12 Nonfiction Recommendations for November

If you've been reading book blogs this week, then you are likely to have seen a least a couple of nonfiction reading lists because (as I mentioned on Monday) Nonfiction November is up and running. Here are just some of the true stories that are awaiting my attention.

About this list: I restricted myself to books published this fall and chose only a few titles in three broad categories. In addition I decided to feature books I own. The backlist is brimming over with fabulous nonficiton titles, and I hardly own even a small percentage of the frontlist. Consider this list a good jumping-off place, and be sure to visit the official Nonfiction November post to learn how you can participate and to discover more recommended nonfiction books.

Memoir

Memoirs come in many forms from inspirational to autobiography to humor. My picks today have a literary foundation and are written by three novelists and the daughter of a publisher.

• The Fortress by Danielle Trussoni (Dey Street Books): The author of Angelology writes about her ex-marriage to a Bulgarian writer and their isolated life in France that she eventually needed to leave.
• North of Crazy by Neltje (St. Martin's Press): The daughter of publishing great Nelson Doubleday takes us inside the life of privilege to reveal its less glamorous side and her decision to take a different, independent path.
• The Pigeon Tunnel by John le Carre (Viking Books): The best-selling author opens up about his work for British intelligence during the cold war, his travels around the world, and the people and events that influenced his work and his life.
• Marrow by Elizabeth Lesser (Harper Wave): The author of Broken Open talks about her love for her sister, her decision to donate bone marrow to her, and their life together.

Food Writing

Oh I bet you're really surprised that food writing would appear on my list of recommended nonfiction titles. I had a hard time narrowing down my choices, but here is a mix of science, history, and cultural perspectives.

• Modified by Caitlin Shetterly (Putnam): When she learned that her son was allergic to genetically modified corn, this journalist set out to investigate the prevalence of GMOs from the cornfield to the food manufactures to the home kitchen.
• Butter by Elaine Khosrova (Algonquin): The fascinating history of butter from early herders to modern-day artisans, told by an award-winning food writer and pastry chef.
• Treyf by Elissa Altman (NAL): A memoir of food, family, cultural  traditions, and adapting to modern life from the 1940s to modern times. (Note: also good for Jewish Book Month.)
• Grape Olive Pig by Matt Goulding (Harper Wave): Part travelogue, part culinary guide, part love story to a country, a well-known food writer takes us on an unforgettable journey through Spain, his adoptive home.

Women in History

From a very young age, I've rated biography among my very favorite books. Today I feature books that introduce us to a variety of fascinating women: authors, mathematicians, trailblazers, and ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances.

• Not Just Jane by Shelley DeWees (Harper Perennial): Meet seven other women--besides Austen and the Bronte sisters--who were writing and publishing books in Brittan from the mid-eighteenth century on.
• Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba (St. Martin's Press): A well-researched examination of how the Nazi occupation of Paris affected the lives of the city's women.
• Wonder Women by Sam Maggs (Quirk Books): The stories of twenty-five real-life women heroes, who were "innovators, inventors,  and trailblazers who changed history."
• Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly (William Morrow): A NASA historian tells the world about the five African American women mathematicians who helped lay the foundations of the U.S. space program. (Book to movie alert!)

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: Getting Ready for November

I'm in total denial about it being November (tomorrow). How can this be? I really need at least 3 more weeks before we slide down the slope of the winter(ish) holidays.

Here are some random things I've been thinking about.

Not all books translate well into the audiobook format: I have audiobooks on the brain these days as I prepare for the Audio Publisher's Association webinar, airing live on Wednesday night (see below for information). As much as I love audiobooks, I had to bail on one last week because the book should have never been recorded.

What was it? Richard Louv's Vitamin N (published by Ecco last April). First let me say that this is a fantastic book, consisting of a ton of great ideas to get yourself and your family outside on a regular basis. Almost all the suggestions are free and take very little planning. Louv also provides useful resources: websites, societies, clubs, and more. I was given the chance to listen to the audiobook and thought I'd give it a try. Well, noooo. Narrator Barry Abrams is good, but no one in their right mind would listen to hours of a person reading a long list of activities, complete with URLs. Ugh. Do not hesitate to buy or borrow the book (it's terrific), just leave the audiobook alone.

I remember questioning the fact that Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was made into an audiobook. I never listened to it, but I wonder how the narrator handled all the photographs. So that makes two sorts of books that I would avoid on audio: those meant to be used as resources and those that are highly visual. Any others to add to the list?

Losing track of series: I just finished listening to N. K. Jemisin's The Obelisk Gate, which is the second installment in the very interesting Broken Earth series. I'm also in the middle of Gemina, the second in the Illuminae series and just started The Fate of the Tearling, the final in a trilogy. From this list, you would think I was really great with series, but you would be wrong. I have started so many series--mostly fantasy and mystery but also historical fiction and general fiction--that I never got around to finishing; heck, that I never even got around to reading book 2.

If you have any tips on how you keep track of your series, I could use some help. I know my problem is based on having to wait a year (or years) until the next book comes out. By then, I've totally forgotten where I am in the plot. I hope I'm not the only one who has trouble following a series through to the end.

Coming up this week: Besides the audiobook webinar, November kicks off a couple of events, two of which I'm promoting this week. First is Jewish Book Month. Tomorrow, I'm featuring a good book to start with and hope to have a list of some recommended books posted next week. November is also the ever-popular nonfiction month, and later this week, I'm going to post a list of some recent nonfiction titles that have caught my attention. If you're not normally a nonfiction reader or if you want to diversify your reading by checking out some books with Jewish themes, this is the month to try something new.

Audio Publishers Association (APA) webinar: On Wednesday, November 2 (8:00 to 9:00 pm Eastern time), I'll be joining AudioFile Magazine editor-in-chief, Robin Whitten; assistant manager of operations & marketing for Hachette Audio, Mitch Kelly; and narrator Karen White for a webniar about reviewing audiobooks and spreading the love of listening across social media. We'll be giving tips for writing a good review, for working with audiobook publishers, for connecting with others on social media, and more.

