Good Night
by
John Logos

Excerpt from the book Person Suit
 
When you're down and low
and your fire is going out
and all you worked to build is crumbling
when your sun has set
and the moon does not rise
and when the morning time comes
the sun does not rise.

Good night
Good night

Kiss your hopes on the forehead
wish your dreams goodbye
no rescuers are coming
all that's left to do is die
the world is not over
just your time has said goodbye.

Good night
Good night

All you placed your love in
the ones that kept you alive
have faded into darkness
without even saying goodbye
leaving you with only an abyss.

Good night
Good night

What words of hope can I give?
What comfort for your condition
when I myself am suffering
and you are only my reflection?

All I can say is good night!
I tried my best
but it didn't suffice,
and in the end does it even matter?
Who are we to blame the dice?
We fought with fate and didn't surrender
so our fate said goodbye
and now the chance for perfection
has gone the other direction
leaving us grasping at the fading light
the howls of jackals
our only friends
laughing at our sorrow
so we lie down and close our eyes
and invite them to come get a taste of our misery.

 

Book Description
A supremely funny pastor to Millennials, with a massive social media following, tackles the thorniest of subjects—depression, sexuality, divorce, life online, and more—with a rare combination of uproarious, self-deprecating humor and profound, biblical truth.


MY REVIEW:
The opening of the book was great.  I could see the author’s talent for social media with his short and funny attention-grabber statements.  I even quoted some on my Twitter because they struck me as quote-worthy.

I will mention the biggest turnoff in the book here in this paragraph -  the self-deprecating humor was funny at first but as it went on, I felt like it was a bit overdone and took away from the overall meaning of the book by focusing the attention back on the author’s insecurities over whether or not his book will be liked. I feel like what the author describes as “awkwardness” I would describe as “insecurities” so I was expecting something completely different.  I could appreciate the whole “radical honesty” thing though, but on one hand, I will admit to wondering why the plagiarism thing was mentioned at all if it was something he didn’t want to be known by and didn’t want that rumor spread. It wasn’t something I would’ve ever been made aware of, but then of course I read it and wanted to know what that was about so I Googled it.  That was after I had quoted a few lines that I found interested to my Twitter, which struck me as funny and made me also wonder what the big deal is, because don’t people quote others all the time?  Isn’t that a compliment? Guess I’m missing something here, but really, who cares anyway?  Why the need for drama?

But all that, aside, I completely agree with the viewpoints in the book that the author has of many in the church avoiding certain topics.  It is refreshing to see another Christian speaking up about issues such as these.  It is my opinion that by avoiding topics like pornography, addiction, and depression, that people will be more at risk of falling into such things for a variety of reasons: lack of education, misinformation, and the allure of the unknown and forbidden.  Forewarned is forearmed and all that. 

Although I think the book reads a little more like the author’s personal diary/memoir rather than the self-help/spiritual growth book that it is meant to be, there is certainly nothing wrong with memoirs. They are cathartic for the author, and are helpful to others who read them and can identify.  Therefore, after careful thought and consideration, I am giving it 4 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. I was not required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

An Unofficial Poll
 
Every time we have a big election
in America, my wife of many years
asks me if I’m going to vote 
in the primary although she knows
I never do because one has to declare
one’s party, something I don’t do.
 
My wife always votes in the primary
and wants to know which party I favor,
a secret I’ve managed to keep hidden
all these years which is probably 
why I’m still married.
 
When I tell her no primary vote for me, 
she takes the next step and asks if 
I were going to vote in her primary, 
which of the two candidates this year
would I vote for. 
 
I realize she wants to know if I’d vote
for the waddling duck or the old roadrunner.
So I buy some time and tell her I’ll have to think
about it and I’ll give her my answer after dinner
because I like dinner and she’s a good cook.
 
After dessert I say if I were going to vote in
her primary, I’d vote for the old roadrunner 
although that has nothing to do with his politics. 
I just like him better than the duck, I say. 
 
And my wife surprises me and says
she's voting for the roadrunner too but 
not to tell any of the neighbor ladies.
They would label her a traitor.
 
