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."

Two Stories, One Sheriff: Books I Read in 2026, Vol. X

 

THE WESTERN STAR: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

Sheriff Walt Longmire is enjoying a celebratory beer after renewing his weapons certification when a younger sheriff shows him a photograph of a group of armed men standing in front of a large steam locomotive. It transports him back to when, fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam, then-deputy Longmire accompanied his new boss to the annual meeting of the Wyoming Sheriffs' Association, held on a vintage excursion train known as The Western Star. The young Walt did not anticipate being thrust into the center of a mystery himself, as the train bearing 24 veteran sheriffs chugged across his home state, from Cheyenne to Evanston and back.

     But the sheriff isn't in town for the certification alone. He's on his way to the capital for the parole hearing of one of the most dangerous men he has encountered in a lifetime of law enforcement.

This is an exceptionally fine read, even though I had a little bit of trouble knowing which of the two storylines I was in at the beginning of each chapter, and during jumps in the midst of chapters. Johnson does a good job of hiding a major twist at the end that finally connects the two. Obviously, I really enjoy the Longmire series of books, otherwise I wouldn't be reading through all of them, right? A major difference in this one is that it ends with a cliffhanger. (Bring on Depth of Winter!)

First Line: I pressed in on the knurled end of my Colt 1911A1 with my thumb at the same time rotating the barrel bushing a quarter turn clockwise to free the plug and recoil assembly, my hands working from rote.

Page 56 / Line 5: Feeling someone approaching from behind, I whirled with a snarling anger that caused Lucian to step back, whereupon he stumbled and almost fell, catching himself on the railing.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: The Belvedere wasn't my idea of a dream car, but it had a heater, and beggars should avoid being choosers on I-80 in the winter.

Last Line: "Business."

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.

Another Solved Longmire Mystery: Books I Read in 2024, Vol. XXIV

THE HIGHWAYMAN: A Longmire Story
Craig Johnson

When Wyoming highway patrol officer Rosey Wayman is transferred to the beautiful and imposing landscape of the Wind River Canyon, an area the troopers refer to as no-man's-land because of the lack of radio communication, she starts receiving "officer needs assistance" calls. The problem? They're coming from Bobby Womack, a legendary Arapaho patrolman who met a fiery death in the canyon almost a half-century ago. With an investigation that spans this world and the next, Sheriff Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear take on a case that pits them against a legend: The Highwayman.

I was a little excited when I read this novella's description because I have visited the canyon Johnson writes about and gone through the tunnels on the winding road Longmire drives on. I've been to Thermopolis and Worland and Shoshoni and know the barren loneliness inherent in the landscape. This is a good, compact tale with a true sense of place...you know, just like all the Longmire books. It's not as spooky as the description would lead you to believe and I think that's a good thing. It keeps Longmire realistic and believable, but still exciting.

First Line: There is a canyon in the heart of Wyoming carved by a river called Wind and a narrow, opposing, two-lane highway that follows its every curve like a lover.

Page 56 / Line 5: "Do you think you have to be crazy or Indian to willfully do that sort of thing?"

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: I didn't have to wonder long, however, as I plunged into the Wind River and it seemed as though the 640 muscles in my body contracted to the point of breaking all 206 bones.

Last Line: At least that's our story, the owl and me.

Longmire Short Stories: Books I Read in 2024, Vol. X

 

WAIT FOR SIGNS: Twelve Longmire Stories
Craig Johnson

Craig Johnson's straight-talking lawman, Sheriff Walt Longmire, first knocked readers dead in the award-winning short story "Old Indian Trick." Since then, the sheriff has captured the hearts of mystery lovers with ten bestselling Longmire novels and the hit A&E series LONGMIRE. Now, for the first time, 12 short stories featuring an off-duty Longmire are collected in a single volume. With a glimpse into Walt's past, these stories are by turns hilarious and suspenseful. The sheriff finds himself mistaken for a deity, then elbowed into putting on a show as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and then trapped in a Porta Potty. Wait for Signs is a welcome addition to any Longmire fan's shelf and a wonderful way to introduce new readers to the fictional world of Absaroka County, Wyoming.

