July Reading Review Part Two

On to the second half of my poetic reviews of the Artemis Fowl books! Well, just book Five. I kinda got lost in life and never did the other books. Considering it’s a few years later, you’ll have to forgive me. A reread might be in order to finish the remaining books.

Book 5- Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony:

In Spain, Artemis awaits a demon’s appearance,

But the unknown almost leads to the boy’s disappearance.

The silver in Butler’s suit cuff,

Prevents getting caught in the dimensional bluff.

The imp Number One awaits his transformation,

Only to discover magic was part of his designation.

Holly joins to capture the next demon when it shows,

Only to be foiled by the rival Minerva who knows.

Number One discovers he is not the first demon visitor,

and Holly is captured when a rescue goes nuclear.

To unravel the fortress where Minerva does hide,

A dwarf and pixie must put their differences aside.

The unstable Billy Kong takes the girl captive,

And Artemis must bargain with the demon native.

In Taiwan, a dangerous trick must be played,

And the craziness of Artemis’ plans are displayed.

In Hybras, the warlocks need a fifth to reverse the spell,

And a lost ally appears to make all well.

Though in the final return to his own home and place,

Artemis finds three years gone and twin brothers to face.

Book 6- Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox

TBD

July Reading Review Part One

Greetings dear readers, I hope everyone is in good health and good spirits! As has slowly become my trend over the summer, I’m a little late with my reading review. I could shift blame towards being more busy and struggling with the unique challenge of reviewing these books in poetic form, but honestly I have just lacked motivation. However, I pushing through and attempting to review the Artemis Fowl series, by Eoin Colfer, in poetic form. Enjoy (and spoilers ahead)!

Book 1- Artemis Fowl:

Missing father and grieving mother leads genius boy

To devise a devious mythical ploy.

To capture a fairy and demand their gold,

And so enlists the faithful Butler, so bold.

The elf Holly, running her magic low,

Goes to Ireland for a ritual slow.

Lands into the young boy’s trap

And with a dart hit, takes a nap.

Now Artemis, having studied and planned,

Will find his house surrounded and he out-manned.

His clever brain devises a perfect solution

To test Commander Root and Tech Foaly’s constitution.

The full force of LEP might and power

Leads to a decision in the final hour.

For Artemis and friends to survive,

They must trust their safety to sleep’s deep dive.

This devious plan succeeds and wins the gold,

For Artemis was too smart and acted so bold.

With some treasure a wish is paid for,

To restore his mother to her joy before.

Book 2- Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident

Genius boy with his new treasure of fairy gold

Searches for a father lost in a land so cold.

While in the lands deep underground,

Signs of dangerous goblin activity are found.

Artemis is wrongfully accused of aiding the goblin’s plot,

But innocence is proven his help becomes needed a lot.

The group investigates a French private eye

But the trail turns cold as the man was mesmerized to lie.

Into the cold they go to search for Artemis’ father,

But a goblin ambush nearly turns them into lather.

Discovering their fairy weaponry disabled,

Their adversaries, the disgraced Cudgeon and pixie Koboi, now labeled.

In order to break into the Koboi laboratory and stop this coup,

The group tracks down the dwarf thief Diggums, who to LA flew.

His knowledge and tunneling skill would prove useful all throughout,

As the laboratory is full of goblins lurking and plasma cannons hidden about.

The plot is foiled when co-conspirators are set against each other,

Revealing betrayal and leading to Cudgeon dead and Koboi no bother.

And as one final trick to win the day,

Artemis and friends rescue his father under the pretense to slay.

Book 3- Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code

Genius boy thinking himself too clever and bold,

Attempts to blackmail a blackguard businessman so cold.

But in revealing an invention of awesome power,

places himself and Butler into the direst hour.

With Butler near death and LEP on high alert,

Artemis enlists Holly as Butler’s healing expert.

Together they are tasked with stopping Spiro’s goal,

To hack the Cube and unravel its code whole.

A pair of mob goons are enlisted to kidnap the boy,

Yet one is Diggums running another ploy.

Through permission from Root with a mind-wipe compromise,

The group sets out to retrieve the Cube from a Chicago high-rise.

Ultimately the heist succeeds with Artemis’ keen wit,

To trick Spiro into a true crime commit.

With stealth and cunning the Cube is saved,

Yet only a road of forgetfulness will be paved.

Artemis, Butler, and Juliet must submit to the mind wipe,

A relinquishing of  their fairy memories with a swipe.

Yet Artemis has a final ruse up his sleeve,

And Mulch Diggums a golden medallion to receive.

Book 4- Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception

Maniacal pixie under lock and key deep in slumber,

But foresight enables two helpers to lumber,

And perform a switch without evidence,

That leaves no clues that make much sense.

Holly and Root are off chasing a goblin on the lam,

Only to be trapped in a chute about to kablam.

Holly makes an impossible decision,

And fires a fateful shot with dread precision.

Artemis and Butler steal a painting of great worth,

And narrowly escape a missile fired from beneath the earth.

Although a mind wipe had removed his knowledge of fairy kind,

Artemis helps Holly attempt to change the LEP’s frame of mind.

A narrow escape from enraged trolls hidden away,

And a gold medallion to unlock memories that deep down lay.

Now the plot to reveal the land of fairy-kind to stop,

With an ingenious human probe diving deep into the earth like a top.

The bonded four must overcome the odds and fight,

To stop the pixie’s plot and make all right.

And in the last desperate seconds when hope is nearly gone,

Artemis proves too smart and Opal ensures her defeat with prideful tone.

