July 2026
What a busy month. We celebrated Independence Day and watched as much of the World Cup as work and the kids would allow. Aubrey won the bracket challenge! Thanks to all who participated. Mark won the book giveaway and picked Procrastination Proof by Jon Acuff.
I learned how to troubleshoot mechanical problems using AI when our clothes dryer stopped heating, a power washer got belligerent, and an inherited paper shredder needed some unbinding.
Anyway, here are the books I finished and my reviews of them:
Fiction Books
Elf Dog and Owl Head by M.T. Anderson
Remember COVID? This is a pandemic book. The main character is the Elf Dog, Elphinore, who gets separated from her hunting pack and the people under the mountain. She is adopted by Clay, who is a young human boy who lives near the forest and the mountain. Clay’s family is tired of the pandemic, being isolated, and Clay’s mom being out of work. So they are happy to have a bright spot in the form of the elf-hound to distract them. Elphinore teaches Clay how to find the hidden paths in the forest. They find a depressed giant named Vud, and wake him from a prolonged sleep. They also find the owl-headed people’s village, and a young owl-headed boy named Amos, who befriends Clay and Elphinore against the social allowances of his people. Humans are not welcome in the mystical places, and Clay’s interference leads to danger, conflict, and fear. The story comes to a climax on Midsummer’s Eve at the celebration when the people under the mountain find their lost hound and take her back. Does Clay have what it takes to rescue his friend despite the danger?
I found this book to be engaging and creative. I like the idea of the elf-hound innocently showing Clay the way to slip into the in-between, magical places. The owl-headed people are old-fashioned (and weird). The way the book describes the family’s emotions, frustrations, and feelings during the pandemic is quite accurate and will make those memories accessible in the future. Vud is pretty funny, like Eeyore. What other magical things are hiding from us in plain sight?
One of my favorite moments in the book is when Clay and Elphinore are wounded by a dragon attack, and Amos, the owl-headed boy, prepares to carry Elphinore and lead Clay to his village for the magical care they need to survive. Clay asks Amos, “Are you sure?” And Amos replies, “I am sure that death is real, and I am sure that I want both of you to be well.” Amos knew there were going to be consequences of this choice and sacrifice, and he made them willingly to help his friend.
This is for readers who love adventure and puppies, or need an understanding of the pandemic.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Peter Cross, 4:10)
The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson
John wakes up in the middle of a person-shaped burn mark in a field. He has no memories. He remembers more about himself as the story progresses (like Grace in Project Hail Mary). It looks like John is in Anglo-Saxon England, but he finds an exploded manual/marketing book which explains that he is a dimensional traveler in a bit of a mess. He’s supposed to be a wizard using his modern tech in the tangential dimension’s historical context to amaze the natives. John gets involved in the local power struggles when he realizes that an old nemesis of his is abusing the locals. He uses some of his implants, as well as medical nanites, to work a few basic cons, gaining semi-wizard status and respect. He leads his new friends into a conflict with the bad guys, hoping to drive them out of the current dimension before they kill the local wights (spirits). Along the way, John faces his faults, learns about his strengths, and embraces the hope of redemption. I enjoyed the humor in the book. Michael Kramer is an excellent narrator who brings the characters to life. The illustrations in the hard copy make it much clearer that the whole dimension-travel thing is a racket.
This is for cons, hackers, and futuristic cage fighters.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Michael Kramer, 9:11)
Alex is a dragon. But Alex thinks she is a twelve-year-old human girl. Her mother’s strict rules and the stress of losing her father pile on until the dragon starts coming out in her sleep. Unable to keep Alex safe on her own, Alex’s mother finally relents and allows Oliphos, a wise, old dragon, to take Alex to the island of Skralla, where she meets other young dragons and begins to learn what it means to be a dragon. There, in Skralla, Alex makes friends, enemies, and learns about the wider war between dragons and humans. Alex also learns that she has a glimmer- a unique ability to recognize and find dragons, even dragons who don’t know they are dragons yet (sleepers). Alex’s glimmer is craved by Drak Minda, who is an ancient dragon who thinks destroying all humans is the only way for the dragons to survive. Alex refuses to join Dark Midna, furthering the war between Oliphos and Drak Midna. There are some complex themes woven through the story: grief and how it affects kids, repressed personalities vs accepting yourself, and control vs freedom. Alex works through all these struggles in the story, making her relatable. I liked that there was balance, kindness, redemption, and some plot twists cleverly integrated into the story.
