Down to the Last Pitch - Tim Wendel
In his latest book, Tim Wendel, author of Summer of ’68, brings to life the 1991 World Series. He argues that this year had the best Series of all time – and his argument is pretty convincing. Through interviews with those who were there as well as his signature innate understanding of the game, Wendel recreates the suspense of the games. All baseball fans can relate to the journey these teams made on their way to the World Series. Perhaps what is most compelling, however, is that Wendel uses this story as a way to talk about the way Major League Baseball has changed as an industry. All told, this book is an important addition to the canon of baseball writing, and a great example of the literary potential of baseball.
Flings: Stories - Justin Taylor
In his latest collection of short stories, Justin Taylor gives us characters whose vulnerability is easy to see through the scenes of their seemingly mundane lives. The book is funny and smart and includes a group of college friends dealing with life in their late 20’s, a chronic underachiever, and a divorced dad trying to figure out how to connect with his children. As the characters recur in story after story we see them grow and change, never losing sight of how they got to where they are today. Taylor is a master at using his characters to teach us about ourselves, and this collection shows how powerful his insight is.