BASEBALL FIELD GUIDE: An In-Depth Illustrated Guide to the Complete Rules of Baseball

BASEBALL FIELD GUIDE                              DAN FORMOSA, PAUL HAMBURGER

Now in its third edition—a clear guide to the complete rules of baseball!

Admit it: Even if you’re a diehard fan of our national pastime, sometimes an umpire’s call can be a little baffling. And for newer fans, Major League Baseball’s nuanced rules—developed and revised over decades—can be downright perplexing.

Now updated throughout with the latest changes, such as the “Buster Posey rule” on collisions at home plate, the Baseball Field Guide explains every rule in plain English:
Rules that apply before, during, and after the game
Equipment specifications and field requirements
Duties of the coaches, managers, and umpires
Rules for spectators (yes, they have rules, too!)
The clearest explanation anywhere of the infamous Infield Fly Rule, and much more!
Designed for quick and intuitive searches, this entertaining reference will help you understand every aspect of the game and add to your enjoyment of the sport.
 

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This book goes over everything that you need to know about the game of baseball. The rules for, managers, umpires, players, even fans attending games. For anyone coaching this book explains it all. Even for the weekend umpire you have it in this book. The width of the batter box, rules on interference, when the infield fly rule is called. When reading this it went over everything. A good book for any coach, or parent getting into coaching or umpiring. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

SLIDING DELTA

SLIDING DELTA                                                ED BALDWIN

SLIDING DELTA is a quest to find legendary musician Mississippi John Hurt and learn to pick the Delta blues that takes a Chicago college boy south of Memphis in the summer of 1965.

"Delta blues taste like sweat and cheap whiskey; smell like jail; sound best in a concrete block club with no windows, set back along the river where there's no law after dark."

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a book about a young college student who found the blues before college and now during a summer break he has decided to travel to the South to look for John Hurt, a blues musician. When I read the synopses I saw John Hurt, and Delta, so naturally I was expecting a blues book. Not to be disappointed there is music the blues, but this book is more than that. It really is about a white kid from Chicago who is upper middle class not having to struggle and going to the South to find a “Black Man” in 1965. He begins his journey expecting everything to be easy. But no sooner than his first night in Memphis does he find out that this is not the case. What he goes through some people would call street smarts, he did not have any, and he was an easy mark. When he finally makes it to a small town in Mississippi, he finds a job, and he finds growth as a person in seeing the struggles of the family that took him in. by sitting around talking to some of the older men you get a sense of what it was like back then even to be allowed to vote. They mention the young men from Philly missing that came to help to register people for voting. He goes out in the fields to help two friends he made while their pick cotton. All of these together make for a nice story and are done in a way that is hurtful, but remindful that this was just back in 1965, 51 years ago when in parts of this country white and black could not be sitting together or there would be a problem. Have we really come that far? I do know he meets John Hurt and I must say as a blues fan that would have been cool. The way the author blended the story with the times was good, and his reference to Blues music helped me like the story that much more. a very good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

THE CURSE OF BEAUTY: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel

THE CURSE OF BEAUTY                                JAMES BONE

The tumultuous and heartbreaking life of a world-famous model whose riveting story of beauty, fame, passion, murder, and madness in the Gilded Age captivated a nation.

As America was stepping into the modern era, one great beauty became the artist’s model of choice. Her perfect form became the emblem of the Gilded Age and appears on the greatest monuments of New York and the nation. Supermodel, actress, icon—her beauty paved the way for a life of glamour, passion, and ultimately tragedy. She dated the millionaires of the fashionable Newport colony, became the first American movie star ever to appear naked in a film, but her promising film career collapsed, her doctor fell in love with her and killed his own wife, and on her fortieth birthday, her mother committed her to an insane asylum. She remained there until her death in 1996 at the age of 104 and is now buried in an unmarked grave. Her name is Audrey Munson.

