Adam Shields 
Summary: After the first three books gave background, book four and five move into full blown action.
There is no way to review books 4 and 5 without giving away some spoilers. So if you have not read books 1 to 3, please skip this review and read the review of books 1 to 3 then read books 1 to 3 and then come back. (SPOILER ALERT)
The Parchment Girl blog is back. Parchment Girl (aka Kate) after a hiatus has started blogging again. Today she posted, “Read This, Not That: Overrated Christian Bestsellers and Lesser Known Alternatives“. I think this is a great idea for book bloggers to highlight lesser known (and often better) books. I am not an expert in … Read more
Miroslav Volf wrote a fairly controversial book a couple years ago called Allah: A Christian Response (I have not read it). From what I have read about the book he was trying to make concrete the ideas that he raised in Exclusion and Embrace and later in Free of Charge about reconciliation and and love in response to other … Read more
I have posted about ebook price fixing settlements in the past. The short version is that the US Department of Justice sued 5 of the 6 major publishing houses as well as Apple for colluding to fix the prices of their books. That is because they all signed an agreement for what they call Agency Pricing. Agency pricing said that no one could sell the books at any price other than the price set by the publisher.
By definition this is price fixing. The publisher said that with ebook, the ebook stores such as Amazon are not actually the retailer, but but an agent for the sales, so it was not price fixing because it is the publishers themselves that are the retailers.
Macmillan was the last of the publishers to reach a settlement with the DOJ according to CNet and other new sources. Unless there is a settlement prior, Apple is schedule to go trial in June for orchestrating the price fixing agreement.
Amazon announced in October that under the terms of prior settlements, consumers that purchased ebooks under Agency pricing model from April 2010 to May 2012 will be entitled to $0.30 to $1.32 per book purchased depending on a formula that a judge is expected to approve today.
It seems the last week that most RSS subscribers have not received any updates. I believe that it is now fixed. Please glace back at the last week and see if there are any posts that you would like to read. https://bookwi.se
![Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh | [Joseph Conrad]](https://bookwi.se/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cover-11195.jpg "Heart of Darkness: A Signature Performance by Kenneth Branagh | [Joseph Conrad]")
Summary: A superb performance by Kenneth Branagh of the modern classic about the decent into madness brought on by the savage heart of Africa.
The Heart of Darkness is one of those book that I feel like I have to read. Even if it really is not all that appealing initially.
Kenneth Branagh has narrated a version at Audible.com and I picked it up for free. So I just did not have any more excuses for not listening to it on audiobook.
I have seen Apocalypse Now, and I knew that Apocalypse Now was loosely based on Heart of Darkness.
I am a fan of Rhett Smith’s work. I regularly read his blog and I really liked his book Anxious Christian: Can God Use Your Anxiety for Good. (Bookwi.se Review) I am very much looking forward to reading his new book What It Means to be a Man: God’s Design for Us in a World Full … Read more
Summary: A wonderfully unique young adult love story about a teen that wakes up in a different body every day.
I love original ideas. And Every Day by David Levithan is an original idea. The main character, who has named himself “A”, wakes up every day in a different body. Every day A has to figure out who he is and how to relate. He has done this from his earliest memory.
Throughout the book A is male, female,a depressed and suicidal girl, supermodel looking girl, illegal immigrant girl, overweight boy, drug addict, alcoholic, poor, rich, gay, straight, transgendered. The book clearly is trying to deal with both identity and the way that others perceive you.
What really drives the story is that A falls in love. And now he does everything he can to fine Rhiannon. And Rhiannon has to get over the very large hurdle of never knowing who A is going to be, or where he is going to turn up or if a plan that they make will work out.
By background I am Baptist. I grew up American Baptist, I worked for a while for a Southern Baptist Association of churches. But I have moved a bit away from my Baptist roots. I am more sacramental in my theology these days. I am less concerned with the method and timing of baptism. And I am much less interested in the autonomy of the local church. So it may be odd that I attend a mega-church that never does the eucharist as part of their Sunday morning service, that does not participate in the church year or use the Lectionary for scripture.
Theologically I am more oriented toward a more liturgical church system. But culturally my worship background is low church and my theology of church is oriented toward outreach and evangelism. So I participate in a church that is organized around having low barriers to entry for those that have left the church or have never been a part of the church. I do not think everyone should be in churches like mine. I am thankful that many people are not.
But I do think that many people are resistant to more liturgical churches out of ignorance instead of real theology.
![The B-Team: The Human Division, Episode 1 | [John Scalzi]](https://bookwi.se/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/cover-10982.jpg "The B-Team: The Human Division, Episode 1 | [John Scalzi]")
Summary: A 13 episode serial audiobook (or kindle book) from John Scalzi set in the Old Man’s War universe.
Publishers and authors will never stop experimenting, in part because the technology will never stop changing.
Over the past few years Stephen King tried a pay as you go serial (he never finished the book). Thomas Nelson tried giving away a digital copy of the book with every hardcover copy sold (they phased it out). Cory Doctorow gives away his digital copies of his books and relied on paper sales to make money (he now allows you go buy ebooks). Baen had a large number of free ebooks that were designed to get you hooked and then buy the later books in a series (the free ebooks still exist, but are a fraction of the original list). Baen also tried to created a store outside the major ebook stores and kept their ebooks for sale only at their site (they are now available on Amazon and all the other major ebook stores.)
There have been many more experiments than this. But this is a good overview to show that most experiments fail, but some stick. A lot of people only 5 years ago were predicting Amazon Kindle would fail. It is still the dominant ebook store. The iPad has changed the face of computing. Smartphones are going to be the most common way to access the internet soon.
John Scalzi is experimenting with the serial format. These are only available on digital formats, Audible.com Audiobook or Amazon Kindle ebook. The first chapter is available for free in audiobook, but is only $0.99 in either format at full price.