Longmire Dispenses Justice AND Takes Revenge: Books I Read in 2026, Vol. XII

 

DEPTH OF WINTER: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and these times certainly are desperate. Sheriff Walt Longmire and Tomas Bidarte, the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico, have been circling each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game for more than a year. Now, Bidarte has kidnapped Walt's beloved daughter, Cady. The American government is of limited help and the Mexican one even less so. Armed with only his trusty Colt .45, a father's intuition, and the keen instinct on which he's staked his reputation and his life more than once, Walt must head into the 110-degree heat of the desert alone, one man against an army.

I don't usually return to Longmire so quickly, but with The Western Star having ended with the cliffhanger of Cady's abduction, I had to press on bravely. This episode in Longmire's saga stands out in that his normal small group of sidekicks/helpers are not by his side. Johnson's skill at making me physically feel every challenge Walt rises to is impressive, to say the least. The movie in my mind that happens whenever I read a book of fiction is well-lit and expertly directed when Johnson writes the script. The other standout with this book is that you're not sure how it's going to turn out until the very last page...and even that leaves us in the midst of an action-packed getaway.

First Line: I turned my water glass in the slick circle of condensation on the smooth, red lacquer of the table between us and studied the man across from me.

Page 56 / Line 5: He turned and looked at me.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: "There are so many things worth living and dying for, but only a few things worth killing for, and maybe the two are intertwined  -  I don't know."

Last Line: "The bull, he sometimes wins."

Toy Story 5: We Have Found the Enemy and They Are Us

 

Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang's jobs are challenged when they're introduced to electronics, a new threat to playtime.

IMDB

Bottom line first: This is another great addition to the Toy Story canon. (IMHO, better than TS4.) There were laughs, opportunities for tears, and plenty of action.

This is really Cowgirl Jessie's movie. She carries most of the plot on her small, hand-stitched shoulders. Having been abandoned by children because they outgrew their need for her and her ragdoll ways, she is especially zealous in her fight against electronic devices and "social" media and how they seem to make kids grow up too soon.

In fact, that "us vs them" mentality comes on really strong in the beginning, to the point of making me feel that Pixar was being too Afterschool Special about it. Turns out, that only made the eventual resolution (well...semi-resolution) sweeter.

And now, the morning after, I'm being struck by the irony of Pixar declaring war on tech. They are, after all, the prime instigators of computer technology taking over from hand-drawn animation. But then again, it basically all works out in the end.

While the majority of the classic Toy Story characters had very little to do in this installment, kudos go out to the addition of Conan O'Brien as the electronic toilet training toy, Smarty Pants. His frantic energy and sly humor are a perfect fit. Easter Egg hunt: Look for the scene where the animators get to include O'Brien's rooster-comb hair.

4 out of 5 stars.

Got Hope? Need It?: Books I Read in 2026, Vol. XI

 

DESPERATE FOR HOPE: Hanging on and Finding God During Life's Hardest Times
Bruce W. Martin

With sincere sympathy and ready encouragement, Bruce W. Martin takes hurting readers through a grieving process that helps them reconcile their deep suffering with their beliefs about a good God. He helps them find deep meaning in the midst of tragedy so that they can enjoy a deeper intimacy with God and others.

A unique and compassionate take on the age-old questioning of suffering, this book is perfect for readers who have experienced life-shattering pain, such as divorce, the loss of loved ones, bankruptcy, cancer, addiction, and even violent crimes, giving them real answers to their toughest questions and helping them move forward in life after tragedy.

I met the author at a conference we both attended  -  he gave two keynotes and led two breakout sessions, all of which I happily soaked up before eagerly buying his book. Bottom line is, I'm glad I did. This is a well-told tale, combining lessons from the story of Job with the author's own experience of pain, loss, and grief. I came away forewarned that "in this world, you will have trouble," but also encouraged that "God is always up to something good, because he is good."

First Line: I still remember the phone call five days before Christmas 2002.

Page 56 / Line 5: So far, so good.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: God is far more intent on perfecting our faith through trouble than on protecting us from trouble.

Last Line: Jesus is with you.