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Set Design Inspiration For THE HELP

August 7, 2011 – 12:56 pm

 

So what goes into bringing a number one best seller like Kathryn Stockett‘s The Help to the big screen? A good script is essential but set design is certainly the biggest component to transporting an audience back in time to the deep south of the sixties. According to Cinema Style, the inspiration for many of the interior shots for the movie came from the book Under Live Oaks by Caroline Seebohm and Peter Woloszynski as well as old Better Homes and Gardens magazines and referencing the movie version of  Gone With The Wind.

Designed by production designer Mark Ricker (Nanny Diaries and Julie and Julia) and set decorator Rena Angelo, the houses of the five characters are as diverse as the characters themselves. … Ricker found the book in particular to be “wonderfully rich in details and worked quite nicely to inform Skeeter and Celia Foote’s houses – both of which would have more history and layers than the newer houses in the film (Hilly and Elizabeth’s).”

You can view a few of the interior set shots and read the full post here.  The Help opens nationwide this Wednesday, August 10th.

By helen | Posted in On The Big Screen | Comments (0)

Michael Dibdin’s Aurelio Zen Mysteries Come to PBS

July 18, 2011 – 2:27 pm


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In case you missed Vendetta, last night’s premier episode of PBS Masterpiece Mystery’s new ZEN series, you’re still in luck.  Based on the wonderful mysteries of Michael Dibdin, Cabal airs next Sunday night, July24th followed on the 31st by Ratking (which was actually the first book written in the Zen series). Not sure what I loved watching most.  Rufus Sewell in the title role of Aurelio Zen (a Venetian name he tirelessly explains); the Italian countryside where the murders take place; or Masterpiece Mystery host Alan Cummings’ introductions (1 minute into the below link). You can watch the first episode here, or better yet, buy the books and start reading.

http://www.iptv.org/video/detail.cfm/19915/mast_20110717_masterpiece_zen_vendetta

By helen | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Happy Fourth & Happy Reading!

July 1, 2011 – 9:01 am

What do some bookish folk do
To help them escape when they\’re (red, white &) blue?

Apparently, some of them stage their private book collections.  I love this American Flag book look created by Thatcher Wine of Juniper Books.  ~via Decorno

By helen | Posted in Book World | Comments (0)

THE HELP, The Movie

June 29, 2011 – 2:33 pm


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Summer is here and one book to movie I am most looking forward to is Kathryn Stockett’s The Help due in theaters August 12th.  Here is some behind the scene footage just to get you primed.

By helen | Posted in On The Big Screen | Comments (0)

Werner Herzog Reads From His Book ‘Go The F–k To Sleep’

June 22, 2011 – 4:38 pm

I’ve been wanting to get a look at this book, ever since I heard about the title and the fact that legendary director Werner Herzog wrote it. To my good fortune, Book Beast posted a snippet of the author’s recent reading at the New York Public Library.

 

I have reposted here in honor of every tired parent past, present and future.

By helen | Posted in Author Events & Happenings | Comments (0)

I’ve Scoured The Beach Reads Lists, So You Don’t Have To

June 21, 2011 – 2:59 pm

Photo: John Rawlings   Vogue Summer Fiction

“Holy Moly”,  I never realized that an innocent search for Best 2011 Beach Reads could turn into a Googling nightmare.  Two hours into my online search, I’m still finding sites like Geeky Beach Reads, Equestrian Beach Reads, Sci-fi Beach Reads, Boozy Beach Reads, Classic Beach Reads, Smart Summer Beach Reads, Best Summer Beach Read for Your Personality, Scientist Approved Beach Reading, Best Foodie Beach Reads (this list could go on and on).  What’s amazing is that there are very few repetitions of titles.  When one book does appear not one or two but three plus times, my fellow readers, I take notice.  So here you go.


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Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

This from Good Housekeeping magazine’s 10 Summer Beach Reads.

“The queen of chick lit returns with a new novel about four women, bound by obligation and opportunity, who must struggle to become a family.”

Personal take: Even if the genre ‘chick lit’ is a turn off to you, give one of Weiner’s books a go.  One of my all time favorite books which was turned into a movie is Weiner’s In Her Shoes.


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State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

This from Rachel Syme  NPR’s Summer High Fliers

“Patchett has crafted a story that is both an adventure tale and a deep psychological study, complete with mosquitoes, poison arrows and, of course, a tribe of cannibals. If you’re looking for an escape that doesn’t abandon literary elegance, this is it.”

Personal take: My book club attended this author’s reading during her book tour stop in Seattle.  When the author recapped the plot: Dr. Marina Singh, a research scientist travels to the Amazon to track down her former mentor…discovers an indigenous tribe where the women give birth into old age… which makes it a bit of a horror story), I was sold.  This book is #1 on my summer reading list.


