FROM THE SPINE - DECEMBER 2023 BOOK REVIEWS

December 2023

December went by really fast. Much faster than October and November. I spent the month stretching my knee back into bending mode. After being locked straight for the better part of six weeks it forgot how to bend and the scar tissue locked it up even more. This week at PT it was bending to about 90 degrees, which makes a huge difference in my mobility and ability to do normal things like drive and sit in chairs. I was able to go to the Skillet concert early in the month and that was fun even though I wasn’t allowed in the mosh pit with my crutches. We made it back to New Mexico for Christmas to spend time with my family. It was glorious. The roads were clear and I got to see all my people. 

Here are the books I finished and my reviews of them:

Short Poem

What You Need To Be Warm by Neil Gaiman

This is a Christmas gift from my sister. It's a short poem created from a collection of memories about being warm. Winter is hard. We need light, warmth, connection, and safety to survive. We need kind words and hot tea. This little poem will help me make it through winter being a little bit more intentionally warm.

Fiction Books

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

This is a hard book to review because if I give you a plot summary, I’ll give away all the clever twists and turns it takes. It felt like someone took the movie Braveheart and The Hunger Games books and shook them all together, mixed them up, and spilled the result into a futuristic solar system sci-fi thriller. The hero is a Helldiver on Mars. A red. A slave. His people are fiery and fierce. They burn bright but fade quickly. This book is about one Red rising from slavery, attempting to change his stars, colors, and fate. I enjoyed this book, though it took me a while to get through it. I started it a few times, but it didn’t hook my attention. It took laying awake with my leg hurting to make me pay enough attention to it to get past the first couple of chapters and into the story flow. There are some interesting ideas about politics, humanity, democracy, leadership, and sacrifice that come out along the way. The characters are sharply crafted, and the plot is unpredictable. I’d be interested in your thoughts if you have read it. 

This is for rebels, fighters, and schemers. 

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Tim Gerard Reynolds, 16:12)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #5)

This book has a character who makes me so mad I get physically upset. Possibly one of the best-written bad characters I’ve read. To start the story, Harry and his cousin are attacked by dementors in their neighborhood. Harry keeps his wits and drives the dementors off with his patronis charm, but that means performing illegal underage magic in the presence of a muggle. So Harry has to go to a hearing to defend himself at the Ministry of Magic. The hearing highlights the injustice against Harry and Dumbledore by Cornelius Fudge and the other Ministry people who don’t believe that Voldemort is back. Dumbledore beats the rigged system and properly defends Harry, who is cleared of all charges. Returning to Hogwarts, the gang meets a new character, Luna Lovegood. She’s weird, but I enjoy her self-confidence and style. Professor Umbridge has been planted on the staff as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She provokes Harry into speaking out, giving him many detentions where he is forced to write with a cursed pen which carves his skin and writes with his blood. The injustice of it all makes me sick. Slowly, Fudge uses educational decrees to bolster Umbridge’s power at the school where she tries to fire and evict Professor Trelawney and Hagrid. To fight the injustice and to learn practical defensive magic, Harry, Ron, and Hermione form the DA- Dumbledore’s Army. Harry leads the group in secret weekly meetings training the students in stunning, disarming, dueling, jinxing, and all kinds of other spells they find in the library and from Harry’s personal skill book. Throughout the book Harry dreams about a room in the Ministry of Magic called the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort is trying to bait Harry into visiting the room and removing a prophecy about them. Eventually, the Dark Lord manages to lure Harry and his friends to the Ministry where there is a massive fight between the students, the death eaters, the Order of the Phoenix, and finally a fantastic duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort. As a result, the world learns for certain that Voldemort is back and acting in the open. Fudge is forced to face the truth that he has been wrong for a year and the beginning of the second war has come. My favorite part is when Umbridge gets her comeuppance. Jet and I really enjoyed the illustrated version combined with the audible storytelling and we are sad that books 6 and 7 of the illustrated version have not been made yet. 

This is for the misunderstood, persecuted, and feisty. 

