Winter Soldiers- History-Iraq/Afghanistan

Winter Soldier By Iraq Veterans Against the War and Aaron Gantz

Whether you support the war in the Middle East or not, this book is a must read. I picked up this title after a family member was sent to Afghanistan and tore through it in a matter of days. Published by the Iraq Veterans Against the War they are not necessarily asking for your support but they are asking for you to take a moment and listen to what they have to say. One of the best lines in the book comes from the foreword by Anthony Swofford (author of Jarhead). He says, "Do not turn away from these stories. They are yours, too."

Waiter Rant- Essay

Waiter Rant By Steve Dublanica

After dropping out of seminary and being laid off from the mental health sector for essentially being too ethical, Steve Dublanica was at his wit’s end. After awhile he realized he would have to return to a job but really had no idea what to do. His brother, a waiter at an upscale New York restaurant landed him a job and what followed was a wildly popular blog: WaiterRant.net. This book is both a how-to guide for those of us not versed in the proper behavior of eating out and a manifesto to our millions of wait staff who deal with the absurdity of psychotic diners. If you’ve ever wondered how to get good service, tip properly or not have the staff spit in your food, then Waiter Rant is for you. Hilarious and eye opening don’t eat out again until you’ve read this book!

Nobody Move- Fiction

Denis Johnson is a brilliant writer. After winning the National Book Award for A Tree of Smoke I wasn't sure what he could do to follow up such a brilliantly written novel. Then he surprised me with Nobody Move. This novel is both an homage to crime noir and a play on its predictable style. The dialogue moves and the characters are real and seedy but at the same time you find yourself rooting for that moment of salvation- but I won't tell you whether it comes or not.

Don't wait for the paperback, you need to read this book now!

Game Boys- Essays

As sales on games sky rocket past Hollywood box office profits, Michael Kane takes a deeper look into video gaming and the underground world of competitive play. Instead of taking an abstract view of this insider’s world he follows two clans and their struggle to stay on top and make money for their skills. A rivalry as deep as the Yankee’s versus Red Sox, meet CompLexity and 3D. Do you have what it takes to be a cyber athlete? These guys do and they want you to know it.

What made this book difficult to get through was my constant desire to break out my own video game system. Kane is fair in his reporting and shows the greed and desire of the men on top, not the players, who are raking in the large profits, as well as a look at the 15-23 year olds who make playing video games their life.