The Andy Cohen Diaries

I wanted to read something light and funny to combat the cold dark days, so I chose this diary by Andy Cohen.  Honestly, if you don't know who Andy Cohen is, then stop right here.  You probably won't be interested. 

Andy is a television producer/NYC socialite/St Louis native responsible for the addictive Real Housewives series and several other Bravo shows.  He hosts his own late night show, Watch What Happens Live on Bravo.  This is a diary of his life from 2013-2014. 

I found myself breezing through this book, I think Andy is entertaining and he  spills a lot of gossip about celebrities.  He regularly hangs with Sarah Jessica Parker, the Seinfelds, reality TV stars, and Anderson Cooper.  It's kind of amazing how celebrities live, staying out til wee hours of the night, flying cross country every week, and taking vacations every month. 

Andy uses self deprecating humor and sarcasm throughout the book, keeping it light and fun.  He also talks extensively about his newest love affair...with his rescue dog Wacha.  Wacha really helps Andy "think about something other than myself."

I recommend this book for reality TV fans and readers of celebrity biographies and memoirs.

How Dogs Love Us

Do dogs love their humans like humans love their dogs?  One dog lover and neuroscientist decided to find out.  Gregory Berns' book, How Dogs Love Us is about his research into the canine mind.  To find out how dogs "felt" towards humans, he and his team of researchers had to design and conduct several experiments with their dogs.  The first and hardest part was training a dog to enter an MRI machine, and then, sit still long enough to get an accurate reading.  They measured brain activity when dogs were presented with certain stimuli, such as sweat from their human beings. 

What did they find out?  I don't want to spoil it, but, I think any dog lover will tell you that dogs do love their humans.  They reciprocate certain emotions shown towards them.  For example, the dogs that were presented with sweat samples had parts of the brain activate only when presented with their particular owner's smell.  

As a dog lover and owner of two overly protective corgis, I can corroborate his findings.  If you are a dog lover as well, check this one out to learn more about the ways your dog relates to you.  If you are a cat lover, well, don't hold your breath.

Visit the author's website here

Walking with Jack

I am sent dozens of books for review on a monthly basis.  I am a bit of a picky reader, so I found one that I thought my dad might enjoy as he is a golfer.  Below is his review of this book.

 Walking with Jack; A Father's Journey to Become His Son's Caddy by Don Snyder is a book I read primarily because of the back cover recommendation from John Feinstein, author of the great golf book, A Good Walk Spoiled.  Unfortunately, this one wasn't quite "up to par."
First of all, I thought the story was unique and very interesting- a middle-aged father going into training in the hope of becoming his college-aged son's caddy on a professional tour. Snyder's narrative of his time in Scotland learning how to caddy was the most entertaining part of the story. The writing was excellent and made the experience quite vivid.
Secondly, the criticisms noted by others who have reviewed this book on Amazon are fair, particularly those related to the experience Snyder had when was caddying for his son.  The overly sentimental and emotional tone surrounding his son was a bit much.  I found it hard to relate.
Overall, the story was not so much about golf, Scotland, and caddying, as it was a memoir of a man's relationship with his son and his attempt to create a unique and special bond with him. This may appeal to a broader audience than just golfers, but was not quite what I was hoping for. 

Class A: Baseball in the Middle of Everywhere

Class A: Baseball in the Middle of Everywhere is Lucas Mann's personal narrative of his experience following the Clinton Lumberkings, a single A minor league affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, through the course of an entire season. It is not a day by day account of the games and players so much as it is the author's observations and perceptions of the players, the fans, and the city of Clinton, Iowa, viewed through the context of the historical and economic history of the city, as well as the author's personal background.

