Books Read April

Hellboy Library Edition Volume 1: Seed of Destruction and Wake the Devil (GN 2008) - Mike Mignola, John Byrne
Thoughts on this collection here.


The Weight of Silence (2009) - Heather Gruenkauf
Thoughts on this novel here.


The Losers, Volumes One and Two (GN 2010) - Andy Diggle, Jock
Why is it that British writers are so good at writing about international espionage? Brit Andy Diggle’s The Losers (also a current movie) is an former elite U.S. Special Forces unit that discovers a nasty C.I.A. secret and is wiped out by the agency. Or so the agency thinks. Violent, clever and often hilarious, The Losers won’t be for everyone, but it just might be for you.


Your Best Body at 40+ (NF 2010) - Jeff Csatari
Having been in my 40s for a few years now, and regretting that I don’t look more like the guy on the front cover, I checked this book out from the library and thought a lot of the advice inside was doable, some with a little work, some with a lot. I’m certainly not on the path to consistency, but after two weeks of implementing just a few of the suggestions in this book, I’ve lost ten pounds and feel great. Good advice on just about all aspects of health, but I think the greatest strength of the book is the section on nutrition.


Get Outta My Face! How to Reach Angry, Unmotivated Teens with Biblical Counsel (NF 2009) - Rick Horne
I read this book as research for the Sunday school class my friend Trip and I are currently teaching. Some really good stuff here for parents who’re just about at the end of their rope. Many of the concepts here also could apply to teaching.


Human Target: Final Cut (GN 2002) - Peter Milligan, Javier Pulido
Sort of a Mission: Impossible type of story: Christopher Chance impersonates his clients in order to keep them safe from those out to kill them. A bit confusing; I had to reread a few sections to make sure I was on the right page (no pun intended). An okay read, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to read more. Also a TV series on Fox.


Batman & Robin: Batman Reborn (GN 2010) - Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely, Philip Tan
Wow, what a fun book! More thoughts on this one here.


Pure Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad about Feeling Good? (NF 2009) - Gary Thomas
The first book finished on the Kindle app. for iPhone. Thomas lets us in on some news that’s really no surprise: Christians (some of them, anyway) don’t know how to have a good time. That statement may offend some, but consider how many Christians you know who rarely smile, laugh or admit to enjoying something legitimately pleasurable. Thomas says it’s time to re-examine pleasure and celebrate it in light of Scripture. An excellent book.


A Beautiful Place to Die (2009) - Malla Nunn
An Edgar Award nominee and my favorite read of the month. In 1952 South Africa, a white police chief of Jacob’s Rest, a small village, is murdered. Detective Emmanuel Cooper is sent in from Johannesburg to investigate. Pressure comes down on Cooper to arrest a black man, but everyone on Cooper’s list of suspects is white. Although the novel sometimes relies on stereotypes, the characters are strong and the amount of racial, social and political tension sustained throughout is impressive. Nunn (who is also a screenwriter) really knows how to tell a story.


Nemesis (2002/2009) - Jo Nesbø
Nesbø’s hero’s name is probably the worst (translation) of any detective in the history of crime fiction: Harry Hole. Translated from the Norwegian, Nemesis is an often compelling hunt for a bank robber who also committed a disturbing murder during the robbery. Hole seeks the help of a hardened criminal in finding the robber/killer while Hole himself is being investigated for another murder. I enjoyed Nemesis, but didn’t have much trouble putting it down from time to time. I don’t really know why that was the case, other than this isn’t the first book in the series and maybe I didn’t know all the backstory required to fully enjoy it. (Once again, the American publishers have decided not to release these novels in their original order. The first two books in the series, The Bat Man and The Cockroaches, haven’t even been translated into English yet.)



Kane, Volume I: Greetings from New Eden (GN 2002) - Paul Grist
Police procedural graphic novel that is intriguing, sometimes funny, sometimes confusing. Grist juggles several story lines at once, yet often uses flashbacks that look no different from action going on in the present. Many of the characters look so similar, it’s often difficult to tell who’s who. Still, worth a look.

That's it for April. Get out there and read something.