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!

Louise Reads: The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

February 15, 2015January 29, 2015 / Louise / Leave a comment

The Rosie Effect is the sequel to 2013’s runaway hit The Rosie Project, author Graeme Simsion’s debut novel (reviewed here). That romantic comedy followed the efforts of Don Tillman, a genetics professor and extremely socially inept, to procure a life partner for himself. The Wife Project ends successfully with Don finding true love with the free-spirited and quirky-in-her-own-way Rosie.

The sequel opens with Don and Rosie starting their married life in New York City. Don is feeling very satisfied with his adjustment to marriage, until he notices orange juice on his breakfast table one morning. “Orange juice was not scheduled for Fridays.” , he muses in the book’s opening sentence, and it’s the beginning of even more changes for Don. Rosie, you see, is pregnant.

A comedy of errors ensues as Don tries to adjust to this unplanned event. His best friend from Australia moves in with Don and Rosie after his wife kicks him out, Don’s endeavors to observe fathers in action end up getting him arrested, and his attempts to take control over the pregnancy have, of course, the opposite effect. As troubles start mounting, Rosie begins to doubt that Don is meant for fatherhood.

This blurb from Simon & Schuster sums it up nicely: “As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most. ”

I enjoyed The Rosie Effect, though I must admit, not as much as The Rosie Project. Half of the fun in the first story was getting to know Don and his myriad of quirks. The sequel also seemed a bit rushed to me, with almost too many crazy misunderstandings thrown into the plot to keep it lively. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Dan O’Grady, who was fantastic. A very enjoyable read, even if I didn’t love it as much as the original. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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!

Cozy Mysteries – February 2015

February 10, 2015January 28, 2015 / Linda / Leave a comment

A great assortment of new cozy mysteries have arrived!

Meet Your Baker (A Bakeshop Mystery) – Ellie Alexander

Murder at the Book Group (A Book Group Mystery) – Maggie King

Snow Way Out (A Snow Globe Shop Mystery) – Christine Husom

For Whom the Bluebell Tolls (A Bridal Bouquet Shop Mystery) – Beverly Allen

Diners, Drive-ins, and Death (A Comfort Food Mystery) – Christine Wenger

Twisted Threads (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery) – Lea Wait

Fry Me A Liver (A Deadly Deli Mystery) – Delia Rosen

A Seamless Murder ((A Magical Dressmaking Mystery) – Melissa Bourbon

All The President’s Menus (A White House Chef Mystery) – Julie Hyzy

In Hot Water (A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade Mystery) – J.J. Cook

Criminal Confections (A Chocolate Whisperer Mystery) – Colette London

Town In A Pickle (A Candy Holliday Murder Mystery) – B.B. Haywood

Gilt By Association (A Caprice De Luca Home Staging Mystery) – Karen Rose Smith

An Early Wake (A County Cork Mystery) – Sheila Connolly

Played By The Book ((A Novel Idea Mystery) – Lucy Arlington

Mrs. Jeffries And The One Who G0t Away (A Victorian Mystery) – Emily Brightwell

As Gouda As Dead (A Cheese Shop Mystery) – Avery Aames

This Old Homicide (A Fixer-Upper Mystery) – Kate Carlisle

At The Drop of a Hat (A Hat Shop Mystery) – Jenn McKinlay

Fry Another Day (A Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery) – J.J. Cook

License to Dill (A Pickled & Preserved Mystery) – Mary Ellen Hughes

A Root Awakening (A Flower Shop Mystery) – Kate Collins

10 Books We’re Looking Forward to in February

February 8, 2015January 16, 2015 / Louise / Leave a comment

February. This quote from the Old Farmer’s Almanac pretty much sums it up:

“Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin’; if you’re not mitten-smitten, you’ll be frostbitten!”

We recommend curling up with a good book. Getting swept up in a good story can make the days fly by!

Every month, librarians from around the country pick the top ten new books they’d most like to share with readers. The results are published on LibraryReads.org. One of the goals of LibraryReads is to highlight the important role public libraries play in building buzz for new books and new authors. Click through to read more about what new and upcoming books librarians consider buzzworthy this month. The top ten titles for February are: