March 2024
March is usually a transition month as we move from winter into spring. The weather improves and we get to spend more time outside, shaking off the winter fog and darkness. This month was tough. I had another surgery to repair my ACL. The surgeon also fixed some cartilage damage he found which is great that he was able to do that while he was already in there, but not great because it means four weeks on crutches and four weeks of no driving or being able to carry anything. My recovery from surgery was also very confusing because I picked up Influenza B so it was hard to tell which symptoms were related to anesthesia and surgery and which were related to the sickness. Millie got it too so we spent a solid week watching Bluey and listening to Harry Potter audiobooks. It was a miracle that Jet and Aubrey escaped the flu this round because Aubrey is the only functional adult right now and Jet had state testing at school. March also brings basketball. Basketball is fun. Several of you threw brackets into my pool. It’s fun to see how the upsets explode brackets along the way. We have also been decluttering the house. It feels good to organize, clean, and offload stuff and junk.
Anyway, here are the books I finished and my reviews of them:
Fiction Books
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I found this little book on my 100 Book Bucket List poster. It is translated from French, and I managed to get a different translation in audiobook than the illustrated Kindle version. I don’t know why, but I expected them to be more similar. Of course, the main bit- the story- was the same, but there’s something in the telling that makes a story better or more engaging sometimes. I went through the audio version and read the illustrated version, but they were quite different. The audio version was much shorter and left out some bits. The story is about a pilot whose airplane experiences engine trouble over the African desert. While he is stranded in the desert working to fix his engine, he meets the little Prince. The Prince asks the pilot many questions and tells him his story. The Prince is from a different planet, which is very small. The planet has two active volcanoes and one dormant volcano. The Prince cares for his planet by raking out the volcanoes and digging up any seedlings that sprout from Baobab seeds. Boabab trees would destroy his whole planet if they grew to their full size. The Prince also cares for a single flower. A rose, who has four thorns and who has tamed the Prince. The Prince tells the pilot about his visits to other small planets where he met other adults who were very strange. These men were busy, serious, drunk, and other adult things that the Prince did not like or understand. Adults often miss the most important things. On the eighth day after his plane crash, the pilot ran out of water. He and the Prince go looking for a well, and fate gives them one at daybreak. The Prince stays near the well because it is near the spot where he fell to earth on his journey and it is one night until the anniversary of his fall. The pilot returns to his plane, fixes his engine, and returns to the well one last time where he says goodbye to the Prince. The pilot is forever changed by his days in the desert with his Little Prince. This story grew on me as I reread it and understood it better. The illustrated Kindle version was a much better translation.
This is for littles and adults needing to remember where the most important things are.
(Rated G, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Richard Gere, 0:44, ebook, 84p.)
Moon Rising by Tui T. Sutherland (Wings of Fire #6)
This is the beginning of the second set of prophecy dragon books. The title character, Moon, a NightWing with mind-reading and prophecy powers, starts school at Jade Mountain. The Jade Mountain school is designed to mix dragons from all the tribes together in a safe (war-free) environment so they can learn about the other tribes and build relationships with dragons from around the world. But, this is a Wings of Fire book so the war-free bit doesn’t last very long. Each of the students is placed in a winglet, which is a group of dragons with one from each tribe (MudWing, RainWing, NightWing, SkyWing, IceWing, SeaWings, and SandWing). Moon is convinced that if the other dragons find out that she can read their minds they will hate her or fear her so she keeps her powers secret as long as she can. DarkStalker, an ancient magical dragon finds Moon and her powers allow her to talk to him. DarkStalker is the bad thing the dragons tell their kids about to keep them in line. He’s supposed to be super evil and dangerous, so of course Moon is reluctant to help him. As the story progresses, the young dragons at the school begin classes and try to learn about all the other tribes. The peace is shattered when an explosion tears through one of the school rooms, killing and injuring several dragons. Moon’s prophecy power allows her to save some dragons from the explosion, but it exposes her powers to the others. Her winglet freaks out when they learn that Moon can read their minds. As the dragons work to find out who the bomber is they discover that Skyfire prevents Moon from being able to read a dragon’s thoughts when they carry or touch it. This allows her friends the privacy of thought they need to trust her more. Moon and her friends discover who the dangerous dragon is in time to save other dragons from harm. At the end of the book, Moon goes into a trance and makes an ominous prophecy which leads her and her winglet into their next adventure in Book 7. This book was pretty cleverly written. I’m sure it was a challenge to write each dragon’s thoughts being read by Moon. It was done well enough to allow the story to flow and not bog down the reader trying to understand what was going on.
This is for mind readers and little dragons getting out of their comfort zones.
