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1 out of 2 found this helpful: Better Than Where's Wally
Review: Where's Bin Laden?
 
I'm a sucker for pop culture and parodies - so I simply could not resist buying this rip off of Where's Wally.
In many ways, this book is similar to the Where's Wally series. You get a picture with lots of similar colours so that it's hard to find people. There's a list of other main characters to find... and a checklist at the back for when you're really bored.
This is also a lot more harder than Where's Wally - and here's why. Bin Laden is not always wearing the same clothes!! A lot of the time, he wears clothes which blend into the environment. I've found that the only way to truly identify him is to check the nose, eyebrows, beard and skin colour against the original drawing.
Of course, this isn't a book for children to go flipping through unattended - there are several adult themed references and graphic/gory scenes (you have to look for a guard who is impaled by a fence in one scene). But it is a great deal of fun - and I enjoy it and find it a greater challenge than Where's Wally.
Still, I'd buy the book anyway to set on my coffee table as a conversation piece. Even if you don't feel like looking for Bin Laden, the illustrations are awesome to look at.
2006-12-08 10:06 | comment
Get Fuzzy Gets Garfield's Throne
Review: The Dog Is Not a Toy
If you like Garfield, you will love Get Fuzzy. Similar premise where you have the smart aleck cat (Bucky), dumb dog (Satchel) and long suffering owner (Rob) ... only cooler.
Satchel is not so much stupid, as he is dopey and slow. Odie on the other hand, simply stands around, doing basically nothing until Garfield terrorises him (usually by kicking him off the table or something). Satchel actually talks and interacts with the other characters - and it is in his well-intentioned gestures and words that we see his naivete.... and Bucky try to manipulate it to his advantage.
Bucky... what can I say? He makes Garfield look like an absolute saint. Garfield is more a sarcastic cynic than a troublemaker. Bucky, on the other hand.... is DEMONIC. Sweat shop soccer balls (made by Satchel, all profits to Bucky) anyone? Bucky's 99% bravado - he sincerely believes he is smarter, stronger.. and well, better than everyone else. He constantly talks of eating capuchins and assorted wildlife... but he's the first to run up the curtain at the sight of a rat. He asserts that he is not an imbecile - he doesn't even know what it means!!
Rob has a certain amount of control over his pets - more than John anyway... but not enough to evade the hijinks that come with owning Bucky. Rob is not the pushover that John is, and in my opinion, is a lot more entertaining to watch.
Get Fuzzy is definitely worthy of being the next in line for Garfield's throne.
PS: I also enjoy looking out for the popculture references drawn into the strips. I hope you do too.
2006-11-23 08:34 | comment
Better than Prada
Review: The Nanny Diaries
This book reminds me of the Devil Wears Prada. Possibly because Mrs X is more or less the Nanny Diaries' equivalent of Miranda Priestly. She may have started out somewhat neutral at the start of the novel, but deterriorates into a fully fledged nightmare of a boss by the end.
However, I did enjoy this book more than the Devil Wears Prada. Although, this might be due solely to the fact that it involves playgrounds and kids and not a bitchy fashion magazine and it's fashionista minions.
Additionally, the protagonist does seem to come into contact with a variety of characters and situations. The doting family, the hip grandma, the coked up playmate's mother... all make for interesting reading.
That said, while this book is entertaining it's one of those light books which you're not meant to buy from the shops. You're simply meant to borrow it, read it once then just reminisce about it as you start another lightweight chick read.
It would be interesting to see whether Hollywood fluff it up ala Devil Wears Prada in the movie version.
2006-11-23 08:23 | comment
Eleven Minutes in 5 hours
Review: Eleven Minutes
Spoiler warning: key plot disclosed
 It's ok, show me the full review.
2006-08-27 08:41 | comment
Prada Not Neccessarily Brava
Review: The Devil Wears Prada
Spoiler warning: key plot disclosed
It's ok, show me the full review.
2006-06-17 06:54 | comment
Belissimo!
Review: The Food of Love
Spoiler warning: key plot disclosed
It's ok, show me the full review.
2006-06-14 10:31 | comment
1 out of 1 found this helpful: So So
Review: The Catsitters
Spoiler warning: key plot disclosed
It's ok, show me the full review.
2006-05-06 12:18 | comment
2 out of 2 found this helpful: The Real Memoirs of a Geisha
Review: Geisha of Gion
Quick background info: Mineko Iwasaki was the geisha who Arthur Golden used for his best-selling novel. However, angered by his representation of the geisha world, and his breach of promised anonymity, Iwasaki penned her own biography - Geisha of Gion.
This is a must read for anyone interested in Japanese Culture, particularly following the popularity of the Memoirs of a Geisha movie. Geisha of Gion provides a truthful contrast to Golden's fiction,which, while beautifully written does not do justice to the world of geishas.
2006-02-26 06:57 | comment
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