The Forman Faceoff: 365 Days of Reading

Friday, March 12, 2021

365 Days of Reading

March 13, 2020: The day after the entire world was shut down due to the coronavirus, and it also happened to be my 29th birthday. I remember at the time thinking what it would be like a year from now and it's crazy that it has been that long already. After learning that my work had closed down and sports leagues cancelled, I really had no idea what to do with myself. Add in my challenges with post-concussion syndrome, I was lost but knew I wanted to be able to sink my teeth into something that was manageable. One of my hobbies since I've stopped playing hockey was reading hockey books, so I challenged myself to read 30 books in the next year, one for every year of my life up to my 30th birthday today. I hit that goal...and them some, reading 71 hockey books in the past 365 days. Here is a list of all 71 books, my 1-5 star rating I gave for each book, and my top 10 favourite books from the group:

List of Books Read:

1. Hockey Towns: The Untold Stories from the Heart of Canada (2015) - by Ron MacLean with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * *)

2. Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story (2013) - by Chris Nilan (* * * * *)

3. Go to the Net: Eight Goals That Changed the Game (2005) - by Al Strachan (* * * * *)

4. Shift Work (2015)- by Tie Domi (* * * * *)

5. Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge (2010) - by Bob Probert with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

6. The Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told (2004) - by Bryant Urstadt (* * * *)

7. Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life on and Off the Ice (2018) - by Curtis Joseph with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

8. JR: The Fast, Crazy Life of Hockey's Most Outspoken and Most Colourful Personality (2013) - by Jeremy Roenick with Kevin Allen (* * * *)

9. One Night Only: Conversations with the NHL's One-Game Wonders (2016) - by Ken Reid (* * * * *)

10. In the Bin: Reckless and Rude Stories from the Penalty Boxes of the NHL (1998) - by Lloyd Freeberg (* * * *)

11. If the Cup Could Talk (2000) - by Michael Ulmer (* * * * *)

12. Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey (2003) - by Cecil Harris (* * * * *)

13. More Bad Boys (1995) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

14. Blood Feuds: Hockey's Best-Ever Rivalries (2010) - by Ryan Kennedy (* * * *)

15. Messier: Steel on Ice (1999) - by Rick Carpinello (* * * *)

16. The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association (2004) - by Ed Willes (* * * * *)

17. Nine Lessons I Learned from my Father (2017) - by Murray Howe (* * * * *)

18. Home Game (1989) - by Ken Dryden (* * * *)

19. The Fundies: The Essential Hockey Guide from on the Bench (2019) - by Olly Postanin and Jacob Ardown (*)

20. Keon and Me: My Search for the Lost Soul of the Leafs (2013) - by Dave Bidini (* * * *)

21. Goalies: Legends from the NHL's Toughest Job (1994) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

22. Captains (1995) - by Michael Ulmer (* * * *)

23. Puck Funnies: Hockey Humour, Hilarity and Hi-Jinx (2009) - by Adam Proteau (* * * *)

24. We are the Champions: The Greatest Hockey Teams of All Time (2010) - by Edward Fraser (* * * *)

25. The Rivarly: Leafs vs. Canadiens (1991) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

26. A Guy Like Me: Fighting to Make the Cut (2016) - by John Scott (* * * * *)

27. Why is the Stanley Cup in Mario Lemieux's Swimming Pool?: How Winners Celebrate with the World's Most Famous Cup (2000) - by Kevin Allen (* * * * *)

28. Tiger: A Hockey Story (1984) - by James Lawton (* * * *)

29. Legendary Stanley Cup Stories (2008) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * * *)

30. Strange But True Hockey Stories (1972) - by Howard Liss (* * * *)

31. Hockey's Young Guns: 25 Inside Stories on Making it to the Big Leagues (2007) - by Ryan Dixon and Ryan Kennedy (* * * *)

32. Journeyman (2012) - by Sean Pronger (* * * *)

33.The Top 60 Since 1967: The Best Players of the Post-Expasion Era (2007) - by Ken Campbell and Adam Proteau (* * * *)

34. Searching for Bobby Orr (2006) - by Stephen Brunt (* * * * *)

35. Lanny (1987) - by Lanny McDonald with Steve Simmons (* * * * *)

36. When the Final Buzzer Sounds: NHL Greats Share Their Stories of Hardship and Triumph (2000) - by Charles Wilkins and Colleen/Gordie Howe (* * * *)

