I’m currently without a computer at home, the absence of which is very frustrating when I’m used to coming home at night, powering the PC up and surfing the web. But a recent lightning strike in my neighborhood apparently did something to kill the LAN card inside my computer, thus preventing me from accessing the Internet. Everything else seems fine with the computer, and I didn’t lose any files, but the problem was not something I felt confident that I could fix myself so I took it to a friend who knows much more about these tech-things than I do (which doesn’t take much; I’m lucky if I can manage to connect cables in the proper place). Hopefully I’ll have it back and running any day now. Meanwhile, it’s forcing me to read more, which is a not a bad thing. Here are some of the books I’ve read recently:
Scott Anderson – The Man Who Tried to Save the World. This is a true account of the search for Fred Cuny, an American who was nicknamed “The Master of Disaster” for his adept organizing and handling of various relief projects around the world. Cuny traveled to many dangerous areas, including Chechnya, where he mysteriously disappeared in 1995. Anderson takes a look at Cuny’s equally mysterious life and unorthodox methods. A most fascinating look at the world of relief organizations, world governments, and of Cuny himself.
Joseph O’Neill – Netherland. The sport of cricket, immigrants living in New York City, and a good old fashioned mystery combine to make this highly acclaimed book a great read. It didn’t make me want to go out and watch a cricket test match, but as he weaves his story, O’Neill deftly reveals why so many people have such passion for the sport.
Bill Pronzini – Shackles. Another excellent mystery featuring Pronzini’s intriguing “Nameless Detective” character. The plot seemed pretty weak at first glance, but Pronzini turned this into another gripping read.
Ben Elton – Popcorn. I loved Elton’s clever/hilarious/satirical Blind Faith, but was less than crazy about the silly Chart Throb. Others had recommended this novel but I just didn’t get into it, annoyed too much by the blatant Tarrantino-like over-the-top violence and film script snippets. I think this may be my last attempt at reading Ben Elton.
Sarah Waters – The Night Watch. I read Tipping the Velvet by Waters several years ago and liked it very much, so decided to try this one, a novel which was nominated for a Booker Prize. This historical novel (set in London during WWII) is very well written and packed with intriguing characters.
Wilfred Thesiger – Among the Mountains: Travels Through Asia. Thesiger was one of the more intrepid explorers of the twentieth century, venturing through deserts and marshes of the Middle Wast and South Asia, in areas where few, if any, westerners had ever traveled. This book details his amazing trips through rugged mountain ranges and villages in Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, and Nuristan in the 1950s and 1960s.
Richard Russo – That Old Cape Magic. I love Russo’s books and have read every one he’s written thus far, so I was eager to tackle this one too. Once again he has a flair for making you care about his characters. Those memorable characters and Russo’s usual sharp prose create another winner.
James Swain – The Night Stalker. I have enjoyed reading Swain’s Tony Valentine gambling-themed crime novels, but this time he switches characters and styles, trying for more of hard-edged private eye feel. The positive blurb (“A nonstop nail-biter …. Hero Jack Carpenter is one for the ages”) on the cover by Lee Child (whose Jack Reacher books I love) intrigued me enough to buy this, but I was very disappointed. Too much of this novel was riddled with clichéd characters, weak dialogue and just plain silly scenarios. It had an interesting premise and the potential to be a good book, but it fell flat in my estimation. It seemed like something Swain wrote too quickly and was not edited well.
Robert B. Parker – Cold Service. Another entertaining Spenser mystery by the late, great author. As always, the dialogue is succinctly sharp and the plot fast-paced. Spenser and the menacing Hawk make a great combo.
Richard Stark – Run Lethal. Using his Stark alias, Donald Westlake penned many novels using the Parker character. First published in 1966, this was labeled “a novel of violence” on the cover. Nowadays, the violence in this book wouldn’t raise many eyebrows. Nothing at all like Westlake’s light-hearted Dortmunder novels, but this one still holds the reader’s interest.
Olen Steinhauer – The Tourist. I’ve heard good things about Steinhauer (by my count he’s now written six novels) so I figured I’d give this spy novel a chance. Steinhauer has been compared to the lofty likes of Graham Greene and John Le Carre, so it didn’t seem like this was going to be some throwaway thriller. And it’s not. Just started it a few days ago but so far I’m quite impressed.
Rex Stout – Where There’s a Will. I always enjoy reading Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries, and this one is another classic. Wolfe’s playful, if sometimes irritable, banter with his sidekick, Archie Goodwin, always provides plenty of smiles.
I’m hearing many mind-numbing and depressing tales about life in the United States lately. Unemployment is scarily high, the cost of living remains steep, the ageing infrastructure needs attention, and politicians — on both sides of the increasingly rusty fence — continue to behave like fools and/or aloof creeps. And then there are the spoiled rich brats in professional spors. Take baseball for example. It’s my favorite sport, but most of the people playing the game are mindless dolts who have never had to work a real job in their lives. I read an online report this week on ESPN bemoaning the lack of attendance at Tampa Bay Rays games. Here is part of what it said:
They’re in first place, and they’re getting big hits and powerful pitching. Now they just need some more fans to show up. The Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 before an announced crowd of just 11,968 on Monday night. The sparse gathering came one day after the AL East co-leading Rays completed a three-game series against Boston in which Tampa Bay took two of three. “It was a big letdown,” Rays All-Star left fielder Carl Crawford said. “We came out all fired up and you see that (lack of fans), it’s really depressing.” “There’s nothing we can do about that anymore, honestly,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “Whether it’s winning or losing or whatever, we can’t even be concerned about that. Of course it’s disappointing, but we do appreciate the group that did come out. It’s too bad because you’re missing really good baseball.”
Missing good baseball, perhaps, but those fans are also saving valuable dollars by NOT going to those games. Depending on the day of the week you attend, and the section of the stadium where you sit, a Tampa Bay fan will have the “privilege” of paying anywhere from $20 to $150 for a single seat at a game. A special seat behind home plate will set you back $300. What justifies those spiraling prices? It may have something to do with the salaries that the athletes are now commanding. The annual salary of a baseball player is now in the range of $1,000,000 (for a scrub who doesn’t play every day) to $20,000,000 (for your stud superstars). Yes, that’s millions of dollars. Even the lowliest rookie on a team is making a comfy $400,000 per year. But those guys are whining about not enough fans coming out to watch them play their games? That’s pathetic. Everyone one of these overpaid assholes needs to start channeling a significant portion of their salary back into the community, donating to charity, helping the homeless, or giving tickets away to youth groups and orphanages. Millions of people are out of work this year, but these oblivious baseball players don’t seem to be living on the same planet with the rest of the general public.
