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39: Your Last Birthday
2023 Maxy Awards Winner Stephen Detals played professional baseball before flaming out in whiskey-fueled catastrophe. His father and grandfather killed themselves on their 39th birthdays. Stephen is 38. He battles alcoholism, abandonment, suicidal tendencies, and lethal family history to survive his impending birthday. This novel chronicles the final eight days before Stephen Detals' 39th birthday. His relapse into addiction forces Stephen back to the Neches River and the Piney Woods of Southeast Texas. Detals returns home to face purported murderess and family matriarch, Rose Petal Detals, and unravel the secrets of the family and hometown he abandoned twenty years earlier. Sojka's previous novels received glowing reviews and won awards. Still, those novels only paid the toll to guide him to this moment. The author nurtured his ability, to lay his soul bare, exposing his darkest secrets, raveled into the mysteries of 39 .
277 pages, Paperback
Published March 29, 2023
105 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Gene Sojka
5 books57 followersWhile Texas's greatest storytellers, Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry focused on the western plains, Sojka focuses on southeast Texas's Big Thicket, Piney Woods, Neches River and the area's eccentrics. Few authors' voices more closely mimic the people and the rich environment they describe.
Sojka's plot twist often dare readers to connect the dots, but his devotion to character arcs and off-beat dialogue prompted critics to award his last novel 39: Your Last Birthday the Maxy Award for Literature and Humor and a Readers' Favorite Silver Medal for Southern Fiction.
Sojka still lives in southeast Texas with his wife. He writes, runs, paddleboards, and aspires to smoke the perfect brisket.
Sojka's plot twist often dare readers to connect the dots, but his devotion to character arcs and off-beat dialogue prompted critics to award his last novel 39: Your Last Birthday the Maxy Award for Literature and Humor and a Readers' Favorite Silver Medal for Southern Fiction.
Sojka still lives in southeast Texas with his wife. He writes, runs, paddleboards, and aspires to smoke the perfect brisket.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 9, 2023
Hoooooo doggie!! That was an amazing story!! 4.5 stars, which I was going to round down simply because there's a lot of baseball in these pages (which I know next to nothing about and is hardly the author's fault), but then I ran into this quote: "I felt like a pinata at a broomstick convention, wondering when hard candy would shoot out my a@#." That's just pure writing gold and is worthy of more than 5 stars alone!!
Back to the book. This author could write the birds out of the trees (Is that even a saying? Because I feel like it should be a saying.) You are immediately transported and dropped into life in Silsbee, Texas. You can feel the heat, hear the call of all the critters in the wild, and feel the cooling waters on the swimming holes. Life just feels good, even though it was tough work living on a working farm. The characters are larger than life, the storyline is thoroughly engaging and I could hardly wait to flip the pages and find out where this was going.
There are tough themes dealt with here, but life is just kind of messy, isn't it? This is simply authentic and thoughtful writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Back to the book. This author could write the birds out of the trees (Is that even a saying? Because I feel like it should be a saying.) You are immediately transported and dropped into life in Silsbee, Texas. You can feel the heat, hear the call of all the critters in the wild, and feel the cooling waters on the swimming holes. Life just feels good, even though it was tough work living on a working farm. The characters are larger than life, the storyline is thoroughly engaging and I could hardly wait to flip the pages and find out where this was going.
There are tough themes dealt with here, but life is just kind of messy, isn't it? This is simply authentic and thoughtful writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 14, 2023
I received an ARC of this book and am thrilled to be able to leave an early review. I was really sucked into this book by the summary (a fairly straight forward summary tbh), but I will admit it was not what I was expecting.
This book is deeply embedded with family lore, struggles of addiction and flawed characters. It’s told in pieces by a somewhat distracted narrator who believes he was cursed. The story itself is very unique, the characters and the characters are thought out.
The pacing of the book sometimes slows down, but if you push forward it will pick up in the next chapter. This did happen more than once for me, otherwise it was well written. Some of the twists are fairly guessable but the final few chapters of the book really make it worth it.
If I was rating this with my normal rubric, I would have rated it a 3, but my scale hasn’t been adjusted for ARC reads and my own ability to misinterpret genres. With that I’m bumping it to a 4 because it was a well crafted with a thoughtful story pushing it forward.
Congratulations Tim on your upcoming release date!
This book is deeply embedded with family lore, struggles of addiction and flawed characters. It’s told in pieces by a somewhat distracted narrator who believes he was cursed. The story itself is very unique, the characters and the characters are thought out.