Participants will also have access to resources, such how to request review copies of audiobook, where to buy or borrow audiobooks, and technical information about enhancing your blog posts. You'll also be able to connect with audiobook publishers who can help you get review copies, arrange interviews with narrators, and so on.

Although the focus is on blogging, the webinar also recognizes that audiobook lovers share their thoughts on a variety of platforms, like Goodreads, Litsy, and LibraryThing. Thus don't be put off if you don't blog, I think you'll still find the webinar useful.

If you can't make it to the live webinar, but are interested, you should sign up anyway. That way you'll be able to listen to the event at your convenience and have access to the resources. For more information, including the specific time of the webniar, click through to the APA's website.

Let me know what you think. And, as always, tell me what you're reading or listening to this week.

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Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: The Truly Random Edition

Stacked-Up Book Thoughts are my random notes about books I've read, movies I've watched, books I'm looking forward to, and events I hope to get to.

Original Intent for This Post

I so love Trish's idea of A Day in the Life event that I really wanted to participate. But this is just not the time of year for me to be sharing my day. From February to the middle of April my life is all about the editing: twelve-hour days, seven days a week. So, although I really do have a life outside of work, I didn't think a series of variations on the following photos would make a very good post. Here's my current life:

• Coffee
• Work
• Coffee
• Work
• Walk (if possible)
• Wine
• Dinner
• Collapse

Yeah. So fun. If someone reminds me, I'm going to do a Day in the Life of a Freelancer once I recover from spring editing. In the meantime, please, please click through the link and read about everyone else's exciting lives. I can't wait to get to know my friends a little bit better.

What I've Been Listening To

I've listened to a few audiobooks that I reviewed for other venues or haven't yet reviewed here. I'll get to them soon, either as full reviews or as part of a Sound Recommendations post.

Ali Smith's How to Be Both (Recorded Books; 8 hr, 29 min) looks at the fuzzy line between opposites: life/death, past/present, and male/female. So much to think about, and John Banks was a great choice for narrator. James Hannaham did a fab job narrating his Delicious Foods (Hachette Audio; 11 hr, 6 min), which mixes humor with a serious look at race, poverty, and addiction. Nina Stibbe's Man at the Helm (Audible Studios; 9 hr, 57 min) lets us see what happens to one family after a divorce changes their circumstances. Told through the eyes of an adolescent girl (and read by Imogen Church), this is funny, sad, and touching. Kate Mulgrew leaves very little out in her self-read memoir, Born with Teeth (Hachette Audio; 9 hr, 26 min). It's all about her journey from Iowa to acting fame. Fascinating.

This and That

• Blogging platform: I've been following some of the Bloggiesta posts and chats this week. I really should do some blog maintenance, but I'll have to wait for this summer. I think it's time for a new design/template, and I've been toying with the thought of switching to WordPress, but I need to wait until work slows down so I can get bids from some designers. I want someone else to do the coding this time, and no way I'm moving all my photos, videos, linkies, etc. to a new platform by myself.
• Reviews: I still love posting reviews, but I've decided to give myself a time limit for writing them. No more three hours of stewing over creating the absolute perfect review for the blog. Seriously, I spend way too much time on unpaid reviews. I have a few freelance writing gigs, and that's where I want to focus my energy. So expect to see more bullet reviews in the future.
• Fun stuff: I'm getting a new Stitch Fix either today or tomorrow, so look for an unboxing next week. I can't wait to see what I got this season.
• Comics: Thanks to Twitter friends, Comics February (again, too busy to participate), and especially Panels, I've gotten the comics / graphic novel bug bad. I haven't been reviewing them, but I hope to put together a few mini-review blasts late next month. My wish list continues to grow as I read all of your comics reviews.
• A look to the future: I wrote a post for Book Bloggers International for April and did an interview with the blog The Things We Read. When those posts go live, I'll announce it here or on Twitter. I'm also really excited to be on a panel at the Audio Publishers Association Conference, which runs at the same time as BEA (late May in New York). I'm really looking forward to talking about promoting audiobooks.

That's about it for me. Did you participate in Bloggiesta this week? Read anything great?

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Best of Me Movie Set Visit: Part 2

On Monday, I took you through a day on the set of The Best of Me movie, which opens theaters on October 17. Today I want to share some of the highlights of the five group interviews we conducted with author Nicholas Sparks and starring actors James Marsden, Liana Liberato, Michelle Monaghan, and Luke Bracey.

To help you better understand the interviews, I'll summarize the story for you, even though I provided the studio's synopsis on Monday.

Although Amanda and Dawson were only teenagers and were from different sides of the track, they fell in love with each other. Amanda lived a big house and had all the advantages; Dawson had no emotional or financial support and was trying to move past his family's violent and no-good reputation. When Dawson gets caught up in a situation that he can't get out of, the two part ways and lose contact with each other. Twenty years later, Dawson is single and working on an oil rig off the Louisiana coast, and Amanda is a mother and wife, still living in the Carolina Lowcountry. When they are finally reunited to fulfill a deathbed request of a mutual friend, will love reignite?

Our first interview of the day was with author Nicholas Sparks, and most of our questions concerned the process of turning the novel The Best of Me into a movie. Sparks is comfortable with inevitable changes, noting that "some things work better on film than they do in books." He went on to say,

For instance, a car chase always works better on film [and] scenes that have some real emotional intensity, like anger scenes, fight scenes. Yes, I can do it in a book . . . but really, it's seeing [the actors'] faces that really helps to bring [these scenes] to life.

Although Sparks has written about violence before (as in Safe Haven), The Best of Me amps up the level. We wanted to know how much of that meanness would be translated to the screen. Sparks responded by complimenting the supporting cast, especially the men who play Dawson's relatives, who are "scary people." He added that, although "Dawson's family situation is a major element of the person that he is and that he eventually becomes," the movie will not be "rated R for violence."

The Best of Me, like other Sparks stories, has a supernatural element to it. When asked about the origin of these aspects to his novels, Sparks told us that he and his wife once stayed in a house that seemed to be haunted by a Native American. Although he never saw a manifestation of the ghost, Sparks and his wife did have firsthand experiences with unexplained events. Later, he added paranormal elements to several of his stories.

