Wordless Wednesday 309
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Reading, Thinking, Photographing
I know almost all of you have read or listened to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl (click the link for my review). It was the physiological thriller of the year when it was first published. It's thus no surprise that the novel has been adapted for the silver screen; the plot is perfect movie fodder.
In case you're concerned about how closely the movie will follow the book, here's a clue: the screenplay was written by Flynn herself, so you know the essence of the characters and the story have been preserved. The film (from Twentieth Century Fox) is directed by David Fincher (House of Cards, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris.
For those who you don't know the story, here's the studio's description:
The couple at the center of the story—former New York writer Nick Dunne and his formerly “cool girl” wife Amy, now trying to make ends meet in the mid-recession Midwest—have all the sinuous outer contours of contemporary marital bliss. But on the occasion of their 5th wedding anniversary, Amy goes missing—and those contours crack into a maze of fissures. Nick becomes the prime suspect, shrouded in a fog of suspicious behavior. Amy becomes the vaunted object of a media frenzy as the search for her, dead or alive, plays out before the eyes of a world thirsting for revelations.From the trailer, it looks like the match of characters to actors is perfect. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see the movie when it comes out on October 3.
As many of you know, I was lucky enough to be invited to watch the filming of The Best of Me, a movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel that will be in theaters on October 17. Thanks to Relativity Media, I flew down to New Orleans, met up with other bloggers, and was treated to a day of making silver screen magic.
I have a lot share about what I learned while on the set of The Best of Me. I loved the setting and learning about how movies are created, and I was fortunate enough to be part of a group interview for all four stars plus author Nicholas Sparks.
What's The Best of Me all about and who are those mysterious four stars? Here's a synopsis from the studio:
Based on the bestselling novel by acclaimed author Nicholas Sparks, The Best of Me tells the story of Dawson (Luke Bracey / James Marsden) and Amanda (Liana Liberato / Michelle Monaghan), two former high school sweethearts who find themselves reunited after 20 years apart, when they return to their small town for the funeral of a beloved friend. Their bittersweet reunion reignites the love they've never forgotten, but soon they discover the forces that drove them apart 20 years ago live on, posing even more serious threats today. Spanning decades, this epic love story captures the enduring power of our first true love and the wrenching choices we face when confronted with elusive second chances. [Directed by Michael Hoffman]Today I'm going to talk about the movie production and the location. On Friday I will share the best moments of the interviews, including photos of the stars and stills from the movie itself. Let's get started with a look at the NOLA skyline from my hotel room and photo of the bloggers after a long morning on the set. (To see the photos full size, click on the image. Use the back button in your browser to return to the post)
Jumbo Gulf shrimp in a New Orleans style BBQ sauce spiked with local beer and served over stone ground chévre grits.After dinner, it was time to return to the hotel, pack, and get a good night's sleep before heading back to the real world. Thanks so much to Relativity Media for this exciting opportunity. And thanks to Jawbone for the very cool wrist pedometer; what a great way to keep track of my fitness goals.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
Good
thing I do not have very strict rules about what I'm willing to
read. If I did, I might not have given JoJo Moyes's delightful One Plus One a try.
Although
I'm not a dedicated fan of contemporary women's fiction, I need to
remember that some authors, like Moyes, can take the basic formula and
create something fresh. The major plot points may offer few surprises,
but the journey from one stop to the next is where to find the heart of
this novel.
What's all about? Hardworking but
poor Jess Thomas remains upbeat and hopeful even after her husband
leaves her to raise their math-whiz daughter and his Goth-silent son all
on her own. When ten-year-old Tanzie has a chance to go to private
school on a partial scholarship, Jess is tempted to do something
ethically questionable to give her daughter a bright future. Meanwhile,
successful dot-com entrepreneur Ed Nicholls is accused of insider
trading after he divulges information in a desperate attempt to break up
with a clingy girlfriend. Of course, the Thomases hook up with Ed, who
ends up driving them to Scotland so Tanzie can participate in a math
contest (the prize money would pay her remaining tuition). As you can
imagine, the road trip is full of adventures and personal growth as the
four learn to ask for both help and forgiveness.
Plotting and characters. If you boiled One Plus One
down to its bare bones you would find the typical story of girl meets
boy, girl doesn't like boy, girl falls in love with boy, girl and boy
have a misunderstanding, girl and boy finally get back together.