The pacing of the book sometimes slows down, but if you push forward it will pick up in the next chapter. This did happen more than once for me, otherwise it was well written. Some of the twists are fairly guessable but the final few chapters of the book really make it worth it.
If I was rating this with my normal rubric, I would have rated it a 3, but my scale hasn’t been adjusted for ARC reads and my own ability to misinterpret genres. With that I’m bumping it to a 4 because it was a well crafted with a thoughtful story pushing it forward.
Congratulations Tim on your upcoming release date!
January 22, 2023
This is a voluntary review of a free book I received from Book Sirens.
Not the typical type of novel I usually read. Bit slower to get through as well.
On that note, I found it really well written and enjoyed getting to know each of the characters.
Tails documents the last few days of his life, bringing his past to light and putting together the pieces of haunted memories.
We meet his family and friends They all share similar losses and affected in different ways.
Will he make it to 39?
Not the typical type of novel I usually read. Bit slower to get through as well.
On that note, I found it really well written and enjoyed getting to know each of the characters.
Tails documents the last few days of his life, bringing his past to light and putting together the pieces of haunted memories.
We meet his family and friends They all share similar losses and affected in different ways.
Will he make it to 39?
August 29, 2024
Wow. I really had no idea what kind of story this would be when I asked to
read it, but I think that it became exactly what I needed as a break from my
usual suspense/thriller books.
I now see, having read the bio upon finishing the book, that this is not
completely fiction. It is a story of hope and despair that kept me completely
engaged for the three entire days I devoted to complete immersion to
every character. As much as I was rooting for some and angry at others, you
cannot make predictions with this story. This is really well choreographed for
maximum emotional attachments to the characters.
This is a brilliant book. I highly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
read it, but I think that it became exactly what I needed as a break from my
usual suspense/thriller books.
I now see, having read the bio upon finishing the book, that this is not
completely fiction. It is a story of hope and despair that kept me completely
engaged for the three entire days I devoted to complete immersion to
every character. As much as I was rooting for some and angry at others, you
cannot make predictions with this story. This is really well choreographed for
maximum emotional attachments to the characters.
This is a brilliant book. I highly recommend this book.
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 10, 2023
I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review 39.
I love the colorful ones - Lisa Aiello - epic job.
You guys rock. So grateful for you.
Tim Sojka
I love the colorful ones - Lisa Aiello - epic job.
You guys rock. So grateful for you.
Tim Sojka
March 30, 2023
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to Black Rose Writing and Book Sirens.
Steven Detals (Tails) is a professional baseball player nearing the end of his career. His grandfather and father both committed suicide on their 39th birthday. Steven will be 39 in a week - he's haunted by his past, lack of more than superficial relationships, and alcohol abuse. Detals returns home to confront his past. Will he come to terms with the ghosts that haunt him or will he follow in the steps of his grandfather and father?
Initially I struggled with this novel - the beginning of the novel focuses on Detal's baseball career (not a fan of the sport). As the novel progressed, I became intrigued by Detal's ghosts and the past that so haunts him; the family dynamics that left him so broken. Sojka's prose is very descriptive - the reader feels, sees, and smells. Some interesting twists, a mysterious woman, and a satisfying ending. Enjoyable read
March 30, 2023
Great mystery, I was hooked from beginning. Great characters and unpredictable plot.
March 30, 2023
This is my third book by Sojka. Another home run! I love reading his books because he places me inside each scene. I can see; smell, hear and feel what’s happening in the moment. You never know what's going to happen around the bend! His characters are richly constructed. Tim likes to attack issues by storytelling…sometimes interjecting his own life experiences. Looking forward to his book #4!
March 1, 2023
I got this book from BookSirens and I’m leaving my honest review.
This was a very slow burn type of book. For the first 30-40% of the book I was so bored. It read like a memoir from a burnt out baseball player. Then as Tails heads home, while still slow, all the action starts happening. It had a very true crime feel by the end of the book but also drove home some important lessons especially about alcoholism and secrets. This quote jumped out at me so I had to share in my review: “Secrets. Secrets will trick you into throwing away time with the people you love…or push loved ones away. This family’s secrets almost killed me.”
It was worth the read in my opinion, just push through the agonizing beginning of the book and I don’t think you’ll regret it.
