No. 18

I was such an roll with my 2013 reading. Then the Grandpa crisis hit and all reading ceased. Just didn't have any time.

But after things settled down, I picked up Feeding the Beast: An Insider's Guide to Local TV News. It was co-written by Tim Gordon, one of my best buddies from back in my TV-news days!

What a fun read! It was a major blast from the past, and I thoroughly enjoyed reliving my time feeding the beast. And it was especially fun to read names of other news friends. Though I did notice that I didn't make the cut. What's up with that, Timmy G?? ;)

My favorite part was when Tim told readers to Google "Portland news director sadomasochist" while referencing one of his bosses. That crazy man was also one of my news directors - and one of the biggest reasons I left the biz after 9 years.

Oh, and I loved the cartoons. Sadly, so true to life.

I think the book is a great reference for anyone wanting to get into the biz or anyone just curious about how it all works. I lived it for nine years, and I can say that Tim and Monty's words are an accurate description of life in local TV news.

Nice job, friend :)

Anyone want to borrow it?