BILL BRYSON: NOTES FROM A SMALL COUNTRY/DOWN UNDER/THE LIFE & TIMES OF THE THUNDERBOLT KID-For years my parents and aunties and uncles would buy me these books as I was growing up with keen ideas to travelling. Recentely I reopened this dream by finding these books and reading through the tales of one of the greatest travel writers ever. This American is as insightful as he is inspiring and as scathing to whats wrong as he is rightfully funny. 'Notes From A Small Island' is hilarious...especially as Britain is my familiar home. While 'Down Under' is a unique trip and take of the depths of the delightful Australia. Still, however it's his hilarious and unbelievable take of 50's America in 'The Life & Times Of The Thunderbolt Kid' that truly hits home. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish you lived the life...so why not?!
PHIL JACKSON: THE LAST SEASON (A TEAM IN SEARCH OF ITS SOUL)-With the release of Phil Jackson's latest memoir 'Eleven Rings-The Soul Of Success' (stay tuned for a review) we re-read the legendary Chicago Bull and Los Angeles Laker coaches last book. Set in the dream team turned nightmare season of a Lakers squad that boasted Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton but no championship hardware, this is a truly insightful behind the scenes look at what was Phil's last season in Hollywood before he returned to the hardwood to fill out the rest of those eleven rings. This is as real and as revealing as it gets. With his new book looking to be his best, almost a decade back this was the one piece of writing every tabloid journalist and would-be-coach wanted to get there hands on. The perfect journal and coaching manual, still not lost today with all that's happened since.
TOM CLANCY: EXECUTIVE ORDERS-With 'Star Trek's' new Kirk about to take the Alec Baldwin/Harrison Ford/Ben Affleck mantle of CIA's best Jack Ryan it was time to look at one of Tom Clancy's epic stories in the Ryan saga. Almost a mammoth 900 pages, this took almost as long to read as it was to lift out of the old cupboard of old family books. Still, in the end this intriguing tale is worth the read. Vivid and descriptive, we see Ryan take on the role as American President (this feels more like you should picture Mr. Ford) after a terroist attack that seems all too familiar...although this book was penned in 1996. From the pressroom to the situation room and war to an epidemic to end it all, this is as real as it gets.
I AM LEGEND: With Will Smith's father and son Sci-Fi 'After Earth' out this week it's time to take a look at the book that his last out of this world outing was based on. Very different from the film in plots and locations this quick read is a novel page turner that keeps you on your toes and the whites of your knuckles. This Richard Matheson book is bold, brilliant and a horror/sci-fi that mixes Phillip K. Dick with what inspired Stephen King. Truly terrifying and incredibly isolated you are drawn right into this in it's own right. The brilliant Will Smith film has not lost the transalation of the books original message. With an even beautiful and heartbreaking one man and his dog tale this is the original and best. The film may be a classic...but this is the legend. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
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