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Movie Novelizations
What is the point of them? To read them before the movie? But what if you don’t want to get spoiled? To read them after the movie to. . . relive it? But you can just rewatch it.
So really, does anyone know the point of them? I mean I know the company’s point is to make money with the supplemental materials but what about the consumers?
For those who do buy the movie novelizations, please comment with why. -
Antique Books: Work
Little Women has been long held as one of Louisa May Alcott’s best works. Under the Lilacs and Eight Cousins being well-known seconds I believe, though don’t quote me on that. However, I picked up her novel, Work: A Story of Experience which was surprisingly not as preachy as the title implied.
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Okay, there is a bit of preachiness and lots of espousing of good Christian work but that is par for course for an Alcott novel. -
Antique Books: Anne Frank Remembered
Okay this technically isn’t an antique book but I got it at a flea market so sematics. Anyway, hopefully most people know who Miep is, aka Hermine Geis, the woman who helped hide the Frank family in the Secret Annex is WW2.
This memoir is told from Miep’s point of view, giving a wider outlook to Dutch life during the war. Especially the paranoia, danger and tragedy Miep witnesses from neighbors failing to scape, the harsh separations, and the feelings that you can’t trust anyone.
Nonetheless, the pride and love Miep has for her home country in spite of the actions of the Nazi parties shine through, as well as her hope for humanity just like Anne did. Even though Miep is human, and admits of the sadness and hopelessness that would consume her during those years. But what better example of people being inherantly good than what she and her husband tried to do in saving their friends?
Just a good book to read.
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Antique Books: Dogs
You think dogs will not be in heaven I tell you, they will be there long before any of us- Robert Louis Stevenson
This photo book is a lovely collection of dog pictures from the turn of the century to the 1950s, courtesy of Catherine Johnson, one of the formost collectors of amateur dog photos. Plus an Afterward by premiere dog photographer, William Wegman about the positioning of dog pictures and the special spark they bring to the lens.
The photos are adorable from dog tricks to family pictures and of course, some of the brave pups with their soldier owners on the fields. It’s a nice snapshot to the past and is filled with quotes about the importance, humor, and love shared between dogs and people.
Some of my favorites include:If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuts on your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them- Phil Pastoret
The more I know about men, the more I like dogs- Gloria Alfred
If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience- Woodrow Wilson
I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts- John Steinbeck
You do not own a dog: the dog owns you- Anonymous
Most dogs don’t think they are human; they know they are- Jane Swann
If you want the best seat in the house, move the dog- Anonymous
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole- Roger Caras
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Antique Reads: An Old Sweetheart of Mine
This poem by James Whitcomb Riley would be an ideal Valentine’s Gift. It’s rhymes are charming and is filled with nostalgia of the late 1800s as the narrator remisces over a nightcap of his first sweetheart in grade school. Plus it has a nie twist.
Also just look at the illustrations with its sepia palette, it’s very pretty.
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Antique Reads: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Since my grandmother frequents flea markets, sometimes she’d buy me a book or something she’d thought interesting. Though it didn’t always align, one book I enjoyed was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos.
Now I haven’t seen the movie full-through, just the iconic Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend song so I can’t compare the book to the movie but from what I can glean from the movie’s summary, they are pretty different.
For one thing, there is only one protagonist, not two. Loreli Lee, a somewhat ditzy golddigger and her adventures across Europe in search for a wealthy husband. . . And that’s about it.
There’s no great moral, rather a series of light vignettes where Loreli meets Dr. Freud, lies about herself to impress a bevy of men from Prsybeterian minister to a magazine editor, steals a tiara and goes on many many shopping trips.
Now it sounds like the making of an awful girl who gets everything she wants, but it’s not. Loreli is not malicious, just knows what she wants. Plus there is humor in seeing how naive she is about the world which the book amply points out. It’s a satire I suppose about the golddigging flappers of the age but also it’s just entertainment. A good book for anyone who wants to check out the inspiration for the movie.
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Nonfiction Dog Books
Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever who Saved Him by Luis Carlos Montalvan shows the relationship between dog and man can help veterans after their tours with Tuesday giving the trust, openness and “normalcy” he craves as he deals with his ongoing PTSD.
The Second Chance Dog by Jon Katz follows the author, Jon as he chases the love of his life, Maria by bonding with her dog, Frieda. It is more of a treatise about love, artistic endevours, and persistance but the relationship of Jon coaxing Frieda to trust him and opening his eyes to the remarkableness of the dog-human bond is as sweet as the romance.
Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog and the Triumph of Trust by Michael Hingson follows the remarkable story of a dog, Rosella leading her blind master out of the collapsing Twin Towers. It’s harrowing as describes the chaos around him while his dog, keeps cal through it all.
The Dog Who Saved My Life: Walking with Peety by Eric O’Grey is another man and dog story where the overweight decides to get his life on track and save himself from future heart failure. One of his first steps is to adopt a dog, that would be the obese Peety, and they go on to have a journey of exercise, vegitarianism and healthy living to push each other on to become their best selves.
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Covers era
So it could be said that one can distinguish a book by its cover. Not that it can you tell the story inside, but one can usually distinguish the era. In the area of children’s fiction, ther covers tend to be phto-realistic, some have funky covers with psycedelic print or heart-shaped cuts. The 50s tend to be hardcovers with hand-draw illustrations of the protagonists.
So what would you say the early 200s are distinguished by? I choose this era because it’s the one I grew up with, and when I think of all my favorite books, all their covers are unique. Magic Tree House had a illustrative style, the Animorphs had a photo-realistic, They both have moodier palettes, favoring greens, purples and blues, but other books had an upbeat color scheme like Judy Blume’s books or Rainbow Fairies.
So anyone who is reading this, is there a distinguishing characteristic that can make you say- “Yes this book is from the 200s!”? The 2010s?
Comment below!
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Families in Graphic Novels
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Truthfully, I was going to look for the musical first but when I saw this in the library I figured I should see the source material, and wow. I didn’t have any idea what it was about other than it was an memoir of family dysfunction so it really threw me for a loop to read what it was about.
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Wicked Trilogy ReRead
Okay, yeah I didn’t get to Stephanie Plum #6-10 yet. It’s still out in my library so I decided to go full Diesel and read the Lizzy and Diesel trilogy or Wicked trilogy as I dubbed it due to the title.
Written with Phoef Sutton, this rollicking supernatural read is much more my speed. Set in Salem, MA with Lizzy , an average woman who works at a bakery. The most supernatural thing about her is that her cupcakes are just that delicious. Everyone loves them.
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Rachel Reads & Reviews 