I normally wouldn't read two Longmire books in a row without tossing in some Rat Pack Mystery or Brit in the FBI between them, but this collection of short stories perfectly fit with a flight to Michigan for a weekend conference and the drive back with Beloved. By now, it is clear that I am a fan of Johnson's Longmire output, and this collection does not tarnish that in the least. There was even the added bonus of learning the real legend behind the naming of Wyoming's Crazy Woman Creek, which I have driven by countless times in my journeys to and fro involving visiting my in-laws.

First Line: It's hard to argue with an old Indian or his tricks.

Page 56 / Line 5: "Maybe."

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: The prison psychologist intimated that it was all a question of comparison, but that if you sat a bag of groceries next to Travis, the groceries would get into Stanford before he would.

Last Line: I drove the entire forty miles without cracking a smile -- a personal best.

Walt & the Dinosaur: Books I Read in 2024, Vol. VIII

 

DRY BONES: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

When Jen, the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found, surfaces in Absaroka County, Wyoming, it appears to be a windfall for the High Plains Dinosaur Museum  -  until Danny Lone Elk, the Cheyenne rancher on whose property the remains were discovered, turns up dead. With millions of dollars at stake, a number of groups step forward to claim her, including Danny's family, the tribe, and the federal government. As Wyoming's acting deputy attorney and a cadre of FBI officers descend on the town, turning what should be a local matter into a political charade, Sheriff Walt Longmire is determined to find out who would benefit from Danny's death.

Continuing on my quest to read every Longmire mystery I can borrow from the Dakota County Library, I found another entertaining read. There's more dialog featuring Undersheriff Victoria Moretti, so there are more incidences of PG-13 and R-rated language, but if that doesn't bother you (and it comes nowhere NEAR Scorsese film level), I will recommend this tale with both my thumbs held at chest level. It's got action, meaningful character development, and humor.

First Line: She was close to thirty years old when she was killed.

Page 56 / Line 5: I watched McGroder and his staff examine and document all the parts of Jen's massive head, roughly the size of a sofa, on an assortment of clipboards and forms under the close observation of Trost.

A Good Line from Somewhere in the Middle: A lot of people might underestimate my undersheriff because she was wounded; a lot of people are morons.

Last Line: Save Jen.

Books I Read in 2023, Vol. XIV

 

ANY OTHER NAME: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

Walt Longmire is sinking into a high-plains winter discontent when his former boss, Lucian Conally, asks him to take on a mercy case in an adjacent county. Detective Gerald Holman is dead and Lucian wants to know what drove his old friend to take his own life. With the clock ticking on the birth of his first grandchild, Walt learns that the by-the-book detective might have suppressed evidence concerning three missing women. Digging deeper, Walt uncovers an incriminating secret so dark that it threatens to claim other lives even before the sheriff can serve justice—Wyoming style.

Johnson seems to have an affinity for putting his fictional sheriff into jeopardy during blizzard winds and bitter cold. Maybe that's why I tend to heat up a nice cup of Dr Pepper before sitting down with him. This being the umpteenth Longmire novel I've read, it's like hearing a story from an old friend...and the name of the place is I like it like that.

First line: Joseph Conrad said that if you wanted to know the age of the earth, look upon the sea in a storm; if you want to know the age of the Powder River country, just be on the wrong side of a coal train.

Page 56 / Line 5: I cut off from the parking lot and waded my way toward the trailers and was about to reach the first one when a voice called out from the back of the brown steel building.

Last line: I slipped my hat over my face and smiled, looking forward to seeing all my old friends  -  and a new one.

Books I Read in 2023, Vol. X

 

SPIRIT OF STEAMBOAT: A Walt Longmire Story
Craig Johnson

Spirit of Steamboat is an odd little book, in that it was supposed to be a short story, but within four days had spread its wingspan to over eighty pages. After a brief conference with [my publishers], we decided to bring it out as a hardback novella, not exactly a novel. [It's] about half the length of one of my Walt Longmire mystery books. As usual with my shorter pieces, it's not a mystery per se, but rather an adventure/thriller with mysterious elements; sometimes it's not so much about the suspense of killing characters off in a book, but rather, of trying to keep them alive.

This was next in the chronology of Longmire books I've got on my to-be-borrowed list with the library and the author's description (above) is apt. It's full of narrow scrapes and really should be adapted into a screenplay. I also enjoyed how it explained the origin of the image on Wyoming's license plates, which holds the record for the longest-running license plate graphic in the U.S.

