It’s New Year’s Eve! I love New Year’s Eve–now that I’m married and don’t have to wonder when my prince will come and now that I have someone to kiss at midnight every year. It’s the best.
Today I’m cracking the whip and getting the kids to clean up the Christmas bomb that exploded all over our house. Man, what a tremendous mess. Beautiful, but messy.
But I have to take a break from cleaning (big sacrifice) to post because I just received a late Christmas gift–in the form of a super-nice review of BIG IN JAPAN on the Logan (Utah) Library website. Here’s a link to it, but I’ll post the whole text of it here, just for the joy of it.
Review by: Janet Kay Jensen (Logan Library)
Mild-mannered Texan Buck Cooper is obese and lonely, and he feels unappreciated and overlooked at the workplace. However, a visit to Japan with his parents changes all of that. Buck attends a Sumo wrestling match where, thanks to a chance appearance on a Jumbo Tron TV screen, he’s briefly transformed from spectator to participant, and the crowd loves him. Imagine a 400-pound blond American engaging in Japan’s favorite national sport! Buck finds himself suddenly propelled into the real world of sumo wrestling. And what a world it is. For the first time in his life, Buck finds that his size is not a disadvantage, and through rigorous training and grueling matches, he works his way up to the highest level of the sport. But is this new life of fame and adoration worth it? Buck Cooper’s accidental journey into sumo wrestling superstardom is fascinating and laugh-out-loud funny. The reader also gains an inside view into the world of the sport, which we soon learn is not for the faint of heart. Like any sport, it has its dark side. Through Griffith’s lively description we also gain a vivid glimpse into the culture of Japan. The fast-paced plot of Big in Japan has plenty of surprising twists as well as engaging moments of hilarity and poignancy. Softhearted Buck emerges as a gritty, tough and memorable hero. I highly recommend Big in Japan by Jennifer Stewart Griffith. Two thumbs up!
Late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me! And many thanks to Janet Jensen for reading and reviewing. I love readers. And I love reviewers! And I love Christmas. And I love New Year’s Eve. And New Year’s Day. And the Rose Parade. And the holidays. And all these bomb-detonating kids. It’s a beautiful time, and I’m savoring every day.
