June 2023
Summer is finally here. The weather heated up. The pools are open and the kids have only told me a couple hundred times “I’m bored!” We’ve done some fun things like bonfires and s’mores, a cookout and movie night, and mini-golf. What are your go-to summer fun things? We also spent the month trying to sort out a new family vehicle, which has not been my favorite adult responsibility. I also discovered a minor miracle of modern medicine: waterproof casts. Jet crashed himself doing a ninja warrior obstacle course in the basement. He earned himself a radial arm fracture. I thought his water fun for the summer was toast, but they made him a waterproof cast from the middle of his hand to the middle of his upper arm. They use a water-repellent material (possibly gore-tex) as the base layer so the water just pours out of it. He has to get it wet at least every other day. I neglected to ask what will happen if he doesn’t, but I’m sure it’s atrocious.
Here are the books I finished and my short reviews of them:
Fiction Books
Salvage Fleet by Kevin Steverson (Salvage Title #2)
After saving their home system from destruction in Book 1, the crew of the Salvage Title set out to recruit help to defend it against the retaliation force that they know is coming. The Squilla is amassing a fleet of ships to destroy life in the Tretrayon System, after being soundly beaten by Captain Tomeral and his friends in book 1. The crew goes back to Salvage System where they found Jayneen (their AI) and their ship, Salvage Title. There they restore Jayneen to a new computer housing and round up several more of the abandoned ancient ships. Tomeral leads the crew and growing fleet to other systems where they hire mercenary ships to help defend their home system. But not all is well at home. A group of political activists kidnaps two people very special to Tomeral and his crew. They try to blackmail Tomeral into backing their candidate for the next election. Captain Tomeral hates bullies. He reacts with force of arms and violent action to rescue his kidnapped friends and uncover the depth of the political conspiracy. Tomeral leverages the strengths of his crew and his developing leadership skills to win the battle, uncover his enemies, and expose treachery all the way to the top of the Tretrayon Defense Fleet command structure. Finally, Tomeral and his Salvage Fleet set a trap for the Squilla fleet. The defense of the Tretrayon System is executed with amazing precision and effectiveness. Tomeral is a great example of a strong leader who trusts his people and empowers them to act decisively. Because he listens well and learns from many different advisors, he gains their trust and loyalty. I like these books because they have solid moral footing and sci-fi action blended well together. I like that the good guys win.
This is for growing leaders, strategists, and young sci-fi fans.
(Rated PG, Score 8/10, ebook, Kindle Unlimited 332p.)
The Record Keeper by Charles Martin (Murphy Shepherd #3)
Bones is the Record Keeper and this is his story. Bones tells the story of his youth, being an orphan with his brother Frank and being continually abused by the priests who took them in. Demonstrating how we all handle trauma and our circumstances differently, Bones and his brother recover in opposite directions. Bones becomes a rescuer. Frank becomes a slaver, dealing in death, flesh, and blackmail. Bones and Bishop want to hunt Frank, who is the head of a massive human trafficking organization. They want to cut off the head of the snake and destroy the supply side of the equation, hoping to rescue thousands of victims. But Frank is Mensa smart, with a photographic and encyclopedic memory and a penchant for all things tech- he’s a super hacker. To hunt Frank, Bones and Bishop devise a recruiting strategy and test to hire some of the brightest young tech talents. Think Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. They invite the best of the best hackers to a job interview, then use tests and tricks to weed out the selfish, and corrupt, finally finding the few that can help them hunt the hunter. They go to work trying to track down Frank by focusing on his data, but along the way, Frank kills Bishop’s literary agent and kidnaps Bones. Normally, Bones leads Bishop on his missions to rescue the lost, but without Bones, Bishop gets stuck. Eventually, Bishop finds a package that Bones left behind in case of his capture. The package leads Bishop and Gunner to Hell Squared, which is the prison Bones and Frank lived in as boys. Bishop and Gunner make their way into the fortress using directions only Bones could have left. Once inside they confront Frank. Frank has demanded that Bishop find Frank’s birth certificate. Frank thinks that knowing his true name from the birth certificate will heal him and complete him. He’s wrong. Eventually, Frank is destroyed by the knowledge that Bones learned how to escape from their childhood prison and could have left at any time, but he stayed and endured unspeakable abuse, loneliness, and pain because he could not abandon Frank. This book is filled with big ideas- rescue vs revenge, how to heal trauma, redemption, sacrifice, the power of shame, the extent of the human trafficking problem, and leaving the 99 to save the one. Any one of these could fill books and books, but woven together in a narrative they are more tangible. I still think Gunner is the best character in these books.
