THE BIG BOOK OF PORN: A Penetrating Look at the World of Dirty Movies by Seth Grahame-Smith

PUBLISHER: Quirk, 11/2005
GENRE: Nonfiction/Sexuality/Film
AUTHOR SITE: link
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: B-

FROM PUBLISHER: An XXX Rated Celebration of Adult Movies. According to film historians, the first motion picture was screened in December 1895. And the first dirty motion picture was screened just a few months later.

Adult movies are nearly as old as cinema itself. "The Big Book of Porn" celebrates this controversial art form in all its timeless glory from the stag films of the 1920s and the Super 8 reels of the 50s to the VHS boom of the 80s and the interactive DVDs of Tomorrow.

Chapters include:

Know Your Classics: The twenty-five most important adult films of all time, including Debbie Does Dallas, Deep Throat, and an X-rated musical version of Alice in Wonderland.
Great Moments in Porn History: From the first on-screen kiss to the invention of the silicone breast implant, these are major events that defined modern-day adult films.

The Pantheon of Porn: These mini-bios of mega-stars like Seka, Linda Lovelace, and Marilyn Chambers are filled with surprising trivia.

It s A Porn World, After All: We travel around the world from Australia and Canada to Germany and Japan to watch the best of international porn.

Make Your Own Porno: All you need is a video camera, a willing partner, and these simple pointers ( Tell a story, Start with a bang, Parody a real film title whenever possible ).

And that s just the beginning. You ll also find a glossary of unfamiliar terms, a catalog of favorite porn genres, tons of classic stills and posters, interviews with porn pioneers, the 300 goofiest porn titles of all time (Edward Penishands, Juranal Park, Oklahomo!), and much, much more."



MY THOUGHTS: This was pretty entertaining but needed more information on the porn industry and less on unimportant things like how to make your own porn, how to clean a disc properly, and where to hide discs around the house, like behind a picture frame. It wasn't necessary either to list places to buy porn or adult toys because anyone can Google that and find countless places to buy stuff. I think all the afore mentioned stuff was done to fill space. The author's very funny but I wish this had been a little more serious.

There are about eighteen pages at the beginning that give a very brief history of porn, beginning with the creation of motion pictures, and goes in chronological order. That section is seriously lacking.

The book is a large and heavy paperback, almost two pounds, that's in full color with glossy pages and a whole lotta photos with minimal nudity.

I liked the author listing his top twenty favorite classic (pre-1984) porn films. I've only seen five:

01. The Opening of Misty Beethoven
02. The Dancers
03. Taboo
04. Talk Dirty to Me
05. The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue
06. Insatiable
07. Debbie Does Dallas
08. Alice in Wonderland
09. Sex World
10. Deep Throat
11. Blonde Ambition
12. Babylon Pink
13. Wanda Whips Wall Street
14. Every Inch a Lady
15. Behind the Green Door
16. Tell Them Johnny Wadd is Here
17. Female Athletes
18. Bite
19. Tigresses...And Other Man-Eaters
20. Deep Inside Annie Sprinkle

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

MY SECRET ADMIRER by Carol Ellis

PUBLISHER: Scholastic, 11/1989
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction/Horror
SETTING: Somewhere in the USA
SERIES: Point Horror
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: B

FROM PUBLISHER: Jenny is new in town. Her parents go away, leaving her all alone in an isolated house. The mountains surrounding the town loom ominously, guarding the secret of what really happened the day of Diana Benson's accident. Then the phone calls start...

Jenny has a secret admirer, who courts her with sweet messages and flowers. But she also has an enemy, who chases her on a lonely road. Does she know too much about the 'accident' on the cliffs? And is there anyone she can trust?

Jenny has no one to turn to. Except her secret admirer... But who is he?

MY THOUGHTS: This was pretty darn good throughout but the ending stunk. Time span is about a week, maybe less. Jenny's a likable sixteen/seventeen year old soon-to-be junior in high school. The author made a point to tell us three different times that Jenny was wearing white shorts and once a white robe. White usually represents purity and innocence and you'll see that Jenny's none too bright either. She meets a group of kids her age shortly after moving to an unnamed town and state in August and makes friends with Sally. We didn't really get to know any of the other characters. And of course there was no backstory on anyone.