Sparks went on to talk about working with his editor, filming other movies, and the inspiration for some of his characters. He also told us how his life has changed since he became a novelist and mentioned that he runs "a foundation to help disadvantaged and at-risk" kids.

Throughout the course of the rest of day we were able to conduct separate group interviews with each of the major actors: James Marsden, Liana Liberato, Michelle Monaghan, and Luke Bracey.

One of the questions we asked all the actors had to do with why they said yes to The Best of Me and how they liked the script.

Michelle Monaghan noted that she is a fan of Sparks's and his previous movies, but The Best of Me "struck a chord . . . because it was really powerful. And it's all about love and loss and second chances."

Luke Bracey told us that while reading the script he became very involved in and attached to the characters and events. He wanted to be part of the movie, saying, "Something that challenged me was [that] Dawson's got such strength and such vulnerability at the same time."

For James Marsden, both the script and the cast appealed to him. He mentioned that he "always wanted to work with Michelle" and thought "Luke and Liana [were] very, very talented young actors."

In addition, Monaghan and Marsden mentioned what a pleasure it was working with director Michael Hoffmann. According to Marsden, Hoffmann provides "a nice safety net. . . . He's an actor's director," who makes the cast "feel comfortable trying things even if they don't work. And he creates that tone and that environment on the set."

Of course we wanted to know how the actors related to the characters and the story. They all agreed that the main characters were easy to connect with and that their situation would have wide appeal.

For example, Monaghan thought her reactions to Amanda and Dawson's relationship were pretty universal, noting that no matter how happy you are in your life, "You still can't help but think, 'What if?' " She felt that "people are really honestly going to relate to [The Best of Me] because" they'll be able to "see the choices and the history" of Amanda and Dawson in themselves.

Marsden and Bracey talked about the issues involved with sharing a role and creating continuity. Bracey said, "We worked on small, physical things, but we also agreed that [Dawson] comes a long way from when I play him to when James [does]. . . . So we just wanted the subtleties to be there, which tied [the performances] together."

Marsden agreed, telling us that "it's more about being on the same page as far as who this guy is and maybe having some mannerisms that are similar. . . . We would ask each other questions [such as], 'In this situation, what do you think [Dawson] would do, how do you think he would behave?' "

We also wanted to know how all four of them prepared for their roles. For example, Liana Liberato played the young Amanda in the early 1990s, in a time period before the actress was even born.

Liberato credited the help of director Hoffmann, saying that he "had us listen to [90s] music, and he would send us articles on stuff that was happening in this area at the time." She also noted that her hairstyle and costume helped immerse her in the time period. But in the end, Liberato found that relating to the past was not that difficult "because my character's just like a normal teenage girl. Instead of listening to her . . . iPod, she's listening to her Walkman."

Bracey embraced his character's hobbies and interests. Commenting on the fact that young Dawson was learning car mechanics, he said, "I think one of the really exciting parts about my job is that I get to learn about a lot of different things from experts in the field. . . . I really tried to delve into [Dawson's] passions. As I said, I tried to learn about cars and . . . to do some work on physics and science and all those things."

Finally, I'll never again watch actors eating in a movie without thinking about what Marsden told us. Here's how he described filming the scene shown in the photograph at the right:

We were eating some crawfish, which is not really my favorite thing. . . . When you're eating in a scene, you eat that [food] all day, because it's take after take after take over here. (Don't ever smoke a cigarette in a scene. You'll smoke, like, two packs just doing the scene.) But that [scene] was fun. I've never had crawfish before. I actually like it now.

I want to end this post by saying how incredibly gracious, friendly, funny, and down to earth all four actors are. They immediately put us at ease, asked us questions about ourselves, and kindly posed for individual photographs with each blogger. Thanks so much for making our job easier and for making us feel welcome on the set. And a huge thanks to Relativity Media for inviting me to the movie set and for this incredible opportunity.

Finally, I'm excited to share this special The Best of Me movie feature, introduced by the group Lady Antebellum and featuring their song "I Did with You," from the movie soundtrack.

Don't forget that you can follow all The Best of Me movie news by searching for hashtag #TheBestOfMe on Twitter or by liking and/or following the movie on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

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The Best of Me Movie Set Visit: Part 1

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)

The day started early when we all piled into two vans to drive west out of New Orleans to meet up with the cast and crew. Our first stop was to Base Camp, which was made up of trailers, each of which had a different function, including temporary refuge for the actors and others. After a quick look around, we got back into the vans and finally arrived at the beautiful The Best of Me set.

The majestic and historic Magnolia Plantation was used for Amanda's childhood home. You may recognize the house because it has appeared in several films, including 12 Years a Slave and Crazy in Alabama. The house was built in the early 1800s, was a working sugar plantation, was used as a hospital for Union soldiers during the Civil War, and has been in the hands of the same family since 1870s.

Because the crew was filming interior shots, we weren't allowed inside the house, but we'll all get to see it in October when the movie comes out. One of the family members told us the windows, shutters, trimwork, and floors are original and that upgrades have respected the historic nature of the plantation.

As I mentioned, the director was shooting indoors that day, but he also was working on a couple of exterior scenes. To keep us and everyone else out of the line of the cameras, we watched the filming on monitors.

Despite the number of people wandering around, the sound level was kept low. Just before turning on the cameras, the director would shout "Rolling, rolling, rolling! Very quiet please." And we would have to move carefully, not saying a word or only whispering, until we heard someone shout "Cut!" At one point, a visitor to the set  (fortunately it was not one of the bloggers) accidentally appeared on film; let me just say that the director was not a happy camper. I'm so glad I didn't make that mistake because the entire scene had to be refilmed.

I was fascinated to learn that scenes are shot multiple times even when the first take looks great. For each retake, a change would be made. I noticed differences in lighting, in subtle hand gestures, and in props. There were even slight costume and hair changes. Later, the director and editor would have choices for both continuity and visual interest.

