Flip the Script by Bruce Feldman and Ed Orgeron is essentially an autobiographical piece about Ed Orgeron. Orgeron, of course, is the national championship-winning coach for the LSU Tigers. (Or, well, he used to be until he was relieved of his duties in 2021.) Orgeron previously coached in the NFL and was the head coach for Ole Miss and USC. Feldman previously wrote Meat Market about Ole Miss's recruiting when Orgeron was in Oxford, and I would highly recommend reading that if you haven't done so already. Anyway, Flip the Script starts off talking about Orgeron's youth and playing career, but then the second half of the book discusses his experience at Ole Miss. He talks about some of his coaching decisions, personnel decisions, the recruitment of Joe Burrow, and his national championship year in 2019. I know there are questions about Orgeron's overall head coaching acumen, but there's no doubt he's a good recruiter and defensive line coach. It's a worthwhile read if you want to see how some things work behind the scenes at a big-time SEC program and in the coaching world.
The Closers by Michael Connelly is yet another Harry Bosch novel. After having retired from the LAPD a couple novels previously, Bosch returns to the department and works on Open-Unsolved cases (a.k.a. cold cases). This novel revolves around a 17-year-old murder from the year 1988, where DNA evidence is now in play to go back and try to catch the murderer of a high school girl.
The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman. I've previously written about Grossman a few times. He wrote one of my favorite book series, The Magicians series. Again, I highly recommend that series if you haven't read it. (The show isn't nearly as good as the books.) Anyway, The Silver Arrow is somewhat of a children's book - albeit a 249-page one - about a brother-sister duo named Tom and Kate who go on a train adventure. The train is named The Silver Arrow and it's a magical, talking train that picks up magical, talking animals. Yes, that sounds very childish, but there are some serious themes and more mature-oriented jokes peppered throughout. Grossman - whose vocabulary is outstanding in his other books - cuts down on the intellectual talk to teach a lesson to younger readers. SPOILER ALERT: It essentially turns into a warning about taking care of the Earth and the animals contained therein, but it's a unique way of getting there.
What have you been reading? Tell us about it in the comments.
I know it's late, but I finally got around to Game of Thrones. I'm pretty busy and don't have much sit-down time, so maybe I'll finish up just in time for RR Martin's conclusion
ReplyDeleteI'm normally not a Dungeons & Dragons type of fantasy reader, but that series really pulled me in. Have fun!
DeleteI bought two collector boxes for my kids this Christmas. The Vonnegut complete collection, and The Magicians Trilogy. Kept them both. Probably next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI read most of Vonnegut in my 20's, along with about everybody else I knew. He feels much more bleak and less whimsical than before. Likely, it's me.
The Magicians Trilogy is good adult fantasy. They are presently promoting a sequel to The Silver Arrow, the Golden whateveritis. I think it releases this month, so if you are enjoying it, there will be a pretty quick opportunity to keep it going.
I have always thought of Ed Ogeron as Brady Hoke, only better.
Thanks for the heads up about the sequel. I hadn't heard about that. I did buy "Codex" which is also by Lev Grossman, but I haven't cracked it open yet.
DeleteTo be honest, I've never been a Vonnegut fan. I read "Slaughterhouse Five" in just about one sitting one day when I was stuck in a tiny quiet room, and it just wasn't my thing for whatever reason. I'm weird like that; everybody else seems to love him.
I think it's fun how his characters cross paths in and out of the books where they are not the main character. But, he held a really bleak view of the future. Less menacing than Huxley, but even more gloomy somehow in its pointlessness.
DeleteBut what the hell, I got through the Koran and Three and Out, I can get through this.