The Global War on Morris - Steve Israel

For this week's non-crime Monday I am posting The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel with the permission of Shelf Awareness for Readers where it first appeared as a starred review. There's a lot of food for thought in this satire, but a lot of laughs as well. Hope you enjoy.

(Note, the first line of the book is preceded by this definition: tsu-ris (/tsoÕùoris/) n.--1. Trouble or woe; aggravation.)

First line: "Tsuris ahead."

Brandishing biting wit and a Washington insider's perspective, U.S. Congressman Steve Israel (New York) takes aim at the United States' global war on terror--revealing true casualties--in his hilariously shrewd first novel.

Pharmaceutical salesman Morris Feldstein walks the straight and narrow in his tediously routine life. He avoids conflict at all costs and follows the philosophy "don't make waves." Victoria D'Amico is a recently single, lonely receptionist on Morris's sales route. She lures Morris, who is in a rare state of weakness, to lunch and seduces him into a single, pitiful illicit rendezvous. Before Morris even reaches the seedy motel, the government is scrutinizing him through crosshairs due to a zany chain of innocent encounters. Spies and surveillance systems feed misinterpreted information about Morris into a supercomputer that determines he is a serious threat to national security. Morris Feldstein's routine life is turned upside down with no sign of being righted.

Israel's wicked sense of humor highlights the absurdity of his subject matter, clear down to setting descriptions: "Landscaping trucks sat on the sides of the road like infantry vehicles in an army of occupation, a foreign legion of immigrants impressed into lawn-to-lawn combat in the global war on dandelions." Readers will doubtlessly find analogs to Israel's exaggerated characters among their coworkers, neighbors, maybe even family.

Like his salesman protagonist, Israel has something to pitch: the belief that Americans must stop allowing fear to govern them. His obvious conviction for this idea propels him to alter Morris's philosophy: "be selective; make the right waves." The Global War on Morris is the right wave.

The Global War on Morris is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781476772233) from Simon & Schuster.

My Favorite Reads of 2014 & A Year-End Wrap-up

It does not seem possible that today is the last day of 2014. The calendar pages really seemed to turn quickly for me this year. Did you find that too?

I had quite a successful year of reading. I read 106 books this year. This is actually the most I've read since the first year I blogged. In 2008 I read 112. It's a pretty big accomplishment for me considering how many non-fiction books I've read this year--they always take me a little longer to read than fiction.

But here are the statistical breakdowns, for those who might be interested.

Total books read: 106
Number of different authors read: 102
Number of new-to-me authors: 70
Number of debuts: 12
Number of audiobooks: 35
Number of fiction works: 85
Number of non-fiction works: 21
Number of male authors: 72
Number of female authors: 37
(note: the overlap in gender numbers comes from books with multiple authors)

I've enjoyed the variety of books I've read and my year-end list surely reflects it. While I often feel like there's a lot I'm missing, I know it isn't realistic to think I can read it all. I'm quite content reading what makes me happy, though. My approach will probably go in a similar direction for 2015 but you never can tell what interesting twists may arise. In the mean time, a look at my favorite reads of 2014.

A drumroll please....

10. Things Half in Shadow by Alan Finn - I started to include this one on my debut list, but since it's not really a debut, just the first book under the pen name, I opted not to include it there--that's kind of like cheating, right? But it's been awhile since a historical novel grabbed me the way this one did. My review of it will be forthcoming (after it appears in Shelf Awareness) but it snuck in under the wire with a Dec. 30th release date. I enjoyed the blending of genres, the characters and the mystical element of the book. Boy, you don't hear me say that often, do you?

9.   All Day and a Night by Alafair Burke - I'm kind of running out of stuff to say about Alafair Burke's work without repeating myself, since she shows up on this list year after year. The areas I praise her in she only improves with each book. This is--in my opinion--her best work to date. She keeps it fresh, fun, fast and engaging (did you think I'd use another f-word there?).  As you can see from my stats, I read a large number of books by authors who are new to me each year, so I don't end up reading a lot of the same people continually. But Alafair Burke is one of the few I anxiously anticipate and make time for, regardless.

8.   All the Truth is Out by Matt Bai - I found this book to be so vital to the understanding of our consumption of news in this era. We're so caught up in things that don't actually matter or only searching out the things we want to hear or even manipulating the truth so it becomes what we want it to be. Eye opening, honest and challenging. Bai did his homework and delivers it superbly. This is really an important issue and one we'd all benefit from examining a little closer.

7.   Roosevelt's Beast by Louis Bayard - First of all, Louis Bayard used one of my favorite words in this book -- Bwana. I've christened him Bwana Bayard and it's a perfect fit. This book is smart, funny, brilliantly constructed. Not many people can plop you into the South American jungles with a monster and make it enjoyable. Reading a book by Louis Bayard always ends up being a sweet treat, Roosevelt's Beast was no exception.

6.   Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter by Jutta Profijt - Really I have to say all three of Profijt's books should be included here. I chose Do Not Enter because it's the book that was published this year in the U.S. but I just feel as though I've discovered secret treasure with this series. Of course, it was secret to me, but now I've unearthed it and that makes me very happy. Don't worry, a gushing review of all three books is forthcoming, I promise!

