Books into Movies

If reading through the upcoming movie titles sounds like browsing the library catalog that is because many books are being made into theatrical releases. From recent bestsellers, such as Water for Elephants and The Help to current movies, like I Don’t Know How She Does It and Dolphin Tale, check out the library for the book.

While we do not have access to the movie until after it is released on DVD, you can read the book before visiting the theater.

A hedge fund manager and mother of two, struggles to juggle her professional and personal lives and to balance–often unsuccessfully–on the tightrope of work and home in I Don’t Know How She Does It.

Baseball fans check out nonfiction book, Moneyball, which explains how Oakland Athletics general manager, Billy Beene, uses a new kind of thinking to build a successful and winning baseball team without spending enormous sums of money.

Based on the children’s book, Winter’s Tail, Dolphin Tale describes the rescue and rehabilitation of a young Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who received an artificial tail after being badly injured when caught in a crab trap.

In We Need to Talk about Kevin the mother of a teenage boy who killed seven fellow and two adults in a high-school shooting writes a series of letters to her estranged husband on their son’s upbringing and questions what she fears may be her own part in the tragedy.

Karyn Bosnak’s 20 Times a Lady has been made into the motion picture What’s Your Number. The female main character reflects on the twenty men she’s had relationships with in her life and wonders if one of them might be her one true love.

In October Steel and Other Stories by Richard Matheson will be released at Real Steel. You may remember Mateson’s other book, I am Legend was made in the 2007 film of the same name.

It has been a few years since the last theatrical release of The Three Musketeers, but no matter how many movies are made some will always prefer Alexandre Dumas’ book.

The Help – Read-alikes While you Wait

The bestseller , The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is in high demand with the movie release just a few days away ( August 10!) Try one of these suggested read-alikes while you are moving down the hold list:

The Dry Grass of August  -  In 1954, 13-year-old Jubie, traveling with her family and her family’s black maid Mary Luther–who has always been there for her, making up for her father’s rages and her mother’s neglect–encounters racial tension and tragedy.

Freshwater Road - Volunteering in the summer of 1964 to help voters to register in the small town of Pineyville, Mississippi, college student Celeste Tyree befriends several locals, learns powerful lessons about race and social change, and is targeted by people who view her as a threatening representation of unwanted change.

Right as Rain - Living and working side-by-side on the rural Southern farm belonging to their white employers, Tee Wee and Icey forge a bond based on their shared servitude and their equally painful pasts.

The Secret Life of Bees - After her “stand-in mother,” a bold black woman named Rosaleen, insults the three biggest racists in town, Lily Owens joins Rosaleen on a journey to Tiburon, South Carolina, where they are taken in by three black, bee-keeping sisters.

We Are All Welcome Here - Stricken by polio, Paige Dunn, a woman of remarkable free spirit, beauty, and intelligence, continues to raise her daughter, Diana, with the help of her caretaker Peacie, in a novel set against the backdrop of Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1964.

The Summer We Got Saved - Embracing the belief systems of her Southern hometown, Tab witnesses changes in the attitudes throughout the course of a 1960s gubernatorial campaign, which is marked by the establishment of a voting school for church members. ( Novelist)

Mudbound - It is 1946, and city-bred Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband’s Mississippi Delta farma place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family’s struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura’s brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not, charming, handsome, and haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, has come home with the shine of a war hero. But no matter his bravery in defense of his country, he is still considered less than a man in the Jim Crow South.

Four Spirits - In the wake of racial tensions in 1960s Alabama, sheltered white college student Stella participates in her first freedom movement and finds her life changed in several ways when she develops friendships with local African Americans.

 

Challenge yourself with these DVDs!

Sometimes it is good to re-examine your worldview and expand your horizons. I challenge you to watch the following documentary movies and not come away changed to some small degree…

Angels in the Dust captures the incredible devastation wrought on the children of South Africa by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It focuses on Marion Cloete, who left her privileged life to open a school for over 500 children who have lost their parents to the virus. Several of the children themselves have HIV. While the subject matter sounds grim, it is incredibly uplifting to see the way these children respond to the unconditional love from Marion and her family. This would make an excellent resource for church and Bible study groups, or for anyone interested in why the US government offers foreign aid to African countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Closer to home, try 30 Days, a series which was originally broadcast as television episodes on FX. The series was produced by Morgan Spurlock, a name familiar to anyone who has seen the movie Supersize Me. This time around, instead of a steady diet of fast food for thirty days straight, Spurlock challenges himself and others to live in situations diametrically opposed to their own livestyles. He and his fiancee experienced what it was like trying to find housing and food while living on the minimum wage. When health problems arose, their whole house of cards quickly collapsed.

