Whom You Know

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

#READTHIS @skyhorsepub Start Your Engines Famous Firsts in the History of NASCAR by Jay W. Pennell and Jeff Gluck

Nascar is a highly underrated sport in the North, but the love of cars is prevalent worldwide. Lime Rock Park most notably leads the way in Northeastern Racing excellence, and we are honored to have worked with Skip Barber and his team many times in the past. We do not agree that one in the North would feel as "the odd man out" as is referenced here, especially with the advent of the amazing Joey Logano and his third championship; of course he is from best state ever, Connecticut. Skyhorse Publishing impressed us in late 2024 and we hope they keep up the great work: Start Your Engines is a solid introductory work that marks of course "firsts" in the sport.

After reading it, seriously enthused Nascar people did not see a lot of surprising facts but appreciated the re-emphasis of the greatest hits. Danica Patrick is a worthy mention in this book and we have enjoyed meeting her in person at Macy's and have published on her many times. We love the Geoff Bodine mentions and we have seen him race in Stafford Springs, and he is of course from New York, and Jeff Gordon once lived on Central Park West right here in Manhattan. The Waldorf=Astoria used to host the annual Nascar awards lunch which we also have had the good fortune of attending many years ago. Naturally, we love all the Daytona Beach references and this is an excellent book to discover the wonderful world of NASCAR!

Start Your Engines contains thirty-four chapters describing different inaugural accomplishments that have taken place throughout NASCAR history. This book answers the following questions:

• When was NASCAR officially founded?

• Where was the first Strictly Stock race held?

• What was the first flag-to-flag race ever broadcast on TV?

• When was the first night race?

• When and where was the first international NASCAR race held?

• Who was the first woman to win the Daytona 500 pole position?

• And many more!

In Start Your Engines, seasoned writer Jay W. Pennell outlines some of the most iconic and unknown firsts in NASCAR history. From Red Byron to Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt to Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson to Danica Patrick, Pennell also covers some of the biggest names of the sport and their landmark contributions. Providing in-depth explanations of each milestone, Pennell takes readers through the peaks and valleys of NASCAR history and details the impact each first had on the legacy of the sport. From the earliest days of NASCAR’s foundation, to the high banks of Daytona and famed Brickyard at Indianapolis, Pennell looks at monumental dates and races that changed the sport and helped it grow from a small gathering of race car drivers and promoters into the multibillion-dollar sports industry it is today. This book is a unique look at racing for new and experienced NASCAR fans alike.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, is proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team.

In addition to books on popular team sports, we also publish books for a wide variety of athletes and sports enthusiasts, including books on running, cycling, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, martial arts, golf, camping, hiking, aviation, boating, and so much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Sunday, December 15, 2024

#READTHIS @skyhorsepub #TheWinterGuest by #WCRyan

It's not secret we are huge enthusiasts of Ireland, mystery and history and when you combine the three for a dark tale taking you back 100 years to the troubles of Ireland, you have our attention. Skyhorse Publishing continues to impress our adept readers and though summer reading gets a lot of attention, perhaps winter reading should get even more! Baby it's cold outside and it's better to heat up with a work of fiction.

Characters of intrigue await you with some shocking scenes that wake you up out of your winter doldrums. The White Lady will keep you wondering and it's important of course to keep the characters and their motivations straight. There's a lot of dialogue to help you, and this work is ripe with secrets.

Also, it's the gift-giving season and books make excellent presents! W.C. Ryan carries on the strong literary Irish tradition that we look forward to seeing more of, because remember, there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are Irish, and those that wish they were!

https://www.william-ryan.com/

SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA GOLD DAGGER AWARD

A haunting, atmospheric mystery set against a country divided, by the author of A House of Ghosts.

January 1921. Though the Great War is over, in Ireland a new civil war is raging. The once-grand Kilcolgan House, a crumbling bastion shrouded in sea mist, lies half empty and filled with ghosts, both real and imagined, while it shelters the surviving members of the Prendeville family. Then, when an IRA ambush goes terribly wrong, Maud Prendeville, Lord Kilcolgan’s eldest daughter, is killed, leaving the family reeling. Yet the IRA column behind the attack insists they left her alive, that someone else must be responsible for her terrible fate. Captain Tom Harkin, an IRA intelligence officer and Maud's former fiancé, is sent to investigate. He becomes an unwelcome guest in this strange, gloomy household.

Working undercover, Harkin must delve into the house's secrets—and discover where, in this fractured, embattled town, allegiances truly lie. But Harkin too is haunted by the ghosts of the past and by his terrible experiences on the battlefields. Can he find the truth about Maud's death before the past—and his strange, unnerving surroundings—overwhelm him?

The Winter Guest is a gripping and immersive read for fans of classic mysteries by the likes of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers along with Charles Todd’s Ian Rutledge series, Ann Cleeves, and Jacqueline Winspear.

Thursday, December 5, 2024

#READTHIS @skyhorsepub #AMISHPIES by Laura Anne Lapp and Bonnie Matthews

In the world according to Peachy Deegan, there is one right answer for dessert outside of dark chocolate (not white chocolate) and ice cream (not yogurt, not low fat) and that is APPLE PIE. Or strawberry rhubarb. Or most obviously, PEACH. Or maybe just all of them and even more with the ideas we are getting to get in the spirit of the dessert holidays from Skyhorse Publishing with their stellar hit, AMISH PIES.

You obviously don't have to be Amish to love it, and Peachy most certainly isn't. However, the Amish have historically established that they excel in the pie realm.

This is not only the typical pies you'd expect. It goes beyond and covers savory numbers as well as creamy and custard initiatives to expand your pie spectrum. Also, if you like Trivial Pursuit and who doesn't, this caps off a very good game quite nicely in tandem with obviously pizza. And March 14, Pie Day, is also a great day to celebrate with this book.

The sweetest people bring dessert to the holiday celebrations and this book has a myriad of ideas! We love the clear verbiage and fabulous photography and moreover, if you make a pie to bring to the gathering, it is even better if you also bring this cookbook as a gift for the host.

Also Santa might like PIE better than milk and cookies...just an idea for you!