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Friday, May 28, 2021

Winter Spring Reading List

Lately books have been a solace for me, a needed place to escape. In addition to listening to audiobooks during my commute, I’m finally reading books on my phone, as well as a few of the old school books with printed pages. This list represents the books I’ve read from November 2020 through May 2021, in alphabetical order by author. Recommended books in bold.

From a Certain Point of View (Star Wars), by Renee Ahdieh. Compilation of short stories told from the point of view of minor background characters. For the most ardent Star Wars fan, which I am not.

Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife, by Eben Alexander.

Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy, by Judd Apatow. Interesting.

Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman. Kind of a goofy story, with a moral.

One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season, by Chris Ballard. Hoosiers in stirrups. Braves manager Brian Snitker (and his parents) have supporting roles. He’s the starting rightfielder, his freshman and sophomore years.

The Power Couple, Alex Berenson. A slow start that gets much better.

I am a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away, by Bill Bryson. A compilation of once a week columns Bryson wrote for a London newspaper. Perhaps palatable in small doses, but quite weary read back to back. One wonders whether if 13 years later Bryson still holds the same disdain for his native country.

The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream, Paulo Coelho. Trying to read more of the classics.

The Wives, by Tarryn Fisher. The downsides of polygamy. Not a fan of books where the main character self-destructs.

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know, by Malcolm Gladwell

Leadership in Turbulent Times, by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Profiles of Lincoln, LBJ, and both Roosevelts, and crisis’s they faced.

A Time for Mercy: A Jake Brigance Novel, by John Grisham

If I Ever Get Back to Georgia, I’m Gonna Nail my Feet to the Ground, by Lewis Grizzard. Highly recommended, even years later.

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. I'll have to watch the movie.

Slingin’ Sam: The Life and Times of the Greatest Quarterback Ever to Play the Game, by Joe Holley. Sammy Baugh took the NFL from its three yards and a cloud of dust origins to the passing game it is today. One of the game’s greatest-ever punters as well.

Blockade Billy, by Stephen King. Baseball is one of the author’s favorite subjects, though he mixes in a little blood into this story.

Ordinary Grace, by William Kent Krueger. Excellent story.

Sandy Koufax: A Lefty’s Legacy, by Jane Leavy. How the introvert dealt with his fame – quite honorably.

Mere Christianity, by CS Lewis

The Upside of Falling, by Alex Light. Fun.

Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life, by Eric Metaxas

Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty. The first three quarters is decent, but the novel derails towards the end.

Knuckle Balls, by Phil Niekro. A day to day account of his season in the Bronx.

The Last Days of John Lennon, by James Patterson. A complete history of the Beatles.

The Book of Two Ways, by Jodi Picoult. Not the greatest.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by JK Rowling. Perhaps one day I’ll finish the series. Not my genre.

The Masters: Golf, Money, and Power in Augusta, Georgia, by Curt Sampson. Must read for any fan of the Masters.

Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld. Made better by listening to the audiobook read by the author.

In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle. I’m a sucker for time travel stories.

The Answer Is: Reflections on My Life, by Alex Trebeck

Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, by JT Vance. A must read. Even better than the excellent movie.

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker  Too technical. Put me to sleep.

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