Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Railroad Rising: The Black Powder Rebellion by J.P. Wagner

I am told J.P. Wagner covered a lot of ground and a lot of topics in the course of his career as a journalist. Having 'been there, done that' myself, I suspect it left him with an appreciation for a broad range of interests.

That certainly appears to be the case in his first published novel, Railroad Rising: The Black Powder Rebellion. Fantasy, action and adventure, swords and sorcery? Check, check, check. Steampunk, royal court intrigue, love story? Check them all off as well.

The story follows the adventures of Cartog, a young nobleman far down in the line-of-succession, and far-removed from any prospect of inheritance. Accompanied only by Yakor, his faithful retainer and a formidable master-of-arms, Cartog has set off on a journey to find his fortune elsewhere and make his own way in the world, perhaps as a mercenary.

They ride into a small town seeking employment ... but instead find themselves in the midst of a what appears to be an uprising and attempted kidnapping. This is the first of a series of events that will involve Cartog and Yakor in a growing conflict and circle of enemies, as well as a growing prospect for advancement and circle of friends. It could lead to great fortune in the long term, or death in the short term.

"Railroad Rising" was an easy read and enjoyable enough, with a straightforward story line and simple characters. But I have to agree with other LibraryThing Early reviewers who thought it could have used some editing, and some polishing to the story and characters.

And we might have gotten some of that, had it not been for circumstances far removed from the realm of Cragmor, in our own real and mundane world ... "Sadly," we read in the book's postscript, "J.P. Wagner passed away in 2015, before the publication of 'Railroad Rising.'" It is something I read with regret as I finished this book ... I was looking forward to Wagner's NEXT book.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Living History: On the Front Lines for Israel and the Jews by Phyllis Chesler

WARNING: Reading Phyllis Chesler's book "Living History: On the Front Lines for Israel and the Jews" may be hazardous to your sense of well-being. It could lead to increased levels of skepticism. This, in turn could lead to a variety of side-effects ... a willingness on your part to question what we are told about the world around us, to make an extra effort to gain more information. You may even find yourself rejecting what 'everybody knows and believes,' in favor of a view that is more complicated, more detailed ... and perhaps more truthful.

These were my thoughts as I came to the conclusion of the book, a compilation of selected articles and essays Chesler composed over a 12-year period as she documented a growing number of incidents that form part of what she describes as a “slow motion Holocaust.” It is a theme that is familiar to those who have read Chesler's works in the past. This was my first introduction to Chesler, and I found myself engrossed, article-by-article, page-by-page. All of it delivered in a style that is clear, concise and compelling.

The incidents she documents have a growing range, occurring in a variety of social, educational and cultural settings around North America and Europe. They also have a growing level of shrillness, as denunciations of 'all things Israel' are encouraged ... and dissenting voices are discouraged.

And it's not just the talk. There is the way 'Middle East issues' are reported in the media. And there are the calls for excluding pro-Israeli attitudes from public fora, from universities, even from churches. Then there is the growing movement to call-out corporations that do business with Israel, and moves to divest investment funds from those corporation who won't go along.

An initial response might be something like, 'come on ... not really.' I was thinking that very thing, at first. But then you find yourself stopping, thinking, then recalling your own first-hand experiences ... as I did when my own Christian denomination began considering divestment from companies that do business with Israel ... JUST as Chesler reported.

There are still among us survivors of those years when the noun 'holocaust' became forever capitalized. Chesler's "Living History" will leave you with the unsettling thought that still another Holocaust may be in the works.

I strongly recommend this book ... with ample time to read it closely, carefully, and to occasionally set the book aside and consider what you've just read.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Dominions by James Hetley/Burton

Like many of the other LTER contributors, I found myself diving into Volume 2 of the "Bladesmith" series without first having read Volume 1. In my case, that did not pose any problems with my enjoying this book ... though it HAS left me wanting to go back and read Volume 1, as well as other books by James Hetley/Burton.

Has there ever been a time when we have not shared stories with one another about gods, their relationships with one another and their relationships with us? It is an ancient and colorful tradition ... one that I studied closely in my youth, and later in college as I pursued majors in anthropology and English literature. After reading "Dominions," I have to say Hetley's knowledge of those topics is deep and wide. Couple that with his experience and expertise in such diverse fields as wood and metal working, martial arts, mechanics and electronics (not to mention his skill at writing) and you have the foundation for some VERY good storytelling.

And "Dominions" IS good storytelling, as Mel and Al find themselves navigating dark alleys and dangerous battlefields in their own world and in alternate worlds they find through inter-dimensional Doors. In the course of their travels they encounter a variety of characters, and that includes a variety of gods ... but that's something Mel and Al are well-equipped to handle ... or are they?

And while their quest for a safe return to their own world continues throughout the book, there is also a growing quest for peace and justice, for a new standing in their relationship to one another, and for a good meal with a cold beer.

Whether you jump right into "Dominions" or start with Volume 1 ("Powers") of the "Bladesmith" series, I strongly recommend this read. My summer has been filled with more leisure time than I had wanted ... and I'm going to fill that time with more books from James Hetley/Burton.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.

In the News ... "Dallas sniper attack: 'Our worst nightmare happened'"

AP Photo by LM Otero

• Please pray for us to redeem this tragedy with unity, to the glory of God

By Dr. Jim Denison
• Denison Forum on Truth and Culture

DALLAS, TEXAS - Dallas residents are waking up this morning to the deadliest day for police officers since September 11, 2001.

At 7:00 last night, protesters gathered in a Dallas park and began marching through the streets of downtown. They were responding to officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota. The rally was peaceful; police officers were present and were conversing with the crowd.

Just before 9 PM, as Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said, "Our worst nightmare happened" ...

 • read the rest of this commentary ...

Added to my virtual bookshelf ... Downtime by Cynthia Felice

In her book "Downtime," Cynthia Fleece offers us a love story and a science fiction story ... maybe it's the guy in me, but I wish there could have been a little more 'science' in the story.

Don't get me wrong ... I enjoyed the read, and I recommend it to others. It's a recent addition to a long tradition of stories that illustrate the complications that arise when love blossoms across a disjointed time stream. Rod Serling tackled it 50+ years ago in "The Long Morrow" ... and before that, there was F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." It's still makes for a good story today in films and television ... and in books like "Downtime."

My gripe about 'more science?' I blame it on my biblio-upbringing. Fifty-some years ago, my introduction to science fiction was through hand-me-down paperbacks of stories by Isaac Asimov and Arthur Clark, and later on some Robert Heinlein and Ray Bradbury ... good fiction, good storytelling, with generous doses of of good (if hypothetical at the time) science and technology added to the mix.

While I read through "Downtime," eager to get to the conclusion to see how the characters might fare and the story might end, I also found myself wishing for a little more detail on the jelly bean, the stellerator ... and, of course, that all-important elixer.

BUT, while I've devoted a lot of words to my little gripe ... it really is a LITTLE matter. All-in-all, I recommend "Downtime" to you as a good read, and a good addition to that tradition I mentioned earlier ... illustrating the complications that arise when love blossoms across a disjointed time stream. You'll want to read "Downtime" to the end ... and discover whether those complications might be overcome.
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NOTE: I received a free e-copy of this work through LibraryThing in exchange for a review.