Books, beer and barbarians

Books read in 2026: No. 14 -- The Religion of the Samurai

2026-10-22T00:25:32.976-04:00

Started: October 8

Finished: October 21

Notes: It's been a while since I've read something from out in left field, so I glanced at my Kindle and saw this e-book from 1913 that I had picked up probably more than a decade ago. Apparently it was common for samurai to be Buddhist, a religion of which I only have a bare understanding, so perhaps I'll learn from this.

Mini review: The title here is somewhat misleading because there's next to nothing here directly about Samurai. Most of this book is a history of Zen Buddhism with an explanation of tenets for the religion as well as some ideas about practicing meditation. I found a lot of practicalities here, mostly about meditation and how it can help someone, but toward the end of this book it started to get into more mystical stuff which did nothing for me.

Books read in 2026: No. 13 -- The Screwtape Letters

2026-10-08T12:33:41.851-04:00

by C.S. Lewis

Started: Sept. 27

Finished: October 8

Notes: I just finished this authors' novel The Great Divorce and found it interesting enough to want to consider reading further of his material. Outside of his Narnia fantasy novels, this Christian fiction is perhaps the author's best known work. This novel is about a demon writing letters to his son, but the demon eventually comes around to a Christian point of view. Or so I've heard. I'm looking forward to this one.

Mini review: Turns out it was a demon uncle writing to his nephew. This one could grow monotonous as its just letter after letter, but those letters did provide an interesting look at how our lesser actions or thoughts can become sins. The best part was the final chapter, which was not a letter but a speech from the demon named Screwtape, and it sounded very prescient to our day and age despite having been written about seventy years ago.

Books read in 2026: No. 12 -- The Great Divorce

2026-09-27T05:09:32.346-04:00

by C.S. Lewis

Started: Sept. 24

Finished: Sept. 27

Notes: I'm more a fan of this author's nonfiction Christian apologetics than I am his fiction, but this short novel seems to be something of a mix of both, telling of a bus ride, potentially to Heaven, where those riding the bus have decisions to make upon the way, decisions that might decide whether they reach Glory or not. I'm sure I'll learn more as I read.

Mini review: Those who wish to study Christianity would do well to read this book, though I would not suggest doing so until after studying the religion somewhat beforehand. It's not that this book is difficult to read, quite the opposite, but some of its leanings might not seem familiar to those with only a cursory understanding of Christ and Christianity. This is not a book of the superficial, nor of superficial religion. Yes, there's a bus ride from Hell to the outlying lands of Heaven, and in those outlying lands there are sinners who are greeted by spirits and given a choice in determining their fate. All that sounds rather simple, but this is truly a novel of putting aside expectations, of asking humanity to truly study itself at its deepest parts and to do away with all that could be considered evil in any fashion. This is not a book for casual believers, who might go away from reading this only confused or even angry or upset. Complexity, time, our very thoughts, are all questioned here, but not in a destructive or negative manner. Non-believers might consider this a trite book, or they might even think of it as stupid. Or perhaps I'm wrong, putting my own impressions upon what I might think others would think. It's that kind of book, seeking to have you question everything about yourself.

Books read in 2026: No. 11 -- 20th Century Ghosts

2026-09-24T04:53:50.872-04:00

by Joe Hill

Started: Sept. 10

Finished: Sept. 24

Notes: I've read a couple of novels and one collection of novellas from this author and generally enjoyed them. Some of his writings I found quite good, others simply okay, but nothing ever bored me or left me disgusted. All that being said, I thought I try out this collection of his short stories, especially as it came from early in his writing career about 20 years ago. Hill is mainly known as a horror writer, but he has been known to pen other works, so this could prove interesting.

Mini review: Not a lot of horror here, but there is some on the leaner side of darkness. Most of these were a little too meandering and literary for my taste, and too often I felt the stories simply ended without a real climax. The final story, "Voluntary Committal," is the longest and perhaps the best of the lot, a little long-winded but more moody than dark and somewhat similar to the works of the author's father (Stephen King). "The Cape" is also another that I might call the best of these tales, at first seeming like a tale of wonder but eventually in a flash becoming a tale of darkness. I didn't love this collection, but I didn't hate it, though I think I've determined I like Hill's longer works more than his shorter ones.