Although it was important to maintain quiet, I was surprised by how much activity was going on around the house and property, even when the cameras were rolling. Some groups were setting up the next shot, the bloggers were conducting group interviews (at a distance), a company was there filming promos, people were checking equipment, and someone was taking official cast photos.

In addition, there were food carts and medical people. It was fun to watch the costumers, hairdressers, and makeup experts on The Best of Me team as they followed the actors around, making adjustments as necessary. We visitors may have spent a lot a time sitting still and observing, but the cast and crew seemed to be in constant motion.

The grounds of Magnolia Plantation are absolutely beautiful; it was almost like being in a dream--at least for this Yankee. During the afternoon, we even had a visit from a wild alligator! I didn't get close enough to get a photo and was thankful there were gator wranglers (not kidding) on the set.

At the very end of the day, we were able to witness one of the problems with filming on location. The crew was in a race with the sunset to film two scenes that presumably were taking place in two different time periods but needed to be shot at the exact same time of day in the exact same spot. Actors and crew had to work quickly and accurately before the sun got too low. I was so impressed with how calm everyone looked; I think I would have been frantic.

After an exhausting day, we looked forward to getting back in the vans to have a late dinner in the French Quarter. The day wasn't over for The Best of Me people, though. After a quick bite to eat, they were returning for a night shoot.

We had dinner at the Tableau Restaurant on St. Peter Street. I loved the wine selection and my dinner. I ate shrimp for four meals while I was in NOLA (I just couldn't help myself), and the BBQ shrimp and grits I had for this dinner was delicious. Here's the description from the menu:

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.

Don't forget to return on Friday, when I'll have photos of the stars, stills from The Best of Me movie, a special soundtrack movie trailer, and lots of fun things I learned from interviewing Nicholas Sparks, Luke Bracey, James Marsden, Liana Liberato, and Michelle Monaghan. I can't wait to see the movie on October 17.

In the meantime, you can follow all The Best of Me movie news by searching for hashtag #TheBestOfMe on Twitter or by liking and/or following the movie on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

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Summer Shorts '14: Celebrating Audiobook Month with Carrington MacDuffie

As most of you know, I'm a huge audiobook fan. I have listened to an audiobook almost every single day since the 1980s, when I used to rent from Books on Tape. And, yes, the books really were on cassettes.

June is a great month for a number of reasons, and one is that it is officially Audiobook Month. One fantastic way to celebrate is to see what's happening in the audiobook community. Spoken Freely —a group of more than 40 professional narrators—has teamed up with Going Public and Tantor Media to create the audiobook Summer Shorts ’14, a collection of poetry, short stories, and essays.

I'm so excited to welcome Carrington MacDuffie to my blog today. I'm pretty much in awe of her talents. First, she has narrated an amazing range of books, from highland romances to chick lit, mysteries and thrillers to erotica, and literary fiction to nonfiction. Seriously, I wonder if there is a genre she hasn't tackled. Did you know that she is also a singer/songwriter as well as an actor? But coolest of all, she is a poet, and the poem she is reading today as part of the Summer Shorts '14 collection is one of her own.

I asked Carrington to tell us why she picked this particular poem to help celebrate June Is Audiobook Month. So first, listen to her read "Al's Boy" and then learn about the art of reading poetry and why this poem works so well as an audio short.

Choosing Poetry for Performance vs. Publication

For this wonderful collection of poems, stories, and essays, I decided to record an original poem. I've written and published a lot of poetry, done a lot of spoken word performance of that work, and recorded it as well. Some poetry lends itself to being absorbed silently in the reader's mind, some works on stage, and some behind the microphone. I chose "Al's Boy" because it tells a story and has a lot of rhyme, half rhyme, alliteration, and rhythm, all of which give it momentum, playfulness, and entertainment value.

A lot of modern poetry doesn't lend itself to being read aloud or performed. With modern poetry came open form, which is poetry without an established pattern to it, notably meter or rhyme—and that changes everything, because those are two main elements that make a poem work aloud. Romantic poets, for instance Poe and Keats, give an actor a lot more to grab on to.

Modern poetry can be sparse, and often very subtle, and there’s sometimes a silence that feels built into that kind of work. Not only does that make it difficult to perform aloud, but also the warmth of a human voice can really skew the feel of the poem. Consider this passage from the poet W. S. Merwin's "Beggars and Kings":

In the evening
all the hours that weren't used
are emptied out
and the beggars are waiting to gather them up
to open them
to find the sun in each one
and teach it its beggar's name
and sing to it It is well
through the night

Merwin is, to my mind, one of the greatest American poets who ever lived—but just try performing that passage aloud. It even has singing in it! But it’s not the right kind of singing for an actor. (By the way, this piece does not begin to exemplify the brilliance of Merwin’s work). A sober performance behind a lectern might be the best bet in this case, as opposed to a stage or a recording. Personally though, I like to see its starkness on the page, and see how the visual space allowed by the brevity of the lines seems to breathe, and let me think.

Compare that to the opening of "Al's Boy":

Al used to bat
who knows what
but more than that, he knows all about it.
Favored heavily by his folks,
he was fed the hook
and swallowed it whole,
swallowed that tastily baited hook,
swallowed it down 'til it stuck in his gut.

I don't mean to put myself on an even footing with one of the greatest American poets ever, but you see my point.

I've also recorded some poetry that isn't quite suitable for live performance, but with the right kind of vocal treatment, it delivers a cool listening experience. With my LP-format audiobook Many Things Invisible (Blackstone Audio, 2008), I set some pretty esoteric work to music and found-sound and gave it a half-whispered delivery, creating the feeling of a dream state, and offering a different way to take poetry in: half-consciously.

How a voice speaks to you is so powerful—the power to seduce, annoy, frighten, enchant, amuse, horrify—and bore. You've got to choose carefully, and Summer Shorts '14 is full of great choices by voice actors who know exactly what they’re doing.

Thanks so much, Carrington. I really learned something about poetry and performance. I never really thought about the difference between poetry read aloud versus poetry read in one's head. Fascinating.

