Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

Summary: "Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas is too young to remember her dad's glory days as a pitcher for the Yankees. So when her father is offered a coaching position with the Kansas City Royals, Annie is intrigued to see the baseball side of her dad. Of course, knowing he'll be a mentor to hot young rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, certainly makes it more enticing."

One of my favorite re-reads during the summer! And a good filler for missing sports. And a Missouri setting!

373 pages

MOBIUS | goodreads

Mascot by Antony John

Mascot

by Antony John

4/5

336 pages

Noah Savino has been stuck in a wheelchair for months. He hates the way people treat him like he’s helpless now. He’s sick of going to physical therapy, where he isn’t making any progress. He’s tired of not having control over his own body. And he misses playing baseball—but not as much as he misses his dad, who died in the car accident that paralyzed Noah.

Noah is scared he’ll never feel like his old self again. He doesn’t want people to think of him as different for the rest of his life. With the help of family and friends, he’ll have to throw off the mask he’s been hiding behind and face the fears that have kept him on the sidelines if he ever wants to move forward.

Moonshot by Alessandra Torre

Summary: "Baseball wasn't supposed to be a game of life and death...The summer that Chase Stern entered my life, I was seventeen. The daughter of a legend, the Yankees were my family, their stadium my home, their dugout my workplace. My focus was on the game. Chase & he started out as a distraction. A distraction with sex appeal poured into every inch of his six foot frame. A distraction who played like a god and partied like a devil. I tried to stay away. I couldn't. Then, the team started losing. Women started dying. And everything in my perfect world broke apart."

Well, I don't know what to say about this book. I don't know if it should even count as 399 pages because the chapters were so short, and the way it's printed leaves quite a few blank pages.

Anyway, it's a baseball romance novel similar to Whatever Life Throws at You, except Moonshot adds a weird layer of murder and mystery. Whatever Life Throws at You is above and beyond Moonshot in almost every way. The characters in Moonshot have absolutely NO depth. None. As the reader, I didn't learn anything interesting about Ty or Chase, and I didn't really care about them. All Ty thinks about is baseball and Chase, and literally nothing else! She has no real aspirations or dreams or drive to do anything with her life except be attached to the Yankees.

Even though I'm highly critical of this book, I did finish it in just one day. But I think it was more out of stubbornness to get it over with so I could figure out who the killer is and move on to a better book.

I was shocked by some turn of events and the killer is quite surprising! But I just can't deal with the way the last half of the book is written. It's just cringe-worthy and frustrating. The reviews on Goodreads let me down!

399 pages

"God, If You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked" by Darrell Hammond

In his record setting 14 year stint on Saturday Night Live, Hammond did 107 impressions, most famously Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Chris Mathews, and Sean Connery.  I watched many of those episodes live and in reruns and was always impressed with how accurate he was with so many diverse and very real people.  In this autobiography, Hammond explains what he looks for and how he prepares each new impression as well as all of the hard work so many people contribute to put a new episode of SNL on air each week.  As a long time SNL fan, I really enjoyed his explanations of how the writers, performers, make-up, hair, wardrobe, interns, hosts, and Lorne Michaels work together to make it all look so fun and effortless.  He doesn't throw any of his former colleagues under the bus and even has good things to say about the hosts with whom he appeared.

However, the most compelling part of Hammond's autobiography is his continuing fight with mental illness, alcoholism, drug abuse, and cutting due to his physical and psychological torture by his parents all through his childhood growing up in Melbourne, FL.  His mother was a cruel and damaged person who took out her demons on her son, even when he was a toddler, by cutting his tongue with a knife, slamming his hands in doors, and more.  She said awful things to him and purposely scared him.  Hammond's father was a vet from WWII and Korea who suffered from flashbacks and untreated PTSD and constantly threatened to kill people who made him mad, even his own son.  His rages were terrifying, and Hammond coped by drinking beer at a young age and escaping into baseball, which his father loved.  His impressions also started at a young age, as that was how he was able to connect with his mother, who also liked to do impressions of their neighbors.  The only love he felt as a boy was from the family's African-American maid, Myrtise, to whom this book in dedicated.

Hammond's road to SNL was a long one; he was 39 when he was hired.  How he got there and stayed so long while battling mental illness and substance abuse throughout his tenure is fascinating, sad, horrifying, and incredibly impressive.  I highly recommend this book, especially to SNL fans.  Hammond is a true survivor.  273 pages.

"Caught Running" by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban

The authors of the Cut & Run series (one of my very favorite series) wrote this before that famous line of books, and I could tell.  It was a good story of opposites attracting, but the writing wasn't quite up to par as C&R.  Jake and Brandon went to high school together and 10 years later are teaching at their alma mater but barely know each other until the principal insists that Brandon become assistant baseball coach to Jake's head coach.  Although he wants to say no, Brandon, a science teacher, is given no choice.  The two men are opposites in every way, so when they find themselves attracted to each other they're mortified.  Lots of angst and uncomfortable moments ensue along with laughs and a few surprises.  236 pages (Kindle edition).

Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

"Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas is too young to remember her dad's glory days as a pitcher for the Yankees. So when her father is offered a coaching position with the Kansas City Royals, Annie is intrigued to see the baseball side of her dad. Of course, knowing he'll be a mentor to hot young rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, certainly makes it more enticing."

Whatever Life Throws at You was the perfect vacation/summer read! Annie is a sensible, yet fun heroine. It was a relief to read such a well-rounded young girl's perspective. I also enjoyed the Missouri setting (even if there were a few inaccuracies) and Royals references. Jason Brody is hot, fun and interesting. Brody and Annie's friendship was genuine and made me laugh, while also including some truly swoon-worthy romantic moments. I believe this novel is considered "New Adult."

373 pages

Who’s on Worst? The Lousiest Players, Biggest Cheaters, Saddest Goats and Other Antiheroes in Baseball History by Filip Bondy

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

One player was one of the worst hitters of all time going 0 for 45.  Another player was the best of the worst first baseman with 29 errors in one season.  Our home state's pitcher for the 2011 Royals was 1-9 with an era of 6.75 - really bad.  A flaky player called by his teammates "Planet Zito" was paid too much money.  Then there was Eddie Gaedel, the baseball player who stood at his full height of 3 feet 7 inches. 

272 pages

Double Play by Robert B. Parker

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

He was a wounded war veteran. Long recovery period and rehab put him back on the road. His wife left him and the only job he could find was as a bodyguard.  His last two were protecting a gangster's daughter and protecting the first African American baseball player, Jackie Robinson. 

Audio:  6 hrs. 34 min.

Print:  304 pages.

Haunted Baseball by Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Lots of things happen in the book all over the baseball world, but there wasn’t another living person around when things happen. 

Audio:  8 hrs. 15 min.

Print:  288 pages.

Calico Joe by John Grisham

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Calico Joe came up to the Chicago Cubs through their farm system, and a batting superstar. His promising career ended on the day when a baseball was thrown and hit him in the head. Thirty years later the pitcher and batter met, a good understanding for both men. 

Print:  208 pages.

Audio:  5 hrs. 23 min.

"Bullet Bob" Comes to Louisville by Bob Morris

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

He tells a lot about his experience in the Kansas City minor leagues before promotion to the Royals major league team and being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals.  196 pages.