Literary Squared Circle #13 – THE BOOK OF BOOTY
The New Day was recently named The Greatest Tag Team in WWE History. While they are among most decorated and dominant tag teams of their generation, I think “Greatest in WWE History” may be an overstatement. Considering that WWE History includes The Legion of Doom, The Hart Foundation, Edge & Christian, The Wild Samoans, The British Bulldogs and so many others, I have trouble with The New Day being christened the G.O.A.T.
Regardless, if they are THE greatest tag team or one of the greatest, the Literary Squared Circle blog shines the spotlight The New Day this week in honor of New Day member Kofi Kingston turning 40 on August 14th.
As I read The Book of Booty: Shake It, Love It, Never Be It by The New Day with Greg Adkins and Ryan Murphy (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018), I didn’t feel that I was reading a book about wrestling. Instead, I felt like I was reading a super-sized edition of Scholastic’s Dynamite magazine from the 1970s. Replace the “Face to Face with Fonzie!” issue with a “Meet the New Day!” issue, and you have The Book of Booty.
The book is geared towards kids aged 8 to 12 years old. It is full of color photographs and tells the story of The New Day: Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods. There are lists and charts and coloring pages and even a Mad Lib. The trio lists their Top 10 New Day matches, as well as their favorite sneakers and videos games. There are also quizzes to test your New Day knowledge.
Taken for what it is, The Book of Booty is a quick, fun read. The target audience of young New Day fans will especially enjoy the book. Older fans might want to pass on this one, unless you are a huge fan of Kofi, Big E, and Xavier. From the perspective of an older curmudgeon such as myself, my main complaint about the book was that readers really don’t get to know the three members beyond their characters. Yes, each member has an “Outside the Ropes” section in which they reveal their favorite sports team, or video game, or whether they have any pets. But there is nothing of any real substance included.
Personally, I would have enjoyed learning more about Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah, Ettore Ewen, and Austin Watson… the people behind The New Day. Where were they raised? What obstacles did they overcome in their younger years? How did they get into wrestling? What advice do they have for their young fans? Had a little bit of substance been sprinkled in amongst frivolity, it would have been a much more interesting read.
If you are not a New Day megafan, I would advise most adults to skip this book. It’s geared toward a younger audience, and there is really not much that makes it worth reading for a casual wrestling fan. But, younger fans of The New Day, or anyone who knows what “UpUpDownDown” means for that matter, will probably really enjoy this book. I highly recommend the book to its target audience, New Day fans who are 8 to 12 years old.
Not trying to be sour. I’m just too old, and did not feel the power of The Book of Booty.
3 Stars out of 5
Regardless, if they are THE greatest tag team or one of the greatest, the Literary Squared Circle blog shines the spotlight The New Day this week in honor of New Day member Kofi Kingston turning 40 on August 14th.
As I read The Book of Booty: Shake It, Love It, Never Be It by The New Day with Greg Adkins and Ryan Murphy (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018), I didn’t feel that I was reading a book about wrestling. Instead, I felt like I was reading a super-sized edition of Scholastic’s Dynamite magazine from the 1970s. Replace the “Face to Face with Fonzie!” issue with a “Meet the New Day!” issue, and you have The Book of Booty.
The book is geared towards kids aged 8 to 12 years old. It is full of color photographs and tells the story of The New Day: Kofi Kingston, Big E, and Xavier Woods. There are lists and charts and coloring pages and even a Mad Lib. The trio lists their Top 10 New Day matches, as well as their favorite sneakers and videos games. There are also quizzes to test your New Day knowledge.
Taken for what it is, The Book of Booty is a quick, fun read. The target audience of young New Day fans will especially enjoy the book. Older fans might want to pass on this one, unless you are a huge fan of Kofi, Big E, and Xavier. From the perspective of an older curmudgeon such as myself, my main complaint about the book was that readers really don’t get to know the three members beyond their characters. Yes, each member has an “Outside the Ropes” section in which they reveal their favorite sports team, or video game, or whether they have any pets. But there is nothing of any real substance included.
Personally, I would have enjoyed learning more about Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah, Ettore Ewen, and Austin Watson… the people behind The New Day. Where were they raised? What obstacles did they overcome in their younger years? How did they get into wrestling? What advice do they have for their young fans? Had a little bit of substance been sprinkled in amongst frivolity, it would have been a much more interesting read.
If you are not a New Day megafan, I would advise most adults to skip this book. It’s geared toward a younger audience, and there is really not much that makes it worth reading for a casual wrestling fan. But, younger fans of The New Day, or anyone who knows what “UpUpDownDown” means for that matter, will probably really enjoy this book. I highly recommend the book to its target audience, New Day fans who are 8 to 12 years old.
Not trying to be sour. I’m just too old, and did not feel the power of The Book of Booty.
3 Stars out of 5
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