The actions of The Admirer were pretty sinister, especially where Jenny's dog Peaches was concerned. I find it a bit bizarre that Jenny was excited by The Admirer and didn't wonder how he happened to call and leave messages while she wasn't home or was away from the phone and couldn't hear it ring. It's not really understandable to me how she could be receiving both good and bad anonymous gifts at the same time and not realize they must be from the same person or even wonder about it.

Here's the first call Jenny got from her admirer. The message was left on her answering machine: "You're going to think I'm crazy, Jenny. And I guess I am. Crazy about you, that is. Don't laugh. This isn't a joke. You're really incredible. Maybe someday I'll be able to tell you face to face. Until then, I'll just keep my eye on you. And believe me, that's one spectacular view. Bye Jenny. For now."

The ending was not good. No one would have gone to that location to meet a total stranger yet Jenny did. No one really could have figured out where Jenny went and who she was with, period, yet someone did. We were left hanging with what happened legally with The Admirer.

THE HANGMAN'S SECRET by Laura Joh Rowland

PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane Books, 1/2019
GENRE: Historical Fiction/Mystery
SERIES: Victorian Mystery: #3
AUTHOR SITE: link
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: D

FROM PUBLISHER: Photographer Sarah Bain and her friends Lord Hugh Staunton and sometime street urchin Mick O’Reilly are private detectives with a new gig—photographing crime scenes for London’s Daily World newspaper. The Daily World is the latest business venture of their sole client, Sir Gerald Mariner, a fabulously wealthy and powerful banker.

One cold, snowy January morning, Sarah, Hugh, and Mick are summoned to the goriest crime scene they’ve ever encountered. A pub owner named Harry Warbrick has been found hanged and decapitated amid evidence of foul play. His murder becomes a sensation because he was England’s top hangman and he’s met the same fate that he inflicted on hundreds of criminals.

Sir Gerald announces that the Daily World—meaning Sarah and her friends—will investigate and solve Harry Warbrick’s murder before the police do. The contest pits Sarah against the man she loves, Police Constable Barrett. She and her friends discover a connection between Harry Warbrick’s murder and the most notorious criminal he ever executed—Amelia Carlisle, the “Baby-Butcher,” who murdered hundreds of infants placed in her care.

Something happened at Amelia’s execution. The Official Secrets Act forbids the seven witnesses present to divulge any information about it. But Harry had a bad habit of leaking tips to the press. Sarah and her friends suspect that one of the other witnesses killed Harry to prevent him from revealing a secret related to the execution. What is the secret, and who hanged the hangman?

MY THOUGHTS: This was awful. There were too many characters, over twenty!, and hardly any backstory on the main ones. I guess the author thought we'd read the two previous ones in the series where I assume she gave some backstory so she didn't need to retell any of it. There's really not one character I can say I truly liked in this. Everyone was bland and most were unlikable. I don't like first person narration either because we only get one persons point of view.

This takes place in 1889 and spans probably a few weeks. The main plot is a bit convoluted, especially near the end when it all comes together nicely, and not nearly as interesting as the synopsis makes it sound. Too many turns and nonsense in the latter part and it became hard for me to follow along. The subplot involving Laura's father was so boring and a space-filler. I guess they were setting that up to be featured in the next book. This story should have left that out and the pages should have been cut by about fifty.

If I hadn't known this took place in England in the late 19th century I'd have thought it was American by the dialogue and some expressions that were used, though I don't know the origin of said expressions. I just know that we Americans still use them today. There was nothing in the dialogue or lingo that would have made anyone think of England, except the overuse of Mick saying, "Crikey!"

I thought it was absurd that Laura and her boyfriend of a year, Barrett, both in their early 30's, don't have intercourse but do other sexual things that we weren't told about.