_________

More on the Spoken Freely project: As a thank-you to those of who listen to audiobooks, the pieces will be available for free online listening on their day of release. To see the full release schedule of these short pieces, check out the Spoken Freely page of the Going Public blog. Don't worry if you've missed a few performances, because you can buy the complete Summer Shorts ’14 compilation, which includes an additional 20 bonus tracks. Not only will you be able to hear your favorite narrators reading an amazing variety of short pieces but you'll be contributing to a good cause. All proceeds will benefit ProLiteracy, the largest adult literacy and basic education membership organization in the nation. Click on the links for more information.

Listen to other pieces; meet other narrators: Check out the daily releases by following the Complete Blog Hop Schedule at Going Public. For yesterday's pieces, visit Audio Gals and Lakeside Musing. For another short published today, click on through to Overreader. Tomorrow the hosts are the Going Public blog and Michael Stephen Daigle.

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Celebrating The Book Thief Movie: A Talk with Author Markus Zusak

Earlier this fall I was given the exciting opportunity to be part of a group interview with Markus Zusak, author of the multi-award-winning novel The Book Thief. He graciously answered our questions about his book, the newly released motion picture based on it, and his life as a reader and writer.

In celebration of the movie The Book Thief, which opens in theaters nationwide on November 15, I want to share Markus's thoughts about the process of transforming his powerful book from print to screen.

The Book Thief is an emotionally strong story all on its own, but its effect on the reader was enhanced by the particular way the words were presented on the page: from the formation of the paragraphs to the size of the margins and the surprise of the artwork. I was curious how the impact of the unique design of the book would be captured by the fluid medium of film.

Markus Zusak: Every visual aspect of the book is something that I concerned myself [with] when I was writing it. . . . It's really nice that you mentioned just the way even the words are set on the page. I always wanted gaps between the paragraphs in certain ways because I wanted every little paragraph to almost be a story of its own. So [they] all add up to one big story, and a lot of little pictures that add up to one big picture.

I think, for me, the best thing I can say [about changing the medium] is I was really comfortable handing the material over to Brian [Percival], the director. . . . I hoped that the film [would] be different from the book in a whole lot of ways. But I think it'll have the same heart. And . . ., as the writer of the book, you can't really ask for any more than that.

Many of my fellow interviewers were curious whether Death would have a part in The Book Thief movie, seeing that his perspective is so important in the book.

MZ: I can definitely say that Death will narrate the film, just as happens in the book. I haven't seen the film yet. I just want to pay the respect to the producers and Brian [Percival, the director] to see it when it's 100 percent. . . . I'm just as curious [as you are] about how Death is going to make his mark on the story just the way he does in the book. So we'll see what happens.

Although Markus did not write the screenplay or see the dailies or first cuts of The Book Thief movie, he did have some input with the writer (Michael Petroni) and the producers. In particular, they discussed which scenes from the book Markus could live without seeing on the big screen. He was philosophical about these kinds of changes.

MZ: You've only got couple of hours [for a movie], whereas in a book, you can kind of keep writing forever. And that's the luxury of being an author I think. . . . As a writer of novels, you're going to have a bit more room to sort of go on tangents and just to move around a little bit more, whereas I feel like it's a lot more constricting in a film, just mainly because of time.

When I read The Book Thief, I thought one of the major themes was the power of reading and the power of words and just how far-reaching the effects of what people say to each other can be. I asked Markus if he thought this theme was still an important part of the film. [Note: I understood that although Markus hadn't seen the movie at the time of the interview he had read at least one version of the screenplay.]

MZ: Some colleagues of mine from Knopf or from Random House, all really trusted people I know, have seen a rough cut of the movie. A publisher [who was] there wrote to me and said, ". . . the film is magnificent. It's all about the words. It's really about the words."

Markus was understandably happy to hear this "affirmation of what we're going to see."

When asked about his thoughts about how the actors will be able to convey the internal thoughts of his characters, Markus was enthusiastically optimistic, commenting particularly on Emily Watson, who plays Rosa Hubermann:

MZ: I think [Watson will] be absolutely be perfect. She'll be brilliant. . . . I saw the international trailer, [which] is quite different from the one here. I think you see more of [Watson] in that. I looked at her, and I thought, "I bet she's going to be, as I expected, just totally amazing."

By now, I'm sure Markus Zusak has seen the film. I'm confident that his (and our) expectations have been more than met.

Thanks to Markus for taking the time to talk to us and to Twentieth-Century Fox for asking me to participate in the interview. I can't tell you what a thrill it was to meet Markus through the phone lines and how warm and kind he was to all of us.

Take a look at the beautiful trailer for the movie version of The Book Thief:

Can't get enough of The Book Thief movie? Be sure to visit the official website, like The Book Thief movie on Facebook, like author Markus Zusak on Facebook, and follow @BookThiefMovie on Twitter.

Thanks to Fox studios and for the movie stills that appear in this post (click images to see them full size). All right are retained by the original copyright holders.

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Going Public . . . In Shorts with Narrator John Lee (June Is Audiobook Month)

You must know by now that June is Audiobook Month (#JIAM2013, for those of you on Twitter). To help celebrate the month, I'm thrilled to be involved with the Going Public Project, which has put together an audiobook of short stories. All proceeds From this Spoken Freely project will go the Reach Out and Read literacy advocacy organization.

Every day in June, one or two of these stories (in the public domain) will be released on the Going Public blog as well on other blogs in the book blog community. Each story is free for listening (no downloads) for one week. On June 30, in collaboration with Blackstone Audio, the entire collection will be available for download via Downpour.

To find out when each story will be released and which narrator is reading it, check out the Going Public site. Jeffrey Kafer and SpringBrook Audio did the engineering and mastering and f power design did the graphic design. Blackstone Audio is the publisher. A huge thank you goes to project coordinator and executive producer Xe Sands.

I can't tell you how happy I was to be teamed up with veteran narrator John Lee for the Going Public . . . In Shorts project. I have spent many an hour with John as he's accompanied me on my walks and entertained me in my kitchen. No, I've never met him, but I know his voice well.



