On My Radar:

The History of Rock in Fifty Guitars
by Bruce Wexler
The History Press
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

Popular music in the 1920s called out for a guitar sound that was more dominant. Early experiments with steel cones or resonators, Hawaiian electric guitars and the first Electric Spanish style 6-string guitar in 1936 made musicians suddenly realise that it was possible to produce notes that could be amplified to any desired volume and this gave birth to the new less restrained style of playing. Finally the guitar could take the lead part and as rock music evolved the guitar was a natural choice of instrument. This stunning book traces the development of the instrument and the artists who achieved fame with it over seven decades, from Bill Haley to Jimi Hendrix.

On My Radar:

Shit Happens! Swear Words and Mantras to Color Your Stress Away
by James Alexander
James Alexander
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:


Try before you buy. Download a preview at swearybook.com 

When sh*t hits the fan, what do you do? James Alexander may have the answer. Introducing the swear word adult coloring book. With over 55 swear words to color, printed on beautiful black paper, Shit Happens! features classic and delightfully unique sweary words and mantras to help you relax and let go of any stress in your life. Each single-sided page includes such tension-relieving words as 'Shitballs', 'Twat Waffle' and 'Bullshit', laid over intricate and meditative zentagle designs... perfect for those who love colorful language! 

Why not try before you buy? Download four free pages at swearybook.com/free 

WARNING contains seriously colourful language! 

In My TBR Stack:

I'll Take You There
by Wally Lamb
Harper Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

In this radiant homage to the resiliency, strength, and power of women, Wally Lamb—author of numerous New York Times bestselling novels including She’s Come Undone, I Know This Much is True, and We Are Water—weaves an evocative, deeply affecting tapestry of one Baby Boomer's life and the trio of unforgettable women who have changed it.

I’ll Take You There centers on Felix, a film scholar who runs a Monday night movie club in what was once a vaudeville theater. One evening, while setting up a film in the projectionist booth, he’s confronted by the ghost of Lois Weber, a trailblazing motion picture director from Hollywood’s silent film era. Lois invites Felix to revisit—and in some cases relive—scenes from his past as they are projected onto the cinema’s big screen.

In these magical movies, the medium of film becomes the lens for Felix to reflect on the women who profoundly impacted his life. There’s his daughter Aliza, a Gen Y writer for New York Magazine who is trying to align her post-modern feminist beliefs with her lofty career ambitions; his sister, Frances, with whom he once shared a complicated bond of kindness and cruelty; and Verna, a fiery would-be contender for the 1951 Miss Rheingold competition, a beauty contest sponsored by a Brooklyn-based beer manufacturer that became a marketing phenomenon for two decades. At first unnerved by these ethereal apparitions, Felix comes to look forward to his encounters with Lois, who is later joined by the spirits of other celluloid muses.

Against the backdrop of a kaleidoscopic convergence of politics and pop culture, family secrets, and Hollywood iconography, Felix gains an enlightened understanding of the pressures and trials of the women closest to him, and of the feminine ideals and feminist realities that all women, of every era, must face.

Link to an excerpt from I'LL TAKE YOU THERE

In My TBR Stack:

Moonglow
by Michael Chabon
Harper Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

In 1989, fresh from the publication of his first novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, Michael Chabon traveled to his mother’s home in Oakland, California, to visit his terminally ill grandfather. Tongue loosened by powerful painkillers, memory stirred by the imminence of death, Chabon’s grandfather shared recollections and told stories the younger man had never heard before, uncovering bits and pieces of a history long buried and forgotten. That dreamlike week of revelations forms the basis for the novel Moonglow, the latest feat of legerdemain from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon.

Moonglow unfolds as the deathbed confession of a man the narrator refers to only as “my grandfather.” It is a tale of madness, of war and adventure, of sex and marriage and desire, of existential doubt and model rocketry, of the shining aspirations and demonic underpinnings of American technological accomplishment at midcentury, and, above all, of the destructive impact—and the creative power—of keeping secrets and telling lies. It is a portrait of the difficult but passionate love between the narrator’s grandfather and his grandmother, an enigmatic woman broken by her experience growing up in war-torn France. It is also a tour de force of speculative autobiography in which Chabon devises and reveals a secret history of his own imagination.

