If you liked the book, will you like the movie?

February 17, 2015February 12, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

Some very popular books have recently come out as movies and are generating a lot of positive buzz.

Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed – A powerful, blazingly honest memoir: the story of an eleven-hundred-mile solo hike that broke down a young woman reeling from catastrophe—and built her back up again.

The movie stars Reese Witherspoon (and is also Producer) as Cheryl Strayed and Laura Dern as Cheryl’s mother, Bobbi. It is rated R for sexual content, nudity, drug use, and language. It is mostly faithful to the book and critics say Reese delivered the performance of her life and was nominated for a Golden Globe and Oscar. Laura Dern was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The movie is rated R.

Unbroken: A World War II story of survival, resilience and redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – Relates the story of a U.S. airman who survived when his bomber crashed into the sea during World War II, spent forty-seven days adrift in the ocean before being rescued by the Japanese Navy, and was held as a prisoner until the end of the war.

The movie is most notably directed by Angelina Jolie. It has won the American Film Festival top ten film of the year. Jack O’Connell, who plays Louis Zamperini, has won two awards – Hollywood Film Award for Actor and National Board of Review Award for breakthrough actor. The movie is rated PG-13.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova – Feeling at the top of her game when she is suddenly diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease, Harvard psychologist Alice Howland struggles to find meaning and purpose in her life as her concept of self gradually slips away. The movie stars Julianne Moore as Alice who recently won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress. She also won Best Actress with several other associations including The Chicago Film Critics and Hollywood Film Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar as Best Actress. Alec Baldwin stars as the husband, John. The movie is rated PG-13.

American Sniper by Chris Kyle – A member of Navy SEAL Team 3 describes his life as a father and husband, and as the serviceman with the most confirmed sniper kills in the history of the United States military while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bradley Cooper has been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Chris Kyle. The movie has also been nominated for Best Picture. The movie is rated R.

If you’ve read the book, will you go see the movie? Let us know what you think of the movie. Did it capture the essence of the book, or was it a disappointment? If you liked the movie, will you read the book? Which did you like better? We want to know!

Children’s Books with Non Traditional Families

February 12, 2015January 29, 2015 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Children love to see something of themselves and their families as they read. Sometimes spotting something of themselves in the main character’s personality or home life is what helps them connect to a book or foster a love in reading. When growing up in a family that is everything you need, but not the expected mom and dad with 2.5 kids and a dog, it is sometimes hard to make that connection. Thankfully, since the ‘expected’ family is becoming less of a norm for a variety of reasons I thought it would be helpful to share some children’s books with alternative families to help every child find a book that they can relate to. Here are some picture books and easy readers to share with some young readers about a variety of families.

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; illustrated by Henry Cole
At New York City’s Central Park Zoo, two male penguins fall in love and start a family by taking turns sitting on an abandoned egg until it hatches.

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose Lewis; illustrated by Jane Dyer
A woman describes how she went to China to adopt a special baby girl. Based on the author’s own experiences.

The Family Book by Todd Parr
Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

In Our Mothers’ House BY Patricia Polacco
Three young children experience the joys and challenges of being raised by two mothers.

Two Homes by Claire Masurel; illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton
A young boy named Alex enjoys the homes of both of his parents who live apart but love Alex very much.

Black is Brown is Tan by Arnold Adoff; pictures by Emily Arnold McCully
When it was first published in 1973, Black is Brown is Tan featured the first interracial family in children’s books.

There are many more kinds of families, and many more books about how wonderful each is. Here are a select group of more books on the subject:Uncle Bobby’s Wedding by Sarah S. Brannen, Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers; illustrated by Marla Frazee, The White Swan Express: a Story about Adoption by Jean Davies Okimoto and Elaine M. Aoki; illustrated by Meilo So, Who’s in a Family? by Robert Skutch; illustrations by Laura Nienhaus, I Have Two Homes by Marian De Smet; illustrated by Nynke Talsma, Who’s Whose? by Jan Ormerod, Raising you Alone by Warren Hanson, All Families are Special by Norma Simon; illustrated by Teresa Flavin.

My list is not comprehensive, there is no way to include every good book on the subject. If I missed a great one you have run across please share it in the comments so we can all check it out!

O, The Oprah Magazine Picks Top Ten Books of 2014

January 20, 2015January 5, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

The editors of O, The Oprah Magazine have come up with their list of the top ten books of 2014. How many did you read?

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell – A vast, intricate novel that weaves six narratives and spans from 1984 to the 2030s about a secret war between a cult of soul-decanters and a small group of vigilantes called the Night Shift who try to take them down. An up-all-night story that fluentlymixes the super-natural, sci-fi, horror, social satire, and hearbreaking realism.

Thunderstruck & Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken – A collection of stories navigates the fragile space between love and loneliness, including the title story in which a family finds their lives irrevocably changed by their teenage daughter’s risky behavior.