This is for healers, rescuers, and those in need of hope.
(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Jonathan K. Riggs, 10:06)
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
This is the epic conclusion of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. In the first part, Tolkien tells the story of the defense of Gondor. Gandalf and the men of Gondor hold the city walls in the face of the mighty army of Sauron, led by the king of the Nazgul- the Witch King of Angmar. The evil orc army crosses the river and burns the fields outside the city walls before assaulting the great white gate with a giant battering ram. Before the evil army can take the city's lower ring, Rohan's great horsed army turns the tide of the battle. King Theoden leads the cavalry in his great redemption, though he is finally killed by the Nazgul. But, Eowen and Merry defeat the Witch King, throwing the evil army into terror and allowing Eomer to rally the horsemen and remaining men. Finally, Aragorn and his army of the dead sail into the harbor and finish the route of the evil army. Aragorn is the rightful king of Gondor, but he does not take the throne. Instead, he leads all the soldiers he can muster and marches against The Black Gate of Sauron, hoping to draw the sleepless eye away from Frodo and Sam. In the second part, Frodo and Sam escape from the orcs in the evil tower of Minas Morgul. Dressed as little orcs, they struggle through Mordor toward Mount Doom. Gollum still torments them. Eventually, they find the chamber of fire where the One Ring was made. There Frodo fails to cast it into the fire and destroy it, but Gollum bites it off his hand (with a finger) and is so happy to have the precious that he forgets his surroundings and falls into the lava, destroying the ring and the dark tower and Sauron forever. Gandalf rescues Frodo and Sam with the help of the eagles, and everyone heads back to Gondor where they regroup, crown Aragorn king, and marry him to Elrond’s daughter. The rest is sometimes forgotten (like in the movie), but the four hobbits head home only to find that the Shire has been razed and polluted by evil men and a nasty, vengeful Saruman. Using their power and cunning learned over a year of travel and war, the returning heroes unite the hobbits, drive out the evil men, and rid the shire of their evil. Then they work to heal the evil wounds. Thus ends the third age of Middle Earth. There is so much more to the story, but you’ll have to experience it for yourself. I really enjoyed listening to these books with Jet and answering 1000 questions about what was going to happen next. His little imagination and understanding of the story always impress me. His friend bought him a box set that includes The Hobbit and the Lord of The Rings and he’s already started rereading The Hobbit. He’s hooked. We need to finish watching the movies. Thanks for lending those to us Joe.
This is for everyone, young and old, who needs to know that good will overcome evil.
(Rated PG, Score 10/10, audiobook read by Rob Inglis, 18:19)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather Saga #1)
My mom bought the four-book box set of the Wingfeather Saga for Jet for Christmas, and after finishing The Lord of the Rings, he decided to start on this series. The Igiby children- Janner, Tink, and Leeli live in the Glipwood township, which is occupied by the Fangs of Dang. The evil Fangs oppress the citizens. On Dragon Day, the Igibys end up in a scuffle with the Fangs, which escalates over the course of the book. Their mother Nia bails the Igiby children out of the Fang jail, and they try to keep to themselves, but a final showdown is inevitable. The Igiby children’s grandfather, Podo, leads the clan to Anklejelly Manor, where they take shelter in a secret weapon stash while the Fangs battle the deadly creatures from Glipwood Forest. In the morning after the battle, all the Fangs are dead, which buys the Igibys some time to prepare for their journey to the cold north and discover old secrets of who they really are - the Jewels of Anniera. Being a fantastic work of fiction, in a totally made-up world, this little book is so fun and creative. The characters are colorful and memorable and there are many lessons woven into the narrative.
