Most of the books that I read are nonfiction. I like to spend my reading time exploring new thoughts and interacting with new ideas. That being said, many nonfiction books can be quite boring. Reading them one after another can take a toll.

I remember in middle school how my mom would read Jeffrey Archer novels. For her birthday, I bought her one of them, and was intrigued by the idea of a long-running series.

I decided last year that I wanted to find a nonfiction espionage/historical fiction series that I could get into. I read Rainbow Six, but I didn’t like Clancy’s way of writing. It was challenging for me to follow, and the books were so dense. I tried one other series, but found the writing to have too much unnecessary sex.

Brad Thor hit it out of the park. I read this book in just a few days and loved every minute of it. His action sequences, unlike Clancy, got right to the point. The book lives up to its promise to be a thriller. 
Lucky for me, Thor has released a new book in this series every year since 2002. I’m going to circle back to the beginning and read the whole thing. It just might take me a while.

Would I recommend: YES

ISBN: 978-1476789415

Currently reading: Path of the Assassin by Brad Thor 📚

Finished reading: The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor 📚

Currently reading: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 📚

I was first introduced to Marie Kondo on The RapidWeaver Show. Ben, one of the Realmac bros, brought up the book on the topic of minimalism. I’ve come around to Ben’s way of seeing things and finally got into this book.

It lived up to the hype and gave me a different perspective. I really enjoyed it and look forward to finding some time in the near future to do my own tidying.

I found the central idea of the book to be profound. Only be surrounded by things that spark joy in you. What a wonderful way to manage your life.

Would I recommend: YES

ISBN: 978-1607747307

Currently reading: The Lions of Lucerne by Brad Thor 📚

I spent part of my Saturday morning at a local bookstore with my daughter. We walked through the stacks, I picked a book off of the shelf, and bought it with cash. The ultimate reading experience. 📚

Finished reading: Spymaster by Brad Thor 📚

Finished reading: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo 📚

A few months ago I read Meg Meeker’s Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. I found that book incredibly helpful in understanding my daughters better, and how to apply that knowledge to my parenting. I picked up Boys Should Be Boys with the same intention, only for my son.

This book was not Meeker’s best work. I found it dry and somewhat difficult to follow. Her audience was for mothers and fathers of boys, which meant that there was a considerable amount of content that didn’t apply to me. I read it so that I could better understand Alison’s relationship with our son, but it made the journey less pleasant.

There were some good ideas sprinkled throughout, and of course, a few lessons that I’ve already began to implement. I just don’t find myself as overwhelmingly satisfied as I was when I finished Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.

My main gripe with this book is that it could use a revised edition. Published in 2009, it was full of dated references that sounded silly, even though they were only a decade old. Meeker recently published a new book for fathers, called Hero, which I intend to read in the coming weeks. It’s my hope that that title will meet some of my learning objectives.

Would I recommend: NO

ISBN: 978-1596980570

Currently reading: Spymaster by Brad Thor 📚