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Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

Janet Maslin of The New York Times’ Books to Bury Yourself In writes:

“The summer’s single most suspenseful plot belongs to Before I Go to Sleep, by another debut author, S. J. Watson. Its heroine, the middle-aged Christine, is the spookiest amnesiac in a season that’s full of them.”

Personal take: I’ve been hearing about this book for several months.  My 28 year old daughter just read the galley and emailed me “it was AMAZING! SO GOOD.  #2 on my summer reading list.


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If You Were Here: A Novel by Jen Lancaster

Lancaster worked for a technology company before being laid off and blogging about how she coped which then turned into six books.  This from Jet Set Girls blog (but I’m thinking any of her previous books would be fun in the sun too).

“The author of the hilarious Bitter is the New Black and My Fair Lazy tries her hand at fiction in a story that will delight any Gen Xers’ heart. The narrator, Mia and her husband, Mac, move from downtown Chicago to suburb Abington Cambs, the setting of many John Hughes’ films. The couple settles in Jake Ryan’s house from Sixteen Candles, with hilarious results.

Personal take: Definitely books my daughter and her friends would like.  This author’s books appeared over and over again on many of the ‘beach read’ lists, so even if it might not be for me, I had to share.


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Bossypants by Tina Fey

This quote comes from Desert Living Today’s Summer Reading List For Adults.

“Get this for a laugh out loud beach read and some perfectly worded jokes for your next night out (comedic timing not included).”  Ba dum tssshhh

Personal take: Definitely #3 on my summer list.


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The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

From Daily Candy Beach Reads

“Hemingway writes of his starter wife, Hadley Richardson, “I wished I had died before I ever loved anyone but her.” Paula McLain pens her historical novel in Richardson’s voice, spinning a gripping love story that tragically seduces us into rooting for the doomed romance. Best read with a pitcher of dry martinis.”

Personal take: Several of my book club friends are reading or have read.  A good selection if you want a head start to next year’s book club season.

By helen | Posted in Best Of, Book Clubs | Comments (1)

The Fall Books Librarians Are Shouting About

June 7, 2011 – 4:13 pm

shouting present participle of shout (Verb)

1. (of a person) Utter a loud call or cry, typically as an expression of a strong emotion.

It’s not often you get to use the words librarian and shout in the same sentence, which is exactly why we all should be paying attention to the Shout ‘n’ Share that happened in the waning hours of this year’s BEA.  I’ve included a link to the entire 54 title, one hour panel presentation here if you are so inclined.  I chose to pick one book from each shouter (librarian) that definitely left me wanting to read more.

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Rin Tin Tin : The Life and Legend by Susan Orlean (October, Simon & Schuster)

This just sounds like a great big nostalgic read to me by a wonderful writer (The Orchid Thief). What boomer did not grow up watching The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin on Saturday mornings?  Barbara A. Genco, Collection Management, Library Journal  ”This is everything you would want to know about Rin Tin Tin and much much more….From his sweet beginnings as a puppy during WWI, to being rescued by a Doughboy and brought to America where he became a movie star…certainly an important part of my growing up in the 1950′s, children’s television, ‘Open the gates – Rinti needs to get in’.”

 

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Wunderkind: A Novel by Nikolai Grozni (September, Europa)

Set in Bulgaria,  a year in the life of a classical piano prodigy, Constantine, who must decide to stay in school and lose his soul or rebel and lose the music that he loves.  Barbara Hoffer, Editor of Library Journal’s “Pre Pub Alert”  ”this should be given to anyone that loves music, politics or coming of age stories”.

 

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Lightning Rods by Helen DeWitt (October, New Directions)

I’m thinking this novel is a tongue in cheek business book…but I’m not quite sure.  Due to technical difficulties with the video feed, just exactly what this book is all about was a bit garbled.  What I do know is  that Douglas Lord, Library Journal’s “Books for Dudes” needs his own late night comedy hour (19:35 into the Shout ‘n’ Share tape).  His hook as to why you need to read this book?  ”It’s like when you get a hair of somebody else’s in your mouth when you’re eating or drinking and you have to do something about it…. You can not NOT pay attention to this book.”  OK, enough said.

 

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The Burning by Jane Casey (August, Minotaur)

This says it all.  Robin Nesbitt, Technical Services, Columbus Metropolitan Library quote ” …SERIAL KILLERS…Why I’m grabbing this is, anyone read Tana French?  ”Into the Woods”.  Oh my God.”

 

 

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Before I Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson (June, Harper)

This psychological thriller has been getting great press.   Basically it’s a story about memory loss and what a 47 year old married woman, suffering from amnesia, goes through trying to get her memory back. The hook comes from Nora Rawlinson, Co-Founder and Editor, EarlyWord.com “…there’s an undercurrent…she has this journal that she keeps going back to and the begining of the journal says ‘don’t trust Ben’(her husband)…very suspenseful.”