I hope everyone got the gist of each story from my literary rambling of poetic form, and I tried to avoid major spoilers as much as possible. Stay tuned for the second part of this review of the Artemis Fowl books, hopefully to be released sometime this weekend. Cheers!

S.D.G.

June Reading Review

Hello again, dear readers, and welcome back! This month I read the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan. While I was familiar with the story, from reading the first book way back when it was first released and watching the sadly deviant films, it was long overdue that I read through this series. As mythology has always been a keen interest of mine, I devoured these books rapidly. Personally, if I were camper at Camp Halfblood, I imagine I would end up in Athena’s cabin 😀

*Spoilers Ahead*

Book 1: The Lightning Thief

In YA fiction, there tends to be a few archetypes for the protagonist. Either they are some sort of elite genius, a hometown hero, or troubled youth. Percy Jackson falls into the latter category. However, the author uses a plausible explanation as to why he choose this method, blaming Percy’s troubles on his demigod nature. And then cue dilemma, Percy is attacked by a mythological monster, is blamed for the theft of a relic of incredible power, and his mother is abducted by his uncle. His uncle Hades. Yup, Hades. Because it turns out, Percy’s dad is actually Poseidon, lord of the sea. And so after making it to summer camp for demigods, Camp Halfblood, he discovers the source of his powers (water, what else?), makes some friends and some enemies, and is given a quest to find the stolen relic. From here the book becomes a road-trip story, with monsters, traps, and  angry gods along the way. Honestly, if the story ended with Percy finding the relic and restoring peace to the gods, it would’ve been a decent story. But Riordan sets a plot hook for the entire series, as the banished Titan lord (and father of the gods) Cronus is attempting his return. And so Percy, with the help of his friends, will be set on a course to fulfill a prophecy and prevent this dangerous shift in power throughout the rest of the series.

Book 2: The Sea of Monsters

Questing round two, except with more sea travel! Okay so I understand why Riordan needs to lean into YA tropes because that is his target audience, but it got a little too campy for me at points. Percy is at another school and monsters infiltrate in order to take him down. They fail, because Percy meets Tyson and befriends. Turns out, Tyson is a Cyclops and his half-brother. Which makes him really strong, resistant to fire and heat, and also the son of the Lord of the Sea. Anna Beth (the daughter of Athena, and Percy’s obvious crush though he’d never admit it) shows up with premonitions that Camp Halfblood is in danger and takes Percy on a cab ride with the Three Fates through NYC. No surprise that Tyson isn’t really welcomed at Camp Halfblood that summer, because a cyclops is considered a monster, and he is only able to enter the camp boundary in order to save Percy’s life from an attack. After the attack on the camp, the guardian tree (the resting place of the daughter of Zeus, Thalia) is wilting due to poison and Grover (Percy’s best friend/satyr guardian) has disappeared in search of Pan, so Percy sets off to save the day again. In order to tackle two birds with one stone, Grover is conveniently trapped at the one place Percy already needs to go to recover the Golden Fleece to save Thalia’s tree. So with the help of Anna Beth , they attempt to make it to Bermuda Triangle and encounter a cruise ship full of monsters, a golden sarcophagus, and Percy’s now nemesis and Anna Beth’s former mate Luke taking the lead. After a perilous sea voyage narrowly avoiding mythic dangers but losing a couple allies (and a Civil War ironclad full of Confederate skeletons), Percy gets turned into a guinea pig, Anna Beth makes a confession, Grover pretends to be a cyclops’s bride, and Tyson and Clarisse (the daughter of Ares and not a fan of Percy because he has beat her and her dad on multiple, but separate, occasions) aren’t dead! Percy meets another of his Cyclops half-brothers, barely escapes with the Fleece, Clarisse is a hero, and Thalia is pulled from the tree by the healing powers of the Fleece. With Thalia back to humanity, the prophecy has two contenders and Thalia just happens to be the older (and honestly more BA) of the two. Oh how will the story twist and turn next?

Book 3: The Titan’s Curse

As the plot thickens, so does the number of key characters. To spare everyone the boring details (and to speed things up so I can get over my writer’s block), here is the rundown of who is important to this part of the continuing story. Thalia: daughter of Zeus, was a tree but isn’t anymore, pledges herself to Artemis and joins the Hunters in order to stop aging and leaves the fulfillment of “The Prophecy” in Percy’s hands. Bianca di Angelo: daughter of Hades, was trapped in time, also pledges to Artemis and joins the Hunters, dies to a Talos prototype while trying to recover a figurine for her brother Nico in the “junkyard of the gods”. Nico di Angelo: son of Hades, was trapped in time, hates Percy because he feels Percy is to blame for his sister’s death, is revealed to have ridiculous underworld powers. Zoe Nightshade: daughter of “The General”, lieutenant of Artemis’ Hunters, but sacrifices herself to help defeat her father and free Artemis. “The General”: the Titan Atlas, is marshaling the Titans and monsters for war with Luke’s help, is (re)trapped under the sky by Percy, Artemis, and Zoe. Rachel Elizabeth Dare: a mortal who can see through the “mist”, encounters Percy at the Hoover Dam. Frederick Chase: Annabeth’s father, war history buff, and flies an old fighter plane outfitted with celestial bronze machine guns. Percy Jackson: son of Poseidon, destined fulfiller of “The Prophecy”, arch-rival of Luke Castellan, survives holding up the sky in Artemis’ place so that Atlas can be defeated. Luke Castellan: son of Hermes, seeks to overthrow Olympus and the gods, working with/for Chronos, arch-rival of Percy Jackson, miraculously survives a fall of a mountain. To learn more about how the story actually unfolds, read the book 🙂