37. Best of the Original Six (2004) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * * *)

38. The Pursuit of Hockeyness: 99 Things Every Hockey Fan Needs to do in Their Lifetime (2009) - by Sam McCaig (* * *)

39. Clancy: The King's Story (1997) - by Brian McFarlane (* * * *)

40. Calling the Shots: Ups and Downs and Rebounds, My Life in the Great Game of Hockey (2017) - by Kelly Hrudey with Kirstie McLellan Day (* * * * *)

41. Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, and the Day Everything Changed (2009) - by Stephen Brunt (* * * *)

42. One to Remember: Stories from 39 Members of the NHL's One Goal Club (2020) - by Ken Reid (* * * * *)

43. We Want Fish Sticks: The Bizarre and Infamous Rebranding of the New York Islanders (2018) - by Nicholas Hirshon (* * * * *)

44. Jordin Tootoo: The High's and Lows in the Journey of the First Inuk to Play in the NHL (2010) - by Melanie Florence (* * *)

45. Jarome Iginla: How the NHL's First Black Captain Gives Back (2010) - by Nicole Mortillaro (* * *)

46. Heaven and Hell in the NHL (1982) - by Punch Imlach with Scott Young (* * * *)

47. Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories (2020) - by James Duthie (* * * * *)

48. The Making of a Miracle: The Untold Story of the Captain of the 1980 Gold-Medal Winning U.S. Olympic Hockey Team (2020) - by Mike Eruzione with Neal Boudette (* * * *)

49. Burkie's Law: A Life in Hockey (2020) - by Brian Burke (* * * *)

50. The Rookie: A Season with Sidney Crosby and the New NHL (2006) - by Shawna Richer (* * * *)

51. Fred Shero: A Kaleidoscopic View of the Philadelphia Flyers' Coach (1977) - by Rhoda Rappeport (* * * * *)

52. The Game (1983) - by Ken Dryden (* * * * *)

53. Gordie: A Hockey Legend (1994) - by Roy MacSkimming (* * * * *)

54. Shooting From the Lip (Second Edition): Hockey's Best Quotes and Quips (2014) - by Chris McDonell (* * *)

55. My Greatest Day: 50 People, 50 Great Moments (2008) - by Scott Morrison (* * * *)

56. The Ultimate Book of Hockey Lists (2008) - by Sam McCaig (* * * *)

57. Hockey Stars of 1972 (1972) - by Stan Fischler (* * * *)

58. Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II: More Inspiring Stories About Our Great Game (2020) - by Bob McKenzie and Jim Lang (* * * * *)

59. So You Think You're a Philadelphia Flyers Fan? Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards (2018) - by Skip Clayton (* * *)

60. So You Think You're a Detroit Red Wings Fan? Stars, Stats, Records, and Memories for True Diehards (2019) - by Pat Gass (* * *)

61. Boy on Ice: The Life and Death of Derek Boogaard (2014) - by John Branch (* * * * *)

62. In the Crease: Goaltenders Look at Life in the NHL (1995) - by Dick Irvin Jr. (* * * * *)

63. The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory (2008) - by D'Arcy Jenish (* * * * *)

64. Coach: The Pat Burns Story (2012) - by Rosie Dimanno (* * * *)

65. Hockey Superstitions: From Playoff Beards to Crossed Sticks and Lucky Socks (2010) - by Andrew Podnieks (* * * *)

66. Before the Lights Go Out: A Season Inside a Game on the Brink (2019) - by Sean Fitz-Gerald (* * * *)

67. The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey (2010) - by Todd Denault (* * * * *)

68. The Leafs: An Anecdotal History of the Toronto Maple Leafs (1994) - by Jack Batten (* * * *)

69. All Roads Lead to Hockey: Reports from Norther Canada to the Mexican Border (2004) - by Bill Boyd (* * * *)

70. Hockey Towns: Stories of Small Town Hockey in Canada (1998) - by Bill Boyd (* * * *)

71. Hockey's Most Amazing Records: +125 More Jaw-Dropping All-Time Feats (2011) - by Edward Fraser (* * * *)

The Forman Faceoff

Friday, March 12, 2021

365 Days of Reading

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