Author Archive
Well it’s World Series time, so that means time for some baseball books.
While I don’t watch a lot of baseball, I really enjoy the incredible amount of strategy that goes into each pitch: where to place your fielders, where to place your pitch, and how all that changes when you have runners on base, etc., etc. Add to that all of the unwritten rules of baseball – like when do you bean a guy, and conversely, when does one charge the mound? Then add to that all of the different ways you can cheat, and not just by taking steroids and throwing spitballs. The grounds crew can get involved as well- how the pitcher’s mound is set up, how well the foul lines are maintained - these tiny things can be manipulated and have an impact as well. If you are of a mind to read up on these themes than I would recommend: The Code : Baseball’s Unwritten Rules and its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct by Ross Bernstein and The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball by Derek Zumsteg. Looking for a good general guide to baseball strategy? Check out my earlier posting here.
And if you are in the mood for a good baseball novel, then I would highly recommend Battle creek by Scott Lasser. Battle Creek is the story of a minor league baseball team in Michigan, one that is perennially a runner up in the league championships. Each of the characters in the book has to wrestle with just what ethical lines they will cross to bring home that elusive championship. Battle Creek is also the story of men, their relationships with their fathers, their relationships with women, and their relationships with their teammates.
When reading Battle Creek, you can tell that Mr. Lasser is also a baseball fan. Many of the intricacies that I mentioned earlier inform this book. That being said, I don’t think it’s necessary to be that level of a fan to appreciate the book. A bittersweet book, it’s well worth the read.
October 20th, 2008
Gregg - Sequoya
Way of the Wolf by E.E. Knight is the first book in his Vampire Earth series.
First off don’t let the vampire in the vampire earth series put you off, this is not another book about blood sucking count dracula types. The vampires refer to the Kurians, an ancient alien race that has come to earth to feed on the vital aura of human beings. To do this they first had to soften the earth up by sending disease & assorted nasty creatures, reducing civilization to a primitive state. The earth is now divided into free areas that fight the Kurians and those who collaborate with them.
E.E. Knight was born in Wisconsin, and it shows. There is a good chunk of the book where the hero, David Valentine, is running through Wisconsin, and his descriptions of the area add a nice local touch.
It’s a great rip roaring trip, with elements of science fiction, horror, and military fiction. A great summer read.
July 26th, 2008
Gregg - Sequoya
In case you missed Part 1, I’m listing a couple of the books that I found recommended in the book Lost Classics where well known authors list some of their favorite under appreciated books.
Today’s entry is Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor. Originally published in 1938, Address Unknown is the story of a Jewish art dealer and his business partner. The business partner leaves for Germany and falls under the spell of the rising Nazi party. While in Germany he has a chance to help the niece of the art dealer, but because she is Jewish, he refuses so he can remain in the good graces of the local Nazis.
What makes this slim novel interesting is that it is told through letters between the art dealer and his partner (for more epistolary fiction check out our list here). A quick read, and the original way in which the art dealer gets his revenge makes this one well worth checking out.
April 12th, 2008
Gregg - Sequoya
Need to add more titles to your “To Read” list? A while ago I stumbled across a great book called Lost Classics: Writers on Books Loved and Lost, Overlooked, Under-read, Unavailable, Stolen, Extinct, or Otherwise Out of Commission, in which famous authors list some of their favorite under appreciated and overlooked books.
In the book one of my favorite authors, John Irving, listed The Headmaster’s Papers by Richard A. Hawley as a lost classic, and while I personally wouldn’t call it a classic it was a very good read.
In The Headmaster’s Papers we follow the life of John Greeve, headmaster at Wells Academy. John is old fashioned, a man of principles, but his world is falling apart; problems both profound and picayune are hounding him. We follow John’s descent through his letters. These letters give us an intimate portrait of life at the Academy, as well as showing us John’s struggles with a world that is changing. This book should be depressing, but it’s not. While Greeve’s battle is ultimately lost, his noble struggle to keep himself above water is inspirational.
April 1st, 2008
Gregg - Sequoya
OK first things first, get the image of Rambo played by Sylvester Stallone in a series of movies in the 1980’s out of your head. Finished? Then lets begin.
First Blood (another edition) by David Morrell is the story of John Rambo, an ex-Green Beret just back from Vietnam. Now he’s a drifter, aimlessly wandering the states. He drifts into a small Kentucky town and meets Sheriff Teasle, and from there things go downhill.
Sheriff Teasle thinks Rambo is a bum, and encourages him to leave town. Rambo decides that he is not going to take being pushed around anymore. From there, let’s just say that things start to escalate. Morrell takes us inside the two characters, and we get to see their motivations for taking a simple confrontation and turning it into a conflagration. A top notch thriller.
August 23rd, 2007
Gregg - Sequoya
Looking for something a little offbeat? Then check out Death Jr. by Gary Whitta. It tells the story of the son of the Grim Reaper and the trials and travails he goes through when he goes to a new school. Things get off to a bad start when he gets too close to the class goldfish and it dies. However, there are a other oddballs in the class, and Death Jr fits right in.
