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“The Last Outlaw: My 50 Years In Southern Rock & Country” By Henry Paul w/Gary Hertz Book Review
“The Last Outlaw: My 50 Years In Southern Rock & Country” by Henry Paul (The Outlaws, The Henry Paul Band, Blackhawk) w/Gary Hertz, was released in 2025.
This is a fantastic book.
Henry talks about growing up, ultimately forming The Outlaws, and later The Henry Paul Band and Blackhawk, and many stories involving those bands.
My only complaint is that I wish it was longer.
Again, a fantastic book and I cannot recommend this enough, especially for fans of Henry and his music.
This book ROCKS!!
And thanks Henry for signing it (courtesy of TalkShopLive)!!
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“Shirtless In Hollywood”, “Shadow Affairs” and “Hit Hard-Die Last When Action Was Real” by Matthias Hues Book Reviews
Action movie star Matthias Hues (I Come In Peace/Dark Angel, No Retreat No Surrender 2, Cage, Kickboxer 2: The Road Back, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, TC 2000, Digital Man, The Last Kumite, just to name a few) has written three books as of this typing.
The first is his autobiography called “Shirtless In Hollywood”. It traces the steps of how he ultimately ended up in the movie business and many adventures and relationships he has had over the decades.
His book “Shadow Affairs” could easily be an action movie, in which a military and CIA sniper is left for dead, but ultimately survives and ends up being hunted because he knows something that he shouldn’t. If he ever does this movie, I would definitely like to see it.
And his book “Hit Hard-Die Last: When Action Was Real” is a little more in-depth on his acting career and many stories about certain movies and shows he has done over the decades.
If you are a fan of action and/or of Matthias, or even just a fan of the underdog or of someone who chased a dream and is still chasing and living it, then you should check out Matthias Hues’ books.
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The Justice Riders/A Threat To Justice by Chuck Norris, Ken Abraham, Aaron Norris, & Tim Grayem Book Reviews
One of my favorite actors Chuck Norris, along with his brother Aaron, Ken Abraham, and Tim Grayem wrote two western books and released them in 2006 and 2007.
The first is called The Justice Riders. It tells the story of Ezra Justice and his group of six men who have been assigned by General William T. Sherman to do special assignments during The Civil War and other adventures they were involved in right after the war.
The second book, A Threat To Justice, picks up where The Justice Riders left off, in which the group go their separate ways but ultimately come back together when one of them is in trouble.
Both of these books are really good western books, with some religious overtones to them.
Both are really good stories and both should be movies, in my opinion.
My girlfriend and website partner Mariah bought both of these books for me for Christmas.
Great gifts for sure.
I love both books and I highly recommend them.
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Heroes And Friends: Pro Wrestling Remembrances By Jim Cornette Book Review
Wrestling manager/booker/author/podcaster/historian Jim Cornette released his book Heroes And Friends: Pro Wrestling Remembrances in 2025.
I bought it on his website jimcornette.com.
It features stories and background about some of Jim’s favorite wrestlers, managers, and announcers.
Some include Bobby “The Brain” Heenan, Bruno Sammartino, Lance Russell, The Original Sheik, Vader, Paul Bearer (Percy Pringle), Ray Stevens, and more.
If you are a fan of wrestling, this book is for you.
And thanks Jim for signing it for me.
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Ozzy Osbourne Last Rites Book Review
Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025) released his final book, Last Rites, posthumously on October 7th.
I received it on October 10th and read it all by October 11th.
Last Rites chronicles Ozzy’s last 7 years on the planet. Starting off being on what ended up being his last tour.
Everything was going well, until one night at home, he fell, breaking his neck.
From that point on, his health was never the same.
It was one thing after another. Multiple surgeries (some of which made him worse, others to try to undo the bad ones), blood clots, sepsis, pneumonia, constant pain, heart valve blockage (which I think ultimately killed him) and more.
It really is a miracle he lived to be 76.
But as he said a few times, he had a great run up to 70. And he did.
The book is not all doom and gloom.
He talks about getting back together with Black Sabbath again, his final solo tour, and many other stories from throughout his life.
Some of the stories he reiterated from his first book I Am Ozzy (2009), but they were worth mentioning again.
Ozzy completed this book reportedly days before his passing.
He leaves no stone unturned.
Like many, I will always love and miss you Ozzy.
Thank you for all the great music and joy you brought us.
All the best to his family, friends, and fans all over the world.
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Skipping Christmas Book Review
My girlfriend showed me the movie “Christmas With The Kranks” a few years ago (it was released in 2004) and I loved it.
Last year, I received the book the movie was adapted from.
Called “Skipping Christmas”, it was released in 2001 and written by John Grisham, known for many lawyer/crime thrillers.
Both the book and the movie are about this couple who always celebrate Christmas, but this particular year, the husband (played by Tim Allen in the movie) decides to convince his wife (played by Jamie Lee Curtis in the movie) to skip Christmas this time and go on a cruise.