(Rated PG, Score 7/10, Audiobook read by Jim Dale, 26:28, Illustrated copy, 565p.)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling  (Harry Potter #6)

It felt like Book 6 was rather darker than the previous books. Harry spends the book learning about the darkest type of magic with Professor Dumbledor and trying to figure out what Draco Malfoy is up to. Professor Slughorn adds a new personality to the Hogwarts staff, giving Snape the Dart Arts job he’s been after for a long time. The whole wizarding world feels the tension between wishing for normal and the fear of the dark lord returning. Harry and Dumbledor piece together Voldemort’s history and develop the beginnings of a plan to destroy him. They learn that Voldemort has split his soul into seven pieces in an attempt to remain immortal. Each piece is hidden in a Horcrux. Each one must be destroyed before the human form of Voldemort will become vulnerable. Just as they work out the plan and start hunting for the Horcruxes, disaster strikes leaving Harry and his friends devastated. From the beginning, there has been enmity and confusion between Harry and Snape. This book takes that to the next level. Listening to the stories again reinforced how complex that relationship is and how difficult writing it must have been. Dumbledor is my favorite character in these books this go-round. I enjoy his wit, patience, and wisdom. I’m looking forward to the final book and resolving some of the mysteries I’ve forgotten.

This is for seekers, rebels, and those intent on standing up to evil.

(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Jim Dale, 18:32)

Non-Fiction Books

Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold Schwarzenegger

I didn’t know what to expect from this book when I grabbed it from the library. I’ve always found Arnold to be an interesting character. I’ve seen the work he does with the big fitness festivals and his movies of course and I knew he had gotten into politics. I knew he was smart, but I think I sold him short because of the silly movies he’s been in. I was surprised and impressed by the clarity of his story. He deliberately outlines the four major acts of his life: bodybuilding, acting, politics, and philanthropy. This book is based on advice given to him by his father: be useful. The following are his descriptions of seven tools to help one be useful. 1- Have a clear vision. Start big, then zoom in.  Get clear as you work toward your goals. Look at your work in the mirror. Like Arnold posing in a mirror, reading reviews of his movies, or listening to his constituents, we must accept feedback on our vision and refine our methods as we work toward our goals. 2- Never think small. Don’t have a plan B, because then you become your own doubter. 3- Work your ass off. Work works. Productive pain means growth. Reps reps reps. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Follow up and follow through. Make sure the work gets done. No excuses. Do the work. 4- Sell, sell, sell. Know who you need to sell to. Part of selling is just describing your vision to people. Don’t try to be someone you aren’t. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Be real. Take responsibility. 5- Shift gears. Don’t complain about a problem unless you are willing to try to solve it. When you feel the urge to start complaining, switch gears and look for the positive side. Learn from failure. Break the rules. Risk is all made up. 6- Shut your mouth, open your mind. Be curious. Learn from everyone. Change your fate. Change your stars. Put your knowledge/brain to good use. 7- Break your mirrors. Give back. Volunteer. Give. Do something. Look for others to help. None of us are self-made men. Others help us. Help others. I like that he read his book with passion and style. I like his hard work mantra. Overall, I found this to be a fantastic book. I intend to take some of these lessons and intentionally start trying to use them in my work and at home. Specifically, sell, sell, sell, and shift gears. I think those could help me be more effective in my current job. We’ll see. 

This is for workers, terminators, and hustlers. 

(Rated R, Score 9/10, audiobook read by the author, 6:19) 

Preview/Currently Reading-

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

Beginner’s Pluck by Liz Forkin Bohannon

Defiant by Brandon Sanderson (Skyward #4)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #7)

Day of War by Cliff Graham (Lion of War #1)

I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists. 

Final Thoughts- 

I’ve been thinking a lot about discipline and mental toughness over the last several weeks as I have been trying to rehab my way back to fully functional adult mode. Jocko says discipline = freedom. I say discipline = discomfort = better mobility = the ability to drive = freedom. It’s kinda the same thing, but a real-life connection between the hard work I have been putting in each day stretching out my knee and the resulting freedom that comes with being able to bend my knee enough to drive again. What are you working on that can show the relationship between discipline and the results you want? 

