.

Highly recommended.

Rereading: The Best Cook in the World by Rick Bragg

A delectable, rollicking food memoir, cookbook, and loving tribute to a region, a vanishing history, a family, and, especially, to his mother.

Margaret Bragg measures in "dabs" and "smidgens" and "tads" and "you know, hon, just some." Her notion of farm-to-table is a flatbed truck. But she can tell you the secrets to perfect mashed potatoes, corn pudding, redeye gravy, pinto beans and hambone, stewed cabbage, short ribs, chicken and dressing, biscuits and butter rolls. The irresistible stories in this audiobook are of long memory -- many of them pre-date the Civil War, handed down skillet by skillet, from one generation of Braggs to the next.

This is much more memoir than recipe book. There are plenty old customs, living through hard times, and personalities in Rick Bragg's family tree. I am not one who likes stories of dysfunctional families and I appreciate that the dysfunctions are smoothed out or merely hinted at because the emphasis is on how the recipe came into the family or how someone learned to cook. By listening to the stories in the kitchen we can take the good with the bad, especially when it comes with a helping of Axhead Soup or Chicken and Dressing.

I recently picked up the Kindle version when my mother was in the hospital and I needed some comfort reading. It more than filled the bill, although I read only a little here and there since I discovered that what I really longed for was author Rick Bragg's narration of the book. Now she's home again and I am still very slowly reading and listening a bit here and there as I find the time to truly savor it. It is as comforting as the food and stories it describes.

And, although I have only read the recipes, I may actually choose one or two to make. Beginning with those beans cooked with ham, a dish I dearly love.