February 2023
You know how time flies when you are having fun and stops when you wish it would go fast? That’s how February was. The Super Bowl went super fast. Taking care of a sick Millie made the month feel super long. I’m ready for some sun, some spring break, and a break from all the germs. I procrastinated on writing these reviews, so the end of the month has come faster than I was ready for.
Here are the books I finished in February 2023 and my short reviews of them:
Fiction Books
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King (The Dark Tower #2)
Book two is just as weird, if not weirder than book one. Roland, the gunslinger, is still seeking the Dark Tower and he has clues from the Tarot Card reading in book one. He finds three doors into our world. In the first door, he finds The Prisoner- Eddie Dean. When he goes through the door from his world into our world he enters Eddie’s mind/body on an airplane. Roland manipulates Eddie to get medicine and food from the earth into his dark tower world. Eventually, Eddie is dragged into dark tower world and forced to help Roland survive in his quest. Eddie and Roland struggle up the beach in dark tower world looking for door two. Eventually, they find it, and Roland enters The Lady of Shadows through the door. Through door two, Roland drags The Lady, Odetta Holmes/Detta Walker back into dark tower world. Eddie and Roland struggle with Detta because she’s crazy, delusional, and brutally crafty. The Lady has two personalities trapped inside her crippled body, causing Eddie to fall in love with Odetta, while both men hate and fear Detta. The three fight their way up the beach hunting for door three. Finding it, Roland goes through into The Pusher. Roland takes over The Pusher’s body and goes shopping for ammo and antibiotics. Roland realizes that The Pusher is/was responsible for Odetta/Detta’s split personality and crippling accident (as well as Jake’s death in book one). Eventually, Roland forces The Pusher onto the train tracks at the exact moment Odetta/Detta is watching, forcing the two personalities to battle and culminating in the creation of a third, combined personality named Susannah. Susannah, Eddie, and Roland continue the quest for the dark tower. This book is dark, and bizarre, and shows a spectrum of humanity. I’m still unsure what’s going on, but this book's writing/storytelling was better than book one.
This is for the brave and those willing to deal with obscurity.
(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Frank Muller, 12:47)
What would you do if a demon approached you about writing their story? The man Clay, a book editor, is approached by a demon named Lucian, who is determined to tell his story. The editor and the demon meet in many places as Lucian tells his story going back to before time began- before the fall of the angels. It’s fascinating to hear this perspective of the narrative. We often only think of God’s perspective, or Satan’s. We’ve considered the Biblical view, or Paradise Lost, but this book shows the same story from a fallen angel’s view. Lucian hates humans because we have been offered something the angels never were: redemption. The angels lived and experienced God in a way that we could never understand, and that relationship was destroyed with Lucifer’s fall and they can never be restored to union with El. The demon’s story devours Clay, destroying his health and his career, but is it enough to show him the path to his redemption? I love stories of angels and demons that provide more color and food for imagination for understanding the world beyond ours.
This is for seekers and mystics.
(Rated PG-13, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Joel Hempel, 8:39)
The Devil’s Hand by Jack Carr (Terminal List #4)
The book starts with James Reese working through CIA training to get folded into CIA operations. Unexpectedly, he gets called to meet with the US President at Camp David. The President asks Reese to complete surveillance/retribution on the terrorists from 9/11 who never escalated to the top of the FBI list. As Reese starts making visits, he stumbles into a new threat to the country in the form of a bioweapon. The enemy has learned that the US has a contingency plan in place to destroy our own cities if a massive outbreak threatens the safety of the whole country. The enemy is using a bioweapon to deceive the US into destroying its own cities, by giving the appearance of a massive viral outbreak. Reese and a leading infectious disease researcher fight the panic and the clock to uncover proof that the outbreak is not spreading so that the President does not destroy the two US cities where the disease has been planted. Coming on the heels of the COVID pandemic the country threatens to tear itself apart again in the face of the new threat. Imagine the division and chaos that would be caused if the government had to firebomb two major US cities to save the country. I enjoyed the action of the book, but the premise and dark portrayal and indictment Carr uses the book to bring against our nation's leaders weighs on me. Of course, I know better than to put my hope in the government, but let’s hope we don’t face this type of attack any time soon.
This is for the hunters, the homeland defenders, and those needing retribution.
(Rated R, Score 6/10, audiobook read by Ray Porter, 14:37)
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (Chronicles of Narnia #7)
All worlds come to an end, and this is the story of the end of Narnia and, of course, the conclusion of the Chronicles of Narnia. Eustace and Jill return to Narnia to aid Tyrion, king of Narnia, who is fighting to save Narnia from an evil ape’s scheme and a Calormen invasion. Their help, though valiant, does not end in victory over the invading army. All seems lost when the king and those fighting with him are forced into the stable where they fear Tash will finish them off. Instead, they find the great lion, Aslan. Aslan calls forth Father Time and the stars and the old Narnia come to an end. The new Narnia, which keeps all the best bits of the old Narnia, is more real and more amazing than the old. Aslan calls those who seek him farther up and farther into his country. The sons of Adam and daughters of Eve learn that they will never have to go back to their old lives in England because those lives ended in a train crash. The ending of Narnia is a peek at what the return of Jesus might look like for those in our world who believe in him and how a new earth might be made when the old passes away. It makes me long for heaven.
