Alongside longtime television producer Mark Bulgutch, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Mansbridge brings together a collection of stories featuring extraorAlongside longtime television producer Mark Bulgutch, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Mansbridge brings together a collection of stories featuring extraordinary Canadians who embody the values we hold dear as a nation.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on a conversation last week between Peter Mansbridge and Sarah St. Pierre, senior editor at Simon and Schuster. When asked who his favorite subject was to interview, Mansbridge said it isn’t who you would think. Over his lengthy career, Peter had conducted over twenty thousand interviews – many of which were with greats like President Barack Obama, Beach Boys front man Brian Wilson and the beloved Gord Downie. However, it’s the lesser known people that he loves to chat with the most; the ones who have seldom or never been interviewed.
Following a conversation with noteworthy hockey journalist Bob McKenzie (who wrote his own book about everyday hockey heroes), Peter embarked on a project to spotlight Canadians whom you may never have heard of or who have had extraordinary lives flying under the radar of notoriety.
Given the diversity of our country, Peter made sure to cast as wide a net as possible with his selections. Peter met with Moses Li, a nurse who had spent time in a hospital overseas assisting in war-torn countries, now working in a Vancouver hospital on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent time with Pat Danforth, an advocate for the rights of disabled Canadians. He also spoke with Nadine Caron, the first Canadian female surgeon of first nation’s descent and the opposition she faced in achieving her goals.
Throughout his career, Peter had been trying to interview a member of JTF2 (Joint Task Force 2); a special team within the Canadian armed forces that is used for highly specialized and dangerous missions. Peter came close in August of 2001, but of course 9/11 put that on hold. With this project, Peter finally had the opportunity to sit down with a member of the elite team. The story involved JTF-2 taking out a collection of Taliban bomb makers in 2008. It was presented with surprising detail and was action-packed to say the least.
One of the stories that hit me the hardest was Jessica Grossman’s. Jessica had a harrowing experience with Crohn’s Disease as a child. I found this one the most difficult to read based on the graphic details and the fact that this was happening to a child. I cannot imagine the pain and hardship. Her work to destigmatize living with an ostomy bag should be commended given that she had to go through this in her formative years.
Obviously I can’t mention every single person interviewed in this book in my review, but I believe it is very much worth your time to check this one out. The book is structured in such a way that you could pick up and read each entry one at a time or you could fly through it in only a few short sittings (took me about two days). I expect this will be a big hit come the holiday season.
Extraordinary Canadians: Stories from the Heart of our Nation is set for release on November 10th, 2020
Merged review:
Alongside longtime television producer Mark Bulgutch, acclaimed broadcaster Peter Mansbridge brings together a collection of stories featuring extraordinary Canadians who embody the values we hold dear as a nation.
I had the pleasure of sitting in on a conversation last week between Peter Mansbridge and Sarah St. Pierre, senior editor at Simon and Schuster. When asked who his favorite subject was to interview, Mansbridge said it isn’t who you would think. Over his lengthy career, Peter had conducted over twenty thousand interviews – many of which were with greats like President Barack Obama, Beach Boys front man Brian Wilson and the beloved Gord Downie. However, it’s the lesser known people that he loves to chat with the most; the ones who have seldom or never been interviewed.
Following a conversation with noteworthy hockey journalist Bob McKenzie (who wrote his own book about everyday hockey heroes), Peter embarked on a project to spotlight Canadians whom you may never have heard of or who have had extraordinary lives flying under the radar of notoriety.
Given the diversity of our country, Peter made sure to cast as wide a net as possible with his selections. Peter met with Moses Li, a nurse who had spent time in a hospital overseas assisting in war-torn countries, now working in a Vancouver hospital on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent time with Pat Danforth, an advocate for the rights of disabled Canadians. He also spoke with Nadine Caron, the first Canadian female surgeon of first nation’s descent and the opposition she faced in achieving her goals.
Throughout his career, Peter had been trying to interview a member of JTF2 (Joint Task Force 2); a special team within the Canadian armed forces that is used for highly specialized and dangerous missions. Peter came close in August of 2001, but of course 9/11 put that on hold. With this project, Peter finally had the opportunity to sit down with a member of the elite team. The story involved JTF-2 taking out a collection of Taliban bomb makers in 2008. It was presented with surprising detail and was action-packed to say the least.
