Showing posts with label circus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label circus. Show all posts

Circus and Carnival Ballyhoo: Sideshow Freaks, Jabbers and Blade Box Queens Review

Circus and Carnival Ballyhoo: Sideshow Freaks, Jabbers and Blade Box Queens
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The book Ballyhoo by Al Stencil is a wonderful return to the world of sawdust and spangles as it was many years ago. Today you see many of these previous attractions walking down the city streets and shopping at Wal Mart. As a matter of fact in the last year I have seen more tatooed women while shopping that had as many designs on them as Betty Broadbent and it is quite easy to see women larger than Baby Irene in any shopping mall. The book is well written and illustrated with numerous great photos. This book is a must for any fan of the good old days when the circus and carnival really was a show for children of all ages.

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From Lentini the three-legged man and Siamese twins to equipment caravans and big top architects, this captivating collection lifts the striped curtain to reveal the larger-than-life world of circuses, carnivals, and freak shows in post-World War II America. Copious never-before-seen photographs, in-depth historical research, and insightful interviews with former sideshow employees illustrate the development of the circus sideshow, the roles of key groups-the freaks, working acts, managers, talkers-and the importance of the grift.

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Wonder When You'll Miss Me: A Novel Review

Wonder When You'll Miss Me: A Novel
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I loved "Wonder When You'll Miss Me" by Amanda Davis. I was heading to Amazon.com to write a rave review of this debut novel from a wonderfully clever and talented author who has a great career ahead of her. I was going to say how I was looking forward to next book. Sadly, there won't be another book. I was shocked and saddened to read that Ms. Davis was tragically killed (along with her parents) in a plane crash in March 2003.
Luckily, we all had the opportunity to read this amazing book before her untimely death. Her characters are well rounded, deep and fully engaged. Her plot and story is well crafted and really interesting. I found her work really interesting and couldn't put it down. I loved it.

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The Aerialist: A Novel (Sewanee Writers' Series) Review

The Aerialist: A Novel (Sewanee Writers' Series)
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THE AERIALIST begins ordinarily enough - with two hapless guys, one who dodges responsibility and the other dying of cancer, taking a joy ride in a car that's obviously a murder scene - but once this novel gets going, it takes an extraordinary leap. Gary joins a circus by whim and by accident, and later pulls his buddy Dave aboard. What they experience there (particularly what Gary, our narrator, does) becomes something both larger and more gritty than a circus show. Schmitt takes his readers through Gary's various jobs in the circus as well as describing a variety of others, giving me the impression, whether false or not, that Schmitt knows his material. From bull prodder to aerialist, Gary becomes the circus with all its quirks and desperate moments, its glitz and its manure, the odd comraderie behind the scenes as well as the machinations that make the audience ooh and aah. Gary and the supporting characters are well-drawn and compelling in their off-beat ways.
This debut is a literary gem. Its originality, well-written prose, and the deftness with which the characters are drawn will assure Richard Schmitt of a solid following.

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Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez Review

Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez
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Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez blew me away. The book is laugh outloud funny while at the same time reveals several thought provoking themes and beautiful, lyrical prose. Harris' portrayal of character is outstanding. The short, creatively titled chapters allowed me to closely observe the inner workings of these incredible people and fall in love with all of their troubled souls. The plot's many twists and turns and the author's understanding of all walks of life (young, old, male, female, academics, hippies, mad poets, jehovah's witnesses, and crazed existentialists) prove he is a master storyteller. I can't wait for his next novel.

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A phone call reunites Jacob Belmo and his cousin Dorina after fifteen years apart. Dorina has been unjustly imprisoned for shooting a naked lawyer in a parking lot, but Dorina isn't angry. She just wants to talk about old times. The most magical time of t

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Josser: The Secret Life of a Circus Girl Review

Josser: The Secret Life of a Circus Girl
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As a former circus performer and trouper myself (20 years in the business) I found Ms. Stroud's book an enjoyable read. Her descriptions of life on modern English circuses could apply here in the US. Her chapter on the hypocrisy of the animal rights fanatics in Great Britain in regards to the presence of horses in the circus and their apparent lack of interest in the use horses in other aspects of human activities to me was one of the most interesting chapters in the book. Circus life is a tough one and not for the weak -- they just don't last. If you want to find out what it is like day to day with tented circuses, especially British shows, in this age when, through the actions of uncaring, unknowing and unreasoning organizations and individuals dedicated to the demise of the circus, the circus is relegated to the fringes of society, this is a must read. If you think the circus is all pretty girls, cotton candy and the clowns, read this one!