From the Jewish slums of prewar South Philadelphia to the invasion of Germany, from a Florida retirement village to the penal utopia of New York’s Wallkill prison, from the heyday of the space program to the twilight of the “American Century,” the novel revisits an entire era through a single life and collapses a lifetime into a single week. A lie that tells the truth, a work of fictional nonfiction, an autobiography wrapped in a novel disguised as a memoir, Moonglow is Chabon at his most moving and inventive.

Link to an excerpt from MOONGLOW

On My Radar:

The Princess Diarist
by Carrie Fisher
Blue Rider Press
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.  Named a PEOPLE Magazine Best Book of Fall 2016.

When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford. 

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.

The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.  Named a PEOPLE Magazine Best Book of Fall 2016.


When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford. 

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.

The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher’s intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.  Named a PEOPLE Magazine Best Book of Fall 2016.


When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved—plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford. 

With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher’s intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time—and what developed behind the scenes. And today, as she reprises her most iconic role for the latest Star Wars trilogy, Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.

On My Radar:

The Daily Show (The Book): An Oral History as told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests
by Chris Smith 
Foreward by Jon Stewart
Grand Central Publishing
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:


For almost seventeen years, The Daily Show with Jon Stewartbrilliantly redefined the borders between television comedy, political satire, and opinionated news coverage. It launched the careers of some of today's most significant comedians, highlighted the hypocrisies of the powerful, and garnered 23 Emmys. Now the show's behind-the-scenes gags, controversies, and camaraderie will be chronicled by the players themselves, from legendary host Jon Stewart to the star cast members and writers-including Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Lewis Black, Jessica Williams, John Hodgman, and Larry Wilmore-plus some of The Daily Show's most prominent guests and adversaries: John and Cindy McCain, Glenn Beck, Tucker Carlson, and many more. 

This oral history takes the reader behind the curtain for all the show's highlights, from its origins as Comedy Central's underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart's long reign to Trevor Noah's succession, rising from a scrappy jester in the 24-hour political news cycle to become part of the beating heart of politics-a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary, with a reputation for calling bullshit and an ability to effect real change in the world. 

Through years of incisive election coverage, Jon Stewart's emotional monologue in the wake of 9/11, his infamous confrontation on Crossfire, passionate debates with President Obama and Hillary Clinton, feuds with Bill O'Reilly and Fox, the Indecisions, Mess O'Potamia, and provocative takes on Wall Street and racism, The Daily Show has been a cultural touchstone. Now, for the first time, the people behind the show's seminal moments come together to share their memories of the last-minute rewrites, improvisations, pranks, romances, blow-ups, and moments of Zen both on and off the set of one of America's most groundbreaking shows.

LINK TO AN EXCERPT FROM THE DAILY SHOW (THE BOOK)

In My TBR Stack:

Just Getting Started
by Tony Bennett with Scott Simon
Harper Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

At ninety, musician and singer Tony Bennett is as vibrant and productive as ever. In addition to his prodigious musical output, including albums, concerts, and personal appearances, this beloved and enduring artist has written his second book. In 2012's Life Is a Gift, Tony reflected on the lessons he has learned over the years. Now, in Just Getting Started, he pays homage to the remarkable people who inspired those lessons.

In his warm and inviting voice, Tony talks about who and what have enriched his own life, including Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cole Porter, Amy Winehouse, Fred Astaire, Lady Gaga, members of his family, significant places, and more. Just Getting Started chronicles the relationship Tony has enjoyed with each one of these legends, entertainers, humanitarians, and loved ones, and reveals how the lessons and values they imparted have invaluably shaped his life.

