Young adult book adaptations

YA books aren't just for teens; they are a huge section of popular culture. The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie (based on the book by Stephen Chbosky) received many positive reviews when it was released last year. The shows Pretty Little Liars, The Lying Game, Gossip Girl, and The Vampire Diaries all started out as YA books before those characters stepped out onto our television screens. The Twilight movies broke box office records, and The Hunger Games proved that a strong female heroine can bring in a huge audience. Even more movies and TV shows are in the works and set to be released in 2013 and 2014. Check out this list I compiled:

Beautiful Creatures

• now in theaters
• Starring Alice Englert (Lena), Alden Ehrenreicht (Ethan), Emmy Rossum (Ridley), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Lincoln), and Jeremy Irons (Macon Ravenwood).
• Based on the book Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. 
• Book synopsis: In a small South Carolina town, where it seems little has changed since the Civil War, sixteen-year-old Ethan is powerfully drawn to Lena, a new classmate with whom he shares a psychic connection and whose family hides a dark secret that may be revealed on her sixteenth birthday.
• More books in the series: Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, Beautiful Redemption.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones 

• Release date: August 23, 2013
• Starring Lily Collins (Clary), Jaime Campbell Bower (Jace), Kevin Zegers (Alec), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Valentine), Aidan Turner (Luke).
• Based on the book City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. 
• Book synopsis: Suddenly able to see demons and the Darkhunters who are dedicated to returning them to their own dimension, fifteen-year-old Clary Fray is drawn into this bizarre world when her mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a monster.
• More in the series: City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, and City of Lost Souls.
• Stay tuned to the blog and the library newsletter for a City of Bones Movie Release Party in August 2013!

Ender’s Game

• Release date: November 1, 2013
• Cast: Asa Butterfield (Ender), Abigail Breslin, and Harrison Ford.
• Based on the books Ender's Game and Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card.
• Synopsis of Ender's Game book: Child hero Ender Wiggin must fight a desperate battle against a deadly alien race if mankind is to survive.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

• Release date: November 22, 2013
• Cast: Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), Sam Clafin (Finnick Odair), Jena Malone (Johanna Mason), and Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Plutarch Heavensbee) 
• Based on Catching Fire, the second book in Suzanne Collins' best-selling Hunger Games series.
• Book synopsis: By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.
• Stay tuned to the blog and the library newsletter for a Catching Fire Movie Release Party in November 2013!

Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

• Release date: February 14, 2014
• Based on Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. 
• Book synopsis: Two years after a horrible incident made them run away, vampire princess Lissa and her guardian-in-training Rose are found and returned to St. Vladimir's Academy, where one focuses on mastering magic, the other on physical training, while both try to avoid the perils of gossip, cliques, gruesome pranks, and sinister plots.
• Cast:  Zoey Deuth (Rose), Danila Kozlovsky (Dimetri), Lucy Fry (Lissa)
• More books in the series: Frostbite, Shadow Kiss, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, Last Sacrifice.

Divergent 

• Release date: March 1, 2014
• Cast: Shailene Woodley (Tris), Kate Winslet; rumors everywhere about who will play Four (Alex Pettyfr? Lucas Till? Jeremy Irvine?)
• Based on the book by Veronica Roth. 
• Book synopsis: In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomoly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
• In February an open casting call was held in Chicago for movie extras. According to the Chicago Tribune the movie will be shot entirely in Chicago. 
• More books in the series: Insurgent. The third book in the series, jokingly referred to by both Roth and fans as “Detergent,” will be released October 22, 2013.

