Rotten Tomato Critic Shares !0 Favorite Books About Movies

The New Book Review has a special treat for you today. Author and Reviewer is doing a series of reviews of her favorite movie-oriented books for my subscribers and visitors.

CHJ 

TITLE Favorite Books about Movies: Part One

AUTHOR: Betty Jo Tucker

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: www.BettyJoTucker.com  

GENRE Nonfiction

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL Adult

AWARDS: Author received five awards for books about films (see Bio below)

A LINK TO THE ARTICLE SUBMITTED:  https://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=82497 
                     

     FAVORITE BOOKS ABOUT MOVIES:

 PART ONE 

LIst from Betty Jo Tucker, Author, Poet, Reviewer

(AKA @MovieAddictRevu) 

When you love movies as much as I do, you want to read everything you can about films and filmmaking. Below are ten of my favorite movie-related books. Two more lists will be submitted soon.  

150 Timeless Movies. Susan Granger (Hannacroix Creek Books, 2016) This is a marvelous collection of film reviews by noted cinema critic Susan Granger. The author chose her critiques of many films made since the turn of the 21st century as well as 25 classics that she believes will stand the test of time. What they all have in common is that they’re a successful creative collaboration, often revolving around love, family and the indomitable human spirit. Among the films included in this excellent book are: 2001: A Space Odyssey, African Queen, Avatar, The Bucket List, City Lights, Saving Private Ryan, The Lives of Others, The Social Network, Slumdog Millionaire , The Wizard of Oz, and 140 more must-see movies. 

Everyone Wants My Job! The ABC’s of Entertainment Writing. Diana Saenger (Picadilly Books, Ltd., 2000). Saenger offers her helpful professional advice about how to review films, conduct interviews, market your work, and perform other tasks associated with this competitive field. Author sprinkles each chapter with celebrity quotations and anecdotes that make her book a delight to read. No wonder people want Diana’s job. But she does caution wannabes about the hard work involved.    

For Keeps. Pauline Kael (Dutton - Penguin Books, 1994).  In this impressive compendium, America’s most renowned film critic, the late Pauline Kael, presented the best of her New Yorker reviews and other writings on movies from 1965 through 1991. More than 275 reviews are arranged chronologically, forming a 30-year history of the movies. (At over 1200 pages, For Keeps also makes a terrific doorstop.)    

It’s a Bitter Little World: The Smartest, Toughest, Nastiest Quotes from Film Noir. Charles Pappas (Writer’s Digest Books, 2005).Film historian Charles Pappas loves "film noir," those cynical movies about sex, violence and money featuring losers who seek the very thing that gets them killed. In this well-researched  book, he  highlights the terrific dialogue that makes these films so memorable. 

The Citizen Kane Crash Course in Cinematography. David Worth (Michael Wiese Productions, 2008). Drawing upon his own creativity and experience as a Director or Director of Photography on more than thirty films, David Worth lets his imagination run wild in this fabulous tome. The result? One of the most eye-popping books you'll ever read about filmmaking. Written mostly in screenplay format, the story focuses on how legendary cinematographer Gregg Toland taught “Boy Wonder” Orson Welles all he needed to know about cinematography before Welles began shooting Citizen Kane. It's a fun and enlightening read! 

The Golden Age of Movie Musicals and Me. Saul Chaplin (University of Oklahoma Press, 1994).  This revealing memoir is the man who served as songwriter, vocal arranger, pianist, musical director, or producer on more than sixty films during the Hollywood musical heyday. Chaplin writes candidly about the major performers and filmmakers he met while working on such movies as High Society, On the Town, Seven Brides for Seven  Brothers, American in Paris, and The Sound of Music. (Gossip tidbit: no love lost between Chaplin and Al Jolson, despite their collaboration on “The Anniversary Song.”) 

The Making of the Wizard of Oz. Aljean Harmetz (Hyperion - Special 60^th nniversary Edition, 1998), Here is the inside story behind the filming of this American movie classic. Harmetz describes how the film survived four directors, serious problems on the set, and changes in casting to become an all-time family favorite. Buddy Ebsen as the Scarecrow? Shirley Temple as Dorothy?  Cut Dorothy singing “Over the Rainbow”?  And other close calls.       