This is for dragonette readers, spies, and sleepers.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Clare Corbett and Roy McMillan, 9:40)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I tried to get Millie to listen to this book with me, but she didn’t understand the older English. It is on my 100-book bucket list, though, so I carried on without her. It is not packed with action or adventure. It’s about an English gentleman who needed a son (heir) to secure his land, but to his dismay, he had five daughters, no heir, and no peace. The bulk of the book is the mother trying very dramatically to marry off her daughters to the richest men she can find. The drama comes in when two young gentlemen come to town for a while, and one starts falling for Jane (the oldest). There are social gatherings, balls (dances), and social posturing.
Elisabeth (the main character) tries to get Jane and Bingley hitched. No joy. Bingley’s friend Darcy blows it up. Elisabeth gets mad. Drama happens. Misunderstandings occur. Elisabeth and Darcy have a wonderful falling out. The youngest sister elopes with Wickham in a big scandal. They deserve each other and make each other miserable. More drama happens, but it all works out in the end. I like the dad. He’s funny. Elisabeth is fairly clever too. The language is formal and elaborate. I tend to stick to smaller words when I talk, but I understand the longer words. This book can definitely be a challenge if you speed up the audio and lean into the banter.
This is for gentlemen, ladies, and scoundrels.
(Rated PG, Score 6/10, audiobook read by Lindsay Duncan, 12:03)
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell
This book has popped up in several lists I’ve seen, and Jet had a beautiful hardback copy, so we picked it up. I loved it. Jet too. The story is about a young girl, Mal, with a flying coat, and a young boy, Christopher, with a gift for creatures. Christopher rescues a young griffin and, in the process, finds his way to the Archipelago, which is a realm of magic called glimourie. The griffin belongs to Mal, who is running away from a murderer. Mal, Christopher, and the griffin find their way across the islands, weaving a fellowship of friends as they try to solve the mystery behind the sickness of the glimourie. The stars of the book are the impossible creatures that inhabit the islands. Dragons, unicorns, sphinxes, and many other creatures make different contributions to the adventures. There are enough to merit a creature glossary in the back. The kids face an impossible challenge with amazing resilience, creativity, and courage. They make the hard choices in the face of dangers and dire consequences without adults telling them what to do.
One of my favorite parts of the book has an incredible description of friendship. The old pirate asks Christopher if Mal is his friend, and the boy, after pondering, says yes, but this is what he thinks: “… sometimes, if you are among the very lucky, a spark of understanding cuts like lightning across the space between two people. It’s a defibrillator for the heart. And it toughens you. It nourishes you. And the word we’ve chosen for it, which his an insufficient word … is friendship.” I’ve been blessed to have friends like this; the type you don’t even have to say all the words with. The type that make you a better person, just by being in your life.
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The writing style and creative descriptive language feel like Neil Gaiman. The cadence of the dialogue and the way Rundell describes the fantastic creatures feel like the best of Gaiman’s work without the bad words. The story construction is deep and clever. It kept us asking, “What happens next?”
This is for young wizards, creature tamers, and adventurers.
(Rated PG, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Samuel West, 8:55)
Abandon’s Gate by James S. A. Corey (Expanse #3)
Abaddon’s Gate is a ring, built by the protomolecule and launched from Venus to the far reaches of the solar system. Book 3 is the story about the humans trying to figure out what to do with the ring. The humans fly out to the ring in groups. There’s a contingent from Earth that includes religious and artistic celebrities, a military crew from Mars, and a massive ship, the Behemoth, carrying representatives from the OPA (Belters). None of the humans know what the ring is or what it does, and of course they can’t help but try to figure it all out. James Holden and his crew on the Rocinante try to head away from the ring, knowing the danger it presents, but they get sucked into the mess by fate and revenge. Tension between the three sets of humans (Earthers, Martians, Belters) maxes out when one of the Earth ships explodes, and the Rocinante becomes public enemy #1. Holden takes his crew through the ring to save his ship and the souls aboard. The ring is a portal to an in-between space with many other ring gates to other star systems. In the in-between space, called the Slow Zone, is a presence that has the power to change physics. It is an alien presence, which uses the ghost of Lt. Miller to talk to Holden, and eventually, to regain control of the rings. Ironically, and predictably, the biggest threat to the humans in the Slow Zone isn’t the star-system-crushing force; it’s the other humans.
My favorite character in this book is Bull, who is the security chief on the Behemoth. He is tough, fair, and clever. He knows how the ship works, how the humans work, and how to walk the line between what needs to be done and politics. He also has some memories from growing up in NM, which I can relate to. Without Bull, all the humans might have killed each other several times.
Another memorable character is Pastor Anna, a Methodist from Earth, who plays a key role in keeping the peace among the humans. She starts the trip as just another one of the crowd, but evolves into a strong presence in the effort to save lives. Here’s a quote that I loved from her internal struggle before a big battle after getting to know Amos, who promises to protect her (with great violence): “Good-hearted, unrepentant killers were not something she had had to fit into her worldview before this, and she wasn’t sure how it would work, but now she’d have to try.”