One of the stories that hit me the hardest was Jessica Grossman’s. Jessica had a harrowing experience with Crohn’s Disease as a child. I found this one the most difficult to read based on the graphic details and the fact that this was happening to a child. I cannot imagine the pain and hardship. Her work to destigmatize living with an ostomy bag should be commended given that she had to go through this in her formative years.
Obviously I can’t mention every single person interviewed in this book in my review, but I believe it is very much worth your time to check this one out. The book is structured in such a way that you could pick up and read each entry one at a time or you could fly through it in only a few short sittings (took me about two days). I expect this will be a big hit come the holiday season.
Extraordinary Canadians: Stories from the Heart of our Nation is set for release on November 10th, 2020...more
In BEAUTIES, author and sportscaster James Duthie sits down with (well, in the era of COVID, takes phone calls from) a wide variety of folks asking ofIn BEAUTIES, author and sportscaster James Duthie sits down with (well, in the era of COVID, takes phone calls from) a wide variety of folks asking of them just one thing, “tell me a great hockey story”. A fairly simple request that leads to some truly excellent stories, but to label the whole book as containing hockey’s “greatest untold stories” may be a bit much.
This isn’t a knock at the book, don’t get me wrong. While I didn’t exactly dislike any of the over four dozen tales in there, many were quickly forgotten the second I finished them. That shouldn’t totally dissuade you from picking it up however, as there were some truly memorable ones.
Ken Hitchcock’s story about “fixing” Team Canada’s dressing room at the 2002 Winter Olympics and checking into a motel early in his career where you had to put down a ten dollar deposit for light bulbs.
The story of Laila Anderson, the young St. Louis Blues super fan who battled a rare disease as her team chased the cup in 2019.
The story of Chris Beaudry, the assistant coach of the Humbolt Broncos and his life-long battle with substance abuse that nearly ended after the horrific bus accident in 2018.
And the story of Gord Miller covering the biggest trade in the history of the NHL in 1988 when Wayne Gretzky himself came to Gord’s rescue.
Without a doubt, the best story in the whole book belongs to John Ronan. He led a career that is a real life version of the Paul Newman movie, Slap Shot. Playing seven years in the minors, Ronan has a whole hockey bag full of great stories – one of the best being that after complaining about his old beat-up skates, his flat-broke team decides to trade a player for a pair of new skates for John. If John Ronan’s is the best, Jim McKenzie’s is a close second. His story about training under a terrible coach (with the nickname Cupcake) in his junior years alongside Mike Keane had me laughing out loud. Really great stuff.
While certainly not the best hockey book I’ve read, BEAUTIES is the perfect type of book to read during the holidays when life slows down and you just want something light....more
Writer, podcaster and big-time wrestling fan Aubrey Sitterson joined up with artist Chris Moreno to take on the herculean task of producing a compreheWriter, podcaster and big-time wrestling fan Aubrey Sitterson joined up with artist Chris Moreno to take on the herculean task of producing a comprehensive yet constrained history of professional wresting within the medium of a comic book.
The duo begins in the very early days of the art form by exploring its roots within traveling carnivals. They explain that while it may have been a “shoot” (real) in the beginning, it didn’t quite find its legs until promotors began fixing the fights for maximum entertainment value. This all exploded with the invention of television drawing in even more viewers across the world.
While Sitterson and Moreno could simply be content to stick within the realm of North America where wrestling enjoys easily its highest popularity, the book branches out to explore promotions in Mexico, the U.K. and Japan, to name a few, examining both their unique presentations and original styles. Focus is given to pioneers like UK based performer Big Daddy as well as the fracturing of the Japanese landscape that led to the creation of All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. This helps make the book even better, although I have read a few reviews stating that it seems disruptive to the flow while bogging down the narrative. In my opinion, I’d disagree with that. Personally, I have a pretty vast knowledge of the North American scene, so it was interesting to explore other regions and styles – plus it’s hard to present a history while narrowing your focus on one region.
The book also delves into the seedier parts of wrestling, which honestly, are all too frequent to avoid. Chris Benoit, the steroid trial, as well as the deaths of Owen Hart, Bruiser Brody and the Von Erich clan are also explored. For those who enjoy Vice’s The Dark Side of the Ring, you’ll recognize a lot of the subjects profiled in their two seasons.
The artwork here is on point with Moreno staying both realistic as well as drawing on wrestling’s natural tendency to exaggerate and inflate its own presence. Moreno’s entertaining style is definitely appreciated considering the book is extremely dialogue-heavy for a comic book, although it does need to be given that it’s technically a history book.
My only knock against the book is the lack of history surrounding women’s wrestling. There is time devoted to it near the book, but in trying to present a comprehensive history of the sport into just over three hundred pages, you’re bound to either leave things out or short-change topics. I’m not defending it, but it could have been expanded on.
All in all, the tag team of Sitterson and Moreno have produced an informative and entertaining look at the wrestling industry. It’s not often I’m able to come away from a book like this one where it’s filled with so much information that I'm already aware of and can say that I was engaged throughout. Top marks for The Comic Book Story of Pro Wrestling.
**Note: this book was released in late 2018, so while it is as up-to-date as possible, you’re not going to find anything in here about AEW and the monumental changes implemented over the past two years....more
Sixteen years after publishing “The Dark Knight Strikes Again”, and thirty-one years after his ground-breaking first Batman run with “The Dark Knight Sixteen years after publishing “The Dark Knight Strikes Again”, and thirty-one years after his ground-breaking first Batman run with “The Dark Knight Returns”, Frank Miller returns to The Caped Crusader with THE DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE.
I’ll be the first to say that The Dark Knight Returns is pretty much flawless – it completely re-energized and revolutionized Batman for the modern age and its influence can certainly be seen in the decades that would follow. When I heard that Miller was going to return to his Dark Knight universe in 2017, I was cautiously optimistic. It seems that whenever a creator decides to return to a property that he or she created decades prior, the results are generally a mixed bag (I don’t expect much from Ghostbusters III, to be honest, although Bill & Ted III was pretty good). In this instance, I think I was right.
First things first, my opinion may be a bit skewed here. I thought I had read The Dark Knight Strikes again, but according to Goodreads, I hadn’t marked it as read. When I took a brief glace at the plot of the book, I think it’s safe to say I missed this one. Which, judging by its general reception, that might have been a good thing? So, I suppose that would explain why I had no idea what the hell was going on for most of this book. Or maybe I just had a hard time following the plot.
I can safely say that I don’t have a problem with Frank. I’ve read many of his books over the years and rarely have I come out on the other side with a bad taste in my mouth, but this one just didn’t do anything for me. I really didn’t care much for the off-shoot stories that were inserted in between the main issues of The Master Race storyline. I get that they connected, but they felt like filler and I would literally groan when I would see one was about to begin.
The bottom line is that I feel it’s too difficult to take something as iconic as The Dark Knight Returns and try and build sequels on it. The expectations are too high. Maybe that’s not a fair thing to put on Miller, who feels he had a story he wanted to tell, but I feel like it’s especially true in this case....more
The Spellmans are back! Again! In the fifth installment of Lisa Lutz’ acclaimed series following a family of detectives, there is no shortage of suspiThe Spellmans are back! Again! In the fifth installment of Lisa Lutz’ acclaimed series following a family of detectives, there is no shortage of suspicions and backstabbery (I don’t think this is a word, but I’m going to use it anyway). This go-around, we have family members that are no longer on speaking terms and the parental unit is playing the reasons for their own actions close to the vest. Now in a new relationship, has Izzy matured at all? Or is her infamous list of ex-boyfriends destined to add a new name?
Like the best episodes of Frasier, everyone’s problems could be solved quickly and efficiently if these people would just be honest with each other. Then again, where’s the fun in that? Also, counting on dishonesty between folks is the backbone of the P.I. industry – so we can’t have people telling the truth all the time, can we? That said, having established a pattern that it seems to be OK to go behind one another’s back leads to a monumental event at the novel’s conclusion. Maybe it would be better to sometimes leave well enough alone.
I know this should be a given, but Lisa Lutz makes her characters frustratingly consistent in their decision making and behavior. I absolutely love Izzy, but man… can she be a difficult character to root for. You just want the best for her and the worst is that she knows what is best for her, but still proceeds with total self-destruction. Don’t get me wrong, they’re all stubborn in their own ways, but I feel Izzy is the only one whose actions result in placing her in a worse position. Well, maybe Rae too.
