April 2023 Reading List
Spring has sprung in New York in April, and I am someone who enjoys reading books that feel like they fit the season. This is not always the case, but for instance I’m not sure how I feel
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Since December of last year I’ve been reading or re-reading a classic of literature every month. In the case of Moby Dick I’ve read it slowly over a few months starting back in late December. I’ve read the book before, though without finishing it, back in high school. I hate it. I didn’t get it. Having re-read it with better primers on the material, and I think probably a bit more insight into literature and worldly experience, both of which are helpful to understand what makes Moby Dick such a terrific novel. And I dare say one of my favorites.
The book is written at the height of Melville’s powers as a writer. The changes in Melville as an author are akin to Picasso’s as a painter. Moby Dick does not read at all like Melville’s earlier work, a novel such as Typee is completely different.
On its surface Moby Dick is an adventure tale. However, during my second, more focused, reading of the novel I’ve discovered that Moby Dick, while certainly a great adventure novel, is far more than that.
To begin with, the language in Moby Dick is beautiful. His descriptions of life aboard a whaling ship, the sea at various times of day in various types of weather, of hunting and harpooning whales on the open ocean, the task of extracting from a dead sperm whale’s anatomy all its riches are vivid and enthralling. They truly transport you onto the ship the Pequot, right alongside Ishamel, Queequeg, Starbuck, and Ahab, and the rest of the crew.
The vast middle of the book could be classified as a science tome about the life, biology, and anatomy of whales. There are chapters of the book devoted to the body of the whale, its digestive systems, to its brain, and its skeleton. Woven into each chapter are more philosophical ideas connected to the realities of a sailor’s life aboard a whaling ship. It is a book about the whaling industry in the 1800s, which made Nantucket the rival to the port of New York in terms of importance. But the book is more than that too. It is a fable. It is allegorical. The book at its heart seems to be asking the question why bad things happen to people in this world. Another words it is about faith and about what makes us human in a natural world. I highly recommend it.
And if you are into audio books, the novel is hauntingly read by the late great Frank Muller. You can’t go wrong either way.
But do set aside time for this one as it is a large book, and it takes some time to get through the middle.
Along with a classic once a month, I’ve been attempting the Ray Bradbury reading challenge: one short story, one poem, one essay read every night. I often skip the poetry but I’m pretty consistent about the short stories and the essays. I decided to include the ones I read in April here.
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet by Richard Matheson
I think I’ve completed every short story in the collection. For me, Matheson is a writer who is able to evoke similar feelings of dread and deadly foreboding that Stephen King usually conjures in his best books. Perhaps that’s why King did the intro. In case you don’t know Matheson is the best selling author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come.
Speaking of famous Stephen’s connected to this collection, the short story “Duel” is featured in here. This short story served as the basis fro Spielberg’s first movie.
Remember that monster on the wing of the airplane? William Shatner saw it on The Twilight Zone, John Lithgow saw it in the movie version. Well,” you can thank Richard Matheson for that little gem.
Nightmare at 20,000 Feet is just one of many classic horror stories by Matheson that have lodged themselves into our collective imagination.
Edgar Allen Poe - The Complete Short Stories
This book was first given to me as a collection thirty-three years ago, by my Uncle Rick. A gift for Chanukah or my birthday, I can’t remember which. What I can remember is reading it with him in my parent’s bedroom kneeling by the bed upstairs, and together reading The Tell Tale Heart replete with illustrations by. Some of the short stories in the collection I might not have read since then and was not sure how they would hold up. With all but a few exceptions, the stories exceeded my memory of them. Poe’s writing is dark in a way that no other writers are. At least not that I’ve come across. Whether it is the language of the era in which he was writing, the short story format in which he spun his tales, or simply the subject matter about which he wrote, Poe goes to some dark places. The word that comes to mind when I think of his writing is macabre. In the complete works volume there are stories by Poe that are more mystery than marble horror, but even then, this isn’t light stuff.
