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The Twig Book Shop, San Antonio, TX – The Deckle Edge
The Twig Book Shop, San Antonio, TX Yesterday we visited one of my favorite indie bookstores, The Twig Book Shop in the heart of The Pearl in San Antonio, TX. Like all good indie bookstores, The Twig has a broad selection of local authors and topics that you won’t find in most other places. The…
Dare to Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others by Cheryl Bachelder – The Deckle Edge
Dare-to-Serve: How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others by Cheryl Bachelder Popeyes Louisiana Kitchens were a collection of struggling franchise and company owned restaurants serving very average fried chicken, despite the ability to order it “spicy”. No one involved was really happy or making money. Not the franchisees. Not the corporation. Not even the…
The Four by Scott Galloway – The Deckle Edge
I’ve been traveling quite a bit over the last several weeks and haven’t written much. I have read several books and spent lots of road miles thinking about what I read. Among those books was The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google by Scott Galloway. On its surface this is a…
Librarian Interview: Robin Stauber of the Boerne Public Library – The Deckle Edge
Patrick Heath Public Library in Boerne, TX Anyone who knows me or spends even a little time with me will quickly come to understand my passion for books. It should be no surprise then, that over drinks with friends the topic of books came up and somewhere along the way I lamented my inability to…
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy – The Deckle Edge
A little mid-week snack or, perhaps, a mid-week pick me up... I absolutely adore picture books. I love well told stories, but pairing them with beautiful illustrations seals the deal for me. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is high among my favorites. The relatively short book isn't quite…
If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit by Brenda Ueland – The Deckle Edge
If You Want To Write by Brenda Ueland The book, If You Want To Write: A Book About Art, Independence, and Spirit by Brenda Ueland was first published in 1938. Certain aspects are a bit dated, for example the chapter titled, "Why Women Who Do Too Much Housework Should Neglect It For Their Writing," the…
Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes by Ben Bergeron – The Deckle Edge
Chasing Excellence by Ben Bergeron The book Chasing Excellence: A Story About Building the World’s Fittest Athletes by Ben Bergeron and Lioncrest Publishing is about coaching elite CrossFit Games athletes, including Katrin Davidsdottir and Mat Fraser, to be some of the fittest human beings in the world. If you’re interested in CrossFit or just human…
Discipline Equals Freedom Field Manual by Jocko Willink – The Deckle Edge
Discipline Equuals Freedom Field Manual by Jocko Willink Jocko Willink is a retired US Navy SEAL and was a commander of US SEAL Team 3’s Task Unit Bruiser in the Battle of Ramadi. Jocko is also the co-founder of Echelon Front, an organization that provides leadership training for individuals and businesses using battlefield principles. He…
How To Be a Gentleman: A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy by John Bridges – The Deckle Edge
How To Be a Gentleman by John Bridges I recently read A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles and was struck by the primary character, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov. Rostov is such a consummate gentleman, that I was inspired by him to brush up my own act just a bit and re-read How To Be…
Convictions of Faith by R. S. Basi – The Deckle Edge
Convictions of Faith by R. S. Basi Convictions of Faith is an historical novel by R. S. Basi, set in the Kongo Empire in the late 1600s and early 1700s. The novel tells the story of Dona Beatriz, or Kimpa Vita, a young girl born into a relatively well-to-do family who after a transcendent, near…
An Economist Walks Into a Brothel by Allison Schrager – The Deckle Edge
An Economist Walks Into a Brothel by Allison Schrager An Economist Walks Into a Brothel by Allison Schrager is an interesting look at important financial concepts such as risk measurement and management, hedging, insurance, and options, but is written for a broad, popular audience much like you would expect from a book by Neil Degrasse…
Page & Palette, Fairhope, AL – The Deckle Edge
Page & Palette, Fairhope, AL On a recent road trip my family and I stopped to visit Page & Palette, a great little independent bookstore in Fairhope, AL on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay. I'd read a few reviews ahead of time, so my expectations of Page & Palette were pretty high. I'm happy…
For You to See the Stars: A Collection of Stories by Radney Foster – The Deckle Edge