The Short & Tragic Life of Robert Peace by Jeff Hobbs – Presents the life of Robert Peace, an African American who became a brillant biochemistry student at Yale University, but after graduation lived as drug dealer and was brutally murdered at the age of thirty.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel – The sudden death of a Hollywood actor during a production of “King Lear” marks the beginning of the world’s dissolution in a story told at various past and future times from the perspectives of the actor and four of his associates.

The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison – A collection of essays explores empathy, using topics ranging from street violence and incarceration to reality television and literary sentimentality to ask questions about people’s understanding of and relationships with others.

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi – A reimagining of the Snow White story set in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s.

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast – A graphic memoir by a long-time New Yorker cartoonist celebrates the final years of her aging parents’ lives through four-color cartoons, family photos and documents that reflect the artist’s struggles with caregiver challenges.

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom – Forging a life together after being abandoned by their parents, half sisters Eva and Iris share decades in and out of the spotlight in golden-era Hollywood and mid-twentieth-century Long Island.

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande – A prominent surgeon argues against modern medical practices that extend life at the expense of quality of life while isolating the dying, outlining suggestions for freer, more fulfilling approaches to death that enable more dignified and comfortable choices.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay – A cultural examination of the ways in which the media influences self-perception, and discusses how society still needs to do better.

Goodreads Best Book Award Winners Announced!

December 28, 2014December 30, 2014 / Sharon Tyler / Leave a comment

Every year Goodreads allows its registered members to vote on the best books of the year in a variety of genres and categories. The votes are done in three rounds, each round lasting about a week. This years voting for the final round ended on November 24th. The winners in each category are:

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Fiction: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Mystery & Thriller: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Historical Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Fantasy: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Romance: Written Down in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Science Fiction: The Martian by Andy Weir

Horror: Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Humor: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Nonfiction: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

Memoir & Autobiography: This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl

History & Biography: The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport

Business Books:#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

Food & Cookbooks: Make it Ahead by Ina Garten

Graphic Novels & Comics: Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon

Poetry: Lullabies by Lang Leav

Debut Goodreads Author: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Young Adult Fiction: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Young Adult Fantasy: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Middle Grade & Children’s: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Picturebooks: The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

10 Celebrity Books Worth Reading

December 9, 2014November 17, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

I admit it…..I don’t watch much television or go to movies, so I’m not into the celebrity thing. But a couple articles caught my eye about books written by celebrities that are considered to be quite good. Take a look:

Bossypants by Tina Fey (Biography) – From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon, comedian Tina Fey reveals all, and proves that you’re no one until someone calls you bossy.

Unbearable Lightness by Portia De Rossi (Biography) – A wife of Ellen DeGeneres and actress best known for her roles in Ally McBeal and Arrested Development provides a searing account of the years she spent secretly suffering from anorexia and bulimia, and trying to hide her sexuality, all under the glare of Hollywood’s bright lights.

My Mother Was Nuts : A Memoir by Penny Marshall (Biography) – A Hollywood icon discusses her incredible life, from her starring role on the classic sitcom Laverne and Shirley to her trailblazing moment as the first woman to direct a movie grossing more than $100 million at the box office

Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Biography) – A first-person account by the Golden Globe-winning actress best known for her work on Parks and Recreation and Saturday Night Live includes coverage of such topics as her relationships with caregivers and her friendship with Tina Fey

Seriously……I’m Kidding by Ellen Degeneres (Biography) – The stand-up comedian, television host, bestselling author, and actress candidly discusses her personal life and professional career and describes what it was like to become a judge on “American Idol.”

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned by Lena Dunham (Biography) – The creator and star of HBO’s “Girls” documents her coming-of-age in and out of the spotlight, recounting her experiences with everything from dieting and embarrassing sex to dirty old men and performing in less-than-ideal conditions.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (and other concerns) by Mindy Kaling (Non-Fiction) – The Emmy-nominated writer and actress best known as Kelly Kapoor on The Office shares her observations on a wide range of topics from favorite male archetypes and her hatred of dieting to her loving relationship with her mother and the haphazard creative process in the Office writers’ room.

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (Fiction) – The stage and screen star best known for her work in such series as Gilmore Girls presents the story of a struggling actress in 1990s New York City who searches for work and the perfect hair product while befriending a rival and resisting her father’s pressure to get a “real” job.

The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin (Fiction) – Daniel, a troubled man who lives alone in a Santa Monica apartment, detached from the world, watching life go by, passes his time filling out contest applications, estimating the wattage of light bulbs, and counting ceiling tiles, until his grown attachment to Clarissa and Teddy helps him rediscover the outside world, as well as love and life in the process.

When It Happens to You by Molly Ringwald (Fiction) – A collection of interlinked stories follows a Los Angeles family and their friends and neighbors as they negotiate the deceptions and heartbreaks of everyday life.