The newest installment in the First Mountain Man series, titled Preacher's Hell, arrives with a mix of excitement and disappointment. This installment marks a significant departure, being the first in the series not to grace the mass-market paperback format, a casualty of publishing trends that seem designed to cater to shifting reader preferences and, frankly, confound loyal audiences. In an odd twist, the new paperback dimensions—5.47 x 8.21 inches—are now the industry standard, forcing Pinnacle to reassess its entire line of Johnstone Westerns. Gone are the days of two or three releases per month; this fully embraces a slower pace, with new titles emerging every other month starting in March 2026. The price hike to $15.99 for each paperback also stings, though a glimmer of hope lies in preordering discounts, as I discovered on Amazon ^[*]. Yet the landscape for Westerns feels as barren as the dry plains they depict. My local Walmart, once a treasure trove for Johnstone fans, now offers nothing but the latest watered-down YA fantasies, the kind that languish on shelves, untouched and unloved. Despite an employee's dismissal of Westerns as outdated, I can’t help but recall that the new titles are always sold out quickly in my neck of the woods—the genre is far from dead.

Preacher's Hell ^[*] begins at a desolate trading post nestled in the Bitterroot Mountains. At first, it offers the warmth of friendship with familiar faces, Audie and Nighthawk. But tranquility is short-lived. A brutal gang of thieves descends upon a young Indian woman and her grandfather, igniting a chain reaction of violence that shatters the moment. In the aftermath, with chaos swirling, the gang's leader, a sinister figure named Mack Ozark, slips through their fingers, leaving behind grief and a haunting charge. Before the woman dies, she entrusts Preacher with a mysterious bundle, revealing two blond-haired, blue-eyed infants—twins, undeniably precious, yet not her own.

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

This Week's Prompt:

If you had to, would you pass your book collection on to someone special? If not, what would you prefer your family, or friends do with your books after you’re gone?

My Answer:

I’m a bachelor, so I don’t have any children to whom I can pass my books after I die. If I ever get married and have kids—which is a big if—I would leave my books to my family. I don’t have any close friends, so if my parents are still alive, I would leave my books with them. They can choose to sell them, donate them, or give them away to someone else; it really doesn’t matter to me. After all, I would be gone, so my feelings about it wouldn’t count. If only I could be buried with all of my books!

Hello, fellow Friday 56ers! 

This week, I'm featuring The Gun Man Jackson Swagger by Stephen Hunter, a 2025 release that my local library recently added to their shelves. I'm somewhat familiar with Stephen Hunter but didn't realize he had written a Western. I haven't started reading it yet, and I haven’t checked the blurb either; I prefer the plot to be a surprise when I finally read it. I'm not sure when I will share my thoughts. The earliest I can post a review would be next weekend if I don’t have anything else for the Gunsmoke & Grit spot. If not, I’ll save the review for a later weekend when my schedule is clearer.

Hollywood is in a slow fade, and the reasons are as varied as they are troubling. Perhaps it’s the dominance of streaming platforms, or the rise of anxiety surrounding AI. Maybe it’s the political correctness that seems to permeate every script, or the disheartening lack of originality plaguing contemporary cinema. Whatever the cause, the younger generations appear indifferent to the once-glorious lights of Hollywood; they'd rather lose themselves in the fleeting entertainments of TikTok and YouTube. I might not be young anymore, but my passion for film, especially the classic Hollywood of yesteryear or the golden age untainted by CGI excess, remains strong. The current trend, where studios expect to recoup their lavish budgets during the opening weekend or risk relegation to a quiet home streaming release, makes it no wonder theater ticket prices are skyrocketing; who wants to shell out their hard-earned cash for a product that feels so out of touch?

This rant is fueled by my recent encounter with The Last Kings of Hollywood: Coppola, Lucas, Spielberg―and the Battle for the Soul of American Cinema ^[*] by Paul Fischer, the same author who brought us A Kim Jong-Il Production. As I write this, I realize I have a copy of the latter sitting unread on my shelf, a testament to my own chaotic reading habits. You may be wondering who these "last kings of Hollywood" are. They’re none other than the legendary trio: Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg.

