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! I haven't written a review at all this year and I've still to deal with a few that I read last year so I better get back to it now!
These are reviews of books that I read last year.
Harry Potter: Film Wizardry
gives readers a front row seat to the magical journey that brought J.K.
Rowling's wizarding world to the big screen. Step off Platform Nine and
Three Quarters and into the hidden world behind the scenes of the Harry Potter film series.
This book was really wonderful. It had cast and crew interviews, a look at the sets, film locations and photographs and all the stuff you'd expect, in full glossy magnificent colour. Visually it was stunning. But the real joy is in all the extra stuff inside the book as pullouts and gifts. It featured wanted posters for wizard criminals, and had extras like a Hogwarts letter, a fold out map of Diagon Alley, an auction booklet for Borgin & Burkes, advanced potion making sticker book, Honeydukes stickers, Quidditch World Cup Final programme, Yule Ball programme, pull out Black family tapestry, educational decree posters, a Weasley shop catalogue, Ministry of Magic ID card, film art booklet and a Marauders Map! The extras were fantastic for kids or hardcore fans like me!
Read November 2020
5 stars.
Celebrating 60 years
since the show's creation, this book is an exhaustive, compelling and
entertaining history packed full of features and rare imagery. It takes
you through every year in a unique timeline that highlights key plot
lines, signficant production events, together with an impressive amount
of photography. You'll discover features on characters, famous actors,
royal visits, births, deaths, marriages and murders, together with
interviews with key actors, producers and production staff. There are
even QR codes so you can not only read about iconic scenes, but view
them as well. A special section on the show's creator Tony
Warren, shows how the programme evolved from page to screen and is
illustrated with rare imagery and artefacts from his own archive. There
are even special gatefold pages that open out showing how the set has
developed over the years and family trees of the major characters.
I liked the family group photos especially the Barlows lined up like the Mafia! The book opens as always with creation, planning and casting of the original series, but with cast members talking about their early auditions which was a nice feature. Excellent in depth sections for casting, makeup, costume, crew, scriptwriting, editing, sets, location shoots etc. There are lots of set maps and a big guide to who lives where and who lived there before, along with best partnerships, famous faces in the street, top stories, timeline, issues tackled, character lists and lots more.
Where the books for the 50th and 60th anniversaries are lacking is in looking at the up to date cast and plots. The fantastic 40th anniversary book had full in depth chapters for the main plots of each year right up to 2000, which was great but the 50th anniversary book only had a condensed section for the 2000-2010 plots, instead repeating all the stuff from the early years over again. This book has even less on the plots and hardly anything for 2000-2020, other than a few plots briefly highlighted. Some modern fans who don't know anything of the 60's and 70's characters might be frustrated with the lack of modern plot and character focus in these books. What we need is a good volume that only looks at Corrie from 2000-2020 and beyond, to give current and younger fans more on the relevant characters and plots they have watched. I did enjot the book but I really would love to see 'Corrie 2000 and Beyond' being released!!!
Read November 2020
4 stars.
"The Other Side Of The
Street" is Jean Alexander's irresistible, unforgettable memoir, telling
not only of her years as Hilda Ogden, and of her fellow actors on
Coronation Street but also of her career before Coronation Street.
Jean tells her story to you in the manner of having a chat over a cup of tea. I'm not generally one for the early life of celebrities but this was told in a way that kept me interested. Her stories of life in the theatre in repertory were funny especially everyone watching a big spider advance towards their arachnophobic colleague during a scene. He must've been such a professional, the poor man, as he stayed there and did the scene but I would've been running screaming from the building or climbing the curtains! Her description of the terrible bedsits and rented rooms that actors had to stay in is pretty shocking, plus the daily grind of the rehearsals, stress to learn your lines, sudden rewrites...it gives me a real appreciation for the sheer hard work they do.
