Wednesday, December 17, 2014
A Definitive Ranking Of Jane Austen's Male Hotties
Don’t get me started on Collins.
William Collins, Pride and Prejudice
Pros: Are there any?????
Cons: Clingy, annoying, unattractive, conceited. Has as much personality as a damp rag, but less useful.
BBC
Philip Elton, Emma
Pros: Um... good with words, I guess?
Cons: HEARTLESS PLAYER.
Miramax
George Wickham, Pride and Prejudice
Pros: Really hot. Pretty charming. Nice hair.
Cons: Dirtbag.
BBC
John Willoughby, Sense and Sensibility
Pros: Chivalrous!
Cons: Self-centered and materialistic.
Mirage Productions
J.K. Rowling Announces That There Was At Least One Jewish Student At Hogwarts
What Is The Most Christmas Book Of All Time?
When it comes to Christmas books, which one gives you all the ~FEELS~?
21 Of The Wisest Things Jane Austen Ever Said
Jane Austen was way ahead of her time. Happy 239th birthday to one of the greatest English novelists in history!
1. "I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way."
–Sense and Sensibility
2. "We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be."
–Mansfield Park
Jarry Lee / BuzzFeed / Thinkstock
4. "There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves."
–Emma
21 New Year's Resolutions For Twentysomethings From "The Baby-Sitter's Club"
We in this New Year. Finna get crunk. Baby-sitting on fleek. Da fuq.
Confront something you're afraid of.
Whether it's ending a relationship, writing that novel, or exorcising ghosts from your house — take a risk next year.
Scholastic
Get serious about your health.
Whether you start eating better, working out more, or schedule regular visits with a doctor — protect the only body you have by taking proper care of it.
Scholastic
Switch up your style.
Experiment with a new haircut and let the haters get excited!
Scholastic
Help someone in need.
Reach out to a friend who's having a hard time or donate a free weekend to volunteer. Every action you take outside of yourself can change someone else's life.
Scholastic
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
James Patterson Donates $473K To Independent Bookstores
Christmas came early for 81 lucky indie booksellers.
Deborah Feingold / Reuters
The extra cash comes courtesy of million-selling author and literary patron James Patterson, who announced Monday that he has given $473,000 to 81 independent sellers around the country in the third round of his campaign to keep local stores in business. Since launching the program a year ago, he has given more than $1 million to 178 sellers. The money is dispersed in response to specific requests, such as a letter from Left Bank that said Patterson's donation would allow the store to 'breathe a huge sigh of relief as we invest the money we make selling books back into our community.'
Via abcnews.go.com
Alex Cross by James Patterson
Hachette Book Group
Judy Blume Has A New Novel Coming Out For Adults
In the Unlikely Event will hit shelves June 2015.
Sigrid Estrada / Via Knopf
Next June, Alfred A. Knopf will publish a new book by best-selling author Judy Blume; it will be her first novel for adults in over fifteen years. The announcement was made today by Carole Baron, Blume's longtime editor.
Via Knopf
Knopf
The novel, IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, considers a startling backdrop: a series of passenger airline flights that crashed over a three-month period in 1951 and 1952 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where Blume grew up. 'These events have lingered in my mind ever since,' says Blume. 'It was a crazy time. We were witnessing things that were incomprehensible to us as teenagers. Was it sabotage? An alien invasion? No one knew, and people were understandably terrified.' The crashes resulted in the closing of Newark airport for nine months.
With her rich imagination, Blume uses this background to weave together a story with an unforgettable ensemble of families and friends across three generations. The hallmark traits of Blume – a deep concern for her characters and the authentic capture of an era – are evident on every page as we see her protagonists grow up, fall in love, marry, cope with loss, deal with estranged parents and difficult friendships and familial obligations, remember the good times, and finally, wonder at the joy that keeps them going.
Via Knopf
What Books Did You Read In 2014?
Let’s recommend some good reads!
The Purple Cloud by M.P. Shiel (1901)
This is one of the first "last man on earth" novels. It's a very strange Victorian adventure about a polar explorer who accidentally causes a global cataclysm that leaves him to wander the unpopulated world for decades. It's kind of like I Am Legend by way of Edgar Allen Poe. I enjoyed it.
Penguin Classics / Via Amazon
Keith Haring Journals by Keith Haring (2010)
Haring's personal journals from the 1970's until his death in 1990 offer a lot of insight into his art. I enjoyed reading about his early experimentation process when he was finding his style. Also, did you know he was a huge fan of the Grateful Dead? The journals become haunting as he becomes overwhelmed with his celebrity lifestyle and his untimely demise from AIDS.
Penguin
The Jaguar Smile by Salman Rushdie (1987)
Rushdie's journalistic account of his travels in Nicaragua during the Sandanista regime was reallyinteresting. I read this while I was also traveling around Nicaragua and it gave me context for what the country had been through three decades later. Many have criticized Rushdie's naiive view on the Sandanistas, but I found the book to be somewhat balanced and highly readable.
Picador
Galápagos by Kurt Vonnegut, (1985)
Only as a huge fan of Vonnegut am I comfortable in saying that this is one of the most irritating novels I've ever read. Go with anything else by Vonnegut.
Delacorte Press, / Via en.wikipedia.org
Monday, December 15, 2014
The 23 Best Picture Books Of 2014
You’ll love them just as much as the kids will. Ranked in no particular order.
BuzzFeed
A Lion in Paris by Beatrice Alemagna
A dissatisfied lion ventures to Paris on a quest to find fulfillment. After exploring the city (and viewing many famous sights along the way) he finds where he belongs: as a statue at Place Denfert-Rochereau.
What kind of reader is it for? Someone who knows how it feels to be a stranger in a new city; anyone who would enjoy paging through a large, beautifully illustrated book.
Tate Publishing
Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson
A portrait of Josephine Baker told in verse by Patricia Hruby Powell (and splendidly illustrated by Christian Robinson).
What kind of reader is it for? Anyone interested in learning about the performer and civil rights advocate who was both a spectacle and an inspiration.
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Did you ever wonder where imaginary friends come from? This book is the origin story of one such friend: Beekle.
What kind of reader is it for? Anyone who has ever had a friend that only they could see.
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47 Incredibly Unique Books To Buy Everyone On Your List