Tag: Books

Posted in Books

Book recommendation: Meddling Kids

Posted on by Paul

I’m going to try something new and recommend books that I enjoyed reading.

Meddling Kids

1509918650722-a847128d-cbe7-41d9-bce7-9defa0466845First up is Edgar Cantero’s Meddling Kids, which might have been inspired by watching Scooby-Doo after reading H.P. Lovecraft.

Peter, Kerrie, Andy, and Nate, along with their canine companion Sean, achieved notoriety as the Blyton Summer Detective Club. They solved a number of small-town mysteries, which were occasionally unbelievable schemes perpetrated by a man in a bad Halloween costume.

Then they grew up, grew apart, and tried to go on with their lives. But their last case still haunted them, and that’s where Meddling Kids picks up the action. Andy (please don’t call her Andrea) gets the members of the gang back together to investigate what really happened during their final case as preteen detectives 13 years earlier.

Cantero creates a satisfying mystery, complete with all sorts of fun nods to the two genres he’s working with. But there’s also a touching love story and a tale about growing up to be found here.

There are some odd stylistic choices — for example every so often, Cantero abandons traditional prose for a movie script format. It feels very odd the first few times he does it, but I got used to it after that.

Meddling Kids is a fun read that I’d recommend to any grown-up kids out there.

Posted in Autographs, Baseball, Uncategorized

Baseball book signings

Posted on by Paul

Spring is just around the corner, and that means a new crop of baseball books. Among them:

  • Mike Piazza‘s “Long Shot” is probably the one that will get the most buzz, and the former Mets catcher is scheduled to do two book signings in New York next month. One will be at the Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue in Manhattan on Feb. 11th; the other will be at the Barnes & Noble in Carle Place on Feb. 12th. For more information, visit Mets Hot Corner.
  • Former Red Sox manager Terry Francona is scheduled to hold a book signing for “Francona: The Red Sox Years” on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd, at the Barnes & Noble on East 54th Street in Manhattan.  For details, check Celebrity Book Signings & Events.
  • WFAN Mets broadcaster Howie Rose‘s “Put It In the Book!: A Half-Century of Mets Mania ” is due out March 1st. I’m not sure he rates a book signing, but I’m mentioning it because it’s the one book of this group that I actually want to read.
  • Dwight Gooden‘s “Doc: A Memoir” is scheduled for publication on May 28th, and I would be very surprised if he doesn’t have a few New York-area book signings to support it.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Link: Mets Reliever Is Poetry in Motion

Posted on by Paul

 

Miguel Batista does some pre-game throwing in the outfield at Citi Field last season (Photo credit: Paul Hadsall)

Brian Costa wrote about Mets reliever Miguel Batista yesterday for the Wall Street Journal.

While Batista is a longshot to make the team if everyone is healthy, he might be the most interesting member of the pitching staff not named R.A. Dickey.

When he comes in to pitch for Aguilas Cibaenas, his winter league team, the stadium public address announcer says, “Now pitching, the poet, Miguel Batista.” … The nickname stems from what is a unique distinction among ballplayers: Batista, 41, is a published author. He has written a poetry book and a novel about a serial killer. And while he attempts to secure one of the last spots in the Mets’ bullpen, he is also writing the final chapters of a second novel, about a secret government weapon project gone awry.

If you’re interested, Batista’s novel is still in print and available from Amazon.com. One Amazon Marketplace seller has a copy of Batista’s book of poetry, and he contributed a short story to a collection of original sports fiction published by ESPN last year. (I’ll probably give the short story collection a shot, but the novel is a bit more expensive than I can justify and my Spanish is not really good enough to appreciate poetry.)

 

Posted in Uncategorized

The Amazing Mets

Posted on by Paul

In addition to the 1960s & 1970s baseball cards I showed you yesterday, I made one non-baseball card purchase at this month’s local baseball card show.

I found this paperback copy of Jerry Mitchell‘s history of the New York Mets, with updated material by Joseph Valerio covering up through the unlikely 1973 playoff run.

I plan to start reading it this week. The type looks really tiny to me. That means one of three things:

  1. I’m getting old.
  2. I’m getting spoiled by the Kindle’s option to re-size type.
  3. The book actually has tiny type.

I’m going to believe option #3, even though I suspect the truth is a combination of the first two.

Hopefully you’ll see a book review before Thanksgiving. 🙂

Posted in Baseball, Uncategorized

R.A. Dickey’s book can be pre-ordered at Amazon

Posted on by Paul

Amazon has listed R.A. Dickey‘s upcoming book, Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball, for pre-orders.

According to the description, “Mets knuckleballer R.A. Dickey weaves searing honesty and baseball insight in this memoir about his unlikely journey to the big leagues.”

The book will be available on March 15, 2012 and is $17.61 for the hardcover or $12.99 for the Kindle edition. I already ordered my copy.