The Corrie part talks about being hired to play Hilda and her working relationship with Bernard being a lot of fun. She bonded with the actress who played Minnie over their love of cats, and lays to rest the rumour that she hated Pat Phoenix, saying she was so shy around a star like Pat that she could never think of anything to say. She talks about Peter Adamson betraying his friends by selling stories to the media about them and how Lynne Perrie and Helen Worth having to knock the arrogance out of Chris Quentin. I love this kind of gossip behind the scenes. Jean also talks about her thoughts on her fellow cast members, her best friend being Betty Driver. It was a short, enjoyable read, perfect for one night of reading.
Read November 2020
3 stars.
The memoirs of Bill Waddington who played Percy Sugden on Coronation Street.
Former military man Bill was at Normandy and served with the Scots Guards, for years as an entertainer amongst his troops. Like his character Percy, he was a cook, coming from a background in agriculture. He loved comedy and became an army comic then forged a successful comedy career after finishing his military service. Prior to joining Corrie he owned a farm, raising pigs, then breeding and racing horses for a living. It sounds like the man who could have given Jack Duckworth and Don Brennan a few decent tips! I found the range of things he did quite fascinating as it was different from a lot of other Corrie actors that I've read about.
His Corrie memories are fond, talking about his friendships with the actors who played Vera, Jack, Ken and Phyllis. He remembers how interested Princess Diana was in whether Phyllis would ever catch Percy, and her giggle as he assured her the answer was no! He recalls Margot (Minnie Caldwell) dining at a premises where a funeral wake was being conducted, talking to an autograph hunter who told her he had just buried his wife, to which she replied 'did anybody see you do it?'. It seems that sweet little Minnie also had the foulest mouth of any cast member which made me smile! He also tells tales of cast members relaxing by swimming only to discover that Brian (Alf Roberts) trunks went see through in the water! It was an interesting if short book.
Read November 2020
3 stars.
The photograph was
splashed all over the front pages of the newspapers: Stuart Broad's
astonished face after a brilliant catch in the slips helped him towards a
remarkable spell of eight for 15 that as good as won the Ashes for
England. Now, in Broadside,
Broad explains how the side bounced back from a very disappointing
World Cup to rediscover the form and passion that led them to an
unexpected Ashes triumph. Only a few weeks before, there had been calls
for captain Alastair Cook to step down, and for Kevin Pietersen to be
recalled to the side. For Broad, too, there were battles to be fought,
including recovery from a serious injury and regaining his confidence as
a batsman after suffering a horrific blow to his face. Now one of the senior figures in the squad, Broad talks
about the key factors in the comeback, and the challenges and
excitements in the life of an international cricketer. With revealing
behind-the-scenes insight into the England set-up, Broad takes the
reader into the thick of the action as the team went from the lows of
World Cup disappointment to the highs of Ashes victory. Along the way,
they inspired all who saw them, with their infectious enthusiasm and
positive approach.
What a great bowler this man is. Always gives everything every time he plays cricket for England and I love watching him in action. It was a rollercoaster year for him in 2014 with career threatening knee surgery and rehab, and a long road back to discover his form. He wasn't match fit heading into the World Cup warm up games but badly wanted to play and do his part in the 2015 competition. The World Cup turned into a horror show for England as I well remember but it all came right with the Ashes, which is always a great time to gloat when we win! Broads 8 for 15 spell was just mind blowing to watch and cheer and I enjoyed every minute that he was bowling. I hope he can stay around for a few years yet with Jimmy!
Read November 2020
4 stars.
Since the debut of
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the Harry Potter film franchise
has become one of the most popular and successful in the world.
Beautifully crafted and presented in a deluxe, large-format with lavish
production values, these pages present a visual chronicle of the work by
artists and filmmakers to bring the wizarding world to life onscreen.
Bursting with hundreds of rare and unpublished works of art, including
production paintings, concept sketches, storyboards, blueprints, and
more, this collectible book is the definitive tome on the visual legacy
of the Harry Potter films. Fans will recognise beloved characters,
creatures, locations, and more as they embark on a journey through the
wizarding world, from Gringotts to the Quidditch pitch.
Another treat to myself as a Harry Potter fan. It was another big book full of lots of artwork that was great to look at. Not much I can really add to the blurb above.
Read November 2020
4 stars.
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