Camp Fire Site

  The Greatest Beer Run Ever.    A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War.    John “Chick” Donohue & J.T. Malloy.   John "Chick" Donohue penned a story that includes adventure, danger and history.   It was an interesting idea for a book (and a movie) that needed to be told.    Simply put Donohue, who is the main character of this excursion, writes about his experiences while casually taking on a challenge among his peers in a local upper Manhattan bar.  Donohue, who happened to be a licensed mariner, was able to gain employment on a large cargo ship ultimately bound the ports of Vietnam.     Armed with a list of familiar names of neighborhood soldiers stationed at various fronts in South Vietnam and a few cases of local beer, the author sets out to meet each of the enlisted and share a beverage simply to check on their wellbeing and provide a small slice of support.  According to his story...

  There’s Always This Year.    On Basketball and Ascension.     Hanif Abdurraqib.   Hanif Abdurraqib is an interesting person, has led an intriguing life and happens to be a rising author receiving much acclaim for his past work.     His latest, There’s Always This Year, is under review for this blog.     I will say we like the title and the cover.     The content, however, was challenging to finish.    Inside the reader finds a clear writing style of telling parts of the story, largely his own upbringing and background and then alternating to how a city, and perhaps, an entire state, was rallying around its only NBA franchise to finally win a championship with its own favorite son.     The best part of this somewhat lengthy book of three hundred and twenty pages is the discussion of his own life.     An inner-city Columbus, Ohio native, Abdurraqib talks about hi...