Since I had already read his two other fiction books, and really enjoyed both of them, I wanted to read his first one. But it wasn’t available on Amazon as a Kindle e-book, so I had to purchase a used physical copy. Once I started, it was hard for me to put it down as…
Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16 – by Moshe Kasher
I have tried a few times to read this book in the past and just couldn’t get past the first chapter. A few weeks ago, on Netgalley, I saw he has a new book coming out in 2024, and being a member of Netgalley, I was able to get a copy of it. I read…
The Dad Speaks PRESS RELEASE
On Friday, I had a routine medical procedure. Don’t worry, I am perfectly fine. I will be back to writing this week as I have a book review to publish.
Turning Pages: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher – by John Sargent
This book was provided to me from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I chose this book because I was intrigued by the title. John Turner Sargent’s mother’s paternal grandfather was Frank Nelson Doubleday who was the founder of Doubleday and Company. The same Doubleday family who at one point owned the New…
Water Shenanigans
I had planned on writing something totally different, and already had a good start on it, but then something else happened and I got inspired. Oh, you want to know more about what I was writing prior. Well, it was about Niko being a superhero with all the superpowers and my job at bedtime, is…
Sideline Confidential: A Novel – by Brooke Bentley
This book was provided to me from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. Although this a fictional story, it has happened to many females and males as well. So, basically, the premise for this book is about a young female journalist, Blake, who gets hired by a professional NFL franchise….
Glory Days: A Basketball Memoir – by Bill Reynolds
A few days ago, I saw a Tweet that said #ripBilly. Not knowing which Billy this was, I opened the Tweet and as I scrolled through the comments, it was Bill Reynolds, a sportswriter and author of several books. Still didn’t ring a bell, but another comment mentioned this book. So, I read the book…
Walk-On Warrior: Drive, Discipline, and the Will to Win – by John Willkom
I got to be honest and tell you that I had no clue who John Willkom was. Just within the past few weeks, I started to follow somebody else on Twitter as he reviews sports books (@SprtBookReviews), and in one of his Tweets, John Willkom (@JohnWillkom) was mentioned as he also reviews sports books. So,…
The Time Has Come – by Will Leitch
As soon as I finished his other fiction book, How Lucky, I started this one. No hesitation, and I also didn’t know what it was about and to be honest, I didn’t really care. The first chapter of the book tells you somebody did something bad. Throughout the rest of the book, we get introduced…
Frozen Bananas and Great Minds Think Alike
So, last Saturday, I went to CVS to pick-up some medication for myself, and I asked N squared (that is what I call Nina and Niko sometimes, but most of the time, I call them Nino), if they had any special requests. Nina said no, and Niko said something sweet and salty and a toy….
How Lucky – by Will Leitch
Sometimes, I need a break from all the nonfiction books I read, and I turn to either James Patterson for the Alex Cross books, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Anthony Bourdain, Fredrick Bachman, or David Wilson. I just so happened to see this book on my Kindle recommendations, and the title intrigued me. Then, I read…
Peter Asher: A Life in Music – by David Jacks
I have been seeing this book as an advertisement on my Kindle. I knew about his music with Peter and Gordon and his involvement with The Beatles and Apple Records but had no clue about how prolific his career as a producer and a manager was until now. James Taylor and Linda Ronstadt were by…
The Dad THINKS
Do you ever think too much that it keeps you awake for a few minutes in the evenings? I do. And most of those thoughts revolves around writing! Yeah, I am totally serious. Like a few weeks ago, I was thinking if I should take everything I wrote on www.thestatmanspeaks.com and merge it to the…
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother – by James McBride
I don’t remember if this book was mentioned in a book I recently read or if somebody mentioned it in the Goodreads Society Facebook page, but whatever it was, I am very glad I threw this book in my Amazon Wishlist, and read it, because it was an amazing read. James McBride is a black…
Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era – by Ken Emerson
I have tried and failed to read this one a few times, but since I just read a book about some of the girl groups of the 1960’s, and some of the songwriters from that book were featured pretty prominently in this one. So, I gave it a go again and am very glad, I…
Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court – by Chris Paul
Even though I haven’t paid attention to sports since my son was born in 2016, I do know who Chris Paul is, and watched him several times battle the San Antonio Spurs in regular season and playoff games. I also knew he went to Wake Forest, just like Tim Duncan from the Spurs. I was…
Oh No, The Wi-Fi Is Down, What Shall We Do?
Last Monday, and right as I logged into my work at 8 am and was looking at my outlook calendar for the day, our Wi-Fi went out. When I started to troubleshoot it, it was nothing on my end. It was on AT&T’s end, and they were already aware and trying to fix it; not…
Alone Time For Niko
On Thursday around noon, and as Nina and I were both working, Niko politely advised us that he needed some time alone. So, he went downstairs with his iPad. Now, it’s not like downstairs and upstairs are far from each other; I mean, we can still have a quick conversation with him to ask him…
But Will You Love Me Tomorrow?: An Oral History of the ’60s Girl Groups – by Emily Sieu Liebowitz and Laura Flam
This book was provided to me from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. My parents would often play the local oldies station in the car, and that is where my love of the 60’s music started for me. When I turned 13 in 1990, I purchased The Beatles box set…
Mise en Place: Memoir of a Girl Chef – by Marisa Mangani
Sometimes, I read a book where I know nothing of the author, and the description appeals to me. I am very glad that Amazon allows free samples of books and I do take full advantage of that. If I like the book, I buy it. If not, hey, I tried, and it wasn’t for me;…