At some point last January, one of my friends put out a challenge to do 10000 pushups in 2023. He set up a group spreadsheet to track progress. I’ve done a lot of challenges, but never one so long. I thought I could get through that amount of work much more quickly than it ended up. I didn’t finish until today, but, the important bit was that I did finish. I lost 6 weeks after my knee injury but managed to break the big goal down into daily wins. I’m going to do the challenge again in 2024 with some good friends. You should join me. Text me and I’ll add you to the fun. Here’s a little quote I’ve been using for motivation: "Strong People are harder to kill, and more useful in general" - Mark Rippetoe.

Here are my 2023 Top Book Lists:

Top 5 Fiction

Top 5 Non-Fiction

#1 Book of 2023

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. 

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FROM THE SPINE - NOVEMBER 2023 BOOK REVIEWS

 November 2023

This month was weird. I spent all of it as a cripple, or a handicapped person, or a very stationary, not very helpful, healing, old man. My Garmin Watch is wondering what happened to me. It doesn’t understand that crutching is my new steps. I didn’t read much. I didn’t get much done around the house. I’m not sure where all the time went. I worked from home, went to physical therapy, made some small progress in mobility, and learned new stress management methods. We celebrated Thanksgiving and we got an excellent snow.

Here are the books I finished and my reviews of them:

Short Fiction

James Moriarty, Consulting Criminal by Andy Weir

This is an interesting set of three stories about the criminal mastermind James Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes genre. The twist is that we all know Moriarty is an evil genius, so we don’t expect helpful behavior from him. In these stories, his actions appear quite out of character until the end, when he reveals how he is true to form and acting in his best interests. Very clever stories. It is included in your Audible membership. 

Fiction Books

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #4)

Harry and the gang head to the Quidditch World Cup during summer break. They meet several new characters who are critical to the story including Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch. The Deatheaters are back and up to mischief, though not as brave as they might be. When the students arrive at Hogwarts for the school year, they learn about the Triwizard Tournament which is to be held at Hogwarts. The tournament is designed to bring the three big wizarding schools, Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons, together for a competition of champions. The tournament will have three stages lasting throughout the year. But someone is up to mischief, entering Harry Potter into the tournament even though he is not yet 17 years old. No one believes that he didn’t enter his name into the Goblet of Fire after he was selected for the tournament as a fourth champion (thus making Triwizard a misnomer). Harry battles dragons, grindylows, and other terrors throughout the tournament. With some luck, some coaching, and some help from an unknown helper, Harry manages to tie for the Triwizard Cup with the other Hogwarts Champion, Cedric Diggory. After that, the story gets dark and twisted. Harry escapes death and makes it back to Hogwarts, but tragedy cannot be avoided. The final result is a great division between truth and fear. This may be my favorite book in the series. I like the twists and turns and the way the author keeps the gotcha till the very end even though the clues are sprinkled in along the way very subtly. 

This is for fighters, heroes, and tricksters. 

(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Jim Dale, 20:36, Illustrated copy, 464p.)

Tier One by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson (Tier One #1)

Jack Kemper is the main operator featured in this book. Kemper is the leader of a Navy SEAL team that is the tip of the spear in the fight against terror. Kemper leads his team in a raid on a big ship hoping to find and destroy WMDs, but the raid turns out to be a bit of a bust and a trap. Kemper and his team find themselves in a firefight and Kemper takes an AK round in the middle of his protective armor on his back. Another teammate takes a round to the leg forcing Kemper to start the “run away” part of the mission. (I think the tactical term is exfil). Eventually, Kemper and his team make it back to safety and medical treatment. During the raid on the ship, Kemper and his team kill the son of an Iranian diplomat. This leads the Iranians to set up a giant trap for the Tier One team and their command center. The Americans take the bait and fall into the trap leading all of the top operators except for Kemper and his injured teammate into a building filled with suicide bombers. Another suicide bomber takes out the command center at the same time. Kemper barely survives though he is badly burned and injured in the explosion. Kemper is recruited by a group working to find out who set the trap. The group is well-funded and off the books. Kemper changes his identity by allowing everyone to believe he was killed in the command center explosion and using plastic surgery to change his face. He and his new team hunt the terrorists, learning about their next planned attack on the United Nations. Can Kemper and his team stop the terrorists before the Iranians can tip the balance of world power? I liked the action in this book and the characters. It is similar to Gray Man and Mitch Rapp, but shorter and less complex. Good guys and bad guys but lots of tension and drama and blurred lines about what’s ok and what’s not ok. Hat tip to Aleksandr for this recommendation. 