Fortunately, there is a lot of meat on this skeleton, and Moyes adds
depth and humor as she takes us through these phases of her newest
novel. One of Moyes's strengths is her characters, and we fall hard for
the flawed but good-hearted people who pile into Ed's car that fateful
day. We cheer on Jess, whose attitude to all problems is, "We'll sort
something out." We cross our fingers for Tanzie who loves numbers more
than people and needs a safe place to thrive. We want to protect Nicky,
who has been abandoned twice and is the target of the neighborhood
bullies. And we wish we could straighten out Ed, who is caught between
his loyalties and selfishness and never meant to do wrong. We can't wait
so see what they'll learn about themselves and each other after being
locked in a slow-moving car for days on end.
Themes, issues, things to think about.
Through the personalities of and interactions among the four main
characters, Moyes explores bullying, friendship, family, love, honesty,
ethics, the socioeconomic divide, forgiveness, and parenting. Among
several takeaway messages this may be the most prominent: No matter how
independent and self-sufficient you want to be, it's not a weakness to
ask for help when you really need it.
Overall thoughts and recommendations. Good characters, thoughtful issues, and plenty of humor make JoJo Moyes's One Plus One
the perfect weekend read. Jess and the gang remind us that it's never
too late to create the family we choose and through that family we find
our strength.
Audiobook. One Plus One is
told from multiple viewpoints, and the unabridged audiobook from Penguin
Audio (12 h, 19 min) highlights this by using four narrators (one each
for Jess, Ed, Tanzie, and Nicky). Elizabeth Bower, Ben Elliot, Nicola
Stanton, and Steven France make a great team, each one nicely conveying
his or her character's personality. All the narrators were new to me,
and I'm not sure who read which parts, but the performances blended well
together, making this an enjoyable listen.
Penguin USA / Pamela Dorman Books, 2014
ISBN-13: 9780525426585
Source: Review (both print & audio) (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)
How do you organize your books? My answer: I don't.
However,
I often mentally group my collection into broad topics or categories.
Today I want to talk about eight books I think of as having literary roots.
Some of the novels provide a different perspective on a classic, others
explore real-life people who were connected with a famous book or
author, and one resets a favorite story in contemporary times. Welcome
to this edition of Reading On Topic.
Getting Her Say
The literary connections of this pair of novels are easy to spot. In Ruth's Journey, Donald McCaig imagines the life of Mammy from Gone with the Wind.
Not only do we learn the servant's name, we discover just how she came
to Tara from her native Saint-Domingue (Haiti). McCaig focuses on Ruth's
relationship with Ellen O'Hara (Scarlett's mother) and imagines
Scarlett's childhood up to the famous barbecue at Twelve Oaks. (Simon
& Schuster / Atria; October; ISBN: 9781451643534) Juliet's Nurse, by Lois Leveen
takes us inside the home of the Cappellettis, where Angelica, mourning
the loss of her own daughter, is hired as Juliet's wet nurse. Through
the nurse's eyes, we discover the events leading up to the moment when,
fourteen years later, Juliet meets Romeo and then her tragic death.
(Simon & Schuster / Atria; September; ISBN: 9781476757445)
Who Was She?
This duo imagines the lives of five women who were well-known in the book world. In Mrs. Hemingway, Naomi Wood
gives voice to all four of the famous author's wives, and from their
perspectives we get to know the private Hemingway. Although a work of
fiction, this story of the women, their marriages, and the man they
loved is based on thorough research. (Penguin paperback; May; ISBN:
9780143124610) Can you even count the number of times you've read Goodnight Moon (to yourself or to a child)? Now ask yourself what you know about author Margaret Wise Brown. Curiosity drove Sarah Jio to explore Brown's life, and the result is the novel Goodnight June.
Based on fact and fleshed out by imagination, this novel brings the
author of the beloved book to life. (Penguin / Plume; May; ISBN:
9780142180211)
Classics Gone Mysterious
The roots of these mysteries are found in ancient Greece and medieval England. The Furies by Natalie Haynes
features an ex-actor who is mourning the death of her finance while
starting a new career. Alex, now a drama therapist, teaches the Greek
tragedies to a class of very troubled teens in attempt to help them face
their personal issues. But what happens when the kids relate a little
too closely to the stories of murder and revenge? (Macmillan / St.
