Mark Lieberman's Blog: Mark Lieberman's BOOK REVIEWS , page 9

Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly – by Jeff Apter

I got this book from NetGalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published.

As a music fan, I knew who Carl Perkins was and was interested in learning more about him. Plus, The Beatles covered some of his songs and The Beatles were my favorite band for a very long time. I am 47 years old, and after I turned 13 years old, I purchased all there albums with some of Bar Mitzvah money! I added books, memorabilia, and posters to my Beatles collection throughout the years. As I have gotten older, I am not as big as a fan as I used to be. I still like music, don’t get me wrong, especially 60’s, but I tend to skip over Beatles songs. Maybe I am just Beatled Out!

I rarely stop and screenshot quotes from books, but this one had two that popped out to me:

“If there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles.” – Paul McCartney.

“If it hadn’t been for your daddy, I would have never picked up the guitar.” – George Harrison to Stan Perkins, Carl’s son.

I really enjoyed learning more about his life and how some of his hit songs came to be. Carl was one of the first major stars from Sun Records and Sam Phillips, the founder. Yes, also on that short list is Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. It was Carl who suggested to Lewis to not just sit still at the piano! It was a Carl recording session with Jerry Lee Lewis playing on a song, and Elvis was just hanging in the control room. Elvis then moved to the studio to jam and Sam Phillips called Johnny Cash to come in asap, and that was how the million dollar quartet came to be!

Carl had some bad things happen to him (car accidents, drinking, and close friends and family dying), but he never gave up. He was also totally dedicated to his wife and kids.

Unfortunately, after he recorded Blue Suede Shoes in 1955, he never had another hit and he also switched record companies a few times. Despite that, he did get back by playing with Johnny Cash, and later Carl turned solo with his own group, The CP Express, which his son’s were in! How awesome is that! When he first started, Carl’s bandmates were his brothers.

Overall, I enjoyed it and it was a quick and easy read for me.

The post Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly – by Jeff Apter appeared first on BookMarkDad.

Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (Funjungle, #6) – by Stuart Gibbs

I have been reading this series to Niko, my 8-year-old son, and he absolutely loves them! I won’t spoil anything, but he figured something out in the beginning of the book and he was correct. Sometimes at silly parts (or scenes of chaos), I have to stop and repeat it so he can understand it. When we wrapped this book up on Wednesday evening, he wanted a Funjungle movie starring him as Teddy and his mom as Summer! We got two more Funjungle books left, and then we start a new series by Gibbs (if Niko wants) or we can read something completely different.

The post Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (Funjungle, #6) – by Stuart Gibbs appeared first on BookMarkDad.

Spenser – Books, Movies, and Television

The first Spenser book I read was in January of this year, and I just finished book 28 a few days ago! I am rolling along in his adventures, and am really enjoying them. I don’t care that for the most part, the plots are similar. I am looking forward to book 32 as that when he meets Jesse Stone. Jesse Stone is another series and that one I am finished.

I have watched the Robert Ullrich and Joe Mantegna Spenser movies, and I even watched Mark Wahlberg as Spenser on Netflix (out of book order, and I didn’t realize it). I have watched some of the television series with Robert Ullrich. I know there are Hawk television shows, and I would like to watch those. I didn’t like Joe Mantegna as Spenser, but Ullrich and Wahlberg easily pull it off. As I read the books, I picture Robert Ullrich!

Don’t laugh, but I have the Spenser Wiki site saved, so I can know what book is next!

I do read them while I am waiting for my 8-year-old son to fall asleep, and he sometimes reads over my shoulder and asks me what’s happening. So, I tell him (unless it’s a part where it’s too mature for him).

Besides Spenser, my favorite characters in no particular order are: Hawk, Vinnie Morris, Susan, Detective Quirk, Detective Belson, Detective Farrell, and Pearl the wonder dog.

The books are written in first person, and of course, the narrator is Spenser. I like the detail Robert Parker provides us and you can tell that Spenser notices everything.

For example, and not from any of the books, this is what it reads like (obviously, Parker does it much better than me):

As I walked into the Law Firm of Forrest and Lake, the receptionist looked up to me. She had blue eyes, blond hair, red painted fingernails, and small diamond shaped silver earrings. She looked to be about 20 to 25 years old. She had her hair in a ponytail, and she it wore it very nice. She was on a wireless headset and was talking to somebody and writing down some information with her left hand. She pushed a button on the phone, that had several green and red lights with some of them flashing in red, and asked me “how can I help you sir?” 