 
Delirium 

• Release date: depends on whether or not the pilot is picked up by Fox.
• According to author Lauren Oliver, filming on the pilot for this TV show is set to begin in March.
• Cast: Emma Roberts (Lena), Jeanine Mason (Hana), Daren Kagasoff (Alex), Greg Sulkin (Julian), Billy Campbell (Thomas Fineman)
• Based on the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem.
• Synopsis of the first book in the series: Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

And adaptations of these books are also in the works:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (movie in preproduction; director announced)  
• Summer series by Jenny Han (optioned for TV)
• Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian (optioned for TV)
• I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga (ABC Family TV show)

I am very excited for Catching Fire, and am already brainstorming crafts and games for a movie release party at the library. I especially can't wait for Divergent, because I love that book series as well, and think that Shailene Woodley is a great pick to play Tris. How cool is it that the movie will be filmed entirely in Chicago? I'm also interested to see how the Vampire Academy movie turns out. I really enjoyed all the books in that series because Rose is such a strong character. Plus, the awesome supporting characters (Adrian!) are well-written too. I just hope it doesn't suffer from people who are sick of Twilight. This movie has a huge potential for great fight scenes and some swoon-worthy moments.

Are you a fan of YA literature? Which movie/TV adaptation are you most looking forward to seeing? Do you read the books before you see the movies, or the other way around? What do you think of the casting choices for these projects?

And lastly, are there any YA books not on this list that you think would make a good movie and/or TV show? My picks are Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis.

I ♥ Goodreads!

“So many books, so little time.” ― Frank Zappa

Have you ever wandered through the stacks at the library trying to recall a book that your friend recommended? Or have you ever randomly picked up a book that had an interesting cover, begun reading, and realized about 50 pages in that maybe you had already read it before? Book lovers out there who haven’t yet checked out the wildly popular Goodreads should give it a try. It is an excellent site to help keep track of what you have read, as well as to discover new titles to read. And that is only the beginning of all the fun features it has to offer!

On the Goodreads website, you add books to your virtual bookshelves, using cover images for quick identification. The site provides three default shelves to help you begin organizing – read, currently-reading, and to-read; you can also add personalized shelves if you wish. Quickly rate books by awarding them between one and five stars, and once you have rated 20 books, Goodreads will begin making personalized recommendations for you. Browse book lists, reviews and your favorite genres to discover books to enjoy, as well as write your own book reviews for others to peruse. It is a social networking site, so you can add friends and share with them what you are reading plus discover and comment on what they are reading. In addition, you can join a wide variety of book groups and clubs, or even start one of your own if so inclined.

There is even more – challenge yourself to see how many books you’ll read this year, or take part in trivia, quizzes and giveaways. I also recently discovered that you can search for quotes and create a list of the ones you like, which is how I found the Frank Zappa quote above. For smartphone users, there is an app for Goodreads for your iPhone/iPad or your Android device to use while on the go – perhaps when you are at the library searching for a book! Goodreads is an amazing tool to organize books you have read, identify books to read, and tap into the world’s largest social network for readers.

No-Fail Zone: Cook's Illustrated

Isn't it refreshing in today's world when a [fill in the blank] does what is says it will do? A company that delivers on time, or a soap scum remover that actually removes soap scum. Well, the Cook's Illustrated brand is one of those promise keepers. America's Test Kitchen publishes Cook's Illustrated, and not only do they test every recipe thoroughly until The Best Version can be found, they also test equipment and brand-name ingredients in order to suggest purchases, similar to Consumer Reports.


My favorite cookbook of the bunch is their comprehensive (890 pages) Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of Recipes From America's Most Trusted Food Magazine (left). Normally I dislike cookbooks without photos, but this book does have occasional illustrations (hence the title). Also, I generally don't care about the science behind why this recipe is superior over all others, but some explanations can be insightful. Admittedly, some of their methods can be fussy: just their chocolate chip cookie or banana bread recipes are a bit more involved than most, but I have yet to find a recipe of theirs that does not come through. Ultimately, every recipe I have tried from any of the America's Test Kitchen venues (show on PBS, Cook's Illustrated magazine, Cook's Country magazine or cookbooks) is consistently good.

The great thing about this is, if you can read, measure, and generally follow directions, you're guaranteed to gain compliments on your finished products when you have the guidance of a Cook's Illustrated recipe. I just made the Cheese & Ham Impossible Pie from the February/March issue of Cook's Country and it was perfect, which I do not take credit for.

Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe

One of America's greatest and strangest authors has a birthday this week; Edgar Allan Poe's brief and tragic life began January 19, 1809. In his forty years on this Earth he lived in extreme poverty, battled debilitating addiction, mourned the deaths of virtually every woman he ever loved, and, however improbably, penned immortal verses, invented the detective story, gave new resonance to the literary terms "macabre" and "bizarre," and left an indelible mark on world literature. Should you wish to celebrate this author's enduring legacy, I would encourage you to seek out The Library of America edition of his Poetry and Tales or the Penguin Classics edition of The Portable Edgar Allan Poe. Both collections contain exciting, suspenseful stories that have thrilled readers for over one-hundred-and-fifty years. For an overview of the author's troubled life, I recommend the biography The Haunted Palace: A Life of Edgar Allan Poe.

My Favorite Reads of 2012

Highly scientific selection criteria:
-All books were read from start to finish by me.
-I enjoyed reading them.
-They were published in 2012.
-Adult fiction, non-fiction and teen books are included.

My Top Ten Books of 2012:

My list this year is has an obvious girly bent, but with Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Gone Girl, I think it's been a pretty strong year for female authors.  If anyone has suggestions for books that I've overlooked (and I'm sure there are plenty), please leave them in comments!  And if you are really bored, you can check out all the 2012 books I've read.

10).  These Days Are Ours by Michelle Hamioff
As a big Paul Simon fan, I was all ready biased towards this novel because the title references his song "The Obvious Child."  Set in just post 9/11 NYC, this book is a coming of age story following a jobless but wealthy recent college graduate, Hailey.  The characters in this book are not always likeable, but they are very realistic.

9).  The Orphanmaster by Jean Zimmerman
Fans of historical mysteries should check out this novel set in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam in the 1660s.  This book is quite dark and it took me fifty or so pages to get into it, but the characters are quite interesting, including a young but strong Dutch businesswoman, Blandine van Couvering, and a British spy, Edward Drummond.

8).  Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski
This is a great light read that still manages to be pretty smart.  Set in Oak Park, IL, Lucy Bloom is a single mom who just sold her house to send her nineteen year-old son to rehab.  Now broke, she takes a job cleaning the house of Marva Meier Rios- a famous artist and notoriously difficult woman and hoarder.  This book is funny, moving, and would make an interesting movie.  

7).  Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Set in England, the elderly Harold Fry receives a letter from an old friend Queenie saying that she is dying of cancer.  After failing to write a letter to properly impart his regrets, he decides to take an impromptu walking journey to visit her.  At first this book didn't sound like my cup of tea, but after several recommendations, I checked it out and I'm really glad I did.  Although it is sometimes a sad and existential book, it is occasionally very funny.

6).  Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway
This novel is set in NYC and following a recent college graduate, Dawn, who gets a job working for a Glamour-esque magazine Charm.  She's in charge of tracking down past winners of the magazine's "Ten Girls to Watch" contest and is frankly just happy to have a job. The book has a fun, light premise, but it turned out to be way less formulaic and more inspiring than I initially would have guessed.  I really like the way the love triangle between Dawn, her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend, Lily, is resolved. 

5).  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Everybody in the world (or at least this country) has probably read this book all ready.  I really enjoyed the first half of the book and after the big twist, I couldn't put the book down.  Dark Places is still my favorite book by Flynn, but Gone Girl is a great read.   

4).  Where'd You  Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
This is the funniest book on the list.  Bernadette Fox was once a brilliant architect but is now a very eccentric stay-at-home mom who hates her home city of Seattle and people in general.  After some increasingly odd behavior, Fox mysteriously goes missing before a promised trip to Antarctica.
 
3).  Wild by Cheryl Strayed
This is great, suspenseful memoir about Strayed's solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.