Books read in 2026: No. 10 -- The Lies of Locke Lamora

2026-09-10T02:39:36.766-04:00

by Scott Lynch

Started: July 30

Finished: Sept. 10

Notes: Not only have I consistently heard good things about this fantasy novel, I also have to admit it's one of those that continuously pops up on my radar either online or out and about in actual book stores. Also, for some reason, I find the title intriguing, pulling me in. I've never read this author before, so here's hoping for good things.

Mini review: This one was a fun read, even if it did take me far longer to finish it than I would have expected, but that's mainly because I've been busy of late without a lot of reading time. If you lover other-world fantasy with thieves and assassins and political intrigue, this one should be for you. A nice touch was the dangerousness of magic but without magic being too overpowering to the story. I'm glad I read it.

Books read in 2026: No. 9 -- Doctor Sleep

2026-07-30T00:22:04.268-04:00

by Stephen King

Started: June 18

Finished: July 30

Notes: As this one is a sequel to King's The Shining, I've been looking forward to reading it for some time.

Mini review: This one took me a lot longer to read because initially I found it completely predictable, leaving me to believe I have read to much Stephen King. For the first three-fourths of this book, I always knew exactly what was going to happen to every character, and it bored me to the point of not wanting to read. But then something interesting happened. King flipped the script, so to speak, and the last fourth of this novel was quite good with a decent ending. I generally feel endings are one of King's weaknesses, but here it all came together quite well. Also, it was interesting to re-visit an old character or three, to see what had happened to them years later, though some of the new characters proved themselves worthy as well.

Beer of the Week: Time for a break

2026-07-27T03:30:00.000-04:00

I've been writing about beer on one site or another for nearly 30 years (boy, does that make me feel old), and it's time to take a break.

I'm not sure yet if I'll come back to this blog for future Beer of the Week entries, but I'm not ruling it out. Right now I have other areas on which I need to focus, and my health isn't what it used to be.

So, a break. Probably not permanent, but who knows?

Time will tell.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Pyramid Hefeweizen

2026-07-20T04:30:00.000-04:00

Beer score: 7.8

Yet another week without trying a new beer, but as always, I have notes on some beers I tried years ago.

This one is especially hurtful because it was a quality beer from a quality company that is now closed. This particular beer went by a couple of different names, but the above is the name I last tasted it under.

It was light enough that a beer snob could sit around drink it all day. Still the flavor was probably too complicated for the non-snob group.

Poured a light orange color while giving off bready smells, maybe with a hint of fruit.

The taste has more of those bread aspects along with the fruitiness, possibly banana.

A touch of sweet going in the mouth, along with a touch of bitter on the way down. A little fizz. A little froth.

All around, a pretty good wheat beer with yeast.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Berghoff Original Lager

2026-07-13T04:30:00.000-04:00

Beer score: 4.7

This one went through quite a few different breweries and more than one name change over the years, but the headline for this post uses the name I knew this beer under when I took these notes more than a decade ago.

When I tried it, it was being craft brewed by the Joseph Huber Brewing Co.

Poured a cloudy, light yellow cover. Gave off smells of malt liquor or some other cheap beer, but I've had worse.

The taste is bready with some corn.

Strong but too sweet for me. Nothing special but not awful.

Beer of the Week: Miller High Life

2026-07-06T04:30:00.000-04:00

Beer score: 3.8

Company: Miller
ABV: 4.9
IBU: 7

Not a great beer, but a decent one for the end of a hard day's work. Better than many a cheap beer on the market.

As can be expected from a premium American brew, this one pours a pale golden color. It smells sweet with maybe a hint of orange.

The taste is sweet on top but with a touch of bitterness on the way down, and possibly another hint of that citrus.

Basically, this one is weak and wet, but there's hardly any fizz and it goes down smooth.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Killarney's Red Lager

2026-06-29T04:30:00.000-04:00

Beer score: 3.8

This liquid refreshment was Anheuser-Busch's very late attempt to market a red beer in 2001 several years after the red-beer craze had pretty much died out.

Anyway, this one poured a light red color and gave off smells of weak, sweet maltiness

It was a little sweet at first and wet, kind of like a brown ale.

Non-beer snobs probably thought this one was something different. It wasn't. Which is why it's still not around.

However, I've had worse beers. This one just didn't excite me.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Bert Grant's Scottish Ale

2026-06-22T04:30:00.000-04:00

Beer score: 6.9

No new beers to try this week, but as always I have notes from beers I tasted years ago.

This one hits especially hard because the Bert Grant's brand had some awesome beers.

It poured a reddish brown color with a slightly sweet, orange smell.