Martins Press; August; ISBN: 9781250048004) In A Burnable Book, Bruce Holsinger
takes us back to the 1300s to solve a mystery surrounding a subversive
book. Geoffrey Chaucer teams up with John Grower to find the manuscript,
thereby protecting young King Richard II and saving the monarchy. Sharp
period details color the action. (HarperCollins / William Morrow
paperback; September; ISBN: 9780062240330)
A Retelling and a Return
Rounding
out this edition of Reading On Topic are a contemporary retelling of a
classic and a novel that asks, What happened next? In Sway, Kat Spears takes Cyrano de Bergerac
and sets the story in a modern high school. Every student knows that
Jesse is the go-to guy for whatever you want, so when football star Ken
asks for help to win a date with the beautiful Bridget, Jesse assumes it
will be a snap. Until, that is, he gets to know the girl and starts to
fall in love. (Macmillian / St. Martin's Griffin; September; ISBN:
9781250051431) Do you remember the ending of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? Danielle Paige
wants to know what happened after Dorothy killed the Wicked Witch of
the West and finally found a way home. Dorothy Must Die revisits an Oz in which Dorothy
has returned to rule and has let power go to her head. Can Amy--another
Kansas-native, tornado-traveling girl--undo the damage and restore Oz to
its former glory? (HarperCollins / Harper Torch; April; ISBN:
9780062280671)
Remember when I introduced you to the Scholastic Mother-Daughter Book Club for middle readers? I'm committed to featuring or reviewing all the books selected for this club because I think Scholastic has picked winning titles that have broad appeal.
Don't forget that the Scholastic book club site includes more information about the books, recipes, reading guides, and contests. The resources are perfect for book clubs, teachers, homeschoolers, and any one who wants to get more out of reading books with middle grade readers.
This month, book clubs can pick either a memoir about sisters or a story of how friends and family can be found in unlikely places.
The first selection, Raina Telgemeier's Sisters, is based on the author's memories of her early childhood. The summer before high school, Raina is about to face one of the most dreaded events in any young teen's life: a family road trip. Yes, a full week locked in an un-air-conditioned van with her little sister, Amara. What could be worse?
Both funny and thoughtful, this graphic novel paints a realistic picture of sibling relationships and the way it feels to be on the verge of young adulthood. Readers of all ages will recognize Raina's experiences at her family reunion and her love-hate moments with Amara.
Telgemeier's artwork perfectly complements her storytelling, augmenting the humor as easily as the more touching scenes. The drawings clearly show just how different (and yet the same) Raina and Amara are. The colorful panels make Sister a joy to read.
Book club members will likely have their own stories to share of a family trip or their feelings about their sisters and brothers. Other topics of discussion include family dynamics, life with pets, and the consequences of not paying attention to the people around you. More great questions can be found on the Scholastic mother-daughter book club site. The suggested recipe is for a homemade chocolate bar, which you might want to share with your family the next time you're trapped in a car with them.
In Dianna Doristi Winget's A Million Ways Home, 12-year-old Poppy Parker's life is turned upside down when her only relative and guardian, Grandma Beth, has a stroke and is hospitalized. With nowhere else to go, Poppy is put into a children's shelter while the doctors determine the chances of Beth's recovery. After sneaking out of the home to visit her grandmother, Poppy is horrified to witness to a robbery-murder.
Taken under police protection by a kindly detective, Poppy is worried about her grandmother and afraid that the criminal will track her down. To help the girl cope, the detective suggests that Poppy get involved with retraining an aggressive K-9 German shepherd. Although she makes friends and loves working with the dog, all Poppy really wants is to be reunited with her grandmother. What will happen if Beth never recovers?
Despite some sad and scary scenes, this realistic contemporary novel remains age appropriate. Young readers will find it easy to relate to Poppy's ups and downs, as the girl struggles to accept and understand everything that happens to her.
Book club discussions will revolve around the importance of listening to rules that pertain to personal safety and the many forms of families. In addition, animal lovers might want to talk about Poppy's work with the police dog. Don't forget to see the great questions on the Scholastic mother-daughter book club site. The suggested recipe is for Twinkie shortcake, which would appeal to one of Poppy's new friends.
