A Book of the Dead

"Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
-Mark Twain

Yes, you heard correctly yesterday: I actually read a book! It has probably been two years since I've taken the time to sit down and read. Probably not so wise for a writer. Reading is just as important as practice writing.

Though I have no intentions of becoming a critic or reviewer on this journal, I felt the need to pass word on about this book and its author. It's not very often that I find myself reading at 1:00 AM, so tired that I can't remember which character is which, yet I glance ahead and tell myself, "Just one more chapter... it's a short one."

I hunted it down after first hearing about it somewhere. I had to look in a few bookstores before finding it. And then what did I do? I glanced at the first two lines, told myself I'd read it next, and forgot it for two years.
Deadline, by Steven Cooper, has to be one of the funniest books I've read in quite some time. You wouldn't think a story about a murdered gay investigative reporter who loathes his job could be funny, yet it is. Just because Damon Fitzgerald finds himself dead, that doesn't mean he's ready to give up on the bigger story. In his view from the afterlife, he recounts the events of his life, personal observations, and glimpses of the afterlife in a celestial version of heaven.

It's very fast-paced... and one of the few books I've (literally) read within a 24-hour period. I have to laugh, though... the author is an Emmy award-winning investigative reporter living in Orlando, Florida. It makes me wonder if he's ever felt these things toward his job. He's also the author of two other books: With You in Spirit and Saving Valencia. I've read reviews of both of them and they are certainly on my "to get" list.