ANTICIPATORY NON-FICTION

I've managed to read two books within the last week, helped by the fact I didn't have to work at all. Both books can been seen as warm-ups for upcoming events and I liked mixing in some non-fiction when I get the chance.

First up was Three Nights in August by Buzz Bissinger. It's centered around a 3 game series between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals in August 2003; both teams were fighting for the division lead at that time (along with the Houston Astros). Bissinger takes a look at Cards manager Tony LaRussa and the team, using specific examples of players (such as Cal Eldred and Albert Pujols) and situations (such as the hit-and-run) to touch on unviersal truths about baseball. I've been a fan of LaRussa since he managed the White Sox in the early 80s and this book didn't change that in the least. It's a smart book that is passionate about baseball played the right way and that's the kind of baseball I love. Now I am fully charged up for the new season ahead, which begins in less than 48 hours as I type this with a game between the Cleveland Indians and my beloved World Champion White Sox.

The second book, finished about an hour ago, was Staring at Sound by Jim DeRogatis. It tells the story of one of my favorite bands, The Flaming Lips. DeRogatis lays things out in chronological order with histories of the members and centering around their creative output. I liked it. It reminded me a bit of the Wilco book that Greg Kot wrote the other year. I always find the creative process interesting and when it's one of my favorite bands...how can I resist? This now has me fired up for the new Lips album, At War With the Mystics, which comes out on Tuesday. I've been listening to all the previous albums and used some birthday money to buy the Fearless Freaks DVD, which I'll try to get to before the new one. Can't wait.

That gives me 11 books read through the end of March. Not bad. Next up is Jeffrey Ford's The Empire of Ice Cream and I plan on posting about every story as I read them.