Reel Spirit: A Guide to Movies That Inspire, Explore, and Empower. Raymond Teague (Unity House, 2000) Teague’s analysis of spirituality in the movies includes almost 400 films, with reviews of such movies as It’s a Wonderful Life, The Lion King, When Harry Met Sally, , Malcolm X, and the Star Wars series. (Guess who this author considers the most admirable character in Hollywood films?  Here’s a clue -- it’s a woman.)  

Romantic Comedies: These Films Can Save Your Love Life! Pamela Jaye Smith (Michael Wiese Productions, 2017) This unique book is a tribute to love and the movies that show us how to find, hold, and relish it in our romantic relationships. The author’s intriguing movie guide is filled with some of the best-loved and most popular romantic comedies, including Sabrina, Sleepless in Seattle, My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Princess Bride and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Lessons learned from watching movies like these offer valuable advice about keeping your love life healthy. 

Screening History. Gore Vidal (Harvard University Press – Reissue Edition, 1994). Vidal recalls the films he loved while growing up in Washington, D.C. during the 1930s and reflects on the movies that meant the most to him, such as The Prince and the Pauper and Young Mr. Lincoln. (Funny, I saw those films too -- but they didn’t impress me as much as King Kong and Frankenstein. Could this explain our different career paths?) Vidal admits that as he looked back over his life, he realized the only thing he really liked to do was go to the movies. That makes two of us.     

INFORMATION ABOUT THE REVIEWER

NAME OF REVIEWER: Betty Jo Tucker

ORIGINAL PLACE THE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED (ReelTalk Movie Reviews)

BIO: Betty Jo Tucker served as editor/lead film critic for ReelTalk Movie Reviews for 20 years. She also writes film commentary for AuthorsDen and the Colorado Senior Beacon. She is the award-winning author of Confessions of a Movie Addict, Susan Sarandon: A True Maverick, Cinema Stanzas: Rhyming About Movies, and Cinema Stanzas Two: Poet Laureate of the Movies. Using the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, Betty Jo and her husband Larry co-wrote It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir adapted for the screen under the title of CAKE: A Love Story, which earned First Place in the Short Film category at the NSAEN Online International Film Festival. She is a co-founder of the San Diego Film Critics Society, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and an approved Rotten Tomatoes critic. 

TWITEER MONIKER: Betty Jo Tucker @MovieAddictRevu

EMAIL ADDRESS: reeltalk@comcast.net 

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

Kudos to Ellen Lenox Smith, Winner of the Tales2Inspire Reviewer of the Month Award

TITLE: Tales2Inspire ~ The Diamond Collection - Series III 

(This book is the double header compilation of two individual T2I books: 

The Garnet Collection and The Pearl Collection

SERIES TITLE: Tales2Inspire

AUTHOR: Anthology of authors of contest winning inspiring stories

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE: https://www.tales2inspire.com 

GENRE: Inspirational, non-fiction personal stories 

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: 14 + 

PAGE COUNT: 236

PUBLISHER: Independently Published

PURCHASE LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Tales2inspire-Diamond-Collection-Moonstone-Collections/dp/B09MBVRB2S/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Tales2Inspire+Collection&qid=1649016550&s=books&sr=1-3

REVIEWED BY: Ellen Lenox Smith

REVIEW: 

 Feel Inspired and Add A Smile to your Day

If you want to have a reason to smile, feel inspired, and be in awe, read these true stories of inspiration and adventure in this series. You will not regret the time it takes to read and enjoy these stories that will impress you and bring joy to your heart.

 

LINK: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AF3GIOZ5BOE6DTVHDYOMDPBOGBFQ/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_gw_tr?ie=UTF8

Reviewed by Ellen Lenox Smith for Amazon.com

About the reviewer: 

Ellen Lenox Smith has emerged as a leading voice for patients living with pain in Rhode Island. Featured in local and national press accounts, Mrs. Smith brings a reasoned and compassionate perspective to the need for safe patient access to medicine. Mrs. Smith suffers from two rare conditions. One is a degenerative collagen disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. This crippling disease allows her joints to become easily subluxed, causing vice-like pain and that confined her for four years in a wheelchair.  In 2006, she was accepted into the Connective Tissue Research at the National Institute of Health to help search for a cure to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Her second condition is called sarcoidosis, which has allowed enlarged lymph nodes and granulomas in her lungs. Both these conditions are presently not curable. She presently has endured twenty-seven surgeries and countless visits to her doctors.

