Good Author, Bad Theologian: Books I Read in 2025, Vol. XVI

 

THE LIFE OF OUR LORD: Written for His Children During the Years 1846 to 1849
Charles Dickens

In this charming, simple retelling of the life of Jesus Christ, adapted from the Gospel of St. Luke, Dickens hoped to teach his young children about religion and faith. Since he wrote it exclusively for his children, Dickens refused to allow publication. When Dickens died in 1870, the manuscript was left to his sister-in-law, Georgina Hogarth. From there it fell to Dickens's son, Sir Henry Fielding Dickens, with the admonition that it should not be published while any child of Dickens lived.

Just before the 1933 holidays, Sir Henry died, leaving his father's manuscript to his wife and children. He also bequeathed to them the right to make the decision to publish. By majority vote, they decided to publish the book in London. In 1934, Simon & Schuster published the first American edition, which became one the year's biggest bestsellers.

I confess I was not aware of the existence of this book until I saw it while browsing the library shelves. I immediately took it home, having great expectations for my reading experience. (See what I did there?) While the general story certainly was Dickensian, there were a few factual errors that went beyond narrative license. For instance: Mr. D. said that Herodias was Herod’s daughter instead of his wife and he had a centurian asking Jesus to raise his dead daughter back to life (while what really happened was the soldier asking Jesus to heal his sick daughter, but then she died while they were on the way there). But the biggest disappointment of all was this line, placed in the mouth of the herald angel speaking to the shepherds: "There is a child born today in the city of Bethlehem near here, who will grow up to be so good that God will love Him as His own Son." Wow...so Jesus earned his spot as God's Son because of how he lived? Sorry, Charlie, but that's just plain wrong. And truth be told, there's an awful lot of works-based salvation scattered throughout the book. Maybe it was an attempt to get his children to behave, but it's bad theology.

First Line: My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ.

Page 56 / Line 5: "Hear ye Him!"

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: [Speaking of camels] At all events, they are brought over here, sometimes; and if you would like to see one, I will show you one.

Last Line: And pray God to bless and preserve us all, this night, and forevermore, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Devils Tower & the Sturgis Bike Rally: Books I Read in 2025, Vol. XV

 

AN OBVIOUS FACT: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

In the twelfth novel in the New York Times bestselling Longmire series, Walt, Henry, and Vic discover much more than they bargained for when they are called in to investigate a hit-and-run accident involving a young motorcyclist near Devils Tower.

I can hardly believe there have been eleven Longmire novels before this one. And yet, counting a collection of short stories and two novellas, this marks the fifteenth time I’ve written about the Wyoming lawman. That alone should testify to how much I enjoy Craig Johnson’s work. If I haven’t convinced anyone to read about Longmire by now, maybe it’s time I stopped trying. Still, Johnson’s vivid descriptions of place, action, and character make his books a non-guilty pleasure I’m always happy to recommend  -  but with a fair warning: while not overflowing with profanity, there’s enough to give it an R rating if filmed word for word. 

First Line: I tried to think how many times I'd kneeled down on asphalt to read the signs, but I knew this was the first time I'd done it in Hulett.

Page 56 / Line 5: "Wow."

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: I swear you’re like this detective for the disenfranchised.

Last Line: She had no resort but to let the shiny chrome molding of the windshield slip from her grasp as we pulled away, and I wasn't tempted to look into the rearview mirror, not even once.

What Are Shepherds Like?: Books I Read in 2025, Vol. XIV

 

THEY SMELL LIKE SHEEP: Spiritual Leadership for the 21st Century
Dr Lynn Anderson

What kind of leadership will effectively lead the church into the morally turbulent twenty-first century? The same kind of leadership that lead it through the morally and politically chaotic first century. Shepherding. This is the kind of leadership Jesus used, and this is the kind of leadership that will take his church where he wants it to go. While the term "shepherd" produces warm images of love, care, and tenderness, it also describes a form of leadership that is perilously protective, dangerous, dirty, and smelly.

This is the second time I’ve read this book. The first was well over a decade ago—maybe even two—when all the elders at Valley Christian Church read and discussed it together. This time, I revisited it to discuss it with a man in our congregation who’s going through an internship on the path toward becoming an elder. After so many years, it felt almost like reading it for the first time, filled not so much with “ah-ha” moments but with several quiet “ah-so” reflections. I highly recommend this book—not only for potential elders, but for all members of a congregation. For both audiences, it’s rich with Scriptural truth and offers a healthy challenge to what can too easily become “business as usual” in North American “churchianity.”

First Line: Christian people everywhere are crying out for spiritual leaders  -  men and women grounded in the Word of God, made wise by the experiences of life, and filled with the love and compassion of Christ.

Page 56 / Line 5: If we don't provide the flock with positive mentors, many sheep will flock to negative mentors by default.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: Decision making, having meetings, and administrating  -  while they may have a place in implementing certain minor parts of an elder's role  -  do not constitute the biblical focus of God's calling for shepherds.

Last Line: So we disentangle ourselves from all the others and move out behind him into the morning.

Faithfully Funny: Books I "Read" in 2025, Vol. XIII

 

OF MOOSE AND MEN: Lost and Found in Alaska
Torry Martin & Doug Peterson

Torry Martin — a comedian, actor, and hippie — fled from California to the wilderness of Alaska, searching for answers to life's big questions. He found what he was looking for...and a lot more! A moose got its head stuck in Torry's window. A reindeer was trapped in his kitchen. A bear almost prevented him from reaching his airplane. He once woke up frozen to his cabin floor.