Sisters: Scholastic / Graphix, 2014; ISBN-13: 9780545540599
A Million Ways Home: Scholoastic Press, 2014; ISBN-13: 9780545667067
Source: Review (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy).
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
You've read the book and you may have even gone to the theater to see the movie. But I bet you haven't yet seen the Little Infinities extended edition of the fabulous The Fault in Our Stars movie
I just loved both John Green's book and the amazing movie that was made from it. I haven't yet seen the extended version (I'll be watching this weekend), but I can tell you that the theatrical edition was simply outstanding.
Shailene Woodley (who plays Hazel) and Ansel Elgort (who plays Gus) have an unbelievable chemistry. Their performances are so genuine that's it hard to remember they're just acting. Hazel and Gus's relationship is sweet, and the movie is perfectly emotional, with a balance of humor, love, and sadness. The cinematography is something to be savored, especially the way the lighting is used to create the mood for many scenes. Simply beautiful.
The movie has been called "The Greatest Romance Story of this decade," and the extended version was released on DVD and Blu-ray earlier this week. I cannot wait to see this edition, and I bet you can't either.
I am lucky enough to be a member of The Fault in Our Stars Ambassador Program. One of the fun things that the members participated in was submitting our favorite moments and lines from the film. Besides the ever-popular line about not being able to choose if you get hurt but being able to choose who hurts you, we came up with some great quotes. Click on the poster to get a better view and to see if your favorite line is included (don't forget to click the back button on your browser to keep reading and enter a giveaway).
In
fifty short poems illustrated by haunting black-and-white photos,
Christine Heppermann zeros in on the true messages we've been giving
young girls for centuries and what those messages do to them.
Poisoned Apples
is stark, beautiful, haunting, disturbing, and oh so very honest. Fairy
tales and princess stories touch only the surface; no one talks about
what happens after the wedding, the fate of the girls left behind, or
how to become the chosen one.
Beauty, fashion,
popularity, and sex appeal have the power to suppress the
counterpressures to excel at school and work, to be respected for who we
are, and to live our authentic lives. Heppermann exposes the
contradictions and the dark side of waiting to be rescued by Prince
Charming, who will likely be anything but.
The poems,
which are based on the unrealistic expectations girls often carry with
them past adolescence into young adulthood and beyond, address eating
disorders, beauty and fashion, sexuality, men, feminism, and popularity
and friendship. No hard-to-parse passages here; Heppermann's poetry is
straightforward and strong. Poisoned Apples will help teens and women draw back the curtain of deception and let in the light.
Some passages:
It used to be just the one, / but now all mirrors chatter. / In fact, every reflective surface has opinions / on the shape of my nose, the size / of my chest, . . .--"The Wicked Queen's Legacy"
Jill doesn't want me to feel bad. / Jill says Dylan isn't good enough for me. / . . . / Jill can't help it if Dylan asked her to the movie. / . . .--"BFF"
She used to be a house of bricks, / . . . / She traded for a house of sticks, / . . . / Now she's building herself out of straw / as light as the needle swimming in her bathroom scale, / The smaller the number, the closer to gold, / . . .--"Blow Your House In"
How
far would you go to further your career? What if you felt tremendous
pressure from your family and from your community? These are very real
concerns for Ingrid Young, who is on the verge of making partner at
Parsons Valentine, a prestigious international law firm.
The Parsons Valentine dining room--affectionately known as the Jury Box--resembled nothing so much as a high school cafeteria, writ large. We were all older, sure, with expensive haircuts and finely tailored suits. The food was a lot better, and it was served on fine china, classic white with a platinum border. And then there was the view. Instead of a track or football field, our windows overlooked the grand expanse of Fifth Avenue and Central Park. No trophy cases or spirit banners, either, just a vast Ellsworth Kelly painting and a few signed Chuck Close prints adorning the otherwise stark white wall. But these were just trophies of a different sort.—The Partner Track by Helen Wan (St. Martin's Griffin [paperback], 2014, p. 1)
Over
the weekend I passed my sixth year blogging as Beth Fish Reads. As I
often do, I like to take the time to reflect on where I've been and
where I'm going in the blogging world.
