We’re back again with another author this Saturday night! This time Paul Lonardo, author of the book The Goblin Pitcher, is here to share with us a book, a movie, and a random wild card recommendation. Support bookstores by pre-ordering a copy on BookShop.org, or purchase on Barnes and Noble.
Take it away Paul!
What is your Saturday night reading suggestion? Neil Gaiman’s The Wolves in the Wall is a wonderfully, spooky book to read aloud to someone, especially on a Saturday night. You get a nice night to sit out by the fire pit with some s’mores, and you have everything you need for a memorable evening. This may be a book for children, but you don’t have to be one to enjoy this graphic novel. It was a book I read to my son when he was quite young, and it’s something he still remembers to this day. The girl in the story, Lucy, believes there are wolves living in the walls of her house, but no one in her family believes her. Until they come out. With a combination of tight verse and haunting illustrations that keep the reader – and listener – engrossed and entertained, the family gets chased out into the night and eventually turn the tables on the wolves.
What is your Saturday night movie suggestion? It may seem like I am sticking with theme of wolves, but The Grey is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time, and it is one that is vastly underrated. Liam Neeson and a handful of rugged oil rig workers manage to survive a plane crash in the remote Alaskan wilderness only to find themselves hunted by wolves and being killed off one at a time. Based on a book, Ghost Walker by Ian MacKenzie, The Grey is not merely a survival movie, as it delves into some deeper themes, including faith and religion and the meaning of life. In the end, it will leave you pondering these things about the characters and about yourself, and that is the sign of a great movie.
What is your Saturday night wild card suggestion? Saturday night means game night in our house. There is nothing wrong with bringing in a new game every now and then, but sticking with old family standbys, whatever they may be, is the best way to ensure a fun time with plenty of laughs. Hedbanz and Say Anything are always popular in our house. Easier and the shorter games are best, that way you can play multiple games in the course of the night. If you rather take more time playing one game, you can’t beat classics like The Game of Life or Monopoly, which you can now get in many special edition versions, including Sponge Bob Square Pants and Stranger Things themes. And for a snack in between games, try sampling a variety of cereal, the sweeter the better.
About the Book, The Goblin Pitcher
The one thing eleven-year-old Jake Lupo loves more than anything else is baseball. However, despite his father being a professional pitcher, Jake’s fear of failing has kept him from competing against children his own age. When his father, who has recovered from a serious arm injury, is invited to pitch for an independent team, Jake and his parents move to Pine Barrows, a far flung forested mountain outpost. Jake is excited about his father’s chance at a comeback, but he soon learns that he is not the only one in Pine Barrows who loves baseball. Goblins love to play baseball, too, and Pine Barrows happens to be chock full of them. Then Jake discovers that the region is occupied by two factions of warring goblins.
Seeking to take control of the goblin kingdom, the leader of the evil goblins kidnaps Jake’s mother and bans baseball, a game which itself is a natural source of power for the goblins. It turns out that Jake has a secret kinship with the legendary beings, and he is the only one who can save them, their kingdom, and his mother. However, Jake must believe in himself and play a winner-take-all game against the best goblin players in Pine Barrows.
Support bookstores by pre-ordering a copy on BookShop.org, or purchase on Barnes and Noble.
About the Author, Paul Lonardo
Paul Lonardo has authored both fiction and nonfiction books in a variety of genres, from true crime to romance. As a freelance writer, he often collaborates with people to help them write and publish their biographies, memoirs, or to tell of a particularly compelling personal experience. He studied filmmaking / screenwriting at Columbia College – Hollywood. He earned an A.S. (Mortuary Science) from Mount Ida College and a B.A. (English) from the University of Rhode Island. He live in Lincoln, RI with my wife and son.
Find out more about this author at: https://www.thegoblinpitcher.com/
Good answers!