Like the Israelites of old, Torry experienced plenty of miracles and mishaps in the wilderness. And like them, he came face-to-face with God and was changed forever.

Each of these true stories of Torry's hilarious blunders and misfortunes contains a nugget of truth, but one theme prevails: If God can reclaim and repurpose Torry Martin's life, He can do the same for you and those you love.

This is the second book from Martin I've read, but the first one he wrote. I am happy to report it doesn't matter which order you experience them in. But it DOES matter that this time, this tome was HEARD and not seen. Torry's performance of this book is flawless, and the added sound effects, etc., make it come across as episodes of a radio comedy/drama (one of which, Adventures in Odyssey, Martin used to write for). I highly recommend experiencing this book in its audio form, which is presented as a podcast and can be found by CLICKING HERE. Honestly, I hope they produce another one for his 2nd book, The Call of the Mild.

First Line: The 400-pound reindeer was going berserk, wildly trying to make an escape.

Page 56 / Line 5 (estimated): As I looked over at my balcony mates, one man and one woman, I got a strange feeling that something just wasn't quite right.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: I slept wearing gloves, a hat, and a heavy coat because the only heat in our camper came from a small electrical heater and the propane stove, which I couldn't use too much if I wanted to keep up my life-long habit of breathing.

Last Line: Let the feasting begin.

A Real Book by a Fictional Author: Books I Read in 2025, Vol. XII

 

DRIVING HEAT
Richard Castle

“Nikki Heat, the NYPD’s top homicide detective, has been promoted to captain just in time to face a thrilling case with a very personal twist. In this gripping follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Raging Heat, Captain Heat’s job is compromised when her fiancé, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jameson Rook becomes a distraction at best, and an obstacle at worst, as their parallel lives not only cross, but collide.”

Once upon a time, there was a dramedy TV series on ABC titled “Castle” about a mystery novelist named Richard Castle who was “attached” to an NYPD homicide squad to aid in his research. (He was friends with the mayor.) He, of course, was not a silent observer, and actually ended up helping several cases get solved…and fell in love with the implausibly beautiful and high-heeled leader of the squad. In the show, it all resulted in a best-selling series of novels about an implausibly beautiful and high-heeled Nikki Heat and an investigative journalist, Jameson Rook (chess players will get the joke).

[Take a breath.]

This book is, supposedly, one of those novels. And it reads pretty much like an episode, or more appropriately, several episodes of the TV series. Same witty repartee, same bursts of action…but with the addition of (unnecessary, in my view) several instances of PG-13 language (and just enough instances of the F-bomb to bump it to R).

All that said, I really enjoyed this and will be browsing the library for more titles in the series.

First Line: The last thing Nikki Heat expected when she received her promotion to captain of the NYPD was how much the proud expression on Rook’s face in the audience would make her want him.

Page 56 / Line 5: When was the last time you fired one of your weapons?

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: Detective Ramey laughed. “Jealousy’s an ugly thing, Randall.” “Which explains your face,” said Ochoa.

Last Line: All in

Local Free Spirit Tells All: Books I Read in 2025, Vol. XI

 

OLD SHORTS AND POETREE: Book One
Ron Runeborg

“An anthology of short stories and poetry; some factual, some fiction, and some trueish." From Bookscape: "[This book,] published by Lulu Press, stands as a beacon of knowledge and inspiration. With its insightful content and engaging narrative style, this book transcends genres, offering something valuable for every reader." From the back cover: "Ron Runeborg writes for the love of the craft. He lives in Lakeville Minnesota where his lovely wife Linda and little dog-child Montague work tirelessly to appreciate his many eccentricities."

This guy's self-description and a quick glance at the contents persuaded me to spend the quarter (library book sale!) and take this home. It's a wide-ranging collection of short stories, poems, smatterings of thoughts, and autobiographical verbal sketches. As to be expected, some are amusing, some are disturbing, some are thoughtful, and some are absurd. There's a bit of PG-13 language widely scattered throughout, but not enough to make me go "Eww." I'm giving it 3 out of 4 stars.

First Line: This book is an anthology, a smattering, a hodgepodge, a text melange of the stuff that wanders around in the dark recesses of my rather odd brain.

Page 56 / Line 5: Jack started waving his arms as he did every time he had a light bulb.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: The guy never knows what he's sayin'; he just babbles off some story like his lips are a nail gun and he's building a house.

Last Line: Once comes my reawakening, I'll tell you all I've known.

Whateverrrrr: Books I Almost Read in 2025, Vol. X

 

UNSCRIPTED: A Novel
Davis Bunn

“Line producer Danny Byrd is well known in Hollywood for being someone who gets things done on time and under budget. But when his reputation takes a beating after his partner  -  and former best friend  -  makes off with their investors' money, Danny has one chance to redeem himself and restore his ruined career.

" LA lawyer Megan Pierce has sacrificed years of her life proving herself to impossible bosses, only to find herself disgusted at their snobbery and specious business practices. When an opportunity to actually make a difference comes her way, she knows she has to grab it."

I really tried to get interested in this Nicholas Sparks wannabe, but I had a hard time keeping straight which name belonged to which character. I was THAT uninvested. There seemed to be little-to-no known motivation for any of the main characters to be doing the things they did or feeling the way they felt. I finally gave up a little past halfway through.

I bought this at the library for 25 cents, and it was worth every penny.

First Line: The entire Beverly Hills jail was nonsmoking and air-conditioned.

Page 56 / Line 5: She did without a private life.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: That's not a car; it's a health hazard with four tires.

Last Line: Then she leaned toward the microphone and said, "The award for Outstanding Television Movie goes to..."