Bonnie S

• Rated 2 stars

“When I was in grad school, I signed up for a class called Death and Literature. The description sounded awesome and I was being a bit morbid. What it turned out to be was a philosophy class in literature class clothing, which resulted in me reading Heidegger for weeks at a time, only occasionally broken up by "She" or "Dracula." The few moments of awesomeness did not make up for the fact that I was dragged through "Being and Time." And that's what reading "Street Gang" is like.

This is not a complete history of Sesame Street. This is a slog through the personal histories of several of the key players who created Sesame Street: Joan Ganz Cooney, Jon Stone, David Connell, Sam Gibbon, and Jim Henson. And when I saw histories, I mean you learn about their parents' upbringing, their upbringing, schooling, weird relationships, everything! This book is hyper-detailed, bogging it down. What isn't about family history is about how the show got funded, which has the potential to be interesting if we weren't forced to walk through every step of the process. And, of course, we do. You finally get to the genesis of the show and its characters and stories in Chapter 12... so if you want just that, skip to page 166.

To finish my complaint on the book's completeness, it skims a fair amount of the 1980s (compared to the detail of earlier chapters) and gives very little info on the mid-1990s and beyond. This is probably because management changed at the CTW and Davis does not fawn over these people. Elmo is the most-covered subject during this time period.

I'd also have to say that the writing structure is incredibly awkward. Readers are flung forward and backward and forward again in time within the span of a few paragraphs, all usually to tell a story that usually doesn't need telling. Like did I need to know that Cooney's personal assistant attended her abusive ex-husband's funeral for her, so she could report back to her boss on how it went? Or should the moment Jane Henson steps forward to speak and Jim Henson's funeral really be the time Davis first brings up that they had had marital problems?

That's not to say that there aren't fascinating stories about Sesame Street, its creation, and its creators. The book is full of them, but you have to be patient and dig around to get them, and I'm not sure it's really worth your time. You do gain an appreciation for how ground-breaking this series was and still is. You also wonder if maybe it was a requirement that you have a terminal illness in your future, as much of the end of the book is dedicated to all the contributors to the show who died of cancer, AIDs, or other diseases. It's kind of frightening how many people involved in the show have died.

I can't say that I really recommend this book. Mostly, I recommend the middle of this book. Unless you're looking for a history and finances lesson, with some Muppets thrown in for good measure.”

Bonnie S wrote this review Wednesday, April 8 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I don't even know what to say for this volume. I read it at work as quickly as I could, sneaking off to my desk to cry a little. This volume is heart-breaking, sad, sweet, a little funny, and wonderful. The retelling of the banquet myth sheds more light on the family curse. It's hard to say anything else about the story without giving so much away. I will say that Hana-chan and Uo-chan get to shine in this story, even with relatively small parts.

Just... go and read this... now.”

Bonnie S wrote this review Thursday, March 26 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Damosel is a retelling of the legends of King Arthur, from the perspectives of the Lady of the Lake, Damosel, and a dwarf named Twixt, who serves at Camelot as court jester. Damosel follows all the rules required of Ladies and lives a fairly quiet life in her Lake. When Merlin seeks her out to craft Exaclibur, it begins a series of events that will lead to Arthur's rule, Merlin's entrapment, and plots to overthrow the king.

I've never been all that into reading Arthurian legend. I just don't get the appeal. I do like retold fairy tales and myths, though, so this story intrigued me. Hearing Damosel's perspective on Arthur, Merlin, and Camelot is interesting and may appeal to others who have had trouble latching onto stories of King Arthur. That said, the book seems to assume you already have some familiarity with the stories, giving readers a very minimal explanation of characters and events.

I enjoyed the first half of the book, where Damosel is trading for materials and crafting Excalibur, or speaking with her cousin Nimue about Camelot and Merlin. Stephanie Spinner spends this time developing Damosel and presents us with that alternative point of view we expect in this premise. However, the moment that she meets and falls for the knight Pelleas, the plot becomes painfully slow. All of the action that's been built up, the promised conflicts, they either evaporate or take place off the page. The ending felt sudden - but I feel that way about all version of King Arthur's story... except perhaps the King Arthur and the Knights of Justice comics!

Twixt's parts are enjoyable and do indeed give you a unique perspective. Who doesn't love to hear from the court's fool? I was disappointed that in the summary of the many characters, we didn't hear anything about what happened to Sir Tor... did I just miss if he was killed?”

Bonnie S wrote this review Sunday, March 1 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Mori dubbed this the "all-crying volume." That's totally accurate, and I loved it. Monica, Eleanor's older sister, kicks a lot of ass! Dorothea is beyond awesome, and I love absolutely adore William's mother. I can't wait to read the next one!”