Enough about Izzy. Lutz’ series has one of the best supporting casts of any ongoing series I’m reading – and even more great ones are added in this entry! There’s not a bad one in the bunch that I wish would just “go away” and the fact that there are so many keeps each book just flying by like a Japanese bullet train. I mean, these are hard books to put down and Trail of Spellmans is no exception. If you’re wondering why I’m being so vague, this is the fifth book in the series and I’m desperately nervous about even dropping the slightest spoiler.
Having finished the fifth book, I just have one more waiting for me but I’m just not ready to say goodbye to these characters yet. I’m not sure if Lutz ties things up with a bow at the sixth book’s conclusion or if she’s left it open-ended enough for an eventual return to the characters down the line. Although, things are blown up spectacularly at the end of this book and I have no idea where things will go from here....more
It’s always a treat when I get to sit down with a new David Sedaris book – well, one that is new to me anyway. While I much prefer to listen to a SedaIt’s always a treat when I get to sit down with a new David Sedaris book – well, one that is new to me anyway. While I much prefer to listen to a Sedaris audiobook than read one, it’s gotten to the point now where I can hear David’s voice in my head while reading. So, I guess it’s the best of both worlds?
Released in 2000, Me Talk Pretty One Day is David’s fourth book. This time, the essays mainly deal with his move to Paris and his struggle to learn a second language. There are some great moments here where he translates his broken French into English, which is where the book’s title comes from, as well as his contentious relationship with the class’ teacher. There are also some hilarious stories about his father and his attempt to create this family band with the Sedaris clan had me laughing out loud when he had David attend his first guitar lesson.
It’s not all about his family and his move to Paris, though. David writes about his early years in New York when he took a job with a moving company under a boss he suspected was a communist. He also tells of a friend who would visit him regularly in New York and the one time she brought along her own friend who had not ventured out of her small town in the South. David’s reaction to her belief that everyone was out to scam her had me laughing out loud (I tried quoting it in this review out of context and it just wasn’t working – trust me). My favorite story comes early in the book, however, when he tells of having to work with a speech therapist to correct his lisp as a child. His ultimate plan? Just avoid words with “s”. This leads to a funny exchange when asked of his plans for the Christmas break.
David Sedaris is one of those writers who can take even the most mundane subject and make it hilarious. If you’ve never read his work, I suggest starting with an audio version and I doubt you could go wrong with Me Talk Pretty One Day....more
Aside from a few WWE-licensed fluff pieces, several coffee-table style photo books and a ghostwritten 2000 memoir (The Rock Says), there has yet to beAside from a few WWE-licensed fluff pieces, several coffee-table style photo books and a ghostwritten 2000 memoir (The Rock Says), there has yet to be that truly comprehensive biography on the life (to-date) of Dwayne Johnson. Enter James Romero, who just last year authored a book on the life of Owen Hart (Owen Hart: King of Pranks: The Ultimate Anthology of Owen's Greatest Ribs, Pranks and Stories), to fill the gap providing a retrospective on arguably the biggest superstar the wrestling industry has ever created.
If you found The Rock Says… lacking in detail, you will be more than happy with Romero’s work here. THE PEOPLE’S CHAMPION truly is a comprehensive blow-by-blow look at Dwayne’s early years, to his rise within the pro-wrestling industry all the way to his current status as highest-paid actor in Hollywood. Romero left no rock unturned (pardon the pun) in compiling Dwayne’s life story as evidenced by the lengthy list of sources shown at the end of the book. Mining through memoirs of Dwayne’s peers, wrestling observer newsletters, documentaries and interviews conducted by third parties with Johnson, Romero was able to give as accurate a story as possible without first-hand access to Johnson himself.
That said, not a lot here surprised or shocked me. Johnson has been quite open about his early years, his struggles with finding a career path (the famous $7 story comes to mind) and his locker-room rise during wrestling’s biggest boom period, so there was little here that I hadn’t yet heard. However, I welcomed the chance to take a trip back to when Monday nights were can’t-miss-television and Vince McMahon’s RAW produced memorable moments and exciting programming.
