BOOK REVIEW: A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Mad Birders and Their Quest to See It All

It is unusual for me not to finish a book. It is even more unusual for me to want to tell you about the book. As a result, this will be a short article this week.

A SUPREMELY BAD IDEA:  THREE MAD BIRDERS AND THEIR REQUEST TO SEE IT ALL by Luke Dempsey was recommended by a book group member. This is a fellow reader whom I respect and because the comparison to Bill Bryson’s writing had been made, I sat down with great expectations. Maybe that was the problem; I expected too much.

The theme of the book is aptly described by the title; Luke and his two friends, Don and Donna, travel the United States to watch birds. For me this would have been a terrific idea to write about and to give Dempsey his due, the book is a testimony to the joys of birding and the beauty of the various parts of our country. I even appreciated his plea for better conservation of the land and the wildlife that depends on it.

What I did not appreciate was his forced sense of humor. He made his traveling companions sound like very annoying people.For example, Don’s obsession with Luke’s dislike of tomatoes became tiresome. Neither Don nor Donna seemed to have been able to make their way in real life without Luke’s help. He was the only one who could drive.

To me there was no comparison between this author and Bill Bryson and maybe that was my first problem with the book. I find Bryson subtly funny; he never seems to have to work at it. Also the difference in attitude toward the “locals” by the two authors is striking. Bill Bryson shows respect for the people he meets. There was a feeling of snobbery on the part of Luke, Don and Donna.

Maybe for the dedicated Birder, the flaws that bothered me could be overlooked for the thrill of making that rare sighting. I wanted more.

The rest of the book group loved the book.  The afternoon discussion included many tips on local birding spots.  (I still didn't like it.)

BOOK REVIEW: The Two Doors of Heaven

The sticker on the front of the little book said, “ If you liked Five People You Meet in Heaven, you’ll like this book”. I enjoy Mitch Albom’s books and that is how I ended up with THE TWO DOORS OF HEAVEN by John Bolin.

Jack is in very boring business meeting, watching the seconds tick off until lunch break. As he leaves the meeting he receives a phone call from his wife. From the conversation, we learn that they are working on a separation and that their two children are not happy about it.

While sitting at a sidewalk table, drinking his coffee, he casually studies the other patrons sitting near-by. At that point an out of control truck hits the wall beside him and the next thing Jack is aware of is that he and the people that had been sitting near him are in a vast empty space able to look down on the crumbled wall and their own still bodies.

A tough, rather unpleasant man appears to guide them to a spot where each of them can watch past events from their lives. He promises that after they are done watching these scenes each must decide which door he or she will take because that is where eternity lies.

This is a very slim, small book and a fast read.  Although Jack and his companions were stereotypes, each story was interesting. I liked that several people had believable reasons for not wanting anything to do with God or this religion stuff. Learning the guide’s identity and about his previous life  was a nice touch.

THE TWO DOORS OF HEAVEN does not have quite the same message as Mitch Albom’s book. ( I felt that The Five People You Meet in Heaven carried the message of how we are touched and are touched by other people daily and as a result we never know how we may have changed a life).

The theme of not judging who will get to Heaven is much better handled by C. S. Lewis in his The Great Divorce. Lewis makes a strong point that we are not able to know who another person really is and that we might be very surprised who we meet in Heaven...or Hell for that matter.

As I said this is a fast read and in a way it is inspiring, but I also found it to be a little bit disappointing. C. S. Lewis is a better writer.

THEATER REVIEW: Monty Python's Spamalot.

State College Community Theatre’s production of MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT drew a crowd of Monty Python fans to the Mt. Nittany Middle School for their opening night. Recognizable  props and routines from the original movie or The Flying Circus were met with laughter and applause, sometimes before the skit even got started. That is not to say that non-devotees were not laughing at the pure silliness of it all; SCCT captured the spirit of the show perfectly.

This is a show that is aided immensely by the tech crew. Jon Vickers-Jones can be depended upon for creative sets. The “simple” sets were well planned and were on and off stage with a minimum of fuss. I loved the “Very  Expensive Forest”.

In contrast to the minimalistic sets the costumes were elegant, thanks to costume designer Julie Snyder. My first impression was that a national costume supply house had been used, but was told that, in true community theatre tradition, costumes had been found, sewn or borrowed locally.

