Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Read Me

Today, sports will be taking a backseat for the Twig, because, let's be honest, there isn't too much going on in that area right now. Yes, March Madness and Opening Day are right around the corner, but as of Right Now-8:44a.m. CDT-It's pretty slow in the sports world. What I'm bringing to the table this morning is a topic that I've suddendly grown very fond of in 2008. That's right, we're talking books at JAT!! (Told you it was a sllloooowww sports day) My interest in books has peaked this year, as I made a new year's resolution that I may actually accomplish.

Three months ago, I made it my goal for the year to read ten books in 2008. Somewhere, Justin Scott is giggling, thinking, "Ten? Really? In a year? Dude, I've read ten books in a month before!" Well excuse me, smarty pants, not all of us are 'single' and in 'post-graduate school.' Here in the real world, we have responsibilities, such as providing for one's family, and...uh, blogging once a week. Anyway, I've knocked out four books so far, and I'm close to finishing the fifth, so it looks like ten for the year will be attained. The books I've read range from the supernatural-Dean Koontz's Forever Odd-to the wildly entertaining-Rammer Jammer Yellowhammer, by Warren St. John and 21:Bringing Down the House, by Ben Mezrich. (For those who haven't seen the previews on TV, the new movie 21, is based on the true story of a group of MIT students who learn to count cards while playing blackjack and make millions during their weekend trips to Las Vegas. From the looks of it, the book seems exponentially better than the movie will be, so I highly recommend reading the book first if you plan on watching the movie)

Last week, after finishing 21, I went to Barnes and Noble with Kayla and Bethany, and ended up buying the book I'm currently reading, Con Ed, by Matthew Klein, and my next book, Ugly Americans, also by Ben Mezrich, as well as a toilet reader, What Would MacGyver Do? True Stories of Improvised Genius, by Brendan Vaughan. After I'm finished with these, however, I'm not sure what my next read will be, which brings me to the point of this post. I'm running out of ideas, and need suggestions from faithful readers. I've heard great things about Cormac McCarthy, and have been thinking about getting something by him, as well as a few other possiblities, but I'm sure I'd be missing out on something great if I didn't consult the JAT community first. Thank you for your time, you've been fantastic as usual.

-Twig

8 comments:

Luke Reeves said...

G.K. Chesterton. Humorous and poignant.

Brandon Maenius said...

J.T. Scott - "The Chronicles of The Johna - The Burg, the Blue Chair and the Rolling Rock" Good read.

Lance - good jerb holding this blog together.

-Faithfully Yours

Austin said...

Seriously, I'm proud of you for keeping this thing together Lance.

I don't really read any fiction, so if you have any non-fiction questions I'm here for you. I also agree with what you say about J-Scott reading at an insane level for a normal human. I'm on about a book every 2-3 week pace since our son was born. Might I recommend "Pistol" by Mark Kriegel. Great book on Pistol Pete that I'm finishing now.

Hey, I do have a topic I'd like to see discussed on this site: The controversy surrounding the Tampa Bay Rays minor leaguer who ran over the Yankees' catcher in a Spring Training game the other day. Is that okay or wrong in your book?

Justin said...

Good sir, I could not get mad at you if I tried, so I'm just going to say thanks for the mention.

I'm glad you enjoyed RJYH. I recommend this book to Brandon, and I'm recommending it to you as well: "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis, the same guy who wrote the famed "Moneyball". Pick it up, my friend. I do not think you will be disappointed.

Austin said...

Totally agree with Justin, "The Blind Side" is a great book and still relevant since Michael Oher decided to go back to Ole Miss for his senior year.

Justin, if you really like Lewis, might I recommend "Liar's Poker" which chronicles Lewis's work on Wall Street. It's a great description of how things were at a late '80s bond trading desk. I read it right after Moneyball and loved it.

Justin said...

Austin,

Not to sound like a caricature of myself, but...I actually read "Liar's Poker" last year. Please, let the hate rain down, all of you.

Austin said...

I should have known...a good book by a good writer, it's been read by J-Scott.

lance said...

I'm loving the running commentary on good books. Keep the comments coming and let's break into double-digits, a new JAT record!