New artwork: I Will Give You Rest V. Channeling Mondrian a bit.
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New artwork: I Give unto You Power II.
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell, by Victoria Goddard (2020, fantasy). Oh my goodness, I loved this. So, so good, and tremendously satisfying. It ties together several threads from The Hands of the Emperor in a delightful, rewarding way. (Also glad I happened to read Stargazy Pie before this, though I’m sure it would have been fine either way.) Looking forward to reading all the rest of Goddard’s many books.
Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman (2019, fiction). I read this for book group. It’s a little batty. Liked it, especially the humanity that comes through, and the fourth wall breakage was fun. This was my first time reading anything by Backman, though years ago I watched the 2015 film adaptation of A Man Called Ove, and a few days ago I saw and loved A Man Called Otto. Noting here that suicide is a recurring theme in both Backman stories, which of course made me think about my dad.
My tastes in film have shifted, by the way. Where I used to prefer sf&f and action, now those almost always feel silly and cringey to me; instead I find myself craving realism, where it seems easier to find good writing and acting. (Whether that’s actually true, I don’t know. I may be biased here by having recently watched Moneyball and now A Man Called Otto.)
Pleased to announce that I have a few pieces in Esther Hi’ilani Candari’s ARTbook volume 1: Book of Mormon, which will be released on Monday, December 4. I’ll be at Writ & Vision in Provo that day at 6 pm to sign copies of the book, along with some of the other thirty-seven artists whose work is featured. If you’re in the area, stop by and say hi!
New artwork: Wherefore Didst Thou Doubt? IV.
Released an Arabic–English parallel language edition of the Book of Mormon. This edition only goes through the end of Alma since that’s how much of this Arabic translation is currently published. (I’ll release an updated edition later when it’s finished.)
The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis (1945, fantasy). Reread. In fact, according to my log I’ve read it at least three other times, which is a relatively rare thing for me. (I prefer to read books I haven’t read before.) I wasn’t sure how this one would hold up given that it had been seventeen years since I last read it, but it was still good. A little weird here and there, but mostly good. I still love the idea of heaven being more solid and real than this world, and the core message — learn to love God above all else — is still as relevant as ever.
New artwork: My Yoke Is Easy III.
Losing the Long Game, by Philip Gordon (2020, nonfiction). A review of U.S. attempts at regime change in the Middle East (Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc.), from the angle that whenever we intervene, it ends up making things much worse. Color me convinced.