Many readers will recognize Audrey Munson, and have walked by her in the street, without even knowing her name. She stands atop New York’s Municipal Building. She sits as “Miss Manhattan” and “Miss Brooklyn” outside the Brooklyn Museum, is immortalized on the Manhattan Bridge, the Frick Mansion, the New York Public Library, and the Pulitzer Fountain outside the Plaza Hotel. In gold, bronze, and stone, she still graces bridges, skyscrapers, fountains, churches, monuments, and public buildings across the nation, from Jacksonville to San Francisco, from Atlanta to the Wisconsin state capitol.

From James Bone, the former New York Bureau Chief of The Times of London, this brilliantly reported investigative biography reveals, for the first time, the riveting truth of the forgotten life of an iconic beauty.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

This is a book about Audrey Munson who should be famous, but is not. She is “Miss Manhattan”, “Miss Brooklyn”, she adjourns the Frick museum, New York public library, Plaza hotel, skyscrapers, bridges, fountains, churches, public buildings, and the Wisconsin State capital, she is across the country but no one has heard of her. She also was the first to appear nude in a film. This book is filled with a lot of information about her and the men, and other people around her. The sad part is that from the age of 40 to her death in 1996 she lived in an insane asylum, she was 104 when she died. It was her mother that had her committed. Before that though she dated millionaires, was a model, vacation at Newport. There is so much more to this story. A story about a person I am sure many of us have never heard of. Overall a good book at times a little long in places but overall a good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE (Texas Kings #3)

I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE                       SORAYA LANE

WILD AT HEART

Faith Mendes needs to get her life in order and get a job--yesterday. Thankfully, the live-in house-keeper position at the King brothers' ranch is up for grabs. Problem is, she'd be working with her old childhood crush, Nate King. He's sexy, wealthy, and his Texas-sized charms are legendary...and, clearly, impossible to resist.

Nate never thought twice about his best friend's little sister. Back then, Faith was off-limits. But now that she's all grown up, Nate's whole world has turned upside-down. Razor-sharp, down-to-earth, and hotter-than-heck, Faith is everything Nate has ever dreamed of in a woman...and maybe even in a wife. But Faith has loved and lost enough already to risk it all on another known bad-boy. How can Nate convince her that he is the real deal--and that he's ready to rein it in and never look back?

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Nate had always liked his best friends little sister but as they got older his friend made him promise to stay away from her, and he agreed. Now she is on his door step answering an ad he put in the paper for a housekeeper. Faith Mendes has always thought Nate King good looking and now her she was standing in front of him at his ranch asking for help, and when he said no she pulled out the ace in the hole and turned slightly so he could see her face and what Cooper had done to her knowing he would give her a job. He did and this led the two of them down the course of the women that Nate has been looking for as a wife, but Faith is not wanting another bad boy. Nate must somehow convince her that he is the right man for her but she can be stubborn. This is a good and fun book with good characters. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

TEMPTED BY A TOUCH (An Unlikely Hero #2)

TEMPTED BY A TOUCH                                 KRIS RAFFERTY

People keep dying around Harper MacLain. Try as she might, she can’t stop bad things from happening to those she loves. When her closely guarded secret lands her in the middle of her ex-boyfriend’s investigation, she’s in over her head. She hates that Detective Lucas Sullivan is in her life again, tempting her to fall back into bad habits…and his bed.

When Harper left him, Lucas tried not to care, burying himself in his job instead. Then Harper became the job. Now they’re on the run, and all he can think about is keeping her safe…and his hands off her. Lucas knows she's the key to solving his case, if he can keep them alive long enough to do it. And that's the trick...because falling in love can kill you.

Hubby's Review:
Harper MacLaine and Lucas Sullivan dated and the night he was trying to figure out how to propose she broke up with him and moved from Boston to another town. Fast forward a year later and so much has happened in her life to her family and to top it off there is Lucas standing at her curb to take her to the police station to talk with a bad cop that used her to get information about her brother’s cases, and now he wants to talk to her. She only wants to do it so she can somehow make something right from this past year. Of course Lucas had followed her to the same town and now still is wanting to look after her. The interview with the bad cop goes south and then he is killed on his way back to isolation. Lucas not trusting anyone feels it is up to him to protect Harper. There the story takes off with lots of action, and the two of them working out what happened a year ago. There mystery and though maybe some parts might seem a little stretch it was an entertaining story and I like the two lead characters. A good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars.
Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com 

HARD TIME : An Ex-Con Bad Boy Romance (Hard As Nails Book 1)

HARD TIME                                                        HOPE CONRAD

Muscled, tattooed, and irresistible.