This is because their daughter is working out of the country for awhile and frankly, to save money and because the husband is tired of all the traditional Christmas stuff.
The wife takes a bit of convincing, but ultimately, she agrees with her husband to do this.
Well, everyone they know (neighbors, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, police, firemen, everyone in their community) is up in irons about this couple skipping Christmas this year.
They’re all in on doing this, until their daughter calls and says she’s coming home for Christmas with her new fiance, who she barely knows.
So, after not preparing for Christmas at all (decorating, cooking, shopping, etc.) they only have a few hours to put everything together.
Both the book and the movie are very fun, entertaining stories.
I actually enjoyed it better than my girlfriend, who loves many Christmas movies/stories.
Like any book adapted into a movie, there are a few differences, but not much.
I could easily visualize the movie while reading the book.
Kind of a departure story for John Grisham, but he did a great job writing it, as usual.
Seek both the book and movie out and enjoy.
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Leonard Nimoy I Am Not Spock Book Review
I have been a Leonard Nimoy fan since I was little.
However, I had never read his book, I Am Not Spock.
I had read his I Am Spock, though, which is quite good.
But I Am Not Spock has for the most part been out of print or not as available for many years.
Luckily, I found it at a $1 book sale.
My book copy has definitely been well loved, let’s say, but it is complete and the ruggedness of it does not bother me.
Leonard released this book in 1975.
He talks about some aspects of his life and of working on various projects, including Star Trek.
Many people apparently took the book title the wrong way and thought Leonard hated the Spock character and hated Star Trek.
Quite the contrary.
Leonard loved Spock and Star Trek and the opportunities that character and show awarded him. Not only on the show, but of what he did later also.
Leonard has lots of Star Trek stories and even has some memos he wrote to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and others in regards his thoughts and suggestions on various Star Trek episodes, and even mentions some of his favorite episodes.
This is not a very long book, but it is very good, if you can find it.
As Leonard and Spock would say, “Live long and prosper”.
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Duff McKagan How To Be A Man (and other illusions) Book Review
Duff McKagan released his second book, How To Be A Man (and other illusions) in 2015.
Duff is known as the bassist of Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver, but is also the lead singer/co-guitarist of the band Loaded, and was in the bands Neurotic Outsiders and The Walking Papers, and is a solo artist also.
But outside of being a singer/songwriter/musician, he is also a writer. And a very good one at that.
He has written for The Seattle Weekly (where he is from), Playboy.com, and ESPN.com, and released his first book/autobiography It’s So Easy (and other lies) in 2011.
Duff is very smart, well spoken, and well read.
In his second book, he talks about being a father, a husband, a musician, a writer, being sober, being a sports fan, stories of being in his bands, going back to school after getting sober, book recommendations (as I said he’s well read) and so much more.
I found this book to be an excellent follow-up to this first.
You don’t have to be a fan or even know who he is to enjoy this and his other book.
This is a very entertaining, enlightening, and even inspiring book.
Seek it out and his other book too.
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Slobberknocker: My Life In Wrestling By Jim Ross w/Paul O’Brien As Told To Scott E. Williams Book Review
If you are a wrestling fan, you should probably know who Jim Ross, AKA Good Ol’ JR, is.
He has been a fixture in wrestling since he started as a referee in 1974, and eventually becoming an announcer/commentator/interviewer/head of talent relations and so much more.
For many, Jim Ross is the greatest wrestling announcer/commentator of all time.
Slobberknocker: My Life In Wrestling (w/Paul O’ Brien as told to Scott E. Williams, released in 2017) chronicles his life from his early days all the way to 1999 when he returned to wrestling after a second bout of Bell’s Palsy.
Jim has two other books, but this is his first.
And if you are a fan, you will not be disappointed.
JR has a lot of stories, and I think since he has so many stories that it’s fitting he has three books up to this point.
Check out this book. No pun intended, but it is a real Slobberknocker as JR would say.
And I’m glad to say I was able to buy a signed copy!!
All the best always JR.
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The World According To Dutch/Tales From A Dirt Road Book Reviews
Professional wrestler/manager/booker “Dirty” Dutch Mantell has written two books, and is writing a third one.
I am reviewing his first two books here.
Dutch’s first book The World According To Dutch, was released in 2009 and his second, Tales From A Dirt Road, was released in 2010.
Both of these books are not full on autobiographies, per say, but do have many stories from throughout Dutch’s life and career.
If you are a fan of Dutch or just of wrestling in general, then you will love these books.
Tons of great stories, some funny, some serious, but all worth reading.
I should have bought these years ago, but I just had not gotten around to it until last year.
It took awhile to receive them (I bought them from Dutch personally and due to health problems, it took him awhile to send them but most importantly, he’s OK now.) but once I did, I started reading them very quickly.
Both books are great and again if you’re a fan of his or of just wrestling, you will enjoy Dutch’s storytelling and humor very much.
Thank you Dutch for these great books (and thanks for signing them for me!!!!) and I can’t wait for your third book.