(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Shannon McManus, 7:30)
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
It’s been a very long time since I first read this book. I think I read it in 10th grade which was several lifetimes ago. I remembered the end, but a lot of the middle of the story was long gone. The story is about a man named Nick Carraway. Okay, it’s not really about Nick. It’s told from Nick’s perspective. The story is really about this fascinating, larger-than-life character named Jay Gatsby. The story is set in the 1920s in New York. Gatsby and the other characters are coming out of World War I and living during prohibition, though alcohol features heavily in the story. Gatsby buys up a huge manor across the way from Nick and spends extravagant amounts of money hosting large parties for just about anyone willing to show up. Eventually, Nick is invited to one of the parties where he gets to know Gatsby a bit better and they start hanging out more. Gatsby turns out to be a bizarre character, prone to being moody, and is often called away from conversations to take calls from cities all over the place. Nick tries to understand Gatsby until finally, Gatsby asks Nick to arrange for a meeting between him and Nick’s friend Daisy. It turns out that Gatsby was in love with Daisy and had been for five years. The parties he had been throwing were supposed to be a way for Gatsby to meet Daisy by chance, but that had failed. So Nick sets up the meeting, and in so doing, he lights the fuse on the relational bomb that explodes the end of the story. I’m not sure I fully understand what the author was trying to explain through the story, but it feels like a warning tale about the human ability to protect its own interests at all costs. Or maybe it’s a warning about trying to win love with parties and alcohol. Or maybe it’s a warning about the dangers of automobiles and guns.
This is for high schoolers, flappers, and bootleggers.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by William Hope, 5:38, Hardback, 216p.)
The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Inheritance Games #2)
Book 2 picks up right after book 1, with the new billionaire heiress Avery Grambs trying to figure out what she got thrown into when she inherited a Texas Billionaire’s entire estate. The drama continues with more puzzles to solve and more clues going all the way back to a devastating fire that was supposed to have killed four young people including Toby Hawthorne- Son of the late Tobias Hawthorne. The big mystery of the book is to find Toby, who Avery knows is alive because he was her friend Harry who she thought was homeless and who she used to play chess with before school. The Hawthornes dig into the mystery using clues from the old will of Tobias. They travel to Colorado and other properties now owned by Avery. They wiggle through legal issues dealing with Avery’s guardianship and dead-beat dad who shows up looking for a piece of the fortune. During the adventures, Avery becomes “one of them”. The boys, specifically Jameson and Grayson accept Avery as part of their family and start acting to protect her. As Avery searches for Toby, she upsets several people, some who desperately want Toby to be alive, others who want to make sure he’s dead. Avery is beginning to step into the power and truth of her new fortune and learn about the weight it carries both in financial responsibility and in threats or headaches that come with such wealth. As the book wraps up, Avery comes face to face with Toby and some of her enemies. She learns some hard truths and Toby leaves her with another mystery to chase in book 3. I like the puzzles and mysteries. I could do without the teenage romance bits. (Like Fred Savage in The Princess Bride). But I imagine that’s a fair portion of the appeal for the target audience of these books.
This is for lost daughters and puzzle hunters.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Christie Moreau, 10:24
Winter Turning by Tui T. Sutherland (Wings of Fire #7)
Winter is an IceWing. He is the nephew of Queen Glacier which has loaded him up with expectations for performance and perfection. The IceWings tribe structure is one of constant ranking and competition. All actions are judged and result in the raising or lowering of each dragon in the system. It’s ugly and not healthy. The story picks up at the end of book six with the winglet of dragons setting out to the Rainforest to stop Icicle from killing Queen Glory. In the Rainforest, they meet Glory and many other dragons and eventually, they capture Icicle, who is still trying to kill Glory to save her brother Hailstorm from Queen Scarlet who holds him hostage. Winter and the other dragons get a glimpse of where Queen Scarlet is hiding so they go hunting for her and Hailstorm. On the way they meet the Talons of Peace and hire Pyrite, a SkyWing guide to show them where Queen Scarlet is. Queen Scarlet makes a mistake by invading Winter’s dreams during their hunt because he realizes she must be close enough to see him. Using Moon’s powers they find Queen Scarlet and hear her order Hailstorm’s execution. They fight an extraordinarily strong NightWing who hurts Kinkajou, but eventually, they escape and discover that Pyrite is Hailstorm wearing a necklace with an enchanted piece of scroll. Winter and Hailstorm return to the Ice Kingdom. Their father arranges for Winter and Hailstorm to be entered into the Diamond Challenge which will allow Hailstorm to win back his rank and honor, and rid the tribe of Winter (who is supposed to be killed in the challenge). In the challenge, they meet an ancient NightWing named FoeSlayer who is cursed to fight and die in each challenge because of past atrocities. Winter allows Hailstorm to win the challenge, electing to run and be exiled from the IceWings instead of being killed. He rescues FoeSlayer from her torture and they go blasting into the next book. Jet’s favorite part was the end where they figured out the truth about the ancient dragons Prince Arctic and FoeSlayer because it explained some things that were not true and answered other questions he had. I liked the twist and redemption of Winter in the face of family pressure and all his history in his tribe.
