Monthly Archives: April 2012

The Casual Vacancy: New Information on JK Rowling’s New Book

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When JK Rowling announced in February that she was writing a new book for adults, I was pretty much the last person on the planet to find out. Seriously check our twitter account, I found out like maybe two weeks ago. Why didn’t anyone tell me? I guess they thought it was such big news that there was no way I hadn’t heard about it. Well when I saw that JK Rowling was a trending topic on WordPress yesterday I decided to employ the good old fool me once fool me twice rule and make sure I didn’t miss the news this time.

So, you probably didn’t hear it here first, but in case you were unaware lots of new information was released yesterday about the new book. The title is “The Casual Vacancy” a 480-page novel aimed towards adult readers.

Here’s what Little Brown Book Group posted about the book on their website: “When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty facade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?”

Although it is a far cry from the wizarding world of Harry Potter, it sounds pretty intriguing to me (a politically-minded Anglophile). I don’t know if I would have been more excited by something more similar to her previous books. Harry Potter was a very important character and series in my life and the part of me is longing for more of the same, even if it doesn’t stand up to the original. I think this is behind my adoption of The Hunger Games and Twilight series. Another part of me is glad that this book won’t have to compete with the crazy popularity and magic of HP. Either way I will be excited to pick up a copy on September 27th. Is anyone else up for a midnight book release?

What do you think – do you wish the book was like Harry Potter or are you happy with this description?

Also do you think she should be publishing under a different name? I’ve heard people say this, but I don’t get it.

What I’m Into

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1. Flipbacks - My friend Mollie got me one for Christmas (Persuasion by Jane Austen) and I bought myself two more (Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde). Flipbacks are pocket-sized books. They are printed sideways, so you read them top to bottom. The binding and covers are very durable, so the books don’t get banged up if you throw them in your purse. They’re a good alternative if you can’t or don’t want to read books on an e-reader. They’re more portable than my iPad.

The only downsides are that they’re expensive (they’re made in the UK) and there are only a limited number of titles available – a mix of current bestsellers and classics.

2. This song and music video:

3. Sweater weather: We’ve been having some rain this week, and I’m taking the opportunity to wear all my sweaters, cardigans and scarves before summer hits. Usually in winter I get anxious for warm weather and want to wear my shorts and tank tops and then in summer I only want to wear my winter clothes. It’s a problem. So I’m trying to enjoy layering while I can.

“It’s my favorite scarf, because it’s a circle, so you never have to think about which end goes on the right or on the left.” -New Girl, Holly (Secrets, 1×19)

 

4. Netflix: I love being able to watch TV and movies anywhere in my house on my iPad.*

What have you been enjoying this week?

*I mentioned my iPad twice in this post… I’m pretty into it this week too since my computer is still dead.

PS It probably needs to be said that I was not contacted by any of these companies to promote them nor did I receive any compensation for the writing of this post. These are just products/companies that I genuinely like (well, I don’t like American Apparel, but I’m in love with my circle scarf…).

The Hunger Games: A Book of Our Times

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After so much hype surrounding the books and the movie, it’s hard to find something to say about The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, that hasn’t been said before.  The book seems like it is everywhere, from the highly successful movie to the nail polish series by China Glaze. I will say, that I don’t believe the hype is unfounded. Collins had a brilliant and innovative idea, which she followed through with strong character development and very tight writing.

The novel has come in my mind to define dystopia. I don’t want to ruin the plot, but here is the teaser from Amazon:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat’s sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.  

I know it sounds strange and gruesome, in a way that I probably wouldn’t have touched it while in high school, but it is one of the most compelling books I’ve ever read. It almost makes you keep reading.  Even on this second reading of the book, where I knew what was going to happen there was suspense that led me to finish the book in one sitting.

Stars of The Hunger Games film sign copies of the book.

What strikes me in the aftermath of rereading Hunger Games, is its status as a book of our times. Perhaps more than any other book I’ve read, certainly in the science fiction or fantasy genre, it is a book that I believe could only have been written and gained such prolific popularity now, in this specific point in history and culture. The idea of reality TV is essential to the plot, and the powerful theme of exploitation, in the book, however the connection to the present day goes beyond this.

The book emphasizes a social critique of a social structure where the few experience gluttony of excess wealth at the expense of the majority of people. Although Collins invented this world before the occupy movement and the term “one percent” entered our consciousness the concept and reality of unequal wealth distribution was prevalent. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Panem is a future version of the United States.

I think where this book really succeeds is that it does everything a good book should do. It has romance and action, strong themes and symbolism, relatable and fantasy, and most of all tension and suspense. Even as I’m writing this I keep thinking of more: politics, humor, fashion! I think that the best thing about series like Hunger Games is that it is making reading viral, with both adults and children that wouldn’t pick up a book otherwise. I have yet to meet someone who could put this book down once they started it, especially once they get to the actual games. And I’ve actually yet to meet someone who took the time to read it and didn’t like it. I really couldn’t recommend it more strongly.

For further reading and reviews:

The Hunger Games: What Else Is There to Say?

