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  • Movies, News

    So many screen adaptations

    18.03.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    YA fiction is very popular with movie makers. In more based-on-the-book movie news:

    The Maze Runner (book by James Dashner) is currently being cast, but they’ve not done the big leads (Thomas, really) yet.

    Daughter of Smoke and Bone (book by Laini Taylor) is going to be a movie! This could take a while to appear on the screen, because they’ve only just announced who’s writing the script.

    The Fault in our Stars (book by John Green) is also going to be a movie!! John Green fans will be very happy to hear this. Casting is in the “rumours” phase, so it could be a while before you can buy tickets, but it’s something to look forward to! (Also, how sad will this movie be?)

    Delirium (book by Lauren Oliver) is – a little differently – going to be made for TV. I’m not sure if this means series, mini series, or TV movie, but it’s getting a cast, including Daren Kagasoff (from The Secret Life of the American Teenager).

    Divergent (book by Veronica Roth) is also being cast, with Kate Winslett, Zoe Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley as Tris. (Shailene Woodley is also in rumours about The Fault in our Stars, busy.) Still no news on the title of the third book in the series (sorry).

    On the Jellicoe Road (book by Melina Marchetta) has a script but no cast (we think). Still, this is progress! The author’s blog has occasional news updates, for interested readers. She announced at the end of last year that Saving Francesca is also getting the film treatment. Too much!

    It is hard to keep up!


  • Books, Grimm, News

    And the Printz for 2013 goes to

    29.01.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    In darkness, Nick Lake. Shorty is a gangster in the slums of Site Soleil in Haiti, and he’s caught in the rubble of a hospital in the 2010 earthquake. As he lies there trapped, he thinks on his life so far, and his story is woven betwixt and between that of Toussaint L’Ouverture, the slave who led Haiti to freedom against the French in the 18th century.

    There were also four Printz honours given:

    Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe, Benjamin Alire Sáenz. “Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.” (goodreads.com)

    Code name Verity, Elizabeth Wein. We reviewed this book last year (here), and it’s featured on so many Best Of lists we’re hardly surprised the good Printz people also agreed.

    Dodger, Terry Pratchett. Dodger is a street urchin living in Victorian London. When he sees a girl jump out of a carriage he helps her escape her captors, thereby earning the interest of Charles Dickens, who reports him as a hero (the Artful Dodger, perhaps?), changing Dodger’s life profoundly. Encounters with the Queen, Benjamin Disraeli, and Sweeney Todd follow.

    The white bicycle, Beverley Brenna, which we don’t have (yet). The story is a first-person account of Taylor Jane’s summer trip to the South of France, where she babysits for a family, which is challenging for a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome.

    For more information about the Printz Award visit the American Library Association website here.

    Meanwhile, the Alex Awards – for general fiction with teen appeal – were also announced, and here are the ten winners:

    Caring is Creepy, by David Zimmerman

    Girlchild, by Tupelo Hassman

    Juvenile in Justice, by Richard Ross

    Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan

    My Friend Dahmer, by Derf Backderf

    One Shot at Forever, by Chris Ballard

    Pure, by Julianna Baggott

    The Round House, by Louise Erdrich

    Tell the Wolves I’m Home, by Carol Rifka Brunt

    Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, by Maria Semple


  • Library Serf, News

    Miscellaneous book news

    15.01.13 | Permalink | Comment?

    Every once in a while we do random news, and today’s the day for a bit more.

    The Carrie Diaries come to TV sometime soon

    The Carrie Diaries, by Candace Bushnell, tells the story of Carrie Bradshaw as she comes of age in New York City, discovering shoes, fashion, writing etc. in the 1980s, i.e. before Sex and the City. It is only right that this should also be made into a TV series, complete with fab 80s fashion, and starring AnnaSophia Robb, who was Leslie Burke in Bridge to Terabithia.

    John Green live in the middle of the night

    John Green (New York Times bestselling and teen blog most-wanted author) will be talking about his books and other important things live on the 4th of February… at 2pm GMT, which is 3am on the 5th of February Wellington time. It’s happening courtesy of Puffin UK, and you can go here to register / watch live (if you’re a morning person).

    The Mortal Instruments series extra content, all in one place

    If you want to read snippets, extras and deleted scenes from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, they’ve been collated on this tumblr right here. This includes special content from City of Lost Souls, which has recently been made available, for example ‘Becoming Sebastian Verlac’.


  • Books, Classic novels, Library, Library Serf, News

    Banned Books Week starts 30 September

    25.09.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    It’s almost that time again, when the freedom to read is celebrated, and when the Banned Books Week people highlight frequently-challenged books (mostly in the United States, not so much here in New Zealand). The list includes some interesting repeat-offenders, including a couple of old-timers:

    To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. First published in 1960 and first challenged in 1966, To Kill a Mockingbird has got staying power, and was number 10 on the list in 2011. Not bad for a 51 year old.