Book 4: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Percy is at a new school, and runs into Rachel Elizabeth Dare again. Monsters attack, they flee to Camp Halfblood, and find Grover is in trouble because he still hasn’t found Pan. There’s a new instructor at camp names Quintus, and Percy doesn’t really trust him. Percy and Annabeth accidentally find an entrance to the mysterious Labyrinth, which would allow Luke to lead his army of monsters anywhere quickly without detection, as long as he has the “magic string”. Annabeth, Grover, Percy, and Tyson team up for a quest to find Daedalus and navigate the Labyrinth overcoming many challenges. Percy ends up at Mount St Helens, where Krono has monsters creating armaments, Percy goes nuclear, and washes up on Calypso’s island. After returning to Camp Halfblood, he and Annabeth get the help of Rachel Elizabeth Dare to navigate the Labyrinth, as she can see through the mist, and they locate Daedalus, who is actually Quintus. Unfortunately, he believes the gods are doomed to lose and already helped Luke. However, betrayal ensues and Daedalus stays in the Labyrinth to thwart the army of monsters. A reunion with Grover and Tyson occurs, they find Pan and watch him pass on, and then Grover reveals the power Pan granted him by causing an army of monsters to “panic” (get it?) when Camp Halfblood is attacked. Nico uses his underworld powers to grant Daedalus his final rest, thus destroying the Labyrinth and preventing Luke (now possessed by Chronos) from using it to attack Olympus. Percy has his fifteenth birthday, Poseidon shows up, and Nico reveals to Percy a daring plan to defeat Luke/Chronos for good.

Book 5: The Last Olympian

Battle lines are being drawn. Demigods, monsters, gods, and titans are all gearing up for the final battle. Percy attempts to sabotage Luke/Chronos’ ship with Charles Beckendorf, but fails because a spy from Camp Halfblood informs Chronos of the plot. Charles dies, Percy sinks, and ends up in Poseidon’s underwater castle. The titan Oceanus is besieging Poseidon’s domain, and Percy wants to stay to fight but his quest is back on the surface. In order to defeat Luke/Chronos, Percy must understand him and so pays Luke’s mother a visit. After checking in on his own mother, Percy goes to the underworld with Nico to bathe in the River Styx, just like Luke did.  Percy, now virtually invulnerable, rallies his allies to defend Olympus from Chronos while the gods are off fighting Typhon, the gargantuan father of monsters. Hestia, goddess of the hearth, is the last Olympian remaining and proves to be a valuable component to Percy’s plans to defend the home of the gods. Allies are lost, Annabeth is gravely injured, and Percy must plead with his father to help the rest of the gods fight Typhon. Hades arrives with Nico and all the gods stand together at last. However Chronos is able to enter Olympus and has a final showdown with Percy. At a vital moment, Annabeth appeals to Luke, who overcomes Chronos’ control of his body to mortally wound himself, thus defeating Chronos and sending him back to the void. Luke then pleads with Percy to make things right, for all demigods current and to come. In the ensuing victory celebrations, Percy turns down the offer of godhood and instead forces the gods to swear to treat all gods, and their offspring, equally and that no child of the god would go unclaimed in the future. Returning to Camp Halfblood, Percy and Annabeth own up to their feelings and are now a couple, and Rachel Elizabeth Dare becomes the new Oracle. All is good in the world.

And with that I wrap up this month’s reading. I do apologize for the lateness, but I suffered some real writer’s block. Hopefully I’ll get next month’s review of the Artemis Fowl series up sooner rather than later haha.

S.D.G.

May Reading Review

Welcome back dear readers to another month of “reading”. I put that in quotes because I have finally failed to meet my reading goal of 4 books per month, I do blame the quarantine for partially impeding the availability of my chosen books, but I have also been busy this month looking for jobs and visiting friends and family. So I only manage to complete 2 books, and had to put off the other 2 until I am able to obtain them in a desired form.  I shall fill in those reviews once I have finished those reads. But for this month, I sought out books on topics I wished to be more knowledgeable and motivated in, which hopefully explains seemingly random selection of subject matter. 

 

Book 1: Quiet by Susan Cain

This book covered what it means to be an introvert and the various qualities that might indicate one to be an introvert. Full of case studies and practical data, the overall information proved very useful in understanding how the introvert mind is wired and how one can best put that to use. Some of the more valuable information was how relationships between introverts and extroverts best work. Since the world is roughly 60% extroverts (with certain cultures weighted more towards extroversion), as an introvert knowing how to navigate that environment is key. I’ll admit some of the chapters were a bit tedious, but all in all I appreciated the knowledge I gained from this book.

 

Book 2: Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

An interesting read about the power of proper sleep habits and what our bodies do while we sleep, this book actually revealed a lot of my prior suspicions about sleep. Many of the healthy sleeping habits I already practice, but there were a few I was surprised to learn about. Learning more about the science of sleep, how it affects our mental capacity and capability, as well as learning more about the body’s internal “sleep” clock proved quite useful. Here is a few basic tips I would pass on to my readers: first, keep electronics away from your bed; second, don’t point alarm clocks toward you when you are trying to sleep; third, carving out at least 8 hours a day of “in bed time” is just as important as sleeping; fourth, sun exposure during the day and exercise have a cyclical relationship with our quality of sleep and energy levels; and fifth, sleep debt is a lie, so sleeping more on the weekends doesn’t actually help “recover” the sleep you missed out on during the week. If you want to learn more about the value of a good night’s rest, I’d recommend checking this out, maybe even listening to the audiobook as you try to go to sleep (the author himself appreciates that!).