This is for IceWings, military brats, and explorers.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Shannon McManus, 7:30)
Non-Fiction Books
Becoming a King by Morgan Snyder
This book is written by a friend of one of my favorite authors, John Eldredge. John wrote the foreword explaining some of the process Snyder went through to write this book. In the introduction, Snyder explains how he wrote letters to men asking for wisdom and guidance on his path to becoming a better man. These letters and ten years of living life as a student and diving deep into what it means to walk the ancient paths hand in hand with the Father have led to this book. Here are the chapter headings which outline the journey each man has before him.
Becoming Powerful
Becoming a Son
Becoming True
Becoming the Man You Were Born to Be
Becoming a Generalist
Becoming a Warrior
Becoming Good Soil
Becoming Deep Roots
Becoming Like-Hearted
As I listened to the book, here are some of the ideas that resonated with me.
1-Becoming powerful. A kingdom is defined by the range of your effective will. The power entrusted to most men often brings harm. Many powerful men destroy or harm those they should be protecting. How can we become powerful and use our power to protect and grow rather than to harm?
2-Becoming a son. This is about understanding who we are in relation to the Father and allowing that relationship to grow properly.
5- Becoming a generalist. This section spoke deeply to my soul as a man. It is about learning all kinds of skills, working with your hands, being brave, trying new things, and becoming more useful as a man. Some days I feel like I can do anything. Other days I feel like an imposter. This was a challenge to lean into problems with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to learn, grow and be challenged.
7- Becoming good soil- opening our hearts to what God is trying to do in our lives.
8- Becoming deep roots. There are many practices we can choose to help our roots go down deep into the peace, power, and stability of the Father. Practice of engagement. Practice of play. Choose play. Laugh. Be present. The practice of defiant joy. Joy is the direct defiance of the kingdom of darkness. The practice of worship. The practice of adventure. Practices of abstinence. I chose to abstain from sugar during Lent this year. There were some dark days when all I wanted to do was eat all the sugar, but I managed to be disciplined. As a result, I am healthier, calmer, thinner, and stronger mentally. Practices of being weird. My friend Phil does weird things for his own reasons like wearing bright and fun shoes when he runs training classes at work. I love this example. It allows me to do weird things too for the sake of my own joy and freedom.
9- Becoming like-hearted. This is about surrounding yourself with men who are aiming at the same goals and growing together. Building your tribe. Sign treaties with men you love and respect- when they are at war, you are at war. Here are some questions to ponder about your direction for the next ten years: Who will carry my casket? What are my questions? Who am I asking them? Where do I need to say No? Who do I want to become? What takes men out of the fight?
10- Becoming a king. Like God asked Adam in the garden, where are you? God knew where Adam was. The question was relational. God wanted Adam to realize he was far from God and needed to turn his heart toward the Father and seek the healing of their relationship. Go listen to the stories of older, wiser men. I got a ton of value and encouragement from this book. Each section is filled with ideas, questions, prayers and wisdom that could be pondered long and incorporated well into a man’s life. This book has a study guide and a video study which I also intend to dig into. Let me know if you want to join me. Eddie, thank you for being part of my tribe, going to war when I am at war, and for being a man of power, honor, and generosity in my life. Also, thank you for recommending this book.
This is for men seeking to grow closer to the Father to be better kings in His Kingdom.
(Rated PG, Score 10/10, audiobook read by the author, 10:06)
Preview/Currently Reading-
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Life to the Fullest by Bryant Westbrook
The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Inheritance Games #3)
I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
This was a really hard month. Here are some things that helped me in dark places. Sun- sometimes you just need to sit in the sun and soak up the warmth and light. Vitamin D- turns out we need this to feel stable and positive and to fend off depression. Hugs- being unable to drive and being sick means I have been isolated from a lot of my friends, so I have been trying to give good hugs to my family to share warmth, kindness, connection, and hope. Crying- there are only two ways your body can get rid of cortisol (stress chemicals): sweating and crying. I haven’t figured out how to exercise hard enough to sweat while I have been forced to use crutches, so that has left me only crying to offload stress. Crying isn’t a super popular thing for grown men to do, so it’s taken some patience and grace for myself to learn how to properly process the big emotions and chemicals I have been dealing with in new ways.
It’s a crazy world out there. Take care of each other.
Thanks for adventuring with me.
Joshua
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