Thomas Street is an ex-con, but before he got out of prison, he locked eyes with her…

The moment Street sees Katie serving food in a hellhole of a prison, he wants her. Her sweet little body against his. Under his. Her screaming his name until she admits she’s never had better.

Now he’s found her again, working in a bookstore of all places, and she’s just as gorgeous as he remembers. Only Katie thinks he can be redeemed. That there’s a good man underneath his darkness.

He’s not so sure.

But then Katie becomes his. Katie and her daughter.

And he’ll risk everything, including fighting the devil himself, to protect them.

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Katie met Thomas Street in prison. She was the person who served meals and he was an inmate. Even though there eyes locked more than once he never spoke to her. She did ask about him and was told he was no good. Leaving work one day an alarm goes off when she asks what happens she get it was Street he was fighting on the yard. Not knowing that he was protecting an inmate who could not protect himself she is left with that thought of him, she quits the job and moves on to a book store. Now two years later she looks up and sees Street walk into the book store applying for a job. He is on parole but he does know who she is and yes she remembers him as well. Once he gets the job they work on becoming friends and he also must do community service. The service job is at a place that happens to also be where her daughter goes to after school, he just met her. He is trying to help the youngsters when he smells marijuana. Upon investigation he finds two girls smoking one being Katie’s sister. He takes it away from the two girls and as they walk back up front his parole officer is out front. Low and behold he goes back for violation. Katie and her friend who is a social worker find what happened from Riley but the parole officer thinks they are making it up. Now she can only think about him and hoping he wants to still be with her wants he gets out again. There are some graphic sex scenes, some they are just thinking about, they are in detail. I found this to be a good read, at times long but I think it was to explain the story. Overall a good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

PLAYING FAST (New York Saints #5)

PLAYING FAST                                                 MELANIE SCOTT

THREE STRIKES AND HE’S OUT…

When baseball bad-boy Finn Castro raises one eyebrow too many, the Saints send him down to the minors. He’ll have to earn back his major-league dreams with the Sarasota Springs Preachers. Finn’s certainly never claimed to be a man of the cloth, and cleaning up his act isn’t going to be easy with stunning Eva Harlowe at the heart of the team’s administration…

UNTIL SHE THROWS A CURVEBALL
Eva knows having a crush on Finn Castro is about as sensible as wishing for an eighth day of the week, but seeing the gorgeously muscled player in person melts her resolve. If she’s planning to leave baseball at the end of the season, a hot fling could be a fantasy home run. But when no-strings sex begins to feel like a perfect partnership, will Finn and Eva choose the love of the game or real life together?

HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Finn a baseball bad boy has been sent down to the minors and told to change his ways off the field. Being on a team named the Saints which he was not was bad, but now his team name is the Preacher’s. He knows he is into trouble when he meets Eva who works as in Administration for the team. Her problem is that now raising her sisters and having time for herself she has had a huge crush on Finn for years. Always glad that he was at the big league club it is now worse by seeing him in person and by her best friend who knows about the crush and thinks this is great. Her time to finally do something for herself. Finn can’t believe that he is attracted to Eva and that she likes him as well. Now will they have a relationship or will it be just for fun? Read the book to find out. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

WINNING IT ALL (Hometown Players #4)

WINNING IT ALL                                              VICTORIA DENAULT

All's fair in love and hockey. . .

As his team's enforcer on the ice, Sebastian Deveau is America's favorite fighting Frenchman. But he's just as likely to get into trouble off the ice--especially when it comes to women.

