Intro Welcome back to Roll For Book, the series where I let random chance decide what I’m going to read next (as always, this is inspired by Adventures in Ardia). If you are unfamiliar with the layout of my library and how I decide which dice to roll check out my last “Roll For Book” post or check out the video in the link below. For this episode my wife is rolling since we are using her dice. Floor Roll (D6) – 5 Row Roll (D80+D10) – 63 (But for some reason I counted 66 shelves, go figure) Shelf Roll (D6) – 2 Book Roll (All the dice) – 96 The Results – A Glorious Disaster by J. William Middendorf II Plot Synopsis & Initial Thoughts This non-fiction book tells the story of the United States presidential election of 1964. More specifically it tells of the attempts by the republican party to draft uber conservative Barry Goldwater and get him elected which some historians consider the start of the modern republican party with future presidents like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush getting their start during this time. This book was a bit tedious to get through for me personally. With that said I do appreciate the history lesson given and even though I consider myself apolitical I can appreciate the insider look to what a grass roots campaign and the inner workings of a political party looked like during the 1960’s. Full Review Plot & Characters
While these are true historical events, the account given here carries a very obvious personal slant towards the righteousness of the republican party, and more specifically towards a more conservative, less middle of the road ideals that the author hold in very high regard. How you feel about this book will probably depend highly on how you align with those beliefs. The author does give a very thorough account of all the events leading up to and immediately after the election of 1964 giving an inside look at what running an election campaign can look like including the humdrum everyday doings of the background people. However that attention to detail can also make this book drag a little with chapter after chapter giving details upon details, and names upon names of people and events important to that election. Your enjoyment of the story the author is choosing to share here will really depend on how into politics and or the republican party you are I suppose. As previously mentioned that attention to detail also extends to the people involved with these historical events. The most entertaining people tend to be the ones that are already larger than life in our history books like Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and the main subject of the book Barry Goldwater himself. I do find it interesting to get the authors initial impression of these and other people only to re-evaluate them as he gets to know them better (or once they perform some deed that the author agrees or disagrees with). With that said the author mentions and includes a LOT of people in this story and it’s really easy to forget who is doing what from chapter to chapter. Themes As previously mentioned the righteousness of the republican party circa the 1960’s is a very prominent theme throughout the book. Also once again your alignment with that viewpoint can really make or break your enjoyment of this book. However a deeper look does reveal a lot of introspection on the nature of volunteer organizations. Also we see some of the pitfalls of those same organizations when upper leadership is not on the same page as the people actually doing the grunt work on the bottom, something I’m sure almost anyone can relate to. Another major theme is what does and doesn’t win a presidential election with many of the lessons learned shedding a light on how many modern political campaigns are ran, for better or for worse. Final Thoughts A perfectly fine historical account but maybe not my first choice when it comes to leisure reading. Plot & Characters: 1.5/3 Themes 1.5/3 Overall: 1/3 Final Score: 4/9 Check out the video of this review in the link below!
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Intro Welcome back to Roll For Book, the series where I let random chance decide what I’m going to read next (as always, this is inspired by Adventures in Ardia). If you are unfamiliar with the layout of my library and how I decide which dice to roll check out my last “Roll For Book” post or check out the video in the link below. Floor Roll (D6) – 1 Row Roll (D80+D10) – 66 Shelf Roll (D6) – 6 Book Roll (All the dice) – 122 The Result...Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson & Marshall Karp Plot Synopsis & Initial Thoughts When poor art student Matthew Bannon comes upon a stash of diamonds, he’s convinced his money woes are a thing of the past. Soon he whisks himself and his girlfriend out of the country hoping to sell the diamonds for a hefty sum. However those diamonds belonged to the Russian mafia, and they will do everything in their power to get them back, including sending an assassin or two Matthew’s way. This thriller story is on the surface pure escapist fun. The twists and turns of the story have me mostly empathizing with the main character and curious to see if they will survive. However with all that said I personally found a lot of problematic content with the story and some parts of the book, particularly when it comes to character deaths, feel mean spirited. Full Review Plot & Characters
The plot of this book reminds me very much of a 90’s/early 2000’s action flick, with characters dashing from one set piece to the next all while everything builds and builds to an exciting climax. Also like those movies there is a major plot twist half ways through the story that I found kind of hard to swallow. So while it can be a fun roller coaster ride at times, I left the book not necessarily feeling like the ride justified the content. And there was a lot of content I did not feel comfortable with outside of the normal cliches of rough language and violence. To start with there is a subplot that runs through the entire book about an incestuous relationship between a father and his adult daughter that so far as I can tell adds almost nothing to the story. Additionally the book feels the need to insert brief but gratuitous sex scenes ever three chapters or so, almost like the authors afraid you’ll lose interest if something provocative/titillating isn’t constantly happening. Finally is the main character themselves who the book tries to paint as heroic but comes off to me at least as a selfish jerk who makes questionable moral decisions. You also get point of view chapters from multiple villain’s perspectives throughout the book, and while they can be hammy and fun at times, they mostly feel shallow and unlikable. And then the book goes out its way to make sure each one of them get a karmic and gruesome death, which come off less as Disney villains getting their comeuppance, and more as mean spirited revenge fantasies. Themes On a positive note the book goes out of its way to show love that can change us for the better, with our main character going through a very deliberate character arc that sees him re-evaluating what he wants to do with his life, and the decisions he has made. And I do appreciate that this character growth and love is shown through the actions the character takes to rescue his beloved (granted he only had to rescue her because of his own dumb decisions, but I digress). We even get some brotherly love thrown into the mix with characters being willing to die for each other at several points in the book. The other themes of the book kind of boil down to base elements. You get protagonist centered morality stuff like, “crime is bad if you’re a bad guy doing it” (but don’t worry if you’re the good guy its only sometimes wrong). You also get stuff like “You reap what you sow” (once again, mainly if you’re a bad guy). And finally the unexpected “Isn’t the military kind of awesome!”