There is a story here—something about demons escaping and an army of the recently deceased taking over the world—but the real fun is seeing the Grim Reaper as a dedicated family man, and the relationship between father and son as Death Jr tries to be like his dad. A great light read.
June 25th, 2007
Gregg - Sequoya
How long has it been since you have played a game of 
baseball? I don’t think that I’ve played since little league, but I’ve always enjoyed the game, and like catching the occasional Mallards or Brewers game. If you would like to take your appreciation of the game to a whole new level then check out Watching Baseball Smarter : A Professional Fan’s Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks. Zack Hample is obviously quite a fan, and he describes the many games within the game such as pitcher vs batter, pitcher vs runner on first, first baseman vs runner on first, etc. In addition he clears up many mysteries such as the infield fly rule. My only complaint (and it’s a minor one) is the way he sometimes uses baseball lingo without explaining it; you need to go to the glossary to find out the definition of the term he just used. Other than that, this is a great book to help you appreciate all of the nuances that are involved in a baseball game.
June 11th, 2007
Gregg - Sequoya
Under the Eagle : A Tale of Military Adventure and Reckless Heroism with the Roman Legions by Simon Scarrow.
Meet Macro: veteran soldier, tough guy, rough around the edges, curse word using, seasoned campaigner. Recently promoted to Centurion.
Meet Cato: newbie, raw recruit, literature reading, former slave, with connections to high falutin people in Rome. Recently promoted (for dubious reasions) to Optio, Macro’s second in command.
Macro takes Cato under his wing despite their differences, and as the Roman army goes from Germany to Britain, the two find themselves involved in various plots and schemes revolving around the newly installed emperor.
If you are looking for a good, light adventure story, this was a rollicking good read. If you really like it, there are more books in the series.
February 19th, 2007
Gregg - Sequoya
Meet Paul Skoglund. Paul suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, 
but has it pretty well under control. Unfortunately, it has caused him to be unemployed for some time. So when Paul’s aunt asks him to fix up her family home, which was recently vandalized, he jumps at the chance to make some money. Good for Paul, right?
Well…Paul’s aunt is a little creepy. Paul’s cousin (his aunt’s son) is even creepier. In the area where his aunt’s house is, a number of teens have gone missing. Plus, when Paul gets to the house, it becomes apparent that the damage to the house is far more than just simple vandalism.
Skull session by Daniel Hecht was a great thriller, it had me turning pages late into the night. I had a slight problem with the ending (didn’t really buy into the explanation), but really enjoyed the book.
February 12th, 2007
Gregg - Sequoya
I’ve written about Dan Simmons before and was very excited about his new book, and I’m here to tell you that The Terror was incredible.
The Terror is historical fiction, based on the Sir John Franklin expedition to find the Northwest Passage. Two ships (named the Terror and Erebus) and 129 men set out from London in 1845 and vanished somewhere in the arctic. What happened to them no one knows, but Simmons fills in the blanks in this book.
The crews have to endure a lot: the extreme cold, disease, and…something…something supernatural that is stalking the crew. Not a fan of horror fiction? Don’t let the supernatural element put you off -you can gloss over the ghostly bits, and read this as a survival story, it is no less compelling.
If you prefer non-fiction, or would like to get more historical background on the expedition, check out Ice blink : the Tragic Fate of Sir John Franklin’s Lost Polar Expedition by Scott Cookman. Cookman’s work helps to answer some of the questions that come up while reading the novel, such as why was Franklin, who in the novel is somewhat of a buffoon, in charge of the expedition in the first place?
Most importantly, reading either one of these books will make you think that 15 degrees below zero is a heatwave!
February 6th, 2007
Gregg - Sequoya
Previous Posts
While I don’t watch a lot of baseball, I really enjoy the incredible amount of strategy that goes into each pitch: where to place your fielders, where to place your pitch, and how all that changes when you have runners on base, etc., etc. Add to that all of the unwritten rules of baseball – like when do you bean a guy, and conversely, when does one charge the mound? Then add to that all of the different ways you can cheat, and not just by taking steroids and throwing spitballs. The grounds crew can get involved as well- how the pitcher’s mound is set up, how well the foul lines are maintained - these tiny things can be manipulated and have an impact as well. If you are of a mind to read up on these themes than I would recommend: The Code : Baseball’s Unwritten Rules and its Ignore-at-Your-Own-Risk Code of Conduct by Ross Bernstein and The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball by Derek Zumsteg. Looking for a good general guide to baseball strategy? Check out my earlier posting here.
And if you are in the mood for a good baseball novel, then I would highly recommend Battle creek by Scott Lasser. Battle Creek is the story of a minor league baseball team in Michigan, one that is perennially a runner up in the league championships. Each of the characters in the book has to wrestle with just what ethical lines they will cross to bring home that elusive championship. Battle Creek is also the story of men, their relationships with their fathers, their relationships with women, and their relationships with their teammates.