 

Book 3: Unshakable by Angela Watson

~To be completed~

 

Book 4: 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson

I found this book interesting because of the various sources Peterson drew from. He pulled from many ideologies and religions, and quoted a lot of passages from the Bible (thought almost never truly in context. For a secular self-help book, it was clearly influenced by spiritual thought. My biggest takeaway from his “rules” is this: “do good, be good, and feel good”. By “do good” I mean one should focus on doing the things that bring about good results for self and community. By “be good” I mean one should focus on acting in a moral and ethical manner, no matter the circumstance. By “feel good” I mean one should pursue the activities and interests that improve one’s satisfaction with life, and that creates a wholesome lifestyle of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. In some ways, the mantra “Love God, Love Others, Love Self” stems from a similar vein of thought. It served as a good reminder about how and why I spend my energy and attention, and I hope that knowledge will help me refocus on the things that create positive feedback loops and returns in my life.

April Reading Review

Hello dear readers, congrats on surviving a month of stay-at-home orders, quarantines, and social distancing! For April, I took on some sleuthing and tackled some of Agatha Christie’s famous mysteries. If you haven’t read any of the following books, spoilers ahead!

Book 1: And Then There Were None

A clever tale of vigilante justice, the array of characters made each twist and turn quite enjoyable. There is no doubt in my mind why this book has been adapted into many forms, which I consumed whenever I could find it. All in all, I believe I went through this story 4 different times. Each time I was impressed more and more with the layers each character, especially those who survive the first 24 hours. I will be honest, I suspected Wargrave from the very beginning, because his character was the most logical and least featured in the action, giving him the most opportunity in nearly every death. I thoroughly enjoyed the tale and see how it inspired certain tropes in more modern tales.

 

Book 2: Murder on the Orient Express

The first of two Hercule Poirot books I read, but thankful a colorful cast of characters and a deep tale of revenge helped gloss over the curious individual that is Inspector Poirot. Perhaps I am too bias in my love of Sherlock Holmes and many other childhood sleuths, but I cannot bring myself to like Poirot as a character. I acknowledge his brilliance in solving cases, but his peculiar style just doesn’t land for me. I happened to watch two versions of this book on film (1974 and 2017), and while the newer version had its recognizable cast and theatrics, the older version was much more true to the original tale. Ultimately the fact that everyone was in on it, and Poirot supported the act of revenge years in the making, did not surprise me in the least. It was enjoyable watching the pieces slowly fall into place however.

 

Book 3: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The second of the Hercule Poirot books I read, but made much more tolerable because the audiobook I listened to was told through the eyes of the Doctor. This fact made the reveal of the guilty party all the more exciting. On my second undertaking, I was able to pick out all of the subtle hints that pointed to the true identity of the murderer. Poirot’s scrutiny of each suspect was impressive yet again, even if I still am not a fan of his unique peculiarities. By this point, I’ve started to pick up on Christie’s interesting views on love and relationships, which are often plagued by tragedy, jealousy, and betrayal.

 

Book 4: A Caribbean Mystery

A Miss Marple mystery, it spins a tale of greed, lust, and murder. The crafty way Marple “influences” the different characters into doing the things she isn’t physically, or socially, able to do was somewhat comical. Only one other individual at the resort is keen to her antics from the beginning, and he becomes her confidante as she begins to unravel the identity of the murderer. The cast of characters contains a typical assortment of stereotypes and tropes, so there wasn’t too much to talk about there. Overall it was an enjoyable read, and the 1983 film wasn’t too bad either. 

 

 

Overall it was good to dip into the works of the First Lady of Mystery, as I haven’t really read many mysteries in recent years. I appreciated the shorter length of these stories, which made them easier to digest multiple times. Next (this) month I am reading works of Motivation and Introspection, so stay tuned to what I select and hopefully benefit from some of the lessons I learn from those! 

 

 

 

S.D.G.

March Reading Review

Hello fellow readers! The final day of March has arrived and it is time for me to reflect on my books for the month. This month I “read” the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson, or at least the first six books. For those who haven’t read these books before, minor spoiler warnings ahead!

 

Book 1: The Final Empire

First off, I would like to say I found the “metal magic” of Mistborn very fascinating. To have powers based on the affinity a person has for a specific metal, and the unraveling of how it all came to be, probably intrigued me just as much as the primary storyline. Personally, I think I’d have an affinity for Copper or Zinc (Feruchemy) and Bendalloy (Allomancy). That aside, I found the evolution of the heist narrative into a full-blown revolution quick riveting. The evolution of Vin from destitute street urchin to unlikely savior was a bit trope-y but she makes a believable protagonist all the same. Kelsier is a compelling figure and charismatic leader who serves as the traditional mentor figure, and ultimate sacrifice to bring about change. The romance between Vin and Elend was actually something I could relate to, as Elend is very much like myself and Vin is very much like the type of person I seem naturally attracted to. In fact, I saw a lot of myself in Elend and Sazed, as they served as the rational voice in a crew of otherwise defeatist or rash individuals. The final confrontation with the Lord Ruler, Vin’s interaction with the mist, and the grand reveal of the nature of the current world was well dictated and set the stage for the rest of the trilogy perfectly.