Israel is Real: An Obsessive Quest to Understand the Jewish Nation and Its History by Rich Cohen
In honor of Israel’s 75th anniversary on April 25th (Yom Haatzmaut in Israel) I have been reading a couple of books about Israel’s history. I’ve read many great books on the establishing of the Jewish homeland in the modern era, among them Ben Gurion’s “Israel: A Personal History”; Noa Tishby’s “Israel. A Simple Guide To The Most Misunderstood Country On Earth” which is a good basic overview of Israel’s history; Leon Uris’s “Exodus”. All of those are great, but Rich Cohen is unique in the way in which he writes, particularly in his non-fiction. He always finds the essence of the people and places he’s writing about, but not by glossing over any of their flaws. He seems to understand that this is the thing that makes his characters human. The way he writes about locations makes those places come to life in the readers mind. All of this is particularly useful and effective when writing about a country like Israel that illicit many strong feelings. Personally I would read anything by Rich Cohen.
Menachem Begin: The Battle For Israel’s Soul by Daniel Gordis
This is the first biography I’ve read of Menachem Begin and it is also the first one I read by Daniel Gordis. When it comes to non-fiction I like to read more than one book on a subject at a time. Truth be told I am usually reading more than a few books at any one time. So, in the case of Manchem Begin, I was somewhat familiar with his exploits from other books or documentaries, however I had never had a chance to delve into the specifics. My starting point was in this unexpectedly tough and crafty little Jewish man who would escape the Soviet gulags, emigrate to Israel, become a Jewish commando leading the Irgun, eventually ending up as one of Israel’s most respected and beloved Prime Ministers.
The man strikes me as having a tremendous amount of will and wildness in I am fascinated by people who face all-encompassing tyranny at state-level, whether it is Nazis Germany, the Soviet Union, or the tyranny of the Ayatollah in Iran. Begin’s mindset in dealing with the Soviet secret police is one of the things Gordis does a good job of covering, though the chapters are short and sometimes I found myself wishing for even more detail. This was pretty much the case throughout the book though the second is mostly focused on his time as prime minister and in Israeli politics so there is more information on that front. However, at some point this summer I want to tackle another biography on the man.
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
In February it was Sherlock Holmes, this month it is “Phillip Marlowe”, Raymond’s Chandler’s iconic private eye immortalized in the movies by Humphrey Bogart, though far from the only man to play the character. This is the first book to feature Marlowe, and it is quite good despite their being a plot hole or two that even Chandler admitted to not having the answer to when asked by director Howard Hawks.
I recently moved back to NY after 24 years in LA. My relationship with the city is like that with a woman I once loved, but who eventually became an alcoholic, drug-addicted crazy person who keeps stealing my money and crashing my car. There are good memories there, but the more recent behavior colors my feelings about the city. So, it is with some cathartic pleasure that I opened the pages to Chandler’s 1939 novel and took a trip through the seedy underbelly of a different Los Angeles of another time.
I have no doubt that the LA of 2023 bears little resemblance to the LA of 1939, except in the remnants of the myth making of the city of angels that Chandler had such a significant hand in crafting. You can still get a sense of some of these Chandler-inspired myths when you wind your way up and over the canyons, cresting Mulholland Dr. and seeing all the multimillion dollar mansions, and much like Chandler, wonder what dirty deeds are going on behind those beautiful facades? Fortunately, with Phillip Marlowe I can get the answers to questions like that.
In The Big Sleep Marlowe is hired by a dying millionaire to handle the man who is blackmailing on of his two daughters, both of whom are trouble in their own ways. In the movie the older sister is played by Lauren Bacall who was 17 at the time and was already involved with Bogie, himself 38. So, the movie added some scenes between the two. The case finds Marlowe mixed up in kidnapping, pornography, and murder. Unlike the movie which was limited by the Hayes Code at the time, the novel is able to be more graphic in several scenes, particularly between Marlowe and the older sister. Then of course there is the hard-boiled prose for which Chandler and his fictional alter ego detective became so famous. If you’re looking for one of the classics of the detective genre and a great LA mystery, then Chandler is for you.
