THE CHILDREN ARE WATCHING by Laird Koenig and Peter L. Dixon

PUBLISHER: Ballantine, 10/1970
GENRE: Fiction/Suspense
SETTING: California, USA
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: B-

FROM PUBLISHER: It’s the last week of summer. California’s golden sun shines hot on Malibu Beach. Film stars, the rich, the beautiful tan a sleeker brown. Cold Chardonnay frosts crystal goblets. The blue Pacific rolls up white sand.

In a to-die-for beach house curtains are drawn. Doors are locked. The five Moss children – age five to nine – stare at a huge television from morning until they fall asleep in front of the glowing screen. Where are their mother and father? Marty and Paula Moss are finishing his new film in Italy. And the babysitter? Isn’t she taking care of them? She was until three days ago when her body washed ashore. Drowned? Only the kids know. For reasons of their own, they’re not telling.

Day after day, sprawled in front of the television, shut in with their secret horror, the Moss kids fight off every adult invasion from the outside; be it cops, the FedEx man, postal people, curious neighbors, Marty Moss’ prying secretary, and a mysterious man who peers at them nightly through a rip in a beachside window curtain. Somehow they survive.

MY THOUGHTS: The title isn't quite right. It leads you to believe the children are up to no good and plotting bad things against people when in actuality the only thing they're "watching" is the t.v. This started out a little boring, with the siblings bickering all the time over what to watch on television. It got slightly interesting when they did the first bad thing. I'm not sure they realized what the end result would be at the time but when it came to light, they didn't seem to care one way or the other. A few times a child said something too mature, something that would be out of character for someone so young which made me think the authors hadn't been around children much. The ending is very unsatisfying; too tidy and perfect.

The only think I really didn't like in here is a certain male character. Aside from stealing items from inside the house, I don't think his actions were something that someone would really do. And he never tried to find out what happened to the maid.

Once in here, I think it was the youngest character, Marti, age four, she touched her crotch for no known reason and much later Cary, the boy on the cover with glasses and who's age is unknown, attempted to masturbate but stopped when he "went limp."

I don't like the newer e-book synopsis for this either as it's inaccurate and gives too much away; FedEx was never mentioned in the book, just a delivery person was, and in fact they weren't in existence when this was written, and the youngest child is four, not five. The original synopsis for this is too short, though, so I reluctantly used the newer one.

CAKE!: 103 Decadent Recipes for Poke Cakes, Dump Cakes, Everyday Cakes, and Special Occasion Cakes Everyone Will Love by Addie Gundry

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin, 10/2/2018
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: ?

FROM PUBLISHER: The ever-popular queen of desserts takes center stage in Food Network star Addie Gundry's cake cookbook, from trendy poke cakes to old-fashioned icebox cakes to swoon-worthy layered cakes.

From birthdays to holidays to Tuesdays, there’s always room for cake. Family and friends marvel at impressive tiered cakes while adorable individual mug cakes satisfy late-night cravings.

This cookbook features recipes for coffee cakes like Cinnamon Apple Crumb Cake to timeless classics reinvented like Carrot Cake Poke Cake to quick and easy favorites like Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake. Each recipe is paired with a four-color, full-bleed photo.

Catagories: Coffee Cakes, Bundt Cakes and Pound Cakes, Old-Fashioned Cakes, Everyday Cakes, Dump Cakes, Poke Cakes, and Mug Cakes, Special-Occasion Cakes.

THINGS I'VE BAKED

CHOCOLATE OREO CAKE

This cake is supposed to have crushed Oreo cookies stirred into canned vanilla frosting. I made half the cake in a 9" x 1.5" round pan and made my own frosting and omitted the Oreos. The cake is made with vegetable oil and you add boiling water to the batter at the very end. It's incredibly moist and a little sticky. I omitted one tablespoon of cocoa powder because I was scared it was too much.