2).  Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
This non-fiction book is a grand and absorbing read that takes place in modern day Mumbai.  Boo adds so many small details into the book that it reads like an excellent work of fiction, but is instead an incredible piece of journalism.

1).  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
John Green has been one of my favorite teen authors for a while and now he's gone and written a masterpiece!  This is an excellent novel about teens wrestling with existential issues, cancer and falling in love for the first time. 

Favorite Children books:

1).  Oh, No George by Chris Haughton
George is a dog who has trouble doing the right thing.  Will he learn from his lessons?

2).  Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin
 Author Adam Rubin and illustrator Daniel Salmieri are a very funny duo.  I love their Those Darn Squirrels! books, but this simple tale of non-spicy taco loving dragons is my favorite of their work.

3).  This is Not My Hat by J. Klassen
Klassen is one of my favorite illustrator's working today.  His books have a very distinctive (and cool) look to them.  This darkly funny book is the follow up to last year's I Want My Hat Back.  

Favorite Cookbooks:

1).  Homemade Winter by Yvette van Boven
I was a really big van Boven first Home Made last year, and this book is equally as compelling.  The design of the book is really cool, with a mixture of gorgeous food pictures and quirky illustrations.  And the book is loaded with great recipes for cooks who want to try making their food from scratch. 

2).  Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles, and Snacks by Rick Bayless
Margaritas are probably one of my favorite cocktails to go with food, and this book by one of Chicago's greatest chefs has tons of very fancy twists on the margarita.  This is a great cookbook for parties.

3).  Joy the Baker by Joy Wilson
As an avid baker, I get tired of seeing recipes for the same desserts over and over again in cook books.  But this book has lots of new, usual recipes to discover like avocado cake or black pepper and goat cheese truffles.  Vegan recipes and single portion desserts are also included.  It's a refreshingly unique book.  Joy Wilson's blog of the same name is a also a good read for foodies. 

4).  Feast of Ice and Fire by Chelsea Monroe-Cassel
Inspired by the George R.R. Martin book series (Songs of Ice and Fire) which was turned into the HBO Series Game of Thrones, this book has lots of exotic ingredients and medieval flair.   I can't honestly say that I would make any of the recipes in the book, and I might even be a little bit afraid to eat some of the dishes.  However, it is really cool to browse.

5).  True Food by Andrew Weil
If you are looking for health conscious recipes, it's hard to to beat this beautifully photographed book. Best of all, Weil has recipes for cocktails!

Still Missing

If you're into twisty, psychological novels, sink your teeth into Still Missing by Chevy Stevens. The book opens after the protagonist, Annie, has survived a year-long captivity. As she discusses her obvious issues in therapy, we find out the horrific events that transpired during her captivity. Her captor's true identity is still a mystery and naturally, she is having trouble with re-adjusting to life after her ordeal.

Instead of a book about a cop investigating her abduction (though there is a detective that helps her), we get Annie piecing together her own clues to help heal herself. Even though the author opens with the biggest reveal: Annie survives, she manages to still throw a couple of curves at us. If it was possible for the crime to become even more despicable, it does. And then it does again.

I would recommend this title if you're a fan of Gillian Flynn's books.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
Find it in the catalog!

Holiday Drink Ideas

 Ah...the holiday season- a constant stream of holiday parties, eating, being surrounded by your entire family, stress...it's like being trapped in a wedding that last a month in a half.  But lest you come down with a serious case of bah-humbugs*, there are some upsides- mainly, cookies, presents and best of all cocktails.  Odds are you have to attend at least one  (if not a slew of) holiday fête(s) this year.  Instead of trying to avoid your relatives by hiding the bathroom, try playing bartender and test out a recipe from one of the books below:

Beer Cocktails by Howard and Ashley Stezler
Call No.: 641.973 STE
Find it in the catalog!