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Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 374
Rating: ****

I feel less Hunger Games-ed out than I did the first time I wrote this post (I lost my first review when my computer died). However, I still feel that there’s not a lot I can add to the reviews out there on The Hunger Games.

It’s incredibly readable and hard to put down. Even though I knew what to expect, I still found myself caught up in the suspense of the story and unable to put it down. (I’ve even resisted rereading the second and third books until I know I’ll have time to finish them in one sitting.) The plot is really action-driven, but the characters don’t suffer for it. They’re well-developed, believable and sympathetic (I cried twice while reading it).

This is my first review of a reread. It’s interesting how I noticed different things the second time through. The movie definitely colored my reading, affecting mostly the way I pictured the Capitol and the arena. The movie does a good job showing what happens, the book does a better job explaining why. That makes sense. Each medium was used for its strength. I think they compliment each other nicely. I could see someone only watching the movies or only reading the books and being satisfied, but I think fans of the books will enjoy the film as well.

I didn’t mind Katniss’s voice as much this time through. On my first read, I found her pretty annoying for the first 100 pages. This time, it wasn’t so bad. But she has to be the last self aware first person narrator I have ever read (exception: perhaps Bella Swan). I don’t find her to be an unreliable narrator. I believe all the exposition she provides, but her refusal to even entertain the idea that Peeta might actually be in love with her, or that people might actually like her as a person outside of her connections to her father or Prim, makes me crazy. When Peeta says, “She has no idea. The effect she can have,” he is so on the nose.

That said, it’s a good self-contained story, but the sequel is well set up. I wanted to read more when I finished it. Not because of a cliff-hanger ending but because I had become attached to the characters and their struggles in and against the Capitol. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, I definitely recommend it. You should probably buy the box set though. I don’t know anyone who’s stopped reading after the first book.

Movie Posters as Book Covers

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From Twilight to Pride and Prejudice, books that have been made into movies have the movie poster replace the book cover. Usually, I am against owning these. I don’t want everyone to think that I am just reading a book because Anne Hathaway is on the cover. I usually like to read the book before the movie.

With me using eBooks more and more (thus eliminating this problem) books that I buy in paper form have become even more about how they look on the bookshelf…or about how they won’t electrocute me if I drop them in the bathtub. Anyways, it seems like a shame to get rid of the beautiful cover art that has been created with the book in mind. Even the classic penguin covers have an appeal that outweighs Hollywood celebrity.

I think this is a pretty common opinion, but I also know that sometimes I take the cover of a book a little too seriously. My mother, who will probably be the first person to read this post, will remember a trip to Barnes and Noble when I spent almost 20 minutes deciding which copy of The Portable Dorothy Parker. I was probably close to tears as I told her, “I just am so tired of making decisions.” I ended up picking this one, in case you were wondering. Pretty, right?

However, with the seeds of this blog post in my mind, last week at the library I ended up checking a book out almost solely because of the cover. It was Inventing the Abbots, by Sue Miller. While I can, perhaps legitimately claim, that I picked the book up out of a curiosity about my former professor. But that would be a false claim, I’ve had 2 years without expressing the curiosity, and there are more well-known and critically acclaimed works I could have chosen.

No, I picked it up because I saw Liv Tyler and Joaquin Phoenix falling over a car seat and thought “Oh my goodness, there is that movie I used to watch on Lifetime when I was home from school sick.” Now, I’m not sure if I need to rethink my former opinions.

What do you think? Are you more or less likely to read a book with a movie poster for a cover?

Links for a Lazy Monday

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Sunday got so lazy that the links post got pushed to Monday. Alison L and I planned to keep the Hunger Games Magic going with our first review of the series. Unfortunately, her computer, complete with finished review, is on the fritz (and she had a pretty important birthday to celebrate yesterday), and I spent the week battling a cold and then had a bachelorette party this weekend…and my mindset the morning after wasn’t up for much, let alone writing something semi interesting about one of my favorite series. Apologies. To make it up to you, I put together some of my favorite things I’ve found bouncing around the internet lately.

#WhatShouldWeCallMe is my new favorite tumblr of all time. My sister showed me a few of their memes a month ago, which made me literally laugh out loud. Yesterday I found myself looking through pages and pages of their witty and pop culturally relevant posts. It is also where I discovered this startling fact about the movie Aladdin.

I also loved seeing the photos of this Hunger Games themed wedding on Green Wedding Shoes. Although, I think it takes fandom to a new level, it was done in a classy and subtle way. While looking up the link, I saw another wedding shoot with a Hunger Games theme. Is this going to become a new trend? Will it be like the Twilight engagement rings?

If you are having Downton Abbey withdrawals, like me, you need to check out A Very Carson Christmas and The Fresh Prince of Downton Abbey. Both will make you almost pee in your pants they are so funny. I also liked these Maggie Smith moments and this boyfriend’s guide to the show. 

I also was intrigued this post on the jealous curator on jane mount. I don’t know what books would be on my ideal bookshelf, but I’m glad I will hopefully never have to narrow them down. And I chuckled at this cartoon on NYT.