First Line: It was Tuesday, the day before Christmas, and I wasn't expecting visitors.

Page 56, 5th Line: Allen True captured the spirit of the animal for the princely sum of seventy-five dollars when Secretary of State Lester C. Hunt commissioned him to depict the horse and rider as the design for the 1936 Wyoming license plate.

Last Line: Slowly she opened it for my inspection, and there lay the tarnished beaded and belled trinket that had hung in the canopy of the B-25: Steamboat.

Books I Read in 2023, Vol. I

 

A SERPENT'S TOOTH: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

It's homecoming for the Durant Dogies when Cord Lynear, a Mormon "lost boy" forced off his compound for supposedly rebellious behavior, shows up in Absaroka County. Without much guidance, divine or otherwise, Sheriff Walt Longmire, his second-in-command, Victoria Moretti, and his good friend Henry Standing Bear search for the boy's mother and find themselves in a high plains scavenger hunt that ends at the barbed wire doorstep of an interstate polygamy group. Run by the 400-pound Roy Lynear  -  Cord's father  -  the group is frighteningly well-armed and very good at keeping secrets. As Walt, Henry, and Vic pursue and butt heads with the Lynears, they hear whispers of Big Oil and the CIA and find they might be dealing with more than they bargained for.

Another satisfying read. I was glad that THIS one didn't take place during the winter and that it didn't include all the strange visions and is-this-guy-dead-or-not mysticism of a couple other books in the series. Also, it was more of a nuts-and-bolts police procedural with a healthy dose of humorous interaction among the main characters. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

First Line: I stared at the black-and-orange corsage on Barbara Thomas's lapel so that I wouldn't have to look at anything else.

Page 56/Line 5: "Excuse me, Sheriff."

Last Line: I breathed in the scent of her along with that of the black-and-orange corsage that I carefully placed on the pillow beside her head.

Books I Read in 2022, Vol. XV

 

AS THE CROW FLIES: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

Embarking on his eighth adventure, Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire doesn't have time for cowboys and criminals. His daughter, Cady, is getting married in two weeks, and the wedding locale arrangements have just gone up in smoke signals. Fearing Cady's wrath, Walt and his old friend Henry Standing Bear set out for the Cheyenne Reservation to find a new site for the nuptials. But their expedition ends in horror as they witness a young Crow woman plummeting from Painted Warrior's majestic cliffs. Is it a suicide, or something more sinister? It's not Walt's turf, but he's coerced into the investigation by Lolo Long, the beautiful new tribal police chief.

Another Longmire novel, another satisfying reading experience. I should do some research on when the television show started in relation to the release dates for the books. I'm wondering, because there's a paragraph in this book where Walt is imagining the Hollywood ending of his current predicament and he thinks his part would be played by Robert Taylor...which is the name of the actor who portrays Longmire in the TV show. (Though I'm guessing the book is actually referring to the much older Robert Taylor who starred in Quo Vadis and other movies in the 40s and 50s.)

First Line: "I wanna know what Katrina Walks Nice did to get kicked out of a joint like this for sixty-one days."

Page 56/Sentence 5: "No."

Last Line: I turned to my friend and the world, and the words poured from me like a fervent prayer: "E-hestana Na-he-stonahonotse."

Books I Read in 2022, Vol. VII

 

HELL IS EMPTY: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

With Hell Is Empty, Craig Johnson delivers an action-packed Western thriller, rife with evocative setting and literary allusion. This seventh novel featuring wise-cracking Sheriff Walt Longmire creeps stealthily out of the corral with an increasingly tense setup. (The Boston Globe)

Two interesting bits about this time around with Longmire:

     1)  The entire action of the book takes place in less than 48 hours. That's slightly unusual.
     2)  At one point in the sheriff's searching for an escaped prisoner, he says this: "It was about a mile up to the Battle Park cutoff, where I assumed they'd turn west and try for the Hyattville Road that led toward the tiny town and eventually to Manderson, which was situated alongside the Big Horn River. Then what  -  north to Basin or south to Worland?" That decision-making point of Manderson? That's where my brother-in-law lives...on a bluff overlooking the Big Horn River and just across the street from the fire station where he's the chief.

First Line: "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?"

Page 56/5th Line: "I'll take a sweep between here and Boulder Park to make sure the convicts are not in a ditch."

