"Heat" by Mike Lupica

Heat by Mike Lupica is a story about Michael, a little league pitcher who loves baseball, has a very strong arm and a big secret he shares with his older brother, Carlos.  They are from Cuba, just like Michael's favorite Yankee pitcher!  He pitches lights out until a rival team challenges his eligibility because they can't believe he's only 12.  When he signed up to play, they accepted his baptism certificate as proof of age, but now must produce a birth certificate which his dad apparently forgot to bring when they left Cuba.  He can't play until he gets it!  Michael only cares about playing ball until he sees a mystery girl named watching them practice with an arm as strong as his and is immediately attracted to her.  

I enjoyed this baseball book and liked Michael's relationship with his best friend and catcher, Manny.  There is also some humor along with some actual games.  I liked how Michael and Carlos stuck together and went to great lengths to keep their big secret.  Ellie also added some extra bit of interest to the story.  I recommend this to anyone who likes reading about youth baseball.  I was a bit disappointed that it stopped short of the Little League World Series game in Pennsylvania.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 44:  Michael turned around and looked at Manny.  Who was staring at the girl in the distance the way you stare at fireworks the first time you see them in the sky.  "I saw," Manny said.

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"Relentless" by Julian Edelman

Relentless by Julian Edelman is a memoir about a football player on the New England Patriots. It is all about football and all the hard work demanded for professional NFL players to be successful. I enjoyed reading about Mr. Edelman’s journey and found his early start in football very interesting. Throughout the book there are small excerpts written by others regarding Julian Edelman that I found interesting as well. I never realized he had so many injuries during his career! There are a lot of game highlights that he shares too that I enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Patriots fan or who likes playing football and has dreams of becoming a pro.

Teaser from page 9:   If you're focused on that distant goal, you're missing what's right in front of you, and that's what you can control.  If you're doing everything else in your life fundamentally sound, and you're identifying weaknesses and you're working consistently hard to improve those, you're on the right path.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 11/15/17, (5 stars):
If you are a Patriots fan, you will enjoy Relentless by Julian Edelman. Julian shares about his life, including how his dad showed him tough love!  I enjoyed him telling about playing in pee-wee football and high school.  Julian Edelman is a great player, and I miss seeing him play now that he is hurt.  Go Patriots!

Teaser from page 45:  For a long time, being small didn't make a difference.  I was one of the best players on the field so I never thought of it as a disadvantage. 

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"Fire on the Track" by Rosenne Montillo

Some of my favorite books to read are non-fiction books about events that I am not up to speed on.  Fire on the Track by Roseanne Montillo is one of them!  It centers on women running track in the late 2's, early 30s.   Most people did not even think women should be running at all!  Three women are the main focus:  Betty Robinson, Babe Dickerson and Stella Walsh.  I enjoyed this whole book, especially the part that is about the Olympic games in Germany with Hitler watching!

Teaser from page 12:  Had she ever been timed?  Price asked.  Had anyone ever used a stopwatch to see how fast she could run?
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide" by Prem Carnot

Smart Pickleball--The Pickleball Guru's Guide by Prem Carnot is a very helpful book for improving your Pickleball game.  It contains instructions for executing different shots, drills to practice to improve, and strategies to implement in your game.  All this in a very conversational writing style where he basically takes the reader into one of his clinics and even shares tips from some of his private lessons.  This book is excellent and was not at all boring to me.  He has a good sense of humor as well that makes for a very enjoyable read.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn to play Pickleball well and who is willing to practice.

Teaser from page 22:  Smart PickleballTM  is about strategically setting yourself up to win a point by biding your time, using your energy efficiently, playing the percentages and anticipating several shots ahead.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Kansas City Cowboys" by Johnny D. Boggs (Updated)

The Kansas City Cowboys by Johnny D. Boggs tells the story of 17-yr.-old Silver King.  He wants to be a working cowboy.  His mom wants him to be a baseball pitcher.  Who do you think won?  This novel takes place in the late 1800s.  I thought this was a fun read!  The characters were brought out very well.  I did not have to think too much with this one, just relaxed and enjoyed the read.
(Gerard's review, 8-4-17, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Kansas City Cowboys by Johnny D. Boggs is an historical fiction account of pro baseball in 1886. The story is told in the first person from Silver, a young pitcher who was pushed by his mother to be a baseball player. I found it interesting that a batter could tell the pitcher if he wanted high or low pitches and got 7 balls instead of 4 like it is today. The crowds were rowdy and crazy and the umpires were in danger! I thought this got off to a slow start but because I like baseball, stuck with it. Things picked up in the second half of the book so I’m glad I read it. (3 stars)

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"Bear Town" by Fredrik Backman - Loved This One! (Updated)

Bear Town by Fredrik Backman is about how a small town got so wrapped up with their boys’ hockey team having a shot at the championship that it became the town’s priority. This book deals with rape and how people always assume the girl brought it on herself, or deserved it, or wanted it, especially when the accused rapist is a popular, well-liked boy who is captain of their beloved hockey team.