As enchanting and unforgettable as his music, Just Getting Started is a beautiful compilation of reflections every Bennett fan will treasure, and a perfect introduction for those just getting to know this remarkable star and humanitarian.

Link to an excerpt from JUST GETTING STARTED

A video chat with Tony Bennett and Scott Simon (youtube)

On My Radar:

Snake: The Legendary Life of Ken Stabler
by Mike Freeman
Dey Street Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

The first in-depth biography of one of the most talented and infamous legends to play in the National Football League—the life and times of pro football’s first bad boy, famed Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler.

Ken "The Snake" Stabler was the embodiment of the original Men in Black—the freewheeling, hard-hitting Oakland Raiders. The league’s first swashbuckling pass thrower, the mythical southpaw Southerner famous for come-from-behind drives late in the game, Stabler led the Raiders to their first Super Bowl championship in 1977. In an era dominated by gentleman quarterbacks like Roger Staubach and Bob Griese, this 1974 NFL MVP, four-time Pro-bowler, and Super Bowl champion was an iconoclast who partied as hard as he played and lived life unapologetically on his own—not the NFL’s—terms.

Though Stabler’s legacy is larger-than-life, there has never before been an exclusive account of him, until now. Snake goes deep under the surface of Stabler’s persona to reveal a man who, despite his penchant for partying and debauchery, was committed to winning and being the best player he could be. From his college days playing for Bear Bryant at Alabama to his years with the Raiders under coach John Madden, his broadcasting career to his death in 2015 and the revelation that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known as C.T.E., Snake probes the myriad facets of Stabler’s life on and off the field to tell his complete story, and explores how his legacy and the culture and times that pivotally shaped it, continues to impact football today.

LINK TO AN EXCERPT FROM SNAKE

RADIO INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR MIKE FREEMAN (youtube)

On My Radar:

Hi, Anxiety: Life With a Bad Case of Nerves
by Kat Kinsman
Dey Street Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Joining the ranks of such acclaimed accounts as Manic, Brain on Fire, and Monkey Mind, a deeply personal, funny, and sometimes painful look at anxiety and its impact from writer and commentator Kat Kinsman.

Feeling anxious? Can’t sleep because your brain won’t stop recycling thoughts? Unable to make a decision because you're too afraid you’ll make the wrong one? You’re not alone.

In Hi, Anxiety, beloved food writer, editor, and commentator Kat Kinsman expands on the high profile pieces she wrote for CNN.com about depression, and its wicked cousin, anxiety. Taking us back to her adolescence, when she was diagnosed with depression at fourteen, Kat speaks eloquently with pathos and humor about her skin picking, hand flapping, “nervousness” that made her the recipient of many a harsh taunt. With her mother also gripped by depression and health issues throughout her life, Kat came to live in a constant state of unease—that she would fail, that she would never find love . . . that she would end up just like her mother.

Now, as a successful media personality, Kat still battles anxiety every day. That anxiety manifests in strange, and deeply personal ways. But as she found when she started to write about her struggles, Kat is not alone in feeling like the simple act of leaving the house, or getting a haircut can be crippling. And though periodic medication, counseling, a successful career and a happy marriage have brought her relief, the illness, because that is what anxiety is, remains.

Exploring how millions are affected anxiety, Hi, Anxiety is a clarion call for everyone—but especially women—struggling with this condition. Though she is a strong advocate for seeking medical intervention, Kinsman implores those suffering to come out of the shadows—to talk about their battle openly and honestly. With humor, bravery, and writing that brings bestsellers like Laurie Notaro and Jenny Lawson to mind, Hi, Anxietytackles a difficult subject with amazing grace.

BookSpin Review:

Scrappy Little Nobody
by Anna Kendrick
Touchstone Books
Hardcover

  At least the title of this book is 2/3 right.  I first heard of Anna Kendrick when I saw her in the really good movie Up in the Air, where she starred alongside George Clooney and Vera Farmiga.  Her performance in the role as Natalie Keener stole that movie in my opinion, then and now.

