So while on vacation the other week, I managed to finished a book I picked up in SEPTEMBER.

And I renewed it 14 times from the library.

I’ve been busy. Don’t be mad.

“Reality show : inside the last great television news war” is a fantastic look at what’s happened to network news over the last 10 years.

The book starts with a great background on the anchors at the Big 3 in the late ’90s; Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings. It follows the changes at the top the whole way through the 2008 Presidential Primaries and really sheds light on what was happening behind the scenes as ABC appeared to fumble its way through anchor changes involving Elizabeth Vargas, Bob Woodruff and Charles Gibson after Jennings’ death and how CBS handled the flood of criticism after Katie Couric was hired to replace Rather.

The behind-the-scenes deals at the networks is a soap opera all its own, and gave me a whole new view on why certain editorial changes were made over the last few years. There’s even a nice little shout out to The Daily Show inside its pages.

If you’re at all interested in network news, this 400-page book is a great read that gives some real perspective to the business and journalist decisions at the very top of the television news world.

I also had the opportunity to pick up “Dear American Airlines” which was a delightful little 200-page read.

This novel, by freelance writer Jonathan Miles, follows a man named Bennie on a journey that frankly goes no where. He’s stranded at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, desperately trying to make it to a wedding in California. The book is at times absolutely hilarious and at other times deeply depressing. Bennie basically recaps his entire life in a letter to American Airlines while waiting for his plane.

There’s a quick wit about the character that has you rooting for him at times, and a self-centeredness that has you thinking he got what he deserved out of life. It’s a quick read for a weekend, and if you travel enough you’re sure to find something you can relate to in the pages (though hopefully nothing you relate to too closely).