Summer Reading Recommendations

[GuyFawkes38]

I usually think of summer reading as a little more casual (something you can do at a beach or an airport). But all recommendations would be great.

Also, classic literature recommendations would be nice. It's hard to know what classics to read since everyone feels obligated to give them all great reviews.

[Blueblob4life]

S*it My Dad Says by Justin Halpern- good for a quick read and some great laughs

Me of Little Faith by Lewis Black- a few years old but still funny and kind of insightful.

I've got more, but let me find em

[LutherRackleyRulez]

2010 is the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird.

Several bookstores/libraries are holding special events to mark the occasion.



My recs:

- Any book by Charles Bukowski

- 2 David Halberstam books: The Breaks of the Game and Firehouse

[drudy23]

the sports page...then after that, get some exercise.

[DART87]

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

[Nigel Tufnel]

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Great book, Dart87.

If you are looking for some good mystery reads, I would recommend the Stieg Larrson Millenium trilogy. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. They aren't your typical mysteries and some people might find them a little slow in places, but I really liked them.

[GuyFawkes38]

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

wow, crazy. I'm about a third through it. It's very funny.

[ChicagoX]

I work in sports publishing for Triumph Books (http://www.triumphbooks.com), and here are some interesting biographies that we came out with this spring:

Bios:
-Scooter: The Biography of Phil Rizzuto
-Stan the Man: The Life and Times of Stan Musial
-Al Kaline: The Biography of Tigers Icon
-Mike Schmidt: The Phillies' Legendary Slugger

Autobios:
-Straight Talk from Wild Thing (Mitch Williams' autobiography)
-Always an Angel: Playing the Game with Fire and Faith (Tim Salmon autobiography)
-Of Mikes and Men: A Lifetime of Braves Baseball (Pete Van Wieren autobiography)

Here is the link to our Spring 2010 Catalog (http://www.triumphbooks.com/pages/spring_2010/319.php?list=0). Our Fall 2010 catalog should be up soon with several new football, hockey and basketball titles.

Also, if you register with our site and monthly newsletter (http://www.triumphbooks.com/pages/free_book_giveaway/306.php), you will get a buy one get one free coupon from us. I promise that we don't spam or share email addresses and you will only receive an email from us once a month with book signing appearances, new book releases and interviews with authors.

Sorry for the shameless plug, but I figured if I was going to do it, this would be the thread for it. About 90% of our titles are sports-related, so I thought that this would be the right venue to mention some of our book releases for those who might be interested.

Mods, if this is inappropriate and too much of a shameless plug, feel free to delete.

[DART87]

wow, crazy. I'm about a third through it. It's very funny.

One of my all-time favorites. Another book I would recommend is:

McCarthy's Bar by Pete McCarthy

[GuyFawkes38]

Thanks for the info, ChicagoX. That must be an amazing line of work.

I just finished reading "The Closing of the American Mind" by famous neo-con Allan Bloom. It's available for a discounted price of $6.00 on Amazon. It's depressing, but interesting. Like supposedly every neo-con work, Bloom intended the book to have different meanings for different people. So Bloom says a lot of stuff he doesn't really mean and it's fun to try to figure out his real perspective.

[smileyy]

I'm still working my way through Infinite Jest for the second time.

[GuyFawkes38]

I'm still working my way through Infinite Jest for the second time.

I tried to read it last summer. I only lasted 50 pages. I still have it on my bookshelf. At first I was pumped about reading the huge book. It really is like the reading equivalent of running a marathon. But then I thought about all the books I wouldn't get to read if I did try to read it all. And the first 50 pages were boring and a bit confusing.

So I'm guessing if your reading it for a second time, you really love it. I've heard mixed reviews.

Edit: I'm holding the book now. It's longer than the Bible, with 75 pages of footnotes.

[Kahns Krazy]

I tried to read it last summer. I only lasted 50 pages. I still have it on my bookshelf. At first I was pumped about reading the huge book. It really is like the reading equivalent of running a marathon. But then I thought about all the books I wouldn't get to read if I did try to read it all. And the first 50 pages were boring and a bit confusing.
.

No 26.2 bumper sticker for you.

[smileyy]

So I'm guessing if your reading it for a second time, you really love it. I've heard mixed reviews.


I really like it. I'm not sure about love. But there's just so much there to enjoy. There's a clear analogy between the book, and the samizdat that people can't stop watching talked about in the book.