I liked this book because of all the different characters and their interactions with each other. I liked how parenting played a big part in this book as well as the hockey team. It is well written and was never confusing. I got into this right from the start and my views about some of the characters changed for me along the way. My favorite characters were Amat, Peter (the GM), Benji and his sisters, the teacher (“Sweet Cheeks”), and Ramona. I liked the surprise ending too! (Karen's review 5/24/17, 5 stars)

Gerard's review, 5/19/17:
Welcome to Bear Town by Fredrick Backman, author of A Man Called Ove.  Bear Town is a small town that is excited because its junior boys hockey team has a chance to win a championship, but this book is so much more than just hockey!  The writing is fantastic!  The characters in this book are so real that I got sucked in early.  You need to read every page because the author includes so much that you might miss a game changer if you skip parts.  The ending is perfect!  This book will be high on my top book list for 2017--that I know!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Art of Pickleball--Techniques and Strategies for Everyone" by Gale H. Leach

The Art of Pickleball--Techniques and Strategies for Everyone by Gale H. Leach is a comprehensive book about how to play Pickleball.  The material includes the rules, how to execute and when best to use different types of shots, etiquette, grips, footwork, doubles and singles, some drills and the mental game and strategies.  The author interviewed tournament players and presents different views on technique and strategy.  I believe anyone who would like to improve their game would find this book helpful.  One thing that made a lot of sense and really stood out to me that I came across in this book is that when playing outdoors, if one side of the court is at a disadvantage due to the sun or if playing on a very windy day, when you reach 6 points (halfway through a game) teams switch sides!  Having played outdoors on very windy days myself, this seems to be a very fair rule, one I had not heard before.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)  

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"PICKLEBALL Fundamentals--Master the basics and compete with confidence"

I was thrilled to find PICKLEBALL Fundamentals by USA Pickleball Association with Mary Littlewood because we are adding this sport to our church FOCUS sports camp for the first time this summer and I will be the director for it.  I was looking for a complete book that included tips, instructions and drills.  This book has it all!  It covers all the different shots and gives an explanation of when they should be used in a game.  Everything that is addressed is also shown with pictures or diagrams to help the reader understand.  It even has checklists as to what adjustments to make when you find yourself making the same error repeatedly.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about learning to play Pickleball well or anyone who is in a position to teach others how to play. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Losing Isn't Everything" by Curt Menefee

Losing Isn't Everything--The UNTOLD STORIES and HIDDEN LESSONS--Behind the TOUGHEST LOSSES in SPORTS HISTORY by Curt Meneffe with Michael Arkush is a winner!  This book tells the story of people who were on a big sports stage and came out on the losing side.  I found it interesting to see what they were thinking during the games and how they dealt with defeat.  If you are a sports fan, then this book is for you!  You know how the winners felt because they are on TV and social media, but this book shows how the losing side feels.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Fast into the Night--a Woman, her Dogs, and their Journey North on the Iditarod Trail" by Debbie Moderow

Fast Into the Night by Debbie Clarke Moderow is a true story about Debbie and her dogs doing the Iditarod race in Alaska.  I really enjoyed how Debbie connects with her dogs.  This was the best part of the book to me.  I enjoyed it and thought Debbie told her story very well.
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"You Will Know Me" by Megan Abbott

In You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott, Katie and Eric Knox have a daughter, Devon, who is a gymnastics prodigy.  For Katie and Eric, they will do anything they can to make sure Devon can follow her dream.  However, when a death happens and rumors begin, will Katie be able to keep it all together?  I thought this book was pretty good.  The story was good enough with a surprise ending and the characters were very believable.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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I Recommend "The Boys in the Boat" by Daniel James Brown