In the summer of 1967, as the old Hollywood studio system crumbled, a determined young film school graduate named George Lucas began his first day on the Warner Bros. lot as an assistant to the then-largely unknown Francis Ford Coppola, a boisterous father of two with a creative fire. Simultaneously, on the Universal Studios lot, a film-obsessed twenty-year-old named Steven Spielberg yearned to break free from his apprentice shackles and carve his own path as a director.

I have a complex relationship with Louis L'Amour—a blend of admiration and exasperation that reflects the dual nature of his legacy. My adopted paternal grandfather was a devoted fan, and our family would eagerly gift him his latest works for birthdays, Father’s Day, and Christmas, until declining eyesight curtailed his reading. After he passed, I found myself the custodian of not just his collection, but also a few titles from my late maternal grandmother. Over the years, I’ve amassed my own collection of L'Amour works, filling my shelves with almost every title he published. That’s the love part, or perhaps more accurately, the appreciation. Then comes the hate part: I believe Louis L'Amour is overrated. His books were omnipresent during my childhood, squeezing out shelf space in bookstores where other Western authors could have thrived. I understand the marketplace—demand shapes inventory—but it still frustrates me to see L'Amour’s name dominate as if no one else in the genre could compete. Sure, he crafted some notable stories, but to my mind, he was a master of the “pulp” short story. His talents shine brightest in shorter forms; as a novelist, he ranks merely above average. I respect his contributions and recognize his place in literary history, but I'd argue that Zane Grey is the true giant of Western fiction—that’s just my opinion. With that in mind, I'm returning to L'Amour's books, starting with Trouble Shooter.

Most L'Amour aficionados already know this, but for anyone who doesn’t: like many writers in this genre, L'Amour began his career crafting short stories for pulp magazines. By 1950, he earned recognition that led him to write new Hopalong Cassidy adventures for Hopalong Cassidy's Western Magazine, which eventually transitioned into published hardcovers. Initially, he based his first two books on the style of Clarence Mulford, the original author of Hopalong. However, when the magazine folded after just two issues, L'Amour had to overhaul these titles to align more closely with the sanitized cinematic version that dominated television and film at the time. He continued this adaptation for the subsequent books, ultimately publishing four volumes in total.

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

This Week's Prompt:

When you spot giveaways, do you enter just for fun—even if you’re unsure you’ll read the book—or only when you truly want the title?

My Answer:

I rarely participate in giveaways now, particularly on GoodReads or LibraryThing, because when I do win, I often do not receive the books. Why did I enter the giveaways? I was genuinely interested in reading the books.

〜B.J. Burgess

This Week's Linky:

How to join the Book Blogger Hop?

To prepare for next week’s post, check out the upcoming prompts. If you'd like to submit a prompt, fill out this form. Join our Facebook group to connect with other book bloggers and get updates.

Here’s what to do:

1. Share your response to this week’s prompt.
2. In the linky list, enter your name or nickname followed by your blog name and the URL to your post (e.g., Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer).
3. Visit others on the list and leave comments.

(Optional)

• Respond to the prompt in a YouTube vlog.
• Share on Facebook (@coffeeaddictedwriter) and Twitter (@coffeeramblings) with #bookbloggerhop and #coffeeramblings.
• Post the prompt on Instagram, tag me (@coffeeramblings), and include the hashtags.
• Engage with other bloggers on social media.
• Enter your name @YouTube/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram and provide the URL to your posts in the linky.

Update 02/20/26:

Please do not link to a random book review on your blog unless it includes the Book Blogger Hop prompt for the week along with your answer to it. Any blog link that doesn't follow this simple rule will be removed from the hop.

After much anticipation, I’m finally ready to share my thoughts on the mystery thriller Empty Boxes, penned by Robin Action and brought to life by Blank Slate Press, an indie publisher based right here in Missouri. I owe the publisher a heartfelt apology for my delay in reading and reviewing this book. While I can’t pinpoint the exact date I received it—sometime last year, I believe—I can’t ignore that it was indeed a long wait. I showcased the book in a Friday 56 post last October, and you might be wondering what took so long. Well, it’s been a tumultuous time for me; my mother had several ER visits and underwent surgery last November, which understandably pulled my focus away from blogging. In my suitcase of distractions, I even packed this book, but it ended up left behind while I opted for movies on my Fire Tablet instead. Eventually, I stumbled upon it again just last week, much to my relief.

