5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is as refreshing for the kids of the 1970s, as Grease was for the kids of the 1950’s.
5.0 out of 5 stars
This book is as refreshing for the kids of the 1970s, as Grease was for the kids of the 1950’s.
LITERARY TITAN 2/2/21
If you're looking for a heartfelt coming of age story, you should definitely read Mike DeLucia's Being Brothers. This book takes readers through the life of Jackie, an 11-year old boy growing up in the Bronx in the 70s. It specifically focuses on his relationship with his brother Sal and how their mutual love for baseball brought them together.
Bold, Innovative, and exemplar. Author Mike DeLucia takes his readers back to the Bronx where he grew up, through the eyes and actions of his character Jackie Amato, an 11-year-old boy growing up in the Bronx in the 70s. For those of us who grew up in the 70's, this book will induce flash backs of a carefree time, where family, siblings, friends, teachers, coaches, and acquaintances become part of one's experience and soul, not a mere post while passing through Social Media Platform.
What does it take to become the greatest of all time? Mike DeLucia’s new book, Born for the Game, presents a well-crafted and riveting premise where a bit of cleverness and hard work is all you need to achieve the impossible. Phineas Stone has big dreams, he’s trying to build a big, successful life for himself, and there’s nothing that can get in the way of reaching his goals. He creates a successful and profitable business through pure will, yet he knows that his biggest dream is one he can’t actually accomplish: getting the chance to play in the major leagues. Nevertheless, his immense determination and his inventiveness lead him to craft a plan through which he intends to create the greatest baseball player of all time.
Born For The Game by Mike DeLucia is an exciting take on a 'what if' situation set in the modern world that embodies a visionary approach to life and the human race. Phineas Stone, now a very wealthy man, has had his fair share of bad luck and hard life living in the foster care system. His greatest dream was to play for the baseball team LA Greyhounds; however, that dream wasn't obtainable because of his dwarfism. Together with two of his close friends, Phineas comes up with an idea to create the perfect baseball player, the best baseball player the world has ever seen...and succeeds in his intention. When Ryan was born, this little girl had her life made for her from the beginning, with a concise plan put in action to make her precisely that; the greatest baseball player. However, intrigue and the dark side of human nature start appearing in her path, and Ryan is presented with some life choices that will decide the course of her career in the future. Will she manage the pressure of excellence put on her and make the right choices about events and people in her life?
Reviewed By Grant Leishman for Readers’ Favorite
Born For the Game by Mike DeLucia is a sports novel that focuses on baseball but it doubles as a comedic, somewhat poignant at times farce. Phineas Stone had been through it all; as a four-foot five-inch dwarf, he had been rejected by his parents and had spent his younger years within the state’s foster-care system. This did not rattle Phineas at all though and he was determined that even if he didn’t possess the physical attributes to achieve his dream of playing major league baseball, he was still going to revolutionize the sport by producing the world’s greatest baseball player ever – period. Linking up with his long-time friend and karate master, Ito Hachi, as well as an ex-major league pitcher with an extensive gambling addiction, Rollie Rollins, the trio sets about putting in place Phineas’ plan to genetically engineer the greatest baseball player of all time. Raising the young Ryan themselves, they taught her everything they knew over the next eighteen years until finally, she was ready to set the world on fire and display her undeniable talents to Phineas’ beloved club, the Los Angeles Greyhounds.
Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
Born For The Game is a work of fiction in the sports genre. It is suitable for readers from mature young adults upward and was penned by Mike DeLucia.
The book follows Phineas Stone, an impoverished dwarf, who grabs hold of the opportunity to rise out of his meager background and establish himself as one of the richest people on earth. One dream eludes him despite his wealth; to play baseball for his favorite team. Refusing to accept defeat, Phineas begins a plan to create the perfect baseball player. A plan that is as rife with genius as it is teeming with questionable ethics.
A blind man knocks himself unconscious by tripping over his dog’s bowl and smashing his forehead into a radiator. He is awakened by his dog licking the blood off of his face…When he opens his eyes, he could see!
At least that’s what my brother, Joey, told me when we were kids in the 1970s. I believed him because it made complete sense. Firstly, I witnessed people, besides Fonzie, punch broken machines to life again. Secondly, it was common knowledge that humans only use 10% of their brain capacity (another 1970’s myth). And most importantly, my brother had sworn to it, after all. While I can’t say for certain if the story is the truth or a myth, it is, however, the inspiration for this book.
Gregg S. Lima
5.0 out of 5 stars A Childhood Memory Revealed & Retold
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2019
I recently read the latest book by author, Mike DeLucia. Although I am not a basketball fanatic, I was drawn to this story based on a series of conversations that I had with my now deceased father, Phil. He imposed in his children a commitment to hard work & a passion for competitive sports. However, my father, who always had the "gift of gab," was a great story teller although, at times, I questioned the veracity of his words...
Miles Ryan Fisher, Italian American Magazine
Before there was Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, before there was the three-point shot, slam dunk, and alley-oop, the game of basketball was simple and on the cusp of many changes. Author Mike DeLucia takes us into how this evolution began, honing in on one player by the name of Angelo "Hank" Luisetti.
While Luisetti is far from a household name, DeLucia's story shows just why he should be. Born to Italian immigrant parents, Luisetti grew up in San Francisco, where he was introduced to basketball by a local high school coach who later teaches him the one-handed shot, the precursor to the jump shot. This revolutionary shooting style and Luisetti's pure ability take him to Stanford University, where he becomes College Player of the Year in 1936 and is eventually inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Finally, release day has come and gone and Being Brothers is a #1 New Release on Amazon US! Thank you to my readers. You've made this writer very proud.
Here's what readers are saying...
"Absolutely delightful book! Reading it brings one back to a not so long ago past of pure clean fun, growing up, humiliations and triumphs, family... and of course baseball!"
"Before the internet, social media, and gaming, life was full of good friends, good neighborhoods, and good times, and this book allows the reader a glimpse into the heart of those days in the beautiful Bronx. I highly recommend this family story!"
"The love, friendships, frustrations and triumphs are all written with such care, you can almost hear the moms calling their children home for supper as the sun starts to set!"
"DeLucia delivers a great story for any native New Yorker. I love a story about the neighborhood I was born and raised in."
Award winning author @mdeluciabooks stopped by this week to discuss his unique writing process of turning screenplays into novels, and how being great in anything is a mindset, not a destination.#writing #podcasts
— The Novel Discourse Podcast (@novel_discourse) January 27, 2022
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