 Mrs. Smith has enjoyed a long and distinguished career, predominantly in the field of education. The last position she had before needing to resign, due to health, was teaching middle school social studies. Presently, she is a Rhode Island ambassador for the US Pain Foundation as the Co-Director for Cannabis Advocacy, on the board of both the US Pain Foundation and the Rhode Island Patient Advocacy Coalition (RIPAC) as media coordinator, appointed by the governor to the ATEL Program, (Adaptive Telephone Equipment Loan Program), is appointed on the Medical Cannabis Oversight Committee representing patients, helps with media exposure for the five-year-old EDS RI Support group and brings in speakers to educate the group and recently was selected to represent patients on the Oversight Panel in RI that will oversee the medical marijuana program. She was a staff writer for National Pain Report and 1000 WATTS Magazine before their shut down, was a former staff writer for Pain News Network and with her husband, speaks out to educate others about her condition and pain management. Some places she has spoken to are the FDA, Brown Medical students, Blue Cross nurses, and physical therapy students in RI and Ct along with speaking at the EDS national conferences. She is also the author of two books: It Hurts Like Hell!: I Live With Pain-- And Have A Good Life Anyway and My Life as a Service Dog! Mrs. Smith is a resident of Scituate, Rhode Island with her husband, Stuart. They have been married for  49 years!  They are proud parents of four adult children and three grandsons and two granddaughters. Ellen is also an organic gardener and prior to her disability, was a master swimmer and high school swim coach.

Donovan's Literary Services Shares Bob Freeman's "Tech Manual for a Future"

TITLE : H2LiftShips - Bosons Wave Vol 3

SUBTITLE : "A Tech Manual for a Future"

ISBN: 978-1-64456-483-7   

 

AUTHOR: Bob Freeman 

WEBSITE: https://www.h2liftship.com

Twitter: @h2lift

GENRE: SciFiTech

AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: Teen Nerd to Ancient Nerd

NUMBER OF PAGES: 244

PURCHASE LINKS

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4R9W8G7

https://books2read.com/u/31e956

PUBLISHER: Indies United Publishing House, LL

Note: Reviews of other books in this series to follow

Reviewed by D. Donovan of Donovan's Literary Services 

             

H2LiftShips - Bosons Wave recounts the ongoing story of Captain Graciela and the crew of the H2LiftShip LunaCola, whose secret mission involves a journey that embraces family and political drama in this third volume of an intriguing space opera adventure. It's set in a world that simultaneously feels both familiar and alien.

This is a world of space pirates and high-tech oddities, from algae rocket ships to an odd marriage between advanced technology and old-world devices—bioGel laser rifles and HAM radios, for example.

It's a scenario in which Captain Graciela and her crew battle the brainless algae which have joined with angry bioGel computers to challenge both sides with impossible situations.

From Jovian clouds integrated with DNA computers to gamblers who operate in a space casino against the backdrop of intrigue and conflict, Bob Freeman crafts an environment that will especially please prior series readers with more than just a fast pace.

Freeman takes the time to incorporate vivid descriptions into his world-building space opera, marking them with a wry sense of humor that overlays the action: "Mort ships, the transports for boxed cellular remains of sentients, preferred dark colors for the ship and sails. The color scheme wasn't required for the job, but it matched their ethos."

The descriptions of both heady clashes and everyday activities build a strong sense of place to contrast extraordinary events with ordinary life pursuits, but with a twist: "The 'gelTxt was moderately successful. She got the rope, nutrients, and some leads on fresh manure and grains. It was time to hit the regolith and search for some more supplies and tasty snacks for the long journey ahead. Captain Grace was in her element, picking out products to re-sell, for a serious profit. She was looking for bargains and kept away from the central storehouses."

Readers of the prior books in this series will find Bosons Wave a powerful survey of risky experiments, HiveSister concerns and sentient developments, and the crew's struggle to avoid disaster.

Ironic, delightful phrasing fosters a stream of ironic observation through the story: "The green monster's visit was not as friendly as it seemed."

The result is a fitting compliment to the other books in the series, expanding the escapades of this Navy crew's space-faring struggles as they tackle interstellar emergencies, family issues, and military operations with equal ability.

Readers seeking a rollicking good read from a modern space opera will find H2LiftShips - Bosons Wave a fine adventure that employs many futuristic descriptions to power its characters and their dilemmas.