. Final Thoughts I get why people like James Patterson and his various co-writers. His books are fast paced, exciting, and easy to read, making them ideal for a quick read while you’re sitting in the airport for instance. But I get the feeling that he focuses so much on rather or not his books sell, he takes little time to consider the impact thy will have on people. I have nothing against escapist entertainment and would even argue that it adds a lot to society, but when that entertainment feels bitter and empty, deep fried and coated in sugar though it may be, I don’t feel the desire to return to it anytime soon. Plot & Characters: 1/3 Themes 1.5/3 Overall: 1/3 Final Score: 3.5/9 Check out the video of this review in the link below! Introduction I love books as can be attested by the 60 some odd books I read last year. Also like many other people I really love the tick tock channel “Adventures in Ardia” in particular the roll for sandwich series where the roll of a dice decides what’s eaten for lunch. This got me thinking, what if I applied the same concept to finding a book to read? So I give you “Roll For Book” the series where I let random chance decide what I’m going to read next. To get my book I’m using my public library which has 3 floors (not counting the magazine racks, YA, and children’s section) so for this I roll a D6 (if I roll a 3 I go back to floor one, 5 for floor 2, etc.). On each floor is approximately 82 rows of books, so I roll a D80+D10 and apply the same looping rolls as the other sections (if I happen to get a double 0 I would go to the YA or Magazine section). Each row has 5 shelves so I roll a D6 (I understand this gives me a marginal chance of choosing the first shelf twice but I had to roll with it). Starting on the far left side of the shelf there are approximately 116 books to choose from so I roll all my dice and add the totals. So what were the results? Floor Roll (D6) – 4 Row Roll (D80+D10) – 35 Shelf Roll (D6) – 6 Book roll (All the dice) – What I rolled was 109, what I counted was 116. Honest mistake that I will try to not duplicate in the future. The result - Dangerous Pursuit by Joe Bannister released in 2020 Plot Synopsis & Initial Thoughts
Gabriel Ash sees a girl running from something in the woods behind his house, from there the chase is on for Ash and the local law enforcement team to catch a potential serial rapist and murderer. This British police procedural/detective story ended up being a fun and cozy ride. Due to it being an ongoing series I felt like I had stepped into the middle of a shows third season, but in the best way possible. Even though I guessed the ending fairly early in the book the characters are what really saved it for me. Full Review Plot & Characters The plot of this book can be summarized like this, here is what we think happened at the crime scene, chase down that theory, oh no it was a red herring, rinse and repeat until we reach the end of the story. Now I realize what I just described is basically the plot of every tv procedural show ever so to give this book credit it does spend a lot of time focusing on the characters and how they are dealing with the events of the mystery including a nice exploration of mob mentality and profiling that us humans have a nasty tendency towards. Just don’t expect anything that’s going to blow your mind or fundamentally change the way you see reality. But on the subject of characters, like the best procedural shows rather they be Law and Order, Monk, or NCIS, the characters generally make or break the story being told. Fortunately for this book we get three point of view characters that are all very enjoyable in their own ways. First we have the second hand book salesman and survivor of some sort of mental breakdown Gabriel Ash who you expect to play a kind of private detective role in the story but instead just kind of repeatedly stumbles into situations related to the plot. While a healthy suspension of disbelief is required, the character himself serves as a gentle and huggable protagonist that just wants to help where he can. Second we have Ashes best friend, Constable Hazel Best. Apparently she has a history of getting in trouble with her boss even as she continues to be a valuable asset to the team. Serving as the hot headed young cop trope she is an enjoyable enough character but I couldn’t help but feel she wasn’t represented as strongly in this story as I hope she is in other books. Finally we have Detective Chief Inspector Gorman who serves the grizzled but still lovable boss trope. Once again a character who doesn’t get as much page time as I would have liked but he still serves the story nicely and acts as the calm voice of reason. Also I think it’s worth mentioning the town of Norbold itself where most the action takes place. You get the feeling of a cozy English village from tales of yesteryears while still keeping the story squarely in the 21st century. I think this setting is where a great deal of the charm of the book comes through. Themes The biggest theme I saw the book returning to repeatedly was the need for mental health and how the path to recovery from trauma is not the same for everyone. We see this both with the mysterious past of Ash and in conversations with the family the police are dealing with through most of the book. I also appreciated the positive portrayal of a therapist in this book and it’s description as “Like talking your worries over with your best friend, if your best friend was clever enough to understand what you were going through and help you to find the way out”. Another theme as previously mentioned is the examination of profiling and stereotyping that people have a tendency towards. While no concrete answer is given on how to deal with this (and really what answer could be given?) it is nice to at least see it discussed. Final Thoughts I enjoyed this book more than I anticipated enjoying a book picked by random chance that also happens to be part of an ongoing series. The cover (I know, never judge a book by its cover) gave me the thought that this would be a dark and gritty thriller and while it certainly had its darker moments I found it no more intense than an episode of Matlock. This book also made me curious to read the rest of the series which I just may get around to someday, so overall an enjoyable if not life changing experience. Plot & Characters: 2/3 Themes: 2/3 Overall: 1.5/3 Final Score: 5.5/9 Check out the video version of this review in the link below! Let’s talk about books, during the year of 2023 I kept a record of every book I read, over 80 in total, and now I’m going to talk about every single one to hopefully entertain and possibly inspire your own future reading material. Full disclosure I read printed books, digital books , graphic novels and listen to audio books. During this review I will only be making a distinction if the medium impacted my experience in some way. Also this project was heavily inspired by a similar project by YouTube creator Austin McConnell, so thanks for the inspiration! Also also for the sake of continuity and convenience I will be breaking this up by genre, okay…let’s go. FictionGeneral: And now for the most vague category that I can put books I’ve read into. I consider this anything that’s generally set in modern times (or at least some time in the past 100 years) and just involves normal people dealing with some kind of plot. I know super descriptive and you could argue that some of these titles belong in other categories but you know what it’s my list so here we go. The Next Person You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Alborn A sequel to “The first five people you meet in heaven” (which I had just finished at the end of 2022) this book feels like it was made for a hallmark feature film adaptation. With that said this story of a young women dying and seeing what her life has been worth through the eyes of other people does have its moments and while certainly sappy at points that doesn’t keep the story itself from being interesting and memorable. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelter One of my favorite new finds of the year this book tells the intersecting story of a young man stumbling into a small town looking for his long lost father (or at least the money he can get from said father), an elderly woman who lost her son to a tragic accident some 20 odd years earlier, and an octopus at the local aquarium counting down the days till he dies. I’m a sucker for these small town type stories and this book scratches that itch for me and I look forward to reading it again at some point. I Will Not Die Alone by Dera White and Joe Bennett Part absurdist comedy, part existential poetry. This brief graphic novel is quirky for sure as it shows a community of anthropomorphic animals all coming to terms with an extinction level event that will soon wipe all life on earth. Levels of enjoyment will vary from person to person but it’s certainly unique if nothing else. Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks A fell down a minor graphic novel rabbit hole this past year and this book was one of my favorites. For anyone who loves the season of fall, apple cider, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and young love. This graphic novel is a nostalgic piece of comfort food. Archie: A Rock N Roll Romance by Dan Parent I grew up reading Archie comics which generally have all the creative juice of a piece of white bread. But with that said they are a total comfort read for me and something I just come back to time and time again when I want to relax. I ended up reading three Archie graphic novels last year and this particular novel tells a hypothetical story of Archie marrying Valerie, the bass player for the in universe band “Josie and the Pussycats”. As I previously said I really love these small town character stories and while this story deteriorates a little as it reaches its end, it’s a mostly fun ride. Archie Volume One (The New Archie) by Mark Waid In 2015 after over 70 years of existence Archie comics decided to try something new and create a brand new continuity for their characters that actually had continuity. The result was an interesting take on the characters that certainly showed promise. Sadly writer turnovers and general disinterest in the project led to its eventual and still ongoing hiatus. This first volume was a lot of fun and made me a little sad we may never get to see the end of the stories being told. Jughead Volume One (The New Archie) by Chip Dzeasky and Erica Henderson This companion series to the above mentioned Archie reboot series is a denser and wackier take on the characters of Riverdale starring my personal favorite character from the Archie universe, Jughead Jones. Pretty much everything I said about the previous novel applies here. After The End by Clare Mackintosh Something I truly love in fiction is playing with the concept of time. Whether it’s time loops, alternative universes, or wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff, it’s all a good time for me. So when I read the premise of this book about exploring two alternate timelines after some kind of tragedy hits a husband and wife I was on board. What I was not expecting was for that tragedy to revolve around their sick child and the decision of rather or not to take him off of life support. Needless to say this book gets pretty depressing in spots, it was good but not necessarily fun. Lottery by Patricia Wood Who doesn’t love fantasizing about what they would do if they won the lottery? The premise of this book is what if a character who wasn’t mentally disabled per se but just had a low IQ (think forest gump) won the lottery. The book itself is fairly well written and has some fun characters. However I couldn’t help but notice some icky implications with certain characters dating other characters. Their ages are never given outright but the implication was that the girl was somewhere around 17 and the guy was in his 40’s, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. That along with some questionable morals given make me a little less likely to come back to this story in the future. 100 Days Of Happiness by Fausto Brizzi A book I picked up from my work break room on a whim that I ended up speed reading through. After a man finds out he has 100 days left to live due to a cancer diagnosis he determines to wrap up any and all loose threads in his life before shedding the mortal coil. One interesting aspect of this book is the main character is not necessarily a good person, sympathetic for sure but not necessarily the most morally upright person I’ve ever read. The fact that the book makes me so invested in his journey even when I don’t agree with his decisions is a testament to the strength of the writing. Mystery/Thriller: While I know that “mystery” and “thriller” are technically two different sub genres, for me they carry a lot of the same vibes. Often dark, mysterious, and brooding these are the books that left me feeling just the slightest bit uneasy in the middle as I tried to figure out where they were going. Turtles All The Way Down by John Green This celebrated young adult author takes the mystery story for a spin. Full disclosure I picked this up from a book shop owner who was selling it as a mystery book, that is to say it was wrapped up and the author and title were not revealed until after I bought it. The story itself really isn’t half bad dealing with a teenage girl who has the most realistic depiction of OCD I’ve ever seen and her best friend as they try to unravel the mystery of an acquaintances missing father. Really though its that core friendship that’s stuck with me the most from this book. Bonus points for the book taking place in my native Indiana where I actually recognized some of the streets being described. 1984 (Graphic Novel) by George Orwell and Fido Nesti I read 1984 when I was probably 17 or so and I remember it being one of the first “important” books that I ever read in full. The story itself is as depressing as ever even though I do have to concede that it’s a celebrated classic for a reason. The artwork by Fido Nesti on the other hand, while good on a technical level, didn’t really add or take away from the experience, but rather just served as a new medium for the story. Abiding Darkness by John Aubrey Anderson I decided to try a little experiment for myself inspired by the Tik Tok series “roll for sandwich” and rolled for a book. The result was a novel that felt very similar to author Frank Paretti. Dealing with themes of spiritual warfare and racial prejudice from the point of view of characters in 1940’s Mississippi. The story itself is fine but falls a little short of some of it’s lofty ambitions, especially when it comes to the characters themselves. The Mystery.doc by Matthew McIntosh I was at my local libraries book sale and saw a super thick blue book at the top of the shelf and was instantly curious. After looking at the cover and recognizing a screen grab from my favorite movie of all time “It’s a wonderful life” and reading the synopsis promising a mystery from the point of view of a man with amnesia I was even more intrigued. However this highly experimental book gets crushed under the weight of its own lofty ambitions. It’s like the author didn’t so much want to tell a story as try out a whole bunch of ideas he’d saved up from his college creative writing class. The result is a book that can feel like gibberish at points and so far as I could tell lacks a satisfying conclusion. Maybe I wasn’t in the right head space to enjoy this book and maybe it was just bad writing, the world may never know. Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz and Thomas Pitilli This graphic novel re imagines batman as a high school mystery/drama where Bruce Wayne never once dons the cape and cowl. It’s an interesting enough read with half the fun being trying to figure out which characters are counterparts to a batman villain or ally. However I can’t honestly see someone who’s not already a batman fan getting super into this. The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz A genuinely well written mystery with an ending I honestly did not see coming. When a college professor uses the plot of a deceased student for his book and then gets wildly rich and famous, it’s only a matter of time before his own guilt ridden conscience and a mysterious figure catch up to him and try to take it all away. This book was a fast paced thrill ride that was a lot of fun, if you’re in the mood for a little intrigue you could certainly do worse. Fantasy: Okay here we are in our first batch of genre fiction. Fantasy is any story that either has a fairy tale aesthetic or where technobabble doesn’t fully explain the rules of the universe. I have eight books in this category so strap on your saddle. Eight Billion Genies by Charles Soule and Ryan Browne So nice I had to read it twice. But seriously this graphic novel was so much fun and while I initially rented it from my digital library my phone screen could not do the artwork and story justice. So I went and bought the full size hardback edition and I have no regrets. I have always loved the idea of having a genie wish so when every person on earth gets one I’m going to of course be on board for that story. Content warning for sensitive viewers (language, some blood and violence, etc.) but I greatly enjoyed this book. Spells, Swords, & Stealth Series, Books 1-5 (NPC, Split The Party, Going Rogue, Siege Tactics, Noble Roots) by Drew Hayes Drew Hayes is an interesting author that I will talk about more in other parts of this list but for now just know he has 5 of the books in my fantasy category. I figured since they are one (unfinished) series it would be easier to talk about them all at once. What happens when the NPCs (Non playable characters) in a Dungeons and Dragons spoof suddenly find themselves the main characters of the story? This meta take on the genre attempts to answer that question while being an entertaining story filled to the brim with world building and great characters. In fact it’s the characters that keep drawing me back Drew’s writing time and time again. I will give a content warning for similar reasons to Drew’s other books on this list that including coarse language. Legends And Lattes by Travis Baldree A slice of life story set in the world of ogres, gnomes, and succubus’ we see a retired adventurer attempting to start her own coffee shop and the trials and tribulations she endures along with the friends she makes along the way. This is the book equivalent of a warm cup of coffee on a chilly autumn day. Eragon by Christopher Paolini A book series I have come back to multiple times in my life. The first book certainly has its flaws but at the same time is such a fun adventure story the flaws are pretty easy to ignore. If you haven’t checked out this series yet I would recommend it. Sci-Fi: Confession time in case someone hasn’t figured it out yet, I am a huge nerd who grew up on star trek the next generation. So of course this genre was going to be one of my most read with eighteen books total filling out this category. The Last Shadow by Orson Scott Card My wife introduced me to Enders game some 12 years ago and I’ve been a fan of the series ever since. This book promised to be the last one in the series wrapping up all the loose threads and I was excited to see what it had to offer. Sadly endings rarely live up to ones expectations and this one certainly felt a little lackluster. It wasn’t bad per se but I couldn’t help feeling that it should have been great. Oh well there’s always the rest of the series. The Game by Terry Schott I decided to revisit this book I read some seven years ago or so after randomly thinking about it. The story of a boy and his love interest inside a matrix like simulation where they have to try and “win” is certainly an interesting premise but the book can suffer ever so slightly from some of its plot details being a bit nonsensical if you think about them too hard. However with all that said it’s still a fairly enjoyable read and some day I will read the whole series which admittedly would be a lot easier to do if it was available through my library app. Unity by Christopher Paolini This spin of Christopher Paolini’s “To Sleep In A Sea Of Stars” is a really short and fun read, with the website version of the book actually being an interactive choose your own adventure style story. A space cop has to travel through a space station in order to investigate a murder and deal with his own prejudice towards a recently discovered alien species. It’s all pretty standard sci-fi stuff but Paolini’s writing has greatly improved since he wrote Eragon and this novelette is a showcase of his strengths and worldbuilding. The Legends Of Luke Skywalker by Ken Lou A book I received as a Christmas gift, I’ve always enjoyed Star Wars even if Star Trek is my preferred comfort show. This young adult novel is an interesting spin on the idea of stories being told not necessarily having to be factually true to still be inspiring and worth telling. The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August by Clair North Admittedly this book veers closer to fantasy than to sci-fi but the aesthetic still felt more star trek than hobbit so this is where it ended up. Harry August’s life “loops”, every time he is reborn as his infant self and around the age of three all his memories of his previous lives return. As mentioned earlier I’m a fan of any kind of time shenanigans plot and for the most part this book met my expectations. Serenity: The Shepherd’s Tale by Josee Whedon, Zack Whedon, and Chris Samnee A graphic novel spin off of the cult classic tv series “Firefly” this book is dedicated to the character of Sheperd Book, a space preacher and moral center of the Serenity crew. Since the show only got one season and a movie it’s really fun to see projects like this that further flesh out the story and characters and show us what could have been done had the series been given more seasons. This project succeeded in the fact that I really want to track down more spin off projects from this franchise. Skyward Vol. 1-3 by Joe Henderson, Lee Garnett, and Rick Lopez Jr. As previously mentioned I fell down a bit of a graphic novel rabbit hold this last year and this series is by far my favorite find of the lot. What happens when earths gravity suddenly stops working and everyone starts floating? This super interesting premise is explored through the eyes of a teenage girl who grew up in this world. The result is a super fun roller coaster ride of a story that takes full advantage of both it’s premise and the medium of comic panels. I also really appreciate how the story actually has a beginning, middle and end, something rarely seen in the medium of comic books. Ender’s Game Battle School Graphic Novel by Orson Scott Card I mentioned earlier that I’ve been a fan of the Enders Game franchise for over a decade now, so I was really curious to see what this graphic novel adaptation brought to the table. Sadly this adaptation just ended being a stripped down take on its source material with the artwork not adding nearly as much to the world building as I would have liked. See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon Have I mentioned I like time travel stories yet? In this story a girl gets stuck in a time loop after a rough first day of college. Time loops are such a fun premise and this book takes full advantage to let the main character get into all kinds of hijinks and interesting situations. With that said a fairly graphic sex scene near the end was a bit off putting for what had up to that point been a fairly fun and interesting read. Additional content warning for coarse language if anyone’s still interested in reading. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes A fairly famous book about a mentally disabled man in the 60’s who’s IQ suddenly starts skyrocketing after an experimental surgery. The story is told through the use of journal entries by the main character which serves as an interesting device to both show his gradual increase in intelligence and help us empathize with him. With that said the book ended up being really kind of sad, first because of the way the main character is treated while he is still mentally disabled and then later through some other plot points that I don’t want to spoil. Needless to say if you're looking for an uplifting read you may want to look elsewhere, but if your looking for something that will make you think then this could be what you’re looking for. The Time Lottery and Second Time Around by Nancy Moser An interesting take on the time travel genre with unexpected Christian undertones. When a company discovers a form of time travel by way of alternate universes a lottery is put into effect to choose who will get to use the new technology. These books are less concerned with the technobabble aspects of the premise and more concerned with showing the importance of the decisions we make every day. I can’t say it’s a perfect set of books but