Illustration by Jay Wallace
Kevin Jones: I know you are a bright, eccentric guy from California, but I still find it a little surprising you read fantasy novels.
Alex Mack: I read a lot of stuff, but science fiction and fantasy is my forte. I've read all of the Game of Thrones books. I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in that series to come out, but it's going to take forever, probably 10 years from now. The TV show is just starting to catch up.
KJ: What intrigues you about these fantasy types of stories?
AM: I usually use reading as a way to relax and escape. It clears my mind. It's something I do before I go to sleep at night. I just want to be entertained and those stories to me are entertaining. I'm always reading a book and I usually have one on deck.
KJ: OK, so you are currently reading...?
AM: : Berlin Noir it's a historical fiction book about a crime detective in Nazi Germany. Sorry, this one isn't fantasy (laughs).
KJ: Are you a Barnes & Noble guy or do you order books online?
AM: I'm actually a kindle guy. It's so thin, easy to travel with. I used to travel to away games with these huge, thick books. If I was towards the end of one book, I would have to bring two books on a road trip. That just took up too much space. Now I have all these books condensed into one.
KJ: Do your teammates or other NFL players read books as much as you? Are you going to start a book club?
AM: I would think there's a selection of people. I'm still trying to find them on our team, though.
KJ: Your favorite character ever in a book?
AM: Gosh, that's so tough. To me, it's more of the books that stand out. The Magicians by Lev Grossman. That was fantastic. It was like Catcher in the Rye meets Harry Potter kind of thing. It was a really dark-tinged story. That's a well-written book. Again, I love science fiction. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress is a good book in terms of the overall message it portrays. I could talk about books all day, they are fascinating to me.
KJ: When you are reading, do you just immerse yourself in the book?
AM: It's honestly so fun for me, man. I enjoy it. I watch movies, too. But when you read a book, I find it much more of a story. You imagine what happens. I've become attached to certain books, for sure. It's just something I've always done growing up.
KJ: How many books has Alex Mack read in his lifetime?
AM: Oh, it's safe to say I read at least 10 a year. One a month, right around there. It depends on how thick or big the book is. Every now and then I will dabble with non-fiction. I thought the Pat Tillman book was riveting. I like to mix it up, but I generally like the fantasy novels because I use it to escape.
