"Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark" by Cassandra Peterson

Publisher: Hachette Books

Copyright: 2021

ISBN: 9780306874352

I don't read a lot of biographies or autobiographies (in fact it even says this in my blog notes). However, I am extremely glad that I chose to read this book. While I can't say It grew up with Elvira, I do remember seeing her on TV occasionally but this was primarily because I was not a horror movie buff. After reading this book though I definitely wished I had been introduced to these great movies years earlier.

An interesting coincidence is that the first movie that Elvira introduced was "The House on Haunted Hill" with Vincent Price, and this is one of my favourite horror movies of all time, even though I came to it many years later.

Without a doubt Ms. Peterson has had a very interesting and troubling life, but she has managed to persevere, succeed and win. This in and of itself should be an inspiration to all young women throughout the world. Her ongoing fight against what I consider to be the built-in misogynistic culture of Hollywood shows that it is a fight that can be won, although it will likely take time.

I would recommend that you read this book and take the messages Ms. Peterson shares to heart. These messages show that you can overcome pretty much anything in your life with sufficient perseverance, friendship and the courage to stand up for your ideals. I found her honesty and courage to out some of the people in Hollywood, and sports was commendable to say the least.

Finally in the event you have never watched the movie "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" or "Elvira's Haunted Hills" I would seriously recommend you check them out as they are great movies.

"Agent to the Stars" by John Scalzi

Publisher: Tom Doherty, New York
Copyright Date:©2005
ISBN: 9780765357007
Characteristics: 385 pages

I am fairly certain that this is first book of John Scalzi's that I read. I am not so certain however, how I came across it, but chances are that I was browsing the shelves at the library. I've always been quite interested in stories that feature first contact scenarios, and this is likely what drew me to the story. Since that time, which was probably about 4 years ago or so, I've read the story a coupe more times, and each reading has brought a new enjoyment at the plotting, and the characters.

The story revolves around a peaceful alien race that wants to contact Earth, but as one of the aliens puts it "We have seen The Blob, and it is us". Add to this the fact that they communicate olfactorily and you have a nice little problem to solve.

It think I've alway enjoyed first contact stories, but sadly the vast majority of them are ones that focus on the military. Those that offer the scenario up in a peaceful manner are somewhat few and far between.

Mr. Scalzi has written a very enjoyable book here, that I'm sure will appeal to readers throughout the science fiction arena. I would highly recommend you check it out.

"The Lady From the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick" by Mallory O'Meara

Publisher:Toronto : Hanover Square Press, [2019]

Copyright Date:©2019

ISBN:9781335937803Characteristics:                  307 pages :,illustrations

This book is without a doubt, the most fascinating biography I have ever read. I don't know how many times I have actually watched "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", but if I'd known that the gill-man had been designed by a talented artist such as Milicent Patrick, then I'm sure my enjoyment of this movie would've been a few orders of magnitude higher than it was (if that is mathematically possible).

The way that Mallory O'Meara uncovered the life of Milicent Patrick is to say the least amazing. The hard work and the dedication that she put into the research and writing of this book makes it all the better.

Having dabbled in the world of theatrical makeup for both my own interests, as well as fandom in general I know how difficult and time-consuming it is to actually design prosthetic make up. But then to not receive credit for your work is a shame to say the least, and just because this is the way it was back in the 1950s, and even up to the present day that does not make it right.

I had heard rumours about Bud Westmore and his predatory, and vengeful behaviour but had never really had any examples to show how bad he really was. The fact that he took credit for designing the gill-man, when it was obviously not true and that it was covered up by Universal Pictures is despicable, and the company should be ashamed of itself. It is crap like this that has fuelled the misogynistic behaviour that is rampant within the movie industry (and so many other businesses as well). It makes one wonder how many other hidden stories there are of women who have contributed but never received credit for the work they've done.

A wonderful tribute, if anyone is up to the challenge, would be to see a book showcasing all of Milicent Patrick's work, granted this would be a major undertaking, but I feel it would definitely be worth producing.

"Red Sparrow" by Jason Matthews

Publisher:New York : Scribner, [2013]
Edition:First Scribner hardcover edition.
Copyright Date:©2013
ISBN: 9781501171574
General fiction M PBK
Characteristics: 434 pages ;,24 cm

This was without a doubt one of the better espionage novels I have read for quite some time. The  author is an retired CIA member, and this added a lot to the story as he was able to infuse the plot with lots of details that general author would not be able to do, even if they did a lot of research. This book is the first in a trilogy, and the next two books will be reviewed relatively soon.

