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June & July Roundup

8/5/2015

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This summer has been eventful for the LitChicks.

In June, we met to discuss "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro.  I would say that most of the members were either familiar with movie it inspired (starring Sir Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson) or with Kazuo Ishiguro's other book "Never Let Me Go" (which those members highly recommended).  The concensus on this book was that while it was beautifully written, it wasn't able to overcome the lack of any real plot.  Members were very consistent on goodreads, giving it 2-3 stars.  

The big news coming out of our June meeting was that we decided to launch a second branch of the NoVA LitChicks.  If you pay attention to our website you may have seen our post about it.  There was stellar response to this idea, both from our current membership and the general public.  We were able to fully fill a new club by the middle of June, and set a launch date of July 22nd.

Our original group met in the beginning of July to discuss "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in The World" by A.J. Jacobs.  Only a few people managed to finish it.  I think most were turned off with a book that mostly regurgitated encyclopedia entries.  Those who had read and enjoyed some of his other books agreed that this was not his best effort (although to be fair, this was also his first book).  Once again, members were fairly consistent in giving it 2-3 stars on Goodreads.

Finally, the New LitChicks met in late July to discuss "The Housekeeper and the Professor" by Yoko Ogawa.  It was a great meeting.  Conversation constantly flowed even though we were all strangers at the beginning of the meeting.  It is a sign of great things to come.  We agreed that it was a charming and sweet book.  While the book does refer to math a good deal (the Professor is a math professor after all), it was not overbearing.  Several ladies noted that they would have liked to see the past relationship between the Professor and his sister-in-law more fleshed out.  

Overall it was a great start to the summer.  In August, we will be reading "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb (original LitChicks) and "The Wives of Los Alamos".
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Books on Screen...Week of November 14th

11/14/2014

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This week there are two movies opening in theaters based on books - both featuring directors who normally appear in front of the camera.

Opening Friday (11/14) on the Big Screen
  •  "Homesman" - based on novel by Glendon Swarthout  
    • Stars Tommy Lee Jones (who also wrote and directed the film), Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, and John Lithgow, Hailee Steinfield, and James Spader.  When homesteading the Nebraska heartland leads three women to suffer breakdowns, it's Mary Bee's job to bring them back East to safety and asylum.  Knowing the difficult task ahead, she recruits a man with a shady past, George Briggs, to help them along the way.
  •  "Rosewater" - based on memoir by Maziar Bahari
    • Stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Kim Bodnia, Haluk Bilginer, Golshifteh Farahani, and Clair Foy.  In John Stewart's directorial debut, an Iranian journalist, who has been living in London and working for Newsweek, goes back to his home country to cover their 2009 presidential elections.  When videotaping protests over election results, he is arrested by authorities and accused of being a spy.
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Books on Screen - Week of November 7, 2014

11/7/2014

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This weekend there does not appear to be any new releases based on books; however, you may still be able to check out these previously-released movies based on literary material:
  • Addicted 
  • Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
  • Before I Go To Sleep
  • The Best of Me
  • The Equalizer 
  • Gone Girl
  • The Mazerunner

Despite the lack of new books on screen, there is some screen news this week that you may be interested in:
  • Netflix announced that is bringing back Uncle Olaf and the Baudelaire children in a Netflix exclusive live action series of Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events".  The first book was brought to the big screen back in 2004 and included acting heavy weights Jim Carrey, Meryl Strepp, Jude Law, and Catherine O'Hara as well as a relatively unknown actress at the time - Emily Browning.  Speculation of who will be cast in this new version has already begun.
  • Today Warner Brothers released the official full trailer for the last movie in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy - The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
  • As the release date for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 approaches (November 21st), news for the series is heating up.  Here is a round-up:
    • Within the last week, Lionsgate released the both the last trailer (subtitled "Burn") and the first official clip of the movie.
    • Today the Lionsgate announced that a live-stage version of the Hunger Games will be coming.   The show is being billed as a "live theatrical experience" and will be premiering in a state-of-the-art theater built specifically for it next to Wembley Stadium in London.  No word if the show will be brought to the United States.
    • You can know check out the video for "Yellow Flicker Beat" by Lorde, the first release from the Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack.  The soundtrack, which Lorde helped curate, is currently available for pre-order and will be released on November 17th.
  • Finally in local news, Northern Virginia residents now have one more option when it comes to choosing a movie theater.  The Regal Springfield Town Center 12 theater has finally opened.   The theater features luxury reclining seats, wide space between aisle, the latest digital projection technology, and reserve seating.  Lit Chick member Lorene has already been to the theater and reported that it's her new favorite theater. 
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Books on Screen - Week of October 31st

10/31/2014

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Many members of our book club enjoy movies in addition to books.  We thought the best way to merge the two was to create a new blog feature called "Books on Film".  This Friday (October 31st) three new book related films will opening in theaters.

Opening Friday (10/31) on the Big Screen
  •  "Before I Go To Sleep" - based on suspense thriller by S.J. Watson.  
    • Stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong.  After an accident, Christine's (Kidman) brain is injured so her memory resets every night.  At the end of every day, Christine records what happens in a journal that she can read the next morning.  One morning she wakes up to read an entry that leads her on a chase to find out what really happened and who can she really trust.
  • "Horns" - based on fantasy/horror novel by Joe Hill
    • Stars Danielle Radcliffe and Juno Temple.  Ignatius wakes up one morning after a bender to find that a pair of horns are growing out of his heads.  Suddenly people are admitting their deepest secrets to him.  Can Ignatius use this new gift to help him find out who murdered his girlfriend?
  • "Showrunners - The Art of Running a TV Show" - documentary that inspired a companion book by Tara Bennet
    • It's a Behind the Scenes look at what it takes to run a show on television today - featuring several of Hollywoods most well-known showrunners , including: JJ Abrams (Felicity, Alias), Damon Lindelof (Lost), Jane Espenson (Caprica, Once Upon a Time), Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly), Hart Hanson (Bones), and so many others.  This film will be released simultaneously in select theaters and digitally on iTunes.

On the Small Screen
  • "Death Comes to Pemberely" by P.D. James airing Sunday Nov. 2nd at 9 PM on PBS
    • This Sunday PBS' Masterpiece Mystery will be showing the second half of the adaptation of P.D. James spin-off of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice".  The mini-series stars Matthew Rhys (The Americans) as Darcy, Anna Maxwell Martin (Bleak House) as Elizabeth, Matthew Goode (The Good Wife) as Wickham, and Jenna Coleman (Doctor Who) as Lydia.  If you didn't catch the first half, you can watch it at the Masterpiece website.
  • "Olive Kitteridge" by Elizabeth Strout airing Sunday Nov. 2nd at 9 PM and Monday Nov. 3rd at 9 PM on HBO
    • HBO has broken up this Bestseller book into 4 hour mini series which will be airing over two nights.  The mini-series stars Academy Award Winner Frances McDormand (Fargo) as titular Olive Kitteridge and  Academy Award nominee Richard Jenkins (Eat, Pray, Love).  The Lit Chicks read Olive Kitteridge a few years ago.  You can see a trailer for the miniseries at HBO.  
Bonus info
 If you are a fan of "The Hunger Games" series by Suzanne Collins, tickets for "Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1" went on sale on Wednesday, October 29th.  
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