Using beer to make cocktails is a great way to lighten up a drink and give it an interesting edge.  This book has lots of great beer cocktails for the holiday season.  The Maru (p.33) seems like a safe bet for a holiday brunch with it's mixture of blackberries, St. Germain liqueur and Sappora.  The Lager Grog (p.28) looks like a fine drink for a cold night with Sam Adams Boston Lager, apple cider, sherry and cloves.  Finally, for something fancy,  the Belgian 75 (p.45) is a twist on the French 75, with Belgian pale ale standing in for Champagne.

Boozy Brunch by Peter J. Joseph
Call No.: 641.874 JOS
Find it in the catalog!

Just because your party starts before noon, it doesn't mean you can't have a cocktail.  This book is full of light drink recipes including mimosas, Bellinis and other brunch favorites.  For those of you who like your drink to double as a meal, there is a whole chapter on Bloody Marys.  I'm not a huge fan of coffee in my cocktail, but the Café Brûlot Diabolique (p. 30) looks intriguing with its notes of cinnamon and clove.  The Lady Germain cocktail (p.79) is a fun twist on the classic St. Germain cocktail, with the addition of strawberries and gin.  Le Perroquest (p. 80) is a sophisticated version of the mimosa with a dash of Campari and gin.  Finally, it's not clear to me if the Smoked Martinez (p.139) with it's bacon-infused gin and maple syrup would be delicious or disgusting, but it certainly would be a conversation starter. 

Dr. Cocktail: 50 Spirited Infusions to Stimulate the Body and Mind by Alex Ott.
Call No.: 641.874 OTT
Find it in the catalog!

Do you want a cocktail that also has curative qualities?  Check out this book by chemist, mixologist and "master alchemist" Alex Ott.  Several of the recipes come with lists of the "active" ingredients in the cocktail.  The drinks are organized by the mood they create (i.e. "aphrodisiacs and magic tinctures," "memory-evoking elixirs") or the conditions (i.e. ""anti-stress cocktails and mental health elixirs.")  For a lighter holiday drink, check out the Fountain of Youth (p. 77) which combines white cranberry juice with cucumbers and gin.  A good drink for reminiscing over holidays past is the appropriately titled Xmas (p.148) which has clementines, gingerbread spice and clementine vodka in it.  Finally, a good party fix-it and forget-it drink is the Rembrandt sangria (p. 174)- a combination of tequila, pinot grigrio (or merlot) and cranberry juice infused with hibiscus tea.

Frontera: Margaritas, Guacamoles, and Snacks by Rick Bayless.
Call No.: 641.5973 BAY
Find it in the catalog!

Love margaritas, but don't find yourself satisfied by the run of the mill, pre-made mix variety?  This book is perfect for you.  There are lots of fancy, impressive margarita (and mezcal cocktails) here, as long as you don't mind infusing your tequila or making your own margarita mix.  Bayless even has a section on seasonal cocktails that make it easy to plan for your holiday parties.  Stand out recipes include a Tangerine Spice Margarita (p. 29-30) and a Sparkling Ginger Margarita (p. 39-40). 

The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan and Chris Gall
Call No.: 641.874 MEE
Find it in the catalog!

If your family and friends are pretty straightforward drinkers, this book will likely go over there heads.  However, if you want to impress your cocktail nerd friends, this is the book to do that.  There are plenty of drink infusions and obscure liquors that are sure to impress even the most seasoned (and snobby) drinker.  Good holiday drink recipes include: a Cranberry Cobbler (p.97) with simple syrup made with macerated cranberries, Hot Butterred Pisco (p. 144-5) is a combination of two common winter drinks: irish coffee and hot buttered rum, an Apple Daiquiri (p. 51) is a classy alternative of appletini fans, Vieux Carré (p. 262) is a pretty classic cocktail with a warming combo of rye whiskey and cognac.  Finally for fans of sparkling drinks, there is a Framboise Fizz (p. 124) with tequila, crème de cacao and Fraimboise Belgian ale. 

For more drink ideas, check out my post from last year!


*yes, I hate myself for saying this too.