I cooked it at a higher temperature than stated, 350 degrees F, instead of 300, for 23 minutes. It's a good cake but not the best homemade one I've ever had. It's very similar in taste to a boxed Devil's Food one but something's a little off with the flavor. 

APPLE CRUMB CAKE

This 8" cake has a layer of cinnamon crumb mixture layered between the batter and uses a total of 1.5 sticks (3/4 c./6 oz.) of butter! I added the chopped apple to the batter instead of layering it with the crumbs in the middle. I only used a tiny bit of the crumb mixture on top of the batter since I don't really like or understand hard crumbs on top of a moist cake. The cake has sour cream in it and just 4 tablespoons of butter.

The cake is dense, which I don't like, and I don't care for the crumb mixture either. Too much brown sugar's in it and not enough cinnamon.

I made my own glaze for this since the one in the book didn't suit me. 

MY THOUGHTS: There's a good variety of recipes in here. There are six chocolate cake recipes, three of which are almost identical, multiple lemon cake recipes, a couple with apple and apple sauce, and plenty more. I'm disappointed there's not a basic white cake recipe that I could have added maraschino or dried cherries to.

I'm only partially happy with one of the two cakes I made. I don't mind cake mix recipes being in here but I don't like them being mixed in with the homemade cakes. They should be in their own chapter.

Since I've only baked two cakes from this book of many I'm not comfortable with giving it a grade/rating.


I received this from publisher in exchange for an honest review.

WES CRAVEN'S LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT: THE MAKING OF A CULT CLASSIC by David A. Szulkin

PUBLISHER: FAB Press, 1997 & 2000
GENRE: Nonfiction/Entertainment/Cinema
PURCHASE: 1st ed., 2nd ed.
MY GRADE: A

FROM PUBLISHER: Wes Craven is world renowned as the creator of classic horror film events such as The Hills Have Eyes, the Nightmare on Elm Street series and the Scream franchise. Craven began his meteoric career in fear with a notorious, controversial low-budget shocker called Last House on the Left.

Produced by Friday the 13th creator Sean S. Cunningham, Last House on the Left was a movie that broke the rules... and the bank.

A disturbing, gritty tale of sadistic violence and devastating revenge, Last House on the Left became one of the most influential cult classics of all time. It was the movie that assaulted audiences with the terrifying roar of a chainsaw two years before The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

David A. Szulkin's book tells the inside story of the making of Last House on the Left through in-depth interviews, rare photographs and extensive research. Featuring stills from unreleased out takes and commentary from Wes Craven, this book is the definitive record of one of the most legendary, iconoclastic horror movies in history.

Last House on the Left remains one of Wes Craven's most powerful and unique films. Rough, raw and irreverent, it is still censored in Britain for its unflinching portrait of rape murder. Attacked by censors and often reviled by critics, Last House on the Left is all the more noteworthy in retrospect for its pioneering, prescient contribution to the 'splatter' film tradition. Those who wish to know where and how it all began need look no further than this book.

MY THOUGHTS: What a great and informative read that's filled with tidbits that I didn't know before. The author interviewed some of the people involved with this during 1991/92 and in 1996/97. Below are bits of information from the book:

