Lost Landmarks of Orange County

 

I love books like these, they're so much fun. I didn't grow up in Orange County, so I don't remember the vast majority of the landmarks Epting discussed, but it was still fun. Even in the almost 16 years that I've lived here, I've seen it change quite a bit. Always growing! I'm sad I missed the lion park, though. I bet that was fun. 

Sugar on the Bones; Guilty Creatures; Horror Movie; Tab Hunter Confidential

 

I do so enjoy the Hap and Leonard books by Lansdale. 

Hap and his wife, Brett, go to meet a potential customer, Minnie. Minnie and Brett take an instant dislike to each other, so they're summarily dismissed. Then Minnie's house burns down with Minnie in it, and Hap and Leonard feel obligated to look for Minnie's missing daughter. They run into some unusual people along the way, and Vanilla Ride makes a guest appearance. 

Twenty some years ago in Tallahassee, Florida, Mike Williams disappeared while fishing. His wife, Denise, and his best friend, Brian, were having an affair and Denise, being a devout Christian, didn't want to get a divorce. So instead she and Brian hatched a plan to murder Mike. 

Sure. Murder's *definitely* better than divorce (/sarcasm).

Mike's mom kept on bugging investigators, and it took 17 years, but finally Brian confessed to the murder and led them to Mike's body. In the meantime he and Denise had married but they were deeply unhappy, the secret between them eating them both up. In exchange for a plea deal, Brian testified against Denise and she was convicted of killing her first husband. 

"Horror Movie" by Paul Tremblay was very similar to "How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive". The unnamed narrator, know only as "The Thin Kid" is the sole survivor of a (small) cast of a horror movie made thirty years earlier. One member of the cast died during filming, the other two afterwards. Before one of them died, she posted clips for the movie (which was never released) and the script online. Now a studio wants to remake it, and they want The Thin Kid's help. 

It had an interesting ending, but I liked "How to Make a Horror Movie" better. 

And finally, "Tab Hunter Confidential". I finished watching "Bates Motel" on Prime (so good!) and then rewatched "Psycho", since I hadn't seen it in ages. Watching "Psycho" reminded me of how much I liked Anthony Perkins, and a quick Google search told me that he and Tab Hunter were an item for a little while. I've never seen a Tab Hunter film, but I was curious what he had to say about Perkins (not much, but all good things). 

It was a quick read, despite its size. Tab (real name Art) ended up in the movie business with the same agent as Rock Hudson. He really loved horses and ice skating, but he eventually came to appreciate acting and the perks that came with it. His career wasn't as glamorous as Hudson's, but he had a good time and was able to invest in horses and antiques. It sounds like he lived a pretty full life and had some happiness, which is really all any of us can hope for. 

How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive

 

This was a fun one. Max Maury always dreamed of being a horror movie director, and in the early 80s he got his wish, directing the "Jack the Knife" series. The third movie has just come out and is a success, but Max isn't happy. He thinks horror should be truly terrifying, and audiences are getting immune to it and finding his movies funny instead of scary. 

He comes across a camera that belonged to director Arthur Golden. Golden shot a horror film with it in which most of the cast and crew were killed in a freak helicopter accident. Max quickly discovers the camera is more powerful than it appears and decides to use it to shoot the most epic horror movie of all time. 

I can't say too much else without giving away all the good stuff, but it was a fun ride. I was surprised to see reviews for this book are pretty mixed online and a lot of people who read it hated the characters and found them unlikeable. I personally didn't feel that way, although I could see how one could. I enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading more of DiLouie's works. 

The Perry Mason Book

 

Wowza. Clocking in at over 2,000 pages, this book is the not only the most comprehensive guide I've ever seen to Perry Mason, it's the most comprehensive guide I've seen ever, about anything. Obviously a labor of love, Davidson researched everything Mason and catalogued it, from the books and original TV show, to comics, the early movies, the TV movies, and radio shows. This was published before the recent HBO series that ran for two seasons, but other than that, it was very complete.

And very interesting. He did a great job of summing up the books and shows without spoilers (something I struggle with quite a bit when I discuss the books on this blog). He gave us some fun behind the scenes tidbits about Gardner, the TV show, and everything in between. It was well worth the effort, I really enjoyed it. 

Prairie Man

 

Not only did I love the "Little House" books as a kid (they're honestly the first books I remember ever reading), I loved the TV show. I'm a little too young to remember when it was brand new, but I watched the reruns (there are so few things I can say I was too young for, so I enjoy it when I can). Who didn't love Almanzo? Blond, blue eyed, tall, good with horses. Seemed like a genuinely nice guy. 

Turns out Dean Butler is like that in real life, too. Or at least he claims to be, but I believe him. He seemed very sincere. 

I had to find an old episode of "The New Gidget" online to see it. I vaguely remembered watching it as a kid. My gosh, it was so 80s it was almost painful. But it was fun. He's done a lot of work behind the camera over the years. It was a nice, quick, nostalgic read. 

James

 

I really enjoyed this one. "Huckleberry Finn" told from the point of view of Jim, the enslaved man. Jim has taught himself reading, writing, and elocution, and holds classes to teach the youngsters how to talk properly around the white folks. In private with each other they use proper grammar and diction. 

Jim hears he is going to be sold, so he runs away and hides out on a nearby island. Huck ends up there, too, after faking his own death. They head out on the river for an adventure. 

I haven't read Huck Finn in a long time, but I think this book stuck pretty close to that story. 

Ultimate 70s Collection

 

I normally love these sort of books that collect information about events and popular culture during a past decade. I would have loved this one more if I'd been able to read it. Seriously, between the -0.5 font and printing black text on a navy background, I found myself squinting, using flashlights, and a magnifying glass on some text before I just gave up in defeat. The entire six page spread on Atari was black text on a dark brown background. I wonder if anyone who put the book together realizes that people who remember the 70s are in their fifties and forties now? Increase the font and try to make it as readable as possible. Good grief. 

That being said, the parts I could read (black text on white backgrounds) were very interesting. I remembered some things, but not everything, and it brought back a lot of fond memories.