In these years Schulz really gains a lot of confidence and the experimental tweaking of gags and characters begin to truly pay off. There are some great debuts in this collection, but the craftsmanship of the strips is evident even in the strips that, at first glance, could have appeared in any of his late '50s strips.

 

I love sharing my favorite strips, but its a little labor intensive, so from now on I'll skip it unless the spirit moves me. (le sigh).

 

Debuts! I can't believe it took over eight years for Schulz to give Lucy her Psychiatric Help booth (the rate was 5 cents even then)! Linus simply can't get a break, on top of Snoopy's continued depredation, his grandmother confiscates his blanket for the first time, and he has his faith tested by the Great Pumpkin.

 

Of course, the biggest change is the introduction of Sally. We hear about her being born and, much like toddler Lucy and baby Linus, quickly grows up.

 

The original Patty doesn't get much love, even though she was one of the original three Peanuts characters. I remember reading a reference that Schulz got tired of drawing her tartan dress. I'm glad she got the cover at least once.

 

Complete Peanuts

 

Next: 'Volume Six: 1961-1962'

 

Previous: 'Volume Four: 1957-1958'

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle I found a copy of this book in a Little Free Library a while ago. I'd never heard of the series before, but was intrigued that it was written by Whoopi Goldberg. This is the first Sugar Plum Ballerinas book I have read. While it is probably better to read the books in order, this one can be easily understood as a standalone. There are a few references to events in the previous books, but no background information is necessary to read this book. Overall, I found the book entertaining. It had a good premise and I liked the message at the end. In all honesty, Epatha drove me crazy. Pretty much the first rule in ballet is that you have to do each movement a certain way. I was kicked out of ballet class as a kid and even I know that. The fact she thinks she can be a world-famous ballerina without having figured out this rule is beyond me. Her character was pretty irritating and a bit of a jerk. But I think the lesson was handled well by the end of the book. The writing is very simple, but still entertaining. It was also nice that illustrations were included since I was unfamiliar with the other characters.  This was a good easy read.

Well, this was fun. The style of the book immediately reminded me of the scene in one of my favourite Goldberg films Jumping Jack Flash, where her character, Terry Doolittle, is injected with a truth serum and can't stop herself from commenting on everything that is going on around her.

 

I loved that scene, but I can see how the train-of-thought approach to writing might not be to everyone's tastes.

 

Nevertheless, this was a book I really enjoyed. Goldberg is honest and forthcoming, to the point that she does admit that she had the help of a co-author when writing this, her first ever, book.

 

The sad aspect of the book of course is that many of the issues she writes about in this mixture of biography and social commentary are still relevant 20 years after the original publication in 1997.

 

This book sat in my audible wishlist for months. I had a feeling it would be good because, Whoopi, but you just never know. So when this and another wishlist item became available 2-for-1, I jumped on it. I am not disappointed in my choice; this book was phenomenal!

Whoopi is, obviously, funny but she's also insightful and on-point with everything she says in this book. Don't conform to what society or relatives want for you if it is not what you want for yourself. Relationships don't have to be something you want, and if they are, you have to be willing to work for them. This touches on so much about being the person you are and want to be, and not who you or others think you should be. It's about being honest not only with yourself but with the people you choose to spend time with. If you're only after a fling, then that's what you should state from the beginning. You have to protect yourself, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't look to protect the heart of the one you're with.

It's about honesty, and love and compassion not only for the people in your life, but for yourself as well. You have to love yourself and be a whole person before you can even consider sharing a life with someone. And of course, what works for some, won't work for others.

And she doesn't only speak on romantic relationships, she speaks of friendship, and familial relations as well. There are so many more things she speaks on, but I don't want to give it all away. As a person who as been in a relationship with the same man for 23 years, I found that I could appreciate and relate to everything in this book.

This was very refreshing! I recommend anyone who is struggling within themselves or their relationships to read this. Or just read it if you want a very frank and honest point-of-view about life and relationships.