It is a shame the Ian Curtis’ depression was so severe he was never able to live to see how influential this song would become.

Despite Vanilla Ice’s best efforts he could not kill off the greatness that is this song by two of the great rock vocalists of all time.

In this book, Bradburn recounts Nolan’s rise from the poorest neighborhood in El Paso to arguably the most important black collegiate basketball coach of all time. He does a remarkable job of placing Nolan’s meltdown into its full context. Nolan does not escape without any scars in this telling but the greatest damage is done to the legacy of Frank Broyles, the most powerful Athletic Director in the country who could not tolerate any coach being more popular or successful than he was.

That Nolan’s story ended at the University of Arkansas so poorly is a sad testament to the bitter specter of racism that has plagued this nation for far too long. Nolan was a trailblazer in many ways. How sad that he is not still coaching my favorite team. Arkansas basketball might never regain the prominence that he led them to.

Mixing the best of thriller writing with elements of Science Fiction this is a novel not to be missed.

Guardians of Being by Eckhart Tolle is one that is worth skipping. I picked this up at the library the other day and read through it in no time. The illustrations by Patrick McDonnell are, to me, the lone highlight of this New Age booklet. The message is nothing novel: simplicity and recognizing the oneness of all is key to the higher life. However, Tolle does not have the theological weight to pull off any level of greater meaning.

This year the Academy sought to reverse its recent ratings slide and rectify the glaring omission of The Dark Knight from last year’s best picture nominees by upping the best picture tally to 10. With the runaway popularity of Avatar it was unnecessary but it is what it is. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a one and done.

With that said, the best picture winner is not clear cut. Along with the expanded field Oscar has also changed its counting standards by requiring a ranking from one to ten. As a result the film that wins might not even have the most first place votes. This does open the door for an Inglorious Basterds upset but it still seems like this is a two horse race between Avatar and the Hurt Locker. The majority of the award season predictors tilts toward The Hurt Locker but Avatar looms large and some late season controversy makes this a crap shoot. The acting awards are all basically locks with the likeliest upset being Meryl Streep besting Sandra Bullock.

Best Picture
Will Win–The Hurt Locker (although Avatar is just as likely)
Should Win–The Hurt Locker

Best Actor–Jeff Bridges

Best Actress–Sandra Bullock

Best Supporting Actor–Christoph Waltz

Best Supporting Actress–Monique

Best Director–Kathryn Bigelow (first female winner ever!)

Documentary–The Cove

The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch–This thriller is the best fiction book I have read this year and is a likely contender for my best books of the year list. What separates this thriller apart from others is that it is told in reverse. Nick Quinn is accused of murdering his wife and has 12 hours to figure out how to stop her murder. Starting with chapter 13 the book works in reverse by moving to the previous hour with each. What could be a distracting gimmick turns into a fresh approach and reminds me of a literary Memento. A Must Read.

Panic Attack by Jason Starr–At the other end of the spectrum this thriller is morally bankrupt and devoid of any redeeming quality. What starts out as good suspense quickly devolves into a mess of unlikeable characters and a wholly unsatisfying resolution. I’ll spare you even the synopsis and simply say avoid it.

Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan–The second entry in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series finds Percy and Annabeth on a mission to rescue Grover from a pissed-off Cyclopes. Riordan has put together a highly entertaining series that puts Greek Mythology in a new light.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins–Years after the United States comes to a violent end a new empire, named Panem, has risen up to take its place. Each year the Capital of Panem selects a boy and girl from each of the 12 districts to fight to the death in The Hunger Games. I listened to the audio version and was pleasantly surprised with this young adult novel that hits all the right dystopian notes.

Point Omega by Don Delillo–I complain often about books that are overly long or fail to be concise. Delillo is a master when it comes to the economy of words. This slight novel, a treatise on the nature of war, solitude and sorrow is one that will stick with you long after you are done. With Delillo it is never about what he writes but about what he doesn’t that resonates so strongly. A middle aged filmmaker goes to the remote mountains of Colorado to film a retired war advisor for a documentary film. When the old man’s daughter visits the facade of loneliness comes shattering down. A solid piece that ranks up there with the greatness that was Falling Man.

Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music by Greg Kot–Kot has written a serviceable look at the progression of music formats over the last 25 years. Chapters on Bright Eyes and Death Cab are revealing but what is missing is a narrative thread that weaves it all together. I was looking for a unity that was not to be found.

Horns by Joe Hill–This has been my most anticipated title of the year. Hill, the son of Stephen King, had a tremendous debut with Heart Shaped Box a couple of years back. However, this novel is not a straight horror tale. Ignatius wakes up one morning to find that horns have sprouted from his temples and now people tell him their deepest secrets. Several days later I still don’t know what I think of this book. I liked it and Hill is an accomplished storyteller. It kept my interest as a real page turner. But there is something about the book that bothers me. I’m just not sure what that is yet.

The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci–Although I was not the target audience for this graphic novel I enjoyed it. If you like comix then this is a fun and fast read.

The greatest song from one of my favorite albums of all time. Jackson Browne pulled out all the stops in this collection of songs that so vividly and eloquently capture the plight of the human spirit. Songs of heartbreak, longing and hope permeate this 1974 disk.
I link this particular song because it displays the incomparable David Lindley.

A song of sheer beauty from one of the best rock and roll films of all time.

It is no secret that many athletes profess faith in God. Displays of faith and piety are common scenes following a touchdown or at half-court following a game. Athletes in Action and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes are prominent nonprofit ministries that wield a great amount of influence upon the sports landscape. Tom Krattenmaker’s Onward Christian Athletes: Turning Ballparks into Pulpits and Players into Preachers is a look at the world that is faith-based athletics. Krattenmaker is a critic of such public displays and sends a warning cry about hidden agendas behind these organizations and the potential that pluralism is muted as a result. I decided to give this a read after I visited an Oklahoma City Thunder game recently and was surprised to note that a Christian prayer was offered prior to tip-off. I did not realize that still took place and was hoping for some illumination. Although Krattenmaker has great points and give sufficient notice to what is going on it does not warrant a full length book. The material was too scant to be anything more than a journal piece.

The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho is a much loved book. It has been translated into multiple languages and sold over 65 million copies since its release in 1988. It is viewed by many as a classic. A young shepherd chases after his dream and a treasure that is revealed to him through a dream. Despite the positive buzz the book was, to me, a tedious exercise of self-help mumbo-jumbo and trite philosophy. It is “The Secret” in narrative form, Dr. Phil as an alchemist. For a true coming of age story set in a comparable locale I will stick with Hesse’s Sidhartha.