We have finally finished the FunJungle series. For this last book, Niko read a little bit on his own, and it was actually a very climatic part where Teddy Fitzroy solves a crime and tells us who did it. It was funny because Niko kept telling us about it! I truly enjoyed reading these books…
GameCrafters – David Miguel
I was the statistician for the Spanish radio broadcasts for UTSA football in 2012, and David Miguel did the color commentary. Since he was from out-of-town, I picked him up at his hotel and we drove together to the games. What a great way to get to know somebody. Since then, we have kept in…
Inside the Park – by Andrea Williams
I got this one from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I chose this as the description looked interesting, it’s a story of a young baseball fan’s misadventures after getting locked inside a pro baseball stadium on the eve of the biggest game of the season. Timothy “Pumpsie” Strickland is…
French Toast and Food
I am by no means a professional chef, but I try my best to give Niko the best breakfasts before school. Sometimes he requests fried eggs or a ham and egg breakfast taco, which I can do for him. Last week, though, he wanted French Toast, and we not only had the eggs, and bread,…
GameCrafters – Matt Wixon
In 2019, I reached out to Matt on Twitter. I had recently read a book he published about high school football, and I had to tell him how much I enjoyed it. We had previously connected on Twitter because we both were writing about high school football; him in Dallas and me in San Antonio….
An American Story: Everyone’s Invited – by Wilmer Valderrama
This book has been in my Want to Read list since May in Goodreads. I have never watched That 70’s Show, but I knew of his character he played. I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about him. Unlike a lot of other memoirs I have read (and, there are a lot), his life…
Runaway Train: Or, the Story of My Life So Far – by Eric Roberts
I have had this book in my Want to Read list on Goodreads since May, so I was eager to read it. I knew of Eric Roberts (by way of Julia Roberts, his younger sister). I had no clue his parents were at one point in his early life co-founded the Atlanta Actors and Writers…
Barnes & Noble
Give me some alone time at a bookstore, and I can easily find several books to purchase after browsing. But, add in Niko, and I have less than 60 seconds to browse as I have to chase him around the store. Yes, he likes books and I did buy him some last week at his…
GameCrafters – Mark Lieberman
I like asking questions and sharing other people’s stories here, but now it’s my time to share my story. So, what inspired me to write this one? Well, I was actually thinking of what family member provided me my passion for sports. Not playing but watching them on television. Them, referring to baseball and basketball….
Bear Bottom (FunJungle #7) – by Stuart Gibbs
On Tuesday night, I finished reading this one to my 8-year-old son, and just like the previous 6, he really enjoyed it. He pays attention to the book, and several times throughout the book, he predicted what would happen. His favorite character was Morton, a tourist and a moron; and called a touron in the…
Robert B. Parker’s Buzz Kill (Sunny Randall Book 12) – by Alison Gaylin
I have had this book in my Want To Read list on Goodreads since January of this year. I was really looking forward to this one, and when I finished it, it was MEH. Nothing excited happened to Sunny. It could just be I am so used to Spenser as a private investigator, and lots…
The Last Manager: How Earl Weaver Tricked, Tormented, and Reinvented Baseball – by John W. Miller
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. As I occasionally browse the Netgalley selections, I kept coming across this one, and I was intrigued, but kept scrolling past it. I mean, I knew of Earl Weaver, but didn’t want to be a part of a book…
The Tired Dad – Again
On Friday, Niko woke up at 4:30 am, and when that happens, I am up with him. It’s always been that way for Nina and I, and even though I don’t want to be awake, I get up and take care of him. It’s much easier for me to go back to sleep than Nina…
GameCrafters – Mark Kusenberger
When I was a high school football statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network, I worked a lot of games with Kusenberger, and for those games, I always knew the broadcast would be flawless and my stats would be appreciated constantly. When we got married in 2010, Nina and I had a very small affair….
Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly – by Jeff Apter
I got this book from NetGalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. As a music fan, I knew who Carl Perkins was and was interested in learning more about him. Plus, The Beatles covered some of his songs and The Beatles were my favorite band for a very long time. I…
Lego Builds
Niko has always enjoyed legos, and some of the legos he has were from my childhood. In his younger years, I would have to build any new sets (and, he has a bunch) for him. But, now, he can do them on his own and he rarely needs help. Usually, he calls for me when…
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (Funjungle, #6) – by Stuart Gibbs
I have been reading this series to Niko, my 8-year-old son, and he absolutely loves them! I won’t spoil anything, but he figured something out in the beginning of the book and he was correct. Sometimes at silly parts (or scenes of chaos), I have to stop and repeat it so he can understand it….
GameCrafters – Chuck Miketanic
I was the statistician for Thursday Night Lights from 2009 to 2016, and in the 5th year, Chuck was the color commentator. I also remember watching him on Fox 29 San Antonio as one of the sports anchors (Ernie Zuniga and Ed Suarez were the others, and I worked with Ernie for the first four…
Spenser – Books, Movies, and Television
The first Spenser book I read was in January of this year, and I just finished book 28 a few days ago! I am rolling along in his adventures, and am really enjoying them. I don’t care that for the most part, the plots are similar. I am looking forward to book 32 as that…
Fat, Drunk, & Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House – by Matty Simmons
I needed a break from the fiction thriller books I have been reading, and this one filled that void with a lot of laughs from me. I have read a few books and seen some movies about the National Lampoon, so I knew who Matty Simmons was. If you are a fan of the movie…