Annaconda-- Lots Better and Funnier Than Expected

 Last night my husband and I went to the movies... 

We used to be big movie goers, but in recent years it's rare. Actually, the last time was an occasion like last night. My husband's a retiree from the the Menachem Begin Heritage Center and now volunteers there, so he's invited to some of the staff events. This was a family event in Jerusalem's Cinema City. It included an "all you can eat" dinner in their VIP room, lots of pasta, pizza, salads and more plus a choice between two movies, neither which he had ever heard of. One was described as suitable for kids and the other seemed "childish," too, but we're a generation or two or even three older than pretty much everyone else who'd be attending. We agreed that if we didn't like it, we'd just walk out. Yes, the movie was ANACONDA.

I looked it up on the internet first to get a bit of an idea as to what to expect. It didn't sound impressive at all, but the evening was free. We even travel for free... So we figured there was nothing to lose.

To be perfectly honest, we had no positive expectations... but within a few minutes we were mesmerized...

ANACONDA is a movie within a movie and a comedy. It's fantasy for sure. That's genre #1, but I was reminded of John Belushi, not just because the main character is heavy. If there's such a thing as a John Belushi genre, this would be it... John Belushi in the Jungle.

Apparently an anaconda is a dangerous jungle creature, whether fact or fiction, it's irrelevant. The acting was great; the characters seemed totally real, though it was obviously unrealistic. We recommend it, and yes, there were people who walked out in the middle... 

One more thing... it's a clean movie, neither nudity nor sex. You can take your kids.

PS I took these pictures of the screen while watching the movie. We sat in the back row, and the footrests didn't work in many of the seats. It was still comfortable, lots of upholstery... so different from the Jerusalem movie theaters from way back when.

Off to Join the Circus, A Book Review

Off to Join the Circus, a novel by Debora Kalb is a wonderfully enjoyable book about a Jewish family from New Jersey. 

The book is broken up into many short chapters, each one voicing the viewpoint of one character, though not written in first person. Considering that I frequently get lost early on trying to remember the various characters when reading a book, I found this format very helpful. 

The book begins with the unexpected reappearance of Adele Pinsky who had run away as a teenager sixty-four 64 years earlier. No one is more shocked and excited by her return than her younger brother Howard, who is celebrating his seventy-fifth 74th birthday when she suddenly calls him up and announces that she's coming for a visit. 

Adele keeps many of her secrets to the end, and she's the only main character who doesn't have a chapter, nary a one. 

Family dynamics among the Pinsky family undergoes understandable changes as they get to know Adele. She also gets to know them and tries to find her place after a two generation absence. Howard even has grandchildren older than he had been when his big sister Adele had suddenly left.

Either the elder Pinskys weren't sure of the where/why Adele had left or they hid the truth from young Howard by saying that she was off to "join the circus," apparently their euphemism for risky adventure.

It didn't take many pages before I was totally caught up with the members of the Pinsky family, their various trials, tribulations and wonderful closeness. They're definitely a family that cares about each other making the sixty-four year absence especially painful.

I could barely put the book down and then was so terribly disappointed when I realized that I had read the very last page... I wanted to read more about the Pinskys. 

Deborah Kalb wrote a fantastic book. Yes, Off to Join the Circus is highly recommended.

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Loyola College/Apprentice House (July 18, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1627204490
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1627204491

Book Review: Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies by Jonathan Rosen

I must let you know in advance that Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies by Jonathan Rosen isn't a Jewish book, though the author certainly is. It was written for the general young English reading public. It is set during the Christmas season, but there is nothing religious in the story. It is culturally American, and the story would be much more difficult to tell without the American winter holiday customs. Remember that many of the classic English Literature is set during Christmas season.

Now, if you're still reading this review, I'm going to tell you that the book is totally fantastic. I really had fun reading it and would offer it to my grandchildren, who are totally Israeli, to read.

As I was reading Jonathan Rosen's debut fantasy for children, Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies, I kept envisioning it as an animated movie. Or maybe that's too 20th century; today they have movies that realistically combine animated and human actors.

Twelve-year-old Devin Dexter has problems. His sister, Abby, is annoying. His cousin, Tommy, sees conspiracies everywhere. And his new neighbor, Herb, might be a warlock. When strange things start happening, like the hot new Christmas toy, the Cuddle-Bunny, coming to life and turning evil, Devin and Tommy set out to stop them and prove Herb is a warlock. Will they have enough time before the town of Gravesend is overrun by the cutest little murderers ever?

Even though this is a totally, or I should hope so,  make believe adventure story, the characters were amazingly well-written and realistictic. Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies should be found enjoyable by both boys and girls. There were lots of surprises in the plot, even for me who reads lots of suspense and detective novels. I understand that Rosen has more books in the works. I hope that he'll send me all of them when they are published.

• Age Range: 8 - 12 years
• Grade Level: 2 - 7
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sky Pony Press (August 29, 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1510715231
• ISBN-13: 978-1510715233
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Historical Novel, "The Quality of Mercy"

I borrowed an old Faye Kellerman book, "The Quality of Mercy," and found it very long and overstuffed with plot and history. Some people may consider it strange that I'm reviewing a book that's over twenty years old, but it's still for sale new, used and audial.

The copy I read had been bought by someone in a 2nd hand bookstore very recently. Print is small, and there are just under six hundred, yes 600, pages. If you have good eyes and lighting, that can keep you busy on a very long flight or two. This copy followed me around for about two months, during which I also read a couple of other books.

The Quality of Mercy is a historical novel that tries to give answers to a few questions. Literary historians for centuries have been trying to discover more about William Shakespeare:

• Was Shakespeare a real person?
• Was Shakespeare Jewish?
• Was Shakespeare a homosexual?
• About which people and events did Shakespeare write his great plays and sonnets?

Kellerman's novel tries to answer many of these questions. Actually, she does answer the first three in The Quality of Mercy and poses some interesting possibilities concerning the fourth. She does this by expanding on a Jew/converso who did live at the same time as Shakespeare, Doctor Roderigo Lopez, and his family. The book revolves the supposed relationship between Shakespeare and a daughter of Lopez. Kellerman embroiders an amazing and complex tapestry of love, intrigue and adventure. 

Like in every good historical novel, it's all "possible." I think that it would be much more readable and successful if it had been better edited. We really don't need all of the subplots, backstories and details to get the main points of the book. Kellerman is a good writer and obviously invested a lot of time and energy (or staff) researching. 

If you enjoy long sagas based on real history, especially if you're well acquainted with the works of Shakespeare, this is the book for you. I must admit that at times it was tedious, but I'm glad that I persevered, because it was worth the effort. So if you spot the book second hand some place, and you have the time to invest, get it. Tell me what you think afterwards.