 

Book 2: The Well of Ascension

After losing Kelsier yet overcoming the great power of the Lord Ruler, the chaos of re-establishing structure in a revolutionary world becomes the new setting. Lacking the assertive leadership of the Survivor, the remaining crew must navigate both political and economic struggles, while facing the impending danger of advancing rivals. Add in the mysterious voices, a rival Mistborn, and the dubious nature of beaucracy, Vin, Elend, and company have a lot on their hands. The struggle Vin has with her own place in this world, having so much power yet so much self-doubt it nearly cripples her at points becomes a center driving point to this ordeal. When she finally overcomes, not by being more than she is but instead going back to her true self, her understanding of the world the Lord Ruler created helps shape what comes next.

 

Book 3: The Hero of Ages

The culmination and climax of the Luthadel trilogy was not what I expected. While it answered a lot of questions about what the Lord Ruler had created a thousand years prior, it radically altered the way the main characters would be seen in the following books. Major spoiler alert: pretty much everyone dies. I was happy that Sazed finally found an answer to the burning questions in his mind, and yet being a created being himself never fully understood what he becomes. Vin and Elend strive so hard to save their dying world, and are rightly honored by those they saved. The further development of the understanding of various metals and their uses also intrigued me, as I mentioned this was perhaps the thing that drew me in the most at first. I hope Sanderson continues to flesh out this history of Scandria, as world-building is something I find very fascinating and have tried my own hand in a couple times.

 

Book 4: The Alloy of Law

After a three hundred year time jump, we are drawn back to Scandria through the eyes of a descendant of Breeze, one of Kelsier’s crew, by the name of Waxillium Ladrian. Born with the allomantic power of Steel and the feruchemic power of Iron, Wax left his place in nobility to pursue a life of justice in the Roughs. Cue Wild West bounty hunter vibes, as the technology in Scandria has reached very steam-punk levels. Guns, cars, trains, etc are becoming more commonplace yet Wax left the comforts of big city life to “become his own man” as a keeper of the law. Honestly I immediately compared the newly returned Wax to Batman, if Lex Luthor was his uncle/guardian. However, of this new cast of characters, it is not the main protagonist I relate to the most but the supporting characters. Wayne, a younger man saved by Wax, and Steris, Wax’s eventual wife, possess many characteristics I see within myself. Yet Wax’s struggle to quickly readjust to a new life as the lord of a great house, as well as fighting against an old rival returned created a multi-faceted story.

 

Book 5: The Shadows of Self

Having successfully saved the city’s economy from the scheme of a secret underground organization of power brokers, including Wax’s own uncle (previously thought deceased, as this is why Wax returned to Elendel). Now an honorary member of the city law enforcement, Wax must balance his desire to stop crime and unravel the secrets of the mysterious organization pulling strings with his responsibilities as a house lord. Introduce a crazy Kandra (creatures with shape-shifting abilities created through Hemalurgy by the Lord Ruler) killing the city’s elite (though most victims are thoroughly corrupt), another Kandra who knows way more than she lets on, and the voice of Harmony (Sazed post-transformation) and Wax has his hands full. I felt the real crux of this book was the growing relationships between all of the main characters, seeing each develop more into a stand-alone entity and not just a member of Wax’s crew. The final battle sees even more of Wax’s past revealed, as his life in the Roughs wasn’t as “free” as he once believed. By the end, the stage is being set for a showdown between Wax and his friends and his uncle and the evil Set.

 

Book 6: The Bands of Mourning

Of all the books in this second half, I devoured this one the quickest, mainly due to the massive explosion of world-building and history Sanderson pumps into it. Not only does Wax & Co learn there are many civilizations beyond the central dominance but that they have been eclipsed technologically by these peoples. Who, interestingly enough, were saved three hundred years prior by the Lord Ruler himself! Vin didn’t actually kill Rashek, not completely, and his primary source of power, know as The Bands of Mourning, are sought after by many who would use their potential to pursue their own selfish agendas. This leads to a confrontation between Wax and the forces of the Set who hold Wax’s sister hostage, and ends up finding them flying over the land in an airship with a foreign pilot towards the frozen north. Wax dies trying to stop his uncle and sister, who was the leader of Set all along, and meets Harmony in person before being revived by Marasi using the Bands of Mourning. Wax & Co, with the help of captured foreigners, turn on the forces of the Set and deal a decisive blow. Wayne overcomes his fear of guns and shoots Wax’s sister in the face (she survives using Gold feruchemy) and a favorable trade deal is struck between the foreigners and Elendel. Wax and Steris get hitched, as he has genuinely grow to love her highly logical mind and over-planner tendencies. But this saga is not yet over, as Sanderson has one more book coming to wrap up the struggle between Wax and the Set.

 

 

To all those who recommended I read this series, my thanks! I have put off delving into Sanderson’s work for long enough and will definitely read more of them in the future. I look forward to seeing how the Scandria saga is concluded. Stay tuned for next month, as I will be “reading” selections from the great body of work created by Agatha Christie. Here’s to more reading in 2020 (and surviving COVID-19)!

 

 

S.D.G.

