How does one keep informed in a field that relies heavily on scholarly books?
The pace in such disciplines tends to be slower. That is not necessarily bad. Those disciplines tend to prioritize careful thought out arguments over the newest, coolest, most hyped finding. It is not how I and my sub-discipline works, but I recognize that it is a legitimate way of working, that has complementary strengths and weaknesses over a more article or working paper based sub-discipline.