Book Guys hiatus is (maybe?) over!

After a nice summer break, it looks like the Book Guys Podcast will be back -- we are planning on recording an episode tomorrow!

Check this space -- I will post when the episode is done, and available on iTunes!

Web-Comic Review: Ace Kilroy

I usually don't review webcomics, but this one has a podcast connection -- half of the creative team is Rob Kelly, co-host of the excellent Fire and Water Podcast.

Kelly & co-creator Dan O'Connor launched Ace Kilroy on Halloween 2011, and his second season (adenture) began on August 6, after a brief summer hiatus.

The strip takes place in 1937, focusing on the adventures of decorated WWI veteran Ace Kilroy, now a working as a soldier of fortune. When FDR hears of Hitler's plans to use monsters in his war efforts, the troubled president commissions Kilroy to investigate. The first season saw Kilroy fighting in Transylvania, and features a terrific blend of historical fiction, pulp adventure, and supernatural fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these strips.

The second season has just started, but it seems to be leading him headlong into a Frankenstein confrontation. I asusme that the Mummy and Werewolves are on the horizon.

I love the format for this webcomic. During an active "season" (adventure), a black-and-white installment is published every day in traditional 3-panel newspaper format. But the sunday installment of the strip is an exrta-large color strip. This format is a perfect fit for the style and content of the strip. This really hits me right in my nostalgia.

Book #45

Heat Rises, by "Richard Castle." Unabridged audio.

A priest is killed in a distinctly non-priestly location. Detective Nikki Heat opens her investigation, and immediately notes a range of strange occurrences, including interference and stonewalling from her supervisor. Her investigation puts both her career and life in jeopardy. The novel includes dirty cops, a Hollywood scandal, and Central American human rights activists.

Knowing the way these books reflect broadly what happened during the related "Castle" TV season, there is a character death that will not come as a surprise to fans of the show. The specifics differ, as the books are not novelizations of the show, but as a fan of the show, the death was not a surprise. 

The plot was strong, and the revelation of the "big bad" behind the crime was a surprise. The handling of this character was very well done, and final shootout was dramatic. The "ruggedly handsome" line and a reference to Mal Reynolds were both laugh out loud moments, and there are other parts of levity throughout, a nice counterpoint to the core tension of the novel.

As always, Heller does an excellent job characterizing the different people in the book. His tough New York accent is perfect for a story like this. And for the characters who are analogs for the TV show characters, Heller is able to bring similar intonation to his reading. Not impersonations by any means, but it is clear that he is familiar to the characters on the TV show. 

This is a very good book, and an outstanding audiobook.

Book #44

The Four Streams, by John Eldredge. Unabridged audio.

I listened to this audiobook as this year's "Virtual Class" via the Daily Audio Bible iTunes feed.

In this teaching, Eldredge teaches on the "streams" of counseling, discipleship, warfare, and healing that the Holy Spirit uses in our lives. To clarify, he uses the word "counseling" to mean walking with the Comforter, not specifically getting therapy.

I have not read any Eldredge before, and his style is generally not one that resonates with me. Teaching based on one's personal experience is not as meaningful to me as teaching based on Scripture, and these teachings do occasionally fall into this style. Certainly personal experience is useful as examples, to make a point, but it seems that Eldredge sometimes goes the other way around. But that having been said, I think the core teaching of the streams is valid, and will be helpful for many people.

I do have a fundamental issue with his "your heart is good" teaching, which is the basis of most of his writings, and perhaps his ministry as a whole. But again, I'm glad that I stretched myself to experience this teaching, and I was able to glean valuable information.

Book #43

The Red Necklace, by Sally Gardner. Unabridged audio.

Novels about the French Revolution tend to be pretty intense -- the mobs, the guillotines, these are not the lightest of topics. But when you throw in magical gypsies and make it a YA novel, you have my attention. That's exactly what Sally Gardner does here.

In 1789, the orphaned Yann is being raised by the strange dwarf Têtu, and the two of them work for Topolain the magician. On the night of the magician's death, Yann meets the lonely heiress Sido. Their brief encounter changes the paths of both of their lives.

Sido and her wealthy father are accused of treason against the Revolution, in the person of the devilish Count Kalliovsky, who is involved in a mysterious secret society. By the end of the novel, when their paths cross again, Yann has discovered the powers that come with his gypsy heritage. He sets out to rescue Sido, and the pair fights the power of the Count to rescue Sido's father. 

The setting in Revolution-era France adds color and drama to the novel, ramping up the adventure. The bizarre mix of historical fiction and magical adventure make for a fascinating albeit somewhat unsettling read.

The audio version of the novel is excellent, with Tom Hiddleston (known as Loki in Thor and the Avengers) doing a fantastic job bringing this vibrant cast of characters to life.

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!
Just do the following:

Grab your current read.
Open to a random page.
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

From page 49 of Swords of the Six, a fantasy novel by Scott Appleton: "It's only rust, Mivere." "Rust, fairest of the dragon's daughters? Rust you say?" He raised his tiny fist, bent a narrow finger, and pointed. "Look again ... 'tis blood in that basin."

Book #42

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152, by David Petersen. Graphic novel.
 

After the rollicking high adventure of Fall 1152, things turn much darker and more dire for the Mouse Guard as the cold weather comes in. There and danger from above (owls and bats) and below (weasels). In the course of this volume, there is a major death, a romance blooms, and many battles are waged. At the end, the Mouse Guard's main mission is accomplished, but one gets the sense that not all is well in the land. Seeds for future stories have definitely been planted.

The relationships between the mice and their riding-hares was one of the few light spots in this volume, and came at a good point in the narrative. A story this intense and dark needs some funny parts.

Again, the odd shape of the pages makes Mouse Guard stand out among other graphic novels. This enables Petersen to operate within panels of shapes and sizes that other artists do not have access to. His art is beautiful, with many silent panels telling the story wonderfully without words.