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Anything Goes; The Autobiography by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman, reviewed by Ron Klopfanstein

I couldn’t wait to read Anything Goes the autobiography of John Barrowman who plays Captain Jack. As a fan I hoped to read a story about a man who was as charismatic, charming and dynamic as the character he plays on TV and I was not disappointed. Read More

Also featured: The Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnson and The McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes by the Editors of McSweeney’s with an Introduction by John Hodgman

Index of Books Featured

Anything Goes; The Autobiography by John Barrowman and Carol E. Barrowman

The Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnson

The McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes by the Editors of McSweeney’s with an Introduction by John Hodgman

Anything Goes; The Autobiography by John Barrowman and Carole E. Barrowman, reviewed by Ron Klopfanstein

While this year’s mid-season writer’s strike interrupted our favorite national pastime American viewers discovered an unexpected surprise by turning to BBC America and finding Torchwood, a fantastic science fiction drama that more than fills the void left when The X-Files went off the air six years ago.

Every episode of Torchwood is an action packed adventure against a backdrop of a sci-fi time traveling mystery as interesting as that of Lost. The characters in Torchwood weave an emotionally compelling tangle of sexual tension, rivalry and gut-wrenching emotion. Each are complicated flawed heroes who are dazzling to watch, and impossible to forget. This is especially true of John Barrowman’s character, Captain Jack Harkness TV’s most dashing hero-on either side of the Atlantic.

I couldn’t wait to read Anything Goes, John Barrowman’s autobiography. As a fan I hoped to read a story about a man who was as charismatic, charming and as dynamic as the character he plays on TV and I was not disappointed. John Barrowman has “skied in the Alps, snowboarded in the Rockies, driven fast cars in Monte Carlo, sailed the Aegean, dived in the Caribbean, flown on the Concorde multiple times and kite-surfed across the Straits of Gibraltar…” and that’s just part of one paragraph in this book!

In High School his guidance counselor told him he needed a “plan B” in case he didn’t make it in entertainment. He told her that he didn’t need a “plan B” declaring “if I fall back on anything, it’ll be my ass.” He was right. He had the talent, the drive and certainly the looks to prove it and he takes the reader along for the ride in Anything Goes. John Barrowman’s sexiness, audacity and sense of humor really fuel this story and make the reader feel like he’s speaking directly to them. John’s had an exciting climb to stardom and he shares with the reader all the intriguing and bodaciously fun anecdotes.

John is also much-admired in real life as a role model for the gay community. On-screen there is no character with a healthier attitude toward sexuality than the happily bi-sexual Captain Jack. Off screen, John Barrowman is rightly credited with considerable bravery for being a public and proud gay man. Anything Goes describes his successful relationship with his partner Scott Gill culminating in a civil commitment ceremony, as well as his personal growth toward embracing his sexuality.

In reading Anything Goes I felt as if I were getting to know John Barrowman, and finding him to be as exciting, inspiring and sexy as I hoped he would be.

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The Custodian of Paradise by Wayne Johnston, reviewed by Denise Klopfanstein

Feilding’s father loved her mother,

But Feilding’s mother loved another.

The man who Feilding’s mother married.

Was not the man who child she carried.

This mocking children’s rhyme is the mystery that will keep readers turning the pages in The Custodian of Paradise, a novel by Wayne Johnston. Sheilagh Fielding has spent her life buffeted by weak men; the distant man who raised her, yet embarrassed by her size which he deemed proof that he wasn’t her father; the boy who impregnated her with twins when she was 14; her mother’s husband who took Sheilagh’s children to raise as his own; the diminutive impoverished boy who she came to love and most of all, the mysterious man who only communicated with her through letters, calling himself her provider which both terrified and comforted her.

Spending her life in solitude, she finds relief through writing caustic articles about the men who have intersected her life. “I write to the point where not another word will come, go out and walk for miles, read until my eyes begin to close, then try to sleep. I nod off momentarily, then wake as though someone has just burst into the room.”

Sheilagh is herself a richly drawn character with a striking physical presence. She is 6’3” tall and has a withered leg on which she wears a built-up boot. Fueled by alcohol, with and intelligence, she limps through the dark streets of World War II Newfoundland by night saying nothing, seeing everything.

Sheilagh Fielding is an unlikely hero. Readers will cheer for her, worry about her and think about her long after she meets her Provider and unravels the mystery of her life.

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The McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes by the Editors of McSweeney’s with an Introduction by John Hodgman, reviewed by Ron Klopfanstein

The McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes is the kind of book that will compel you to read sections out loud to whomever will listen.

This book is filled with wild, wonderful and hilarious essays: a bitter office worker writes a seething running commentary complaining about the co-worker in the next cubicle, Winnie-the-Pooh and Lady MacBeth’s midnight wanderings are explained by her use of Ambien. In the funniest piece I have read this year, Grendel’s Mother first takes on the manager at ShopRite over a store policy limiting coupon use then fumes watching Tom Cruise go off the deep end on Oprah.

Some of the other essays that make up this book include “Social Security Denies Gregor Samsa’s Disability Claim”, “Dateline: To Catch A Predator: Humbert Humbert”, “Klingon Fairy Tales”, “Celebirty Biographies Written By A Guy Who Cannot Distinguish Fiction From Reality” and “Rough Drafts of Jenna Bush’s Young-Adult Novel”. Each one is carried off with the perfect tone for maximum comedic impact.

You’ll recommend The McSweeney’s Joke Book of Book Jokes to everyone you know, you’ll want to give copies as gifts and you will want to bookmark favorite sections so that you can go back and reread them whenever you need to laugh. Buy this book.

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