Donal Mahoney
 

Someone from Home
 
When I was a child we always went to church but only once a year as a family.
 
My father would rise every Sunday and attend the 6:30 Mass, then come home and read his Sunday paper, every word of it, section by section, saving the obituaries for last.
 
My mother would stuff my sister and me into our Sunday best and send us off to the Children’s Mass at 10. It was a short walk to the church and times were different back then. We were children but safe in our little neighborhood of brick bungalows where neighbors kept an eye out for strangers or anyone or anything that looked odd. The south side of Chicago in the Forties and Fifties was blue collar, little villages teeming with immigrants and very peaceful, except for the occasional fight that might break out in a neighborhood bar. 
 
After sending my sister and me off to church, my mother would put the roast in the oven, ask my father to keep an eye on it, and she would go to the 11:15.
 
This was our family pattern, even on Christmas and Easter. I recall not one variation.
 
But there was that one day a year when the four of us as a family went off to church together. And that was on Good Friday when we walked to the church, my sister and I in front, my father and mother right behind us, to attend the Stations of the Cross at 3 p.m. Not a word was said as we walked those few blocks. But I was impressed by this family event because if it was important enough to get us to go to church together, I figured Good Friday must be a pretty important day.
 
The only other time we went anywhere as a family was an Irish wake. Chicago back then was not only home to the Stockyards filled with cattle, swine and sheep. It was also home to large groups of immigrants. And my father would always want the family to dress up and go to an Irish wake, hoping, as he so often said, to meet “someone from home.”
 
 
Donal Mahoney
 

Daddy you loved us all the time,
Unlike mama, you never left our side.
It never crossed your mind about leaving us,
You were the one there to help us on the bus.
 
You were the one there for our very first day of school,
You were the one there, when mama chose to be a fool.
Never thought you would be the one that he had to take,
You loved us, even through the bad decisions you made.
 
You will forever be in our heart,
Even if we had to apart.
We love you,
Someday we will be together again too!



By Christy Bozeman

ABOUT THE BOOK: Whether you ask for it by name at restaurants or are one of the legions of people who travel with your own bottle, you know there's no substitute for giving eggs, oysters, and Bloody Marys a kick.
 
But Tabasco Pepper Sauce is a versatile ingredient for other foods, too. This revised and updated edition of The Tabasco Cookbook includes 20 new recipes for enjoying southern-style classics and American down-home favorites. From perfect fried chicken to a pan of peppery gingerbread, here are 80 recipes and color photography to test your fiery food limits—and keep you coming back for more. 

With a foreword by renowned New Orleans chef John Besh and beautiful color photographs of the food and Avery Island, Tabasco Pepper Sauce’s birthplace, The Tabasco Cookbook will spice up any cook’s repertoire from breakfast to dessert.

MY REVIEW:  A disappointing 3 stars.  I am from Mississippi and use Tabasco sauce a lot.  I thought I would find a lot of recipes in here that my family would love.  I was disappointed.  There are a lot of Cajun recipes in here, which seem nice, but I may try them only on rare occasions because I’m not the type of cook that spends hours on a meal. I like things quick and easy. I thought this book would have quick and easy recipes.  I was also disappointed in the lack of pictures.  Other than the cover, which looked good with the classic Tabasco logo, the interior was sadly lacking in images for the meals.  Overall, a disappointment.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for writing a review.

ABOUT THE BOOK: My Bedtime Story Bible for Little Ones, written by Jean Syswerda and illustrated by Daniel Howarth, is a perfect addition to the bedtime routine for little ones. Each of the eight stories tells the day of a favorite Bible character and ends with him or her drifting off to sleep, thanking God for his faithfulness and love.

MY REVIEW:  5 stars.  I like the board book design.   This makes it durable and safe for the littlest ones.  They won’t be able to slobber, chew, or tear it up.  The pictures are eye-catching, and the stories are simple.  Perfect for bedtime stories, which is what this is! The price is appropriate for a book this size, and makes it good for a Christmas or birthday gift.
 
I received this book for free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions and thoughts I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255