Monday, December 30, 2019

New Books For The New Year

Photo by Jason Schott.



As the new year is upon us, it's a good time to catch up on some reading after the holiday season, with cold nights the perfect chance to curl up with a book. A variety of new books to satisfy your various interests are out this week, including I Can't Wait To Cancel This, by Beth Evans; The Playground, by Jane Shemilt; We Will Rise By Steve Beaven; and Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg.

Friday, December 27, 2019

Michigan State Wins Pinstripe Bowl With Second Half Shutout

Michigan State celebrates after a big fourth quarter stop. Photo by Jason Schott.



The Michigan State Spartans won the Pinstripe Bowl on Friday night at Yankee Stadium, 27-21, over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Mets Make Major Move To Bolster Bullpen By Signing Betances

Dellin Betances with the Yankees.



The Mets made a major move to address the strength of their bullpen by signing one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, Dellin Betances, to a one-year deal, with a player option for the 2021 season.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Boone on Cole: "We understand what a great pitcher he is, but I was blown away by the person"

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone (l.) with Gerrit Cole (c.) and his wife, Amy. Photo by Jason Schott.



The Yankees introduced their newest ace, Gerrit Cole, on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium, and their manager, Aaron Boone, couldn't be happier to add the Cy Young Award runner-up to the rotation.

Books: True-Crime Thriller "If You Tell" By Gregg Olsen






If You Tell
By Gregg Olsen
Thomas & Mercer; hardcover, $24.95; paperback, $15.95, ebook, $4.99

New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen has written more than twenty-five books, including The Sound of Rain and The Weight of Silence in the Nicole Foster series. 

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Yankees Introduce Their New Ace, Gerrit Cole

Gerrit Cole at the podium, with Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman and team President Randy Levine (at right) and his agent, Scott Boras (second from left). Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees introduced their new ace, Gerrit Cole, at a lavish press conference on Wednesday morning at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees Make It Official: Cole Inks 9-Year Deal

This message was on the screens at Yankee Stadium Wednesday morning. Photo by Jason Schott.


The Yankees announced the signing of pitcher Gerrit Cole last week, but they made it official on Wednesday morning ahead of a press conference at The Stadium introducing their new ace.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Books: "Roaring Back" on Tiger's Triumph At The Masters





Roaring Back: The Fall and Rise of Tiger Woods
By Curt Sampson
Diversion Books; hardcover, 253 pages; $26.99

Tiger Woods hit rock bottom ten years ago, when a car accident outside of his house led to revelations of problems in his marriage and numerous affairs. He then struggled over the next decade to stay healthy, undergoing numerous surgeries, including a spinal fusion. 

NYCFC Will Play Regular Season Games At Citi Field

NYCFC at Citi Field in October 2016.


New York City Football Club can now call two boroughs home.

Baseball Books: On Three Historic Franchises

Yankee Stadium. Photo by Jason Schott.




It is always a good time to read about baseball, especially its legendary franchises, which these new books examine, The New York Yankees of the 1950s, and new editions of the If These Walls Could Talk series on the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. These are also perfect for any baseball fans you have on your Christmas list.

Book Chat: J.M. Fenster, Author Of "Cheaters Always Win"




J.M. Fenster is the award-winning author of many works of American history and commentary, including Packard: The Pride, which won several national awards; Ether Day, which won the Anesthesia Foundation prize; the New York Times bestseller Parish Priest with Doug Brinkley; the PBS documentary First Freedom; and the book Mavericks, Miracles, and Medicine, which was also a documentary on A&E.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Books: "Three Days At The Brink" On FDR's Leadership At The Height Of World War II





Three Days At The Brink: FDR's Daring Gamble to Win World War II
By Bret Baier, with Catherine Whitney
William Morrow; hardcover, $28.99

Bret Baier is the chief political anchor for Fox News Channel and the anchor and executive editor of Special Report with Bret Baier. He also has become quite prolific with his "Three Days" series of books on American history, which were New York Times bestsellers: Three Days in Moscow: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of the Soviet Empire and Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower's Final Mission.

Books: "An Equal Justice" By Chad Zunker





An Equal Justice
By Chad Zunker
Thomas & Mercer; paperback, $15.95; ebook, $4.99

An Equal Justice takes you inside the halls of a prestigious law firm, where a rookie lawyer is pulled into a maze of lies and violence.

