What I read in 2022

Like last year, I wanted to post about the books I’ve read this year. While it wasn’t nearly as many (alas, life) - there were still quite a few.

Read by end 2022

Partially read by end 2022

Reflection / Winners

Ethos (appealed most to Ethics)

Easily and by far, Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discripleship.

It’s a dry read at times (written by a German priest in 1940), but it’s a wonderful book that brushes on what became the core concept of Christianity ~2022 years ago. While Bonhoeffer doesn’t directly criticize society, he points out the concept of ‘cheap grace’, which is essentially faith in Jesus without follow-through.

Cheap grace occurs, because the Bible does say in places that if we have faith in Him, we will go to heaven. What is missed by people who don’t look further (on purpose or not) is that belief in and following Jesus go hand-in-hand. You cannot have one without the other.

Bonhoeffer makes the point, that you cannot have faith, without undying support. To have faith, means you truly understand everything God gave you in sending his son to come to Earth, be chastized, questioned, beaten and crucified for you. Naturally, like any interaction with humans on this earth (let’s take a significant other for example), you should wnat to return the favor to the best of your ability. That is, if you really accept that he did that.

       You believe      [which changes your life... you can make mistakes]                  --->                       therefore you follow (more)

       You follow       [suffering, sure, but strengthened by belief, and blessings]        --->      theefore you believe (more)

Logos (appealed most to Logic)

Potty Training in 3 days was a short one, but… now that we’re about 6 days through potty training, and reading through the Kazdin method book, I think I’m starting to get it. It’s slow (potty training probably always is), but today it finally made sense. The book really emphasizes avoiding punishment of any sort, and rather, using rewards when something is done right. So, we gave Adora 1 M&M when she got pee in the potty, and 2 M&Ms when she got poop in the potty. Today, 6 days in, she is aware of the goal or incentive to pee, and when sitting on the potty, is choosing to sit longer 9even though she hates it) in order to try to pee. Even though she only farted the two times it happened today, seeing her change her mind for an incentive just blew my mind.

As for the “accidents”, we’re just ignoring those for now =)

Pathos (appealed most to Emotion)

Oh man, well, this was the year that the Expanse series was finally over. You’d think the final book ‘Leviathan Falls’ would be the winner here, and it was close, but no - the final Novella ‘The Sins of our Fathers’ was the winner for me. It takes place from the point of view of a remote, doomed to fail village with the son of one of the primary antogonists (father) of the 4th book, as well as the primary character of the series (mother). He put his past behind him to come to this remote place, and while he had a history of violence, nobody ever knew. The suspense build up and final satisfactory ending was phenomenal. I just wish the story would pick up again to see where he went next…