Last Line: I held the ring up where they could all see it and then turned it sideways so that I could look through it and focus on the platinum strip of dying light at the very top of Cloud Peak.

Books I Read in 2021, Vol. XV

 

JUNKYARD DOGS: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

"Missing body parts and dead developers are only the beginning when Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire finds himself in the throes of a modern-day range war. It's a volatile new economy in Durant when the owners of a multi-million dollar development of ranchettes want to get rid of the adjacent Stewart junkyard. The notorious Stewart clan is an adventure unto itself and, when conflicts erupt, Walt, Dog, Henry Standing Bear, and deputies Santiago and Victoria find themselves in a small town that feels like a high plains pressure cooker."

This is the sixth Longmire novel I've read. I started reading them because Beloved and I liked the TV series based on the characters, but now, I'm fairly hooked on Johnson's easy-going, down-to-earth style of storytelling. ("As helpful as an accordion on an elk hunt") Yes, there are enough F-bombs to warrant an R rating, but nowhere near as many as a Scorsese movie, and all in line with the character of the characters.

First Line: I tried to get a straight answer from his grandson and granddaughter-in-law as to why their grandfather had been tied with a hundred feet of nylon rope to the rear bumper of the 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado.

Page 56/Sentence 5: What are you shooting, Geo?

Last Line: I glanced at the Cheyenne Nation with my one eye, and things didn't look half-bad.

Books I Read in 2021, Vol. IV

THE DARK HORSE: A Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

"It's more than Mary Barsad's beauty and wealth that set her apart in a place where most criminal cases are generally 'Bubba shot Skeeter while they were drinking beer in the cab of Skeeter's truck and trying to figure out if Bubba's Charter Arms revolver was loaded.' .... Wade Barsad, a man with a dubious past and a gift for making enemies, burned his wife's horses in their barn; in return, she shot him in the head six times, or so the story goes. But Sheriff Walt Longmire doesn't believe Mary's confession and is determined to dig deeper."

This is the fifth book in the Longmire series, and I'm glad I've decided to read through all of them. Craig Johnson has a way with words that describe geography and character without getting bogged down in dry exposition. This book's central mystery is compelling, with a mostly-unexpected twist that doesn't feel like a gimmick.

First Line: It was the third week of a high-plains October, and an unseasonably extended summer had baked the color from the landscape and had turned the rusted girders of the old bridge a thinned-out, tired brown.

Page 56/5th sentence: Sit down.

Last Line: Dog started and made a move to fetch it, but I grabbed his collar, and we both watched as the black hat hung over the void of the Powder River, pitched to one side, and disappeared into the northbound water below.

Books I Read in 2020, Vol. II

 

UNCOMMON TYPE: Some Stories
Tom Hanks

From the publisher: “ A collection of 17 wonderful short stories showing that two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is as talented a writer as he is an actor. These stories are surprising, intelligent, heart-warming, and, for the millions and millions of Tom Hanks fans, an absolute must-have.”

From me: This was a pleasant read indeed, though it contained more foul language than I’ve ever heard Hanks utter on the screen. Most of the stories are more slice-of-life than actual beginning-middle-end narratives, but they are a fine display of the actor’s powers of observation.

Page 56/Sentence 5: After ten days of reshoots in Budapest, they had only the surfing scenes yet to do.

IF THE CHURCH WERE CHRISTIAN: Rediscovering the Values of Jesus
Philip Gulley

“Gulley’s vision of Christianity is grounded, gripping, and filled with uncommon sense. He is building bridges instead of boundaries, and such wisdom is surely needed now.”

I found the chapter titles and the values they revealed (“Jesus Would Be a Model for Living Rather Than an Object of Worship”, “Reconciliation Would Be Valued Over Judgment”) to be intriguing, so I electronically borrowed this from the library and became instantly confused when I read the introduction and first chapter. Gulley makes it clear that he doesn’t believe in the historical accuracy of the gospel accounts in the Bible - that Jesus probably didn’t say the things the writers said he said - and that he doesn’t even regard Jesus as deity. So why would he even care about following Jesus’ values...and how can he even determine what those values are...and how can the Quakers accept him as a pastor? The more I read, the more I wondered why the author even considers himself a Christian.