A Quantitative Analysis of the Romantic Progression, or How a Rational Brain Might Approach Intimacy in the Pursuit of a Relationship

Hello dear readers, it has been some time since I last put my amusement park of mental mayhem into writ and this post hopefully will open a new venue for some to learn and others to use themselves. As the title might reveal, this post is an explanation of how a highly rational mind might approach the development, pursuit, and solidification of romantic feelings and relationships. Before I get into the breakdown and analysis of my process, there are several terms and disclaimers I will outline: 

 

Glossary:

Acquaintances- those within a circle of influence who are not known well enough, do not share common interests/lifestyles, or lack a level of interaction to establish friendship

Affection- the expression of romantic interest and/or feelings

Attraction- the general gravitation towards a member of the opposite sex, based on a variety of physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual factors

Chemistry- the compatibility of two individuals as a foundation for building intimacy

Courtship- the intentional interaction of core social, familial, professional, and spiritual circles within a relationship to ultimately serve as the final vetting process before engagement

Dates- a social activity focused around the interaction between two members of opposite sex as a means to gain knowledge and familiarity of one another, with an intentional and gradual increase in intimacy

Dating- the exclusive pursuit of a relationship in the interest of finding a spouse, often characterized by the increasing levels of affection and intimacy

Familiarity- there are several topics to improve one’s familiarity with another, arranged in level of depth: fun, friends, family, future (goals for the), faith, finances, and fears

Friendship- the general relationship between parties based on frequent social interaction and common interests and/or lifestyles

Interest- the acknowledgement of aspects of a person’s character, physique, or lifestyle that one finds appealing

Intimacy- the combination of physical (sexual), emotional, intellectual, and spiritual closeness shared by two people in a romantic relationship

Levels of Intimacy- the quantitative closeness shared within the various forms of intimacy broken down into a 1-10 scale. Physical spans from 1 being general physical proximity and 10 being sexual intimacy. Emotional spans from 1 being general emotional expression to 10 being deep emotional vulnerability and dependence. Intellectual spans from 1 being general discussion to 10 being deep philosophical and ideological discourse and debate as well as a wide understanding of the other’s patterns of thought. Spiritual spans from 1 being general understanding of spiritual matters to 10 being deeply shared spiritual vision, religious convictions, and orthopraxy.

Seeing- the intermediary stage between the initial contact of talking and the exclusivity of dating, generally characterized by social outings (dates) where exploring personal chemistry is often the focus

Talking- the initial stage of contact where two individual begin a conversation (typically via messaging and calls) to explore common interests, learn about the basics of one’s life, and connect on various levels

 

Disclaimer:

Before I continue, I must explain three specific phenomenon that may affect the viewpoint from which the rest of the post persists. First, a majority of this procedural approach to romantic pursuit comes from a strictly rational framework, leading first with logical summation and not emotional leanings. This is due to my own experience as a highly practical and pragmatic rationalist, learning that allowing myself to become emotionally attached in a romantic relationship too early sets a weaker foundation upon which intimacy can be built. By taking a logical approach and assigning quantitative values to the level of intimacy and romantic progression of a relationship, I feel more confidence in where a relationship is at, how invested I am into a relationship at any given stage, and how I am better able to articulate this to the person I am pursuing this romance with. Second, much of analysis takes the viewpoint of dating and romantic pursuit outside one’s close circle of friends. Specifically, the searching for a relationship using online dating sites or dating apps. Not only does romantic pursuit within one’s circle of friends pose a bit of a double jeopardy, it also muddles the definitive progression of the stages I will lay out below. Because friendship provides the necessary interaction to both learn about a person’s interests and life, as well as providing natural opportunities to discover chemistry, it can also lead to confusion in the areas of intent and actual romantic interest. This is why I dislike the notion of “hanging out” on an individual basis, as this often lends to the confusion and blending of the line between platonic and romantic interaction. Third, this post does not take the long distance relationship dynamic into account, that is to say one that span hundreds of miles apart, as this greatly skews the way in which intimacy is formed and the relationship can grow.

 

The Progression:

Stage 1: “Talking”- Here one begins as they peruse the many profiles of self-proclaimed eligible singles, ascertaining the various attributes, interests, and images on display.  In a highly rational mind such as mine, I have a mental checklist of key words, interests, or features I look for before reaching out to someone. This checklist is largely void of emotional factors, as I do not rely on those in the initial stages of building a relationship. And for transparency sake, I am typically drawn to young ladies who value an active lifestyle and/or enjoy sports, are open about their Christian faith, have a good smile and/or sense of humor, work in a medical field or education, and have a nerdy side (bonus points if they are slender and blonde because yes, I have a type okay, I believe subconsciously everyone does). The logical side of me also recognizes dating, more specifically online dating, is a numbers game, and therefore I message anyone who breaks that minimum threshold of interest. Typically I hear back from 10-15% of these ladies, and of those am able to continue a lasting conversation with about 1 in 3. These conversations are usually focused around the first few topics of familiarity to establish common interests and open up the conversation to invite intellectual intimacy. As this is the initial stage of connection, the levels of intimacy remain relatively low across the board with intellectual intimacy reaching a 5 or 6, emotional and spiritual intimacy perhaps cresting a 2 or 3, and physical intimacy remaining near baseline, depending on the topics of conversation. While it is not unusual to have more than one conversation occurring at the same time, due to the numbers game it is unlikely that multiple will carry on past the first few days. If familiarity does reach a comfortable place, then I would seek an opportunity to meet in person and begin to move towards the “Seeing” stage of pursuit.

