Read This!

I do not pretend to be well read. I read a lot but I read mostly about three subjects, baseball, politics and true crime. These are subjects that interest me. I’ve read my share of fiction but when push comes to shove I will always fall back on my old standbys. So here are my mini book reports on the last five works I’ve read.

1. My Bloody Life: The Making of a Latin King. By Reymundo Sanchez. It is a gripping re-telling of a young man from Puerto Rico who came to live in the US and soon found his only way of survival was to join a gang. The story resonates with me simply because it takes place in Chicago. However the Chicago he grew up in and the one I grew up in might as well have been in other continents. It is a definite page-turner and not for the squeamish.

2. It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs. By Rodney Dangerfield. If you find Rodney even remotely funny than by all means read this book. It is written by a man who knows his time is almost up and it is completely honest. It’s funny but all I have is respect for the man. He gave up everything, battled through a lifelong battle with depression all to chase his dream of being a comedian. He’s up there with Prior, Bruce, and Carlin as comedy pioneers in my book.

3. If I knew Then. By Amy Fisher. I know, all right and yes I am an addict for tell all stories by former criminals. I read Amy Fisher My Story when it came out during the height of the whole Amy Fisher-Joey Buttifuco debacle. This book is much better. Amy Fisher has been released from jail, had plastic surgery, married and has had a son. She was a seventeen-year-old girl who made some serious lapses in judgment. She was always seeking approval from older men throughout her life and it took eight years behind bars to figure it out. Think what you want and snicker about the Long Island Lolita nonsense. This is a good read and worth ones time to sit down with.

4. Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush’s America. By Molly Ivins. As anyone who even remotely knows me they know I am a die-hard leftist communist Liberal. So, anti-Bush books are a must read for me. I’ve read them all and this is one of, if not the best of them all. Ivins, outlines everything wrong with our religious fanatical President in plain English. Plus she backs them up with indisputable facts. Something the Sean Hanity’s of the world have a hard time with. This Bush asshole is going to kill us. He is so over his head it is scary. There is absolutely no justification for voting for him, but I digress. Please all right wingers read this book and then come argue with me.

5. CallGirl By Jeannette Angell. A true story written by an ex-callgirl in the Boston area. I love reading tell all stories about a forbidden life. Maybe I should have been a Sociologist to learn more about them. I grew up in the suburbs so most of what this book talks about is fascinating to me. The old stereotypes of hookers walking the streets getting beat up by pimps are put to rest in this book. The author has numerous degrees and was a professor by day. However, having no money to afford to pay her bills and only bankruptcy as an alternative she decided to give prostitution a go. Call her what you want but making over a grand a weekend for having sex makes me realize just how stupid men really are.