56/5: What is it about religion that makes otherwise kind people forsake the obvious good to uphold doctrines that have long lost their meaning?

ANOTHER MAN’S MOCCASINS: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

“ The 4th Longmire novel delivers more of the taut prose, engrossing characters, beautiful Wyoming setting, and satisfying depth that reviewers have been hailing since The Cold Dish.”

I have no idea whether I would keep reading these novels if not for having thoroughly enjoyed the TV series. Don’t get me wrong, I like the books...I really do...but I just can’t tell whether I like them for themselves or because they take my mind back to the TV characters, even when the book characters do things that I’m pretty sure the TV characters would never do. Ah well. Ours is not to reason why. Ours is but to read and report.

56/5: I stopped saying anything.

DELIGHTING IN THE TRINITY: An Introduction to the Christian Faith
Michael Reeves

“ This brief and winsome book presents an introduction to the Christian faith that is rooted in the triune God. Reeves takes cues from preachers and teachers down through the ages, setting key doctrines of creation, the person and work of Christ, and life in the Spirit into a simple framework of the Christian life.”

I read this to be able to participate in a book discussion group hosted by Pastor Brad Dewing at my church (Valley Christian Church). All I had to do was read the “Introduction,” and I knew this was a really good decision. Can’t count how many times I said “I’ve never thought about it like that before!” while reading this book.

56/5: For when Jesus sends us, he is allowing us to share the missional, generous, outgoing shape of God’s own life.

DAVE BARRY’S COMPLETE GUIDE TO GUYS: A Fairly Short Story
Dave Barry

“For thousands of years, women have asked themselves: What is the deal with guys, anyway? What are they thinking? The answer, of course, is: virtually nothing. Deep down inside, guys are extremely shallow. But that has not stopped Dave Barry from writing an entire book about them.”

I really needed this book to be able to relax while reading Reconstructing the Gospel (below). Dave Barry writes the way I try to, often making me chuckle and sometimes even eliciting an actual guffaw.

56/5: Let’s say a guy named Roger is attracted to a woman named Elaine.

RECONSTRUCTING THE GOSPEL: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion
Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove

“Reconstructing the Gospel is an attempt to work through the problem of sin and culture infecting the presentation and living out of the gospel. A gospel that justifies slavery, racism and oppression of the poor and marginalized is not the same gospel that Jesus was presenting.”

I got the ebook version of this for free from InterVarsity Press in an attempt to educate myself on the issue of racism as part of my response to the killing of George Floyd. I picked it because of the title, thinking, “I don’t think the gospel SHOULD be reconstructed. what the sam hill is this guy talking about. Truth be told, I’m still not real sure what he’s talking about. (Sorry.)

56/5: No, I can’t dip into the DPAC and get my Christmas-spirit fix in ninety minutes any more.

WOMEN IN MINISTRY: Four Views
Edited by Bonnidell Clouse and Robert G. Clouse

“Should women teach men? Should they exercise authority over men? What about ordaining women? Even those who agree that Scripture must determine our answers do not agree on what it teaches. And too often, differing sides have not been willing to listen to one another. Here in one volume are the views of four deeply-committed evangelicals that focus the discussion on the issues.”

I chose this book to educate myself on the different schools of thought about women in positions of church leadership because of its format of a main paper by a proponent of a particular view, followed by shorter critiques by three people who adhere to three different views...with each of the four people getting their turn to present their views and pick at the others’. The main take-away? It takes a lot of nit-picking in the original language to come up with a firm conviction on the topic...and each of the four thinks they’re right and the others are wrong. SO...there doesn’t seem to be much room for dogmatism.

56/5: If the Scriptures have been completely and correctly understood from the beginning and that understanding has been transmitted, it would seem that there would be little or no need for further biblical or theological study.

THE PRINCESS DIARIST
Carrie Fisher

“When Carrie Fisher discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Before her passing, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon was indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.”

Fisher’s reputation for brutal honesty and sailor-friendly language is well-earned, but this was a welcome respite from all the weighty reading I had been doing this third of the year. I have to admit, though, that some of her observations about her affair with Ford were far deeper and wiser than you’d expect from a 19-year-old:

With him, love was easier done than said
Instead of taking you to heart, he would take you to bed
And you take what he has to offer lying down
You’re getting more involved while he’s still getting around

It’s all a matter of touch and go
‘Cause he’s one for all and all for show
But after all was said and almost done
I was playing for keeps and he was playing for fun

56/5: The fact that Harrison and I had rolled around in the backseat during our return to London didn’t necessarily mean that it was a prologue for a more elaborate event.