I really dislike that the character of Amelia Carlisle was clearly based on real life baby serial killer Amelia Dyer and I don't like that Laura and her crew had previously tried to track down Jack the Ripper. The author needs to be original and not take from history. Create your own unique characters.

And maybe I missed it but I don't know why Harry was hanged but the others weren't, when they knew the "secret" too.

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

THE ARTFUL CAT by Mark Bryant

PUBLISHER: Courage Books, 8/1991
GENRE: Arts and Photography
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: A

FROM PUBLISHER: Featuring 60 full-color paintings by old masters, Western, and Asian artists, this volume captures the essence of the mysterious cat. Quotations or verses enhance the mood of each piece, creating a magnificent, appealing collection for all cat lovers.

MY THOUGHTS: This is a beautiful hardcover book. It's basically a picture book with minimal text. One page has a short poem or the like, complete with author and their year of birth and death (most were born in the nineteenth century and died before the age of 70) and the opposite page has a piece of artwork that sort of matches up with the poem and has the artists name but not when the artwork was completed, nor do they have the artists year of birth or death.

The only reason it doesn't get an A+ is because it doesn't tell you anything at all about the artists. I had to look some of them up online. The book is a heavy 2.5 lb., 11.25" square that's a little over 1/2" thick.

Here's a photo of inside the front cover. Here's a photo of a page in the book.

Chapters are: Catlings & Kittens, The Sphinx, Tiger! Tiger!, A Clowder of Cats, Requiescat. Each chapter is anywhere from 15-30 pages long.

I have nine favorites and they are: 

Sleepy Cat by Eileen Mayo
Beyond the Ilex by Derold Page
The Apple-Mouse by Ditz
Two Cats Blue and Yellow by Franz Marc.
Winsor & Newton by Martin Leman They remind me of a cat I used to have.
Artwork Untitled by Derold Page
The Church Cat's Dream by Derold Page
Coven of Cats by Janet Thorndike
.......and my favorite of all, Double Cat-Spread by Ditz. I've got to say that internet photos aren't doing this justice at all.

Artwork featured in the book are:

Chapter 1

Portrait of Thomas by Pipa Sterne
Three White Angora Kittens by Arthur Heyer
Pussy in the Workbasket by Artist Unknown
The Fishing Party by Horatio Henry Couldrey
Felines at Play by B.B.
Miss Ann White's Kitten by George Stubbs
Who's the Fairest of Them All? by Frank Paton
Kitten and Ball of Wool by Murata Kokoku
The Face at the Window by Fannie Moody
Kittens at a Banquet by Louis Eugene Lambert
Kitten by Emma Goss
Kitten on Cushions by Sally Holmes

Chapter 2

Tabby Cat by Artist Unknown
Cat by E.B. Watts
Cat on a Rush Chair by Sei Koyanagui
Sleepy Cat by Eileen Mayo
Feline Phantasy by Enid Marx
My Bathroom Cat by Ditz
Winston with Anemones Rosalind Stoddart
Cat on a Window Sill by Joan Freestone
Lucy by Martin Leman
Golfing Cat by Hilary Jones
Illustration from the Historie of Foure-Footed Beastes
Deux Chats Endormis by T.L. Foujita
Youth by Wills Barnet
Puss in Boots by Artist Unknown
Mango With Molyneux by Joan Freestone

Chapter 3

The Ginger Cat by Gertrude Halsband
Sam, the All American Cat by Robert Macaulay
First-Century Roman Mosaic by Unknonwn
Cats Fencing by Louis Wain
Beyond the Ilex by Derold Page
The Apple-Mouse by Ditz
Penny Black and Tiffany Tortoiseshell by Martin Leman
Cat With Spider by Jullian Peccinotti
Girl Chasing Theiving Cat by Kuniyoshi
Cat with Fish by Kalighat
White Cat Watching Goldfish by Arthur Heyer
Cat in Grass by Jane Ormes
Cat and Canary by Will Barnet
Two Cats by Franz Marc
Two Cats by Unknown Nineteenth-Century Hooked Rug