The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is a non-fiction novel about the personal journeys of the 1936 USA rowing Olympic team.  Through personal interviews, the author writes an amazing story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles, teamwork, humility and competition.  I enjoyed reading about the coaches and how the team was assembled as well as the races.  The parts about Nazi Germany hosting the Olympics actually made me mad.  I acquired a new admiration for the sport of rowing after reading this book.  I thought the first part of the book was very slow but then the rest of it picked up.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown is such a good book! It tells the true story of a bunch of young boys from Washington University who competed in rowing during the 1936 Olympic Games in Germany. One of the best parts of this book was the stories about the boys’ personal lives and their coaches too! The races are very exciting as well. I gained a whole lot of respect for what it takes to row when I read this book. Loved it and recommend you read it too! You will be glad you did!
(Gerard’s review 8/24/13, 5+ stars)

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"HOPE--a School, a Team, a Dream" by Bill Reynolds

HOPE--A School, a Team, a Dream by Bill Reynolds tells the true story of Hope, a high school in Providence, Rhode Island, and one season of basketball. The coach of the team is Dave Nyblom. What I enjoyed in this book was the interaction between the coach and the players. That was the main focus of the story. The part that dealt with the actual games was okay too. With March Madness set to begin in a few weeks, this book is perfect to get you in the mood for it!
(Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"Ice Time" by David Trifundov

Ice Time by David Trifunov is a short story about Paul, a 12-yr.-old who loves to play hockey but who is raised by a single mom who does not have the money for him to play. When Paul’s best friend gets a concussion and can’t play and others on the team are sick, Paul gets his chance. It seems everyone on the team is happy to get Paul except for Chad. I think any boy or girl who likes hockey would enjoy this book. I thought it was a good story that promotes teamwork. (3 stars)

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"Striking Gridiron" by Greg Nichols is Really Good!

Striking Gridiron is a true story that takes place in 1959 in Braddock, Pennsylvania.  Half a million steelworkers are on strike in this steel town, but this town rallies around its high school football team.  This team has a chance to do something really special in 1959.

This book is really good!  I love how the author gave background on the coach, players and the people of the town.  It has great descriptions of the games too.  I was into it from the first page!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The Secret Game" by Scott Ellsworth

I always enjoy reading about true stories and events that I knew nothing about.  The Secret Game by Scott Ellsworth is one of those.  It tells of events that took place in the south in the 1940s.  It is about racial relations to be sure.  It also captures the feeling of certain people that I really enjoyed.  It also has to do with Duke University which I am a big fan of.  I especially enjoyed the parts that covered the game.  Well Done!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The System" is an Outstanding Book About College Football

The System--The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football by Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian is an outstanding eye-opening look at college football.  It tells how it works and in some cased, how it doesn't work.  This goes beyond the scoreboard by dealing with coaches, players, the athletic directors and even people outside the program who make a big impact off the field.  I LOVED it and learned a lot!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"League of Denial" by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru--Must Read for NFL Fans

League of Denial by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru tells the story about the lasting effects that constantly getting hit in the head have on NFL players and how the NFL continues to ignore this problem.  The best parts of this book are the ones that center on specific players.

Being a diehard NFL fan, I knew this stuff but this book gives great background on why these players took their own lives in some cases.  I waited a long time to read this book, but it was worth the wait!  If you love football, you should read this book.  You might get a new outlook next time you see a player get knocked out!  
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Price of Victory" by Sandra Leesmith

The Price of Victory by Sandra Leesmith is a love story about two cyclists, Debra and Sterling.  Debra is not good at studying so decides to try to make her father proud by winning major cycling races.  Her dream is to get on a professional team and race in Europe.  Sterling is bored until he meets Debra at a race and it’s pretty much love at first sight.  Throughout the book, he seeks Debra’s love by becoming her “knight in shining armor.”  The big question is will Debra follow her dream and make her dad proud or will she choose Sterling instead.    

 

This book started off a bit slow but got more interesting as it went along, finishing strong.  It gives insight into competitive cycling with a good romance.  I really liked the happy ending.  (Karen's review, 3 stars)

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"True Legend" by Mike Lupica is more than Basketball

True Legend by Mike Lupica is about a young man who finds that all of life's lessons are not found on a basketball court. The writing is really good and the characters in this book are believable and realistic. Even if you do not like sports books, give this teen one a chance because it is more about life lessons than basketball. I enjoyed it!
(Gerard's review 5++ stars)

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