Super Pop! Blog Tour + Giveaway

Title: Super Pop!: Pop Culture Top Ten Lists to Help You Win at Trivia, Survive in the Wild, and Make It Through the Holidays
Author: Daniel Harmon
Publisher: Zest Books, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Tahleen here! Here at The Broke and the Bookish, you know we like top ten lists. This book fits right in with our penchant for listing, and adds a large dollop of humor at that. Well, more than a dollop I guess. It was pretty hilarious all the way through.

Daniel Harmon goes through five parts in his compendium, which include "Be More Interesting," "Get Smart(er), "Stop Doing It Wrong," "Find Happiness," and "Survive the Holidays." In each section he has a wealth of pop culture information in the form of lists, all listed in no particular order. He goes really into detail too, with very specific lists like "Sleep With the Fishes: The Ten Best Places to Find Your Spirit Animal" and "Drink the Kool-Aid: Touchstones for Quirky, Like-Minded People." Harmon proves himself to be a pretty quirky and incredibly knowledgeable guy himself, though he admits in the intro that he hasn't seen/read/listened to/etc all of the items he talks about.

What really impressed me was how carefully he chose which form of a story to place on each list, be it in its original novel form, its movie form, or television form. He has concrete reasons for each item he chooses.

On the other hand, I'm not really sure this is a great book for teens, just because there is so much on that list that they might not have seen yet. Granted, I work with tweens mostly, so what do I know, but I personally didn't know many of the items because they were before my time—I can imagine it would be the same for those younger than me. Ultimately I would say this is probably a fantastic book for 20-somethings, and a pretty good choice for some, but not all, teens. Thankfully, there are many recent items as well as throwbacks, so it balances out pretty well in the end. Plus, he talks about some YA books! (Though I disagreed with his observations of 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher—calling a book about morals made me want to gag a little, even if it's kind of true.)

I think the best thing about this book is you can leave it anywhere in your house and someone will probably pick it up and read it when they're bored. It's got pretty much everything. Great for the coffee table! (Or bathroom, but I didn't say it.)

In the spirit of Super Pop!, I've created my own top ten list!

Top Ten Movies for Kids Who Grew Up in the '90s

1. Heavyweights, because it is hilarious and is so incredibly quotable. Plus, Judd Apatow was a writer.

2. Troop Beverly Hills, though this was made in the late '80s and I am probably one of the few people who actually own a DVD copy of this today.

3. Beethoven, because who doesn't love a giant, slobbery St. Bernard with a heart of gold?

4. Mrs. Doubtfire, during Robin Williams' golden years. Oh hey, Matthew Lawrence, didn't think I'd see you here.

5. The Sandlot, FOR-EV-VER. The best baseball movie ever. Maybe. Definitely.

6. The Little Giants, since we're talking about sports movies. Don't tell me Devon Sawa wasn't adorable, and Becky the Icebox could totally kick your ass. Who doesn't love an underdog story?

7. Jurassic Park, because this was like the first PG-13 movie I saw and it was SCARY. And AWESOME. And it's still awesome today, 20 years later. I just showed this to my tweens at the library and they loved it. Dinosaurs, man.

8. Any Adam Sandler movie, even though we were probably not really allowed to watch it. I'm pretty sure every one I saw in the '90s was at a friends house or while my parents weren't paying close enough attention. Like, Billy Madison was definitely something my mom probably would never have let me watch. (Thanks Joanne and Joanne's mom!)

9. Home Alone, because everyone knew Macauly Culkin didn't like that aftershave but no one knew why. Also, now we know what to do if we have intruders in our home. (Obviously only wimps call the cops immediately.)

10. And because I like sports movies, I'm finishing off with The Mighty Ducks. quack. Quack. QUACK. QUACK! QUACK!! QUACK!!! Like I said, I like underdogs.

You should totally check out the other stops on the Super Pop! blog tour.

Want to win a signed copy for yourself or a friend? Enter here! 

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Tahleen reviews: "mental_floss: The Book"

Title: mental_floss: The Book
Editors: Ethan Trex, Will Pearson, and Mangesh Hattikudur
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011

Rating: ★★★★★

Have you ever wondered if Tang was really invented by NASA? How many pounds of bananas the average American eats in a year? Whether Harper Lee, F. Scott Fitzgerald or George Orwell almost named their seminal classics different titles? You will find all that out and WAY WAY more in mental_floss: The Book. This is the perfect book for trivia enthusiasts, coffee tables, and bathrooms alike.

I haven't read through the whole thing yet, as there are many many lists within this pretty thick volume, but this is a book that I could pick up at any random moment in time and open up anywhere. I would enjoy it regardless. I personally enjoy trivia and little-known facts about celebrities, past presidents and politicians, and history. Who knew John Quincy Adams liked skinny dipping so much? Or that Lucille Ball was fired from her job at an ice cream parlor for forgetting bananas in a banana split?

I quite enjoyed the little tidbit about the Smoot; those native to the Boston area will know what I'm talking about. (It's a unit of measurement, sort of. You'll see.)

The lists are organized into subjects like "10 Food Lists That Will Make Your Mouth Water," "10 Lists to Read Before Naming Your Child, Company, or Alter-Ego," and "10 Lists to Lighten the Mood at the E.R." There really is something for everybody in here. You might be interested in every single list, but there is more than enough to compensate for the parts you find a bit boring.

If you're stuck on last-minute presents or just need something to pass the time without getting completely caught up in a plot, this is your answer.

And one more thing! HarperCollins is going to give away a copy of mental_floss: The Book to one of you! Please fill out the form below by 11:59 p.m. EST on December 30 if you'd like a chance to win (sorry, I know, it's too late to get it for the holidays, but you'll probably want to keep it anyway).

Some rules:

You must be 13 or older to enter.
Only one entry per person.
You must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.



Disclosure: The publisher sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.