Tag: genre: history

• Children’s Books Get 21 Oscar Nominations – PW

  Posted at 9:38 am by Laura, on January 27, 2012

  Children’s Books Get 21 Oscar Nominations – Publisher’s Weekly – Liz Hartman

  Hugo, based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, leads the pack with the most – 11– nominations, including Best Picture. War Horse, based on Michael Murpurgo’s 1982 novel, is not far behind, with six nominations (also including Best Picture). Both books were published by Scholastic. Only The Artist garnered more nominations than War Horse, with 10, while Moneyball is tied with it at six.

  In addition to the Best Picture category, Hugo and War Horse will compete head to hoof for awards in Art Direction, Cinematography, Music (Original Score), Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing. Hugo also nabbed nominations for Costume Design, Visual Effects, and Writing (adapted screenplay).

  The Adventures of Tin Tin and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 also received nods, as many of you may already know, but none in categories most people pay attention to, such as Best Actor/Actress, Best Picture, Best Director, etc.  Even still, it’s extremely exciting to see how well books-turned-movies are doing.  I like to think of it as proof that books are especially valued for their stories. PW ends on a hopeful note: that since books-turned-movies are so big now, there should be an Oscar category for this as well. It’s in the Golden Globes, why not the Academy?

  Posted in books, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: children, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: young adult, magazine, movies, news

• Book Review: “The True Story of Hansel and Gretel” by Louise Murphy

  Posted at 9:47 pm by Laura, on January 22, 2012

  The True Story of Hansel and Gretel: a novel of war and survival by Louise Murphy

  In the last months of the Nazi occupation of Poland, two children are left by their father and stepmother to find safety in a dense forest. Because their real names will reveal their Jewishness, they are renamed “Hansel” and “Gretel.” They wander in the woods until they are taken in by Magda, an eccentric and stubborn old woman called “witch” by the nearby villagers. Magda is determined to save them, even as a German officer arrives in the village with his own plans for the children.

  Combining classic themes of fairy tales and war literature, this haunting novel of journey and survival, of redemption and memory, powerfully depicts how war is experienced by families and especially by children, and tells a resonant, riveting story.

  A heartbreaking, wonderfully written tale of lore, truth, and horror. Little portions of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale come to life in the haunting atmosphere of World War II Poland. Everything from the names, the crumbs, the modern conception of a “witch,” even the burning oven. Despite all the hardships and sadness, I can promise you there is a happy ending. Not a cheerful, sun-is-shining one, but an ending that makes the breath you didn’t realize you were holding release.

  There are multiple stories woven into the children’s. The reader learns about the various villagers; the witch, her grand-daughter, and the grand-daughter’s lover; the Nazi occupiers; and the partisans causing raucous to the Nazis in the forest. Murphy goes into detail about the various ways one could disguise their true identity, the starvation the Polish endured, the violence the Nazis inflicted, and even the cremation of the bodies at the camps. That particular passage was difficult and riveting all at once.

  For any history buff who enjoys folklore, fairy tales, and fantasy, this is a great novel about love and loss. I liked it and I would highly recommend it, but it would take a while for me to work up the courage to read again.

  Rating: ★★★ of 5

  GoodReads: 3.99 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: fiction, genre: history, goodreads, review

• Mad for ‘Downton?’ Publishers Have a Reading List! – NYTimes

  Posted at 11:38 am by Laura, on January 13, 2012

  If You’re Mad for ‘Downton,’ Publishers Have Reading List – New York Times – Julie Bosman

  I’m a huge fan of Downton Abbey, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have a reading list that relates to Highclere, Yorkshire, WWI, elite life, and servant life in the early 1900s. In case you’re interested, here’s a link to a great book list!

  Happy reading!

  Posted in books, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: nonfiction, history, newspaper

• Book Review: “The Summer Garden” by Paullina Simons

  Posted at 8:00 pm by Laura, on December 31, 2011

  The Summer Garden by Paullina Simons

  Through years of war and devastation, Tatiana and Alexander suffered the worst the twentieth century had to offer. Miraculously reunited in America, they now have a beautiful son, Anthony, the gift of a love strong enough to survive the most terrible upheavals. Though they are still young, the ordeals they endured have changed them—and after living apart in a world laid waste, they must now find a way to live together in postwar America.

  With the Cold War rising, dark forces at work in their adopted country threaten their lives, their family, and their hard-won peace. To regain the happiness they once knew, to wash away the lingering pain of the past, two lovers grown distant must somehow forge a new life . . .or watch the ghosts of their yesterdays destroy their firstborn son.

  The third and last book of the epic Russian trilogy, immensely powerful and moving. It’s difficult to review this as a stand-alone, because I will need to compare it to The Bronze Horseman and Tatiana and Alexander. The first book was extremely detailed, spanning across the beginning of WWII Russia, and mostly revolved around love, heartbreak, starvation, and death. The second dealt with separation, immigration, and the brutality of war. This final one focused on the marriage, spanning across several decades. Tatiana and Alexander grow quickly in this last book – the First Page atmosphere vastly different from the Last Page.

  I enjoyed the trilogy as a whole, but this book alone was not as enjoyable as the first and second. The writing was great, the plot complex and detailed, and Simons excellently drew upon many issues that could/would arise in any marriage. However, one trait that I did not like with Tatiana and Alexander is their passive aggressive arguments. It was reasonable in The Bronze Horseman because they were so young, and most young lovers refuse to get right to the point of an argument so quickly. But in this final book, when their lives span several decades, the did not seem to grow out of it. As someone who likes to get right to the root of an argument, a “just say it!” attitude, I found this a bit frustrating. Beyond this nit-picking detail, The Summer Garden was a good ending to the trilogy.

  Rating: ★★★ of 5

  GoodReads: 4.2 of 5

  Posted in books, Reviews 2012 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fiction, genre: history, genre: romance, review

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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