World Cup reading

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Alan Black Spoke About The Glorious World Cup: A Fanatic’s Guide

June 23, 2010 in sports by Kim | No comments

I’m a little sleep deprived and it’s due to the World Cup.  In Los Angeles, some of the games are broadcast at 4AM (I haven’t seen one of those), some at 6:30AM (I’m joining those at about half time and since the score is usually 0 – 0, I don’t regret the extra sleep) and others at 11:30.  I’ve traveled around town a bit during lunch to watch the “late” game, one day at a sports cafe, another at a Mexican restaurant (when Mexico played South Africa), a then Brazilian bar and tomorrow an English pub.  I can’t travel to South Africa this year, but in culinary terms I’m traveling the world.

I’m not all that knowledgeable about the game, but really, the point is to get the ball in the goal and even I can understand that.  In a previous post, we provided various lists for World Cup reading.  Click here for a video of Alan Black at Booksmith talking about the book he co-authored with David Henry Sterry, The Glorious World Cup:  A Fanatics Guide. What I enjoyed about this talk is that it is divided by countries with a bit of history and gossip about the teams.  He talks about North Korea, the Ivory Coast, Serbia, USA, Argentina and Brazil.  The talk occurred on June 1st, before the World Cup started.

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Recommended Reading for the World Cup

June 11, 2010 in sports, Uncategorized by Kim | 4 comments

I have put our time in on the soccer field, both kids played for four long years, from Kindergarten through the 3rd grade.  I seem to be completely unable to fully understand the game.  Despite untold hours of trying to figure out ‘offsides,’ it still baffles me.  Nevertheless, I love the World Cup.  Four years ago, we were in Greece during the World Cup and it opened up a whole new experience for us.  Every taverna from one end to the other of every town we visited had a huge plasma TV playing the games.  We would find a table and settle in with the crowd to watch the game, cheering for our latest favorite team while hearing cheers from tavernas next door and down the street.  One hotel we stayed at projected the game on the back wall of a three story building and the guests sat around on the lounge chairs enjoying the game.  We were so wrapped up in it, we would watch late at night on our hotel room TV.  We never understood a word of the commentary, it truly was all Greek to us, but the emotion carried through whatever the announcer was saying.  Our hope was that we would be out of the country, anywhere but here, during this year’s World Cup, but that isn’t possible.

Due to the time delay from South Africa, most the games will be during breakfast in California.  Our goal is to try to visit a few different ethnic restaurants for breakfast over the next few weeks and experience a little World Cup excitement.  If you haven’t tried the World Cup in a non-US venue, where the game is more than a game, it’s national life and death, find somewhere in your city that will be broadcasting the game and join in.

Another way to add to your World Cup experience, read up on it.  Usually when we recommend reading for an event, we have a specific book in mind.  I haven’t actually read a great soccer book, in fact the only thing I recall reading about soccer is a Nick Hornby’s Believer essay that began with an apology that he hadn’t read much that month because he was so obsessed with ‘football.’  I’m doing a little research to find a good book, so this time that’s what I’m sharing with you.

Here are the  lists I’m perusing:

Prep for the World Cup with these Books about Soccer from the Vancouver Sun

Three Books to Ignite your World Cup Fever from NPR

9 Great Soccer Reads for the World Cup from ILBNH

Five Top Soccer Books from About.com

If you have a favorite soccer book, let me know, I’m taking suggestions.

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