Throwing Rocks at Houses: My Life in and out of Curling

The remarkable curling career of Jones mirrors the game's increase in popularity. As readers learn about her drive and determination to be a winner, and her journey from humble beginnings in a large Nova Scotia family to becoming a Canadian and world champion, the sport grows too%E2%80%94television enters the picture; the rules change; sponsors add money to the equation; training, both mentally and physically, evolves. Jones went 17 years between Canadian titles, and she draws a parallel to hockey great Gordie Howe, wondering whether "longevity like ours required an intensity that was not easy to let go of." Her bright personality comes through in the writing, as it has for years on the CBC, where she has been a radio and TV journalist and, most memorably, a weather reporter calling in live from various hot spots. Fortunately, the book doesn't get bogged down in techniques and strategies (that was her 2007 book, Curling Secrets). Non-curlers can still enjoy the personal triumphs of her story: in curling, in her media days, and especially in overcoming near-fatal bacterial meningitis. Those who follow the sport will enjoy the behind-the-scenes tales from the Scott Tournament of Hearts and the world championships, and appreciate the lessons Jones learned along the way. Agent: Brian J. Wood. (Nov.)