Empty Boxes ^[*] is the second installment in the Rita Locke series, and fortunately for me, it can stand alone, as I hadn’t yet dipped into the first book. The narrative follows Pittsburgh crime reporter Rita Locke as she investigates the murder of a funeral director, only to discover a chilling truth—he had been burying empty coffins. As she digs deeper into his secrets, she unravels a sinister plot spanning international borders, leading her from the familiar streets of western Pennsylvania to an offshore Caribbean medical school. Here, she finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit that threatens her very life.

Let’s take a journey back to 1941—a pivotal moment just months before my maternal grandmother would come into this world and mere months before the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into the chaos of World War II. In this particular time capsule, a film emerged that embodies the essence of screwball comedy: Love Crazy, directed by Jack Conway, known for the films like Viva Villa! and A Tale of Two Cities. This film stars the effortlessly charming duo of William Powell and Myrna Loy, who together graced the screen in 13 films—14 if you count Loy's brief appearance in the 1947 flick The Senator Was Indiscreet. Their dynamic, always portraying a couple, showcased a rare and intoxicating on-screen chemistry, most notably in the delightful Thin Man series. Crazy Love ^[*] marked their tenth collaboration, offering a whimsical misunderstanding plot that far surpasses much of today’s Hollywood output in terms of writing, acting, and direction.

Powell and Loy bring to life Steve and Susan Ireland, a married couple joyfully celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary. Their plan? A personal reenactment of an Inuit ritual from Baffin Island—though this year, they’ve decided to perform it backward, culminating with dinner first instead of at midnight. However, the evening takes an unexpected detour when Susan’s mother, Mrs. Cooper (Florence Bates), barges in uninvited. An innocent trip to mail an insurance premium nearly ends catastrophically for Steve, as a lift attendant—played by the always quirky Elisha Cook Jr.—reminiscent of his role in Don’t Bother to Knock.

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

This Week's Prompt:

When writing reviews, do you align your text to the left, center, right, or justify it?

My Answer:

I believe it was about a year or so ago that I started using justified alignment in my reviews. I prefer this style because it gives a cleaner look, especially for my blog's layout. I really need to take the time to update all my past reviews, which includes fixing missing images and rewriting or revisiting some of them. However, since I’ve been blogging since 2009, there are a lot of reviews that need attention. 

〜B.J. Burgess

This Week's Linky:

How to join the Book Blogger Hop?

To prepare for next week’s post, check out the upcoming prompts. If you'd like to submit a prompt, fill out this form. Join our Facebook group to connect with other book bloggers and get updates.

Here’s what to do:

1. Share your response to this week’s prompt.
2. In the linky list, enter your name or nickname followed by your blog name and the URL to your post (e.g., Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer).
3. Visit others on the list and leave comments.

(Optional)

• Respond to the prompt in a YouTube vlog.
• Share on Facebook (@coffeeaddictedwriter) and Twitter (@coffeeramblings) with #bookbloggerhop and #coffeeramblings.
• Post the prompt on Instagram, tag me (@coffeeramblings), and include the hashtags.
• Engage with other bloggers on social media.
• Enter your name @YouTube/Twitter/Facebook/Instagram and provide the URL to your posts in the linky.

Update 02/20/26:

Please do not link to a random book review on your blog unless it includes the Book Blogger Hop prompt for the week along with your answer to it. Any blog link that doesn't follow this simple rule will be removed from the hop.

What is it about real-life murders that captivates us? I'm speaking of the small, twisted cadre of true crime aficionados. Yes, I’m talking about the YouTubers who reduce complex cases into palatable, clickbait summaries, often disregarding vital details, pointing fingers erroneously, and displaying a blatant ignorance of the facts—all in the pursuit of fleeting views. You may have noticed that this is my second true crime review this month, and some of you might wonder if I'm steering this blog in a different direction. The answer, for now, is no. But I do intend to challenge myself as a reader, and that may lead me toward more nonfiction.

