Every two months, Sports Feel Good Stories writers and editors select one sports book to share with book club members.
The books selected may be current books of note or classics. The books may focus on a variety of sports, including baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and more. Or, the books may address the business of sports, sports writing, or various other topics associated with the world of sports. Literature that models Sports Feel Good Stories’ focus on showcasing good deeds, overcoming obstacles, and sportsmanship will be at the core of featured books, but not exclusively.
July/August Selection: Nights in White Castle
Our selection for July & August of 2020 is Steve Rushin’s Nights in White Castle. Published in 2019, this memoir picks up where Rushin’s previous offering Sting-Ray Afternoons, left off.
It’s a coming-of-age story that tells of Rushin’s teen years being raised in suburban Bloomington, Minnesota, to taking his first job as a Sports Illustrated writer. From his summer job as a dishwasher at Bennigan’s to attending Marquette and then on to his first professional job writing in New York City, Rushin tells his story with humor and warmth. The title’s name is derived from the local White Castle restaurant, which was his high school hangout.
Join us on Facebook for our discussion of Nights in White Castle.
Nights in White Castle Will Appeal To
- Sports fans.
- Nostalgia lovers of the 80s and 80s. Really, anyone who went to schools in the 1970s and 1980s will find this amusing.
- Rushin’s readers from his other books (especially Sting-ray Afternoons) and from Sports Illustrated.
- Minnesota residents and Marquette graduates.
Nights in White Castle Book Reviews
“Magnificent… You will not read a better book this summer – and maybe well into the fall and winter, too.”
―New York Post
“Rushin’s strength is his descriptive and playful prose.”
―The Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A fun and nuanced coming-of-age story, Nights in White Castle offers a rollicking ride down memory lane.”
―Booklist
About Steve Rushin
Named the 2005 National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, Rushin is perhaps best known for his writing at Sports Illustrated. Well, that and the fact that he’s married to NBA Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo. He and his wife have four children and live in Connecticut.
The New York Times called Rushin “the ultimate tinkerer with language.” Rushin’s previous books include Sting-Ray Afternoons, The 34 ton Bat, The Pint Man: A Novel, The Caddie was a Reindeer, Road Swing, and Pool Cool. For Sports Illustrated, he filed stories from all seven continents.
Launch of the Sports Feel Good Stories Book Club
We’re excited to launch this book club and hope you join us in our first selection. Plus, we’ll entertain ideas from our readers for future books. Please use the contact page to suggest future selections. Thanks.
By Mike O’Halloran
Mike is the founder and editor of Sports Feel Good Stories.
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