Stage 2: “Seeing”- Here the focus shifts from getting to know someone (that is, the knowledge of that person) to getting to know who someone is (that is, the personality, character, and vitality of a person) by engaging in social activities (see Dates) including, but not limited to, going out for dinner/drinks, going on hikes, going to a movie, going to a sporting event, going to a show, etc. Notice much of this involves seeing each other in a public setting, as this stage largely determines the whether the initial interest feeds into attraction and if chemistry exists in such a way that familiarity continues to deepen and the various levels of intimacy can soon follow.  Another important distinction here is that while this stage is certainly not to be considered casual, it also hasn’t moved into the realm of intentional commitment. At this point a steady stream of daily communication is normal, and the occasional outing, typically enjoying something of mutual interest, is understood. Yet labels and romantic pursuit are withheld until an intentional conversation about the purpose and direction of the growing relationship can be held, which typically depends on how quickly the chemistry and attraction of the two people quickens the level of intimacy within the relationship. Here physical intimacy may begin to rise, as will emotional and spiritual intimacy. As someone who falls heavily on the Thinking side of cognitive functions, emotional intimacy is often the last to be felt, as I can experience and express very raw and unfiltered feelings and therefore suppress these until I am confident in the maturity, foundation, and intentionality of a relationship.

Stage 3: “Dating”- Here an intentional statement of an exclusive, romantic relationship has been made, and the status of this relationship is official. From here the purpose of the relationship is understood and the blending of social circles begins. This stage typically grows through the increased overlaps of one individual’s personal life with that of the other as intimacy continues to expand and deepen. During this phase it is not unusual for the couple to spend as much time together in their “free time” as they do apart. They are recognized as being “together” for the sake of social functions, and generally begin to plan their schedules around each other. However, it is important to maintain individual identities during this time and pursue personal interests while still sharing these as part of the relationship.  This is also the stage where family is brought into the picture and the socio-familial aspect of the relationship begins to solidify. As intimacy continues to grow, most areas will approach higher numbers if the relationship is consistently leading towards marriage. 

Stage 4: “Courtship/Engagement”- Here the final considerations before entering into a binding marriage covenant are being weighed. Taking stock of life direction, shared purpose, level of intimacy, and strength of friendship should indicate whether legal union is within God’s plan for the couple’s respective lives. It is one thing to be able to serve God as an individual, but as marriage binds two into one so does it change the nature of serving God and furthering His Kingdom. I use the term “courtship” to define the initial part of this stage because of the severity of conversation, involvement, and expression based around the couple’s level of intimacy and blending of circle of influences. Once the relationship has moved to the “engagement” portion of this stage, the levels of intimacy are reaching completion and are set for a culmination in marriage.

Stage 5: “Marriage”- Here lies the ultimate goal of pursuing romantic relationships, as finding a life partner is a noble and great gift. However, one should not spend all their time and focus in sole pursuit of this blessing, for doing so neglects the most important relationship of all, with our Lord and Creator. Yet within marriage all forms of intimacy are heightened, and should play off the others to create a cohesive and lasting bond between two people. And when one approaches this commitment from the analytical framework I have outlined above, it is clear that this process is not one to be taken lightly.

 

For those who are more visual, my outlined approach above more or less takes the Courtship section from the Courtship column and inserts it into the Dating column as the beginning part of the Engagement process. Other parallels are unintentional, as I only discovered this chart after I originally published this post.

 

So there you have it, dear readers, the mental deluge born of many a conversation and failed romantic endeavor over the past few years. Hopefully you find something you can relate to or be encouraged by, but regardless I appreciate you taking the time to glance through this all the same.

 

 

S.D.G.

 

February Reading Review

Hello fellow readers! The second month of 2020 is all but over (even with that extra day!) and it’s time for me to breakdown the books I read for February. If you haven’t been following my reading journey thus far, this month I picked a selection of books focused on the nature of love between God and man and everyone in between. I managed to finish five books, though since three of those ended up being audiobooks, I’m not sure if those count as full books Below are short summaries and reflections on those books:

 

Book 1: Perfect Love by Ruth Myers

I didn’t really know what to expect when I selected this book, as it was one of a large number of books I have received from my parents over the years. However, it proved to have such a massive impact on my heart and head as it constantly pointed me back to God during a time of deep emotion hurt. Reading through Ruth’s own life journey and struggles that led her back to the true nature of God’s love over and over helped me lean into that great fount of love myself. A couple of the things that really stuck with me were how she described the Five Love-Gifts of God and the Four Stages of Intimacy with God. The Five Love-Gifts are God’s Living Word (The Bible), His Indwelling Spirit (The Holy Spirit), the Body of Christ (the church), the Circumstances of Daily Life (our trials and triumphs), and the Path of Obedience (following God’s Will and trusting His perfect love). The Four Stages of Intimacy are seeing God as our Creator/Father in Heaven (He is above us), knowing God as our Shepherd/Friend (He is beside us), having God as our Guide/Helper (He is within us), and believing God desires an inner union with us. Being reminded of this has meant so much to me this month, and I don’t regret taking my time reading this book.

 

Books 2 & 3: Love Does and Everybody Always by Bob Goff

I count these together because they really do flow together as one continuous narration. Goff’s personal style and story-telling made these books very easy to enjoy and the tales he tells are both incredible and inspiring. By acknowledging the whimsical nature of life and the overwhelming effect God’s love can have on our daily circumstance if we just let Him work, Goff relates his life through the lens of “just saying yes”. It kinda reminded me of Donald Miller’s books, but with more whimsy. Just being able to live out God’s love daily is itself a noble calling, and Goff shows how great this can be as the cascade of God’s love pours through those little moments.

 

Book 4: Loved by God (God’s Love) by R.C. Sproul

This book/teaching series looks at the nature of love as a key characteristic of who God is, and how that changes our reality as His creations. Answering questions the intersection of love and justice, love and salvation, and love and sovereignty, this selection dove deeper into the theological nature of love. With the other books from this month providing more practical examples or application of the idea of love, this one provided valuable in its foundational approach to the theme.