for anyone intrigued you could certainly do worse. The God Hater by Bill Myers Bill Myers is an author I grew up with and as an adult I have still found books by him that I enjoy so I went into this book with strong expectations. The premise is after a simulated reality gets infected with a virus; a man has to send an avatar of himself into the program in order to cure its inhabitants. This Jesus analogy really struggles to get it’s feet off the ground and I get the feeling that Sci-Fi is not a genre that Bill Myers is totally comfortable writing. By the end of the story the interesting premise unravels under the weight of itself and the plot and characters just aren’t strong enough to hold the story together. I really hope future Bill Myers reads hold up better than this one. Five First Chances by Sarah Jost Similar to “The First Fifteen Lives Of Harry August” this book can lean a little closer to fantasy than sci-fi but it still fits the aesthetic enough for me to justify putting it under this category. When a girl finds herself reliving the same year over and over again she learns to appreciate the power of her decisions and the weight of the way she treats those around her. It’s a possibility I was getting a bit burned out on all the time travel fiction I’d been reading by the time I got to this book but for whatever reason this one just did not land. Now don’t get me wrong it was still good and fairly well written it just didn’t hit me the same way as some of the other books on this list. Operation Do-Over by Gordon Korman A book written for middle schoolers and I promise the last time travel book in this list. When a kid manages to get himself kicked out of high school he traces the root cause of all his woes to six years earlier when he ruined his friendship with his best friend. The characters and overall plot in this book feels very thin with a lot of the decisions made and logic used not holding up very well in my humble opinion. This could be a case of not being the target demographic but I can’t help but feel better books aimed at middle schoolers have been written and this book suffers as a result. Animorphs 1: The Invasion by K. A. Applegate Speaking of better written books aimed at the middle school demographic this is the first of a 62 book series written by husband and wife writing team Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant. This book is a fine introduction to the series even if it’s only a taste of what’s to come. I look forward to attempting to read the rest of the series in the coming year. Comic Strips: Next up we have collections of Comic Strips of which I read seven in 2023. I’m a very big fan of the comic strip art form, particularly the old newspaper comic strips where so much story and humor could be packed into just six panels. So without further ado. The Awkward Yeti Presents: Heart and Brain/Gut Instinct by Nick Seluk This is one of the newer strips I’ve found and so far as I’m aware is only available as a webcomic (outside of the paperback collections that is). The basic premise of the comics is the anthropomorphizing of body parts like the brain, heart, lungs, etc. and all the misadventures they get into while trying to keep their body functioning both physically and emotionally. It’s a great bit of millennial humor and a fun time all around. Zitz: Extra Cheesy by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman I grew up reading the misadventures of Jeremy and his family in the comics section of the newspaper, so I was curious to see what the more modern comics looked like. This 2023 collection gives you more of the same, so if you already love this series, you’ll find plenty like here, and if you find the series a bit stale and formulaic, you probably won’t much care for this collection. Let My People Laugh by Various This is a collection of Christian humor strips by a variety of creators. Sadly this collection suffers from the lack of a specific artists creative vision, and some of the worst aspects of Christian media as a genre such the target demographic being too niche, or some of the strips being overly derivative. With that said I did manage to get a couple chuckles out of this read and if you are at all familiar with Christian pop culture from the past 20 years you may too. It’s A Magical World: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watter Waterson I actually read a few different Calvin and Hobbes collections this past year as has become somewhat of a tradition for me in recent history, however this collection is the only one I bothered to write down. With all that said if you haven’t read Calvin and Hobbes before stop reading this right now and go look up a few strips online, I’ll be here when you get back. The series is hilarious, thoughtful, and oddly nostalgic (especially odd for someone like me who did not grow up with this particular comic strip). This collection keeps on being just as fantastic with additional commentary from Bill Watterson only adding to the charm and entertainment value. Weirdos From Another Planet by Bill Watterson I lied, I actually wrote down two Calvin and Hobbes collections that I read this year. Seriously this comic strip is so good and a true work of art, I cannot recommend it enough. Valley Of The Far Side by Gary Larson I’ve always been intrigued by the Far Side comics and this 1985 collection (the first if I remember correctly) seemed like a good jumping off point. While the comics certainly had their moments, in other places they seemed rather cynical and the absurdist humor didn’t always land with me. All in all not a bad collection but maybe not my favorite comic strip. Super Hero I know what you’re thinking, why don’t I just call this section comic books like a normal person? Well that wouldn’t necessarily be fair to the other graphic novels I read this last year, plus not every super hero story I read was a comic. So let’s hop in! Super Powereds Year One-Three and Corpies by Drew Hayes I fell in love with this series a few years ago and have listened to the audio book version of it every year since. This year me and my wife discovered a graphic audio version of the series (think like a radio theater production) and listened to the first 4 out of 5 books in the series. The basic premise of this series is super hero college which kind of tells you everything you need to know about the plot. But what really keeps me coming back to this series is the characters which Drew seems to have an uncanny ability to write. For those sensitive there is a good deal of swearing, drinking, and (non-graphic) sexual situations to navigate but if your willing to dig a little deeper you’ll find a story about friendship and self-sacrifice that I personally find very satisfying. Identity Crisis by Brad Meltzer This widely talked about take on DC Comics The Justice League has been in my “I should really get around to reading that” list for a hot minute now. After all the hype I was pleased to discover the story mostly held up. I know certain character decisions were not everyone’s cup of tea and the ending could have definitely used some polish but at it’s heart this is a gripping mystery that takes a hard look at several tropes of the genre and puts them in a new light. Spider-Man/Spider-Gwen Sitting In A Tree by Bendis/Latour/Pichelli/Rodriguez A fun run of stories that explores the relationship between the Spider-Man characters Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy (the one who didn’t die, look comics are confusing). I’ve enjoyed Miles Morales since he debuted in the Marvel ultimate comics line back in the day and I love a good romance story so of course this story was a good time all around for me. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I have thoroughly enjoyed Boom Studios’ take on the Power Ranger franchise and IDW’s take on the Ninja Turtles so of course this crossover comic was going to be rip roarin good time. It’s not perfect but its certainly fun and pretty much everything I could ask for from a crossover like this. Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonenen I’ve read this 4 part mini series before but I was really blown away at how much I enjoyed it on this read through. The premise is what if a guy in our world gained superman’s powers? The central premise is certainly a lot of fun but the real joy in this comic is watching the main character grow and change as we see for the most part their complete life story. The artwork is magnificent and this is easily my favorite piece of superman media. Spider-Man Life Story by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley Similar to the superman comic this comic attempts to answer the question “What if Spider-Man aged in real time?”. The result is a compressed rewind and re-imagining of Spider-Man’s greatest hits that for the most part manages to be fairly satisfying. With that said I did find this take on Peter Parker and other Marvel characters to be a little cynical and mean Spirited at times which did detract from my enjoyment a little. Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader? By Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert I greatly respect Neil Gaiman as one of the great modern storytellers and a master of the fantasy genre (albeit with a heavy emphasis on the fairy tale aesthetic of the genre). With that said I was curious to see what he would do with an iconic character like Batman, specifically Batman’s “final” story. As it turns out he uses the setting as a springboard to tell a series of vignettes all set against the meta narrative of Batman’s funeral. I can’t say it was the best Batman story I’ve ever read, but it was certainly interesting. Marvel 1601 by Neil Gaiman Another Neil Gaiman comic that this time attempts to ask the question “What if the Marvel Universe took place in the year 1602 AD”. Similar to the Batman story above this story wasn’t bad by any means but it didn’t grab the way I was hoping it would. I can certainly see why Neil Gaiman is such a celebrated author but maybe he’s not the author for me at this moment in my life. Non-Fiction Biography/Memoirs: In my adult life I have become a big fan of the biography/memoir genre. The true (at least as they involve real people) stories of individuals fascinates me and books in this genre can run the gambit from inspirational, to educational, to funny. I read five books this year that fall into this general categorization so without further ado let’s get into it. Please Stop Laughing At Me by Jose Blanco This book can be super depressing at times but if your someone who has ever dealt with bullying, is currently dealing with bullying in any capacity, or even someone who wants to help prevent such needless cruelty, this book can be a great jumping off point. Robin by Dave Itzkoff The life of actor Robin Williams is both fascinating and tragic. Serving as a kind of end all be all guide this book is great for anyone interested in Robin Williams’ work and legacy. Jack White by Nick Hasted On the other end of the spectrum is this biography of musician Jack White, probably most famous as the front man for The White Stripes. This book can feel little less “official” than the Williams biography. Probably aided by the fact that Jack White is as of this writing still alive, and so far as I could tell he had no direct involvement in the production of this book. With all that said this book is still great resource for anyone interested The White Stripes or even the garage rock boom of the early 2000’s. How Not To Be A Boy by Robert Webb Robert Webb is an English comedian/actor I’ve quite honestly never heard of. I picked up this memoir thinking it would be an attack/deconstruction of toxic masculinity, which it was to a degree. But mostly it’s the life story of Robert Webb and his interpersonal struggles dealing with other people, namely his dad, though there are plenty of other characters he has to figure out how to deal with/relate to. I can’t say it was what I was expecting and I can’t honestly say I loved this read, but anyone who happens to be a fan of Robert Webb may find some enjoyment. Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart One of the last books I read in the year and honestly one of the most fun as well. I’ve been a fan of Patrick Stewart ever since watching Star Trek The Next Generation as a young lad. His memoir written at the age of 83 is a wonderful glimpse into the life of a stage actor (particularly a Shakespearean actor) and a modern celebrity. Filled with wit and great storytelling this was easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Self Help: I am always looking to improve myself and while I know the term “self help book” has a lot of cultural baggage I almost always find these reads to be rewarding. How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie I avoided this one for years, with just the title alone just not setting well with me for some reason. However after finally give it a proper chance I do have to appreciate how much practical advice this book gives. The book was originally released in 1936 and the scenarios and skill sets given in the book are still applicable almost 80 years later. I can definitely see myself reading this again in the future. Control The Beast by Ed & Gayle Snyder I don’t generally find myself struggling with anger issues but I can definitely see how having the skill set to recognize and deal with those emotions could be useful. Sadly I wouldn’t recommend this book as a starting point. While some of the observations and suggestions weren’t bad the vast majority of the book felt incomplete. This may just be a case of someone’s professional skill set not necessarily translating to the written word and I would be curious to see what this couple could do with a co-writer and a solid editor. The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman A book I’ve read before but I decided to read this time with my wife. The advice in here is honestly great for any relationship and if you’ve never read any kind of marriage counseling book this is a great starting point. Breaking The Stronghold Of Food by Michael and Nancy Brown This may not be my favorite book I read in 2023 but I can say it was the most important for me as a person. The book is part memoir, part self-help, about the journey of Michael and Nancy Brown and their struggles with weight loss. Now books about weight loss are obviously a dime a dozen but I appreciated this books approach to food as an addiction, both physical and spiritual, rather than preaching a specific miracle diet as a cure all. It sincerely changed the way I thought about food and my health and helped set me on a path to better myself that I’m unsure I could have found by myself. The End Of Dieting by Joel Fuhrman A book I decided to read after finished “Breaking The Stronghold of Food”, this is a kind of 101 crash course into eating a plant based diet. Now let me say up front this eating lifestyle is not for everyone and there are certain parts of the book that get a little overzealous in their claims of what this diet can do or when denouncing other diets. With all that said it’s still a good starting point for anyone interested and helped get me moving forward on my own health journey. Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez A book I saw recommended a couple times on the subject of personal finances. It’s very well written and certainly gave me some food for thought about my own personal finances. Now at the end of the day every finance book ever will tell you “spend less than you make” but if you want to see a slightly different spin on the topic I would recommend this book. Educational: I only had three reads total that fell under this umbrella. Think of this as nonfiction stuff that gives information of some sort. Under Qualified Advice by Drew Hayes I grew to appreciate independent author Drew Hayes and his unique brand of humor through his Super Powerds series (which I talk about elsewhere). This book, however, is as far as I’m aware his first work of non-fiction (mostly) as he gives generally good and reliable advice about writing and getting in the indie publishing world. However in between each chapter of “real” advice are short stories that range from mildly entertaining to outright bizarre. If your familiar with Drew’s other works then the humor, coarse language and frequent mentions of alcohol won’t surprise you, but for everyone else just be warned this is not your average writing advice book. You Are Not Special by