rlr/literary news + reviews
|
 |
|
1) ROGER MARIS: BASEBALL’S RELUCTANT HERO (Touchstone /Simon & Schuster,
March 2010) by Tom Clavin and Danny Peary is solidifying its place as the definitive biography
of this unsung hero of New York Yankees past. Among the many reviews and mentions, here is
a recent sampling:
In a glowing review in The East Hampton Star, the venerable sports writer Robert Lipsyte said,
“I’ve been hoping for a long time that the complexity of that honorable, serious, accomplished
man would be captured and plumbed in a book worthy of his memory. Here it is.”
The Philadelphia Enquirer said, “They have produced what ranks as the definitive biography of
an enigmatic and woefully misunderstood man. There is a sense of both validation and
vindication.”
The Asbury Park Press said, “For the baseball fan this book is loaded with stats, which Clavin
and Peary use to make the case for Maris as a great overall player, not just as a man who had
one moment. For non-fans, this book is a well told human story of one man's perseverance
against crushing odds. By the end of this book, you'll find yourself inwardly cheering for Maris.”
The Ottawa Citizen said, “Clavin and Peary have written an excellent book that shows Maris was
a truly great all-around player.”
The Huffington Post’s Brad Balfour said, “What I didn't get until I read co-authors Tom Clavin
and Danny Peary's book Roger Maris: Baseball's Reluctant Hero was the contextual
significance of this act, what it reflected of the culture at the time and, more importantly for me,
it humanized a shy ball player who I had previously cared little about because I was more into
rebellious rockers or loner film stars than team-conforming sports figures.”
The authors have also been involved in a whirlwind of television and radio interviews, including
ESPN Radio, The Ann Liguori Show, Prairie Public Radio, New York Baseball Digest,
Bergino Clubhouse, and Talkin’ Baseball with Ed Randall on WFAN, among others.
2) SLOTH: A Novel (Greenpoint Press, June 2010) by Mark Goldblatt is ready to burst
onto the literary fiction scene. The book has already received the following accolades:
“It's like a walk through a hall of mirrors strewn with banana peels. If Nabokov had played the
Borscht Belt, he might have written Sloth.” - Charles Salzberg, author of Swann's Last Song.
"For a novel called Sloth, Mark Goldblatt's hilarious satire moves more quickly--and easily--than
the wine at an English Department party." - Nick Gillespie, editor, Reason.com.
"Can love survive the deconstruction of the subject? Can intention outlast the endless deferral
of meaning? Sloth threatens to make my bookshelf collapse as all the postmodern texts
scramble for safety." - Patti White, author of Tackle Box and Yellow Jackets.
"Mark Goldblatt is one of
editor of Commentary.
3) THE CHANGED (Apex, December 2009) by B.J. Burrow continues to wow horror and
zombie fans. MonsterLibrarian.com said, “The Changed is an excellent addition to the zombie
genre, something new and fun in a tiring routine. Recommended for public and private
collections- it's an excellent read through and through.”
4) THERAPY REVOLUTION: Find Help, Get Better, and Move On Without Wasting
Time or Money (HCI, November 2009) by Richard Zwolinski was just interviewed for an
upcoming issue of Scientific American.
The book routinely appears in the top 10 new releases bestselling list on Amazon.com for
various mental and self help categories. See more at http://www.richardzwolinski.com.
5) THE FUNNIEST BASEBALL BOOK EVER: The National Pastime’s Greatest Quips,
Quotations, Characters, Nicknames and Pranks (Andrews McMeel, April 2010) by Peter
Handrinos takes a look at the lighter side of baseball. The Sports Network said it “provides a
laugh on just about every page. Handrinos has collected some of the best quotes and stories
from baseball, in addition to profiling some of the game's greatest characters. It's a very
worthwhile read.”
6) KILLING ME SOFTLY: My Life in Music: A Memoir (Scarecrow Press/Rowman &
Littlefield, September 2010) by Charles Fox was recently in the national news for organizing
a special charity event for Fulfillment Fund to benefit education. It was hosted by Paul Reiser
and included guests Tony Orlando, Neil Sedaka and Mac Davis, among others.
7) A KILLER LIKE ME: A Novel (Leisure Books/Dorchester, December 2010) by Chuck
Hustmyre has been getting some great pre-publication buzz. Kevin Sullivan, author of The
Bundy Murders said, “Chuck Hustmyre understands the grittiness of the streets. With a
background in law enforcement, he writes from a unique perspective, and his characters come
to life with an authenticity that grabs and pulls you in from the moment you first meet them. If
you’ve ever wanted to really know what it’s like to hunt a ruthless serial killer, your search will
end with A KILLER LIKE ME. It is story telling at its very best!”
8) ONE WEEK IN JUNE: The U.S. Open (Sterling, May 2010) edited by Don Wade is the
golf book everyone is talking about. Sports Illustrated said, “This is an enjoyable collection, a
fair olio of snippets from golfers' memoirs and reportage from some of the game's most
respected names: Francis Ouimet's account of Brookline; Palmer's memories of Cherry Hills;
Grantland Rice looking back on Bobby Jones's putt to force a playoff at Winged Foot; Dan Jenkins
on Hogan at Oakland Hills; Dick Schaap on Tom Watson and Hale Irwin at Winged Foot; and
Herb Wind on Watson and Nicklaus at Pebble are all blissfully present.”
Don Wade recently was a guest on Tee It Up Radio to discuss the book.
Gerald Carbone (with foreword by General Wesley K. Clark) continues to be a highly
sought after speaker on the American Revolutionary War. He is scheduled to appear at various
historical societies and library events throughout the Northeast this summer.
10) THE GRIEF RECOVERY HANDBOOK 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition: The
Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses including Health,
Career, and Faith (HarperCollins, March 2009) by Russell Friedman and John James
received some wonderful attention last week from none other than Gwyneth Paltrow. Ms. Paltrow
publishes a weekly e-newsletter called GOOP-based on her initials-that goes out to hundreds of
thousands of people. In her weekly message she mentioned and pictured three books that she
had found helpful to her after her father died. She also linked the books directly to their respective
pages on Amazon.com. Needless to say, sales of The Grief Recovery Handbook soared that
week.
See more at the authors’ blog: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/broken-hearts.