This is for small adventurers and bigger adventurers who can tag along.
(Rated PG, Score 8/10, Audiobook read by the author, 8:19, hardback, 304p.)
Non-Fiction Books
This is a fantastic book aimed at exposing some of the bad science that has been presented by fad nutritionists, big Pharma, and other marketing schemers. The author starts with some fairly basic science. He digs into some of the claims made by sellers of beauty creams. Using a little bit of logic, some basic chemistry, and experimentation he demonstrates how a basic hydrating cream morphs into a crazy expensive and highly sought-after elixir of wonders. Next, the author gets a bit more technical, discussing studies around homeopathy, placeboes, and other medicines. The scientific studies, experiments, results, and reporting are all so bad. But the general public has not objected. In fact, they support these bad practices by purchasing these quack products. Toward the end of the book, the author breaks down the science involved in the MMR vaccination scare that happened in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He is highly critical of the media and the way they handled the facts, studies, and data. This book was much more intellectually stimulating than the fiction I’ve been reading lately. I enjoyed the challenge, I learned quite a bit about the scientific journal/publishing processes and was reminded to do a better job of turning my brain on and examining facts and data with a more critical eye.
This is for anyone looking for a brush-up on critical thinking and scientific method.
(Rated PG-13, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Jonathan Cowley, 8:51)
Marine Sniper by Charles Henderson
This is the story of Carlos Hathcock. The deadliest sniper in the Vietnam War with 93 confirmed kills. This is his story from his youth, learning to shoot, to his retirement after a devastating attack launched his troop vehicle into the air on fire and burned over 43% of his skin. Carlos was an extremely disciplined and balanced soldier. He was the perfect sniper. He embodied the woodsman, being able to read the fields and valleys with all of his senses. He was calm and collected under threat. He did not kill for vengeance or anger. He killed to protect his men, to thwart the enemy, and to win the war, but he did not kill needlessly or indiscriminately. Carlos was an extremely hard worker, deeply devoted to the Marines and their mission. He was unbelievably talented as a marksman, winning the national championship at 1000 meters, and translating that skill to the war as a sniper. His fieldcraft and military awareness allowed him to become a legend in Vietnam, earning the highest bounty offered by the enemy. Carlos was able to neutralize an enemy sniper who had been terrorizing the Marines when Carlos arrived in country, which won him support from his peers and superiors alike. In his most impressive solo mission, Carlos worm-crawled several thousand meters across open fields to assassinate an enemy General in his own front yard and then escaped without being seen, like a ghost. Another impressive aspect of Carlos’ career is how he behaves when he is shipped back to Vietnam for a second tour of duty after. He is put in command of a platoon of snipers, who have lost their pride and mission focus. Carlos leads them back into shape. He gives them their dignity back, gets them off latrine duty and back in the field, engaging the enemy with their highly specialized weapons and skills. Thanks for recommending this book Dad. I think you would like it.
This is for shooters and history buffs.
(Rated R, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Kevin Foley, 10:52)
Preview/Currently Reading-
Parenting: Getting It Right by Andy & Sandra Stanley
North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson
Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archives #4)
I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
Jet and I played a short cooperative game on the switch called Blanc. Jet was a small wolf pup and I was a skinny fawn. We had to help each other through a winter blizzard to find our families. At the end, Jet was so sad that the puppy and fawn were going to go their separate ways and couldn’t be friends anymore. He has a big heart, with big emotions, so that sadness came out in big tears. As I talked it out with him, it occurred to me that I have a lot to learn about friendship and the value of walking together through trials. I want to be able to access those deep feelings in a way that makes me a better friend in the day-to-day troubles I navigate. I learn so much from my kids.
One lesson I learned this month is that three weeks after finishing a book is too long to best remember the story and the thoughts I had while reading a book. There seems to be a sweet spot for me where I seem to have the best thoughts and memory about a book between two to seven days after I finish it. I also have a lot more success writing if I take notes during the book. Weird.
I have ten days of vacation ahead of me. Send me your summer fun suggestions so I can try them out. What’s your favorite Nintendo Switch game?
Thanks for adventuring with me.
Joshua
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