Books: "Billion Dollar Fantasy" On The Battle Between FanDuel & DraftKings





Billion Dollar Fantasy: The High-Stakes Game Between FanDuel and DraftKings That Upended Sports in America
By Albert Chen
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; hardcover; $27.00

Fantasy sports and gambling has exploded in the United States the last few years, to the point where it is legal in many states.
Betting lines are openly talked about on sports channels, something unheard of not too long ago. This is all due to two companies, whose fierce competition gave fire to a burgeoning industry.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Books: "The Network," A Political Thriller From L.C. Shaw





The Network
By L.C. Shaw
Harper Paperbacks/HarperCollins Publishers; paperback, 416 pages; $16.99; available Tuesday, December 17

This political thriller involving secrets and lies at every level of government is perfect for our times, when we read about such things as foreign interference in our elections. 

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Books: "My Mexico City Kitchen" By Gabriela Camara





My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions
By Gabriela Camara and Malena Watrous
Ten Speed Press; hardcover, 368 pages; $35.00

Gabriela Camara is the chef-owner of the acclaimed Mexico City restaurant Contramar and its sister restaurant in San Francisco, Cala. Mentored by Diana Kennedy, Camara is internationally recognized as the leader of accessible, yet sophisticated, Mexican cooking. In 2016, Cala was named one of Bon Appetit's 50 Best New Restaurants, Food & Wine's Restaurant of the Year, and a semifinalist for the James Bears Foundation's award for Best New Restaurant.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Yankees Turn The Stadium Into A Winter Wonderland

Yankees Vice Chairwoman Jenny Steinbrenner helping kids pick out toys. All Photos Provided by the New York Yankees.


On Friday afternoon, the Yankees hosted the 10th annual Bronx Winter Wonderland event, as Yankee Stadium’s Great Hall was once again transformed into the North Pole

Books: "The Strenuous Life" On Teddy Roosevelt's Influence On Sports





The Strenuous Life: Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of the American Athlete
By Ryan Swanson
Diversion Books; hardcover, 320 pages; $26.99

Ryan Swanson is an Associate Professor of History at the University of New Mexico's Honors College. He earned his Ph.D. in history from Georgetown in 2008 and has been studying and researching Theodore Roosevelt and his role in athletics in the United States for the past decade.

Mets Sign Veteran Starter Michael Wacha

Michael Wacha.


The Mets today announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha to a one-year deal. In a corresponding move, right-handed pitcher Chris Mazza has been designated for assignment.

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Books: Biographies Of Baseball Legends Banks, Tiant & Edgar

Photo by Jason Schott.



The baseball offseason is underway, and with that, a time to take a step back and read about the history of the game. There are new biographies on three of baseball's most legendary figures, Let's Play Two: The Life and Times of Ernie Banks, by Doug Wilson; Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back, by Luis Tiant, with Saul Wisnia; and Edgar: An Autobiography, by Edgar Martinez, with Larry Stone.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

National Football Foundation Awards Dinner; Mark Harmon Honored

Mark Harmon. Provided by the NFF.



The New York Hilton Midtown's Grand Ballroom played host to an all-star cast of history's greatest football legends and the sport's most promising student-athletes during tonight's 62nd National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT.

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Pinstripe Bowl Battle Between Michigan State & Wake Forest

The scene at last year's Pinstripe Bowl. Photo by Jason Schott.


The 10th installment of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl will feature a matchup between the Michigan State Spartans of the Big Ten and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the ACC at Yankee Stadium on Friday, December 27, with kickoff scheduled for 3:20 p.m. 

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Books: "Country" By Michael Hughes





Country: A Novel
By Michael Hughes
Custom House; hardcover, $26.99

Michael Hughes grew up in a small town in Northern Ireland, graduated from Oxford, and trained in theatre at the Jacques Lecoq School in Paris. He has worked for many years as an actor under the professional name Michael Colgan, and he also teaches creative writing.

Books: "Sprawlball" on the evolution of the NBA





Sprawlball: A Visual Tour of the New Era of the NBA
By Kirl Goldsberry
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; hardcover, $25.00

Kirk Goldsberry is an NBA analyst at ESPN and a professor at the University of Texas. He has worked as the vice president of strategic research for the San Antonio Spurs and the senior analyst for Team USA Basketball.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Books: "Cheaters Always Win: The Story of America"




Cheaters Always Win: The Story of America
By J.M. Fenster
Twelve; hardcover, $28.00; eBook, $14.99; available Tuesday, December 3

J.M. Fenster is the award-winning author of many works of American history and commentary, including Packard: The Pride, which won several national awards; Ether Day, which won the Anesthesia Foundation prize; the New York Times bestseller Parish Priest with Doug Brinkley; the PBS documentary First Freedom; and the book Mavericks, Miracles, and Medicine, which was also a documentary on A&E.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Books: "Holly Banks Full of Angst" by Julie Valerie




Holly Banks Full of Angst
By Julie Valerie
Lake Union Publishing; paperback, $14.95; Kindle eBook, $4.99; available today, Sunday, December 1

Julie Valerie is the founder of the 85K Writing Challenge and serves on the board of directors of James River Writers. Holly Banks Full of Angst is her debut novel.