This was a very slow burn type of book. For the first 30-40% of the book I was so bored. It read like a memoir from a burnt out baseball player. Then as Tails heads home, while still slow, all the action starts happening. It had a very true crime feel by the end of the book but also drove home some important lessons especially about alcoholism and secrets. This quote jumped out at me so I had to share in my review: “Secrets. Secrets will trick you into throwing away time with the people you love…or push loved ones away. This family’s secrets almost killed me.”
It was worth the read in my opinion, just push through the agonizing beginning of the book and I don’t think you’ll regret it.
February 24, 2023
I was given a free copy of this book through BookSirens in return for an honest review
2.5 stars rounded up.
I liked the concept of this book that Tails grandfather and committed suicide on their 39th birthday, would Tails follow in their footsteps or not? There were some heavy topics in this book mentioning addiction to alcohol throughout and family abandonment.
Unfortunately for me the amount of baseball referenced in the book made it difficult for me to follow and I struggled to make my way through.
I did enjoy finding out Tails back story and learning about his childhood which hold many dark and haunting memories. There was a bit of a twist at the end that I was not expecting but it felt a bit rushed and the ending to the book was very predictable.
2.5 stars rounded up.
I liked the concept of this book that Tails grandfather and committed suicide on their 39th birthday, would Tails follow in their footsteps or not? There were some heavy topics in this book mentioning addiction to alcohol throughout and family abandonment.
Unfortunately for me the amount of baseball referenced in the book made it difficult for me to follow and I struggled to make my way through.
I did enjoy finding out Tails back story and learning about his childhood which hold many dark and haunting memories. There was a bit of a twist at the end that I was not expecting but it felt a bit rushed and the ending to the book was very predictable.
June 15, 2023
Tim has a way with words and a unique talent for storytelling. You are taken into the character's life and you don't want to put the book down until you know more.
Following along "Tails" in the days leading up to his 39th birthday, the reader knows that something is brewing, something sinister and dark, yet Tim injects humor throughout that leaves one off balanced, not knowing what to expect.
Very entertaining to read. Cannot wait for more.
Following along "Tails" in the days leading up to his 39th birthday, the reader knows that something is brewing, something sinister and dark, yet Tim injects humor throughout that leaves one off balanced, not knowing what to expect.
Very entertaining to read. Cannot wait for more.
January 17, 2024
Different. Very engrossing.
February 25, 2023
Overall Rating = 5
Storyline & Concept = 5
Writing & Delivery = 5
Editorial = 5
As he nears his 39th birthday, Stephen Detals is drawn to his hometown and the Neches River in Southeast Texas. It isn’t only homesickness that takes him there. Nor is it entirely an escape from the destruction of his baseball career or his constant battle with alcoholism. He’s also drawn by his belief in destiny. His father and grandfather committed suicide on their 39th birthdays, and Stephen believes his fate is already decided.
A mystery, a lush setting, and unforgettable characters fill the pages of this exceptional novel, along with an emotional plunge into the depths of a soul. After two successful novels, Mr. Sojka has gone above and beyond with a story that grabs hold of the reader from the very first line. He takes it even further to engross his audience; he takes them into the heart and soul of an addict while entertaining them with a plotline devised to keep the pages turning. Sojka’s outstanding writing skill evokes laughter, despair, fear, suspense, and thrills. Not to be missed.
Sublime Line: “Another five-star read from a master of intrigue, suspense, emotion, and wit.”
Storyline & Concept = 5
Writing & Delivery = 5
Editorial = 5
As he nears his 39th birthday, Stephen Detals is drawn to his hometown and the Neches River in Southeast Texas. It isn’t only homesickness that takes him there. Nor is it entirely an escape from the destruction of his baseball career or his constant battle with alcoholism. He’s also drawn by his belief in destiny. His father and grandfather committed suicide on their 39th birthdays, and Stephen believes his fate is already decided.
A mystery, a lush setting, and unforgettable characters fill the pages of this exceptional novel, along with an emotional plunge into the depths of a soul. After two successful novels, Mr. Sojka has gone above and beyond with a story that grabs hold of the reader from the very first line. He takes it even further to engross his audience; he takes them into the heart and soul of an addict while entertaining them with a plotline devised to keep the pages turning. Sojka’s outstanding writing skill evokes laughter, despair, fear, suspense, and thrills. Not to be missed.
Sublime Line: “Another five-star read from a master of intrigue, suspense, emotion, and wit.”