 

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (September, Doubleday)

I’ve already posted abut the buzz that this book is creating.  It’s one thing to want to read it after listening to a book editor rave about it. Having a well read librarian the likes of Alene Moroni, King County Library, rave about it too is icing on the cake!

 

 

 

By helen | Posted in Best Of, Book Buzz | Comments (0)

BEA Book Buzz

May 25, 2011 – 6:13 pm

Well everyone who is anyone in book world is probably in New York this week attending Book Expo America (BEA), the book industry’s premier trade show.  It used to be de rigueur to attend in order to get the inside scoop on upcoming titles, but now that a number of the author events and business panels can be viewed or listened to digitally, thats not so important anymore.  Just this morning I sat in my PJs and virtually attended The Book Editors Buzz.  This is where a panel of  six major book editors pitch their favorite titles for the upcoming season.  Last year, Emma Donaghue’s Room was pitched and went on to become a breakout hit.

Of the six books pitched this year, I must say I’m most drawn to  Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus pitched by Alison Callahan, Executive Editor, Doubleday. Callahan recalls how her heart started banging after reading the first 30 pages of Morgenstern’s manuscript.  Finishing the manuscript some five hours later in the Random House cafeteria, she knew she had to have this book. The novel is set at the turn of the 19th century in a circus, a circus unlike any you or I have ever been to before.  Black and white tents pop up in the middle of the night, anywhere in the world, without warning.  Each tent holds a unique amazement.  The heart of the story is about a dual between two magicians who must keep fighting until there is only one left standing. The trouble is they fall in love.  Callahan uses words like “feast for the senses”, “like reading in 3D”, “a great big romantic spell casting love story”, “it’s for everyone…13 to 80 years olds”.  The book comes out on September 13th, its been sold to 25 countries and the film rights have been snapped up by Summit Entertainment.  Can’t wait to enter The Night Circus.

I’ve provided the link if you wish to view the entire 1 hour presentation of  BEA Editor’s Buzz session http://bookexpocast.com/2011/05/24/2011-bea-editors-buzz/

Below, author Erin Morgenstern signs copies of The Night Circus for BEA attendees. (via Shelf Awareness)

By helen | Posted in Book Buzz, On The Big Screen | Comments (0)

The Novel Cook

May 6, 2011 – 4:30 pm

 

This past month I have been busy creating a new blog over at blogger.com titled The Novel Cook.  It’s my attempt at peeling the layers off a book through it’s references to food.  I first thought about this after reading a piece in the New Yorker by writer, essayist Adam Gopnik.  According to Gopnik there are four kinds of food in a book:

 

food that is served by an author to characters who are not expected to taste it; food that is served by an author to characters in order to show who they are; food that an author cooks for characters in order to eat it with them; and, last (and most recent), food that an author cooks for characters but actually serves to the reader.

Gopnik summarizes by pointing out that

Cooking is to our literature what sex was to the writing of the sixties and seventies, the thing worth stopping the story for to share, so to speak, with the reader.  Read more

I like this idea of an author sharing his characters with the reader through the food they prepare, adore, dispise or long for.  In Kathryn Stockett’s The Help, I got so involved with the character of Minnie Jackson that I found myself yearning for a piece of her famous Caramel Cake.  Since the novel didn’t provide a recipe, I scoured the internet for an authentic southern one.   I started to think that maybe other readers might be doing the same thing.

If you have a favorite novel that inspired you to cook,  I would love to hear your story.  In the meantime, hop on over to The Novel Cook and let me know what you think.

By helen | Posted in Book Clubs, Read 'em And Eat | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Spring Flings: Books That Disappointed

March 28, 2011 – 3:46 pm

Reviews of the new spring titles are starting to pour in but what about the not to be missed books of last fall and winter?  Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, Emma Donoghue’s Room and Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom certainly have lived up to their hype but others, alas, have not.  Take for instance Ingrid Betancourt’s Even Silence Has An End. Last fall, The Daily Beast proclaimed it “the memoir of the season”.  I salute Ms. Betancourt’s courage and political convictions, but after 150 plus pages of jungle captivity and detailed descriptions of her physical and emotional deprivations, I needed to move on.  After all, I knew she had survived her ordeal and was well and alive on the book tour circuit.  Another book that I finished but only because I wanted to find out if a snake really caused her demise (the jury’s out) was Stacy Schiff’s Cleopatra: A Biography.  This book made one member of my book club proclaim “Why?”.  And then there is Tony Blair’s A Journey. Weighing in at nearly 700 pages, my husband mused that the title must have come from his proof reader.  The book sits dusty and half read on our nightstand.  If anyone out there reading this is interested in tackling any one of these books, I would be happy to send.

By helen | Posted in Book World, Musings | Comments (1)