Books: "Nine Elms" By Robert Bryndza





Nine Elms: A Kate Marshall Thriller
By Robert Bryndza
Thomas & Mercer; hardcover, $24.95; paperback, $15.95; Kindle, $4.99; available today, Sunday, December 1

Robert Bryndza is the author of the Detective Erika Foster series, which includes the Number 1 bestseller The Girl in the Ice, as well as The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath, Cold Blood, and Deadly Secrets. He has sold over three million copies of his books, which have been translated into 29 languages. 

Friday, November 29, 2019

Books: "One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow" by Olivia Hawker





One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow
By Olivia Hawker
Lake Union Publishing; hardcover, $24.95; paperback, $14.95; Ebook, $4.99

Olivia Hawker was destined to become a historical novelist, having been tasked with chronicling her family's history when she was raised Mormon while growing up on a rural Idaho. It is an important component of Latter-Day Saint culture, and while she eventually left Mormonism behind to find her own spiritual path, her enthusiasm for genealogy remained, particularly stories about ordinary people, including her own family's history.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Books: Sebastian Gorka On What's At Stake In the 2020 Election




The War for America's Soul
By Sebastian Gorka
Regnery; hardcover; $28.99

Sebastian Gorka, Ph.D, served as Strategist to the President in the Trump administration, and is a frequent guest on FOX News and Sinclair TV stations, as well as the host of the popular nationally syndicated radio show, AMERICA First, on Salem Radio Network and hundreds of local stations.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Books: Paul Freedman On "American Cuisine" - Yes, there is one




American Cuisine: And How It Got This Way
By Paul Freedman
Liveright; hardcover; $39.95

Just in time for your Thanksgiving turkey and indulging at holiday parties comes a look at how food in this country has evolved over time.

For centuries, skeptical foreigners, as well as plenty of Americans, have believed there was no such thing as "American cuisine." In recent decades, the items that have fit into that category are hamburgers, hot dogs, and pizza.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Books: "A Fist or a Heart," Acclaimed In Iceland, Now In America





A Fist or a Heart
By Kristin Eiriksdottir; translated by Larissa Kyzer
Amazon Crossing; hardcover, $24.95; paperback, $14.95; Kindle eBook, $4.99

The novel A Fist or a Heart was originally published in Iceland as Elin ymislegt, and won the 2017 Icelandic Literary Prize, as well as the 2018 Icelandic Women's Literature Prize.

Books: "Do The Work" By Gary John Bishop





Do The Work: The Official Unrepentant Ass-Kicking, Change-Your-Life Sidekick to Unfu*k Yourself
By Gary John Bishop
HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; paperback, $18.99

Gary John Bishop is one of the world's leading personal development experts, and the author of the New York Times and worldwide bestseller Unfu*k Yourself. After years of facilitating programs for one of the world's leading personal development companies, he combined his training in otology and phenemology with his interest in the philosophies of Martin Heidegger, Hans-Georg Gadamer, and Earl Husserl to produce his own brand of straightforward self-improvement.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Books: "Lean Out" By Marissa Orr, On Closing the Gender gap





Lean Out: The Truth About Women, Power, And The Workplace
By Marissa Orr
HarperCollins Leadership; hardcover, 240 pages, $27.99

Marissa Orr has worked at Google, where she began her career over fifteen years ago as a founding member of their Sales Operations & Strategy Team, and then she moved on to Facebook, where she worked as a Vertical Marketing Manager.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Books: "Quantum" By Patricia Cornwell



Quantum: A Captain Chase Novel
By Patricia Cornwell
Thomas & Mercer; 352 pages; hardcover, $24.95; Kindle, $9.99; audiobook, $26.24

The latest novel from Patricia Cornwell, Quantum, is the start of a new thriller series that will feature a brilliant heroine in an extraordinary setting.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Books: "Strange Planet" by Nathan W. Pyle







Strange Planet
By Nathan W. Pyle
Morrow Gift; hardcover, $14.99; eBook, $10.99

Nathan W. Pyle is the New York Times bestselling author of NYC Basic Tips and Etiquette and 99 Stories I Could Tell: A Doodlebook to Help You Create, and his new book, Strange Planet, is born out of the hit Instagran account he created.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Mets Name Beltran Their New Manager

@Mets.



