tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post586498525810236958..comments2023-11-03T09:36:40.604-04:00Comments on Top Shelf: Top Shelf Review: Cold-Cocked: On HockeyHeather B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796852014625052317noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-3202553877629905512008-03-27T13:45:00.000-04:002008-03-27T13:45:00.000-04:00Sue, I love that you learned to skate late in life...Sue, I love that you learned to skate late in life! I keep saying I'm going to but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe my ankle heals up I'll finally take a swing at it.<BR/><BR/>I did love the "What Would You Do with Todd Bertuzzi for a Day?" section. It was funny and interesting. I actually meant to mention it and totally forgot!Heather B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06796852014625052317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-74205617385292964602008-03-27T13:37:00.000-04:002008-03-27T13:37:00.000-04:00Given all the rave reviews I thought I’d love Cold...Given all the rave reviews I thought I’d love Cold Cocked. Like Jackson, I consider myself a past prime 50 year old who is passionate about hockey. I’m also divorced, live on a farm, and have great kids so I should have lapped this book up. <BR/><BR/>I’m not a writer so maybe this is unfair but the writing seemed stilted and forced to me. I also found Jackson’s stream of conscious discussions on her life and her views on hockey too introspective and self-absorbed. Most of all I found myself wanting her to stop living her life through others (her daughter, father, Markus Naslund) and start living life for herself. <BR/><BR/>This isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy some parts. I thought the perspectives on what to do with Todd B. were funny. At other points, I wasn’t sure that this was a book about hockey at all. As for the bit about women not wanting to be players… well, here’s someone who learned to skate (badly) late in life – and who sometimes gets up enough speed to feel the cold air whip around her face so that tears weep from her eyes and for that one instant… she could be … well, let’s not embarrass ourselves! <BR/><BR/>Back to the point. I’m glad Cold Cocked resonated with many readers. It just didn’t work for me.Sue Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04994412954556049722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-85739509877412051562008-03-26T02:04:00.000-04:002008-03-26T02:04:00.000-04:00Dayna, I think that's a totally valid reason to be...Dayna, I think that's a totally valid reason to be having trouble with the book. Not long after I first started really following hockey I read Ken Dryden's <I>The Game</I> because I'd repeatedly heard it was one of the best hockey books ever written. And while I did enjoy his style of writing, I was totally clueless as to who he was talking about, what the league was like at the time, the politics of Canada etc. I might enjoy it more now, I don't know.<BR/><BR/>Jen, it did take me a very long time to read it. I read it in little chunks here and there. I'm interested in hearing what you think if you ever get through it :-DHeather B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06796852014625052317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-81403397218493151512008-03-26T01:43:00.000-04:002008-03-26T01:43:00.000-04:00I'm attempting to currently read this book and I'm...I'm attempting to currently read this book and I'm not having much luck. The prologue has me totally disinterested and I'm dreading having to finish it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-43657124974857085002008-03-24T15:28:00.000-04:002008-03-24T15:28:00.000-04:00I'm currently reading "Cold-Cocked" as well, thoug...I'm currently reading "Cold-Cocked" as well, though lately it's taken a backseat to school work, but I'm having a hard time with it. I think that part of the thing for me is that during the season that Jackson is describing, I wasn't a fan at all. Hockey wasn't on my radar then, the only NHL I've really experienced is the "new" NHL. <BR/><BR/>I also find it a bit disjointed, but I'm still reading it and I haven't gotten that far in, so I can't really judge yet. Thanks for your review though, I find it interesting to see how different people are reading and interpreting this book.Daynahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07407946919845123791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-17447314717294687692008-03-24T12:08:00.000-04:002008-03-24T12:08:00.000-04:00Sam, I definitely wouldn't say Cold-Cocked was bad...Sam, I definitely wouldn't say <I>Cold-Cocked</I> was bad. When the book is about hockey I think it's interesting and smart, even when I don't necessarily agree with it. I can totally imagine, btw, that it would be tough to work for a hockey team particularly when you're in the same age group as a lot of the players. Oh, and also, if you want to read my copy, we can arrange that. I'll email you!<BR/><BR/>Sherry, I suppose having no athletic ability would be a wrench in any plans to play a sport professionally :-D I do get what Jackson was doing with all the stuff about her life, I think, I just thought that sometimes the transitions from her personal life to the hockey world were rough.<BR/><BR/>Caitlin, yeah, I kept waiting for the rest of you slackers over there to review the book :P Since you already have a copy of the book I do think it's probably worth reading when you do have time. I'd like to see how much you agree or disagree with Cat's take.<BR/><BR/>Kate, Ryan Miller in a shower cap would be your author photo, right? And knowing that you'd probably read my book I'd be sure to include a chapter called "101 REASONS WHY RYAN MILLER WILL NOT BE A RED WING IN 2009." :-DHeather B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06796852014625052317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-58174300835127917862008-03-24T11:42:00.000-04:002008-03-24T11:42:00.000-04:00One of my favorite fellow bloggers is Kate of The ...