After reading An Italian Ghost, I read "When the Game was War"--basically about the 87-88 NBA season, focusing on 4 teams--the Lakers, Bulls, Celtics and Pistons (and really probably 90% is the Lakers-Celtics-Pistons). Wish it was a little bit more spread out across the NBA because the main idea of the book is that the 87-88 season was the greatest in NBA history. The Lakers/Celtics/Bulls stuff has largely been beaten into the ground but I enjoyed the Pistons aspect of it. The author grew up in Chicago watching Isiah in HS so he obviously has an inclination towards him, but I agree with him that he's an all time guy that has somehow become underrated since he retired.
Anyway, pretty good sports book, would largely recommend.
Wolf, read that Man Trapped in Shadows book. Despite not remembering anything from the first book except killer and cold in Minnesota, would recommend.
I finished this yesterday. My preview is basically the same as the first one: Really good read, enjoyable characters with good pacing and stuff, but didn't quite stick the landing IMHO. I know there was a point where the killer basically said "Not everything is about you" or whatever, but that whole thing felt like a loose end. I mean, everything about the whole story made it seem like it quite literaly was about him, and the climax is just like "Get over yourself; even though I went out of my way to torment you directly and bring you into this case for no reason, it has nothing to do with you." Maybe I missed something while reading in a partial, and I'm probably just over-analyzing it, but that didn't sit right with me.
Still a very enjoyable read; will check out the next one.
Post by Iron Mike Sharpe on Dec 14, 2023 0:24:54 GMT -5
Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer.
Really good. 300 pages that just fly by, finished it in a day. Even was inspired to pull up some clips on YouTube that are mentioned in the book, such as one of their many Letterman appearances.
Post by Iron Mike Sharpe on Dec 20, 2023 0:47:36 GMT -5
Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk by Billy Walter's
The autobiography by one of the greatest gamblers and sports bettors of all time. Once the story really gets going after he arrives in Vegas, the book becomes very enjoyable. Crazy story after crazy story.
Later in the book he has a few chapters on his sports betting methodology. The sheer number of people working for his betting operation is insane. One chapter goes over all of the factors his time goes over to handicap NFL games looking for an edge on the sports books. Very cool stuff.
Post by Iron Mike Sharpe on Dec 25, 2023 20:07:38 GMT -5
Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! Written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker.
Great in depth oral history of the ZAZ boys entry into comedy, stating the Kentucky Fried Theater, moving the theater to LA, writing the Kentucky Fried Movie, then writing Airplane! and finally getting a studio to agree to produce it and let the three of them actually direct the movie.
And the book even has nudity. Very enjoyable read.
Found a great choice for the first FIF book club. It’s free on Kindle, if you can believe that.
In this queer polyamorous m/f romance novella, two metamours realize they have crushes on each other while planning their shared partner's birthday party together. Ernest, a Jewish autistic demiromantic queer fat trans man submissive, and Nora, a Jewish disabled queer fat femme cis woman switch, have to contend with an age gap, a desire not to mess up their lovely polyamorous dynamic as metamours, the fact that Ernest has never been attracted to a cis person before, and the reality that they are romantically attracted to each other, all while planning their dominant's birthday party and trying to do a really good job.