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Sleight: Book One of the AVRA-K (Volume 1) Review

Sleight: Book One of the AVRA-K (Volume 1)
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I fell in love with this book and got teary eyed in the first chapter. Actually, I was teary eyed through a lot of this book. It opens up at a funeral where Gemma is burying her mom. She didn't know her mom all that well, besides the fact that she was crazy, and she doesn't know who her dad is. So, Gemma got to full fill so many kid's dreams and grew up in the circus! That's not even the most interesting thing about her; the most interesting thing is, she can see shades (ghost).
The traveling circus that she is living with stays in one place for the first time for months and she has to start regular school for the very first time. She has never stayed in a place long enough to make close friends or fall in love. Her closed friends are two elephants and two acrobats. That all changes when she meets Henry Dmitri and it was love at first sight.
Everything is going great until one day she sees a letter comes for her with her Mother's writing on it and the people that she is closest to hides it from her. She suddenly realizes that almost everyone around her is keeping secrets from her and she stops at nothing to uncover the truth but is it something she really wants to know? Once the secrets are brought to life the action doesn't stop.
When you first look at this book you may think to yourself, "Wow, this is a long story." But once you start reading it and the more you get involved with it you realize it's not long enough especially at the end.
Jennifer knows how to suck the readers in and make them feel part of the story every step of the way. I can't wait for the second one to come out; I am dying to know what happens next. I recommend this to everyone.
5 out of 5

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Food Booth, The Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to the Food Concession Business Review

Food Booth, The Entrepreneur's Complete Guide to the Food Concession Business
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I recently purchased the book with intent to aid my new taco truck business, but little did i did not realize the title "food booth" would be the entire contents of the book. It had many helpful hints and structure for setting up a concession business at a carnival or fair, but that about it. if your looking for information on street vending, hot dog stands, taco trucks, catering, ice cream trucks, or setting up any business outside of a fair, you'll be limited to about a page of information. More information lies in setting up and designing locations and booths for fairs, and less of the day to day logistics,tax aid,event permitting and insurance issues which i believe to be the most difficult ones that get skimmed over rather quickly. its a great book overall, but i guess it was my fault,the "concession business" = "booth at county fair"

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Numb: A Novel Review

Numb: A Novel
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Sean Ferrell grabs you by the collar and forces you to feel the physical, psychological, and emotional pain that Numb is unable or unwilling to feel. He jars you with the bizarre, distracts you with pretty women, and while you're looking the other way, pounds nails into your heart. Unlike Numb, you feel each swing of the hammer. It's like Palahniuk meets Steinbeck in a lion cage. They sit, have coffee, and play chicken with a pairing knife. You are wondering who is going to lose a finger and if the other will sew it back on. The read is refreshing and real, and I can honestly say I can't wait for his next book.

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The Mumbo Jumbo Circus (Volume 1) Review

The Mumbo Jumbo Circus (Volume 1)
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The author does a great job of creating a realistic world with sympathetic and unique characters. The protagonist has been through the worst aspects of foster care, but is still a sweet person. The circus world is portrayed so convincingly that whenever I stopped reading to do something else, I felt like I had been someplace completely different. Some of that comes from the magical elements in the story, but most is just from good writing and description. The pace is quick, with plenty of action, and there is a nice teen romance. The print version says, "Volume 1," so I have hopes that it's the start of a series.
Highly recommended!
Esri Allbritten
(author, Chihuahua of the Baskervilles)


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When the enigmatic Ringmaster asks 15-year-old Evanja (Evan) Leane to run away and join the circus, she says yes.Anywhere's got to be better than foster home Number Eight. Evan learns that this ragtag circus, a haven for throwaway teens, relies on more than spectacle and illusion. This circus is built on magic. Each of the teens possesses a donvrai, a true gift, that manifests only in the presence of the Ringmaster's mysterious Ju-Ju. Unlike many of the other teens who must wait for their donvrai to emerge, Evan's gift surfaces on her first night: she can read horses' minds. This would be totally awesome except she has been deathly afraid of horses since foster home Number Three. But circus is a dying art. If Evan wants to save her beloved new-found home, she must concoct a brilliant horse act that will bring in the crowds. And she'd better get over herself and get on with it fast; there's a traitor close to the Ringmaster who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn't succeed.With B&W illustrations.Contains: some swearing. Recommended for age 14 and up.

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Under the Big Top: A Season with the Circus Review

Under the Big Top: A Season with the Circus
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I just finished Feiler's "Under the Big Top" and my first thought was "I wish I could contact this guy and compare notes." I joined Ringling Brothers on a lark in '82, and his descriptions of travelling with the circus brought back feelings and memories I hadn't had in a long time. From the descriptions of the social fabric (yes, there is a very real class structure) to the smell of the lot where the animals are kept (not unpleasant) to the dangers, and the thrills of watching the performers every night, he has DONE it. If you want to know what it's really like to join the circus, but aren't feeling quite that romantic, read this book.