David McCullough Jr. This book is honestly a good example of the dangers of taking a really good 12 minute speech and attempting to stretch it out into a 300 page book. While the advice given is generally good, especially for high school students and their parents I couldn’t shake the feeling that this book felt really sterile and bland in some parts, edging closer to a college paper then a readable, enjoyable book. Hyper-Capitalism by Larry Gonick and Tim Kasser Part graphic novel, part educational text book, I ended up enjoying this book way more than I thought I would. While I’m not an overly political person I haven’t been able to shake the feeling that as a western society our economics are just a little out of whack. This book finally put words (and pictures) to these thoughts I was having and gave me the language to talk about some of the parts of our society that just never quite sat right with me. If you’re at all curious about the effects of the economy on society as a whole, I highly recommend this book. History: I only have three books in this category, and while none of them would be mistaken for a text book they do all give the history of something. The Sabbath World by Judith Shulevitz This book tells the history of the Jewish sabbath (A day of rest on Saturday of every week for those curious) but it is also the personal story of Judith as she traces her own history with the sabbath and her own faith. An interesting read for those interested. Out Of The Flames by Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone Another one of my favorites from this past year; this books traces the history of 16th century theologian and physician Michael Servetus. The only reason why this falls under the umbrella of history instead of biography is because Lawrence & Nancy Goldstone go to great lengths to specifically track a book he wrote named Christianismi Restitutio or The Restoration of Christianity throughout history up through the present day. Michael Servetus’ story is fascinating and full of twists and turns. From butting heads with the Catholic church, to discovering pulmonary circulation, to his continual conflicts over his defense of one God theology. It is a really good read and I highly recommend it. The Beatles In Comics by Various And for the other end of the spectrum we have a little comic giving a brief overview of the life and career of the famous rock band. The best part of this comic is that every time a new “era” of the Beatles is discussed a different artists will put their spin on the comic panels. The result is artwork that ranges from pretty standard to psychedelic. The history itself can read a little like a Wikipedia entry but the sum of this one is greater than its parts. Theology: I am always eager to discover new things about my faith and one my favorite ways to do that is through the reading of books. These are the books I read on the subject in 2023. Death To Deconstruction by Josh Porter Another favorite from this past year (I hope I’m not overusing that sentence), but seriously I liked this so much that I listened to an audio version after I read my physical copy. Who knew that the former leader singer of a Christian punk band would have so much insight into the tension of living a Christian life in modern culture and even more specifically dealing with the deconstruction movement that has become very popular in certain corners of pop culture. I may not agree with every point of theology in this book but it gave me enough to chew on that I haven’t stopped thinking about it or quoting it almost a year later. To Hell With The Hustle by Jefferson Bethke Something I have grown increasingly frustrated with as I get older is the exhaustive demands on time and energy from everything. Specifically the hustle culture that says if you’re not grinding away at something you must be failing. This book seeks to remedy that mindset and points towards slowing down and focusing on God and family. It all seems fairly obvious but sometimes you need something to tell you the things you already know. The Ruthless Elimination Of Hurry by John Mark Comer An interesting counterpart to the previous entry this book covers a lot of the same ground with an emphasis on finding a sabbath time for yourself, that is to say a time of rest where you’re not actually working on anything. It was certainly thought provoking and paired with the last book set me on my own path towards trying to slow down and appreciate life more. Loveology by John Mark Comer Another great entry from Mr. Comer, this book attempts to cover the very broad and personal topics of love and sexuality from a Biblical perspective. For the most part he does a great job answering specific questions and delving into several relevant topics. Once again it’s a book that I’ve thought about quite a bit in the past year. The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis From the master of theology for the layman himself I give you C.S. Lewis. I’ll admit that like a lot of people I’m mostly familiar with Lewis through the Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, both works of fiction. This non-fiction book on the different types of love humans can have for each other is certainly informative and interesting but I must admit that the dry delivery does make certain sections drag a little. I suspect this is more of a generational disconnect than an issue with the writing itself and I would still highly recommend this book to anyone looking to better connect with the people around you. There we go that is the end of my list. I hope you all enjoyed it and may this inspire you to do even more reading yourself over this current year. Also be on the lookout for my next list, every album I listened to in 2023. I’ll give you a hint, it was a lot (like so much).
It’s really nice to have a definitive end to something, a bow on the package if you will. To be completely truthful though this playlist was the first one I created for the fictional band from Indiana. I imagined what a final concert from a prolific band would look like if they decided to play one song from each album. Of course I’ve updated and changed the playlist as I worked my way through creating a fictional discography but still the spark was here, and I can only hope it’s brought you a little of the joy it’s brought to me. The Final Concert For their last concert No Name Face decided to try something different and special. Although the lineup for their farewell tour had consisted of Andrew Webb on vocals and bass, Alexander Gramm on keys, guitar, and vocals, Steven Franks on lead guitar and vocals, and drummer Denny Owens they decided to mix it up on the final show.
First they decided to play one song from every album in reverse chronological order. Second every member who had ever been part of the band made an appearance during the songs they had been a part of. Finally during the second to last song all the members made an appearance singing and playing their respective instruments. Ultimately the show ended up being a celebration of everything they had done as a band, and what a fine celebration it was. Andrew Webber – Vocals, Bass, Drums Steven Franks – Guitar, Vocals Alexander Gramm – Vocals, Keys, Guitar Denny Owens – Drums Nathan Turner – Vocals Jeff Newsworth – Keys, Vocals George Packard – Guitar, Piano, Vocals Chris Peltz – Vocals, Drums Greg Wise – Vocals
I love “One last …” stories. It’s an opportunity for the book series, tv show, etc. to take one last look at the journey the characters have been on and wrap up any loose story threads. I especially love it when musical artists do this, “Give Us Rest” by davidcrowder*band and “Abbey Road” by The Beatles both come to mind as excellent examples of an artist knowing their story was coming to an end and giving us one last hurrah. I hope you guys have enjoyed this story and enjoy the last studio album from No Name Face. Goodbye After years of exhaustive touring No Name Face once again imploded, though this time in a much more amicable manner. Jeff Newsworth and Nathan Turner left to pursue other projects and spend more time with family respectively. This left lone original member Andrew Webber and relatively new guitarist Steven Franks as the only remaining members of the band.
