The Land of Umpires

There is a new book out that should be of interest to sports fans, As they see 'em: a fan's travels in the world of umpires by Bruce Weber. The author goes behind the scenes to see how umpires are trained, and how they are treated by players and fans. It looks like this should be a very entertaining read, just in time for playoff season in October.

Enticements

I find that I am fascinated with the growing phenomenon of book trailers. I've blogged about this before, and I just found another one that is simple yet compelling - Deanna Raybourn's Silent on the Moor. Some trailers are pretty elaborate and feel more like mini-movies than advertisements for a book. Perhaps trailers are the new way to entice readers of the tweeting/blogging/gaming generation. I'd love to hear what others think about this - would you be more likely to read a book based on a trailer than on a traditional print review?

Want to place a hold on Silent on the Moor? Click here.

SECRET SERVICE

FVRL has a new book on order about the Secret Service, and it looks really interesting. The author has been making the talk show rounds recently, playing up the "never before revealed" stories contained in the book. The title is: In the President's Secret Service: behind the scenes with agents in the line of fire and the Presidents they protect, by Ronald Kessler. And since this title is just "on order", why not try this one while you wait: Standing next to history: an agent's life in the Secret Service by Joseph Petro.