April Wrap-up
Some things that caught my interest - April 2024
Welcome to Beyond the Bookshelf, a community of readers and writers exploring the intricate relationships between life, literature, and the profound narratives that bind them together.
Dear Readers,
April has been a busy month. I was not expecting how much stuff there would be going on. Most of the activity revolved around work and the final preparations I am making for retirement. Transitioning out of the military is a major undertaking. I have many medical appointments which are required to ensure everything is properly documented before transitioning my care over to the Veteran’s Administration. Every separating member is also responsible for submitting a complete medical history to the VA in order to qualify for service-related disability payments they may be eligible for. There are also the logistics of changing health insurance for the family, filling out reams of paper to process my pension, and ensuring all my responsibilities and duties are in order and properly documented so I can turn everything over to the person relieving me. Finally, there is a retirement ceremony to plan along with a get-together for family and friends. It is a lot to balance but it is also a good process. In addition to all these things I took my daughter to get her driver’s license, we watched her play in her school tennis matches, my wife and I celebrated 21 years of marriage, and I have been doing a lot of reading and writing as I continue to make this publication my home online and my primary effort after the Navy. I am truly grateful for each and every one of you who has subscribed, followed, commented, supported my work with a paid subscription, and, most importantly, sent me words of encouragement. Thank you.
This month I was invited to write a guest post for two phenomenal publications and I wanted to share those with you:
Without further ado, here are some things I appreciated during April:
Books:
The Pearl by John Steinbeck. My review of this book appeared in the April edition of The Steinbeck Review #5.
Villager by
. Having read nearly 2,000 books over the course of my life, including quite a bit of odd stuff along the way, I have never before been left scratching my head in a quandary and asking myself, “What exactly is it that I just read?” I think I liked it but I am not quite sure if I understood it and it is without any doubt whatsoever the weirdest book that graces the shelves of my library. But I sort of think that is what Tom was going for and so “Cheers to you Tom!”John Steinbeck: A Biography by Jay Parini. This is the most recent biography I have read on Steinbeck as I make my way through his complete works. I thought it presented a fairly honest picture of Steinbeck, including his foibles.
Sleeping Giants by Rene Denfeld. I received this book for free from the author through a giveaway by
. It is the first book I read by this author and it was exceptional. The story explores the foster system, boy’s homes, and the trauma experienced by kids disconnected from loving homes.Men Without Women: Stories by Haruki Murakami. A collection of short stories as I make my way through Murakami’s complete works. Not as impressive as some of his novels which I tend to enjoy more.
The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck. My review of this book will appear in the May edition of The Steinbeck Review.
A Russian Journal by John Steinbeck. My review of this book will appear in the May edition of The Steinbeck Review.
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. This modern retelling of Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield is destined to be a timeless classic. Brilliantly written, it addresses the drug epidemic in rural America in an unforgettable manner. Stay tuned in the coming months for an essay reviewing both works together.
Brionne by Louis L’Amour. I continue to slowly make my way through Louis’ works and this short book was fun. Whenever I get too bogged down in heavy reading or simply need a break, these books are a great way to cleanse my literary palate. Always enjoyable and very easy to read, they offer an opportunity to give my mind a rest from the over-thinking it tends to do otherwise.
Burning Bright by John Steinbeck. My review of this book will appear in the May edition of The Steinbeck Review.
Articles:
- is an immensely talented writer. If you don’t have time to read anything else on this list, please read Are you there, Sappho? It’s me, Rot.
- , Montana’s Poet Laureate, shares his thoughts on the importance of poetry in his article Spring Has Begun Here.
- serialized her memoir, (Re)Making Love, and it is must-read material. Poignant, humorous, and vulnerable. You will fall in love with Mary, her writing, or probably both.
- provides some excellent guidance about intentionality in her article How to Keep Your Writing at the Top of Your To-Do List.
- explains How to Start or Deepen a Spiritual Practice and shows us many ways to do this.
- shares Things that are green as spring returns to the English landscape.
- is a writer I look forward to every time he publishes. He is intelligent, interesting, and generous. recently featured his phenomenal article on marriage and children.
- discusses judgment and mindfulness in his article A Monster Truck Crushes My Pride.
- discusses the nature of evil in his article Reading in The Zone of Interest.
Music:
Matthew’s Writing Playlist on Spotify—This instrumental/thematic playlist gets me in a creative mood.
Patty Griffin’s Essential Tracks - My boss, Wayne Baze, recommended Patty’s music to everyone in our office. Her talent crosses genres and her voice caresses the soul. Give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed.
Dar Williams’ Essential Tracks -
recently wrote about this artist in one of his articles, and I checked her out on Spotify. I enjoyed the vibe and thought I would share.This is Matt Maeson - My good friend Quinn Challinor loves this artist and recommended his music to me. It is a sort of alt-rock/indie mix that I hope you enjoy.
Streaming:
Young Sheldon - I finished the six seasons that are available on Max (the service previously known as HBO). I enjoyed it and will look forward to watching the final season at some point.
Rebel Moon Parts 1 and 2 - This was a two-part sci-fi movie that popped up on my Netflix feed. It was very well done and I enjoyed watching it. It is a galactic empire gone bad sort of story in the vein of Star Wars. It even has a cantina scene with odd aliens.
3 Body Problem - I read the book a couple of years ago and did not enjoy it that much. It was very sciency and hard to wrap my head around while reading. Not sure if this was a translation issue since the original was written in Chinese or if that is just the nature of the book. HOWEVER - the 8 part series on Netflix was exceptional. I am glad I watched it because now I understand the story. The show made the science easier to understand in a way the book did not. It explores a lot of different themes including communicating challenges with cultures/species other than our own.
If you want to write a guest post or be interviewed for Beyond the Bookshelf, please email me at matt.m.long@gmail.com. I am looking for anyone interested in sharing the story of their reading journey. I hope to hear from you soon.
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Thank you so much for including one of my pieces in your wrap-up, along with so many other great ones that I am saving to read soon. I appreciate your community orientation to reading and writing, and look forward to staying connected!
Matthew, I’m honored to be included in your April wrap-up, among with so many distinguished authors. My best wishes for your retirement, although I don’t see you slowing down soon. Looking forward to reading more of your work.