That title is kind of a joke. The book I'm reading right now is my own book, DEAD BALL. For the final three months before its release, I read the manuscript so many times--proofreading, tweaking, proofreading again, tweaking again--that I was pretty sure I'd never want to look at it again.

Then I got my author copies. I kept one copy by my bedside for a while, simply admiring the cover (which I have tried repeatedly to upload here to Goodreads, so far without success) and experiencing relief that it was finally out in the world.

And then I started to read it. I have always read my books when I've gotten actual, physical copies of them. For some reason, they read differently when they're in book form than when they're a manuscript, or a proof, or words on my computer monitor. Something about seeing those same words on a page, words I wrote, words I often know by heart... It's a unique experience. I can read a passage that tortured me when I was writing it, and think, "It turned out okay, after all." Sometimes (rare times) I can read a phrase or a plot twist and think, "Damn! How did I come up with something that good?" Because I'm really pretty insecure about my writing.

So, I'm reading this book. DEAD BALL. And it's not half bad.