It is both to its credit and slightly to its detriment that the Grant Lindsley we meet in the opening pages of "Mediocre Monk" is the Grant Lindsley we end up with as the closing pages arrive and we get the ending we've long expected in this engaging but fairly predictable journey of one man's rocky journey toward spiritual growth.

Lindsley was working in the corporate world when he was rocked by the unexpected death of a friend. Already familiar with Buddhism, Lindsley's grief led him to abandon the corporate world in order to train in the Thai Forest Tradition, a particularly strict sect of Theravada Buddhism that seeks to follow the exact rules of the historical Buddha from 2,500 years ago. In the mountains of Thailand, Lindsley shaves his head and eyebrows, eats one bowl of food a day, and lives in a cave, his solitude punctuated by brushes with snakes, scorpions, and drug smugglers.

In other words, he does whatever he can to escape.

However, as the title makes obvious, it turns out that Lindsley is a mediocre monk at best. In fact, I'd dare say that one of the challenges of "Mediocre Monk" is that I never for a single moment bought into the possibility that this journey toward spiritual growth was going to end up any other way than by a return home with a likely book deal. The journey itself is a delight and there's little denying the impact it had on Lindsley's life. There's just never any doubt that Lindsley isn't quite cut out for the life of a monk. Lindsley struggles with the strict rituals, hunger, restlessness, curiosity, and even the humility that is a constant companion for what it means to lean into being a monk. While discussions of ordination are present, it's obvious that while this journey does have great purpose that purpose does not include Lindsley abandoning his life back in the U.S. for a life in the mountains of Thailand.

This isn't a bad thing. It doesn't particularly hurt the book (as evidenced by my positive rating). However, there were times I longed for a bit more suspense as little cues would be dropped about Lindsley's future whether his consistent desire to write or his regular references to a particular friend. Amidst all of this, however, is a remarkably engaging tale of how Lindsley's desire to escape turned into his increased awareness of a deep need for community and human connection in his own journey for personal healing and spiritual growth. There's tremendous power in experiencing Lindsley's various Aha! moments along his journey and there's something quite inspiring in watching as he realizes that true enlightenment doesn't always come within the mountains of Thailand but also in living daily life, experiencing grief, winning Ultimate Frisbee championships, and becoming a writer who takes these unique life experiences and shares them with a wider audience all while still embracing the Buddhist path as central to it all.

By becoming a mediocre monk, I suppose you could say that Grant Lindsley becomes a more fully realized and healthy human being in all the roles and responsibilities he will acquire in the future. "Mediocre Monk" is an incredibly engaging and often very funny tale of how one man's effort to live a simpler life was actually far more complicated and how the real reward came when he learned to live the life he was born to live.

I found Mediocre Monk to be an engaging, fast read. Lindsley writes in a way that is conversational and entertaining. I appreciated his honest take on his adventure in the forests of Thailand. Mediocre Monk would be a good read for anyone who likes to explore other countries, cultures, etc. through literature.

Mediocre Monk A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery by Grant Lindsley. ©2023. Advanced Reading Copy. Uncorrected Proof courtesy of NetGalley. Published by Girl Friday Books, Seattle. 5 Stars. Publication date is set for 11 April 2023.

An excellent read. Told with clarity and insight, the account of Lindsley’s pilgrimage is textured, reverent and humorous, showing that grief’s impetus is not a one-way trip but a circuitous journey and an invocation to everything that is hidden.

The writing has a natural, down-to-earth quality and, as the story gently progresses, you find yourself experiencing the subtle dance that takes place between the reader and the author's narrative. Highly recommend.

Four friends have stolen aboard the Titanic. They're after the Rubaiyat - a book inlaid with priceless jewels. Josefa is a charismatic thief, Hinnah a daring acrobat, Violet an outstanding actress and Emilie a talented artist.

It is Josefa's plan, but she needs all of their skills. Despite their very different backgrounds, in a world of first-class passengers and suspicious crew members, the girls must work together to pull off the heist of their lives.

Finally...a book about Buddhism that us regular guys can relate to...Lindsley lets us know how our preconceived notions of this belief system aren't quite right. Easily read,

Thanks to Girl Friday Books and Netgalley for this ARC.

Mediocre Monk by Grant Lindsley follows the author's journey running from grief into the Buddhist forests of Thailand. He studies under different monks while attempting some spiritual growth and revelation, though finds it much more difficult than he imagined.

Lindsley is EXTREMELY self-aware in this book - almost painfully so. He is often feeling morally superior, despite making little progress in his own spiritual journey. It was distressing, but I also felt like I couldn't put it down. In fact, I read this book in just a few days and dropped all my other in-progress books just to finish it as I was so interested.

This book is filled with wisdom (from the monks) that Lindsley doesn't really seem to pick up, even if he remembers it. The title truly sums up his experience. It is a great book if you want to read about getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing a different culture and way of life.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to some of my Buddhist dharma friends.

You will like this book if you like: travel, spirituality, Buddhism, self-growth (or lack thereof), miserable adventures, and grief.

A review will be posted to Instagram the first week of April and a StoryGraph review will be posted shortly as well. I did add the book to StoryGraph's database yesterday so it is now available to be reviewed there.