Some of the more interesting sections dealt with the decades-long behind-the-scenes drama that simmered between both Dwayne and Shawn Michaels. When Rock had been rising-up the card in mid-to-late 1997, both Michaels and Triple H would constantly find excuses as to why Johnson’s ascent needed to be stopped in its tracks when both complaining to Vince McMahon. This likely had a lot to do with the fact that Michaels’ long-time enemy Bret Hart wanted to take Johnson under his wing as he developed. Unfortunately, this would lead to a match between Michaels and Johnson never materializing during Michael’s return in 2002; a true lost opportunity.
While the Hollywood portion of Dwayne’s life isn’t quite as in-depth as his wrestling days, Romero does speak about the near seven-year gap between Dwayne leaving WWE and returning in 2011 to work with John Cena. As Rock gained more and more notoriety on the silver screen, his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment would be allowed to expire – a sore spot that Dwayne harbored for some time. The inner-workings of bringing Johnson back into the fold in time for WrestleMania 27 and beyond were certainly interesting as Romero writes about Johnson looking to embrace his squared-circle past even against the wishes of his movie management team.
All in all, I thought Romero does a great job capturing the life and career of wrestling’s biggest export. While exhaustive in scope, I think hardcore fans will enjoy reading about wrestling’s hottest period when Dwayne Johnson was at his creative peak, seemingly conjuring up never-ending moments on a basis not seen since.
*** I received an advanced copy for review by the author through POSTWrestling.com...more
Following the conclusion of Revenge of The Spellmans, Izzy is on track to take over the family business but it won’t be an easy transition. While chaFollowing the conclusion of Revenge of The Spellmans, Izzy is on track to take over the family business but it won’t be an easy transition. While change is on the horizon, the family is more the same than ever. The “parental unit” is acting predictably strange in kicking everyone out of the home on Wednesdays. Does it have anything to do with missing fixtures? Izzy is also worried that a mysterious woman has been visiting her brother on the regular, so you know her mother will need to know why. There’s no trust here and everyone suspects everyone else of doing something nefarious. When it comes to the Spellman clan, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
The events in The Spellmans Strike Again are the most important since the beginning of the series. Many of the characters here experience tremendous growth and change by the time the last page is turned albeit they’ll get there kicking and screaming. Even Rae sees some personal change and maturity – surprisingly.
Given that she’s the narrator, Izzy gets the lion’s share of the focus here and realistically, she’s the one that needs it the most. Over the past four books, Izzy has become one of my favorite characters I’ve had the pleasure to spend time with. She’s witty, unintentionally charming and endlessly interesting. I could read dozens of books with her as the lead and it’s sad to think that this series stops at book six (to date). Her back and forth banter with Morty is an especially integral part of this novel and one that had me near tears at the end. But it isn’t all sadness – Izzy’s actions during a series of pre-planned dates set up by her mother with a seemingly never ending parade of lawyers had me laughing out loud.
Lisa Lutz continues to craft an increasingly enjoyable and easily digestible series that now sits snugly in my holster ready when someone asks me for a book recommendation....more
For years, Matthew McConaughey had been keeping journals filled with stories of his career and tidbits of advice written down over his years of experiFor years, Matthew McConaughey had been keeping journals filled with stories of his career and tidbits of advice written down over his years of experience. Earlier this year, he decided to gather up those journals, travel to a remote cabin and try and put them together into some sort of pseudo-memoir/self-help book.
I’ll say this – McConaughey is a born storyteller. I listened to this one because come on… if you’re going to experience this book, you might as well listen to the man tell his own story in his own unique voice and cadence. I’m glad I did. To be honest, I cannot imagine reading this myself as McConaughey’s performance is excellent and helps lift the book onto another level. There were definitely moments here that would likely not have gotten as big laughs out of me had I just read them.
The best part of this book are the stories. Now, not all of them are great – some of them are unremarkable, like his childhood and adolescent rebellion as well as his parents odd but functional relationship. Not taking anything away from Matthew’s experiences, but his dad almost felt like a caricature of a southern father. Many of these stories didn’t blow me away. However, once Matthew gets to his post-high school years and his early years as a fledgling actor, things really pick up. His year in Australia is a highlight for sure (yes, he does an Aussie accent). Getting the lead in A Time to Kill was inspiring as was his preparation for the role of Denton Van Zan in Reign of Fire. The most interesting stories however, fall within the period of his career where he had to forgo millions and nearly two years of work to redefine his image and leave behind the rom-com films to transition into dramatic roles.