From the Reviewer:

Please feel free to quote any pieces from my reviews for your publicity purposes (with credit to Donovan's Literary Services or Midwest Book Review, as the review will appear in both places). 

Reviews by D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

http://donovansliteraryservices.com/september-2022-issue.html#h2b

More About the Author

The author is a retired Public Health Microbiologist/Lab Director/LIMS Software designer and a confirmed science geek. 

With expertise in anaerobic microbiology and writing an exorbitant number of tech manuals and protocols, the only logical path going forward was to write what I wished.

Misunderstanding the common SciFi tropes of the day, the author builds complex worlds, adds a few interesting characters, and lets them have at it.

Further expanding on tropes, the stories are not boom/bang/fight from the start and every third page, but explicitly designed to not be interesting to an eight-year-old male. Interesting kids of any age or sex may enjoy the work even with the lack of explosions.

The author began writing SciFi in 2021 at the tender age of 70 and is writing short stories before tackling his 4th novel in the LiftShip series.

Thanks

Bob 
------------ 
Bob Freeman

BtB Software, LLC www.btbsoftware.com

SciFi Stories: 
www.h2liftship.com/beyondluna    
www.h2liftship.com/backstory 
www.h2liftship.com/bosonswave 

LinkedIn:   linkedin.com/in/freemanbob

More About #TheNewBookReview Blog 

 The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. Authors, readers, publishers, and reviewers may republish their favorite reviews of books they want to share with others. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read and love. Please see submission guidelines in a tab at the top of this blog's home page or go directly to the submission guidelines at http://bit.ly/ThePlacetoRecycleBookReviews or to the guideline tab at the top of the home page of this blog. Authors and publishers who do not yet have reviews or want more may use Lois W. Stern's #AuthorsHelpingAuthors service for requesting reviews. Find her guidelines in a tab at the top of the home page, too. Carolyn Wilhelm is our IT expert, an award-winning author, a veteran educator and also contributes reviews and posts on other topics related to books. Reviews, interviews, and articles on this blog are indexed by genre, reviewers' names, and review sites so #TheNewBookReview may be used as a resource for most anyone in the publishing industry. As an example, writers will find this blog's search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor. #TheFrugalbookPromoter, #CarolynHowardJohnson, #TheNewBookReview, #TheFrugalEditor, #SharingwithWriters, #reading #BookReviews #GreatBkReviews #BookMarketing

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See genre charts. 

(The banner would look like the prototype pictured above, but with your full color book cover and headshot in place of the black silhouettes. The sky is the limit when it comes to touting you personal accomplishments. Just look at how Carolyn and I do that at the end of every blog posting, including this one. This is your opportunity to brag a bit about your accomplishments, so be honest but don’t be shy.)

We now have over 150 books listed for authors seeking reviews, a wonderful outpouring of requests for a wide variety of titles. Can I count on you to become one of our Authors Helping Authors, join in this effort, write a review for a fellow author, and get a FREE banner as a thank you. 

Just follow these steps:

Click here or copy and paste https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2021/01/free-books-to-read-and-review.html

into your browser) to select a book listed in the genre of your choice.

Then Click here or copy and paste https://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2021/11/how-to-get-freebooks-to-read-and-review.html into your browser) 

to learn the easy steps to contacting that author, writing and submitting your review, and doing a bit of self promotion at the same time.

I’ll be doing a happy dance for each author who gets a newly posted review through this “Authors Helping Authors” project.  

Review of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, a sixteen segment Netflix Special

During these many months of Covid isolation, I’ve read more books and watched more TV than ever before. Sometimes isolation isn't so bad, as it gave me time to savor Extraordinary Attorney Woo, a sixteen segment Netflix series, worth every moment of my time. 

Extraordinary Attorney Woo tells the story of Woo Young-woo, a young lawyer on the autism spectrum. Abandoned by her mother at birth, Woo is raised by her devoted father. She grows up with his support and that of a quirky girlfriend who understands and protects her from bullies and confounding situations. Woo graduates at the top of her law school class, but because of her condition, no one will hire her. Then, through one of her father’s connections, she lands her first job at Hanbada, a large Seoul law firm. 

At first, Woo's odd robotic-like speech and movements are what jump out at others, and are so off putting to them that they are unable to see beyond the surface. Woos’ legal skills and knowledge remain unrecognized for a time, but as she repeatedly is faced with difficult and challenging legal issues, her font of knowledge helps her resolve cases where others have failed.

