Over the Line by Tom Palmer

Earlier this month, I made a list of books that covered the topic of 'soccer' in some way as a way to tie it in with the 2026 FIFA World Cup games.

I am not a soccer fan, nor did I watch any of the 2026 FIFA World Cup games. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup happening, I decided to search for books that discuss soccer in some way. My hope is to inspire readers who are also soccer fans to read more books on a topic they like.

One of the books I discovered was Over the Line by Tom Palmer. Tom Palmer is a new to me author. Initially what attracted me to Over the Line by Tom Palmer was the fact that it features a large chunk of its subject matter to soccer. I soon learned that this children's/middle school novel is a work of historical fiction set in Europe during World War I. The events are inspired by real life events, which makes for good reading.

So, within a few minutes after learning about Over the Line by Tom Palmer, I downloaded and began listening to the unabridged audio version. Essentially, I finished listening to this book 2 hour, 10 minutes in one sitting.

The writing is good and so is the storyline for Over the Line. I was impressed with how much I enjoyed Over the Line. Perhaps, I'll have to give another one of Tom Palmer's novels a try in the future.

Tom Palmer has a YouTube page. I watched the following short video of Mr. Palmer reading a section from his novel, Over The Line.

Below is the publisher's summary for Over the Line by Tom Palmer found on the Goodreads website:

Based on a true story of a sporting hero's experience in the trenches. Jack is to make his debut as a professional footballer, but it's 1914 and the world is at war. Talk of sportsmen's cowardice leads to the formation of a Footballers' Battalion and Jack has little choice but to join up. Jack and his team-mates will have to survive a waking nightmare if they are ever to play again.

I am giving Over the Line by Tom Palmer a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul, which was well narrated by Will Damron.

I never thought I'd enjoy a nonfiction audiobook about horse racing and gambling so much!! Suffice it to say that The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel is really good!! 

The primary focus of The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel is on horse racing as it pertains to the 1988 Kentucky Derby and its winning filly, Winning Colors, along with some of the major players pertaining to horse racing like horse trainer, D. Wayne Lukas (trainer for Winning Colors), Gene Klein (owner of Winning Colors), Gary Stevens (jockey for Winning Colors), the three gamblers who bet big on Winning Colors, the Mexican cartel, and various other aspects of horse racing.

The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul is well written, engaging, informative, and well organized. I enjoyed that this book isn't over stuffed with factoids and is just the right length to keep the interest of the readers.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul found on Chirp's website:

The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told is an inspiring personal narrative about a filly who broke through the male-dominated world of horseracing and inspired crowds of men and women alike, along with a trio of gamblers who embark on an unforgettable adventure that’s as epic as the historic victory of Winning Colors. It’s Seabiscuit meets Narcos, and the best true-life gambling story ever told.

In the late 1980s, a spectacular 3-year-old female racehorse named Winning Colors was being groomed for success under her famous “Hollywood” trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, and the billionaire owner of the San Diego Chargers pro-football team, Eugene Klein. Meanwhile, three fun-loving gamblers, Miami Paul, Dino Mateo, and Big Bernie believed that Winning Colors could be the unlikely female winner of the 1988 Kentucky Derby.

When the gamblers unknowingly place their longshot bet with members of a suspected drug cartel at a racetrack in Tijuana, Mexico, they must figure out how to claim their prize - without getting killed in the process. In a heart-pounding race of their own across the U.S.-Mexico border, the trio come face-to-face with suspected killers, are arrested by the Border Patrol, and fumble their way through the riskiest bet of their lives.

I am giving The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told: A True Tale of Three Gamblers, The Kentucky Derby, and the Mexican Cartel by Mark Paul a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars. This is my fifth read for the month of September.

Until my next post, happy reading!!