ENTERTAINMENT – Page 8 – Looking For a Good Book

March 14, 2018

THEATRICS – graphic novel

I haven’t read many graphic novels for a while now but when I saw this one, with an obvious theatre connection, and set in the Roaring 1920’s (an era I enjoy reading about) I thought that this just might be the right book for me. Rudy Burns is living the high life. He’s a sought-after Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, GRAPHIC NOVEL, Uncategorized

2 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, Graphic Novels, Reviews

March 12, 2018

FINDING BIX – Brendan Wolfe

I first became aware of Bix Beiderbecke when I heard him on a tune played on Public Radio and I immediately went out to purchase a few CDs that featured his horn. I enjoy listening to a Beiderbecke song, but part of that comes from the fact that I’ve been a fan of jazz music Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, MEMOIR, NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Biography, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, History, Memoir, Music, non-fiction, Reviews

February 7, 2018

THE PEOPLE’S POLICE – Norman Spinrad

I have really mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand it’s gritty and very real feeling, with oddball characters and a dark, Disney-esque New Orleans. On the other hand, it’s very political, with characters that don’t appeal or reach out to me. I haven’t read many books set in the New Orleans area Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Humor, Literature, Reviews

January 24, 2018

THE WITCHER ADULT COLORING BOOK

So how do you review a coloring book? I’ve been kind of fascinated by the coloring book phenomenon going on in the publishing world. It would appear that an awful lot of people who grew up having spent some time coloring with crayons in coloring books have missed that relaxing exercise. Coloring books for adults Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, GRAPHIC NOVEL, OTHER, SF/FANTASY, Uncategorized

4 stars, Art, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, Graphic Novels, SF/Fantasy

December 21, 2017

FOUR OF THE THREE MUSKETEERS – Robert S. Bader

Wow. Just … wow. Robert S. Bader has done an incredible amount of research into the early days – the vaudeville and live stage performance days – of the Marx Brothers and shares it with the rest of us in the tremendous book, Four of the Three Musketeers. Bader brings us in to the home Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, MEMOIR, NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

5 Stars, Biography, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, History, Memoir, non-fiction, Reviews, Theatre

December 1, 2017

ANIMATED LIFE – Floyd Norman

Part memoir, part how-to, animator Floyd Norman has a tale to tell. Norman was an animator – the old school kind that used to draw things on paper! He worked for Walt Disney during the early days and both learned a lot from the Master (Disney) and the other animators, as well as managed to Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, MEMOIR, Uncategorized

4 stars, Art, Biography, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, History, Memoir, non-fiction, Reviews

November 20, 2017

AUDIO MADE EASY – Ira White

Audio made easy? Yeah…that’s something I need since I have an interest but zero background in it. But … wait a minute … where’s the ‘easy’ part? To be fair, author Ira White does a nice job of explaining the equipment an audio engineer would likely use, in the simplest of terms. But he does Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, Music, non-fiction, Reviews

October 23, 2017

WHEN BROADWAY WENT TO HOLLYWOOD – Ethan Mordden

This book really really needs a sub-title to let the reader know what the focus is, because this is just a little bit misleading. This book examines the transformation of the songs and the songwriters (music and lyrics) of the Hollywood musical when their work was being courted by Hollywood. That’s just a little bit Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, History, Music, non-fiction, Reviews, Theatre

October 18, 2017

IN THEIR LIVES – Andrew Blauner, editor

There appears to be no end to the number of ways to get The Beatles on the cover of a book. I’ve read more than a few in the last few years since I started this book review blog. Since it seems that enough biographies have been written and there have been some well-researched, in-depth Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, MEMOIR, NON-FICTION

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, Memoir, Music, non-fiction, Reviews

October 12, 2017

SHAKESPEARE ON PAGE AND STAGE – Stanley Wells

There is no end to the number of books one can find on the works or study of William Shakespeare. The name ‘Stanley Wells’ is certainly familiar to anyone who’s read critical essays on Shakespeare. This book, Shakespeare On Page and Stage, is a collection of some of Wells’ essays on the Bard, his work, Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION

3 Stars, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, essays, Graphic Novels, Theatre

October 4, 2017

THE BEATLES – Hunter Davies

Over the last couple of years I’ve read a few Beatles-related books. Recently, while anticipating a couple of long drives, I borrowed an audio book from my local library – The Authorized Biography, The Beatles, by Hunter Davies. Davies was one of the few people allowed on the inside of The Beatles’ group, accompanying them Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, MEMOIR, Uncategorized

4 stars, Biography, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, Memoir, Music, non-fiction, Reviews

September 28, 2017

THEATER OF FEAR AND HORROR – Mel Gordon

THROWBACK THURSDAY: REVIEWING A REISSUE I’ve heard of the Grand Guignol of Paris and that it was horror or even depraved theatre, but I didn’t really know too much about it. It’s not the sort of theatre taught in the local colleges. The sub-title, I think, really gets it right when calling it a “grisly Continue reading

ENTERTAINMENT, NON-FICTION, Uncategorized

4 stars, Book Reviews, Books, Entertainment, non-fiction, Plays, Reviews, Theatre