Other situations included a fundamentalist Christian living with a Muslim American family, a member of the Minutemen border patrol vigilantes living with an undocumented Mexican family in California and an unemployed computer programmer  living with a family in India that is enjoying prosperity due to the outsourcing of American jobs. These are real people sharing their homes, their lives and their honest opinions for 30 days.

You will be surprised to see who changes their mindset and who holds firm to their opinions!

 

Behind the Kitchen Doors

In honor of National Waitstaff Day (May 21), let’s take a look at books and movies set in the culinary world.

Waiter Rant by The Waiter – An account of a waiter’s life at an upscale New York restaurant describes his daily experiences with a series of outrageous customers and shares tips on such topics as getting good service and proper tipping etiquette.  This funny book will resonate with anyone who likes to complain about work.

Dishwasher by Pete Jordan – For the armchair traveler, this is the story of one man’s quest to wash dishes in all fifty states.

Under the Table by Katherine Darling – A chef describes her haphazard experiences as a student at New York City’s French Culinary Institute, a journey during which she and her classmates tackled a range of challenges from veal calves and fish heads to broken eggs and cutthroat teachers.

Cleaving by Julie Powell – The author of Julie and Julia describes how in the wake of a strain on her marriage she left town to immerse herself in the art of butchery, the laborious training she received, and her journeys throughout the world in search of the butchery practices of other cultures.

The Waitress (DVD) – Jenna is an unhappily married, pie-baking pro who dreams of leaving her husband Earl, but her plans are thwarted when she becomes pregnant.  Discovering a mutual attraction with the new doctor in town adds further complications.  Staring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.

Just Desserts (DVD) -  In this Hallmark movie, sparks fly when pastry chefs team up for the Golden Whisk Dessert competition, “the Olympics of desserts” and its $250,000 prize. With nothing in common, they’re determined to restrict the partnership to “just desserts”, but it isn’t long before this marriage of convenience threatens to turn into the real thing.

No Reservations (DVD) – Master chef Kate Armstrong runs the kitchen of an exclusive restaurant. When Kate’s sister is killed, her 9-year old niece Zoe comes to live with Kate, and Kate’s life is turned completely upside down. Nick Palmer is the newly hired sous chef, whom Kate perceives as a serious rival. Even as they clash, Kate is drawn toward Nick, eventually coming to the realization that Nick offers something that she needs both in her restaurant kitchen and her new life with Zoe. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart.

Mostly Martha (DVD) – Feel like a foreign film? This is the original German version of No Reservations.  Which do you like best?

Behind the Kitchen Doors

In honor of National Waitstaff Day (May 21), let’s take a look at books and movies set in the culinary world.

Waiter Rant by The Waiter – An account of a waiter’s life at an upscale New York restaurant describes his daily experiences with a series of outrageous customers and shares tips on such topics as getting good service and proper tipping etiquette.  This funny book will resonate with anyone who likes to complain about work.

Dishwasher by Pete Jordan – For the armchair traveler, this is the story of one man’s quest to wash dishes in all fifty states.

Under the Table by Katherine Darling – A chef describes her haphazard experiences as a student at New York City’s French Culinary Institute, a journey during which she and her classmates tackled a range of challenges from veal calves and fish heads to broken eggs and cutthroat teachers.

Cleaving by Julie Powell – The author of Julie and Julia describes how in the wake of a strain on her marriage she left town to immerse herself in the art of butchery, the laborious training she received, and her journeys throughout the world in search of the butchery practices of other cultures.

The Waitress (DVD) – Jenna is an unhappily married, pie-baking pro who dreams of leaving her husband Earl, but her plans are thwarted when she becomes pregnant.  Discovering a mutual attraction with the new doctor in town adds further complications.  Staring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion.

