— The Podium

After reading some ‘serious’ books over the last 3 months I thought it might be nice for a change to read something a little light-hearted. Below are 5 books relating to Cycling, Soccer, American Football, Golf and Cricket all of which have a feel good factor about them. Well maybe not feel good but definitely good humoured.

The votes will be counted and released on Friday on the website. Apologies on the past few months as deadlines have been tight but it is my goal to be able to tell you the book before the start of the month in future.

Have a look at the books below, make sure to vote at the bottom of the page and leave a comment.

French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France by Tim Moore

Seduced by the speed and glamour of the biggest annual sporting event in the world, and determined to tackle the most fearsome physical challenge outside classical mythology, Moore, the ultimate amateur, attempts to complete all 3,630km of the 2000 Tour in the weeks before the professionals set off.

Battling it out with the old men on butchers’ bikes across the plains of Aquitaine and pursued by cattle over Europe’s second highest road, Moore soon finds himself resorting to narcotic assistance, systematic overeating and waxed legs before summoning a support vehicle staffed by cruelly sceptical family and friends. Accounts of his suffering and chicanery, and those encountered in the race’s epic history, are interwoven through a look at rural France busy tarting itself up for those 15 seconds of fame as the Tour careers through at 50kph. An heroic depiction of an inadequate man’s attempt to achieve the unachievable, Moore’s Tour is a tale of calorific excess, ludicrous clothing and intimate discomfort.

Football Manager Stole My Life: 20 Years of Beautiful Obsession by Iain Macintosh, Kenny Millar and Neil White

Football Manager Stole My Life lifts the lid on the cult of Football Manager (FM). It is an easy-to-read, highly illustrated, light-hearted guide to the game s lasting impact on popular culture. We hear from the gamers whose lives have been taken over by FM, a game cited in 35 divorce cases in the UK. There are interviews with the players who become world beaters in the game, but in real life never make the big leagues. The incredible scouting network of Sports Interactive is revealed. We speak to the men who make the game, and put an FM addict on the psychologist s couch to discover what 20 years as a virtual football manager has done to him.