Book-to-Film Adaptation Trailer Insanity

Oh the insanity! This week, trailers for four much-anticipated film adaptations were released, according to GalleyCat.

Let's take a gander at what's in store for the big screen:

1. Gone Girl 
Based on the bestselling thriller by Gillian Flynn
Release date: October 3, 2014

While I struggled to get through this book (I couldn't even finish it, honestly...the characters were all so damn unlikable!), I am interested in what Twentieth Century Fox and director David Fincher do with it. I'm particularly intrigued by the fact that Fincher worked with Flynn to change the ending of the book for the silver screen.


2. If I Stay
Based on the popular YA novel by Gayle Forman
Release date: August 22, 2014

Now, this one I am totally stoked for. I read If I Stay years ago and loved it to pieces. It's one of those books that resonated with me, that made me laugh and cry and beg for more. Its sequel, Where She Went, was good, too, but not nearly as engrossing and powerful as If I Stay. You can bet I'll be one of the first in line to see this baby.


3. Heaven is for Real 
Based on the bestselling Christian novel by Todd Burpo
Release date: April 16, 2014

Though I haven't heard of this book before--and I'm not generally a Christian fiction reader--the cast is pretty stellar. It's also an interesting topic--near death experience--that might be worth checking out. Probably not on the big screen for me, though. Apparently, this flick is "part of Hollywood's push into marketing faith-based films to Christians" (GalleyCat), and I'm curious to see how it does in the box office.

4. X-Men: Days of Future Past
Based on the bestselling comic book series X-Men
Release Date: May 23, 2014

I'll admit it: I've never read any of the comics before. But I have seen all the movies thus far, and I've enjoyed each and every one of them. So, I'm sure I will feel similarly about this one. Especially since one of my favorite actresses, Jennifer Lawrence, has been cast on as Raven/Mystique.

New Trend: Reading Alone Together

Apparently there is a growing fad in the literary world. No, I am not talking about New Adult fiction. I am talking about silent reading parties. The trend first started out in Seattle, with the Sorrento Hotel hosting the event on the first Wednesday of every month. Now, a Brooklyn bar called Muchmore is following suit, according to GalleyCat:

A group of readers in New York have formed Silent Reading Party NYC, a once a month event in New York in which readers gather in a bar to silently read in a group setting. 

The next one will take place this Sunday April 13th at Muchmore’s in Brooklyn from 7-9pm. Brandee Younger will play harp music to set the mood. 

Check it out: “Silent Reading Party NYC is a free monthly event that offers people the chance to drink together and read to themselves in the comfort of a quiet bar with cozy couches and good lighting.” 

See the original post HERE

While my initial reaction to the trend was "o_O" I have always enjoyed reading quietly with others around. It's part of why I like going to coffee shops, restaurants, or bars and just sitting there with a book, letting the day move along around me. While this behavior sometimes makes me feel self-conscious, garnering looks from my fellow patrons to the effect of "what a loser" or "umm okay," it's still nice to be lost in my little fictitious world within the real one. So why not do it with a bunch of people who feel the same? If I still lived in NYC, I'd be all over this monthly get-together (even if I would have to trek to Brooklyn).

If anyone out there has taken part in one of these silent reading parties, I'd love to get your thoughts on the experience! I imagine it would be lovely...

Hump Day Humor: Celebrity Slam Poetry, "Boy Meets World," and "Full House"

I have no words.

Except....AWESOME.

GalleyCat explains:

Just in time for National Poetry Month, Django Unchained actor Samuel L. Jackson recently appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and performed slam poetry about the 90′s American sitcom, Boy Meets World. 

In the video embedded above, Jackson makes references to the Corey-Topanga love story, theCorey-Shawn bromance, and Eric’s infamous “Feeny” call. 

According to Mental Floss, Fallon later asked Jackson whether or not he was a fan of Boy Meets World; Jackson admitted that it’s probable he had never even “seen one episode.” 

Back in 2012, Forrest Gump actor Tom Hanks came on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to deliver a similar-stylized slam poetry performance about another iconic TV show, Full House.

See the original post HERE

BREAKING BAD's Bryan Cranston Breaks Into Publishing

The hit television show "Breaking Bad" was all the rage in the States a few years ago, spreading just in the past six months or so across the pond to the UK. And now, the craze seems to be shifting mediums as lead actor Bryan Cranston signs a deal with Simon & Schuster to pen a memoir about his time on the show.

The Los Angeles Times tells us more:

“With this book, I want to tell the stories of my life and reveal the secrets and lies that I lived with for six years shooting ‘Breaking Bad,’ ” Bryan Cranston said in the press release announcing his upcoming memoir. The as-yet-untitled book will be published by Scribner in 2015. 

Cranston won three best actor Emmy Awards portraying Walter White, the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher who turns to making methamphetamine to support his family. In the show's five seasons, White -- who in a desperate moment came up with the pseudonym Heisenberg -- went from everyman to drug kingpin. 

The role has become iconic -- Heisenberg T-shirts are available just about everywhere, including Wal-Mart. But Cranston, 58, has had a long career as an actor whose skills allowed him to play all kinds of roles. 

He was the father in the goofy TV comedy "Malcolm in the Middle," quietly appeared in the Oscar-winning drama "Argo" and is currently portraying Lyndon Johnson on Broadway. 

As he told Terry Gross in a recent interview on NPR's "Fresh Air," he had a difficult childhood as his parents' marriage dissolved. His father was a frustrated actor and alcoholic, and his mother also struggled with alcohol. For a time he and his brother lived with their grandparents, where they learned to slaughter chickens. 

The publisher promises that Cranston's book will be "a deeply candid work" and "offer fascinating insights into his early years, the craft of acting, and his experiences on the landmark series 'Breaking Bad.' ”

See the original post HERE

I'm not even halfway through watching the series myself (thank you, Netflix), but it's clear from just the very first few episodes how impactful a role like Walter White must have been on Cranston. Many of the actors involved (Aaron Paul, anyone?), in fact, surely have much worth sharing regarding the intensely emotional and suspenseful--and sometimes terrifying--show. I will definitely be snatching myself a copy of this baby when it hits the shelves!