Books Books Books
I was never a big reader. I just couldn’t get myself to sit down and just read a book for enjoyment. I think I blame schooling for that because we are always forced to read a bunch of things that do not interest us so the thought of reading just made me almost automatically think it wasn’t going to be any good.
I remember in grade school the only book I actually enjoyed reading that I was made to read was The Outsiders. At the time of reading it I didn’t even know there was a movie based on it and after seeing the movie I felt the book was better. But there were many other books I was forced to read that just had no impact on me.
When in high school I read a few books for my enjoyment including The Godfather and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? I read The Godfather before seeing the movie and thought it was great read, mostly because of my infatuation for the Mafia. The later of the two, with one of the longest names for a book I’ve see, is about a young man growing up in a Catholic household and and going to Catholic school. These were all things that I could relate with having done it myself.
For a long time after that I really didn’t read anything other than magazines or the newspaper but a few months ago I bought myself Stephan Colbert’s book I am America (And So Can You) and really enjoyed it. This prompted me to go out and buy some more books. Now I really enjoy reading, I like being able to imagine how I think the characters would look and sound. It is just like watching a movie but one that you cast.
Here is what I am currently reading and what I intent on reading.
Currently Reading:
- Blood and Honor: Inside the Scarfo Mob, the Mafia’s Most Violent Family by George Anastatia - A story about the bloody rise and fall of “Little” Nicky Scarfo and the Philadelphia Mob. Anastaia along with former wiseguy Nick “the Crow” Caramandi, now in the witness protection program, paint a violent series of events starting with the killing of the Don Angelo Bruno to Scarfo’s rise and overall paranoia over being knocked off. I’m not done with this yet because the book is so very long and it has just taken awhile to complete.
- Valis by Philip K. Dick - I’ll admit that my interest in reading this book came from the TV show Lost where Locke provides it to Ben to read while imprisoned in his basement. I have only just begun the book and so far really like where it is going. The main character, Horselover Fat, is also the narrator but telling the story in third person to try to find a better perspective of his problems. Fat is a drug user and is trying to find something meaningful in his life. I love how sometimes he breaks into first person only to correct himself or pretend like he is a completely separate person who is a friend of Fat’s.
Going to Read:
- A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex by Chris Jericho and Peter Thomas Fornatale - If you know me then you know I am a big wrestling mark (fan) and Chris Jericho is one of the best wrestling minds in pro wrestling history.
- The Last Gangster by George Anastasia - Another book about the Philadelphia mob except post Scarfo era. It is about an informant that gets himself into the mob to help the police and federal prosecutors bring down the organization.