These books are messy. They blend all types of themes in new and complicated ways. They seem to be trying to get the reader out of the normal grooves by combining traits that we might think incompatible, like the female Methodist pastor married to a woman, or the murder of a drug dealer being justified to protect the crew of an entire ship. The author paints with grays, stretching my paradigms and expectations. It’s the type of thing we need to see past our biases. It’s the type of tension we find when we lean into connection and actually see people for real. We are all messy, but can we pick our messy better, like Amos, and be that dichotomy mix of danger and protection?
This is for mature sci-fi readers and anyone struggling with revenge/redemption issues.
(Rated R, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Jefferson Mays, 19:42)
Non-Fiction Books
A Night To Remember by Walter Lord
The Titanic was the unsinkable ship. It was a modern marvel. This book is the story of the maiden voyage turned catastrophe of that massive ship. The story reads like fiction. Lord collected memories, facts, details, and vibes that let you experience the hours from the initial ice strike through the sinking and recovery of her lifeboats and a shockingly few of her passengers. The date is April 14, 1912. Ice had been reported in the northern shipping lane. The temperature drops steadily. At 11:40 PM, most of the passengers were in bed. The ship struck an iceberg on the starboard side. It punched a series of holes, allowing seawater to pour in. By midnight, the crew was worried. By 12:45, orders were given to lower the lifeboats with the women and children. The ship was famously underprepared with only enough lifeboats for a small number of passengers, and the ones that were launched were not filled. At 2:17 AM, the final distress signal was sent out, and the ship’s lights failed. At 2:18, the ship began to break apart, and by 2:20, she submerged completely with over 1500 passengers still aboard and the band bravely playing to the end. Survivors battle the cold and each other as they wait for the Carpathia to come to the rescue. The Carpathia pulls in lifeboats from 4:00 AM until the last one is secured at about 8:30 AM. 705 passengers were saved out of the 2,224 people who were aboard the ship.
The narrative is filled with details and remembrances. It’s amazing. The author also includes some of the social implications of the event, describing the rich and powerful who were aboard, how first-class passengers were handled differently from other classes, and how women were supposed to be rescued first.
I was surprised at how disconnected communication was on the ship during the panic. The size and grandeur seem to have worked against the passengers. They assumed that the ship could not sink, and they did not take the threat seriously; many paid the ultimate price.
This is for sailors, historians, and truth-seekers.
(Rated PG, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Fred Williams, 5:19)
Zen in the Art of Archery by Eugen Herrigel
It’s funny when you try to describe a concept that must be experienced to be understood. That’s mostly what this book is about. You can describe the steps and the process of becoming a master in archery, sword, flower arranging, or painting. But you can’t describe what it feels like to enter the mindset required to aim without aiming, and paint without design. I can understand the process of studying to the point of obsession- knowing things so deeply that your subconscious executes the actions perfectly on autopilot. Herrigel is a German philosophy professor living in Japan. He begins to study kyūdō (Japanese archery) as a way into Zen practice. He documents the frustration at spending weeks and months simply learning how to stand and breathe properly. It takes years before he is even given a target to shoot at. After working through breathing and drawing the bow, he struggles mightily with the release. The release is supposed to be a surprise, but how can it be a surprise if you are shooting on purpose while aiming but not aiming. His master keeps telling him that his shot must shoot itself, removing him from a conscious decision and ruining the shot. You have to let go of yourself and let the force flow through you. (Actually, that would be a great book- the Zen of the Jedi). Only when you can completely let go can you achieve mastery. I am looking for a new area of study like this. I need something to begin as a novice. I need something that takes complete focus and stretches my brain and patience. What suggestions do you have for me?
This is for Zen students, archers, and philosophers.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, ebook, 50p.)
Currently Reading-
Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldridge
Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
Cyberpunk 2077: No_Coincidence by Rafał Kosik
Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
I track my books in a database called Goodreads. It might help you manage your reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
We are working on buying a beautiful new house and selling our current house. Anyone who has ever moved in their life can relate to the chaos this includes. This is a special type of chaos, because it is all our choice. We are willingly subjecting ourselves to this season of disastering with great hope for what life looks like on the other side. We are greatly blessed to have the time, space, resources, and energy to finally tackle this project. Here’s a quote from Impossible Creatures that is echoing through this adventure: “Greater than the world’s chaos are its miracles.” So, when you are struggling with the weight of the world and its many problems, remember to slow down, look around, and find the miracles. Find the hope. Find the helpers, the family, the friends, and the magic. These miracles are greater than the chaos.
Thanks for adventuring with me.
Joshua