Bonnie S wrote this review Friday, February 27 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“Miranda is a slight girl who is easily lifted and carried by the wind. It deposited her next to Bourne Manor, an imposing house that is home to the widow Wysteria and the four Hounds. Wysteria takes Miranda in - the girl has no memory of where she came from before the wind took her - and puts her to work mending nets for the local fisherman. She also makes Miranda wear a pair of weighted shoes, to keep her from flying off again. As the years pass, Miranda learns some of the secrets of the Manor, hearing rumors of a lost treasure and discovering an attic full of beautiful kites built my Wysteria's dead husband. After the appearance of a friendly boy named Farley, Miranda realizes that the Manor has an insidious hold on her and seeks a way to escape.

I don't know how a book that is relatively short can come across as taking too long to develop, and yet still not completely tell a story. This is a fairly intriguing plot when you boil it down to its basics: Miranda is a mysterious girl who can be carried by the wind, she's trapped in Bourne Manor by the house or by Wysteria, the house is cursed/haunted and corrupts its inhabitants, and there's a mystery about Wysteria's husband that Miranda and Farley solve. A third of the book is dedicated to explaining the daily life of Miranda and Wysteria, and this is just way too long. It's difficult to tell if Wysteria is supposed to be a villain (she has trapped Miranda in the house and works her pretty hard) or just an old woman who's trying to get by (they're often starving) and has succumbed to the house's influence. You feel sorry for her, particularly when she gets pneumonia. The house itself is a confusing character - it's only in the last couple of chapters that it becomes malevolent. It would've been much more effective to show the house's influence over the seven years (which pass in the first 28 pages) Miranda lives there, rather than the few weeks at the end of the story.

The plot really picks up when Farley becomes a regular character and he gives Miranda some of her background. The language is pretty and on the verge of being purple prose. However, for all the descriptions we get, I had a terrible time understanding just how small or how old Miranda was. I also couldn't tell who the intended audience is for this book - professional reviews suggest tweens, but the language is just so proper that I think it would be a hard sell. The cover (which is probably the best thing about the book), the length, and the plot make me think it's for children, but I think the language works even less for that crowd.

Overall, this just feels like a very underdeveloped story. If you chopped out the first third of the book and gave more depth to Miranda, Wysteria, and the house, this would be much better.”

Bonnie S wrote this review Friday, February 20 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 1 stars

“Phillipa takes off in the middle of her dad's wedding to pastel-loving Krystal, in order to head off to her summer job - being a nanny who "loves black" to ten-year-old twin girls at a luxurious but creepy spa in Maine. The spa has all the latest amenities, including a hot gardener named Geoff, a bossy, a ghost-obsessed business-women named Lady Buena Verde, an absent-minded father, and a prissy assistant, Laurie, who may or may not be dating Geoff. However, the twins and their new nanny are not to be seen or heard by guests, despite orders for Phillipa to make the twins have "fun" so that they can get over their mother's death. Phillipa is still grieving her own mother's death, but she's ready to take on the challenge.

So... sound kind of crappy? That's because it is! This is a relatively harmless fluff-book, but the writing is weak, the characters don't develop, the ending is abrupt, and a major plot-point - Phillipa getting over her mother's death - just gets dropped. She starts out still mourning her mother (and it's been several years since she died in a car wreck that it's hinted was caused by Phillipa's cat... WTH?) and hating the idea of having fun. But she throws herself into forcing the twins to have fun, like going to the arcade, swimming, or hanging out in the butterfly garden. A few ghosts appear in the story with absolutely no consequence, even after one of them tries to kill Phillipa. There are hints that Lady Buena Verde could help her contact these spirits, but absolutely nothing comes of it.

The romance complication between Geoff and Laurie is explained away in one sentence and he'll probably be visiting Phillipa after the summer, who I guess will be going back to her unhappy life with her dad and new stepmother. These are the classic YA adults who hardly care that their teenage daughter will be spending the summer in a strange mansion as a nanny, or that she takes off in the middle of their wedding, after throwing away her bridesmaid dress.

You'd think that maybe the positive of this book is that it's a light, quick read... and it is. But the language is so dated, I have a hard time imagining teens would want to read it. There are references to Dragnet in this... Dragnet! Which last aired in 1959. Very relevant to today's teens. There are just so many good books out there, there's not much a reason to waste your time on this. ”

Bonnie S wrote this review Sunday, February 15 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I read this because I watch wrestling... I guess it's one of my not-so-secret shames. When I started watching, Bret Hart had already left the WWF and gone to WCW, and I had no idea what the Montreal Screwjob was about. Going back and watching older matches, I can't say that I was a big Bret Hart fan... and yet, after reading this book, I've taken the time to watch some of his favorite matches again and really enjoyed them.