For Going Public . . . In Shorts, John read "Eveline" by James Joyce. To hear the story for free, just hit the play button above and be transported to Joyce's Dublin. To learn more about John Lee and what's it's like to be an audiobook narrator, listen in on our conversation:

Beth Fish Reads (BFR): We've never met, but I feel as if I'd know your voice anywhere, considering that I've had you in my head (earbuds) for almost 200 hours over the years. When you're recording a book, do you feel the pressure from repeat listeners' expectations for another stellar performance?

John Lee (JL): I do worry that people will either get tired of listening to me or will realize that I am not particularly good at certain kinds of books. I find myself thinking either that I should be sure to sound just like I did on the last book or thinking I should vary this a little because surely people are tired of me by now. Fortunately the sheer concentration it takes to narrate prevents me from thinking too deeply. Or maybe that's just my lack of intellectual depth.

BFR: You've recorded quite a variety of genres, although I'm most familiar with your narrations of historical fiction. Do you have a favorite genre for recording audiobooks? Is it different from what you might pick up for your personal reading?

JL: My personal reading consists almost entirely of nonfiction. If I did not narrate audiobooks I would probably never read anything fictional. This is just a function of my obsession with history, not any reflection on the quality of fiction. There are certain writers I love revisiting that I read when I was younger. Dickens, Conrad, Lawrence. I like the sort of history books that inject real personality. Ben Macintyre, whose books include Double Cross and The Napoleon of Crime, is an expert at this. Though I love nonfiction the best discovery I have made in narrating is Orhan Pahmuk, the Turkish Nobel Laureate. His books are wonderful, real gems. I always recommend them.

BFR: I'm a full-time professional book editor, and I turned to audiobooks in the late 1980s because, after reading all day for work, I needed to rest my eyes. Plus, I often silently edit when I'm reading. Do you have similar issues? When reading for pleasure do you begin to create voices for the characters or think about pacing and volume?

JL: Oh, yes. All the time. I now create voices in my head not just for my own amusement but in a way that I feel would be appropriate for a listener. I find myself thinking—You know, the writer really could have made that paragraph easier to read aloud. I find myself thinking that the writing is awkward because it's not easily read aloud when it might well be a perfectly lovely line as it sits on the page. I sometimes wonder if writers look at their work and think it looks lovely on the page. Perhaps they write in such a way as to shape their paragraphs nicely.

BFR: You've mostly recorded solo performances but in some cases, The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society comes to mind, you've been part of a collaboration. Can you talk a little bit about the pros and cons of working alone vs. working with others?

JL: The first difficulty with multicast productions is pronunciation. The first person to complete their part gets to tell everyone else how things are pronounced. The English have so many ways of pronouncing so many things that we all have to contort ourselves if a different pronunciation from our "normal" pronunciation is used. Trying to match at least the tone of another actor's interpretation of a character is quite difficult. I imagine that multicast projects are fun for listeners, and I try to make sure that the differences between narrators are not so glaring as to take people out of the flow of the book.

BFR: I'm sure you're asked this all the time, but I'm curious. What happens if you have to narrate a book you're not enjoying. I know that as an editor, sometimes that makes my job easier; when I'm less caught up in the story, I can more easily concentrate on the editorial issues. But what about for an audiobook narrator?

JL: My father was a construction carpenter. He made what Americans call "forms," what the English and Irish call "shuttering," the forms into which concrete is poured to make a foundation or a wall or a post. My father oversaw the pouring of more concrete than anyone outside of the Grand Coulee Dam. He helped build some of the ugliest buildings I've ever seen. However, those ugly buildings will stand as long as the elegant structures he helped build. He never asked why the building had to be so ugly, he just made sure it would stand up and stay up. I have the same attitude to narrating books. First of all, my dad might not have been a good judge of architecture and I might not be a good judge of a book. I write myself, plays and screenplays, so I know how hard it is to write anything, even bad work, so I have nothing but admiration for someone who can write a novel or a historical work and convince people who know books better than I do that it's worth publishing. Each writer deserves the best we can give him or her. Of course, it's a lot easier to narrate a book I enjoy. I do wonder sometimes if my attitude to a book comes across in the narration.

BFR: As an avid audiobook listener, one thing I always appreciate is when a narrator hits that sweet spot of adding emotion, drama, tension, and characterizations to a novel while at the same time leaving me space to form my own connections and reactions. Is that something you consciously strive for or is that a just part of the job?

JL: It's always what I strive for. It's similar to being on stage and doing just enough to tell an audience what they need to know while letting them come to their own conclusions or get that laugh without being pushed or find those tears without being forced. It's the trickiest part of the process.

BFR: Finally, I have another question that I bet audiobook narrators are often asked. What kind of research do you do when the book you're narrating contains a number of foreign words or regional cities or towns that might have a distinct pronunciation? In some cases, how do you even know that a town name (Cairo, Georgia, comes to mind) might not be pronounced as it's spelled?

JL: Two parts to this answer. Let's say I am reading a book set in Sweden. I come across the city of Gothenburg. I know, of course that this is pronounced Goth-un-berg. However, I decide to look it up. In fact it is pronounced Got-a-burr-ya. Now, if it's a Swede speaking it must be pronounced in this way. However, can we get away with saying Gothenberg for the sake of the non-Swedish listener? It's a dance between accuracy and reality. Back when I started narrating you had to look all these things up in books or call someone in Cairo, Georgia, and ask them how they say the name. Google has saved us all a lot of time. Who those people are who take time out to record all these words I have no idea but I thank them. There is a difference, too, if I am working with a director. The director will also have pronunciation research.

The part of research that is more difficult ultimately comes down to skill as a narrator, but the narrator does need to know something about the context of a given book. I mentioned Orhan Pahmuk, not just a Turkish writer but, very specifically, an Istanbul writer. It helps my reading if I know something about Turkey, about Kemal Ataturk, the military junta that ruled there, something about Turkish Islam. I won't be able to convey all that to a listener but it adds something very important to my narration, something intangible.