Chapter 4

Catch That Cat by Monika Beisner
Winsor & Newton by Martin Leman
A Feast in Fairyland by Jigsaw for Louis Wain for Raphael Turk & Son, 1909
The Artist's Way by R.W.
Three Friends on Kasai Mat by Derold Page
Double Cat-Spread by Ditz
Wooden Cats by Janet Thorndike
Two Cats by Jillian Peccinotti
Cats by C. Raaphorst
Untitled by Unknown Artist

Chapter 5

Artwork Untitled by Derold Page
The Chairman by Louis Wain
Black Cat by Carole Thomson
The Church Cat's Dream by Derold Page
Wicker Chair by E.B. Watts
The New Collar by Unknown Nineteenth-Century Engraving
Jack Russell and Persian by F. Rutherford
Minnie From the Outskirts of the Village by R.P. Thrall
Coven of Cats by Janet Thorndike


A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO JASON FOR SENDING THIS TO ME!

THE RIPPER by D. E. Athkins (Nola Thacker)

PUBLISHER: Scholastic, 10/1992
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction/Contemporary Horror
SETTING: USA
SERIES: Point Horror
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: C+

FROM PUBLISHER: It started out as a game. A game of hiding and seeking. A game of hunting and weeping. And before anyone knew what was happening, someone was killed. The game was over. And the only suspects they had were each other—unless there was else out there . . . someone who was still playing the game.

MY THOUGHTS: This story is only 162 pages and there are eleven main characters- Cyndi, Lara, Dade, Wills, Georgina, Foy, Jane, Rick, Jones, Charity, Dorian, all part of the same group of friends. Needless to say, no backstory on any of them. I think they're all in high school except one guy, Dorian, older brother of Cyndi. Those two don't like each other at all that brought some realism to this story. Cyndi and Georgina have nasty personalities which is something I like in fiction. Rick has a sick sense of humor, which I like too.

The story started out average, with a group of friends dressed up for Halloween hanging out in a cemetery, then it took an unbelievable paranormal turn near the end and I got real confused. Three of them are murdered. Good thing I wasn't trying real hard to figure out who the killer was because I'd have been wrong. There was big disappointment regarding the identity of the killer. I think the whole timespan is just one day. I don't know why the author had to ruin the whole story with that nonsense. Why couldn't this have been a straight up slasher novella where we're contemplating if one of them is killing the others off or if it's an outsider?

STRANGER WITH MY FACE by Lois Duncan

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Company, 10/1981
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction/Suspense
SETTING: New England, USA
WIKI: link
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: C

FROM PUBLISHER: Laurie was at home, but her boyfriend swears he saw her on the beach with another guy. Her family insists they see her coming and going when she's been out of the house for hours. Who--or what--is taking over Laurie's life?

MY THOUGHTS: I'm reviewing the original version, not the modernized 2010 reissue. It's really hard to discuss this book without giving away the supernatural plot, but I'll try.

I didn't know this was supernatural until I started reading it so I'm disappointed. The mystery surrounding why people are seeing Laurie when she says they aren't was the most interesting part of the story. Once the reveal of what was going on happened, the supernatural plot revealed itself and it became far-fetched and less interesting to me though it was creative. The new character, Lia, was interesting and I liked that she was evil but she wasn't evil enough to suit me. Her personality was a nice contrast to Laurie's.

A few of Laurie's friends are superficial and judgmental, based on comments that were made about people's looks, and really only two friends were likable. Laurie's eight-year-old sister Megan seemed a bit too mature.

Info on the 2010 revised reissues: Publisher's Weekly.

FULL DISCLOSURE by Stormy Daniels

PUBLISHER: St. Martin's, 10/2018
GENRE: Nonfiction/Biography
PURCHASE: link
AUTHOR SITE: link
MY GRADE: B

FROM PUBLISHER: She was already well-known in some circles before March 6, 2018, but that's probably the first time you heard the name Stormy Daniels. That's the day she filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump over a nondisclosure agreement negotiated before the election but never signed.

How did Stormy Daniels become the woman willing to take on a president? What is it like to be reviled by some, held up as a beacon of hope by others, and to be an object of fascination to all?