I was hungry, so I made myself lunch. I got a frying pan that has seen a lot of good meals cooked in it, put a splash of butter and oil in it. I grabbed two slices of sourdough bread that I got from the bakery down the street from my office, and threw in some provolone cheese, ham, and salami in between them. As the pan sizzled, I poured myself a glass of white wine. A minute later, I could just tell by the way the pan sounded, that it was time to put the sandwich in. I glanced at my watch; 2 minutes on each side on a slightly lower temperature, and it would be perfect. Trust me, I have done this many times! 

His face was old, and I could see a scar on the left side of his cheek, it looked like he had been in a good fight a long time ago and lost!

The building I pulled up to was three stories high with a red fake brick facade. On one of the sides, I saw graffiti. On the other side, was a door that said employees only. I staked it out and nobody came in or out for 2 hours.

Not only is Spenser a very good private detective, he is caring, he is a good cook, he can fight, he can shoot, he is strong, he is good looking, and he has an active sexual libido with Susan, his girlfriend of 20 years since they first met. Please don’t spoil there relationship for me if something happens later in the series.

I hardly ever screenshot sections from books, but in the one I just finished, Potshot, Spenser is pretending to be from the State Treasurer’s Office, Division of Abandoned Property. That is what I do at my job.

The post Spenser – Books, Movies, and Television appeared first on BookMarkDad.

Fat, Drunk, & Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House – by Matty Simmons

I needed a break from the fiction thriller books I have been reading, and this one filled that void with a lot of laughs from me. I have read a few books and seen some movies about the National Lampoon, so I knew who Matty Simmons was.

If you are a fan of the movie Animal House like me, this book is the ultimate insider. In addition to the story of how Matty came to be with the National Lampoon magazine, he tells the story from the writers perspective, how the actors came to be on it and what they are doing now (note: this book was published in 2012), other Animal House renditions (sequels, broadway, television shows), and other notable Lampoon movies. There were also a lot of quotes from everybody involved with the movie.

I enjoyed it, and it was a quick and easy read for me.

The post Fat, Drunk, & Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House – by Matty Simmons appeared first on BookMarkDad.

Beyond the Jump Shot: The Elevated Life of Kenny Sailors – by Debbie Sorensen

I got this one from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I needed a break from the fiction thriller books I have been reading.

I had never heard of Kenny Sailors, but was intrigued by the description and wanted to learn more.

He was raised by his mother, who taught him his work ethic (mostly, it was outdoor farm work). I should probably tell you Kenny was born in 1921, so just imagine those times!

I wouldn’t say he invented the jump shot, as several sources believe. He just wanted an advantage in basketball over his taller older brother, and the jump shot was it. He perfected it, and along with his dribbling skills and positive work ethic, that helped him be successful as a basketball player. His University of Wyoming 1943 team won the NCAA Championship. He had a few years as a professional basketball player from 1946 to 1951.

After basketball, he had a few hunting businesses with his family. But, he is probably more known for being a teacher and was the pioneer of girls basketball in Alaska by increasing the awareness and popularity. He did a lot of good things for kids wherever he landed as a teacher. Even when he got older, he was still helping the youth generation.

It was a quick read, and I really enjoyed it. Now, I am looking forward to watching the documentary about him.

The post Beyond the Jump Shot: The Elevated Life of Kenny Sailors – by Debbie Sorensen appeared first on BookMarkDad.

Growing Up Urkel – by Jaleel White

I got a generic email from the Marketing Director saying, based on my previous reviews of celebrity memoirs from Simon & Schuster, I can get this one from Netgalley. I knew of Jaleel White, Urkel and his passion for basketball, but never paid attention to the show Family Matters.

Unlike other child actors, Jaleel never got in trouble and when he turned 18, he had money available. He told a lot of stories of celebrity encounters and celebrities he was trying to get to work with him on other projects.

It was pretty cool that he wrote two episodes of Family Matters, and both had very high ratings.

I had no clue that he was on DWTS, and during that time, he had a 2-year old daughter.

Even though I finished it, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I mean, if you are a fan of Family Matters, then this is a must read. But for me, it was more, hey, I am a child actor and my parents primary goal of me working was so I can afford to go to college. I was on a TV show for 9 years, and then I struggled to get work as Jaleel (most people wanted Urkel).

Just two warnings before you read…

One of his mentors when he was younger was Bill Cosby. They had a falling out over Fat Albert and their relationship ended, and several years later, Cosby got into trouble.

Jaleel had an idea for a television show and R Kelly was thought of to be a part of it. It didn’t work out, and several years later, R Kelly got into trouble.

The post Growing Up Urkel – by Jaleel White appeared first on BookMarkDad.