• Hallmark Releasing liked the script so well that they gave Wes and Sean an extra $40,000 to make it. 
• The first draft had Krug and Weasel engaging in necrophilia with Phyllis after they killed her.
• Mari's rape was supposed to be much longer and more brutal. In the script her character was blonde.
• An early draft had Mari's father being karate-chopped to death and a different draft had him dying in a scalpel fight.
• Phyllis' death was to be more brutal. Sadie was supposed to gouge her eyes out, cut off her breasts, and cut her tongue out.
• Sean said the film was supposed to have a lot more sex in it but decided against it stating that it's more important to tell a story.
• Martin Kove, who played the deputy, turned down the roll of Krug because his character was too "dark." Martin was dating and living with David's sister at the time.
• Ada Washington, the black woman who drove the chicken truck, was currently Sean's mother's housekeeper and she didn't know how to drive. Fats Domino's Blueberry Hill was supposed to be playing on the truck's radio during that scene. I understood Sean to mean Ada was also the housekeeper while he was growing up. Her part was supposed to be played by a black man they'd given the character name Jerome Pickins to.
• Sean's wife Susan made the clothes.
• Junior was supposed to survive.
• Earlier in the year Wes and Sean worked together on a soft-core porn called Together.
• Jeramie Rain/Sadie was paid $600 for her role and she bought a Doberman puppy with the money. She also couldn't stand her hair style in the film. She got poison ivy while filming and in one scene in Mari bedroom where she's wearing black men's socks, it's because they had to hide the poison ivy.
• Jeramie said that once between takes she was leaning on the hood of the car, arms down at her sides (and I guess her head resting on the hood), and the police showed up. Someone thought she'd been in a car accident and called the police so they came to investigate.
• Fred Lincoln said that Sandra/Mari was scared of the film, left, and had to be talked into coming back to work. She also said she did a terrible job in the film and that she was scared of the script.
• The chain saw scene was inspired by Wes seeing a movie poster in Times Square (New York) of guys fighting with chain saws.

There are about fifty pages where the author summarizes the film in chronological order and inserts comments by the actors regarding those scenes. I really like that it goes in order since it's easier for me to follow along.

Perhaps my favorite part is near the end, chapter 8 titled Rip-offs and Rehashes, where the author goes into several David Hess films that are in the same vein as this one, and discusses others of this genre from the 70s and 80s, some of which I've never heard of. Love learning about similar films and can't wait to check some of them out. Here is the list from the book. 

Fred Lincoln (Weasel) said something funny: "They never actually showed that my character was dead...so I want to do 'Last House II: Weasel's Back!' A guy with no dick, out for revenge!"

Jeramie said something sort of funny too: "I believe that Last House on the Left is truly the worst movie ever made...and I'm proud to have been a part of it! (Laughs) Seriously, it's the biggest embarrassment, and I apologize to my children for being in it. It has no redeeming qualities. It does have a cult following, but I'm not proud of it at all...I would hate to think of anyone being harmed or hurt because of something I did. That's not what I want to contribute to the world...I'd rather do positive things with my life."

I've uploaded some images of the filming schedule from inside the book here.

Here are images of the script's original ending. Click on all Imgur images to enlarge.

THE LIGHTEN UP COOKBOOK: 103 Easy, Slimmed-Down Favorites for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Everyone Will Love by Addie Gundry

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Griffin, 5/2018
PURCHASE: link

FROM PUBLISHER: Eating lighter doesn't have to include charts or calorie counting. By incorporating easy healthy recipes into your diet, like substituting cauliflower for starchy breads or baking chicken instead of frying it, you can revitalize your eating habits without giving up the foods you love. From light breakfast recipes like the Kale Smoothie to potluck favorites like Mayo-Free Chicken Salad to family dinners like Zucchini Lasagna and even sweet treats like Pineapple Fluff, eating healthier can be simple and tasty!

THINGS I'VE MADE

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

This recipes uses precooked pasta, precooked chicken, zucchini and corn. I used peas in place of those two vegetables. The cheese sauce is made with mostly chicken broth and little milk and cheese. I used Monterey Jack cheese in place of mozzarella. You combine it all together in a plan, pour into a baking dish, top with cheese and bake until bubbly. The chicken broth gave this good flavor but if I hadn't added raw onion to the melted butter before I made the sauce, and a pinch of garlic powder, this wouldn't have much flavor.

Problem: I think there was a misprint in the recipe. The full recipe (I made half, baked in a 1.5 qt dish) says to use just 1 tablespoon of butter, melted, and add 2/3 c. flour to that to begin the sauce and cook it together for a minute. That's impossible to do because there would have been a pan full of loose flour. To make a sauce you use equal parts butter and flour, cook for a minute, then add your liquid to that, so that's what I did here, using margarine in place of butter. There was a little too much sauce for this amount of pasta. Overall, a good flavored sauce (with added onion.)