Shayne Beckford is so over hockey. It ruined her parents' marriage. It spoiled her brother's dreams. And let's not even talk about her college boyfriend . . . So when Sebastian Deveau walks into her brother's gym, she has no idea who he is. All she knows is that he's one gorgeous man with the sexiest accent she's ever heard. And since she never has to see him again, she lets him give her the best orgasm of her life right on top of the gym's dryer.

But Sebastian isn't going to let this one-night stand get away so easily. He fights for what he wants, even if it takes fighting a little dirty . . .


More in the Hometown Players series:
One More Shot
Making a Play
The Final Move
HUBBY'S REVIEW:
Shayne wants nothing to do with hockey players. Her father being a famous player on the ice, but a cheat off. Her brother a star in college then when he got hurt and addicted to pain pills his so called teammates along with his best friend the captain all turn their back on him. Then her boyfriend her college a hockey player and a cheat as well. Now her brother has turned his life around off the meds, married, and expecting a child. With the opening of his new gym Shayne is a yoga instructor, and though she notices men that are in real good shape she only recognizes one guy and that is the one guy you used to be the captain of her brothers college team. When Sebastian comes into view she does not know he is a star for the local pro hockey team. She decides to have a fling right there in the building and after having her best sex she is grateful that she won’t have to see him again. Only to find out that he is their first thing in the morning for her yoga class. Surprised she now works at deflecting his attempts of dating. She is dealing with a lot from work, her apartment, her car not working, she does not have time for a boyfriend. She is also deflecting information from her father because the team now wants to retire his jersey. Her mom and dad want her there and when she does decide to show up that is when she finds out about Sebastian, and she feels devastated, and if her life could not get any worse she ends up getting mugged at her apartment. Now Sabastian is out to prove that he is different than all of the other hockey players she has known before. Can he make the winning goal with Shayne, she is the toughest goalie he has faced she is protecting her heart. A good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. 
Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

TRAVIS JUSTICE (A Texas Rangers Novel Book 3)

TRAVIS JUSTICE                                              COLLEEN SHANNON

Ranger bred, Ranger bound…
 
Being a Texas Ranger is Zach Travis’s destiny.  But war-weary Zach didn’t come home to Texas to take on his father’s legacy, only to heal his emotional scars…until his family’s compound is invaded by an enemy as brazen as she is beautiful.  Not only does Hana Nakatomi seem willing to risk everything for the sake of her own birthright, she could be tied to the organized crime syndicate responsible for the murder of a Ranger. Yet, from the first moment Zach has the alluring thief in his grasp, he can’t deny the pulsing attraction between them…. 
 
It’s Zach’s duty to bring Hana in for questioning. But he has his own ideas about how to capitalize on her street smarts and martial arts skills. Even as sparks fly during their pursuit of a common enemy, Zach is never sure if Hana is his ally—or his worst nightmare.  One thing’s for certain: she’s the first woman to breach the walls of his battered heart….
 
“Intense romantic suspense with a sexy edge.”—New York Times bestselling author Tanya Anne Crosby on Foster Justice

HUBBY'S REVIEW:

Travis Sinclair is back from the service an Army Ranger. He has been putting off his father’s attempts of him applying for the Texas Rangers. That is until the night when he notices movement in the family home and when he discovers someone in the home who happens to leave empty handed he gives chase only to come up empty handed. Shocked in his failure he is also impressed in the escape. The person would come back again and once again has gotten away. Now taking up his father’s request he is certain that he will capture the person. Hanna must get the Samurai Sword not only for her grandfather but also for the person who is holding her son and is blackmailing her to do this crime. Though she does not believe it is a crime since this sword was given to her family by the emperor many, many decades ago and was stolen during WWII. Now she finds her actually attracted to the man she has wrestled with twice wishing it was differently. Travis is waiting for the next time their paths met and has set up a trap and when it happens who ask yourself who was actually captured. He is taken away by her and now wants to help her because she has no one. His father though wants no part of it and this of course leads to conflict and desire. Which will win. A story full of mystery and intrigue a good story, and good characters. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

                                                                      Back to You #1 Hard Crush HARD CRUSH                                  ...