I AM C-3PO: The Inside Story
Anthony Daniels

“Daniels tells a riveting, humorous, and often moving tale of life on (and off) the sets of all nine Star Wars movies, giving fascinating new insights into that galaxy far, far away.”

Perhaps obviously, I kind of unavoidably drifted to this memoir while finishing up The Princess Diarist, and I couldn’t be happier. Daniels’ eye for detail befits a droid and his storytelling made me feel like we were sitting around an Ewok’s fire recalling all the joys, surprises, and pains of having spent a lifetime inside a gold-colored suit.

56/5: He’s shot with Roman Polanski and Stanley Kubrick.

Books I Read in 2020, Vol. I

 

BOSSYPANTS
Tina Fey

From the publisher: “Everything you would hope for from this book - it’s impossible to put down, you will laugh until you cry, you will wish it were longer, you can’t wait to hand it to every friend you have - is true.” (Los Angeles Times)

From me: I had this on my list at the library, then saw it at the little free library in front of Culver’s and said, “Bingo!” While there are a few instances of PG-13 and R-rated language, it is thoroughly hilarious. I embarrassed myself in the lunchroom a few times by guffawing loudly in the midst of my El Parian leftovers.

Page 56/Sentence 5: I met HRW the next evening at his off-campus apartment.

PRAYER: Does It Make Any Difference?
Philip Yancey

“In his most powerful book since What’s So Amazing About Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey probes the very heartbeat - the most fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect - of our relationship with God.”

I don’t know that I would use the word “powerful” to describe this. I found it, though challenging in a few places, to be mostly encouraging and reassuring. It is good to hear a profound thinker have the same kind of questions and doubts and disappointments and desires about prayer as me. The most significant walkaway for me was switching from prayer as a never-ending shopping list to being a restful time of relationship with my father in heaven, who loves me indescribably.

56/5: He later wrote about them in his book Knowing the Face of God, and I will simply quote him: Silently gazing into a friend’s eyes may seem purer, and certainly more romantic, than mere talk.

THE WISDOM OF GOD: Seeing Jesus in the Psalms & Wisdom Books
Nancy Guthrie

“This 10-week study of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon mines the Wisdom Literature not only for wise principles for living, but also for the wise person these books point to through their drama, poetry, proverb, and song - Jesus”

This was the resource for our adult Bible study class on Sunday mornings this winter. Guthrie did an excellent job of not only helping us understand the Old Testament books in their context, but also seeing how Jesus was right when he said that all of the books of the OT spoke of him.

56/5: In this challenge between God and Job, what would define a “win” for Satan?

KINDNESS GOES UNPUNISHED: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson

“For 24 years, Walt Longmire has been the sheriff in Wyoming’s Absaroka County, where his wit and charm have helped him solve many crimes. Even that can’t prepare him for the savage attack on his daughter, Cady, a Philadelphia lawyer who has unwittingly become embroiled in a political cover-up.”

This is the third book in the Longmire series, which I started reading because of the Longmire TV series. Unlike the first two, this one would be R-rated, mostly for language, if it were faithfully rendered on-screen. Still, the plot never gets bogged down and we get more of the great relationship between Walt and his friend, Standing Bear.

56/5: She saluted ever so slightly with her glass and downed the wine in one smooth swig like a longshoreman.

ILLUSTRATED LIFE OF JESUS: Pocket Reference Edition
Herschel H. Hobbs

“See the places Jesus walked, preached, and ministered. Weaving the Gospel writers’ varied perspectives into one seamless narrative, best-selling author Herschel Hobbs offers a unique angle on Jesus’ life, teachings, sacrificial death, and resurrection.”

While there aren’t as many illustrations as I was expecting in a book with this title, and it’s basically a recounting of what I’ve already read in the four Gospels, Hobbs does manage to explain some things about life as Jesus experienced it that helps breathe a new energy into some of the parables and events. His explanation of how one part of the Sermon on the Mount leads to the next and so on was a revelation for me.

56/5: John the Baptist’s ministry was on the decline.

