Yes, it's time for yet another installment of my B(ooks) A(lready) R(ead) series. If you wish to play catch up, please click on the links for parts 1 thru 5, and check out what I've read along with mini reviews and buy links, if you so choose. Please note that all the books on this list are either from my personal collection or were borrowed from my local town library.
31} Queen Of The Air: A True Story Of Love & Tragedy At The Circus, by Dean Jensen. To get everyone up to speed, I'm a big fan of all types of non-fiction. Doesn't matter what the subject matter may be (exception: I won't read anything that has been written by or endorsed by cop killer Mumia Abu Jamal) I'll take a shot at it. This particular book features the turn of the century (19th going into the 20th) circus sensation Leitzel and Alfred Codona of the famous Flying Codona Brothers. A wickedly sobering look at circus life, early celebrities and romance. If you're interested in early American/European pop culture as well as the early glory years of the circus, then this book is for you.
32} The Best Film You've Never Seen: 35 Directors Champion The Forgotten or Critically Savaged Movies They Love by Robert Elder. This was one of those rare books that I had picked up strictly due to the outside jacket blurb, which promised it to be good page turner. However, this book quickly turned out to be one that I couldn't keep open. For me, reading sit down interviews with (supposedly) well known artsy-fartsy directors who then proceed to analytically dissect their favorite movie in excruciating detail was definitely not my mug of beer. In fact, I would rather listen to a 9/11 truther than read this book.
33} Dear Mark Twain: Letters from his readers, by R. Kent Rasmussen. A positive cornucopia of letters written to Samuel Clemons that range from his first published book to his last, and everything else in between. This books gives a remarkable insight not only about Samuel Clemens but about each letter writer as well. If you enjoy Samuel Clemens, Americana and how life functioned during the late 19th and early 20th century, this book is for you.
34} The Ape In The Corner Office by Richard Conniff. An interesting little book, the topic is basically how to survive and thrive in the workplace by emulating the animals of the jungle.
35} Who's On Worst? by Filip Bundy. If you love baseball like I do, then this book is for you. This book celebrates the absolute worst about baseball. Whether it's about playoff blunders, front office blunders, worst bang for the buck, worst owners, you name it, it's in here. The ultimate Hall of Shame, this book will have you both scratching your head and in stitches.
36} Lefty: An American Odyssey by Verona Gomez. This is biography of Yankee great Lefty Gomez is a must read for anyone who loves sports bios. One of the best rags to riches (and beyond) sports bios that I've read in quite sometime, and I've read quite a few over the years. While I'm not a fan of the New York Yankees, I am a baseball history buff and this book did not disappoint me in any way, shape or form.
(c) 2014 by G.B. Miller. All Rights Reserved.
Laughing my ass off about #34! I have to add that to my list...
ReplyDeleteM: That one was actually a pretty good read. I finished it in about two days.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Riot Kitty. These all sound interesting, but as a former IT guy, I'd love to learn about becoming a literal cubicle monkey.
ReplyDeleteABFtS: It was a pretty interesting read. I mean, if anything, the cover was what made me pick it up to begin with.
ReplyDeleteI have truly become addicted to audio books and have not curled up with a good read in a long time.
ReplyDeleteG.A.: I haven't done an audio book in decades. I used to listen to them when I was working the overnight back in the early 90's and needed something to keep myself occupied on my days off. I should do that again.
ReplyDeleteThe audio books that is.