Author: Deacon Nick

December 29, 2017

The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb

The Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb is a historical murder mystery set in England in 1363. The book opens with two suspicious deaths in the infirmary at St. Mary’s Abbey. The Lord Chancellor of England then sends his former captain of archers, Owen, to try and find out what happened. The mystery centers on an apothecary shop run by Master Nicholas Wilton and his wife/apprentice Lucie. Owen has orders to go under cover and insinuate himself into the lives of the people of York in order to discover why and...

Books and Reading

December 29, 2017

British Books Challenge 2017 Wrap-up

I’ve always been fond of classic British authors, so the British Books Challenge (hosted by Chelley at Tales of Yesterday) fit right into my reading plan for 2017. I read thirteen books for this challenge, only two of which I had read before, Emma and Nineteen Eighty-four. My favorite was Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and my least favorite was Beerbohm’s Zuleika Dobson. Genres included epic poetry, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and satire. The most recent book was Agatha Christie’s 4:50 from Paddington from 1957, and the earliest book was Daniel Defoe’s Journal of the Plague Year...

Book Review / Books and Reading

December 28, 2017

The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall

The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall is a contrived, preachy story where most of the action takes place off stage. Despite all of that it’s still worth reading. The plot revolves around Jason Stevens, a spoiled young man who stands to inherit a life-changing amount of money if he fulfills certain tasks set out in the will of his rich great-uncle Red Stevens. Red is an old-school Texas oil-man who upon his death leaves behind twelve video messages to teach Jason the important life lessons that he failed...

The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton

Book Review / Books and Reading

December 27, 2017

The Ballad of the White Horse by G. K. Chesterton

“When our last bow is broken, Queen, And our last javelin cast, Under some sad, green evening sky, Holding a ruined cross on high, Under warm westland grass to lie, Shall we come home at last?” Chesterton’s The Ballad of the White Horse is wonderful epic poetry, but I found myself rushing through it. Part of the reason was my lack of knowledge about English history, and part of it was that I just wasn’t in the mood for poetry. But I think anyone who loves Dante, Homer, or...

Book Review / Books and Reading

December 27, 2017

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 12 Stories for Late at Night

12 Stories for Late at Night is the second of three anthologies edited by Alfred Hitchcock that I read for the Deal Me In Short Story Challenge this year. It contained some of the creepiest stories of the year, including “The Cocoon” by John B. L. Goodwin, “Vintage Season” by C. L. Moore, and “Our Feather Friends” by Philip McDonald. I always enjoy these Hitchcock anthologies, but this is one of the better collections, especially since it contains several top tier authors including Ray Bradbury, M. R. James...

Books and Reading / Chapter-a-Day Read-Along

December 26, 2017

Preparing for the Les Misérables Chapter-a-Day Read-along

The Read-along Is Nearly Here It’s less than a week until the Les Misérables Chapter-a-Day Read-along begins, and I’m excited to have so many of you along for the ride. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, or if you haven’t had the chance to sign up, be sure to read the post announcing the read-along for all details. Also, be sure to follow this blog so you don’t miss any posts about the read-along throughout the year. There are lots of ways to follow along. You can...

Spirituality

December 24, 2017

Welcome to Our World: A Christmas Prayer by Chris Rice

Christmas is ever so close now, and life often gets crazy busy about this time. If you have a spare two minutes and forty-seven seconds today, I offer you this beautiful Christmas meditation by musician Chris Rice. Christmas is a perfect time to welcome the Christ child into our world more deeply. What is your world right now? Is it chaos and confusion? Frustration and fear? Doubt and anger? Or perhaps your world right now is peace and harmony, joy and fulfillment, love and acceptance. Regardless, the Christ...

Books and Reading

December 23, 2017

Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge 2017 Wrap-up

It’s time now for me to make my case in Bev’s Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge. The challenge was to read a certain number of mysteries and link them in a chain of evidence from one to the other. As she explained: To follow a set of clues furnished by the mystery books you read to create a body of evidence to support a book court case. Each book clue should lead you to your next read. The connection can be anything at all from author names to...

Books and Reading

December 23, 2017

Back to the Classics Reading Challenge 2017 Wrap-up

The Back to the Classics Challenge was hosted by Karen at Books and Chocolate, who asked participants to read a classic in one of twelve different categories. For completing 6, 9, or 12 books, participants also earned entries into a drawing for a $30 Amazon gift card. I finished and reviewed the full twelve books, but at times it was a chore. I had difficulty making it through Far from the Madding Crowd, The Trial, and Dead Souls. On the other hand, Rebecca and Kristin Lavransdatter were books I couldn’t wait to get back...

Books and Reading

December 23, 2017

European Reading Challenge 2017 Wrap-up

The goal of the European Reading Challenge hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader was to read books from different European countries. There were several different levels to choose from, each of which was represented by a different level of hotel accommodation: FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. FOUR STAR (HONEYMOONER): Read four qualifying books. THREE STAR (BUSINESS TRAVELER): Read three qualifying books. TWO STAR (ADVENTURER): Read two qualifying books. ONE STAR (PENSIONE WEEKENDER): Read...

Book Review / Books and Reading

December 22, 2017

Hunted Down by Charles Dickens

Hunted Down by Charles Dickens is a novella divided into five parts and recently published as a stand-alone Kindle ebook from Open Road Media. Hunted Down has all the hallmarks of a Dickens story: characters with evocative names (Julius Slinkton, Miss Niner), wonderful Victorian sentences, and a mysterious plot. Unfortunately, the mystery takes a while to get going and the climax isn’t up to Dickens’ typical standards. Still, it didn’t take long to read, it only cost me 99 cents, and the story wasn’t horrible, only disappointingly average. For...

Book Review / Books and Reading

December 22, 2017

The Autobiography of Malcolm X as Told to Alex Haley

My whole life had been a chronology of—changes. I had already read The Autobiography of Malcolm X once before, but it still held my interest this time around. Malcolm X led one of the most dramatic and tragic lives of the twentieth century, and as he says, his whole life was a chronology of changes. He chronicles them all in his autobiography, which reads like a spiritual confession. I was impressed by Malcolm X’s willingness to share the personal details of his life, especially his wayward youth. The book...