Off the Record

I picked up the novel Off the Record by David Menconi after reading his book pseudo-biography Ryan Adams: Losering, A Story of Whiskeytown. In the latter book, Menconi makes mention of Off the Record and indicates that he based one of the characters off of Ryan Adams and another musician from the Raleigh, NC area. I wanted to read the book and see how he portrayed a fictional rock band.

I enjoyed Off the Record quite a bit more than Ryan Adams: Losering, A Story of Whiskeytown, for the simple fact that David Menconi is not in the book. Unfortunately, in the Ryan Adams book, Menconi decided to make himself a figure in the history of the band Whiskeytown. Those who read my review of that book may note that I criticized Menconi for his determination to share his opinion, reviews of records, iPod playlists, and other extraneous trivia as though it was part of the band's story.

However, in this novel, he describes the rise and fall of the Tommy Aguilar Band (TAB). The story revolves around the members of the band, as well as a newspaper music critic (surprise, surprise), a bar owner/manager, and a crooked concert promoter. The story does a good job of describing the music business - at least how it looked in the later nineties and early two thousands.

Overall, the book was rather interesting and kept me engaged. The characters were all flawed, which made them believable. I think this book would be of interest to anyone who enjoys rock music, reading about the music business, or just enjoys a good story.

Off the Record

The Enemy

The Enemy is the eighth installment of the Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child. This book, unlike the others thus far, takes place while Reacher is still employed by the U.S. Army. In this book, Reacher has been relocated to Fort Bird in North Carolina and is the major Military Police presence on the base. After the mysterious death of an army general, Reacher is pulled into a mysterious web of intrigue that involves more murders and plenty of deceit. Reacher approaches this investigation with his usual no nonsense, devil-may-care attitude and makes plenty of enemies along the way. The real question, of course, is who is really behind the mystery.

This book is rather intriguing as it provides some insight into Reacher earlier in his career. Typically, his military career is told in flashback and in this novel, we get to see some of it unfold over the course of the narrative. I found it particularly enjoyable for that reason, and because Reacher interacts with his mother and brother, Joe. This is definitely a must read for anyone who is a fan of the series or is interested in Reacher as a character.

The Enemy

Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election

I ordered Conclave: The Politics, Personalities, and Process of the Next Papal Election by John L. Allen, Jr. after Pope Benedict XVI made his announcement to step down from the papacy last month. In fact, it was a month ago today that the announcement was made. I have long been fascinated with the process by which Popes are elected. It has also seemed to be a secret and somewhat romanticized process to me. Admittedly, most of my most recent knowledge regarding conclave comes from the opening scenes of Dan Brown's novel Angels & Demons. Upon realizing this, I decided I wanted some more accurate information regarding the process, especially given how important this next election may be for the Roman Catholic Church. Those who have been around me recently are likely aware of how excited I am for this particular election.

I rather enjoyed the book, as Allen provides some clear information about the process. He starts off by providing information about the role of the Pope and describing what the position is actually responsible for, both inside and outside of the church. Allen then details the various issues about which the voting cardinals will be concerned when considering who to elect into the Papacy. Next, the author describes the actual process of conclave, starting with the announcement of the Pope being ill. Clearly this book was written prior to our present situation, so the author does not discuss the process for when a Pope resigns. Next, the book describes the various political parties within the college of cardinals and the affiliations along with they vote. Finally, the author describes the likely candidates for the Papacy; however, the book was written about a decade ago, so it is currently out of date. However, interestingly, the author did not pick Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) as a likely candidate.

Overall, it was a very interesting read. I enjoyed learning about the process of the Papal election and I look forward to watching the new media report on Conclave over the next week. I believe that as a result of reading this book, I will better understand the process as it unfolds.

Persuader

Persuader is the 7th book of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. I have returned to this series, after a brief hiatus in which I have been reading books for class or other books about the blues.  

Persuader finds Jack Reacher collaborating with the DEA to go undercover to investigate a suspected drug dealer. The suspect in Reacher's investigation is also potentially working with a mysterious figure from Reacher's past. The narrative of this book takes place in the present, but is also peppered with flashbacks.

This proved to be a pretty fun book with a strong story. I think this is one of the stronger books I have read from the series. Fans of the series will likely find this to be an enjoyable read.

Persuader

Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose

I received the  Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose by Matthew Kelly from the pastor of my parents' church and my home parish. I received it sometime over a year ago. While I was somewhat curious to see what was included in the book, it never really made it to the top of my queue of books to read. However, with the arrival of Lent and the resignation of the Pope, it seemed like an appropriate time to start reading the book.

I will admit, it took a while for the book to engage me. The first couple of chapters used some good metaphors to explain the need for a deeper exploration of religion in the modern era. However, the beginning of the book sounded rather like a self-help book. I don't necessarily have anything against self-help books, but they often seem to be too simple and a bit pedantic.

However, Chapter 8 started to interest me. Kelly explores the lives of five Catholics he believes are worthy of emulation. Following that, the author really caught my attention in Chapter 12 when he begins to explain what he refers to as the seven pillars of the Catholic faith: confession, daily prayer, the mass, the Bible, fasting, spiritual reading, and the Rosary. These prove to be rather interesting chapters focused on some of the core sacraments and practices of Catholicism.

Throughout the book, Kelly provides a fair share of self-disclosure about his own understanding of the faith and his personal journey. While not all of the book resonated with me, the sections I have just mentioned proved to be thought-provoking and prompted some reflection. This is certainly a useful book for Catholics who are seeking ways to engage more actively with their faith.

Rediscover Catholicism: A Spiritual Guide to Living with Passion & Purpose