This one had a sweet taste in the beginning that turned into a strong bitter flavor on the way down. Very little fizz. Wet to the point of being almost like tea. Was probably too rough for beginning beer snobs.

Books read in 2026: No. 8 -- Space Battle

2026-06-18T15:29:56.819-04:00

by Jamie Lendino

Started: June 14

Finished: June 18

Notes: Anyone old enough to remember the home video game market of the late 1970s and early 1980s will know the Atari system was king, but second was obviously the Intellivision system. I had both and enjoyed both for different reasons. Here I'm taking a nostalgic trip down memory lane with this book which covers the history of the Intellivision.

Mini review: This one was a fun read and also informative without becoming bogged down. Still, sometimes it got a little tedious reading section after section about the details of various video games of the era, though not enough to keep me from reading. Many of the games for the Intellivision are covered here, and no small number of those not covered in depth still receive mention, and there's also a fair amount about the history of the console itself, most of which I knew though there were still a few surprises. Fans of 1980s video games will want to read this. Fans of the Intellivision definitely should read this.

Beer of the Week: Old Milwaukee Beer

2026-06-15T04:30:00.000-04:00

Beer score: 2.1

Company: Pabst Brewing Company
ABV: 4.6
IBU: 12

Yesterday was my birthday, and this is what I get.

Before I even have a taste of this stuff, it looks green and smells nasty.

Okay, after that sip, the verdict is weak, watery, a little sweet. Thank goodness it doesn't taste as bad as it smells.

This beer would go good with a meal at any restaurant that serves battery acid.

Books read in 2026: No. 7 -- Dungeon Crawler Carl

2026-06-14T10:40:20.858-04:00

by Matt Dinniman

Started: May 24

Finished: June 14

Notes: The girlfriend has been reading this series, which has become quite popular, and she suggested it to me, so I thought I'd give it a go, at least the first book in the series.

Mini review: Fans of silly fantasy and LitRPG, and those who like their D&D or video game RPGs on the funny side, should like this one. It was a fun read, but it didn't really fit my mood of late, though I don't blame that on the book or the author.

Beer of the Week: Doggie Style

2026-06-08T04:30:00.024-04:00

Beer score: 7.1

Company: Flying Dog Brewery
ABV: 5.5
IBU: 35

This pale ale pours a light copper color while giving off a rather large foamy head.

There's a little citrus in the scent, maybe some lemon or orange, and a touch of sweetness.

Smooth and wet, the way a pale ale should be, but this one is a little too bitter for a typical pale ale. There's some more of that citrus in the flavor, but not as much as in the smell.

This one is worth drinking.

Beer of the Week: Shock Top Belgian White

2026-06-01T22:26:00.025-04:00

Beer score: 4.7

Company: Shock Top Brewing Co.
ABV: 5.2
IBU: 10

In my search for a good warm-weather beer, I thought about trying a Shock Top, which I've not had in more than a decade. At first I feared this beer was no longer in production, but then I had a pleasant surprise and found out Anheuser-Busch had sold this Belgian white ale off. So, some beers have an extended life beyond their original brewer.

Anyway, this one poured a light golden color with some haziness and maybe the barest hint of orange. Funny enough, it has a bit of that orange in the smell and more in the taste. However, there also is a light wheat smell, but most of that is overpowered by the citrus in the flavor.

It's not the best Belgian white around, but it's pretty decent and worth drinking with lighter foods, like fish or baked chicken. I wouldn't turn up my nose if handed one.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Wild Goose India Pale Ale

2026-05-25T04:00:00.009-04:00

Beer score: 5.4

Man, I've had no luck of late when looking for some beers I hadn't tried in a while. This is another one no longer on the market, and even the brewer is out of business. At least I've got memories and some old notes.

This one poured a light brown color with a little malty smell and maybe a touch of corn.

The taste was pretty bitter with just a hint of the fruity sourness common to most IPAs and the barest touch of sweetness. A little fizzy, even in the aftertaste.

People who like bitter beers that go down a little rough would have enjoyed this one.

Books read in 2026: No. 6 -- The Mystery of Smuggler's Cove

2026-05-24T02:38:57.630-04:00

by Retro Myrtle Beach Guy

Started: May 23

Finished: May 24

Notes: The author of this one is a YouTube content creator who focuses most of his material on the Myrtle Beach area. His content tends to be fun and family oriented, and he's created a couple of indie films as well as a number of other projects, including a handful of books, such as this one. As I'm entertained by him and enjoy his work, I thought I'd give one of his books a shot for more fun.