Andrew talked to David Moon about maybe doing one last album, for old times’ sake. Moon agreed and helped recruit old band mates Alexander Gramm and Denny Owens for the project. With members spanning every iteration of the band they went into the studio for one last time. The good news was after years of rest and therapy Andrew’s voice was finally back in singing condition and he gleefully stepped to the microphone strapped with his old bass with addition vocal contributions from Alexander Gramm, Steve Franks and Chris Peltz. Everyone hit on all cylinders during the recording, and even though this exact lineup had never played together there was still a sense of comradery and adventure that had been missing from the past several albums. After recording they hit the road for one last tour. Andrew Webber – Vocals, Bass, Keys Steven Franks – Vocals, Guitar Alexander Gramm – Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Programming Denny Owens – Drums
How do you know when something has outlived its usefulness? Is such a thing even possible? For this group of guys the shot in the arm that was their band reboot could realistically only last so long and the loss of a core member of the group only adds to the feeling of things winding down. Maybe that's why the new songs seemed to allude to the afterlife and better places even as they decided to go back into the studio and see what could be done with the present. Light From A Distant Shore The next few years after the release of “Life Is Beautiful” went by at a dizzying pace. While concert and album sales were nowhere near as strong as during their peak they were still strong enough to financially support the band and keep them going at a steady pace.
However at the end of one particularly grueling tour longtime guitarist George Packard announced he was ready to retire and spend more time with his family which moved Steven Franks up to the role of lead guitar. Additionally this was the first time Webber had written for an album without input from Packard leading him to rely much more heavily on the rest of the band. The result was a much more experimental offering with David Moon making his normal appearance in the studio but offering very little input. With another record finished the band went back to touring, which for the first time felt a little more like work. Nathan Turner – Vocals Steven Franks – Guitar, Vocals Jeff Newsworth – Keys, Programming, Vocals Andrew Webber – Drums
Sometimes at the right moment at the right time, the right people come into our lives. For our group of guys looking for relevance in a time when they feel past their expiration date the right people come in the form of a new bass player and keyboard player. Two young kids that give the guys that spark they were looking for to continue going along. Not only that but it turns out they are able to find a new younger audience as well as remnants of their old fan base at their shows. Life may not be perfect but it’s certainly beautiful. Life Is Beautiful After a few smaller shows with their new lead singer Nathan Turner the band found that they did indeed still have fans willing to show up to see them play, albeit in much smaller groups than during their heyday. Invigorated the band bolstered their numbers with the addition of keyboardist/background vocalist Jeff Newsworth and bass player/sometimes lead vocalist Steven Franks.
After a round of successful touring in support of "Starting Over" and an encouraging number of sales the group returned to the studio with the ever faithful David Moon close behind. The ensuing album stands as an updated more polished version of the band with all band members pitching in ideas but Andy Webber having the loudest voice, even if he was now in the non-singing role of full time drummer. Only time would tell if No Name Face 3.0 would go the distance. Nathan Turner – Vocals George Packard – Guitars, Vocals Steven Franks – Bass, Vocals Jeff Neworth – Keys, Vocals Andrew Webber – Drums
The reboot, the band 2.0 (or in this bands case 3.0), the time when the band not only changes lead singers but also their musical identity. Genesis, Petra, newsboys (twice), all bands who changed things up and still succeeded in remaining relevant and in some cases superseding the popularity of their previous incarnations. Let’s see what happens with our fictional band as they go through a similar metamorphosis. Starting Over Shortly after the tour for "Love" had abruptly ended due to interpersonal conflict No Name Face imploded. The dream was dead and the members quietly went their separate ways. However four years later Andrew Webber got an idea, why not restart the band? His voice was in no shape to sing but this wouldn't be the first time the band had switched lead singers, and last time it led more success than they had ever dreamed.
A quick call to George Packard later and the two were on the hunt for a new lead singer. Soon they found independent artist Nathan Turner who could seemingly make his voice mimic any era of the band and went into the studio with longtime friend David Moon for a test run of sorts (Alex Gramm and Chris Peltz both declined the invitation to join them). The results were 8 re-recordings from throughout their catalog and two new tracks that everyone agreed felt appropriate for the new iteration of the band. Now all that was left to find out was if they could still put on a show, and if they still had a fan base willing to show up. Nathan Turner – Vocals George Packard – Guitar, Keys, Vocals David Moon – Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin, String Arrangements Andrew Webber – Drums, Guitar
We all know this story. I think The Beatles codified the trope of a band breaking down during the making of an album but it’s something that’s been repeated over and over again throughout the years. But the interesting thing is I don’t think these bands necessarily know their breaking down in the moment, rather they are more than not just trying to make the best piece of work they can in the moment. Meanwhile we are on the outside feeling the tension, having 20/20 hindsight, and able to see exactly where everything is going. Love During the "Other Side Tour" singer Andy Webber's voice finally failed him, leaving him unable to sing mid-tour. Not daring to break stride the band decided to move Andy back to the drum kit and put Chris Peltz front and center, complimented and sometimes lead by members Alex Gramm and George Packard. The shakeup did little detour the band and by the time they rolled back home they were ready to record another album with Chris in particular energized by his new role as frontman. However the new band dynamics led to some infighting between members and recording sessions were tense. Additionally the band had opted to have a different producer on every track in order to spice up their sound and the extra people in the room just added to the distress.
While the album featured songs from all four members and vocals from Alexander, George, and Chris, it was Chris' voice that was most prominent on the album. The cohesion that had carried the group dynamic previously was crumbling and by the time the tour for the album had started the writing was on the wall, the band was facing the end, maybe for good this time. Chris Peltz – Vocals Alexander Gramm – Vocals, Keys, Guitar, Programming George Packard – Vocals, Guitar, Keys, Programming Andrew Webber – Drums, Keys, Programming
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