Lite Reading

When I'm kicking around the house trying to kill a little time, sometimes I pick up a magazine. I have two standing subscriptions right now, FHM (through October 2006) and Maxim (through April 2008). Here's some of the reasons why you should get a subscription.

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FHM
It's chocked full of information for guys and girls including reviews of music, movies, books, video games, clothes and some of the latest gadgets soon to hit the market. Along with the pictorials of lovely ladies, there is a Q&A session with a celebrity and a calendar that gives events for the upcoming month (usually wild and wacky, but major holidays are covered too). You can also look forward to special advertisements like Authentic American Neighborhood Bars from City to City that gives the lowdown on cool bars in a different city each month. There is usually an actual informative piece on happenings in history covering anything from foreign currency information to deadly shootouts to rock and roll deaths.

Maxim
It's chocked full of information for guys and girls including reviews of music, movies, books, video games, clothes and some of the latest gadgets soon to hit the market. There is also a How To section each month that covers anything from proper tipping to spotting an unmarked police car. They also have celebrity interviews and Ask Dr. Maxim. The articles are entertaining and can cover anything from C-list celebrities to steroids.

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Alternatives
If you're not looking for a "men's magazine," I also have enjoyed Blender and ESPN the magazine (completely ignore the smoking hot chicks on the cover, that's merely eye candy to make you buy). I ordered a trial subscription to Blender and enjoyed it, especially the issue with the 50 cent and Eminem interview. Most of the magazine was spent on reviewing new music and giving celebrities the opportunity to tell me what they are listening to right now. There was a lot of information on groups that I had never heard of before, but reviews on albums I have actually bought seemed sane. I liked it, but I did not believe I would need this every month, so I cancelled the subscription.
One of my neighbors was kind enough to let me "borrow" an issue of ESPN the magazine (wink, wink). I haven't finished reading it yet, but it seems solid. It is published every two weeks in order to stay current. There are features and articles by ESPN and ESPN.com writers/analysts/personalities. I believe I will be looking closely at a subscription to ESPN the magazine. Online there is an offer for $26 for the year (which breaks down to $1 per issue). I'm going to wait and see if they offer something better than the free messenger bag that's available with a paid subscription. Maybe it will give me an edge with my fantasy football teams, but I doubt it.