For You to See the Stars by Radney Foster I love well written songs. Not songs that are just fun to sing in the car, but those that tell a story. I’m talking about songs that transport you somewhere else for a moment and have character, depth, and a plot. Songs where you look up…
On Raising Readers – The Deckle Edge
The Boy, with his nose in a book in the Chisos Basin campground at Big Bend National Park. One of my greatest joys is the fact that my three kids, nearly 18, 15, and 10 years old are serious readers. I love that they love books and I love the people they have become and…
Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen – The Deckle Edge
I'm at an interesting place in my life. At 44 years old I suppose I am, in fact, if not in "middle age" then at least in my middle years. In a year my oldest child will leave for college. In 10 years we'll be empty nesters. I've had a more than reasonable amount of…
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – The Deckle Edge
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, published by Windmill Books, tells the story of Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov in the years following the Bolshevik Revolution. The Count becomes a "former person", losing his land and most of his wealth, but never his class or his charm. Rostov,…
Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S. Grover – The Deckle Edge
Tim Grover has been personal trainer and performance coach to no less than Michael Jordan, Dwayne Wade, and the late Kobe Bryant, among others. So, its fair to say that he knows a little about performance. Success is winning an NBA championship, making a million dollars, or achieving whatever your personal goal is. Tim Grover’s…
“Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World” by Adm. William H. McRaven and “The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols. Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human” by Jocko Willink – The Deckle Edge
A review of "Make Your Bed: Little Things Can Change Your Life...and Maybe the World" by Adm. William H. McRaven and "The Code. The Evaluation. The Protocols. Striving to Become an Eminently Qualified Human" by Jocko Willink.
Feedspot – Top 300 Book Review Blogs – The Deckle Edge
This week I learned that The Deckle Edge will be included on the Feedspot Top 300 Book Blog list for 2020. How cool is that?!? The 2019 list can be found here. It full of great book blogs and I'm honored to be listed among them. As always, thanks for reading! Like what you read…
BookPeople, Austin, Tx – The Deckle Edge
BookPeople, Austin, TX On a recent trip to Austin, TX I had a chance to stop at BookPeople. For anyone who likes making pilgrimages to independent bookstores, BookPeople has to be high on the list. BookPeople has been the leading independent bookstore in Texas since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been…
Chop Wood, Carry Water: How to Fall in Love With the Process of Becoming Great by Joshua Medcalf – The Deckle Edge
Chop Wood, Carry Water by Joshua Medcalf Chop Wood, Carry Water: How to Fall in Love With the Process of Becoming Great by Joshua Medcalf is an odd little book with an important message. Why is the book odd? Because it set at a samurai school but uses Kobe Bryant and Diet Coke as illustrations,…
Author Interview: Becky Crouch Patterson – The Deckle Edge
Becky Crouch Patterson from beckycrouchpatterson.com I'm so excited and grateful to present this interview with Becky Crouch Patterson. I spent an hour with her on a beautiful fall day and loved our wide ranging conversation. Becky is a true Texas original and I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Matt –…
On the Fragility of Life – The Deckle Edge
Not quite a year ago, one of my closest friends lost his wife. She lost her battle with mental illness and, for unfathomable reasons, took her own life. She left behind a devoted husband and two precious teenage sons. She also left a hole in the hearts of all who knew her. No one expects…
Leadership Strategy and Tactics: FM-02 by Jocko Willink – The Deckle Edge
Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink Leadership Strategy and Tactics: FM-02 is the latest book by Jocko Willink, whom I’ve written about before. In his normal, straight forward style, Jocko provides concise guidance for leaders of all types, in any kind of organization. But as with everything he espouses, the essence of leadership as…
2019 Books Read in Review – The Deckle Edge
2019 Books Read in Review If you're curious, here's the full list of books I read during 2019. When I said "read", I mean cover to cover as there were certainly a couple I started and didn't, couldn't, or wouldn't finish. Some books just aren't worth the trouble while others drag over months or years.…