This is for seekers, finishers, and those looking for a glimpse of the end of the world.
(Rated PG, Score 9/10, audiobook read by Patrick Stewart, 4:49)
Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive #2.5)
Lift is an edgedancer, a type of Radiant, which means she has developed a connection with a powerful spren named Wyndle. That relationship gives her superpowers, which she calls her awesomeness. Being a thirteen-year-old little street urchin, her manners and language are unpolished and hilarious. Her powers allow her to suspend friction. She uses this to slide along the ground or escape from people trying to grab her. Using her awesomeness burns the food she’s eaten, so she is always looking to steal food; especially fancy food. In the first half of the book, Lift helps a team of thieves break into a palace where the inhabitants are trying to choose the next emperor. They choose a kid named Gawx after Lift heals him from a mortal wound with her awesomeness. The bad guy of the story is Nale whom Lift calls Darkness, who has dedicated himself to hunting new Radiants and destroying them before their powers evolve. Darkness is hunting Lift, though she evades him by command of the new emperor. Next, Lift runs away and seeks her fortune and other stolen food in a different city. Darkness continues his hunt for Lift and other Radiants, eventually leading to a showdown with Lift who has grown in her powers and understanding throughout the book. Lift helps him to understand that he has failed his mission and he leaves to reevaluate his life. Lift is one of my favorite characters from books recently because of her dialogue, impetuousness, and authenticity.
This is for thieves, healers, and growers.
(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Kate Reading, 6:42)
Non-Fiction Books
Lead Like It Matters by Craig Groeschel
This ministry/leadership book is about “IT”. Getting It, keeping It, recognizing It, and developing It. In Part 1, Groeschel tries to define It. In Part 2, Groeschel covers the seven factors that support It - vision, divine focus, unmistakable camaraderie, innovative minds, willingness to fall short, hearts focused outward, and kingdom-mindedness. In Part 3, Groeschel talks about getting It back and guarding It. I found this book to be encouraging, but rather obscure. Since the whole thing it is about is hard to define, it is hard to write it down for others. I understand the feelings and concepts being conveyed, having been part of organizations that have It and others that don’t. Maybe this was not the best time for me in my journey to latch on to the concepts.
This is for leaders, organizers, and administrators seeking to get It.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by the author, 7:35)
The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by Mark Batterson
Honi the circle maker is an ancient Jewish prophet who saved a generation of Israelites through a famous prayer. Honi drew a circle around himself and vowed to stay inside the circle until the Lord answered his prayer and sent rain to end a doubt. God answered his prayer and sent rain. This book tells that story and many others about dreaming God-sized dreams, circling prayers around those dreams, and using prayers to short-circuit the big fears that the devil will throw at us while we chase big dreams. Batterson tells many of his stories praying circles around areas of Washington DC where he pastors a church. Many of us don’t get what we want, because we don’t know what we want. We don’t slow down long enough to know what we are chasing. We don’t listen well enough when we pray to hear God’s response or understand God’s will for our lives. I’ve been pondering this idea since I read it. I’m often not sure what I want, so I’m working on that. I want to dream bigger dreams. I want to dream so big that achieving the dream can only be a miracle. I want to pray prayers bigger than my resources. Batterson also talks about praising God through our prayers and praising God through the miracle. God rewards faith, so praising God for the miracle he has yet to perform is one way to show faith. Other lessons I am working on implementing in the book are: 1 prayer can accomplish more than 1000 meetings, and pray hard; think long. What are the seven miracles you are praying for? I’m developing my list now.
This is for all types of dreamers and prayers.
(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by the author, 7:35)
Preview/Currently Reading-
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings #1)
Life Without Lack by Dallas Willard
Burner by Mark Greaney (Gray Man #12)
I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
Aubrey is kind enough to read these reviews before I post them. She keeps me from sending out anything too embarrassing, and she mostly tries to help me make sure what I write is in passable English. After reading this month’s set of reviews she commented that I was all over the place in my book selection this month. I like that. I don’t want to get stuck to a specific genre. I like to read lots of different authors and genres and stories. You don’t have to agree with everything you read. You don’t have to like everything you read. And the more you read, the more often you will find things you don’t like and don’t agree with, but to me, that’s a sign of growth. Take what you can learn from each book and don’t worry about the rest. You might find that you learn different things from the same book at different points in your life too. The point is to keep learning.
Thanks for adventuring with me.
Joshua
PS. Instagram: Fromthespine
PPS. Please feel free to forward this to your reading friends. If they want to be on my email list, let me know.
PPPS. Send me book ideas, brand ideas, or questions. I love the feedback.