Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie - Charie D. La Marr

8:50 pm 10 December 2013

Book – Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie

Author – Charie D. La Marr

Publication Date – December 6, 2013

Type – Stand Alone (short stories)

Genre – Humor, Shock Factor

Rating – 4 out of 5 Stars

Book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis

Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie is a book of short stories in a brand new genre—Circuspunk. It contains 26 stories about the circus, carnivals, sideshows, midways and fairs featuring clowns, magicians, freaks, carnies and the crazy cast of characters that go along with them.

“This ain't your mama's roller coaster ride! That is unless your mama does acid before hitting the amusement park!” says Mimi Williams, author of Beautiful Monster.

“Hate clowns or love them, you are going to enjoy reading her zany and sometimes poignant look at a world we both love,” adds Jim Rose of the Jim Rose Circus and author of Freaks Like Me.

This is a wild ride of stories that begins with the rape of a circus poodle by one of the show’s rescue mutts and doesn’t let up until an overweight daredevil Elvis impersonator becomes a circus stuntman—diving 35 feet into a flaming kiddie pool of water. In between, the combination of satire, splatter and the wild and wacky will have you laughing, with brief respites of stories that will touch your heart and make you think.

A professional clown for 9 years, Ms. La Marr tells it like it is, like it should be and like those of you who with clown phobia would like it to be. Put on your rubber nose, put your big shoes up on the coffee table and enjoy Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie.

The first Circuspunk book ever!

Review

OMG – I don’t even know how to start this review or get out everything I want to say…..I had soooo much fun with this….and I never imagined in a million years that I would. When the author approached me about this book, I was hesitant at first because I didn’t think it was my normal genre of books. I am so happy I gave it a chance because there were times my sides felt like they were gonna split with the sarcastic humor from the author!!

“Circuspunk” - combine humor, satire, shock factor, exaggeration, sarcasm and splatterpunk genres while telling stories about carnivals, circuses and traveling shows – all of this together is “Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie”.

What I liked most about this book are the different stories – I think if the author tried to write a book about the shenanigans from one circus troupe, it wouldn’t have held my attention like this book did. I do have a feeling there may have been some stories in this book that are based somewhat on the truth and experiences of the author while she performed at the circus. What I’m trying to say is that there is a bit a truth in there with an extreme amount of exaggeration built around the story (or I really hope so…cause it would be shocking if this isn't the case).

Think about it – we are getting a bunch of stories here from a “seasoned” clown and what it’s like on the inside. How many of us are there who are petrified of clowns or know someone who is. Yeah, my son is deathly afraid of clowns and he is 24 years old (sorry TJ). I used to take my kids every year to B & B Ringling Bros. Circus until that fateful night when my father was watching “Killer Clowns from Outer Space” and my son snuck upstairs (granted he was only around 5 at the time). When I heard the whining…I found him in a fetal position against a corner rocking back and forth while my father laughed his ass off. Poor TJ – we never stopped after that episode – he got porcelain clowns from other family members for presents – we didn’t tell him about Pennywise when he got older and had a “family night” of watching “It” on VHS. To this day, TJ does not feel comfortable around clowns……I think I may get him to read this book to try and overcome his fear of clowns! Yeah – we are a sadistic family

Honestly though, there were a few stories I didn’t connect with, but what does that matter when each story is only a few pages long. If I got to a story I couldn’t connect with, I knew a new story was right around the corner.

Read about a contortionist who wants to perform “oral sex” on himself and about a junior at Harvard who wants to be a rodeo clown. Read more about the stories of a multi-millionaire who gives up everything to be a clown and about 2 female clowns battling it out for prime spot in the parade. I think my favorite was the story of a trailer trash family who win tickets to the circus and their idea of a good time. You will also learn some of the slang of the “Big Top”! Just have to throw in there that “Bumping Noses” and “Cherry Pie” have meanings you learn in the book.