The other big part of this book are the tidbits of advice. The “bumper stickers” of philosophical sayings and inane advice. Parts where Matthew yells out “note to self!” and then follows with some obvious thing he learned during a random experience. These sections just didn’t do it for me. They came across as very try-hard and at times created such cringe that I wanted to fast forward. But, you know, this is what people love McConaughey for, right? So, maybe it’s just not for me.
I’m not one to read many celebrity memoirs (unless you want to count professional wrestlers or hockey players as celebrities), but when I do, I go the audiobook route. If you have any interest in this one, do yourself a favor and download the audiobook. Just maybe ignore the silly book cover....more
Bill Hanstock is no stranger to the wrestling industry, let alone WWE. A lifelong sports and wrestling fan, Bill has been writing about the industry Bill Hanstock is no stranger to the wrestling industry, let alone WWE. A lifelong sports and wrestling fan, Bill has been writing about the industry for the past twenty years. He’s even written for BOOM studios’ line of WWE comics. So, it’s only natural that he tackle the long and controversial history of WWE in his new book, “We Promised You a Great Main Event”.
In his introduction, Bill writes about how there have been countless documentaries, books and exposes about Vince McMahon and his wrestling empire, so he decided to approach this project with “an informative history of the largest professional wrestling company in history that doesn’t insult the intelligence of hardcore fans, doesn’t alienate the uninitiated, and remains entertaining throughout.” This was an immediate relief as I was hoping I wouldn’t have to deal with someone dryly explaining the ins and outs of how the industry operates and the understanding of kayfabe.
Right off the bat, Bill strikes a tone here that is loaded with snark. This alone helped lift the book above what I had originally expected. Bill doesn’t hold anything back when criticising various gimmicks, booking decisions and the actions of Vince McMahon in the business world. Especially when looking at the 80s and 90s, Bill addresses some of the more ridiculous characters that leaked out of the brain of McMahon and into the squared circle.
“Ax and Smash appeared to have been concocted by a game of telephone played between someone who had seen the Road Warriors and someone who had seen The Road Warrior, and then relayed it to McMahon fourth-hand. They wore face paint, like the actual Road Warriors, but that’s pretty much where the similarities ended. Ax and Smash came to the ring wearing studded bondage gear and gimp masks and wrestled in S&M harnesses. Thankfully, since most fans weren’t well versed in the intricacies of kink in the late 1980s, they became beloved successes within the WWF.”
However, it’s worth noting that this isn’t a hit piece. Bill isn’t here to try and take the company to task for every questionable decision it’s ever made. He spotlights the company’s early successes in booking ethnic heroes to appeal to the masses in the Northeast United States, a decision that led to an unbelievable string of sellouts when Bruno Sammartino was carrying the world heavyweight championship. He positions Vince as the last line of defence when it comes to ideas making it onto the screen, for better or for worse. It’s a business structure that’s kept WWE from going completely off the rails like some of its competitors who had given too much power to too many different people.
There’s also the challenge of condensing decades of history into about five hundred pages. I’ve read books that approach the length of this one that cover only one year in the WWE’s storied history (James Dixon’s excellent “Titan” series). Bill doesn’t allow himself to get bogged down in any one topic. Don’t get me wrong – he explores a multitude of subjects while devoting time to events that really do require a closer look like the steroid trial of the early 90s, Mel Phillips and the ring boy scandal of the 1980s and the Chris Benoit murder/suicide in 2007. By approaching those subjects alone, I think it’s safe to say that there’s very little bias within this book.
In an interview with Cageside Seats, Hanstock had said the last truly comprehensive book looking at the history of WWE was Shaun Assael and Mike Mooneyham’s “Sex, Lies and Headlocks” in 2004, so after sixteen years, it is a great time for an update. Hanstock’s book is as up-to-date as possible with analysis on the company’s lengthy deal with Saudi Arabia as well as WWE’s push to be labeled as an “essential business” within Florida during the COVID 19 pandemic. Both are detailed looks at the most newsworthy items that have plagued the company in the last number of years.