I feel like there are a lot of pros and cons to deciding if you want to read this book... and if you aren't a fast reader, it's a pretty big time-investment at close to 600 pages. The book has a slow pace, as you're basically reading Bret Hart's audio diary over the many years of his career as a professional wrestler. I'm kind of curious now about how many wrestlers do keep a diary of some sort, since Mick Foley wrote his book based on his notebook diaries.

It's also a book written for wrestling fans... there's very little explained about move sets and names are given at a rapid-fire pace and if you don't know who they are, you're out of luck. It definitely helps to read this with a background knowledge of territories, organizations, and wrestlers from all generations.

Another con that I had on a personal basis is that Bret sleeps around a lot. That's part of the business as much as drugs and alcohol are, but it's still tough to read about how he cheats, who he cheats with, and how he justifies it to himself when he can. The best that I can say about this aspect is that, out of the many evils he could have chosen to do, this seems like a lesser one.

So that's a lot of cons, but there are some major pros about this book. I don't know that you'll ever find a wrestling biography that covers such a vast scope. Bret's been at the bottom and the top of the industry, wrestled in more promotions and countries than you can shake a stick at, and been part of the biggest shakeup in the industry. If you love wrestling and want to learn more, this is a must-read. There's always a question of honesty when reading a biography, and this is especially true when it comes to wrestlers' biographies. However, I think this is a really sincere telling of how the business works. Sometimes it feels like he's over-promoting himself, but who am I to say that's not how it happened?

Bret's really at his best when he's telling about traveling outside of North America or his brother Owen. I really enjoyed his story about visiting Jerusalem during a tour and the awkward experience of being in such a holy place, while also being challenged to fights and followed by admiring fans. The stories about Owen, his talent, his career, and his death are sweet and sad. You get the feeling that he was one of the few good guys in the business, was ridiculously talented, and really cared about his family.

Basically, I would highly recommend this book to people who are wrestling history or Bret Hart fans - there's a plethora of information, stories and tidbits there to enjoy. If you aren't one of those people, you may want to skip it. Or skip the first 200 pages... things really get going once Bret is in the WWF and his career is taking off.”

Bonnie S wrote this review Tuesday, February 10 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I read this backwards, as in I read You Suck first and then went back and read Bloodsucking Fiends. Or rather listened to both... because Susan Bennett is the best narrator EVER! Apparently, though, I'm not the only person to make this mistake. It was still great to learn these characters' backgrounds and how they got to where they are in You Suck. While this one may not be as funny as the sequel, it's still hilarious and I still love it.

This is a nice break from angsty vampire books. I'm really not a fan of vampires, and I appreciated the moments where Tommy was reviewing classic vampire lit and testing Jodi to see what powers she did and didn't have. I loved Scott and Zelda... it almost makes me want my own turtles! I really don't have much to say about this book that hasn't been said in other reviews... it's funny, it's got fantasy, and it's very San Francisco (albeit several years ago). I'm glad I finally read it!”

Bonnie S wrote this review Friday, February 6 2009. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 5 stars

“This hefty little book only takes about an hour to read, and it's so worth it! Cyril Pedrosa's artwork is incredible. Each panel feels full of movement; it's easy for the images to come to life. The characters are cartoonish, yet they convey muscle and hair and sometimes just overall sliminess (for the "less morale" ones you meet along the way).

It's hard not to just talk about the art, but really, this is an awesome story. Young Joachim lives on a farm with his mother and father, leading a sweet and simple life (isn't that what farms are always like in books?). Then one night, Joachim sees three shadows on the hill, and everything changes. The three shadows continue to haunt the family, always lurking. When Joachim's mother realizes that this omen is something they must accept, the boy's father takes him and leaves in an effort to escape the shadows. We follow them on their journey

At the end of the story, we learn some of the background as to why Pedrosa wrote this book. It's a powerful story about enjoying what time we have with those we love, as well as the length a parent is willing to go to protect their child. ”

Bonnie S wrote this review Thursday, February 5 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“This is a very cool mix of mythology, science fiction, and science, all in a board book for children. It's the story of Icarus, who doesn't fly too close to the sun in this version, but rather the edge of a black hole. He is a member of the Proxima's crew, and the families on this ship have left Earth to find other life in the galaxy, knowing that generations will be born and die on their ship before they reach their destination. Icarus is a few generations in and wants to be something more than a "link in a chain," so he ventures out into space and circles the edge of black hole, only to suffer an unusual fate.

This book uses pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope as a backdrop to a fairly short story. A scientific explanation and theories finish up the story. The book is a little misleading - I tend to think of board books as for very young children, but I think the story will appeal more to mid- and upper elementary school kids.”

Bonnie S wrote this review Tuesday, January 20 2009. ( reply | permalink )