The Library Book by Susan Orlean – The Deckle Edge
The Library Book by Susan Orlean The Library Book by Susan Orlean is one book but no fewer than three distinct but overlapping stories; the history, not just of the Los Angeles Public Library system, but of libraries, the saga of the April 28, 1986 fire at the Los Angeles Central Library, and the story…
The Boerne Bookshop, Boerne, TX – The Deckle Edge
The Boerne Bookshop Today I took the opportunity to visit the newest addition to the Historic Mile in Boerne, TX...The Boerne Bookshop! The small, independent bookshop features a wide selection of classic and popular fiction, a surprisingly wide selection of children’s books, and a smattering of non-fiction sections including Texas, current events, and History. I…
The Ranch That Was Us by Becky Crouch Patterson – The Deckle Edge
The Ranch That Was Us by Becky Crouch Patterson Most families have stories. Its one of the things that creates bonds across family members that aren’t really that close and strengthens the bonds of those that are. Cousins, aunts, uncles, great grandparents, that weird guy you don’t know how you’re related to but is always…
Luckenbach, Texas – The Center of the Universe by Becky Crouch Patterson – The Deckle Edge
Luckenbach, Texas: The Center of the Universe by Becky Crouch Patterson Becky Crouch Patterson’s latest book, Luckenbach, TX – The Center of the Universe, will likely appeal to a wider audience than her others but is no less honest and rich. In it she tells the history of Luckenbach, TX as it was when her…
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – The Deckle Edge
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese A friend recently recommended Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. I struggled with this book. I struggled to read it, I struggled to put it down, and I struggled with the content. At one point I even cast it aside deciding not to read it, only to soon pick…
Author Interview: Robin Sloan – The Deckle Edge
Robin Sloan from robinsloan.com One of my aspirations for The Deckle Edge has been to feature interviews of the authors who's books I've enjoyed and reviewed. I couldn't be more excited to publish this first interview with Robin Sloan, author of Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore and Sourdough. Many thanks to Robin for his willingness…
Boerne Book & Arts Festival, Boerne, TX Oct. 5, 2019 – The Deckle Edge
The Boerne Books & Arts Festival is coming back to our little town on Oct. 5 from 10 AM - 5 PM at the Main Plaza. I attended the first one last year and was impressed by the various book dealers, university presses, and authors in attendance. Many of the books like The Cedar Choppers…
The Bookshop Under the Windmill, Boerne, TX – The Deckle Edge
How cool is that sign?!? It’s no secret. I love bookstores. Big ones, small ones, chain bookstores, funky independent ones, and most definitely, used bookstores. I love the smell, the stacks, and the ability to browse unmolested. I’m fairly indiscriminate in my affection for bookstores, but each type serves a different purpose. The Bookshop For…
The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection, by Fr. Robert Farrar Capon – The Deckle Edge
In 1969 Fr. Robert Farrar Capon, an Episcopal priest in the Diocese of Long Island, published The Supper of the Lamb: A Culinary Reflection, a work which has remained in print ever since. The book is an engaging mix of cooking philosophy, recipes, hospitality, and theology and I am truly grateful to have encountered it.…
Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan – The Deckle Edge
Sourdough: A Novel by Robin Sloan is a deeply entertaining story of hope, curiosity, food, and community. Set in San Francisco, Sourdough is reminiscent of Sloan’s first novel, “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore”, and tells the tale of Lois Clary, a mid-western transplant to the Bay Area working as a programmer for General Dexterity, a cutting-edge…
The Difference Makers: 30 Contemporary Makers, 30 Remarkable Stories by Marc Adams – The Deckle Edge
I’ve written before about my affinity for books produced by Lost Art Press. Almost without exception, the subject doesn’t matter to me. The books themselves are as much an example of craftsmanship as the content. Well written, well edited, bound in the US on excellent paper with rich photographs. If you love books like I…
Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard – The Deckle Edge
Fry Bread: A Native American Story by Kevin Noble Maillard I’ve written before about my affinity for picture books and Fry Bread: A Native American Story written by Kevin Noble Maillard, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, and published by Roaring Brook Press fits my profile well. Every culture, it seems, has their own version of fried…