The story is set in contemporary Russia, and revolves around a young ballet dancer (Dominika Egorova) who is in line for a position in the Bolshoi Ballet until an accident sidelines her career. She elects to become a intelligence operator, and is then sent to what is known as Sparrow school to become trained in the art of seduction. Upon graduation she is assigned to a CIA agent (Nathaniel Nash) who handles the biggest informer inside Russian intelligence.

President Putin even appears briefly in the novel in a couple of places, and I couldn't help but wonder if he's read the book, and if so what he thought about it. Not that I'm ever likely to find out.

This story is well crafted, very difficult to put down. I recommend it to anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of espionage novels and especially to fans of John le Carré.

Hollywood has recently released a movie adaption of this novel, and I am interested in seeing how they have handled the storyline, but at the same time quite apprehensive as they have a reputation for generally making a mess of things when they try to do this. Here's hoping the script writer, director, etc. actually read the book, and not just a back cover blurb.

"Making It Big in the Movies" by Richard "Jaws" Kiel (1939-2014)

Publisher:Reynolds & Hearn, Ltd. London
Copyright Date:©2002
ISBN: 9781903111901
Characteristics: 240 pages : illustrations, facsimiles, portraits ; 24 cm

This was a very unique look at a very unique actor. Richard Kiel played numerous parts in many movies that required a large person, but didn't reach worldwide fame until the James Bond movies "The Spy Who Loved Me", and "Moonraker". He is the only Bond villain to do a second movie (other repeating characters such as Blofeld were played by different actors).

Mr. Kiel definitely had a interesting life, he was a successful businessman, and was without a doubt a loving and supportive father. His life in Hollywood was unconventional, and at times rather sad as he was typecast into various roles due to his size; mistaken for other actors such as Andre the Giant (Princess Bride), Ted Cassidy (Lurch from the Addams Family), and others.

This books was written in a very easy to read style, and you learn a lot about the inner working of Hollywood, and the motion picture industry. Mr. Kiel also gives out a lot of good advice on how to survive life, in a not-so-fair world. All in all a very good auto-biography.

"The It Girl and Me: A Novel of Clara Bow" by Laini Giles

Publisher:[United States] : Sepia Stories Publishing, [2017]
Edition:First edition.
Copyright Date:©2017
ISBN: 9780994734938
Characteristics: 430 pages

This is the second book from Edmonton's Laini Giles (the first being "The Forgotten Flapper"), and I have enjoyed them both. The thing I find hardest to grasp about these books is the amount of research that had to have gone into writing them.

The book is written from the perspective of Daisy DeVoe, Claira Bow's personal secretary, friend, and confidant and tells the tale of what it was like to live and work in Hollywood in the 1920's and 1930's. Daisy is I believe the perfect protagonist for this novel as you get to learn about all of Clara Bow's eccentricities through her. Her mother and three other members of her immediate family were all committed to instance asylums, her father chased virtually every skirt in Hollywood, and much more.

The story details the meeting, friendship, and sudden falling out between the two women when Clara's latest in a long line of paramours decides he wants to take over, run her life and to do this he has to get rid of Daisy. This is done, and Daisy ends up in jail, but she has a few tricks up her sleeve.

If the rest of the hollywood films stars of this era are as interesting to read about as these first two, then Laini will be writing for a long time.

"The Forgotten Flapper - A Novel of Olive Thomas" by Laini Giles

Publisher:[United States] : Sepia Stories Publishing, [2015]
Edition:First edition.
Copyright Date:©2015
ISBN: 9780994734907
Characteristics: 412 pages

This novel is a definite departure from the books I normally read and review, but I had been meaning to read it for quite some time as I thought I knew how much work Laini Giles put into writing it (she is a local author). I however sadly underestimated the scope of this work, as the research alone would likely be equivalent to what some students do for a Master's thesis. I'm not sure if she kept an account of the number of hours research she did, but I'm sure it is easily in the hundreds of hours. Laini wrote this novel in such a way that you can easily believe that this is Olive's actual auto-biography, and once you start it is an extremely difficult story to put down.

The novel itself examines and recounts the life of Olive Thomas one of the original silent movies stars from her childhood in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, her being chosen as the Most Beautiful Girl in New York City, her time in the Zeigfield Follies, her modelling career, her forays into directing and screen writing, through to her untimely death in 1920 in Neuilly-Our-Seine, France when she was 25. Woven throughout this is the life she lived being related by marriage to the Pickford clan which was tumultuous to say the least. We are also given glimpses of other famous actors and actresses such as W. C. Fields, Mary Pickford, Jack Pickford, to name but a few and how they interacted with Olive, and the rest of Hollywood.

Since 2015 Laini has released another book entitled "The IT Girl and Me" which tells of the life of Clara Bow, and is currently working on her third "Bathing Beauty" about Marie Prevost.