Lift & Read: April Book Club, Part 1

Welcome to the April Book Club. This series is a new edition to the blog I'm looking to keep up with and update, in order to encourage others to lift and read. Both are good. So do both. It'll make you much more interesting than the other 98% of the population. 

In the spirit of lifting and reading, here's the current fiction I’m about to finish up this week: "This Side of Paradise"

This book was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s first novel and the reviews were immaculate. To be honest, I've been extremely underwhelmed and am ready to finish it up and move onto my next fiction book on deck – “Managed Care,” by Joe Barrett.

I'm often a fan of these old classics and much older classics, but this is the second F. Scott Fitzgerald book I've read that has left me bored (the other book of his I read is “The Last Tycoon.” Yes, I know I should read, “The Great Gatsby,” eventually. But I prefer authors that write multiple good books rather than ones that write multiple mediocre books and 1, allegedly, entertaining one).

Also, how obnoxious is it that he called himself, "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Pompous, really. 

Anyway, I don't mean to speak poorly of the well-respected dead, but I do like to have a little fun around here. Don't take it too seriously.

Here's the non-fiction that I'm reading: "5 Types of Wealth."

I generally hate these sorts of personal development books. They all seem to say the same thing in a mildly different way.

I only pulled the trigger on this one because I saw so much hype around it – much of it from resources I admire and respect.

So far I've been happy with how easy it is to read and there are some very good points that put life priorities in perspective (like how many times you'll see your parents before they die if you live far away. The number is less than you'd think).

However, I feel a little silly because I thought this book was going to break down 5 ways to make money. In reality, it's just talking about the 5 types of wealth – time, social, mental, physical, and financial. This is disappointing because, yet again, this topic has been written about in every self help/personal development book since the beginning of time when multi-level marketing became a thing. 

I'm not finished with it yet, but I'm quickly finding that it's nothing new. It could have been just a free blog or Substack.

On the physical culture/nutrition book front, I'm currently just reading 1 book, but another is on it's way. The book I'm reading now is called "Fat Loss Happens on Monday," by Josh Hillis and Dan John. This is a very practical look at nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle for the general population. It's an excellent resource for coaches and trainers (like myself) and an even better resource for do-it-yourself fat losers (couldn't resist the pun). 

It's got some really good strategies and plug and play plans. As always, everything Dan John has a part in writing is a gem. Spend the money and buy this one.

Here's the fiction I read last month: "The Trial," by Franz Kafka. This was a good read. Quick, eye opening, and unexpectedly funny. It was my first Kafka novel, and I look forward to reading more of his work from an era I really enjoy reading (late 1800s — early 1900s European literature). 

My next fiction, as I mentioned earlier, is "Managed Care," by Joe Barrett. A client of mine told me I must read it and it's exactly my sense of humor (comedic gaslighting...delightful). The first review on thrift books said, "the funniest book I've ever read." I'm certainly looking forward to it. I just have to hurry up and finish this sprawling, seemingly going nowhere other than the main character getting older, "This Side of Paradise."

I'll keep you all posted of any other books that work their way into this month's list. 

Lift the weights and read the books. 

Talk soon.

-Benen