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The Pilo Family Circus Review

The Pilo Family Circus
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On his way home from work late one night, Jamie almost runs over a strange man in a clown suit. The very next night his car breaks down and he's pushing it off the road, he sees the same clown on the roof of a gardening store across the parking lot, a second clown trying to coax him down. One of the clowns tosses a bag near where Jamie is hiding, and he absentmindedly picks it up. He'll soon discover his mistake. Living in house with junkies for roommates, he sprinkles some of the powder in the milk his roommate Steve has been stealing from him. He also tries some himself, thinking it could be drugs.
Next, he comes home to a house completely and utterly trashed, nothing left unbroken and feces smeared everywhere. There's a note for Jamie, "Pass your audition, feller, you're joining the circus". Dreading the countdown, Jamie finally does something outrageous and finds himself awakening in the Pilo Family Circus. He's given a clown outfit, a bag of the powder, and facepaint. Now partners with leader Gonko, wordless but shrieking Goshy and his brother Doopy, Rufshod, and Winston. After putting on his facepaint, Jamie becomes JJ the clown, outrageous, mean, and out of control. There's something in the facepaint that changes him. You'll meet the members of the freak show ran by Fishboy, and created by MM (Master Manipulator) who turns normal humans into hideous freaks like Tallow Man and Nugget. The clowns pretty much have free run of the circus, only the acrobats dare to challenge them.
Kurt Pilo, a giant of a man, religious and strange, runs the circus with his dwarfish brother George. There's something very strange about Kurt, you'll be put on edge just reading about him. Clowns are scary enough, but after Pilo's Family Circus you'll be terrified of them. Between shows, there's night after night of malicious shenanigans in one form or another. I could not put this book down. It starts fast and runs at an incredible pace. The characters are frightening and their actions unexpectedly evil. 'Pilo Family Circus' is the best horror novel I've read this year. The climax to the novel is utterly fantastic! I can't recommend this book highly enough to the horror aficionados out there. Believe me, your collection is not complete without the creeping horror of 'Pilo Family Circus'. Even the cover art is great, I had to turn the book over at night because I couldn't sleep with the clown staring at me. A ten star debut from a very talented new author. I hope he comes out with another novel soon, it wouldn't be too hard imagine a sequel to 'Pilo Family Circus'. Do NOT miss out on this book. Enjoy!


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"You have two days to pass your audition. You better pass it, feller. You're joining the circus. Ain't that the best news you ever got?" Delivered by a trio of psychotic clowns, this ultimatum plunges Jamie into the horrific alternate universe that is the centuries-old Pilo Family Circus, a borderline world between Hell and Earth from which humankind's greatest tragedies have been perpetrated. Yet in this place—peopled by the gruesome, grotesque, and monstrous—where violence and savagery are the norm, Jamie finds that his worst enemy is himself. When he applies the white face paint, he is transformed into JJ, the most vicious clown of all. And JJ wants Jamie dead! Echoes of Lovecraft, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and early Stephen King resound through the pages of this magical, gleefully macabre work nominated as Best Novel by the International Horror Guild.

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Geek Love: A Novel Review

Geek Love: A Novel
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I couldn't put this book down, and carried it around for about a week, deeply and happily immersed. But, just for comparison, when I showed it to my boyfriend and he read the back cover, he physically recoiled and hastily handed it back to me. Funnily enough, he enjoys true-crime books/programs, and I can't stand the things. I think it's the same impulse though: we feel that these things, though repulsive to many, have things to teach us about human nature. With that in mind, I have to commend Katherine Dunn for a very well written, memorable, and thought-provoking book -- with the disclaimer it is absolutely not for everyone.
Basically, if you are armed with the knowledge that the book is about a family of circus freaks (including a fish-boy with no real limbs, siamese twins, and an albino dwarf, all purposely bred for birth defects with the use of drugs and radiation), and you are assured that ***it only gets worse from there***, and you still find yourself curious, then for goodness sake go out and get the book right now, because it delivers everything you would want except perhaps for a happy ending.
While I find writers like Chuck Palanuik and Bret Easton Ellis to be smug and shallow (there goes my reviewer rating!) I find them to be the only comparison to this book for actual shock value. I can't remember the last time I was actually shocked, not disturbed but shocked, at a book, and without being inclined to throw it out the window. The amount of humanity and vibrancy in these characters despite their ugly and often cruel natures kept me riveted. Highly recommended, for those with strong stomachs.

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Kiss an Angel Review

Kiss an Angel
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I admit when I first read the plot of this book I was skeptical. Arranged marriage in this day & age? Socialite ends up in a circus with her groom? Sounded pretty hokey to me. Wow, was I wrong. Daisy's character was endearing, warts and all. She truly had a heart of gold. But it took a long time for anyone to realize that. At first you wanted to smack Alex on the side of the head, but he did end up redeeming himself beautifully.
Another reviewer commented on the implausibility of the Romanov connection. That aspect of the book fascinated me so much that I started researching Alexei Romanov. I've read several books on him, found extensive info on the Internet and found out the connection isn't so implausible after all. Let's just say, it's true, fact is stranger than fiction!
This book is definitely worth the read. You'll laugh & cry & cheer!

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