In this book, Stormy Daniels tells her whole story for the first time: about how she came to be a leading actress and director in the adult film business, the full truth about her journey from a rough childhood in Louisiana onto the national stage, and everything about the events that led to the nondisclosure agreement and the behind-the-scenes attempts to intimidate her.

Stormy is funny, sharp, warm, and impassioned by turns. Her story is a thoroughly American one, of a girl who loved reading and horses and who understood from a very young age what she wanted―and who also knew she'd have to get every step of the way there on her own.

MY THOUGHTS: Stormy's very funny, witty, and obviously a smart business woman but there was a little too much laughter in this. I feel people who always use humor and are outwardly positive do it to cover up emotional pain. Shiny happy people.

Her childhood was traumatic with two crappy parents who didn't care about her at all but she never said how it made her feel while growing up. She was molested for two years by an adult male (she didn't give any graphic details) and she never said how she felt about it at the time, why she never told anyone at the time, and she never said how that experience may have effected her relationships with men or just her life in general. She only said getting into porn had nothing to do with herself being molested. She never talked about why she's never gotten therapy or if she felt she could use some. She never even gave her thoughts on what it was like getting into the porn industry.

Despite her childhood, she got good grades in school and graduated high school with honors, was able to have jobs while in high school, including working at a vet's office, taught summer camp at an equestrian center (she had her own horse), and was even a stripper at age seventeen (like Jenna Jameson). During high school is when she started using the name Stormy.

As for the Donald Trump stuff, I couldn't have cared less about it. It wasn't her idea to bring it up publicly and she just wanted the whole thing to go away.

In case you're interested, years ago I reviewed a porn of hers here.

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

COLD SERIAL: THE JACK THE STRANGLER MURDERS by Brian Forschner

PUBLISHER: Morgan James, 10/2015
GENRE: Nonfiction/True Crime
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: A

FROM PUBLISHER: Between 1900 and 1909, five girls were raped and strangled in the Dayton, Ohio area. These crimes were never solved.

During that era, police did not recognize the lurking shadow of a predator, but through diligent research, the author now reveals a modus operandi that links them all together.

The escape of one girl creates a twist that opens the door to unravel these crimes. Using the criminological thinking of today, the author attempts to solve these murders.

"Cold Serial" contains riveting, fast-paced portraits of the personal and family tragedies of these five girls, as well as the brutality and victim-blaming they faced. The poor working conditions, lack of rights for women needing police protection, and the sexism of the age prove these girls were victims, not only of a crime, but also of their time. yet the deaths of these girls were not in vain, as they made significant contributions to the Dayton, Ohio area, and, ultimately, the nation.

MY THOUGHTS: This was an informative read and very sad. The author definitely did his research and told us as much about the victims as he could. I'd not heard of the murders of Ada Lantz (11), Dona Gilman (19), Anna Markowitz (18), Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Fulhart (18), and the author's great-aunt, Mary Forschner (15), before. Aside from murder itself, there's nothing worse than a killer or rapist getting away with it and this one did, if indeed they were killed by the same man.

The book contains photos of four of the victims in life and a drawing of Ada, as well as photos of other people involved in the cases, including the possible murderer, a 58-year-old black man. Once he was arrested for a rape, the murder rate in Dayton when down a little.

I've uploaded photos of the victims here.

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

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER by Lois Duncan Vs. The Film (1998)

PUBLISHER: Little, Brown and Co., 1973
GENRE: Young Adult Fiction/Suspense
SETTING: Unknown state, USA
WIKI: link
PURCHASE: link
MY GRADE: B

FROM PUBLISHER: They didn't mean it. They didn't mean to hit the boy. There was a party, and it was an accident...that wasn't who they were. They were pre-law, a football player, bound for New York. No one could know, so Barry, Julie, Helen, and Ray swore one another to secrecy. But now, a year later, someone knows. Julie receives a haunting, anonymous threat: "I know what you did last summer." The dark lie is unearthed, and before the four friends know it they need to outsmart a killer...or they will be the next to die.