5.   The Global War on Morris by Steve Israel - Somehow I completely missed this book as a debut--I should have included in yesterday's list as well, but when Israel decides to hang up his political hat, he's got a real future in publishing. Heck, he doesn't even need to give up the day job, I guess. In this case his insider perspective helped as The Global War on Morris is a political satire. This is another under the wire December 30th publication and my review is forthcoming. Rapier wit, intelligent argument and an absurd reality.

4.  Hand to Mouth by Linda Tirado - Linda Tirado blew me away. She's smart, witty, brutally honest and this book is a scary reminder for us all of how close we are to poverty. More than that, it's a wake-up call to the fact that we are not better or more deserving than the working poor...or those in deep poverty for that matter. Tirado has written in such a way as to let us walk in her shoes for awhile. And they're rather uncomfortable. Tirado has an important message to share but she also has a gift with writing. I hope there will be more from her in the future.

3.   Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson - With the year's national headlines related to race issues in our country, this book was even more powerful than anyone really could have anticipated. Just Mercy emphasizes the massive miscarriages of justice that happen every day that never make those headlines, the ones many people remain happily ignorant to. It's startling, mortifying and it's something every single person in this country needs to be aware of. It's beautifully written and reads like fiction. If only it were.

2.   Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson - I adore Craig Johnson's full-length novels, but I chose the collection of shorts because I was reminded while reading them how endearing, touching, humorous and so densely packed with wonderfulness each one is. It's a small package, but boy howdy is it a priceless gem.

1.   A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Brackman - I gushed over this book yesterday, so you probably don't need me to do so again today. I'll simply say that if you haven't checked this one out yet, I highly recommend you do. There's simply so much to love in it--everyone needs an Ove!

And there you have it. My favorite reads of 2014. It was certainly a great year for reading. How about you? What knocked your socks off this year?

Also, a last little correction for yesterday. I included The Secret Wisdom of the Earth on my favorite debuts list and it IS in fact one of my favorite debuts. However, it doesn't officially come out until 2015. I read it in advance to cover it for Shelf Awareness and lost track of its publication date--January 2015. It's a wonderful book but it isn't a 2014 debut. Sorry!

2014 Favorite Covers & First Lines

Well, it's hard to believe it, but it's that time of year again. Time to sum up the year in reading with my favorites lists. For those who may be new to the blog this year end, I have foregone the use of the term "best" because the connotation indicates there is a standard or rubric that makes the selection objective, when in reality all of these lists--no matter who they are compiled by--are completely subjective and dependent on the choosers' tastes and interests. So my lists are "favorite lists."

I had hoped to integrate some stats from what blog readers also liked this year, but the responses were too few to offer anything up in that realm. Maybe next year?

As for my favorites in the categories of covers and first lines, here are those that rocked my reading world for 2014:

FAVORITE COVERS

5.  A Better World (Marcus Sakey): I think you'll notice a running theme of simplicity in my favorite covers. In addition to A Better World's cover having a connection with the first in the trilogy, it screams a big meaning in a subtle use of art. The only thing that would have improved this cover is a more subtle use of the blurb--preferably moving it to the back cover.

4. Roosevelt's Beast (Louis Bayard): The rich layered approach of Bayard's writing is epitomized in the dimension of this cover. His atmosphere and setting are nailed.  The minimalistic use of color gives each hue strength in the overall arrangement. The font choice for the title builds the suspense before readers even crack the cover. And the wording is limited to the title and author--how wonderfully refreshing.

3. Conquest (John Connolly & Jennie Redyard): I absolutely love the use of shape and light in this cover. It exudes so many elements of the novel: the blending of cultures, the sci-fi genre, they mysterious and unknown, as well as the strong connection to basics of the planet. Again, I think the simplistic color scheme adds strength to each shade and highlight.

2. The Global War on Morris (Steve Israel): This is a very late entry for 2014. The book comes out tomorrow and you'll hear more about it after my review runs in Shelf Awareness, but this cover has a less subtle use of color which is perfect for this political satire. The stark contrast between the elements in this composition are bold and loud and funny, just like the points Israel makes inside the book.

1. The Intern's Handbook (Shane Kuhn): I listened to this audiobook for Audiofile Magazine and much like The Global War on Morris, the colors of this cover are minimal but they are bold and jump out at the viewer. The composition of the cover is brilliant and intricately tied to the plot. I can't help but love a cover that makes a concerted effort to accurately tie into the novel it's representing.  Kudos to Simon and Schuster on this beauty!

FAVORITE FIRST LINES:

5.  Talk by Michael Smerconish: "Fire, tits and sharks are TV gold."

4. Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix: "It was dawn, and the zombies were stumbling through the parking lot, streaming toward the massive beige box at the far end."

3. Don't Look Back by Gregg Hurwitz: "Terror came as a vibration, a plucked-wire note more felt than heard, primary to the deadening heat, to the flick of unseen insects against her face, to the oppressive night humidity that pressed into her pores."

2. Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta: "On the last day of Jace Wilson's life, the thirteen-year-old stood on a quarry ledge staring at cool, still water and finally understood something his mother had told him years before: Trouble might come for you when you showed fear, but trouble doubled-down when you lied about it."

1. The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke: "The moose head was fixed to the wall, the microphone in its mouth was broken, but the camera in its left eye was working just fine, and as far as the moose head could see, this was just another Friday night in the Lumber Lodge!"

What covers and first lines tickled your fancy this year? Share with us in the comments, we'd love to know. Tomorrow I'll have my favorite debuts and favorite audiobooks for 2014. See you then!