It Takes Me Forever To Read Books: If You Have Lent My A Book, Bought Me a Book, or I Bought Your Book, I Promise I'll Read It Very Very Very Soon

Paul Feig - Superstud: Or How I Became a 24-Year-Old Virgin, 2005
Can I review a book that I haven’t read? It’s my blog so I say yes. Having loved Kick Me, I was extremely excited to read Feig’s second book. But then I started hearing that it wasn’t so great. Okay, fine. As long as it was half as good as Kick Me, I could live with it. I borrowed this book from Balgavy and Youthlarge read it first. She read it through to the end and was completey unimpressed. She said it was completely boring. Still, I had to at least give it a chance. After merely one chapter, I was out. Unbelievably boring, not funny, and just not worth my time.Utterly disappointing. I was looking for humor and pathos, instead I seemingly was going to get a book written for people who are still pining for a more sophisticated version of Porky's V. Come to think of it, that doesn't sound that bad. But believe me, don't waste your time on this book, again based on the one chapter I read.


Mark Haddon - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2003
Mondale recently wrote about this book.

I don’t have much to add . I did enjoy this book and yes it was a quick read. I found myself trying to compare characteristics of the main character with current and former students of mine. The first fifty pages drove me crazy and I almost quit. But I kept going and I’m glad I did. Intersesting story, interesting perspective, good stuff.


Lawrence Ritter - The Glory of Their Times, 1966 with additions in 1984
My grandparents bought me this book for my 13th birthday. I had always meant to get around to reading it but never did - that is until months before my 33rd birthday. I’m glad I did. By page 20, I was upset that eventually the book would end.

I love love love love this book!

Ritter set out in the early 60’s to interview as many players from the early days of baseball as possible before they died. There are 26 different oral histories in this book. All of the players finished their careers by 1947. I loved every last one of the chapters but my absolute favorites were the ones of the players who played at the turn of the century. The game was so incredibly different then that it almost seems like a completely different game. I loved this book so much that I almost feel like starting it again right now.

All of the players love to reminisce about their playing days and all say that they would do it all again in a second. The players love for the game suffuses each page with so much warmth and happiness. The narratives speak to a different time in our country. Not only do I feel like I understand the early history of baseball better, I feel like I understand this part of our country’s history a little better as well.

If you doubt how enjoyable this book is, sample this paragraph from Davy Jones, “It was during those years, I think about 1908 that I saw Germany Schaefer steal first base. Yes, first base. They say it can’t be done, but I saw him do it. In fact, I was standing right on third base, with my eyes popping out, when he did it.”

Jones goes on to spend the next page or so describing just how Schaefer achieved this feat.

If you like baseball at all, you must read this book. I even recommended it to a parent of a kid in my class. Every night, he and his parents take turns reading it to each other.

Germany Schaefer

Innocent When You Dream: The Tom Waits Reader, 2005
Thanks Shawn! This collection of interviews throughout the years was a fascinating read. The man knows how to spin a yarn. He’s so full of shit yet completely sincere. Anyone who likes Waits’ music should consider this a must read and it is ready to be lent out.


J. Niimi - Murmur, 2005
This is only the second book I’ve read in the 33 1/3 series. The only other one I read, Meat is Murder by Joe Pernice was a story with the album in question being a central point of the experience. As opposed to this one which is just rock geek stuff. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it, but it was a wee bit much. Youthlarge bought me this and I’m curious to see what she’ll think about it. I definitely do not recommend this book to anyone who would go crazy reading sentences like this: “Proportion in Murmur hinges on that vertiginous I, or more specifically its absence.” That is one random sentence that I just happened to put my finger on while typing this. Just put on the fucking record. I wonder how the other books in this series compare to this one.