Review: Blood on the Saddle

Blood on the Saddle by Hank Madison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blood on the Saddle

Right from the start, there is no doubt that one is reading a story in the style of the simple, masculine, straightforward ways of the Old West. The writing is straight forward, devoid of fluff just like a serious horseman riding the fence-line his ranch.

A classic western like this most likely informed the imaginations of many a young boy, when playing cowboys-and-indians in the back yards of 1970’s America. Almost instantly the lines are drawn between the good guys and bad guys, as the story enters a tense exchange that helps the reader define who belongs to the given sides.

Our hero is put under stress right away, and shows the reader a cool, steely demeanor that a western-genre hero should have. He is fast with a gun, and good with an unruly horse; our hero settles in as a guest on the ranch of the “good guys,” and gets on with fighting the bully-ranchers that seem to be everyone’s enemy. It is a classic story of the family ranchers versus the “range hogs” who try to take over ranches with brute force, with the local law on the payroll. However, our hero has not appeared merely to help the poor family ranchers defend their property; he has the motivation of personal vengeance in his heart.

The dialog is written to convey the accent and pronunciation of the old west, and can get a little campy at times (e.g., “horse” is spelled as “hoss” in the dialog). Of course, that is the color and character one expects when reading this genre. If you are looking to read a classic, scrappy western, Blood on the Saddle is your ticket! I am happy to have been provided a copy of this re-published western by the publisher (via NetGalley), and am glad they are preserving such classics like this.

View all my reviews

Review: The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss

The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss by Jason Fung
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is not a "diet book," per se. However, it gives you the real story - if on is going to become healthy by losing weight, one must understand why we are gaining weight in the western world. Get your glucose and insulin resistance under control, and you will be healthier. This is not the book for someone who wants to do "x" and lose "y" pounds in "z" weeks. This is a book that will give you the why's and wherefore's of how the body works, re: insulin resistance, and will set you on a path for losing weight.

View all my reviews

Review: The Time of Our Lives

The Time of Our Lives by Peggy Noonan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Time of Our Lives: Collected Writings

I am certain to keep this book nearby, and I expect to return to it many times, because I could not put the writings of Peggy Noonan down. I have read compilations of columnists before and, while interesting, they can sometimes come across as dated. Noonan's observations and perspectives are, in a certain sense, timeless.

I was offered a copy of this book by the publisher, through NetGalley, and from the very introduction I was aware that I would not be able to easily put this book down. I found myself wanting to learn more about the arc of Noonan’s career, which made me want to devour the collection of her articles therein. The manner in which the book is organized, topically by chapter, is nice. If one wants to skip around and read Noonan’s thoughts on the Catholic Church, or War, or Ronald Reagan, the book is organized to allow for that.

While her writings are about events in time and space, I say Noonan’s writings are timeless because she writes of the United States of America that, I dare say, our Founding Fathers would appreciate. Noonan clearly loves her country, her Church, and political leadership – rather, she loves the way they have been and, in some ways, the way they should remain (or become again). Indeed, she writes of events current at the time a particular column. However, Noonan highlights a timelessness between the lines of those current events, and that is why I love her style.

Noonan captures the sense that something has changed in many of the institutions that affect the time of our lives. The something that has changed disturbs her, and should disturb all Americans. She does not, however, raise an alarmist tone that one sometimes finds in the shrill style of books churned out by cable and radio talk show hosts; reading Noonan gives one the sense that, despite changes to the negative, the soul of Old America, where love of country is natural rather than a choice one makes “… after weighing the pros and cons,” still remains.

One would do well to buy this book, read Noonan’s writings through, and let them sink in. Then read it again! I know I will.

View all my reviews