Carlos Beltrán is coming home.

The Mets announced on Friday that they have named their former star player as the 22nd manager in team history, agreeing to terms on a three-year contract with a club option for a fourth year.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Yankees Relieve Rothschild Of Pitching Coach Duties





The Yankees made the surprising announcement on Monday that Pitching Coach Larry Rothschild will not return for the 2020 season.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Phillies Hire Girardi; Cashman Says "They got a great one"

Joe Girardi.


BRONX, NY - On Thursday morning, the Philadelphia Phillies hired former Yankees Manager Joe Girardi to be their new skipper.

Cashman: "We failed in our ultimate goal of a championship"

Brian Cashman.


BRONX, NY - The Yankees are a team that preaches a win-or-bust mentality, that championships mean everything, but does that mean their season, in which they won 103 games but lost the ALCS to Houston was a failure?

Yankees: Hicks To Have Tommy John Surgery

Aaron Hicks.


BRONX, NY - Yankees center fielder Aaron Hicks missed most of the 2019 season, and it appears he will be out for most of next season as well.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Books: "The Speed of Falling Objects"




The Speed of Falling Objects
By Nancy Richardson Fischer
Inkyard Press/HarperCollins; hardcover, 336 pages; $19.99

Nancy Richardson Fischer earned a legion of devoted readers and wide critical praise for her debut novel When Elephants Fly because of its sensitive and authentic treatment of mental illness, set against a backdrop of issues surrounding wildlife protection and conservation.

Books: "The Way of the Woodshop" By Aleksandra Zee




THE WAY OF THE WOODSHOP: Creating, Designing & Decorating with Wood
By Aleksandra Zee
Dey Street Books; hardcover, $26.99; E-Book, $13.99; available today, October 22

Celebrated Oakland-based woodworker Aleksandra Zee creates and sells original and commissioned pieces, teaches monthly woodshops at her studio in Oakland, and speaks regularly to audiences on her craft.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Boone After Yanks Fall In ALCS: "The ultimate pain you can feel in sports"

Yankees Manager Aaron Boone. Photo by Jason Schott.



The Yankees lost the American League Championship Series on Saturday night when Jose Altuve got a two-run walk-off home run to give the Houston Astros a 6-4 win in Game 6.

This is the second time in three years the Yankees have lost to Houston in the ALCS, and it is now ten years that they have not reached the World Series. 

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Mets Outlast Dodgers Late After Cy Young Battl

The Mets' Jacob deGrom battling the Dodgers' Joc Pederson. Photo by Jason Schott.



The Mets beat the Dodgers, 3-0, with all the runs coming in the eighth inning, in a thriller on Saturday night at Citi Field.

This game featured a pitching matchup between two of the top National League Cy Young Award contenders, Jacob deGrom of the Mets, who won the award last season, and Hyun-Jin Ryu of the Dodgers.

Books: "Semicolon," A Fun Look At A Misunderstood Mark





Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark
By Cecelia Watson
Ecco; hardcover, 224 pages; $19.99

The semicolon is possibly the most divisive punctuation mark of the modern era. Just hearing about it provokes a reaction, be it love or hate, as well as being deeply misunderstood.

Books: New Installments Of Akashic Books Noir Series





When Brooklyn-based publisher Akashic Books published Brooklyn Noir, edited by Tim McLoughlin, in 2004, they did not expect that it would be the start of a series.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Mets, Thor Trounced By Dodgers

Noah Syndergaard pitching to Max Muncy. Photo by Jason Schott.



The Mets suffered a crushing loss to the Dodgers, 9-2, on Friday night at Citi Field to open a critical three-game series against the best team in the National League.

Ramos Will Be Behind Plate For Syndergaard Friday Night

Noah Syndergaard warming up last Sunday. Photo by Jason Schott.



Noah Syndergaard will be on the mound for the Mets against Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers on Friday night for the opener of a pivotal three-game series as the Mets close in on a Wild Card spot.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Books: Benjamin Moser's Definitive Take On Susan Sontag




Sontag: Her Life and Work
By Benjamin Moser
Ecco; an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; hardcover; $39.99; available Tuesday, September 17

Susan Sontag was of one of the 20th Century’s most towering intellectuals and noted New York institution. 

Books: "Belichick," A Look At The Hooded Genius, Now In Paperback





Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time
By Ian O'Connor
Mariner; paperback, $16.99; also available in hardcover from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $28.00

Bill Belichick is arguably the most compelling figure, as he has coached the New England Patriots for nearly two decades, and teamed up with quarterback Tom Brady for a record six Super Bowl championships.