Mann provides an interesting history of the city's birth, growth and decline into what it is today, a working class town with a subpar reputation (and about 25 minutes from my hometown). This city is one in which the current team of young, unpolished, inexperienced itinerants of professional baseball are laboring to leave behind in order to move up the developmental ladder.
Along the way, some players are seen as probably having reached the zenith of their professional baseball careers and will soon have to pursue alternative careers outside baseball. Some players are seen as having an opportunity to advance to the next level or two, but not of making it to "the show;" too few players are seen as having the most realistic potential to realize their ultimate goal.

The transitory nature of minor league baseball, particularly at low level single A level, is set against the long standing loyalty of a core group of baseball fans who, despite the economic downturn experienced by the city, stayed and found some consolation and stability in the team which continued to play in their city through some rough years. Although the team can and does change from season to season, even from month to month, these steadfast fans chronicle the team season to season, year to year, in their own ways. In doing so, they are able to accept and adapt to the change they have experienced in their own lives and in their own city.

Overall, the book was an interesting read and thought provoking far beyond the context of minor league baseball. It's an interesting view of a city, its minor league baseball team, and its fans.

THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB by LILY KOPPEL

The Astronaut Wives Club tells the story of the wives of the first astronauts in the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions. Being the wife of an astronaut was not easy. The men were often gone for long periods of training, many were unfaithful while away, and they had terribly dangerous jobs. In the meantime, the women were left to take care of their children and homes, all alone. They also faced tremendous pressure from NASA to present themselves as wholesome happy housewives. Due to the stress and common worries, the wives bonded together for socialization and support.

Each of the first missions were detailed as the wives recalled how they felt when their husbands were blasted off into space and, once they got home and became heroes.

Not only is this book a fascinating look into what life was like for astronaut wives, but it's also a look at what American life was like during the decades of the space race. (Geez, everyone chain smoked). I found it fascinating and very readable.

The Big Scrum

The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football details an important time in football history.

Miller describes how Theodore Roosevelt grew up as a sickly child, but one who would do anything to overcome his ailments. Thus, he became a solid athlete and sports enthusiast, though he never really played football.

At Harvard, Teddy was a fan of the game, which looked quite a bit different than it does today. The sport resembled a more violent version of rugby. No equipment was worn, and the ball only moved forward in kicks. As the sport grew in popularity, so did the number of injuries and deaths of its players. This caused great concern among many people. One such person was Harvard president Charles Eliot, who wanted to outright ban football. He was not alone. Many schools banned the sport.

If you read The Big Scrum, you'll find out how Teddy was able to gain support for football and eventually help transition it into the game it is today.

THE NIGHT GWEN STACY DIED by SARAH BRUNI

The Night Gwen Stacy Died is the story of two young runaways who are modeling their lives after Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. Sheila is 17 yrs old and works at a gas station in Coralville Iowa. She dreams of moving to Paris one day, but then comes to realize how unrealistic that dream is. Peter Parker is a 20-something taxi driver who often stops in at the gas station where Sheila works. He lives with his mother and is still haunted by his brother's suicide many years before. Though Peter and Sheila rarely talk, she finds herself oddly attracted to him.

One night Peter Parker comes in with a gun. He wants Sheila to run away with him. She agrees and they make it look like he robbed and abducted her. They drive to Chicago. Peter has prophetic dreams and feels that they were supposed to come to Chicago. Sheila takes the name Gwen Stacy and they find jobs while Peter tries to figure out why they are there.

The book is kind of hard to explain because there is a lot of symbolism and different themes-- Peter has prophetic dreams, Sheila takes on Gwen's persona, she also has a strange connection to the taxidermy coyote in the University of Iowa's Natural History Museum, and coyotes show up numerous times throughout the book. You can interpret that as you will.

I found the story compelling though I felt it needed a bit more character development. I didn't always understand Sheila's actions. The books switches between voices and I enjoyed hearing situations from both Sheila's and Peter's perspectives. The pacing of the book is a bit slow in the middle but it really picked up near the end and I found the ending to be satisfying, yet I want to hear more of their story.

It's a little offbeat, and won't appeal to everyone. I found it to be a satisfying mix of Jennifer Egan and of Spider-man.