What Did You Read in April 2024?
I hope everyone had a good month of reading in April. I further hope that (1) you will find something of interest in my reading list and (2) you’ll share what you read.
Not pictured:
‘Salem’s Lot (1975) Stephen King
With his second novel, King broadens his scope not only by utilizing many more characters than he did in Carrie but also by attempting an ambitious take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The result is quite good and frequently terrifying. Although I have a few issues about the ending, this novel creeped me out in a good way.
Plunder Squad (1972) Richard Stark
With #15 in the series, Richard Stark (pen name of Donald Westlake) places his protagonist Parker in a real pickle. George Uhl, a man Parker had worked with previously, comes back to haunt him. Parker knows he should’ve killed Uhl during The Sour Lemon Score (book 12) for trying to betray him, but he left him hanging around… Rest assured Parker won’t make the same mistake this time. Or will he? Another terrific Parker story with an ending that’s not quite as satisfying as I was hoping for, but still good.
Saving My Assassin: A Memoir (2016) Virginia Prodan
I normally don’t read modern Christian memoirs, often considering them too melodramatic, yet I understand that real-life stories can be a source of strength and comfort for many. Saving My Assassin begins with Virginia Prodan, an attorney working during Nicolae Ceaușescu’s communist rule of Romania. Acting on Ceaușescu’s orders, a man enters Prodan’s office, shuts the door, pulls out a gun, and announces he’s been sent to assassinate her. The story of what happened next is truly extraordinary. Saving My Assassin contains more melodrama than I would’ve liked, but the book is gripping.
From the photo:
Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum (2024) Antonia Hylton
For more than two decades I’ve lived less than 10 miles from the Crownsville State Hospital, the subject of Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum. Yet in all that time I’ve never heard anyone talk about the facility or its history. Now I know why. Madness is an absolutely frightening story. (Thanks to the Severna Park Library staff for gifting this book to me as a retirement present!)
Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness (1895) Andrew Murray
At only 114 pages, this book simply floored me. Whether you have humility issues or not, I’d recommend this book to any Christian.
Oliver Twist (1838) Charles Dickens
I continue my Charles Dickens journey with a book I read many years ago, but since I’d forgotten most of the story, it felt like a new read. I enjoyed Oliver Twist more than The Pickwick Papers since the latter included far too many discursive episodes and clowning (not that I don’t appreciate some occasional clowning). This early in Dickens’s career, character and pacing are extraordinary.
Poetics (336 B.C.E.) Aristotle
Something of a challenging read, perhaps due to the translation and/or the fact that part of the larger work remains lost. Poetics is worth reading and studying, but a familiarity with the plays mentioned in the text seems crucial for a fuller understanding.
2,000 Years of Christ’s Power, Part One: The Age of the Early Church Fathers (1998) Nick R. Needham
My knowledge of church history is, well… not as good as it should be. This first volume of a five-volume set is getting the job done, but Needham weaves in and out of chronological order often enough to make me want to draw time charts and brew another pot of coffee. Perhaps it’s simply my ignorance and inability to stay focused while trying to read this so early in the morning. The first volume covers the 1st to 6th centuries. I welcome thoughts from others who have read from this series.
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley (1994) Peter Guralnick (2x)
I hope to review this and the second volume, Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, in an upcoming post. Although this was my second reading of this volume, I was much more engaged this time. Guralnick is terrific.
The Calvin and Hobbes Portable Compendium Set 1 (2023, first published as newspaper comics in 1985) Bill Watterson
There’s so much I could say (and perhaps will) about this series, but for now, I’ll simply state that I’ve wanted to revisit these comics for years. I’ve often debated purchasing the complete collection in hardcover, but read so many reviews complaining about the binding. This portable compendium (projected to appear as seven sets of two books each) may be the way to go.
God in the Dock (1971) C.S. Lewis
(A reread, first read in 2017) This collection of essays, all of which could come under the term "God in the dock” (or if you'd rather think of it as "God on trial”) covers several years of Lewis’s writing. Some chapters come from questions put to Lewis during lectures, queries covering a wide variety of theological and non-theological issues. Lots to think about and digest here.
Peace over Perfection (2024) Faith Chang
The longer I live, the more I am aware of my tendencies toward perfectionism. While many believe being a perfectionist is admirable, it can also be slavishly hellish. Chang’s book focuses primarily on Christian perfectionism, which can include thinking you’re never good enough in God’s eyes, constantly suffering from anxiety over sin, and more. I found the book enlightening and helpful.
Okay, now let me know what you read in April 2024.