BFR: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me, John. I learned quite a bit about what's it's like to be the person on the other side of the mic. I'm particularly amazed by all the decisions that must be made about pronunciations, whether foreign words, names of cities, or matching other performers on a multicast project. I also want to thank you for giving me so many, many hours of pleasure when I've listened to books you've narrated.

More about John Lee (the most evil man in the world?): His voice can be heard in MTV’s Aeon Flux, as Trevor Goodchild, the most evil man in the world: in HBO’s Spawn, as Jason Wynn, the most evil man in the world, and in Jet Li's The Black Mask he dubbed the voice of Commander Hung, the most evil man in the world. He also provided the voice for Meier, the conflicted vampire in Vampire Hunter D and worked on Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke.

John’s voice can be heard all over the gaming world, in Final Fantasy, The Mists of Avalon, Warhawk, Ninja Scrolls, Blackjack, and Everquest.

His book narration continues apace. In 2007 he recorded the monumental World Without End, Ken Follet’s sequel to the equally grand Pillars of the Earth, which John recorded in 2006. He has been lucky enough to read the remarkable works of Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk and Philip Kerr’s wonderfully researched detective novels set in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. He has not quite recovered from narrating James Joyce’s Ulysses but hopes that large quantities of stout will solve that problem.

For more about Going Public . . . In Shorts, visit yesterday's host The Guilded Earlobe and tomorrow's host Jen's Book Thoughts.

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Safe Haven Movie Set Visit: Part 2 and Giveaway

Last week, in Safe Haven Movie Set Visit: Part 1, I took you through a visual tour of my August 2012 visit to the North Carolina setting of the movie Safe Haven, which comes out on February 14 and stars Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons, and Cobie Smulders

Today, I want to concentrate on author/producer Nicholas Sparks. During the course of the trip, we had four formal opportunities to talk with Mr. Sparks and rather than simply provide you with a disjointed transcript, I plan to focus on three principal topics: the film, the setting, and the writing.

First, I want to stress how much I enjoyed meeting Nicholas Sparks. He's an easygoing, down-to-earth guy with no pretensions. Almost from the first moment you meet him, Sparks makes you feel as if he were a good friend. If you look at the photos I posted last week, you can see how comfortable he is. The photos from the movie Safe Haven shown here are courtesy of the studio (click to enlarge).

Book to Film: As we all know, a movie made from a novel invariably deviates from the book's plot. And this is also the case with Safe Haven. Sparks gave us a few clues of some of those changes and explained why such differences must occur. He stressed repeatedly that print and film are two quite different media, and what he has 30 or 40 pages to explore in a book, the screenwriters have only a few minutes to demonstrate. Thus sometimes plot points have to be changed. As Sparks noted:

It is a different kind of thinking. You have to be able to capture things. It's the picture first. And if you have a scene of introspection that you can't capture in a quick picture, sometimes you have to invent things or put things in or take things out to make it work. That’s just the nature of it.

In addition to subtly changing some of the scenes, long narrative sections of Safe Haven (or any book to film) have to be projected to the audience by the emotions displayed by the actors. Sparks went on to say:

A novel is a story told in words. A film is a story told in pictures. You’re trying to get these pictures to fill in all that introspection that I could do and you don't have a lot of time. You really need . . . quality performances that make you say, "I know who that person is. I relate to them. And I'm going to root for them by the end of the film."

Sparks was more than satisfied that all three stars (Duhael, Hough, and Lyons) conveyed the emotional impact of Safe Haven, giving the audience characters to root for and to boo.

North Carolina: If you've read Nicholas Sparks's novels, then you already know that they all take place in eastern North Carolina. Sparks is partial to the area not only because that's where he lives but because he loves the small towns, where everyone looks out for one another and where kids can grow up safe. He said:

The reason I write about this place is that not too many people write about eastern North Carolina and eastern North Carolina is very different because it's all small towns. It is a different way of life here than it is in other places, all small towns.

He went on to talk about the strong sense of community, the beauty of the water, the friendliness, the history, and even the abundance of live oaks. He noted that although his books take place in the state, they have not all been filmed there. Regardless, he had been wanting to shoot a film in Southport, North Carolina, for years, and Safe Haven was the lucky movie that won the location. Here's what he told us:

I mean, I think this is one of the most beautiful towns. Ten years ago, I was here for the filming of A Walk to Remember. I remember walking down here and I said, "I have to find a book for this place one day."

Thus Safe Haven fulfilled one of Sparks's dreams.

Sparks as an Author: Nicholas Sparks has a unique way of starting all his novels. He knows from the beginning that the story will involve "love and something." So the first two decisions he makes are the age of his main characters and the extra:

We all know that [one of my books will be] love and something. . . . You can have love and mystery, love and forgiveness, love and loss, first love, right? You can have all these things. [Safe Haven] was love and danger. I chose love and danger because it'd been a long time since I'd [written about that].

The next thing Sparks works out is how make his story fresh and stay believable. Some of those decisions are based on the age of this characters and the "something" that adds to the story. In addition, he likes to write to a wide audience, so some readers might be drawn to the central issue of the book, whereas others will be attracted to the love story or to the friendships. But he is always looking for a different approach. Sparks gave us several examples, including this:

What you're looking for is three things. You're looking for things to be interesting, original, and universal. That goes to the theme of the story, the journeys of the character, but also the specific elements in the book. For example, one of the questions I always have to answer is, "What's an interesting, original, universal way for the characters to meet and come together?"

As for the central issue of Safe Haven--and for all his novels, for that matter--Sparks was quick to point out that he doesn't have a particular agenda. Instead he wants to explore personal growth and how one moves beyond adversity or learns to accept and cope when life gives us sorrow:

What I'm trying to do more is to say that, if there's any message at all (and I don't write any messages), . . . [is] that [a single issue] doesn't define you entirely. It's one part of your life. But most importantly, parts you can change. I'm an author. But, I'm also a father, right? I also work out a lot, I also have brothers, I have friends. So, which one am I? You know, you're not just one thing.