 

Book 5: When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric & Leslie Ludy

If I’m completely honest, I didn’t need to read this book but since it had been sitting on my shelf for a few years and touched on the nature of one’s walk while desiring a loving romantic relationship,  I felt it was time. And to continue in the spirit of honesty, this book served more as a nice little heart check in my current season of singleness than it actually added to what I had already read this month. But if I had to list one take away, it’s to always make God your first love and let Him control the pen when it comes to writing your own love story.

 

So there it is, five books about the many forms and perspectives of and on love. Perhaps I am a little bit of a romantic to have chosen this theme for February, but nevertheless I’m glad I did. Stay tuned for next month’s review as I tackle Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series!

 

 

S.D.G.

January Reading Review

Hello fellow readers! If you’ve been paying attention, I decided to read a lot more books in 2020 and first up was a month of CS Lewis. So I’d like to leave a short review/reflection on each book, and hopefully key you in to some of what I’ve enjoyed over the past month.

 

Book 1: Till We Have Faces

This retelling of classic Greek mythology had me very interested in the story and relating with “The Fox” quite a bit, as he represents the stoic Greek philosophers Lewis is so key to emulate. This story, through the eyes of Orual, the eldest daughter of a king, reflects on her dealings with political and supernatural powers, often refusing to accept status quo and forging her own path, leaving those closest to her in their unfortunate or, in the case of Istra (Psyche), fortunate circumstances. I will admit that the middle third of the book was a bit murky, though I enjoyed Orual’s assertion as the new ruler of her land and the independence she strove for. Revealing the journey of a headstrong and cunning character, Orual’s tale is a great epic in the style of Lewis.

 

Book 2: A Grief Observed

Although I knew this book was a memoir of Lewis reflecting on his love lost, in the form of his late wife Joy Davidman, seeing his grief poured into his journaling was a truly authentic journey. From page to page, the way he processed through his grief was a major inspiration. But honestly, it also strummed that heart chord inside me that truly desires a companion in life, one of the heart, of the mind, of the soul, and of the body. As he rightfully says, it is always better to have loved and lost, than to never love at all. And having seen one great thinker express his emotional journey in a truly raw style, steels this belief all the more.

 

Book 3: Miracles

This one was heavy, and took me nearly two weeks to read and process. Prior knowledge of the Naturalist and Humanist movement in contemporary philosopher are extremely helpful if one dares to dive into this defense of the supernatural. By examining the possibility of miracles, to the evidence of their occurrence, to breaking down the greatest miracle of all (The Incarnation, aka Lewis’ “True Myth”), Lewis appeals to both the logic of the Rationalist and the emotion of the Spiritualist. Granted, he intentionally acknowledges specific tangents he leaves untouched, but the argument he makes lays the groundwork for later authors like Lee Patrick Strobel. Ultimately, this book left me much to digest and will need a revisit before too long.

 

Book 4: The Abolition of Man

This critique of the model and method of “current” (that is, in Lewis’ time) education and the emergent veins of ideologies and philosophies debases the trend of training young men to think based on emotion or realism instead of taking all knowledge to the ultimate source of value, which Lewis refers to as the “Tao”. I appreciated that Lewis points out his religious affiliations but does not rely on them to make his arguments about the absurdities of Man’s conquest of Nature or the systems by which they believe value can be derived. Objective value is not something to be determined, but rather something that is self-existent and, if rationally considered, self-evident. As a firm believer in Jehovah, the One True God, the Creator and Author of the True Myth, it is no stretch to believe that His Nature and, by extension, His Law are the objective values by which human instinct, morality, and rationale arise. To ignore this objective value source, modern society creates “Men without Chests”, a man as hollow as his beliefs.

 

Hopefully you find these reflections enough of a morsel to consider these books yourself and, if not, to at least appreciate the potential wisdom they contained. As an avid fan of CS Lewis, I must say I did enjoy this month. However, as one month ends so another begins, and I shall now turn to my next set of books for February, themed around the nature of love within friendships, relationships & marriage, and community. Stay tuned for those reviews by the end of next month!

 

 

S.D.G.

The Reading Resolution, or I Want 2020 to End Up in (the) Books

I’m not a resolution person, not really. But I was challenged at the end of 2019 by an acquaintance who had read over 100 books that year. 100!?! I think I read maybe a dozen, and I love reading. So I decided that I would resolve to read more in 2020, and set a plan for each month. My goal is to read at least 4 books a month, and hopefully no less than one book a week on average. Each month will have a central theme or featured series/author. Here’s a preview:

 

January: Just Lovin’ Lewis

I will reconnect with one of my favorite authors, C.S. Lewis, and finally read a few of his books I have neglected, as well as revisit a couple I haven’t read in years. They are: “Till We Have Faces”, “A Grief Observed”, “Miracles”, “The Abolition of Man”, and “The Screwtape Letters” (if there’s time). I actually just finished “Till We Have Faces”, and admittedly suffered in the middle of the book because I wanted a resolution and explanation that didn’t appear until the very last couple pages. Still an interesting look at how myth can be very rooted in history, and how the latter influences the former.

 

February’s theme will be Friendship, Relationship, and Community. I announce my reading selection when I get there 🙂 Thanks for tuning in and I encourage all of you to read something today, and tomorrow, and every day!

 

 

 

S.D.G.