SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- I'm not one for writing literary reviews. Frankly, most authors I enjoy and strive to emulate work outside of the racing world. We're talking about books, to be clear -- there are plenty of turf writers whose day-to-day columns and deadline work I admire. But great books on racing are hard to come by, and many fall flat of expectations, especially when measured against the standards of mainstream literature.

Not so with the volumes mentioned below. These three top my racing-themed summer reading list and should top yours as well. With a work of narrative nonfiction, a biography, and a photo collection, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Six Weeks In Saratoga

I read Brendan O'Meara's Six Weeks In Saratoga, fittingly, on the way to Saratoga. My copy arrived with perfect timing a few days before the trip, and I figured it would get me into the right mood to cover the racing season. I was right.

Six Weeks In Saratoga follows the lives of a trainer, a jockey, a track executive, and a racehorse through a season at the track -- 2009, to be exact. I was there, and perhaps I found the book intriguing because I lived and worked through that time. Some of my favorite lines are simple images -- the glint of Chip Wooley's belt buckle, Nick Zito tossing back a bottle of Saratoga water, Charlie Hayward admitting he couldn't remember the last race he'd been almost afraid to watch, until Rachel Alexandra's run in the Woodward.

Not so with O'Meara's work. Sometimes he hits his target and sometimes he misses the mark a little, but isn't that the story of young writers in general? The overall product is one of enjoyable promise, and as the author recounts little moments and inside conversations, he provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of the figures he covers. The narrative keeps game pace with outside literary standards and features bursts of brilliance, and I found it a refreshing change from the selection of racing-themed volumes available today. As O'Meara brings his subjects to life, you find yourself thinking this is the kind of guy whose work I want to follow, because once he polishes a few rough edges he'll be turning out some damn near pitch-perfect writing on a regular basis.

The author and I aren't friends, really, just acquaintances through the racetrack. We worked together at the Derby this year for Kentucky Confidential and I never saw him once (of course, neither did many other people, he was covering the nightlife beat). The point is, I talk to the guy maybe once or twice a year, if that, but I like him because he's a young turf writer like I am, and he strives to write with old-school grace and style as I do, and we share the same idols (Gay Talese, for one).

Six Weeks In Saratoga is a promising debut and its publication is quite an accomplishment given the current literary climate. Congratulations to the editors at SUNY Press for recognizing such talent and for giving O'Meara the chance to make an impact with his first book. It certainly shouldn't be his last.

Above It All

Bill Heller's new book, Above it All: The Turbulent Life of Jose Santos, is standard fare from the prolific author -- a steady, detail-oriented chronicle of Santos' life and racing career. Heller, who has turned out 22 previous volumes including the biographies of legendary riders Ron Turcotte and Randy Romero, has mastered the art of getting inside his subjects' heads, and the effort of countless detailed interviews shows. From Santos' early days in Columbia to his Kentucky Derby victory aboard Funny Cide, from personal to professional struggles and accomplishments, Above It All weaves an authoritative tale of the man who came to the United States as an unknown and wound up in horse racing's Hall of Fame.

Track Life

One of my favorite racing books ever is Racing Days, a phenomenal collection of black and white photos by Henry Horenstein coupled with remarkable essays by Brendan Boyd. It was published in 1987 and since then, no one has really captured the essence of the racetrack in a similar way. I've often wished for a more up-to-date chronicling of figures who weren't as prominent like then -- guys like Todd Pletcher or Johnny Velazquez -- and Juliet Harrison's Track Life In Saratoga Springs is the closest I've seen so far.

This black and white collection of photos from a season in Saratoga presents an evocative look at the moments, gestures, and traditions of horoughbred racing. Tom Albertrani perched upon his pony. The alertly pricked ears of a blinker-wearing runner. A woman's gentle hand upon the neck of a sale yearling.

There are no essays to go along with this one, but the pictures speak for themselves -- a lovely collection for every racing fan to enjoy, especially those who are fond of Saratoga.