writesdave's reviews
360 reviews

Eight World Cups: My Journey through the Beauty and Dark Side of Soccer by George Vecsey

informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

Young Man with a Horn by Dorothy Baker

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Strip City: A Stripper's Farewell Journey Across America by Lily Burana

funny informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

Wait Till Next Year: A Memoir by Doris Kearns Goodwin

emotional hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

In this moment of quarantine, isolation and sheltering, with nothing on the horizon, this book had what I needed. Goodwin put me in a different time and place, sparing no detail and painting an idyllic if unrealistic picture of life in 1950s suburbia. I don't deny that her reality probably doesn't reflect reality at large in that time period, and she addresses that toward the end. Again, I read this for the details of life back then, viewed through the lens of her and her father's love for the Dodgers, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her neighborhood and the people living in it come alive on the page—again, just what I needed right now.

Rip It Up and Start Again: Postpunk 1978-1984 by Simon Reynolds

informative slow-paced

2.75

This was a slog, which is disappointing given the lively subject matter. The second part went better than the first (not surprising given that I'd actually heard most of that music), but I found myself skimming a lot of it. As I writer I hate to give anything less than three stars without some suggestions. He could have done without a lot of the anecdotes, but I couldn't begin to tell you which ones. 

I will say this—since the music of that period relied heavily on production, he went deep on that process, which I found illuminating. While I gained a lot of knowledge from the book, it left me wanting. Check it out if your a huge fan of Duran Duran, Human League, Flock of Seagulls, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, etc.

MASH: A Novel about Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker

dark funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I found this book far tamer than the movie and a decent bit tamer than even the TV show. It’s hard to take the book on its own merits without constantly running ever character and action through that filter, but it was entertaining. Knowing the book took 11 years of collaboration between “Richard Hooker” and WC Heinz brings home the difficulty of writing a war book when you’ve participated in said war.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

5.0

Just a beautiful fable of how to go about following one's dreams. Only complaint is he explained each omen and allegory, not letting the reader figure out the signs as they come up. Still, it's just what I needed right now. A classic and a keeper.

The Sweet Season: A Sportswriter Rediscovers Football, Family, and a Bit of Faith at Minnesota's St. John's University by Austin Murphy

4.0

It's a nice tale of dropping out from the rat race. Austin Murphy learned about more than just football by taking a fall to cover Division III St. John's. He seemed to have strengthened his family life as well by getting off the treadmill, which sometimes a sports writer needs to do. As a sports writer myself, I could relate to a lot of it.

Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

4.0

Thanks to the rarely used second person, Jay McInerney's debut novel puts the reader in the shoes of a 20-something magazine editor who drifts aimlessly through a life of drugs, vapid women and friends, a lousy job and a messy family life. Just when you wished you had a little more, you learn (note the second person?) that sometimes having it all means very little.

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

2.0

Overly sappy semi-romance novel, but given the author's rep I'm not sure what I should have expected. It was very hard to get into this and while I don't regret reading it, I doubt I'll read anything else of his. I'll admit the guy has a very successful formula. Just not my particular brand of vodka.