Once Attorney Woo begins to exhibit her near perfect recall of almost anything she reads, sees, or hears, her value to her law firm team becomes evident. Gradually her supervising lawyer and other legal support staffers adjust to her otherness and appreciate her skills, yet she also encounters people who are prejudiced against her and others with disabilities.

Many of the legal cases in the series involve finely balanced legal issues and sometimes difficult ethical questions. Attorney Woo’s unique approach and telegraphic recall help her resolve cases in unexpected ways that escape her colleagues.

One of the light hearted themes running through this series is Young-woo’s light bulb moments where her strong interest in marine mammals surfaces. She constantly fantasizes about them, making comparisons between situations she faces in her professional and private life with the lives and characteristics of whales and dolphins. These outburst sometimes amuse, but more often confound the people who surround her. 

Several other themes run through this series to keep viewers intrigued, including the discord between Woo’s father and absent mother, the rivalry between two major law firms, the jealousy and mean spirited actions of one of Woo’s colleagues, and the blossoming mutual attraction between Woo and one of her firm's investigators. 

So although the emergence of Covid is hardly something I am thankful for, it did present me with a couple of welcomed opportunities, with Extraordinary Attorney Woo being one of them. So you see, I'm not just about books, but did I mention, you'll still be doing some reading, as this series is filmed in its native Korean language with English subtitles.

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Buried Secrets by Krissy Baccaro reviewed by Rod DiGruttolo

REVIEW OF BURIED SECRETS 

by Krissy Baccaro

TITLE: BURIED SECRETS

AUTHOR: Krissy Baccaro

GENRE: Mystery

AGE / INTEREST LEVEL: Adult

PAGE #: 369 

PUBLISHER:  Independently Published

TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK CLICK HERE.

REVIEWER: ROD DiGRUTTOLO

4

MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA NEEDED TO PROVIDE SUSPENSE, WHIILE SHOWING  HUMAN ATTRIBUTES

During the early days of World War II, a woman named Gianna went missing in Southern Italy. The dying wishes of a beloved grandfather and family dynamics send a loving Granddaughter on a search to solve the mystery. Old letters secreted away in a hidden box guide her as she searches to find answers. Written in Italian, the fading ink and creased paper provide clues as to where she might find answers. Her quest is almost impossible. Her loyal best friend travels with her eight thousand miles from home to help in solving the mystery. Old World traditions, a close-knit and suspicious local population in the villages of Southern Italy, and emotional baggage hamper the investigation. Add the adventure of being in a beautiful setting with culinary and cultural distractions, and the task becomes gargantuan. Attempting to follow in the footsteps of a woman gone for seventy years, the characters must win the trust of people who have been hiding secrets for over seventy years. Her grandfather’s warning, “Watch who you trust,” rings in her mind, but she has to trust someone.

Baccaro is masterful in guiding the reader through a labyrinth of clues. Letters, written in Italian with ink fading from age, guide Abriella on her mission. The discovery of additional information comes in different forms. Still, the letters maintain the intrigue and mystery in the story. The strength of the characters belies the overwhelming opinion ingrained in an ancient culture. Abriella’s resolve and bravery overcome the belief women cannot succeed when danger threatens. Along with the mystery, a romantic nugget is implanted in the story. Grief, friendship, relationships, and trust are central themes in this narrative.

The author combines mystery and personal feelings to keep the reader in the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and recommend this book for anyone interested in mysteries, especially the coldest of cold cases. It may be fiction, but the story gave me the feeling I was reading the author’s personal history.

As a writer, I appreciate the hard work and attention to detail an author must have to compose a good mystery story. BURIED SECRETS meets the criteria needed to provide suspense, show the human attributes, and bring the tale to a conclusion.

ORIGINAL PLACE THE REVIEW WAS PUBLISHED: GoodReads

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: 

Rod DiGruttolo is the author of several books including Snakes, Spiders and Palmetto Bugs, Need To Know - a Charlie Bascomb Adventure, Capitol Terror, A Shattered Mirror, and The Devil's Disciple. Rod grew up and continues to live in Sarasota, Florida and serves as group leader for The Sarasota Writers Group. Visit his website at: https://rdigruttolo.blogspot.com/ and his Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/rdigruttolo