Sports Fact and Book Rec of the Day 8/25/2007

8/25/2002:
Paradorn Srichaphan becomes the first player from Thailand to win a tournament on the ATP Tour when he defeats Argentinian Juan Ignacio Chela in three sets to win the TD Waterhouse Cup at the Hamlet Club on Long Island. After upsetting Andre Agassi at Wimbledon this summer, it's a well-deserved breakthrough for the Thai star at the U.S. Open prep event. His strong serve and powerful forehand prove an unbeatable combination on the hard court surface against Chela, a South American clay court devotee.

Birthdays:
Althea Gibson b. 1927
Rollie Fingers b. 1946
Albert Belle b. 1966
Cornelius Bennett b. 1966
Doug Glanville b. 1970

“An astonishing piece of fiction, one that expands the boundaries of the thriller genre.”—The Washington Post

It’s hard to believe Tropic of Night is Michael Gruber’s first novel. Here is nail-biting, spine-tingling reading at its most confident and agile. No matter how complicated the plot becomes, no matter how far-flung the setting, or how frightening the twists, you know Gruber is in control. Submit to the master, and let his eerie story of an anthropologist fleeing from her madman shaman husband keep you up all night.

TROPIC OF NIGHT, by Michael Gruber (HarperTorch, 2004)