MY THOUGHTS: I'm reviewing the original 1973 version, not the revised 2010 version that's been modernized.

This is a young adult novel and the four main characters are aged 17-19 (I think) and only one is in high school, or just finished it.

Julie James- Seventeen, red hair, about to go off to college.

Ray Bronson- Julie's ex-boyfriend. Blond hair.

Helen Rivers- Eighteen, honey-colored hair, lives on her own and works at a television station doing promotional stuff. Has a jealous sister named Elsa.

Barry Cox- Is in college, nineteen years old, is dating Helen but he doesn't really like her. He was driving the car that hit the little boy.

The story starts in May, ten months after the group hit a little boy, David Gregg, on his bike while they were out driving at night. They anonymously called the police to report it right after. Julie gets an anonymous letter just nine pages in, then two others get one, then one gets a phone call.

The novel's pretty short, 198 pages, and it flows nicely. It does sound dated with some of the terms used and the mention of Julie's slightly older new male friend, Bud, having been in Vietnam the year before. Other than the Vietnam mention, I'd have thought this was published in the mid-to-late 1980s.

The person who turned out to the the villain wasn't who I suspected. The ending was extremely unsatisfying. I really like the way in which the villain infiltrated the group. I thought it was pretty damn clever on the author's part.

THE FILM- The characters in the film are more heartless when it comes to the death of the bicyclist. Many things happen in it that weren't in the novel, more non main character deaths, and it's more action-packed, for sure, and convoluted. In fact, it's pretty different and was clearly only inspired by it. There's nothing sexual in the novel yet in the film sex is implied with both couples in the opening scene. The film is your basic slasher film while the book is a straight-up suspense, not horror, so don't read this expecting gore.

RISEN GLORY by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Original version of Just Imagine)

PUBLISHER: Dell, 11/1984
GENRE: Fiction/Historical Romance
SETTING: South Carolina & New York, USA
BODICE RIPPER? Yes, mild
RAPE? Yes, digital penetration
PURCHASE: link
AUTHOR SITE: link
MY GRADE: C

FROM PUBLISHER: Determined to reclaim the magnificent Risen Glory plantation wrongfully inherited by Baron Cain, her Yankee stepbrother, Kit Weston finds Baron in New York and their love-hate relationship is tested by a stormy marriage.

This book was rewritten as Just Imagine.

MY THOUGHTS: I went from really liking this to wanting it to end as soon as possible. It takes place from 1865-1869. Kit's very likable- she's feisty and a smartmouth with lots of fire and spirit...just the type of heroine I prefer. She's aged sixteen through twenty during the story.

Cain's had a rough life and is getting by on his earnings from gambling. He's twenty-eight. He and Kit clash for most of the story and when they're together I don't feel chemistry. They don't get together until she's back in SC when she's nineteen, after three years away at finishing school. He's pretty verbally abusive and smacks her once. He rapes her once too with his finger while trying to see if she's the virgin she claims to be.

Characters I don't like- Most of them. I don't understand the character of Flora Van Ness at all. She had the makings of a rival for Cain's attention, a villain actually, but the author dropped the ball on that.
I don't like Kit's housekeeper, Saphronia. She's only a couple years older than Kit and they've grown up in the same house together. She's described as a gold-digging light-skinned black woman who's out to snag herself a wealthy white man. I really see no purpose to having her in the story.
Miss Dolly is Kit's chaperone that she had in New York and who's with her in South Carolina. Very annoying older woman who's another character that serves no purpose other than to add filler to the story.

The two main characters are the only ones I liked at all but this story just wasn't good. The story went nowhere after Kit returned home and I got bored with it.

FROM AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: "JUST IMAGINE is a reissue of RISEN GLORY, which has been out of print for many years. It’s not your ordinary reissue, however, which is why we changed the title. I made substantial revisions—fleshing out the characters of Kit Weston (a total scamp) and Baron Cain (his name says it all), as well as adding new scenes. The book has a special “Dear Reader” letter at the beginning that explains why I decided to polish up the original."