<I>One of my favorite fellow bloggers is Kate of The Willful Caboose and while we're both smart, reasonably insightful fans of hockey (in my oh so humble opinion :P) I think it's pretty safe to say that if we both wrote books about following the Sabres they'd be two very different books.</I><BR/><BR/>Aww, thanks Heather! (And you're right. Our books <I>would</I> be different. Yours would be good, and mine would have <I>at least</I> one chapter devoted to Ryan Miller in a shower cap. :P)Katebitshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12364106843885805603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-31886038533323963312008-03-24T10:26:00.000-04:002008-03-24T10:26:00.000-04:00Heather, I've read exactly one page of this book a...Heather, I've read exactly one page of this book and my consensus (so far) has been nearly the same of yours. There's a lot of stuff I quibble with just off the first page and the back of the book. <BR/><BR/>I haven't had a chance to read it yet, because life's been so busy, we've all been trying to pass it around to one another -- one book and three girls doesn't for timely reviews make. Or something like that.<BR/><BR/>I didn't grow up a hockey fan, I grew up in a household of football fans and I can tell you that I wanted to grow up to play football like Daryl Johnston <I>so badly</I> that it wasn't even funny.<BR/><BR/>And nowadays, I really want to learn how to play hockey.Caitlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16209934015870076443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-54929140517698440922008-03-24T09:08:00.000-04:002008-03-24T09:08:00.000-04:00Hear, hear on the "I'M A LADY BLOGGER!" front. Be...Hear, hear on the "I'M A LADY BLOGGER!" front. Before blogging I never felt any pressure to be constantly assessing my fandom through the lens of being a female fan. I'm just a fan, you know? <BR/><BR/>I have to say, that blurb about women not wanting to grow up playing the game would make me put that book down before starting it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-63545257164105000552008-03-23T15:02:00.000-04:002008-03-23T15:02:00.000-04:00Great review, Heather B. I enjoyed it even though ...Great review, Heather B. I enjoyed it even though you had a bit of a different take on it than I did, haha.<BR/><BR/>I have to admit that there were parts where I honestly felt like I was reading two books but at the same time I sort of understand why she did that. I think she was trying to place where she was in her life with what was going on in hockey at the time. I appreciated it because I do the same thing as well.<BR/><BR/>I have to agree with you on the whole "I'M A LADY BLOGGER" thing as well. It's not something I flaunt or proclaim because I think when people do that I feel like maybe it does create more division. You're almost asking people to read your thoughts differently because if you make it a big deal people will as well. I think that's something we try to limit over at HLOG too just because while when it first started there were only a handful of female bloggers, now it's a common occurrence and it's something we're glad to be a part of. <BR/><BR/>Sorry, that was also a bit of a personal rant. I have to agree with you on the whole 'never wanted to be a player' thing too. When I was a kid I daydreamed about being the first female player in the NHL but as I grew up reality set in. Mostly due to when I realized I obviously have no athletic ability whatsoever.Miss. Scarletthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12551436696307039718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6099439052359653516.post-90555924936101167842008-03-23T13:47:00.000-04:002008-03-23T13:47:00.000-04:00hmm, I'd have to read the book. ALl I know is that...hmm, I'd have to read the book. ALl I know is that it can't possibly be as bad as <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Girlfriends-Guide-Hockey-Teena-Spencer/dp/1552096408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206293754&sr=8-1" REL="nofollow">The Girlfriend's Guide to Hockey</A> which made me want to claw my eyes out. (I reviewed it <A HREF="http://slysom.livejournal.com/21276.html" REL="nofollow">Here</A> if you feel like torturing yourself)<BR/><BR/>I didn't grow up caring about any sports. My dad likes baseball and football but there was never any sort of rabid fandom around the house, until my older sister and I discovered hockey. I was 12. There is a story there, maybe I'll get arond to posting it soon in my blog, but yeah, we'll just say that when I did finally discover hcokey, I WANTED TO PLAY! And if it had been possible in any way (it wasn't there weren't many hockey teams in Dayton OH and we didn't have the kind of money needed) I would have played. So I'm with you there. <BR/><BR/>ANd anyone who thinks it is hard to be taken seriously as a female hockey FAN (and we all know it can be at times) should try working for a minor league hockey team as a female. Yeah, people just ASSUME (and this includes some of the players) that you are there for one reason and it's not the hockey. It gets really old having to prove over and over again that it's about the GAME and not the boys. (now I'm the first to admit that I find many a hockey player attractive, but I'm also the first to admit that I find many a guy in general attractive. It happens) That is NOT why I wanted to (and still want to) work for a hockey team. It's about the game. <BR/><BR/>Sorry, personal rant. ;) Thanks for the book review, I'll see if I can find it!S.A.M.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17506479286542011522noreply@blogger.com