Chuckles Mini Reviews Catchup-Sasquatches & Sharks!

I review everything I read, on my blog and on Goodreads. Most reviews are of a decent length but sometimes you don't have much to say about the book because of its length or you DNFed it or various other reasons. In cases like that it makes sense to write a few mini reviews in one post and clear them out your way! So lets catch up with some reviews from September and October!

1) Lyle Blackburn-The Beast Of Boggy Creek 
For more than a century, reports of a strange beast known as the Fouke Monster have circulated among the locals in southern Arkansas. Described as a large, hairy man-like creature, it’s said to haunt the vast Sulphur River Bottoms as it travels the secluded waterway known as Boggy Creek. Over the years, the creature has been seen by numerous witnesses including respected citizens, experienced hunters, famous musicians, and even a police officer. The encounters were often so shocking, they served as inspiration for the classic horror film, The Legend of Boggy Creek, by Charles B. Pierce.

Tales of the creature have long existed in scattered pieces across news clippings, memoirs, police reports, and movies, but it is only now that the complete history of the Fouke Monster has been assembled in one place. This book collects all the facts, theories, and amazing sighting reports, and weaves them into a fascinating tale about this undeniable southern mystery, one that lives on, as frightening encounters with the Beast of Boggy Creek are still being reported today!

The film 'The Legend of Boggy Creek' was the first film I saw that introduced me to the Sasquatch type creature and as a kid, it scared the life out of me because it was based on a real local legend, known as the Fouke Monster. I recently revisited the film and although it wasn't quite as scary, I still enjoyed watching it because of my interest in the subject. I'm all over anything cryptid, Sasquatch, Yeti, Bigfoot so when I saw there was a book all about the monster, I could not resist this book! The book sets the scene with photographs of the surrounding area, so thick with foilage that I really could imagine anything living there. It goes a bit into the historical reports of Sasquatch type creatures as a background to the subject and possible reasons for them. 

It really gets fascinating when it gets into all the reports of the monster sightings in and around Fouke including those which inspired the film.People from every walk of life were reporting seeing this beast or finding strange footprints. It makes me want to get to Fouke and explore the area now! I loved the photos of Fouke itself and the detail that went into the book. If you were ever interested in the Fouke Monster and Boggy Creek, I recommend this.

Read September 2019
4 stars.

2) Alex MacCormick-Shark Attacks
Hundreds of terrifying shark attacks occur every year and this book collects the most exciting, breathtaking, and heartrending. From the 800 pound tiger shark that was cut opened to reveal a human head to the 69 year old man who jumped off his back dock into the mouth of a bull shark, these are the most gruesome shark tales. Includes an extensive introduction, listing of shark attacks, and bibliography, plus 30 line drawings of the most dangerous shark species.  
 

First I need to explain what is happening with this book. I actually have three copies of this book, all different editions, each one extended from the previous edition. The first book which I read at the start of September has reports of 150 shark attacks. The second which I'm finishing has 250 shark attack reports and the one I just bought is a newer edition with over 400 reports. I can't wait to get my teeth into that! Hopefully I'll get to read the last one by the end of the year, if not sooner. Many of the reports are from newspaper reports of the attacks or witness statements and I found it fascinating to read. You'll never want to go back in the sea or a river again!