  If you follow her twitter account, which I recommend, you will find that this book is not too far from an extended twitter feed.  She manages to be endearing, funny, and adorable at the same time, all while telling how she rose from the "scrappy little nobody" to the talented little somebody she is now.  The book reads like I'd expect it to sound if she were telling the stories out loud.

  It's not fair that so much talent is jammed into one person.  This lady can act, sing, keep you in stiches, and now we find out she can even write very well.  She may be scrappy, she is definitely little, but the nobody part of her life is gone forever.

  I hope she doesn't mind me saying, as a writer, Anna Kendrick is a revelation!

  I recommend this book to any Anna Kendrick fan, to anyone interested in working as an actor, or to anyone who just likes to laugh...a lot.

- - - - - - -

From the publisher's website:

A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect.

Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight, and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and “10 percent defiant.”

At the ripe age of thirteen, she had already resolved to “keep the crazy inside my head where it belonged. Forever. But here’s the thing about crazy: It. Wants. Out.” In Scrappy Little Nobody, she invites readers inside her brain, sharing extraordinary and charmingly ordinary stories with candor and winningly wry observations.

With her razor-sharp wit, Anna recounts the absurdities she’s experienced on her way to and from the heart of pop culture as only she can—from her unusual path to the performing arts (Vanilla Ice and baggy neon pants may have played a role) to her double life as a middle-school student who also starred on Broadway to her initial “dating experiments” (including only liking boys who didn’t like her back) to reviewing a binder full of butt doubles to her struggle to live like an adult woman instead of a perpetual “man-child.”

Enter Anna’s world and follow her rise from “scrappy little nobody” to somebody who dazzles on the stage, the screen, and now the page—with an electric, singular voice, at once familiar and surprising, sharp and sweet, funny and serious (well, not that serious).

On My Radar:

Sex, Drums, Rock 'n' Roll!: The Hardest Hitting Man in Show Business
by Kenny Aronoff
Backbeat Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Talent, energy, dedication, discipline, passion, innovation, education, drive, mind, body, spirit, vision, honor, truth, and drums make the man: Kenny Aronoff. Voted by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the greatest drummers of all time, Aronoff is arguably the most sought-after recording and touring beat master ever. Ignited by the Beatles' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Aronoff's passion for drumming fervently grew and carried him from the kit in his childhood living room in the Berkshires to Bernstein at Tanglewood to Mellencamp, Etheridge, Fogerty, Smashing Pumpkins, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles – his heroes – and beyond.

But none of this would have been possible without his fierce work ethic and unique approach to drumming – an integration of all parts of his being, along with meticulous attention to note-for-note detail, feel, and what the song needs. Both a leader and a team player in the mission to realize a greater good – an unforgettable recording, a riveting show – Aronoff brings it every time. Through any setbacks – heartaches, failures, injuries, or plain fatigue from the rigors of the biz – Aronoff has stayed the arduous and wild rock 'n' roll course. His tale of what is possible with unrelenting dedication to one's bliss is an inspiration to all.

Sex, Drums, Rock 'n' Roll! details Aronoff's youth in the Berkshires and the Midwest, from his early inspirations to his serious classical and jazz study, which gave him the foundation to be able to play – anything. The failure of a first rock band in his early twenties had a silver lining: it freed him up for an audition that would change his life – John Mellencamp. His work with Mellencamp catapulted Aronoff to the top of the charts with such hits as “Hurt So Good,” “Little Pink Houses,” and “Jack and Diane” and paved the way for session and recording work with droves of remarkable artists: Melissa Etheridge, John Fogerty, Bon Jovi, Stevie Nicks, Smashing Pumpkins, the BoDeans, Paul Westerberg, Celine Dion, Iggy Pop, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, Brian Wilson, Meat Loaf, Joe Cocker, and countless others.

