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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.