This is for shooters and Bourne fans.

(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Ray Porter, 11:39)

System Collapse by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #7)

Murderbot is finally back for book seven. Murderbot is a SecUnit which is a hybrid robot/human construct designed to protect humans from all the dumb things they do to themselves and others as well as all the things in the universe that can kill them. In this story, Murderbot is working with his humans and ART to protect a colony of humans from the evil corporation, Barish-Estranza, who is trying to round them up and make them slaves. The plot is pretty straightforward, but the way it is told through Murderbot’s thoughts/experiences makes it fluid and complex. The planet has a blackout zone where the colonists are hiding, which keeps Murderbot and his humans from using all their resources like ART and other equipment. The planet also has giant robots for agriculture that have alien contamination (they are now giant death machines), so that livens things up too. Like the other books, I will have to go reread this one to soak up all the nuance and complexity. I’ll probably go back and start at book one because these books are hilarious. The characters are complex, the dialogue (internal and external) is clever, and the story development is well-crafted. 

This is for sci-fi fans and anyone who enjoys good banter. 

(Rated R, Score 8/10, Audiobook read by Kevin R. Free, 6:36) 

Non-Fiction Books

Being the Bad Guys by Stephen McAlpine

This book was recommended by one of the old guys I know. It is a study of our social progression into what the author calls a post-Christian society. There are three parts to the book. First, the author discusses how we got here, that is how we Christians got to be the bad guys, how it appears to have happened suddenly, and why we are so surprised at this change. Second, McAlpine describes what being the bad guy looks like by describing the way we now have to interact with other cultural powers like LGBTQ and other outspoken groups. In part three McAlpine describes how we can be the best bad guys we can be. As the subtitle says, this is a book about how to live for Jesus in a world that says you shouldn’t. I took my highlighter to the paperback copy. There were many new ideas and quite a few old ideas framed in better language to help me understand them. Living in the Midwest, I haven’t been exposed to the social extremes that are out on the coasts or abroad lately. Here, it’s still ok to be Christian, but watching the news and the socials, I know we are fairly sheltered. If you are looking for wisdom about how our culture is shifting and how to think about and react to those changes, I hope you read this book. If you live around here, you can borrow my copy if you don’t mind highlighter. 

This is for seekers, philosophers, and worriers. 

(Rated PG, Score 8/10, paperback,142p.)

Preview/Currently Reading-

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Beginner’s Pluck by Liz Forkin Bohannon

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter #5)

I track my books in a database called Goodreads. You might find it helpful in managing your reading lists. 

Final Thoughts- 

I’m rethinking some of the negativity from when I wrote the intro above. I have three additional thoughts: 

1- I did spend a lot of time playing Switch with my son. My siblings sent me the new Super Mario Wonder game when it came out and Jet and I are at 99% complete. That time has not been wasted. We learned to work together to accomplish specific goals. We worked on patience, speed, coordination, when to persevere, and when to quit for a bit. Now we are stuck working through the final-final badge challenge level. We may need help to complete it. 

2- As Jocko says, “Discipline equals freedom.” Healing is a process. I think it’s a stupid process, but that’s because in a lot of ways I’m still a boy at heart that just wants to run and jump and do dangerous things. I didn’t get to do any of that this month. I sat still and tried to let my body heal.  I made sure I didn’t do anything to injure myself again. I took steps to help my body heal like icing my knee and practicing my leg raises. Aubrey said she is going to get me some leg warmers so I can be just like the ladies in the videos from the 80s. Discipline sucks, but it leads to freedom. I hope that my disciplined approach to resting this month will lead to a stronger recovery so that I can get back to running and jumping and doing dangerous things and not prolong the time I spend sitting on the couch unable to do those things. 

3- Don’t take anything for granted. I lost most of my adult powers overnight and this month has been a time for working to regain some of them. Carrying things is nearly impossible on crutches, but I can carry small things now. Showering without help took me over seven weeks to figure out. I can now get myself into a car and most days I can put on my socks and shoes. My beautiful wife has managed to be very kind as she helps me through this challenge. She has been so patient and kind and let me keep most of my dignity, although I am learning how to not take myself so seriously. 

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.