I will say that I’ve been a wrestling fan for over thirty years now, having read dozens of books and watched countless documentaries, there wasn’t really anything here that was new or shocking to me, given how I normally keep my fingers on the pulse of the wrestling industry daily. And that’s OK because most importantly, it didn’t feel like it was wasting my time. By keeping certain subjects light and injecting a good portion of this book with some laugh-out-loud humor, I found myself flying through this one in only a few sittings....more
Noemi Taboada receives a letter from her cousin, Catalina, asking for help. Acting swiftly, Noemi travels to High Place, an old house situated in theNoemi Taboada receives a letter from her cousin, Catalina, asking for help. Acting swiftly, Noemi travels to High Place, an old house situated in the Mexican countryside where her cousin lives with her new husband, Virgil Doyle, and his family. It isn’t long after Noemi’s arrival that things begin to feel… off. Her cousin doesn’t seem to be receiving the best care and her in-laws are hovering over Noemi’s every move. And what’s wrong with the house? Can Noemi get to the bottom of her cousin’s mysterious illness or will she succumb to her environment before it’s too late?
I was looking to pad out my spooky season reading list when this one was recommended to me. Seeing as most of my October reads this year ranged from a few years to a few decades old, I thought it would be good to check out something new. Silvia Moreno- Garcia’s MEXICAN GOTHIC was as good a choice as any. It doesn’t hurt that it’s been a pretty buzzy book to say the least. Not only has it started to pop up on a few “Best of 2020” lists, it was just picked up by Hulu to be adapted into a TV show!
So, how was the book? I thought it was all right. The first half of the novel I found quite dull, if I’m being honest. Many people are championing Moreno-Garcia’s slow burn technique and patience. So, I wasn’t about to give up on it as I knew from a few of the reviews out there that the horror dial gets turned up to eleven once business starts to pick up. And boy, did it ever. Moreno-Garcia’s efforts in laying down some considerable ground work for the Doyle family history help to push this one into some pretty spooky psychological horror territory in the latter half of the story. It’s just it wasn’t exactly the most enjoyable journey getting there.
For fear of spoilers, I’ll stay away from why exactly the house at High Place is haunted, but I will say that the ways in which Moreno-Garcia made the mansion loom so sinister really worked for me. There’s something about houses that feel alive that really do it for me (see: House of Leaves), the way in which the structure completely surrounds the characters and can be used brilliantly as an entire other character itself when twisting and tangling reality like a set of old Christmas lights.
I know there isn’t much time left until Halloween, but MEXICAN GOTHIC is a worthy entry into your spooky season stack. Silvia Moreno-Garcia crafts a chilling look into the ties that bind us and why in the face of the otherworldly those closest to us can be the real monsters....more
Quinn Maybrook and her father just moved from Philadelphia to Kettle Springs, Missouri. While Kettle Springs has your typical small town feel, there Quinn Maybrook and her father just moved from Philadelphia to Kettle Springs, Missouri. While Kettle Springs has your typical small town feel, there is something sinister brewing beneath the surface. Frustrated with the actions of the town’s youth, the town’s elders are locked in a philosophical battle as to what Kettle Springs should represent in 2020. On the verge of becoming a ghost town, the older population of Kettle Springs wants to turn back the clock and “Make Kettle Springs Great Again” – but at what cost?
Clown in a Cornfield is like a classic slasher movie that would have been perfectly at home in the late 90s on a shelf at a Blockbuster Video next to Scream. While reading this felt like going back in time to the days when my friends and I would rent horror movies and order pizzas, it is absolutely contemporary by taking inspiration from the current political situation in the United States and turning it up to eleven (if you can believe the political rhetoric can even be heightened at this point).
I don’t read a lot of YA to be honest so I don’t even know what parameters a YA book has to hit to be considered YA. Don’t let the YA name dissuade you from checking this one out. There’s gallons of blood and gore between the covers here. I was actually shocked at how messy this one got as there are some pretty graphic deaths. Honestly, this was a perfect book to finish off Spooktober with.
On another note, I will say that this book made me feel old. I guess that’s a testament to how accurate the author is when writing teens in 2020. If you’re in high school in 2020, you’re at most seventeen or eighteen years old, so of course 2007 would feel like it was ages ago when it actually feels like yesterday to me. These kids wouldn’t have even been born when I finished high school!
Clown in a Cornfield is a really fun Halloween read. If you’re looking for something to read over the next two days to bring about the end of spooky season, you can’t go wrong with this slasher....more
Loading...