The 6:20 Man by David Baldacci
A contemporary thriller that follows a former Army Ranger turned Wall Street financial analyst to seek his fortune. Everyday Travis DeVine rides the 6:20 train from Westchester NY on his way into the city and his job at a high-powered finance firm. His day is derailed when he learns of the death of a co-worker named Sara Ewes. He learns about her death from an anonymous untraceable email sent only to him. The death is ruled a suicide and rattles the firm, but hits DeVine harder because for a brief time Sara Ewes was his girlfriend. Enter the NYPD who set their sights on Travis DeVine. They don’t know about his past relationship with Sara Ewes, but they have their suspicions about him. This meeting with the NYPD is followed by a more ominous meeting with a former general now working as part of a clandestine group conducting an investigation into the finance firm where DeVine works. Dredging up old accusations from his Army days, the secret group conscripts DeVine into service looking into the founder of the investment company.
The book starts off fast-paced and with a good hook. My first Baldacci book was Absolute Power and there is no doubt that Baldacci knows how to craft a good thriller that keeps you guessing. However, the 6:20 Man doesn’t hold it together all the way through. It remains entertaining throughout, however some of the twists and turns in DeVine’s investigation are a little too convenient and reveal themselves at just the right moment for DeVine to figure out the mystery. Admittedly, as someone currently working on a three-book mystery thriller series I do enjoy reading these books and seeing the different ways the best authors in the game, like Baldacci, play with the tropes of the genre.
I am a James Reece fan. I love when I discover a new favorite author and character (they usually go hand in hand) especially when it is early in the series because it means there will hopefully be many more adventures to read. Since the first book, The Terminal List (which I believe I’ve included on a past Reading List), I’ve been hooked. Carr has an incredible feel for Reece, which is not surprising since, like his character, Carr spent years deployed as a Navy SEAL.
Since the Terminal List, James Reece has come to life as a real deal Navy SEAL, but at the same time as something slightly heightened. Not exactly John Rambo…but close. For my money, out of all the current military action heroes on the market, from Jack Reacher to Jack Ryan, from Bob Lee Swaggert to Mitch Rapp, James Reece is the closest to a modern day iteration of the famous character created by David Morell in First Blood and made world famous by Sylvester Stallone in the Rambo movies.
The third book in the James Reece series, “Savage Son,” sees James Reece and a fellow SEAL get mixed up in a modern day version of The Most Dangerous Game, the famous short story by Richard Connell about men hunting other men for sport. After the sister of a fellow SEAL is kidnapped, Reece must once again unsheathed his hatchet and go to work. “Savage Son” brings shades of geopolitical espionage to the Richard Connell story along with a healthy dose of Carr’s encyclopedic knowledge of authentic military weapons, tactics, and personalities. The pacing of the book is terrific but the development of Reece as a character is not sacrificed in service of an action-heavy plot.
Carr weaves it all together, taking his time, but never ever being boring. If you’re looking for a great action thriller this spring/summer, check out the James Reece series. If you like it, Carr is now up to like book five or six. Plus, there is the kick ass series, plus The Terminal List, on Amazon starring Chris Pratt.
The Betrayal of Prague by R.B. Schow
In similar fashion to Carr’s James Reece comes R.B. Schow’s The Betrayal of Prague which is also the third book in its series, featuring ex-cop turned convicted murderer who is temporarily granted his freedom from prison to track down bad guys all over the world. Like Savage Son, The Betrayal of Prague is also a tale of an extremely capable and dangerous man on a mission of revenge, yet despite these similarities, Atlas Hargrove and James Reece are different characters and the books read very different. Which is what makes them an interesting side by side read. In Carr’s book, Reece’s wife and daughter are already dead. In Schow’s Atlas Hargrove’s wife has divorced him and his daughter is still missing. Though by the third book we are beginning to close in on her location, with some exciting near misses along the way.