This brings us to today’s focus: In Cold Blood ^[*] by Truman Capote. A peculiar figure in American literature, Capote was not only a gifted writer but also a childhood neighbor and friend to Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird. Although many of you may not have cracked open Capote’s “nonfiction novel,” you’ve likely encountered it through discussions or the acclaimed 2005 film Capote, in which Philip Seymour Hoffman portrayed the author. This film beautifully captures Capote's journey alongside Harper Lee as they traveled to Holcomb, Kansas, fueled by an article about the 1959 Clutter family murders he read in The New York Times. Capote became so engrossed in the case that he set out to write what would become In Cold Blood. With Capote’s flamboyant style often viewed as off-putting by locals, Lee took on the role of interviewer, taking reams of notes that would go largely unacknowledged. Over the years, Capote formed a complex relationship with the killers, Perry Edward Smith and Richard "Dick" Hickock, visiting them in prison, corresponding through letters, and eventually witnessing their executions in 1965. He was also the subject of the 2006 film Infamous, and In Cold Blood has been adapted into both a 1967 feature film and a 1996 miniseries.

Welcome back, dear readers. It feels like I’m welcoming myself back to my Gunsmoke & Grit series, which has been collecting dust in the corner while I navigated the fog of burnout over the last few months. But here I am with a review of Clint: The Man and the Movies ^[*], published by Marnier in 2025 and written by Shawn Levy—not to be confused with the director. Now, I know this isn’t Western fiction, but let’s face it: Rowdy Yates graces the half-jacket, which made it impossible for me to resist featuring it in my Gunsmoke & Grit reviews.

Somehow, this book slipped under my radar when it was released last summer. It wasn't until I unwrapped it as a Christmas present that I discovered its existence. I cracked it open on January 5th and savored every page until I finished it on January 13th. Yes, I took my time, but that was intentional—I wanted to relish every word and fact about my favorite actor, Clint Eastwood.

Here’s my take on the blurb: From Shawn Levy, an acclaimed film critic and New York Times bestselling biographer known for his work on Paul Newman, this definitive biography of Clint Eastwood offers a revelatory glimpse into the life of a Hollywood titan. For more than sixty years, Clint has dominated the silver screen as one of the most prolific and versatile actors and directors in cinema history, embodying the very essence of American culture.

C-L-I-N-T. This single, sharp syllable has become a symbol of American manhood, morality, and a fierce, unyielding spirit—both on-screen and off—for over six decades. Whether he’s confronting villains in a dusty Western (Old West or new, it makes no difference) or commanding the director’s chair, Clint’s presence is as raw, honest, and solid as his name suggests. He’s not just another star of the old-school variety; he’s one of the most accomplished actor-directors of his time; a man forged from rock and iron—a relentless force named Clint.

Key Takeaways 

• Advancements in vision correction surgeries, such as LASIK and SMILE, are helping people enjoy clearer vision and reducing reliance on glasses and contact lenses. 

• The integration of advanced technologies, such as AI and 3D eye modeling, is boosting the safety and precision of these procedures. 

• Scientific studies show a direct connection between vision correction surgeries and increased happiness and overall quality of life. 

The Evolution of Vision Correction Surgery 

In recent decades, the landscape of vision correction surgery has undergone a revolutionary transformation. Procedures like LASIK (Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis) and SMILE (Small Incision Lenticule Extraction) now stand at the forefront of ophthalmology, offering those with refractive errors such as nearsightedness or astigmatism the possibility of life without dependency on glasses or contacts. These surgeries are now more accurate and less invasive, which means improved safety and faster results for patients eager to regain clear vision. 

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop!

This Week's Prompt:

How do you feel about the current state of romance novels?

My Answer:

Believe it or not, I've immersed myself in one too many romance novels. I can't quite explain it—maybe I was just going through a phase. You can find my poorly written reviews somewhere on this blog. Anyway, I don't keep up with the current state of the romance genre. Besides the Harlequin titles, I hardly see any traditional romances anymore. The shelves are filled with overpriced YA fantasies that just collect dust. I live in a small town in Missouri, and the few readers we have aren't particularly interested in those specific books, even though publishers are shoving them down our throats. Does anyone else read romances?