SPICED GRILLED CHICKEN

This recipe is for a dry rub for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You grill the chicken or use a grill pan. I pan fried it for two minutes on each side then baked it in the oven the rest of the way, about 9 minutes. The rub has chili powder and cumin in it, among other things, and I omitted the coriander. It's very good and is basically like one I already use. It could have used a little onion powder but other than that, it's very good and you can adjust the measurements to suit your taste.

CHICKEN CANNELLINI SOUP

I made half of his in a 2 qt. pot. I omitted the zucchini and red and green bell peppers. I used pureed fire roasted tomatoes instead of leaving them diced. I was to use two types of white beans but I only used one. The flavor of this is pretty bland since it's mostly flavored with onion and garlic, so I added some pureed chipotle in adobo sauce and that made it so much better. I added almost 1/4 t. salt too. I only need two chicken tenderloin strips for this, which I baked then shredded with two forks. With the addition of chipotle , I'll definitely make this again since it's so easy to make.

ONE-SKILLET SEAFOOD ALFREDO

I made half this recipe and I used chicken in place of shrimp and imitation crab meat and I added peas, which I cooked with the penne pasta. This has a Parmesan cheese sauce that's made from chicken broth and milk...but I used all milk. Very simple to make and I'll make it again.

MY THOUGHTS: Not much in this book appeals to me. Recipes show typical ways to lighten up a recipe, such as using chicken broth in place of milk and using whole wheat pasta in place of regular, or low fat yogurt, ect., but that's about it. A lot of the recipes are in no way healthy so I don't want you to think they are.

The things I made turned out good and I'd make all of them again. Every recipe is easy to follow and someone who's never cooked before should have no trouble.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

THE REAL LOLITA: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman

PUBLISHER: Ecco, 9/11/2018
GENRE: Nonfiction/True Crime
AUTHOR SITE: link
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: A

FROM PUBLISHER: A gripping true-crime investigation of the 1948 abduction of Sally Horner and how it inspired Vladimir Nabokov’s classic novel, Lolita.

Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita is one of the most beloved and notorious novels of all time. And yet very few of its readers know that the subject of the novel was inspired by a real-life case: the 1948 abduction of eleven-year-old Sally Horner.

Weaving together suspenseful crime narrative, cultural and social history, and literary investigation, The Real Lolita tells Sally Horner’s full story for the very first time. Drawing upon extensive investigations, legal documents, public records, and interviews with remaining relatives, Sarah Weinman uncovers how much Nabokov knew of the Sally Horner case and the efforts he took to disguise that knowledge during the process of writing and publishing Lolita.

Sally Horner’s story echoes the stories of countless girls and women who never had the chance to speak for themselves. By diving deeper in the publication history of Lolita and restoring Sally to her rightful place in the lore of the novel’s creation, The Real Lolita casts a new light on the dark inspiration for a modern classic.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a well researched account of a lesser-known child kidnapping case from New Jersey in 1948. The author shows the similarities between the novel Lolita and this case. Vladimir had been working on his novel for many years (10?), well before Sally's abduction by fifty-year-old Frank La Salle, and only finished it after Sally's case came to light. He denied her case having anything to do with his novel despite the abundance of similarities. After the novel came out, a writer for a men's magazine called Nugget, Peter Welding, wrote an article about the similarities though some of his information was incorrect.

I like that the author mentions other crimes (and criminals) that took place in the U.S. around the same time, like Howard Unrah, Dr. Melvin Nimer, ect, as I like learning of other crimes from this era.

Not a whole lot is known about Frank La Salle other than he spent fourteen months in prison for the statutory rape of five girls a few years before he kidnapped Sally. You can feel the book is lacking information the whole time you're reading it but the author did the best she could with so little information to go on. The subject matter is interesting to me and I never got bored with the story.

You can read a little about Sally's abduction here.

I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.