Just Desserts (DVD) -  In this Hallmark movie, sparks fly when pastry chefs team up for the Golden Whisk Dessert competition, “the Olympics of desserts” and its $250,000 prize. With nothing in common, they’re determined to restrict the partnership to “just desserts”, but it isn’t long before this marriage of convenience threatens to turn into the real thing.

No Reservations (DVD) – Master chef Kate Armstrong runs the kitchen of an exclusive restaurant. When Kate’s sister is killed, her 9-year old niece Zoe comes to live with Kate, and Kate’s life is turned completely upside down. Nick Palmer is the newly hired sous chef, whom Kate perceives as a serious rival. Even as they clash, Kate is drawn toward Nick, eventually coming to the realization that Nick offers something that she needs both in her restaurant kitchen and her new life with Zoe. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart.

Mostly Martha (DVD) – Feel like a foreign film? This is the original German version of No Reservations.  Which do you like best?

 

Need a Romantic Movie or Book?

In celebration of Library Lovers Month, the library held a drawing to win a movie package. Anyone over 18 could write down their favorite Romantic Movie or Book and they were entered. So, here are the favorites from the New Richmond Branch, maybe you will find a new favorite as well! Check out our catalog to see if they are in, or check MORE for any movie titles that we do not own.

  • 50 First Dates
  • Always
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Bridges of Madison County
  • Casablanca
  • City of Angels
  • Dirty Dancing
  • Gone With the Wind
  • Grease
  • Hitch
  • Love at First Bite
  • Love Sagas (a Hallmark Film)
  • My Love for You
  • The Notebook (This title had the most entries!)
  • Now Voyager
  • Pretty Woman
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • Princess Bride (This one is my favorite Movie!)
  • Pure Country
  • Remember Me
  • Sense and Sensibility
  • Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
  • Sleepless in Seattle
  • Somewhere in Time
  • Sweet Home Alabama
  • Titanic
  • Twilight

Ask the library staff if you can’t find them or for more suggestions!

 

Read ‘Em Before You See ‘Em

As we all know, many movies are based on books.  Plan ahead for these 2011 releases by reading the original source material now.

January 28, 2011

Movie: From Prada to Nada (A Latina version of Jane Austen’s classic novel set in modern-day Los Angeles)

Book: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

February 18, 2011

Movie: I am Number Four

Book: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

February 25, 2011

Movie: The Eagle

Book: The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

Spring, 2011

TV Show: Game of Thrones

Series: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

March 11, 2011

Movie: Jane Eyre

Book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Movie: Mars Needs Moms

Book: Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed

March 18, 2011

Movie: Beastly

Book: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Movie: The Lincoln Lawyer

Book: The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly

March 25, 2011

Movie: Dairy of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules

Book: Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney

April 15, 2011

Movie: Soul Surfer

Book: Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton

April 22, 2011

Movie: Water for Elephants

Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

May 6, 2011

Movie: Something Borrowed

Book: Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

June 17, 2011

Movie: Green Lantern

Comic: Green Lantern

July 8, 2011

Movie: One for the Money

Book: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

July 15, 2011

Movie: Winnie the Pooh

Book: Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

July 15, 2011

Movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Book: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

July 22, 2011

Movie: The First Avenger: Captain America

Comic: Avengers and Captain America

August 12, 2011

Movie: The Help

Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

August 12, 2011

Movie: Mr. Popper’s Penguins

Book: Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

September 11, 2011

Movie: Drive

Book: Drive by James Sallis

September 23, 2011

Movie: Moneyball

Book: Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis

October 14, 2011

Movie: The Three Musketeers, 3-D

Book: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

November 18, 2011

Movie: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1

Book: Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

December 9, 2011

Movie: Hugo Cabret

Book: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

December 21, 2011

Movie: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (English version)

Book: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

December 28, 2011

Movie: War Horse

Book: War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

True Grit Revamp

The latest film from the Cohen Brothers opens on December 25th, and it looks like they’ll have another hit on their hands. True Grit, a novel by Charles Portis first published in 1968, is the tale of a young girl tracking down her father’s murderer.

According to Ethan Coen, the new movie adaptation will be more faithful to the original book than the 1969 version starring John Wayne. With a cast that includes Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin, expectations for the new film are high. Now might be the time to check out True Grit and read the original so you’ll be ready to make your own comparisons!