I read the other day that one way to keep your brain healthy is to read things you don’t usually read—new genres or subjects you don’t know a lot about. So, here’s what I took to Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 this month to expand our reading horizons.
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession
By Michael Finkel
This brand-new book (and instant New York Times bestseller) is a compelling true-crime narrative about Stéphane Bréitwieser, the most prolific art thief of all time. He pulled off most of his 200 heists in crowded museums in broad daylight with his girlfriend as his accomplice. His collection—worth about $2 billion—was for them alone. He never sold a piece, instead he displayed his stolen artwork—sculpture, paintings, guns, crossbows, bowls, glassware and more—in his attic bedroom of his mother’s home in Alsace. Then he was caught. This book is based on interviews with Bréitwieser (but not the girlfriend who has never talked), her lawyer, the police, art historians and psychologists who attempt to explain how his obsession with beauty could lead a young man to this truly odd life of crime.
By John Scalzi
This New York Times bestseller is not for everyone. The talking dolphins have particularly foul mouths. That said, I laughed out loud—lots. So, so much.
Charlie is divorced and working as a substitute teacher after being laid off from his journalism job. He’s living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, and all he wants is to own the beloved downtown pub, which is for sale but not to him with his iffy finances. Then his estranged uncle Jake dies and leaves Charlie his supervillain business (complete with his own volcano-island lair). But Jake had enemies and now they are coming for Charlie. While Jake was a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, these other guys are another kind entirely—they are rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital. But Charlie is well-equipped to win this war—with super-smart and well-placed talking spy cats, unionized dolphins, a terrifying and able henchwoman at his side, and his own good nature and common sense. It’s a romp! Also, I listened to the audio version narrated by Wil Wheaton of (Star Trek: The Next Generation fame).
Midwest Shreds: Skating Across America’s Heartland
by Mandy Shunnarah
This book, by Mandy Shunnarah, an Alabama-born writer who now lives in Columbus, Ohio, is part memoir, part cultural exploration, part travelogue. It’s also a deeply personal look at an often-misunderstood sport. Skateboarding, rollerblading, aggressive quad skating (I love the Tragic City Rollers!) and wheelchair skating are more than fun hobbies and video clips on social media, Mandy says. “They’re all-encompassing lifestyle sports that extend into fashion; music; film; art; and a gritty, DIY, devil-may-care ethos. Though rife with stereotypes of the slacker stoner white guy, the truth about skating is that it’s expansive, diverse, and welcoming—particularly in the Midwest where skaters tend to be ignored by skate media and form strong, dedicated communities as a result.”
The largest skatepark in the United States, Mandy writes, is 88,000 square feet of poured concrete, rails, ramps, banks, and jumpable staircases. It isn’t in Southern California. It isn’t in New York City. It’s in Des Moines.
Through interviews with skaters—both active and retired—skate shop owners, skatepark creators, skate product manufacturers and skate camp organizers, as well as travel writing and Mandy’s own personal experiences as an aggressive quad skater in Columbus, Ohio, Midwest Shreds is a broad look at skate life in the Midwest. That includes exploring the challenges of underrepresented skaters in this underrepresented region; losing beloved old skateparks and the activism required to petition local governments for new parks; preserving skate history; maintaining DIY parks; and skate shops’ triple role of retail store, community arts center, and economic recovery engine.
Also, check out Mandy’s book blog, Off the Beaten Shelf, and their shop, Posh&Page Vintage.
It’s worth noting that Birmingham has its own world-class skate part on City Walk and those Tragic City Rollers (Birmingham’s own competitive roller derby league) are worth seeing. Open recruitment is August 19 and 21. Go to here for more info. The next bout, a double-header, is set for September 14 at Boutwell Auditorium. Just saying.
I link to Amazon to show you exactly what book I’m talking about, but I love to shop locally at Church Street Coffee and Books, The Alabama Booksmith, Little Professor, and Thank You Books in Crestwood. And I visit my local library often in person and online!
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