In addition to his work as a world-famous recording and touring drummer, Aronoff finds time to be a dedicated teacher and has shared his expertise with students all over the world, teaching clinics for Tama and Zildjian. Heading into his fourth decade of rocking hard, Aronoff shows no signs of slowing down. Featuring rare photos, testimonials from major artists and from those who know him best, a chronology of live performances, a discography, and a foreword by Neil Peart, this book is the story of one of the greatest musicians of all time.


Excerpt

On My Radar:

Twenty-Six Seconds: A Personal History of the Zapruder Film
by Alexandra Zapruder
Grand Central Publishing
Hardcover
Street Date:  November 15, 2016


From the publisher's website:


Abraham Zapruder didn't know when he began filming President Kennedy's motorcade on November 22, 1963 that his home movie would change not only his family's life but American culture and history, as well. Now his granddaughter tells the whole story of the Zapruder film for the first time. With the help of personal family records, previously sealed archival sources, and interviews, she traces the film's complex journey through history, considering its impact on her family and the public realms of the media, courts, Federal government, and the arts community. Part biography, part family history, and part historical narrative, Zapruder tells how 26 seconds of film changed a family and raised some of the most important social, cultural, and moral questions of our time.

On My Radar:

Living Out Loud: Sports, Cancer, and the Things Worth Fighting For
by Craig Sager with Craig Sager II, and Brian Curtis
Flatiron Books
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

“Time is something that cannot be bought, it cannot be wagered with God, and it is not in endless supply. Time is simply how you live your life.” --Craig Sager

Thanks to an eccentric wardrobe filled with brightly colored suits and a love of sports that knows no bounds, Craig Sager is one of the most beloved and recognizable broadcasters on television. So when the sports world learned that he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) there was an outpouring of love and support from everyone who was inspired by his colorful life and his fearless decision to continue doing the job he loved despite being told that he would have only three-to-six months to live. Sager has undergone three stem cell transplants with his son as the donor for two of them and more than twenty chemotherapy cycles since his diagnosis.

In Living Out Loud, Craig Sager shares incredible stories from his remarkable career and chronicles his heroic battle. Whether he’s sprinting across Wrigley Field mid-game as a college student with cops in pursuit, chasing down Hank Aaron on the field for an interview after Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record, running with the bulls in Pamplona, or hunkering down to face the daunting physical challenges of fighting leukemia, Craig Sager is always ready to defy expectations, embrace life, and live it to the fullest.

Including a foreword by Charles Barkley and with unique insight from his son Craig Sager II, this entertaining, honest, and introspective account of a life lived in sports reveals the enduring lessons Sager has learned throughout his career and reminds you that no matter what life throws at you, to always look at the bright side.

In My TBR Stack:

Four Seasons of Loneliness: A Lawyer's Case Stories
by J. W. Freiberg
Philia Books
Trade Paperback

From the author's website:

What happens when loneliness engulfs us? How do we manage life when the absence of adequate connections becomes an excruciating hunger?

During his extraordinary decades-long career as an attorney, J. W. Freiberg consulted on hundreds of cases involving clients affected by chronic and debilitating loneliness. Here, in four adapted stories from his practice, he reveals how loneliness can impact us in every season of our lives. A fascinating cast of characters emerges: the traumatized teenager forever branded as a sexual predator; the man who spends the prime of his life in solitary confinement in Mao-era China; the truck driver whose self-education isolates him from his community; and the professor at the end of his life who has vast knowledge about the history of love but none to call his own.

Told through Freiberg’s unique lens of a social psychologist turned lawyer, Four Seasons of Loneliness explores the fallout of losing the connections so fundamental to our survival and the ways in which we seek to find again the bonds that sustain us.

On My Radar:

A Single Happened Thing
by Daniel Paisner
Relegation Books
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

“I would never witness anything interesting. I would never write anything beyond memos and flap copy and travel itineraries. I would simply love my wife and my daughters and hold them close and continue to take in meaningless midweek doubleheaders and mismanage the selling strategies of our midlist titles and ride along whatever middling currents I could manage until I washed up on some predictable shore.”