Kat Shondeck’s choreography was an important part of the evening. The dance numbers were a delight and showed some surprising skill on the part of the actors.

Two technical jobs that frequently  get overlooked in a production are the those done by the lighting and properties crews. David Gritzner, lights, and Melissa Foster, props, handled both complicated jobs without a noticeable hitch.

Director Bruce Fleischer and Producer David Gritzner were responsible for the most vital part of any good production...the casting. It would be impossible to mention the complete cast in this space; each person on stage was having as much fun as the audience. The ensemble was spirited and stars in their own right.

Matt Greer’s King Arthur is on stage almost all evening. Luckily Matt has the voice and presence to carry a show. (plus, he sits a horse remarkably well).

Each of the Knights of the Round Table had a chance to shine and shine they did. There were times that I felt that Michael Waldheir, as Sir Galahad, channelled the great Eric Idle. His business with his long hair got its own laughter. Sir Lancelot, who liked to dance a lot, gave Steve Travis a chance to recapture our disco days. Eric Ziegler played the “strangely flatulent” Sir Bedevere. Fortunately, the audience had to take the other actors’ word for how well he stayed in character.

Two of my personal favorites had show stopping moments. Rob Arnold was the quiet Patsy, the one who gets to wield the coconut sound effects. To Monty Python fans that is funny in itself, but Rob also got to do the best known song in the show, “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life”. I managed to NOT sing along, but I noticed that many in the audience could not help themselves. Rob hit it just right.

Eric Brinser was well cast as Sir Robin, the Brave. He also had a chance to steal the show with “You Won’t Succeed On Broadway”. Eric got to sing, dance, and play the piano, although I am sure the Python fans were disappointed that he kept his clothing on while at the piano and did not follow the wonderful inspiration of Terry Jones. I guess I should be happy that the rest of the number was so great.

The talent that almost blew me out of my seat was Christina Kidd as the Lady of The Lake. Christina’s vocal range is impressive and her comedic timing is perfect. She was able to cover practically all of the styles of music known to man and look good doing it.

Before this review becomes like the song “The Song That Goes Like This” and becomes too long and goes on and on and on, I have to mention how happy I am when Lyn Freymiller and Rachel Moon are in shows. Rachel has such a beautiful voice that it adds depth to any group and Lyn is just so danged versatile. The "Bring Out The Dead" scene was another show stopper.

Tonight is the final performance. Ticket information can be found on State College Community Theatre's website at: http://www.scctonline.org/. If you have to miss MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT, watch for any of this talented crew in future shows. Community Theatre is worthy of our support.

BOOK REVIEW: Keeper of the Light trilogy

While in the Outer Banks recently, it only seemed fitting that I read Diane Chamberlain’s trilogy set  around a fictional lighthouse near the town of Duck, North Carolina. Each of the three books, KEEPER OF THE LIGHT, KISS RIVER, and HER MOTHER'S SHADOW could stand alone, but they make a bigger impact if read in order.

KEEPER OF THE LIGHT introduces us to Annie O’ Neill and her family in an unusual way. Annie has been rushed to the emergency room with a gunshot wound. She had been volunteering at a women’s shelter and an irate husband had come in and started shooting. Annie had thrown herself in front of the man’s wife and young son, taking the bullet through her own heart.

The attending physician, Doctor Olivia Simon has to make the call whether to operate immediately or life-flight Annie to a larger facility, a flight that would surely be fatal to the patient. At this point Olivia realizes that her patient is the woman her husband Paul is in love with. Despite Olivia’s efforts, Annie dies.

Annie has been known as St. Annie to the area as well as to her family. Her husband,Alex, felt that he had the perfect marriage with the perfect woman and his teenage son and daughter,Clay and Lacy, worshiped their mother. Olivia, Paul, Alex, Clay and Lacy, as well as a community who had dubbed her “ St. Annie”, have to come to terms with Annie’s death and the secrets that should have died with her.

Although Annie is killed on the first page of the first book in the series, she is the driving force for all three books and her story should be read before moving on to the other two books.

KISS RIVER picks up the O’Neill’s lives when Clay and Lacy are adults. This second in the trilogy deals mainly with Clay and the fight to save the Kiss River Lighthouse, which has been the setting for much of the O’Neill’s past and present. HER MOTHER'S SHADOW is Lacy’s story and a wrap up of some loose ends. Some truths, although foreshadowed through all three books, still came as a surprise to me.