Mini review: Just a fun, silly little adventure of two pals, Retro and Tiki, as they attempt to thwart a villain in the Myrtle Beach area. Fans of Myrtle Beach should enjoy this one as there are a number of local landmarks and establishments mentioned, and the focus is on building community and helping local, smaller businesses. The Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce should stock copies of this book in their offices, especially as they turn out to be one of the heroes of the tale!

Books read in 2026: No. 5 -- Long Time No See

2026-05-23T23:08:26.303-04:00

by Ed McBain

Started: May 18

Finished: May 23

Notes: My readings so far this year have been on the heavier side, so I decided it was time for something lighter. Yes, for me, murder is lighter. At least when it's written by Ed McBain.

Mini review: Someone is murdering blind people. Why? That's what Detective Steve Carella and the rest of the 87th gang have to determine. Not the best of this series, perhaps even one of the more predictable of these books, or maybe I've just read so many of them I've become overly familiar with the author's style. That being said, it's still an 87th Precinct book, which means it's like pizza ... even when it's not great, it's still pretty darn good.

Books read in 2026: No. 4 -- The Marquis de Sade: A Life

2026-05-18T16:39:22.856-04:00

by Neil Schaeffer

Started: April 22

Finished: May 17

Notes: For some while I've been intrigued by the mad figure of the Marquis de Sade, so when I came across this biography, I had to snatch it up.

Mini review: Much as I thought, this book seems to say that Sade was a more complex and misunderstood figure not only today but in his own time as well. That's not to say he was a nice guy, but it does mean his reputation was worse than the reality, at least according to historical records of which there were many. And I've said for some while now that while one might not approve of Sade's material, the man could write. Was he insane? Likely not, though I think it's beyond doubt that he had some emotional and possibly mental issues. Was he a murderer? Rapist? Pedophile? That's not how it looks in the historical records we have. Still, not someone I'd want to hang out with, but he could write.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Rolling Rock Light

2026-05-18T04:30:00.013-04:00

Beer score: 5.4

Still searching for a lighter beer for warm weather, one I've not had before or at least not in a long time, so I thought I turn to the Rolling Rock brews. And was I surprised this one was no longer in production.

As a side note, I've also seen this beer sold as Rock Green Light or Rock Light, but those aren't around either.

Whatever the name might be, this one wasn't bad for a light beer.

As can be expected, this one poured an almost-clear yellow color with scents of corn, typical for most premium or mass-produced beers.

Smooth. There was a little of the corn sweetness in the taste, and it was slightly watery.

Beer of the Week Blast from the Past: Caguama Light

2026-05-11T12:26:00.022-04:00

Beer score: 3.2

Warm weather is approaching and I thought I'd try a lighter beer I'd not had in a while. Thinking I'd go for something unusual, at least for me, I sought out the Caguama brews and found they are no longer being made. Still, I have some notes from the last time I had one of these in the light version.

Poured a bright golden color while giving off scents that reminded me of plain cereal. It tasted like a premium light beer with some corn and a little bread. Touches of sweetness, a hint of bitter, not much more.

This one wasn't nearly as smooth as the non-light version of Caguama. It had way too much fizz, though that's fairly typical for light beers. Still, like the non-light version, this one was fairly cooling on hot days and went decent with spicy foods, and it made a decent bar beer.

Beer of the Week: Lowenbrau Dunkel

2026-05-04T02:53:00.022-04:00

Beer score: 4.9

Company: Lowenbrau
ABV: 5.2
IBU: 18

Sometimes this beer is labeled as Lowenbrau Premium Dark, but it's the same beer.

Pours a dark brown color in a clear glass while giving off scents of burnt chocolate and toffee.

This is pretty weak for a dark beer. There is a little of the expected burnt taste, but not much. However, there is a little sweetness here, almost like caramel.

For the price, you can do better, but still not the worst beer around.

Beer of the Week: Busch Light

2026-04-27T04:30:00.018-04:00

Beer score: 2.9

Company: Busch
ABV: 4.1
IBU: 5

Been a long time since I had one of these, but thought I'd give it another try. so see if it had improved. It hadn't.

When you pour it, it's got that familiar pale golden color common to premium beers. It smells a bit like grain and possibly regret.

This is a weaker and sweeter version of Bush beer, but don't worry, because the fizz is still there if you want to burp. And it's not the worst beer on the market.

The best thing about this beer is the price. So, if you are broke and on a diet, this isn't a bad choice for you.