Books I Read in 2018, Vol. III

 

DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY
Craig Johnson

From the publisher: “Johnson delivers great storytelling in an intelligent mystery packed with terrific characters and an engulfing sense of place...capturing life in a breathtaking, unyielding landscape. (The Portland Oregonian)”

From me: This is the second novel featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire, and it is just as satisfying as the first. The mystery doesn’t matter as much as the depth of the characters. While it’s impossible to read without seeing the actors from the A&E/Netflix series and hearing their voices...I’m okay with that.

Page 56/Sentence 5: For what?

THE PRODIGAL: A Ragamuffin Story
Brennan Manning and Greg Garrett

“From the inspirational author of The Ragamuffin Gospel comes a powerful contemporary retelling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. The Prodigal illustrates the power of grace through the story of a broken man who finally saw Jesus not because he preached his greatest sermon or wrote his most powerful book, but because he failed miserably....It’s the same grace that Brennan Manning devoted his life to sharing: profound in nature and coming from a God who loves us just as we are, and not as we should be.”

This is the last book Manning ever wrote, and his first (only) novel. He didn’t even live to see it published, but it evokes the underlying theme of everything he ever said. It’s certainly an easy read, and I’m not sure if it’s a compliment or a criticism to say that the movie in my head as I was reading it probably would fit best on the Hallmark Channel.

56/5: He had worked at the store through high school, and in the summers when he was home from college.

ERASING HELL: What God Said about Eternity, and the Things We’ve Made Up
Francis Chan & Preston Sprinkle

“Recent works by evangelicals on the postmortem future(s) of humanity have raised important questions and brought some sobering and uncomfortable issues to the fore. Chan and Sprinkle provide a remarkable service to the church by engaging these issues with courage, clarity, and grace. This book is a model of careful biblical scholarship, providing fresh light from the Jewish context of the New Testament. They also write as pastors seeking to provide wisdom for ministry, enabling the people of God to embody the love of God for the world.”

That description you just read might make this book sound kind of dry and scholarly, but it’s not. Whenever Sprinkle’s research and talk about Greek words threatens to turn this into a textbook, Chan the communicator slaps us awake by reminding us how important it is to get this topic right. This is a readable, accessible, understandable answer to Rob Bell’s hell-denying Love Wins.

56/5: While there’s some difference of opinion regarding the duration of hell, its existence as a place of punishment that awaits the wicked was nearly unanimously held.

JESUS ON TRIAL: A Lawyer Affirms the Truth
David Limbaugh

“In Jesus on Trial, David Limbaugh applies his lifetime of legal experience to a unique new undertaking: making a case for the gospels as hard evidence of the life and work of Jesus Christ. Limbaugh, a practicing attorney and former professor of law, approaches the canonical gospels with the same level of scrutiny he would apply to any legal document and asks all the necessary questions about the story of Jesus told through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.”

I cannot tell a lie. I didn’t finish reading this. Having had a particularly disheartening online exchange with someone who was denying that there was any evidence pointing to the possible validity of Christianity, I felt the need to seek out some logical reasoning that I hadn’t already considered. This book, however, doesn’t fit that bill. Nothing really fresh here. The first part of the book has so much stuff that was apparently compelling to the author but that wouldn’t slow down your friendly neighborhood atheist...I just wasn’t moved to invest the time it would take to read the rest of the tome. While browsing through the second half, I DID stumble on a few decent quotes, but again, nothing that made me want to read the whole thing.

RED GREEN’S BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO WOMEN: (For Men Who Don’t Read Instructions)
Red Green (Steve Smith)

“Arranged in approximately chronological order, from teen dating to the last words of men (‘You know, honey, in the past couple of years you’ve really packed on the beef’), this is the essential guide to every aspect of finding a mate and then learning to deal with her growing disappointment in you.”

I was ready for some light-hearted giggles and grins, and this book certainly provided them in abundance. But wouldn’t you know it, the author casually throws in some actual words of wisdom from time to time: “You might think it’s impressive for a guy to have had 18,000 one-night stands in his life, but I think it’s a lot more significant to have one 18,000-night stand. That’s a fifty-year marriage. To the same woman.”

56/5: That’s probably a sign of inequality, but I don’t think it’s fair for women to change now that I’m long past my Don Juan phase.