This was a story full of interesting, flawed characters and because it takes three books to tell us about them, we feel close to each person. A lot of Annie’s story is told in flashbacks and it is easier to feel sympathy for her than not. There are twists and turns in the plot on every page. One interesting part, told through an old diary, deals with the Outer Banks and their importance during the Second World War and how close German U-boats got to shore.

This was the perfect book to read on vacation, especially reading it on location, so to speak. The best thing that I can say about it is that I was very sorry to have to leave the company of the O’Neill’s and their extended family.

BOOK REVIEW: Night Swimming

A friend gave me a copy of NIGHT SWIMMING by Robin Schwarz to take on vacation with me. She told me that it reminded her of our friendship. Now I had to read it.

Charlotte Clapp is quiet, unassuming, and overweight. She has been taking care of her terminally ill mother, watching reruns of Magnum, P.I., and eating bon-bons. Life has simply passed her by. On a routine visit to get her yearly physical, she is told that she has a year, at best, to live.

Unwilling to waste another moment of her humdrum existence. she quits her job at the First Savings and Loan Bank, where she has worked for fourteen years, taking two million dollars of their money with her. Charlotte has never been anywhere outside of her small town, but now all 253 pounds of her are going on an adventure. She is headed to Hollywood to meet Tom Selleck.

The book is about her trip, the delightful people that she meets, and how she evolves into a self-assured woman who learns that the most important person to love is yourself.

This is Robin Schwarz’s first novel and I hope that she writes many more. I liked the life lessons that Charlotte learned along the way. I enjoyed the author’s sense of humor. The fact that her “best friend” choose the ugliest bridesmaid dress for Charlotte to wear out of spite was funny especially after Charlotte found a way at the end of the book to get even.

This is a “feel-good” book in all ways. I am sure that other readers are going to complain about the fact that Charlotte’s journey did not have any horrible things happen to her and that the book had an almost perfect ending. Sometimes we need to read about heroines surviving and doing it in a warm and humorous way.

Thank you  Sandy. It was a great beach read, but I am not sure which character reminded you of me: the overweight heroine, her bitchy best friend, or the OLD lady.

BOOK REVIEW: Abraham LIncoln, Vampire Hunter

“So,what are you reading?”, asks my son-in-law.

“ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER by Seth Grahame-Smith”, I replied.

“Bet that plays fast and loose with history”, he said. 

Yes, I have to admit that part of the fun of ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER was separating well-know facts from the obviously fictional parts. Grahame-Smith put such a subtle  twist to the history that we have read since grade school to make it almost convincing.

Lincoln became a vampire hunter at the death of his beloved mother. He had reason to believe that her death was caused by a disagreement between his father and a suspicious man, who he found out was a vampire. 

He sharpened his axe and set out to rid the countryside of all of the man’s fellow night creatures. Problem was that the vampires in America had learned how to adjust to light; plus they were stronger, faster and much older than he. 

On a trip to New Orleans, where he mistakes Edgar Allan Poe to be one of the hated creatures, he finds that a large number of black slaves are being sold to provide the blood at special feasts.Now he has a good reason to start a war and free the slaves.

Grahame-Smith tells all of this story with a light touch. The subject is vampires, remember, so naturally there are some bloody scenes, but they fit into the overall tone of the book.

The historic characters are well done. When the author had to bend the facts, he kept the people within our knowledge of them. Mary Todd Lincoln had reason to become the tragic figure that history has painted her. The Civil War is well researched, if a little weirdly. We get a slightly different view of some of the famous battles and the generals who were there.

The clever illustrations are an outstanding part of the book. Again, most of the pictures seem to be familiar to us… except now we know why that axe is always close to Abe and why so many of the bad guys are wearing dark glasses.

I really liked the ending to this book...  I mean after the scene in Ford’s Theatre. It explains so many of the modern sightings of Abraham Lincoln.

I was so tempted to include phrases like “ the book has a bite to it” or “ a book worth sinking your teeth into”, but they both had been used in other reviews. Shame. Tim Burton is rumored to be one of the producers of an upcoming movie version. It is hard to imagine a director/producer better qualified to work with this material.

This was a fun read and now I will have to find a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith since Jane Austen has always been one of my favorite authors.