Novels I have read

I finally finished another John Grisham novel a couple weeks ago, so it's time to update the blog, which I have ignored for a long time. I read The Rooster Bar. Actually, I re-read about two-thirds of it. I had gotten that far orginally and then stopped reading. Not sure why. Anyway, I'm still a fan. It is a familiar script, but still entertaining. This one has the reader, or at least me, rooting for the law school students to succeed at bringing down a diploma mill. I like that it's set in Washington, D.C., close to where I grew up and that Grisham's fictional name for the school is Foggy Bottoms Law School. For people unfamiliar with the DC area, Foggy Bottom is an actual neighborhood. It even has a Metro Stop. If you like Grisham's work, you will probably like this one. On to "The Reckoning."

Novels I have read

Finished reading John Grisham's, "The Whistler," today. If you like Grisham, you will like this one. I will start reading Camino Island tonight.

Novels I have read

Well, I just started this one, "Cairnaerie," the first novel by colleague - hope she doesn't mind me calling her that -- Martha "M.K.B." Graham. It is a historical fiction that "unfolds across the landscape of Civil War Virginia and the war's aftermath.

Congratulations, Martha!

Learn more about Martha and her book on her blog: https://mkbgraham.com/.

Books I have read

Just finished reading "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis. I liked the movie and I liked the book. Michael Lewis is good. I should read "Liar's Poker." I have also read Money Ball by Michael Lewis, and saw the movie based on it.

My next book, however, will be "The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light" by JMU English Professor Paul Bogard.

Novels I have read

Just finished reading "Rogue Lawyer" by John Grisham. When I started reading it, I groaned a little that it was written in first person, but he did a good job with it. Like his other books, he creates characters I want to read about and interesting situations.

More information about the book is available here.

Next up on my reading list is "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis. I have seen the movie and have read a little bit of a sample of the book on my Nook.

Outer Banks vacation video

It took me a second vacation to get around to creating a video of our May vacation to the Outer Banks, but here it is.

Novels I have read

Finished reading John Grisham's Gray Mountain, the tale of young lawyer Samantha Kofer. Kofer gets laid off from her big law firm in Manhattan amid an economic downturn and decides to take a pro bono internship position with a legal aid clinic in the coalfields of southwest Virginia. Her firm tells her that by taking the position, they will keep her on the books and bring her back when the economy improves. Relocating from Manhattan to the fictional town of Brady is a culture shock, but as you would expect, she adjusts and even decides to spend more time there despite an offer to return to NY City.

I do like the way Grisham leaves her future open. The reader can decide if she will stay forever in Brady or only long enough to finish the cases she has become attached to.

Rogue Lawyer, which was published in the fall, is next. I received it as a Christmas present.

JMU Football 5-0 for the first time

David and I were among the fans who braved windy, cool (high 40s) and misty weather today to watch JMU down Stony Brook 38-20 for the first 5-0 start in program history. Linda is still recovering from her recent hospital stay and watched the game online at home, where it was warm and dry.

Books I Have Read

I should have posted this a couple weeks ago when I finished reading "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game" by Michael Lewis. Even though it was published more than 10 years ago, still an interesting read.

Silver Lake, fall 2015

Silver Lake

Some photos I took in late September during evening bicycle rides. More photos here.

Novels I Have Read

Finished reading "Blandings Castle" by P.G. Wodehouse. It's the second Wodehouse book I have read and they're great. Blandings Castle is a collection of short stories. I'm glad I read "Uncle Fred In The Springtime" first. It introduced me to some of the characters in "Blandings Castle."

Kill Devil Hills 2015

Our first visit to Kill Devil Hills in eight years.

Another John Grisham book read

After many stops and starts, I have finally finished reading Sycamore Row. I liked having the setting back in Clanton with the main characters from "A Time To Kill." I want to read "A Time To Kill" again and then read this one again, back to back. Overall, Sycamore Row is pretty typical Grisham, which I enjoy.

I have Grisham's latest book, Gray Mountain, but I will be reading my second book by P.G. Wodehouse ("Blandings Castle") and then "Money Ball" before I get to it.

Novels I have read

Finished reading Uncle Fred in the Springtime by P.G. Wodehouse. Very funny. It took a little bit to get used to Wodehouse's style, but it's a very good read. I plan to read more of his novels.

Novels I have read

Just started reading George Orwell's 1984. With all the news about privacy invasions and government monitoring of everyone and everything, what better time to read a classic about Big Brother.

Novels I have read

Finished John Grisham's "The Racketeer." I am once again caught up on all his books and am looking forward to his sequel to "A Time To Kill," which is scheduled to come out in the fall.

"The Racketeer" was fine. Not one of his classics, but still a good read.

Books I have read

Just finished "A Beautiful Mind," the biography of Nobel laureate John Forbes Nash who spent a good deal of his life suffering from schizophrenia. The book, by Sylvia Nasar, goes into much more detail about his life than the movie that is very loosely based on the book. I liked the movie, but it was nice getting a more complete story from the book. This was the first book I have read on an e-reader, which I liked. Next up is John Grisham's latest novel, The Racketeer. I have the hard cover version of that.

Books I have read

Just finished reading "Pillow for my Helmet," Robert Leckie's account of serving in the marines during the war in the Pacific in World War II. Leckie's story is one of three that were used as the primary basis for the HBO series, The Pacific.

Fun with my '90s-era computer baseball game

Denny McClain Nearly Perfect Through Eight Innings
1996 Tigers No-Hit 1996 Rangers

DETROIT _ Detroit Tigers' ace Denny McClain was nearly perfect for eight innings and combined with closer Gregg Olson to no-hit the Texas Rangers in a 3-0 victory.

McClain struck out six and faced 25 batters, one over the minimum through eight innings, to notch his league-leading 10^th victory.

Rangers' second baseman Mark McLemore broke up the perfect game by reaching base on an error by Tiger first baseman Tony Clark.  McLemore was then caught trying to steal. The only other Ranger to reach base was catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who walked in the ninth inning against Olson. Olson also struck out a batter in earning his eighth save.

The Tigers scored all their runs in the first inning on back-to-back home runs by Travis Fryman and Bobby Higginson. Chad Curtis tripled ahead of Fryman's 13^th home run of the season and Higginson followed with his 17^th of the season.

Bobby Witt (7-4) went the distance for Texas, giving up six hits, three walks and the three runs. He matched McClain with six strikeouts.

Box Score

More about the season I am playing.

Notes:
1. I have no idea why the computer replaced McClain after eight innings. The computer plays all games not involving the Orioles. I only manage the Orioles.

2. Although I manage the Orioles, I have taken the liberty to bolster several 1996 team rosters with great players from the past, such as Denny McClain from the 1968 Tigers. I'm thinking about adding Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Micky Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente and others. Stay tuned. I also have added some of the best NL players from 1996 to AL rosters since I am not playing the NL schedule.

Novels I Have Read

Finished John Grisham's "Calico Joe" last week. I was a little disappointed. Just seemed like there could have been a little more to it. I felt like I was set up for something really special and then it didn't happen. But I'm still a big fan.