When I'm reading -- books, not news articles or research for columns -- my life is simply more manageable. Less irritable. More enjoyable.

::::::::

There are a couple of books strategically placed around the house that are challenging me to read them. Never mind read them, finish them. By strategically placed, I mean located so that they're not staring me in the face, but can't be ignored either. A perfect way to breed guilt.

For some unexplained reason, I just stopped reading books a couple years ago. Cold turkey. As a result, I think I've been going through a slow, somewhat irritable withdrawal. They say the first step is recognizing and admitting the problem. So here it is: When I'm reading -- books, not news articles or research for columns -- my life is simply more manageable. Less irritable. More enjoyable.

That's my New Year's resolution -- start reading again and start by finishing those two books.

About those books -- "The Paper - The Life and Death of the New York Herald Tribune" and "Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend". They're both in my wheelhouse (newspapers and sports) and, I noticed in writing this, both biographies. Coincidence? I think not.

The Trib was my favorite newspaper from the time I started paying attention to them in my teens. It was The New York Times with personality. Lots. The book was written by Richard Kruger, who worked at The Wall Street Journal, the New York Post and was the last literary editor of the Herald Tribune.

Also of note, the book was a gift from a good friend, now departed, Chris Farlekas. Chris was a legend in Middletown, N.Y., as a columnist for The Times Herald-Record, where we both worked, and as a producer and performer in scores of musical performances across the years. He also was a great gift-giver.

This book actually got packed away in some box for one or another move from one place to another and didn't reappear until a couple years ago. I sincerely apologize for that, Chris. And thanks again for everything.

"Satchel" was lifted off the shelf of an open-to-perusal, old, private library, which shall remain anonymous. Basically, the books were there to be taken, so I took one. Actually a couple, but let's stick to "Satchel".

It was written by author and former Boston Globe reporter, Larry Tye, a self-described avid baseball fan. It got terrific reviews and was a best-seller. Can't wait to restart it.

I'll post something on the two books when I'm done. That will give me impetus to actually read them, never mind the fact I was actually enjoying both when I went cold turkey.

In the meantime, I'm also reaching out for a little social media help. If you've got a favorite book, of any genre, you'd like to recommend, please do so in the comments section. New, old, classic, fiction, non-fiction, whatever. I'm eclectic. I've got a couple on a list, but I trust you guys. And I can use Kindle.

And please don't be shy. After all, you'll be helping a codger regenerate some dormant brain cells he's going to need to get through the next four years. Count it as your New Year's resolution. Thanks in advance.

By Bob Gaydos

rjgaydos@gmail.com

Authors Website: https://www.blogger.com/home

Authors Bio:

Bob Gaydos is a veteran of 40-plus years in daily newspapers. He began as police reporter with The (Binghamton, N.Y.) Sun-Bulletin, eventually covering government and politics as well as serving as city editor, features editor, sports editor and executive editor. He was also managing editor of the Evening Capital in Annapolis, Md. He retired from daily newspapering in 2007 after 29 years with the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y., where he was Sunday/features editor and, for 23 years, editorial page editor. He won numerous awards for his editorials from the New York Newspaper Publishers Association and The Associated Press and in 1992 was a finalist for The Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. Gaydos continues to write on a freelance basis, including a column on addiction.