    Brave New World, Aldous Huxley. This was first published in 1931, and first banned in Ireland in 1932. Like To Kill a Mockingbird, it’s on the 2011 list (number 7), and is also regarded as a 20th Century classic.

    Even classic novels court controversy!

    (The Top 10 list of challenged books in 2011 is here. The list of most frequently challenged authors is here.)


  • Library Serf, Movies, News

    Movie Adaptation News

    18.09.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Turning novels into movies is the new black, and here are some YA novels that are getting the treatment:

    Divergent, by Veronica Roth. It has been announced that the film will be released in March 2014. See here for more. No word on the title of the third book (commonly called Detergent).

    The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater (today is its official publication day – this link here should take you to the first two chapters, courtesy of ew.com). This LA Times article here also says that the author’s book The Scorpio Races is going to become a film also. Maggie must be very happy.

    Numbers, by Rachel Ward. The script for this is being written at the moment. Here’s a review of the book, about a girl who can see the date of a person’s death in their eyes.

    The Changeover, by Margaret Mahy. Margaret Mahy’s New Zealand classic might get made, with a little help from American backers, according to TVNZ, and Stuff and others.


  • Library Serf, Movies, News, Trailers

    Breaking Dawn Part 2 Trailer

    12.09.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Let the other games begin!

    Breaking Dawn Part 2, in which Bella leaps tall pine trees in a single bound, and in which the big show down between the Cullens and the Volturi finally takes place, has a trailer:

    The film is out on November 16th. Read the book to refresh your memory before then! Also, watch Part 1 on DVD (80c on a young adult card).


  • Library Serf, News

    Some Miscellaneous News

    31.08.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    In time for the weekend.

    Mermaids. Some people think that “mermaids are the new vampire”. We’re not sure (they said that about angels and werewolves and things), but here are a couple of articles that elaborate:

    • - io9 on upcoming Mermaid novels
    • - The Independent, taking up io9’s idea and running with it in music and fashion.

    (Here are the mermaid books we’ve got in the library at the moment)

    Movie castings. We hear that Magnus Bane has been cast and will be played by Godfrey Gao. This has been met with cheers from various parts of the virtual world, including Cassandra Clare’s blog (she says he’s the hottest man in the world), and others interested in casting multi-cultural characters, for example thinkprogress. On a similar subject, Finnick Odair was unveiled as Sam Claflin earlier this month (Entertainment Weekly talks about it here).

    The Mortal Instruments on Facebook. Relatedly, the Facebook page for the City of Bones movie was launched on the 23rd of August. It promises photos (”production stills of the Mortal Instruments talent and crew”), so you can like it and keep up with the MI news.

    Neil Gaiman: advance advance notification. Neil Gaiman announced earlier this month that his new novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, is due to be published in the middle of next year. So you’ve got about a year to speculate!


  • Books, Library Serf, News

    Horror Thriller Wins an Award!

    07.08.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    Pyre of Queens by David Hair has won the Young Adult category of the LIANZA Book Awards, announced last night. “Mandore, India, 769 AD: An evil sorcerer king has devised a deadly secret ritual: he and his seven queens will burn on his funeral pyre and he will rise again with the powers of the demon king, Ravana. But things go wrong when one queen, the beautiful, spirited Darya, escapes with the help of the court poet.

    “Jodhphur, India, 2010: At the site of ancient Mandore, four teenagers meet and realise that the deathless king and his ghostly brides are hunting them down. As vicious forces from the past come alive, they need to unlock truths that have been hidden for centuries and fight an ancient battle… one more time.” (catalogue description)

    This is the first in the Return of Ravana series. Here’s the book trailer:

    Congratulations to all winners! More information is on the LIANZA website here.


  • Internet, Interview, Library Serf, News, Sport

    Some Links

    26.07.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    If you’re a Jodi Picoult fan, and you’re interested in Between the Lines, the new novel she has written with her daughter Samantha Van Leer, then here’s a Radio New Zealand interview they did together today, talking about the inspiration for stories, who to cast in the movie, and other such writerly things.

    Here’s a lovely salute to Margaret Mahy by American author Kristin Cashore, focussing on the many reasons why MM’s young adult writing is so wonderful, and so deservedly award-winning.

    If you are interested in the Olympic Games and statistics, the New York Times has a map of medals won by country from 1896 to 2008. It is pretty cool (if you’re not into stats) and very interesting (if you are). In 1984 New Zealand won enough medals for “New Zealand” to appear on its circle.

    NPR.com (National Public Radio, I believe) in the US is compiling a list of the best young adult novels ever. You can vote for your favourites (a bit of good taste from New Zealand won’t hurt).


  • Books, Library Serf, News

    Farewell to Margaret Mahy

    24.07.12 | Permalink | Comment?

    We are very sad this morning to hear that Margaret Mahy, queen of magical story and rumbustification, has died.

    Some links:

    The Margaret Mahy pages at Christchurch City Libraries

    TVNZ news tribute

    Beattie’s Book Blog post

    All her books at Wellington City Libraries


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