Whereas the conspiracy James Reece faces in Terminal List is wrapped up by the end of that book, with each subsequent novel being kind of stand alone in the mission Reece must complete, in The Betrayal of Prague the conspiracy that has consumed Atas Hargrove’s life is only getting deeper. This is most interesting on a character level as we see how the actions taken by these international vigilantes take their toll on each of them differently. The third books sees Atlas’s “employer” Leopold Wentworth go down some dark paths, reeling from the murder of a young girl his team failed to save in book 2. It sees Cira, one of the other members of Atlas team have to step up into more of a leadership role. And of course with Atlas it sees his quest to find his daughter and get vengeance not merely for her but for all the children suffering in the world at the hands of bad men.
None of this serialized storytelling precludes a standalone story. The Betrayal of Prague like the first two books in the series also work as stand alone books. With, it is worth mentioning, some notably sadistic and evil bad guys for Atlas and his team to dispatch along the way. There is plenty of that.
There is also plenty of action in Atlas Hargrove novels, each of which moves with the speed of a bullet train. The action is not non-stop but when it comes it is brutal, fast, and hard-hitting. Schow’s action scenes read like something between a Tarantino shoot-out, a scene from Scarface, and a Stallone action movie as filmed by the late great Tony Scott.
The Long Slide by Tucker Carlson
I enjoy reading collections of articles written about current events, politics, culture, entertainment, either as a collection of several authors’ work linked by a theme, or a collection of a single author’s writing over a period of time or on a particular subject. This month, given the huge announcement that Tucker Carlson had been fired from Fox which sent shockwaves through the new media industry (and by extension the political world). Yes, yes, I know some of you hate him. Well, do your breath control, pop another pill, or perhaps just toughen up a bit — and if you can’t manage that, the exit is the little “x” button in the upper corner of your window. On the other hand, if you, like me, like to hear from people with different ideas then consider checking out this collection.
Tucker Carlson is someone I remember from way back, when he was on CNN as the conservative co-host of Crossfire wearing a bowtie. Then later, I remember him on The Daily Show being mocked by Jon Stewart for said bowtie. I wasn’t always a fan.
However, I’ve found his broadcast over the last few years to be entertaining to be sure, but more significantly I’ve found it to be bold and thought-provoking. I thought Tucker Carlson’s coverage of Covid, the lockdowns, the vaccine mandates, the censorship by major tech companies and mainstream media outlets made him one of the braver voices out there. I’m not the only one. People like Russell Brand started showing up on his show. Turns out that Carlson is not only watched by your aging, conservative, parents. Young people in the key 18-34 demo flocked to his show in recent years. Over 3 million people watch his show every week night.
Which is what made his abrupt firing so significant.
He’s since announced the start of his comeback with a show he will debut on Twitter, though not under any kind of formal deal. But I digress…
The Long Slide is a collection of articles from as far back as 1995 up to 2006 (if memory serves). So a decade, possibly more.
The articles were written for a variety of publications, many of which were and still would be considered politically liberal or left. Given the hyper-divided state of our country at the moment, it is interesting to see how pre-social media, at the dawn of the internet age, we were much more willing to be confronted with articles written by people we didn’t necessarily agree with and not lose our collective minds if they showed up in a newspaper or magazine we did read.
This is a point Tucker Carlson makes in his introduction, along with the point that many of the people he wrote about for these publications, who at the time seemed super important eliciting strong feelings for or against, have ultimately been forgotten. Or proven inconsequential. We can’t even remember why they bothered us so much at the time. This point in the introduction alone makes the book worth the read. The articles themselves are all entertaining and written in some form of the Tucker Carlson sarcastic wit, but never to the point of obscuring the subject he is writing about. You always come away having learned something, at the same time as you’ve had a chance to think about Carlson’s own point of view on the matter.