First, however, I have a question:
Is there any point in trying to find a balance between my online and offline life?Seriously. I have spent six years chasing this elusive dream. I'm beginning to think there is no such place, and yet I haven't quite given up. Still, something always suffers. My current issue? I'm reading blogs on my tablet, which means I haven't been clicking through to leave a comment. No big deal, until I realize that I've barely been commenting at all. I'm going to work on that.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.
Have you heard of Hachette Book Group's unique imprint Twelve?
The amazing range of books and the singularity of the imprint's
philosophy put Twelve on my favorite imprint list. Twelve was founded in
2005 with the idea of publishing a single, significant book each month.
As the publisher explains, their goal is to offer:
Works that explain our culture; that illuminate, inspire, provoke, and entertain. We seek to establish communities of conversation surrounding our books. Talented authors deserve attention not only from publishers, but from readers as well. To sell the book is only the beginning of our mission. To build avid audiences of readers who are enriched by these works – that is our ultimate purpose.I love the concept of finding twelve books that deserve individual attention and that belong on everyone's reading list. The books I'm featuring today (from the 2014 list) meet and exceed the imprint's desire to publish books that will make you think and that will prompt wide discussion. I haven't finished reading all of these titles yet, so look for full reviews in the coming weeks.
Are we living in the end times? Although this question is hardly new, television and the movies have recently taken up the theme of the rapture. One of the most exciting entries in this genre is Left Behind, a faithful adaptation of the best-selling book written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. The movie is scheduled to open in theaters on October 3.
In case you aren't familiar with the premise, here is the studio's summary:
Left Behind follows Rayford Steele (Nicolas Cage) who is piloting a commercial airliner just hours after the Rapture when millions of people around the globe simply vanish. Thirty thousand feet over the Atlantic, Rayford is faced with a damaged plane, terrified passengers, and a desperate desire to get back to his family. On the ground, his daughter, Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) is among those left behind, forced to navigate a world of madness as she searches for her lost mother and brother. Shot mostly in and around Baton Rouge, LA., Left Behind was produced by Paul Lalonde and Michael Walker and co-written by Paul Lalonde and John Patus.Whether you believe in the biblical prediction or not, the idea of the rapture is fascinating. What would the world be like if a large percentage of the population suddenly disappeared, leaving behind only their clothes and belongings? It's difficult to imagine the fear, chaos, and hysteria of the initial hours.
What if you did things in the name of the army that you just couldn't put out of your mind? In 1886, Ulysses Pope thought back not to his service in the Civil War but to the role he played in fighting the Plains Indians. Although he couldn't reverse the past, he hoped he could find a way to bring to peace to those he hurt and, at the same time, put his personal demons to rest.
That summer was cool and windless, the clouds unrelenting, as if God had reached out his hand one day and nudged the sun from its rightful place.—The High Divide by Lin Enger (Workman / Algonquin Press, 2014, p. 1)
Way out on the lip of the northern plains the small town lay hidden in fog, the few moving about at this hour ghostlike, not quite solid: the shopkeepers, the man driving his water-wagon, the dressmaker with her quick, smooth strides. In a clapboard house a stone's throw from the river, a lean, square-shouldered man knelt before an old flattop trunk.
I read Jonathan Tropper's This Is Where I Leave You way back in 2009, and although I was blogging then, I didn't post a review. The novel is receiving a revival of well-deserved buzz because the movie version, directed by Shawn Levy, will be in theaters on September 19.
Here's the premise, in brief: While Judd is coming to grips with the dissolution of his marriage, his sister calls to tell him that their father has finally succumbed to cancer. For Judd, going home for the funeral and to sit shiva is fraught with sadness, sibling rivalry, suppressed memories, and--eventually--healing.
Although the premise of This Is Where I Leave You (TIWILY) may sound intense, Tropper's wry sense of humor and ability to perfectly capture dysfunctional family dynamics will have you smiling through your tears.
As I mentioned, the movie based on the novel is opening in about two weeks. The big question everyone has when it comes to transforming books to movies is, Does the screenplay convey what I loved about the novel? Fortunately, in the case of TIWILY, the answer seems to be yes. One big factor is that Tropper himself wrote the screenplay. The principal difference I've seen so far is that the family's last name was changed from Foxman (the novel) to Altman (the movie). Here's a short video in which author Jonathan Tropper, director Shawn Levy, and some of the actors talk about the process of taking the story from print to silver screen:
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