New Topic To Think About

          So, since it's been big in the news the past few days, the new topic is steroid use in professional sports. Most recently Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees has admitted to using steroids after si.com reported that he had tested positive in 2003. Also Miguel Tejada, the 2002 AL MVP in the MLB has been charged with lying under oath, he now joins the ranks of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.
         My opinion on this is that using steroids or performance enhancing drugs is wrong and stupid, but I understand why the players do it. No one is blameless in this horrible era in baseball in particular. Fans, the media and management loved it when the huge home run numbers started coming in and the immense pressure already on the players grew. I am getting entirely fed up with people saying that these sports stars who used steroids don't deserve the records they got and are ragging on them because a) they have never felt the same pressure and b) steroids and performance enhancing drugs do not make a player great, they make it so they work out longer and build muscle faster. A bad hitter isn't going to become a good hitter just because he takes steroids, it takes a talented player to make steroids work to their advantage. It doesn't make it right, but we as fans or members of the media need to remember that we put the pressure on the sports stars to perform, and this is what they felt they had to do to perform to our expectations.

Now I want to hear your opinions, so post comments on this post or in the C-box, or you can email me at exerciseyourmindreadbooks@hotmail.com

I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

I Was A Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott
Annisa Gobrowski is a New Jersey transplant in Florida, a very blonde Florida. She has a problem- she is the one of the only brunette girls in her entire school. At least two people make her feel welcome, Bethany a cynical teen, who just happens to also be a brunette, and Daniel her uberhot neighbor, who just happens to be a popular football-wrestling-track star, and secret guitar-player. After Annisa breaks the most popular girl in school's nosein a disatorous first day, it seems as if it can't get worse.Though Bethany objects, the fact that Annisa is a brunette is not going to stop her from trying out for the cheerleading squad at Sand Dune High when two girls get kicked off the team. And who would have guessed that the girl who's nose Annisa broke would be the cheer captain, but despite all of this she makes the squad. Follow Annisa as she tries to survive as a non-blonde cheerleader.
I didn't really know what to expect from this book. It looked good, but a book about a cheerleader, in Florida? It just seemed a bit to perky and like fluff to me. And I was partially right, but that didn't stop me from liking it. Annisa is very perky, but the thing is many of her fellow cheerleaders are not.The team is falling apart, and the typical stereotype of cheerleaders being popular is held, but not the cheerleaders being stupid. Annisa's character shows that it is possible to maintain who you are even when you are being pressured to change. And a plus, there is a bit of romance! I also have new respect for the sport of cheerleading, seeing how hard and dangerous cheerleading can be. The characters were great, I loved Annisa's brother Gabe who has been described as a chameleon because of how often he changes his look. It's not a book you want to read if you're looking for a serious, but if you're looking for a quick and fun read this the perfect book for that. If I were to use a star rating, it would be between 3 3/4 and 4 stars out of 5.

The Assist... Review is Here

So, I know I said to wait till Monday for the review, but I finished the book. Enjoy!

The Assist, by Neil Swidey, follows Charlestown High School basketball coach Jack O'Brien and his players through a three years of their lives. The book focuses on O'Brien, Jason White, or Hood, and Ridely Johnson, though it does follow a few other people. O'Brien is unlike any other coach around. He dedicates himself to the game and to his players. His goal, other than winning, is to help his kids of the streets of Boston, go to college and make a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, his intensity is often misinterpreted, and is disliked among the public. Jason, nicknamed Hood for his appearance, is one of the stars of the Charlestown team. A senior when the book starts, he is co-captain with Ridley. Ridley, known as the nicest kid in school, is extremely talented, but not aggressive enough on the court. The book portrays around three years of their lives, following all the twists and turns of life in the projects.

From scholarships to jail time, this book has it all, happy and sad, it shows how some people are determined to get off the streets, and others just sit around waiting for it to happen. I absolutely loved this book. It shows the terrible conditions these kids live in and how it is almost impossible to rise above it. The story was so powerful, and though I usually do not like non-fiction, it has become one of the best books I have read in a while. For those who don't like non-fiction, it is like no other non-fiction book you will ever read. While it is an extremely true story, the writing style that the author chose made it flow like a fictional story. Not to say it sounded fake, but it kept my attention and interest which many non-fiction books can’t do. I was so impressed by this book and I can only sing its praises.