The two central people in Safe Haven are also multidimensional individuals who have several roles, and author Nicholas Sparks couldn't be happier with the way actors Duhamel and Hough have made it easy for audiences to connect with them and to hope that their characters can learn to grow, change, and trust.

Of course Sparks talked about many other things, such as his experiences as an audiobook narrator, his answer to his most-asked question (Are you the most romantic guy on the planet?), his writing process, and his favorite scenes in the movie. Those stories will have to wait for another day.

The Giveaway. Now at last the long-awaiting giveaway. Thanks to Big Honcho Media (and I have lots to thank them for), I am able to offer one of my readers who lives in the United States a chance to win tickets to the film Safe Haven and a copy of the movie tie-in edition of the novel. One winner will receive $25 in Fandango Bucks (like a gift card you can redeem online at Fandango.com to buy your tickets) and one copy of the book. All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is to fill out the form. I'll pick a winner, using a random-number generator on February 14, the day the movie Safe Haven opens in theaters.



Good luck! And look for Safe Haven to open in theaters next week. If you want to stay current on the movie's doings, you have plenty of opportunity. Check out the Safe Haven Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.

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Safe Haven Movie Set Visit: Part 1

You might recall that last summer I had the unbelievable opportunity to visit the movie set of the upcoming film Safe Haven, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. A huge thanks goes out to Big Honcho Media for inviting me to participate.

I can't wait to see the movie, which comes out on February 14 and stars Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons, and Cobie Smulders. And, if I'm very lucky, I might be seen on screen too (don't blink or you'll miss me).

The movie was filmed in Southport, North Carolina, and used existing houses, some sets, and some repurposed buildings. It was a rainy day for our visit but we had a great time, watching a scene being filmed, talking with Nicholas Sparks, exploring the town, taking photographs and meeting the actors.

First, here's the studio's summary of the movie plot:

An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman’s struggle to love again, Safe Haven is based on the novel from Nicholas Sparks, the best-selling author behind the hit films The Notebook and Dear John. When a mysterious young woman arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it? I've read the book, and I've gotten the inside scoop on some of the movie plot, and  I can tell you that there is danger, excitement, new friendships, and--of course--love.

Come along with me while I visit the movie set! (Click on the images to see them full size)

You'll see from the photos that our day on the Safe Haven set was a little damp, but that didn't seem to stop the filming. When the rain came down, the movie crew covered the equipment and we all took a break.

Here we are on the set waiting to film. You can see the crew hard at work, the very cool director chairs with the actors' names, and even me!

Finally the day cleared up enough to film. If you've read the book Safe Haven, then you are very familiar with the carnival scene. For the movie, that part of the book was transformed into a Fourth of July celebration. Southport put on their red, white, and blue and reenacted their traditional and quirky annual parade. We got our first star sighting! And if I'm in the film, I'm in this scene.

After a hard morning being movie stars, it was time for lunch and a look at the town. Isn't that Safe Haven sign the best? We had lunch in the colorful restaurant shown here. It has a great waterfront name: Fishy Fishy Cafe. If you click on the link, you'll go to their website and see photos of the interior and get a peek at the menu. I had the coastal crab cake sandwich, and let me tell you -- OMG good.

After lunch we met up with author Nicholas Sparks who took us on a walking tour of the sites and buildings used for filming the movie. Here are exterior and interior shots of the house that Alex and his kids live in. You might recall that in the book Alex lives over his store, but that was changed for the movie. When Katie comes to town, she gets a job a Ivan's Fish Shack. Carpenters were working on that set, so we didn't have an opportunity to photograph the interior.

After that, we had a chance to talk with Mr. Sparks about the movie, the book, and his work. Thanks to the Frying Pan Restaurant for hosting the interviews, providing yummy hush puppies, and letting us stay to party. Next week's post will be all about talking to Mr. Sparks, so let's move right along to the party!

After our interviews, Mr. Sparks graciously signed a copy of the book Safe Haven for each of us and then posed for a photograph with every one of the bloggers. (You'll see my individual photo next week.) Here's a photo of all the invited guests and another of our fantastic and generous hosts from Big Honcho Media.

The party was super fun because it was hosted by Yellow Tail Wines. We had several wines to choose from, both sweet and dry. I picked the Merlot, which was delicious. Thanks to Yellow Tail for thinking of us and for making the afternoon so relaxing.

While we sipped our wine, we got to try on a special present we got from Sole Society. A week before we headed to North Carolina, Sole Society sent us a mini catalog and we were asked to pick out our favorite shoe. I had such a hard time deciding because I really liked so many of them. One other woman picked the exact same ones I did, and you see our pretty flats in the photo.

Even though we had a reception, our day wasn't over. The film crew was on a break from that day's shooting, and so we went back to the parade set to meet the actors and have a chance to take some photos. Before we were introduced to Josh Duhamel, Julianne Hough, David Lyons, and others we were lucky enough to witness a special ceremony. The Safe Haven production company made a generous donation to the Southport Boys and Girls Club. Afterward we met the stars and got our pictures taken. The photo on the stairs and the earlier group photo were taken by Big Honcho Media.

Unfortunately the rain put the day's shooting behind schedule and we didn't have time to conduct interviews, but we were able to have a chance to chat with the stars. They were all very down to earth, kind, and accessible.

We topped off our visit by having a fantastic and leisurely dinner at Mr. P's Bistro in Southport. The wine, the appetizers, the entrees--all were fabulous. If you click on the link, you can see photos and their menu. I ordered an outstanding tuna dish, which was one of the chef's specials for the day. After dinner, we walked down the street for some ice cream, and then headed back to the hotel to get some much needed rest before leaving the glamor of Hollywood behind us.

Stop back next Thursday for more about Nicholas Sparks, the movie Safe Haven, and a chance to win a book and tickets to the movie. Watch your local listings, the movie opens on February 14.

If you want to stay current on the movie's doings, you have plenty of opportunity. Check out the Safe Haven Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. Finally(!) check out the official trailer: (for some reason the trailer has disappeared. I hope it's temporary)

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