February 23, 2023
I picked an ARC of this on BookSirens, thinking it would be horror/suspense. For my standards, it was anything but. And I realized I hate baseball. However, the story slowly grew on me, mostly because of the writing. The situations are unusual, but they are described with great prose and engaging dialogue, the characters feel extremely realistic, and my sticking to the story provided a gripping and sometimes chilling reading experience. The plot revolves around death and addiction; specifically suicide and alcoholism. Stephen Detals, the protagonist, is not exactly a character you fall in love with, but the way he handles himself, the occasional honesty with which he confronts his pain, won me over really quickly, making it impossible for me to stop reading. Yes, there are times he's neurotic, but even then, you feel for the guy and, most of all, for his family history. I'd recommend this book for its honesty and the writing.
I received an advance review copy for free, and opinion is mine alone.
I received an advance review copy for free, and opinion is mine alone.
August 17, 2023
A wild ride that careens between the intricacies of major league baseball, long-buried family horrors, and an unlikely budding romance that might or might not be a figment of the narrator’s raging alcoholism. It’s Bull Durham with the sinister undertones of The Prince of Tides, but the heavy subject matter is liberally lightened by the spot-on, hilarious banter between Stephen “Tails” Detals, the new starting shortstop for the Houston Astros, and his estranged best friend, the swaggering country music sensation Cole “The Rooster” Brewster. The characters are real, the stakes are high, and the author’s engaging voice will have you feeling Tails's despair one moment, and laughing out loud the next.
March 30, 2023
I’m a fan of Mr. Sojka’s work, having read and loved his first two novels, but this one was over the top for me. 39 has exceptional character development, great pacing, intrigue, mystery, depth. You name it, it’s got it. A battered and conflicted baseball star returns home to small-town Texas to face his destiny, only to be dragged into an intrigue that dates back generations and is nothing like he expected. From the very first line, Sojka drew me in, and I hung on every word to the end. If you’re looking for a novel that will keep you reading all night, this could be the one.
October 5, 2024
A haunting, visceral, laden-with-dark-humor exploration of generational trauma, addiction, and survival. As pro baseballer Stephen Detals approaches his 39th birthday—haunted by a family history of suicide—he confronts his inner demons and the dark secrets of his past. Set against the sucking humidity of Southeast Texas, Sojka delivers a gripping tale of dishonesty’s legacy and redemption’s power, chain-ganging readers to one man’s desperate struggle to break the deadly curse threatening to consume him.
March 30, 2023
I definitely recommend this book. Tim has the ability to really pull you off the page. There are so many colorful characters in this book and plenty of unexpected surprises that you will not want to put it down. I look forward to every book that Tim writes and can't wait to see what he comes up with next.
March 30, 2023
I loved this book! Sat there all day on Sunday and read it none stop. The characters are amazing and I enjoyed loving and hating each one at different time through the story. I appreciated the display that the relationships of family is family, but friends are family as well. It is full of true Texans nuances that made this story stand out for me and that non Texans would also love!
January 19, 2026
39: Your Last Birthday
Timothy Gene Sojka has a way with words! I really enjoyed Tails telling his life story through memories and talking to others. I felt like I could see exactly what was going on. The Detals family had many tragedies and secrets. It's up to Tails to figure them out before it's too late.
Timothy Gene Sojka has a way with words! I really enjoyed Tails telling his life story through memories and talking to others. I felt like I could see exactly what was going on. The Detals family had many tragedies and secrets. It's up to Tails to figure them out before it's too late.
May 12, 2023
This was painful to get through. Way too many characters. Way to many random thoughts. The entire story zig zagged.
November 13, 2023
great read!
The story line was well written and held the reader entranced waiting for the next turn in the story. Cant wait to read another book by this author.
The story line was well written and held the reader entranced waiting for the next turn in the story. Cant wait to read another book by this author.
January 15, 2026
Not my style of book or writing style
April 4, 2023
I went into this one blind and oh boy! What a wonderful surprise! There was a lot of baseball talk as I’ve seen mentioned in other reviews but the baseball and the rest of the story is all conveyed in a beautiful way.
The imagery in this book blew me away! I felt like I watched a movie rather than having read a book.
I was a fan of the twists and how we weren’t even sure if one of the characters was real until closer to the end. I would absolutely recommend this book.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The imagery in this book blew me away! I felt like I watched a movie rather than having read a book.
I was a fan of the twists and how we weren’t even sure if one of the characters was real until closer to the end. I would absolutely recommend this book.
I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 20, 2024
Reading this for the second time was twice as enjoyable. You really understand the characters, admire the characters and and appreciate Mister Sojka's ability to drop you into their environment. As a sensory writer, Mr. Sojka reaches his audience through all five senses. Enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews