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Harry H Corbett: The Front Legs of the Cow
Harry H Corbett: The Front Legs of the Cow
Susannah Corbett | 2012 | Biography
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Told by his daughter, excellent series of interviews and contributions (0 more)
Insightful, Poignant and Revealing
I started reading this after only knowing of Harry H Corvett in Steptoe and son as Harold the long suffering son of Albert (Wilfrid Brambell) and also n Carry on Screaming as Sidney Bung. I never realised what an accomplished actor he was at this point. After reading this amazing insight into his life i have realsied how versatile an actor he really was. With this being written by his daughter i expected a lot of fawning sentimentality and i am glad that i was proved wrong. This is a very revealing, moving and motivational book written with care and consideration. As well as her own personal experiences she draws on people from stage and screen that include but are not limited to Bryan Murphy, Lynda Baron and writers such as Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. One of the best bigraphies i have read for a very long time. Its a long book and tells of the history of the various theatres that Harry worked at and for but i found this interesting rather than distracting. This also includes a section at the end that debunks some of the myths associated with Steptoe and Son (them hating each other, Wilfrid Brambell always being drunk etc). All in all a five star read.
  
Rattlesnake (2019)
Rattlesnake (2019)
2019 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
The concept (0 more)
The execution (0 more)
Concept is cool execution less so
Rattlesnake has a great concept. A women gets a puncture and while fixing it her daughter gets bitten by a rattlesnake. Suddenly a trailer appeared and a women cures the bite and says she will talk about payment later. Payment it turns out is she must replace her life with the life of another or her daughter will die as payment has not been met.

So the concept is great, any artform which makes you think what would I do and helps you empathise with the characters is usually on to s winner but that's where it starts to be let down. It's right here where some amazing philosophical debates could start to begin. Could you find someone evil and feel ok about killing them when there is an opportunity that this person could change in the future and positively impact others? Is it right you should take the life of another when fatalists and people of religion may say you are going against god's plan. Or is it ok to take the life of someone seriously ill when there may be opportunity of miraculous recovery you are taking away. All these a brilliant film would make but it doesn't explore or question the situation at all, there is only acceptense. It's a shame really, opportunity lost.
  
The Familiar Dark
The Familiar Dark
Amy Engel | 2020 | Mystery, Thriller
7
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Amy Engel is known for her previous works, The Roanoke Girls and The Book of Ivy series. Her latest, The Familiar Dark, is the first of her books I have read. It will not be her last.

In The Familiar Dark, Eve Taggert's daughter is killed. She wants answers. When Junie was born, Eve turned away from her mother and the life her mother lives. When Junie is murdered, Eve is forced to go back to what she knew in her childhood, the dark side of life. Eve must decide how far will she go to get justice.
 
Engel could have written a typical "mom seeking revenge for her daughter" book. She does not. To find out the truth, Eve has to turn back to the dark side she never let and never wanted Junie to see.

Eve's childhood was one of poverty, fear, and neglect. The two constants in her life were her brother Cal and her drug-dealing abusive mother. Engel could have written a typical "pity the character because of how she was raised" book. She does not.

Amy Engel creates an engaging story that starts with a murder and ends....well, read it to see how it ends.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 4/6/20.
  
Taking the Fall (Vipers MC #1)
Taking the Fall (Vipers MC #1)
Kally Ash | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Taking the Fall is the first book in the Vipers MC series and we start off with Nick, an ex-con who has just been released after serving five years for a crime he didn't commit, and Alex, the daughter of the Vipers President with whom she has a tricky relationship at best. These two find themselves working together when Nick asks for a job in return for somewhere to live and eat.

The attraction between these two is immediate but neither of them do anything about it, giving the book a bit of a slow burn. You get to find out about Alex's past before anything happens although Nick doesn't share his side.

This book has an amazing cast of characters and I can't wait to see who is up next. Although Talon might go about it the wrong way, his love for his daughter is deep. I hope he turns up in future books and we can see whether he and Alex can work things out.

All in all, this was a great MC read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!