Odd mix of books in my rotation right now:
In my continuing attempt to mirror Joe’s progression through the top ranks of mystery writers (just a few months behind), I picked up the first Lee Child novel, Killing Floor — I’m looking forward to starting a series that will keep me busy for a while — and Jack Reacher is one of the classic modern mystery protagonists. Perfect reading for sitting inside out of the 100* heat (or rain, or whatever particular piece of weather we are being assaulted with on a given summer day).
I’ve already read a lot of baseball books this year, but when I saw Doug Glanville had written his first book, I had no choice but to tear into it — and I wasn’t disappointed. Glanville was the centerfielder/leadoff hitter for the Phillies from 1998-2002, and was widely recognized as the best source for funny and insightful postgame comments. What struck me as I read his book is that he’s kind of the anti-Canseco. You won’t find steroid accusations or bizarre A-Rod/girlfriend scandals; The Game from Where I Stand is a candid, honest discussion about the pressures of being a professional athlete, particularly the struggles of being a thoughtful, self-aware athlete surrounded by people incapable of or unwilling to show weakness. Reminded me a bit of Paul Shirley’s book Can I Keep My Jersey?, and Matt McCarthy’s Odd Man Out, two books I really enjoyed.
And lastly, I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of a book I ordered a couple days ago, bound to take the world by storm and rocket up the NYT nonfiction bestseller’s list: Performance Fuel Injection Systems. OK, maybe it’s not everyone’s ideal pleasure reading, but it’s a good reminder that virtually no subject or title is too obscure for us to seek out — if it’s out there, we’ll do our best to get it for you.
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