Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen
As everyone who spent any time around me in the fall of 2005 knows, I couldn't stand the most recent film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It played up the dramatic aspects of the story and played down everything else. I thought it was too short to do the story justice. The casting was all wrong. (I’m not saying Mr. Darcy wasn’t very pretty, because he totally was, but prettiness isn’t everything.) The whole thing felt like a commercial for a longer, better movie...
The great bookshelf quest!
I always seem to be on the lookout for a bookshelf. I spend months looking for the ideal balance of function and design. When I finally find one that works, I bring it home, it's instantly filled...
Wordcandy Weekly Book Snippet
Jim, the neighbor who lives in the three-story colonial down the block, has recently turned 50. You know this because Jim's wife threw him a surprise party about a month ago. You also know this b...
Judy Blume's feminine protection: redux
Judy Blume's groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret has apparently been updated for today's readers. All mentions of the "pink belt" (Margaret's great coming-of-age landmark) h...
Keeping our bookshelves safe...
...from the horrors of gay penguin love. Thank you, fine parents in Savannah, MO! Way to keep your eyes on the important stuff! From the AP Wire:"Parents Complain About Book's UndertonesMarch 0...
I can't believe that Meg's biggest complaint was the cover art...
When she could have been complaining about the TITLE.EW!
Wordcandy loves Lewis Carroll's poetry
The Walrus and the Carpenter"The sun was shining on the sea,Shining with all his might:He did his very best to makeThe billows smooth and bright--And this was odd, because it wasThe middle of the ...
Wordcandy Weekly Book Snippet
A new feature for the blog- snippets of Wordcandy goodness!"Did you know," he said, "my cousin said that in America there's shops that sell thirty-nine different flavors of ice cream?"This even si...
Readers 14 and under, take note!
If you're under 14 years of age and into creative writing, Wordcandy author Michael Buckley (author of the Sisters Grimm series) is holding an awesome contest through his website. Write your own ...
Nora Roberts movies?
LOS ANGELES, February 1: Four bestselling novels from Nora Roberts will be adapted into original TV movies through a deal announced today between the author, Peter Guber's Mandalay Television and ...
Wordcandy loves Russian poetry (even when the translation is iffy)
I don't know if you're alive or dead.Can you on earth be sought,Or only when the sunsets fadeBe mourned serenely in my thought?All is for you: the daily prayer,The sleepless heat at night,And of m...
More Casting Choices - Harry Potter
Well, kids, we have some new casting announcements for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! Er... you kind of have to imagine these actors' potential. (Thought not so much in the case of ...
Bad Casting Choices
I am told that Marilyn Manson is to play Lewis Carroll in an upcoming film. Let's examine this casting choice, shall we?Marilyn Manson:Lewis Carroll:Hmm. Not exactly a perfect fit- Mr. Carroll d...
Sadly, now my birthday is over...
...but on the up side, I made out like the proverbial bandit! Thanks, everybody!Julia's Birthday Reading List: The Sisters Grimm series, by Michael Buckley. I was a little taken aback to find...
Don't Look Down
Okay, so I have to admit it- I was skeptical when I heard that Jenny Crusie's next book was going to be co-authored with Bob Mayer. I had never heard of him, and after doing some research I decid...
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer’s novel Twilight appealed to me for two reasons—I liked the cover, and my mom mentioned that it was a vampire story set in the town of Forks, Washington. If you’ve ever been to...
It just doesn't sound very hygienic.
You know what I learned today? Apparently the Pre-Raphaelite painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti had a pet wombat named Top that he let sleep in the middle of his dining room table during dinner parti...