I Think It's A Crime

I have a weak spot for crime memoirs, or what bookstores call "true crime,"; a category name I always hated. But I do enjoy knowing how the criminal mind works. It's not so much the gory details as it is the desire to know why and how someone decides to risk it all for some sort of selfish payoff.

This week Voice Publishing, a subsidiary of Hyperion, releases THE PROFILER: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths by Pat Brown. This book sounds interesting to me, but I am a little concerned by what I read on the website:

"Voice is a new imprint of books for women at the center of life—fiction and nonfiction for smart, educated, busy, curious, seasoned women for whom reading is a passion. Women who want to read to figure out what they want next. An imprint by and for women—as women see themselves."

Does this mean I am not a man if I want to read this book? I am at least interested in seeing if I want to read it. Personally, I feel it is a little shortsighted to market to one gender only in those cases where you have a story that may have a more, pardon the pun, broad appeal, especially in these difficult times for publishing. I mean, I understand that this book was written by a woman, but is the book written in such a way to only appeal to women? If so, count me out.

http://www.everywomansvoice.com/?q=node/940&#

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Also this week, Villard, an imprint of Random House, delivers BURY ME IN MY JERSEY: A Memoir of my Father, Football and Philly by Tom McAllister. My father isn't a sports fan, and I've only been to Philly once (and that wasn't even a real visit), but I do love football and the marketing of this book appeals to me. I like the idea that sports can be the conduit by which father and sons can bond.

From the Random House website:

Born and raised in Eagles country, Tom McAllister learns from his father and brother the rules of being a football fan. Spending Sundays in the infamous 700 level of Veterans Stadium, or sitting in front of the TV with his father in a nearby recliner, Tom sees both the ugly and beautiful sides of Philadelphia football. Like all true Philadelphians, he connects with the players. From icons Chuck Bednarik and Steve Van Buren to modern-day greats Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, and Brian Dawkins and controversial stars such as Terrell Owens, the Eagles players become a part of McAllister’s life. Watching them every Sunday, he tries to develop his own identity as a fan. Torn between his father’s calm and levelheaded fandom and the rowdy, profane, and violent crowds of Philadelphia legend, Tom struggles to achieve balance.

Read more about the book here:

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