It’s the late Nineties on the Upper West Side and book publicist David Felb (née Felber, née Felberstein) can sense his world shrinking. He is stuck in the slow lane at “a venerable second-tier publishing house” and feeling the encroaching changes technology will bring as he struggles to maintain a bond with his wife and three young daughters. Into the void steps Fred “Sure Shot” Dunlap, a tweed-clad, waxed-mustached nineteenth-century baseball legend with still impeccable timing who died penniless and obscure and seems to need something from Felb. Or is it the other way around? Felb dutifully goes to weekly psychiatrist appointments at his wife’s insistence, but when his hard-to-reach baseball-mad teenage daughter develops her own fascination, he can feel a chance to recapture something lost.

Daniel Paisner’s enchanting new novel about neurosis, intimacy, and balancing familial needs while juggling two careers and the demands of modern life is also a charming and memorable parable about losing your mind and finding yourself in the age of anxiety.

On My Radar:

The Valley of the Shadow of Death: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption
by Kermit Alexander, Alex Gerould, and Jeff Snipes
Atria Books
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:

In this gripping memoir, perfect for true crime fans, former San Francisco 49er Kermit Alexander recounts his thirty-year-journey to redemption after the brutal and senseless murder of his family in South Central Los Angeles. “A deeply moving story of one man’s pain and hard-won peace” (Booklist, starred review).

With vivid detail, former NFL All Pro and president of the NFL Players Association Kermit Alexander tells, for the first time, the full story of the senseless murders that took the lives of his mother, sister, and nephews.

Part murder mystery, part redemption tale, and a fascinating history of Los Angeles, The Valley of the Shadow of Death begins when Kermit’s father moves the family from Louisiana to Los Angeles. After his storied career with the San Francisco 49ers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Philadelphia Eagles, Kermit returned to LA and lived a short drive from his beloved mother.

But the inexplicable slaughter in 1984 of Kermit’s family changed his life. He recounts the hours leading up to the massacre, and the tragic aftermath as he loses himself in the LA underworld trying to find answers. He describes his journey through the “wilderness” of despair—the years of isolation living out of his car, broke, depressed, and ill. Kermit opens up about his darkest hours and what it took to turn his life around, rebuild his family, and ultimately find peace.

Ominous and intense, powerful and uplifting, The Valley of the Shadow of Death is a testament to the value of family and the resiliency of the human spirit.

On My Radar:

Crazy is the New Normal
by Tom Tomorrow
IDW Publishing
Trade Paperback

From the publisher's website:


Return to...tomorrow as Tom Tomorrow's unique and celebrated perspective on American lunacy. This Modern World, returns to shelves! The gang's all here as the war drum of doom signals the encroaching apocalypse that is the 2016 American Presidential race -- with special guest The Incredible Trump!  Serious, elevated discourse and political correctness need not apply. One thing's for sure, in 2016 Crasy is The New Normal, and Tom Tomorrow is the only guiding light fit to lead us into that darkness!  This softcover volume collects select strips from 2013-2016.

On My Radar:

The Philanthropist's Tale
by Laurie Marsh
Urbane Publications
Hardcover

From the publisher's website:

Laurie Marsh is one of the world's must successful entrepreneurs but you've never heard of him until now. Here for the first time is the incredible tale of one of the world's leading philanthropists; from the streets of Lambeth to the glamour of L.A., it's a compelling true story of rags to riches, and sharing those riches with others. From persuading Disney to license their characters for use on raincoats, to convincing film stars to perform in low budget movies, Laurie has carved success from his confident, entrepreneurial and collaborative approach to life. And much of his success has been shared, his philanthropic work reaching the levels of far more public "givers"

Now in his eighties, Laurie still works every day, using his wealth and influence to help as many good causes and charitable organizations as he can, from building community centers to advising the British government on how to make the NHS self-sufficient. It's an inspirational and fascinating story of business success, and commitment to deserving causes. Entertaining, inspiring, educational, Laurie's story is the unique story of one man's determination to succeed, then use that success to benefit others.