ON THE EDGE OF THE DARK SEA OF DARKNESS: The Wingfeather Saga Book One
Andrew Peterson

“A riveting tale-for-all-ages, following the Igiby children and their trusty dog, Nugget, in escape from the vicious Fangs of Dang who seek the lost jewels of Anniera. Adventure. Peril. And the fearsome Toothy Cows of Skree.”

I first heard about On the Edge... in a Facebook group about remembering Rich Mullins...because there’s a barefoot, wandering minstrel/agitator in this book who goes by the name of Armulyn. Hmmm.... It took me a little while to get interested in the tale while I slogged through the strange names but Peterson’s storytelling and wit soon won me over. It is clearly written, methinks, for the slightly pre-teen crowd (the protagonist is a 12-year-old boy), but it truly can be appreciated by readers of all ages.

56/5: I’m sure those ghastly dragons would love a few plump vittles after their silly show, don’t you think?

Books I Read in 2017, Vol. II

 

SURPRISED BY JOY: The Shape of My Early Life
C. S. Lewis

From the publisher: “In this book, Lewis tells of his search for joy, a spiritual journey that led him from the Christianity of his early youth into atheism and then back to Christianity.”

From me: It’s hard to believe, what with my general respect and awe for everything of Lewis’ I’ve ever read, that it’s taken me this long to read this book. It’s also hard to believe the level of disappointment I felt upon completing it. Yes, it has some very quotable quotes within its covers, but there were also vast passages that were filled with Britishisms, literary references, and allusions to mythology that I was completely unfamiliar with; so much so as to make them empty of meaning for me.

Page 56/Sentence 5: [Oops! I’m recreating this mini-review after having returned the book to the library.]

BEAUTIFUL OUTLAW: Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus
John Eldredge

"Reading the Gospels without knowing the personality of Jesus is like watching television with the sound turned off. The effect is a dry, two-dimensional person saying strange, undecipherable things. But when we discover his true character  -  this man who made the wind, music, and flying squirrels  -  suddenly all of the remarkable qualities of Jesus burst forth with color and brilliance like fireworks."

It’s not often that a book lives up to the publisher’s blurb on the dust cover, but this one does! I was absolutely refreshed and actually revived as Eldredge not only demonstrated different character traits of Jesus that usually get ignored by both scholars and critics, but gave a vision of what our lives can be like when we walk through life completely dependent on the fully-rounded person of Christ. INGEST THIS BOOK!

56/5: The wave I’m fixed upon crashes to the sand like a work of art toppling from its pedestal, but before I can feel the loss another is rushing to take its place, sweeping upward, forward, utterly mesmerizing beauty.

WE DON’T NEED ROADS: The Making of the Back to the Future Trilogy
Caseen Gaines

"For the first time ever, the story of how two young filmmakers struck lightning is being told by those who witnessed it. WDNR includes original interviews with Bobs Zemeckis and Gale, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Huey Lewis, and more than fifty others who contributed to one of the most popular film trilogies of all time....the ultimate read for anyone who has ever wanted to ride a hoverboard, hang from the top of a clock tower, travel through the space-time continuum, or find out what really happened to Eric Stoltz after the first six weeks of filming."

Oh look...two books in a row that deliver on the cover’s promise! For real, though, this is one of the most interesting behind-the-scenes movie bios I’ve ever read. When I finished it, I wanted to immediately watch the trilogy in one sitting.

56/5: For example, the first time the audience sees Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future is in a close-up of the actor with guitar in hand and reflective aviator sunglasses, epitomizing teenage male coolness circa 1985.

THE COLD DISH
Craig Johnson

“After 25 years as sheriff of Absaroka County, Walt Longmire’s hopes of finishing out his tenure in peace are dashed....Somebody, it would seem, is seeking vengeance, and now Longmire might be the only thing standing between the [potential victims] and a Sharps .45-70 rifle.”

Having thoroughly enjoyed watching the A & E/Netflix series based on Johnson’s Walt Longmire mysteries, and having met the author’s wife at her boutique in Wyoming, I was really looking forward to reading this, the first novel in the series. And I was not disappointed in the least. There’s a true sense of place, along with characters that are fully human and undeniably interesting. I’m looking forward to borrowing more of the books from the library.

56/5: I thought about it.