Upcoming 2017 TV Shows Based on Books

Books being into adapted into other media (especially movies) is nothing new, but there are a lot of books getting made into TV Series now as well. So far there have been four series to kick-off 2017: Emerald City loosely based on L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz debuted on NBC on January 6, A Series of Unfortunate Events based on Lemony Snicket's same-titled series debuted on Netflix on January 13, Riverdale (very) loosely based on the long-running Archie Comics debuted on January 26 on the CW, and Big Little Lies based on Lianne Moriarty's novel just premiered on HBO on February 19.

Get ahead of the curve and make sure to read the following books before they are scheduled to make their TV debuts in 2017!

1. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

13 Reasons Why will be premiering on Netflix on March 31.

2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Just released from prison, Shadow encounters Mr. Wednesday, an enigmatic stranger who seems to know a lot about him, and when Mr. Wednesday offers him a job as his bodyguard, Shadow accepts and is plunged into a dark and perilous world.

American Gods is set to premiere on Starz in April 30.

3. The
Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

A chilling look at the near future presents the story of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, once the United States, an oppressive world where women are no longer allowed to read and are valued only as long as they are viable for reproduction.

The Handmaid's Tale will be premiering on Hulu on April 26.

4. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

The first book in a new trilogy describes what happens in Midnight, Texas, a dried-up, one traffic light town, when a mysterious new resident, Manfred Bernardo, moves in.

Midnight, Texas is set to premiere on NBC in June.

5. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Anne, an eleven-year-old orphan, is sent by mistake to live with a lonely, middle-aged brother and sister on a Prince Edward Island farm and proceeds to make an indelible impression on everyone around her.

Anne will be premiering on Netflix on May 12. To tide you over, you can also check out the 2016 made-for-TV-movie or the wonderful CBC mini-series from the 80s.

6. The Mist by Stephen King

A group of neighbors trapped in a grocery store by a supernatural mist--which may have been unintentionally unleashed by a nearby military base--must fight the horrific monsters that live within it.

The Mist is set to premiere on Spike during summer 2017. To tide you over, you can also check out the film adaptation from  2007.

7. The Terror by Dan Simmons

Captain Crozier must find a way for his crew to survive the deadly attacks of a mysterious and insatiable sea monster that is stalking the men trapped in the Arctic ice, in a novel loosely based on the mid-nineteenth-century Arctic expedition originally led by Sir John Franklin.

The Terror is set to premiere on AMC late 2017.

8. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Working as a private investigator after losing his leg in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike takes the case of a legendary supermodel's suspicious suicide and finds himself in a world of multi-millionaire beauties, rock star boyfriends, desperate designers, and hedonist pursuits.

Cormoran Strike is set to premiere on BBC sometime 2017 with HBO picking up rights of the US release.

The Expanse Book & TV Series

It seems like just about everything coming out on TV or in the theater is either a remake or based upon a book.  TV shows especially seem to be well suited to this as we have seen with Outlander, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and others. Today, in particular, I’d like to look at a TV series that might have gone unnoticed by a lot of people, The Expanse. It is a very good series with the same name written by James A. Corey.  Currently, there are 6 books published and 3 more in the works. The first season covers approximately the first half of the book so there is room for plenty of seasons depending on how the writers pace things and use the original material.

 The Expanse is a sci-fi thriller set in the not-too-distant future where humanity has colonized the solar system. Earth is united, Mars is its own political entity, and both are struggling to keep the nascent power of the outer planets and satellites, aka the belters, from becoming independent. A reluctant but caring ship captain and a broken down belter detective get involved in a missing persons case which uncovers an amazing discovery that threatens the entire solar system.   

The adaptation is one of the best that I have seen. The majority of the characters are exceptionally well cast and there are only minor alterations to the story. Even better, the zero-g and low-g effects are amazingly well done. With only two seasons out, we might be in for a long haul before the series, both TV and book, are done. But trust me, this is a story that is well worth it, whether you watch or read.

 

Don't Judge a Book by It's Movie

Have you ever gone to see a movie that was based on a book?  You get there with people who have never read the book and they are raving about how wonderful the movie was and you think to yourself, "Yes, the movie was good, but the book was better." If you agree with me or have seen one of these movies and decided against reading the book, I urge you to read the book. You may be surprised by how much you enjoy it.

Here are a few books that were made into movies.  

Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson 
This amazing psychological thriller keeps you turning pages wondering what will happen next.  I hear the movie did not do the book justice...but I admit I have not watched the movie. 

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
The movies are well done and amazing,...however the books are vivid and filled with even more amazing details.  I urge you to read the books. They are perfect for readers of all ages.

City of Bones from Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. 
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, this entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will thoroughly enjoy!

Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Alice Howland is a Harvard Professor at the top of her game, when she becomes disoriented and confused the doctor diagnoses her with early onset alzheimer's disease. This is the story of how she and her family learn to cope with her disease. Beautifully written and in turns heartbreaking, inspiring and terrifying. 

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Tom Sherbourne returns from war and takes a position as a lighthouse keeper off the coast of Australia. His young wife, Isabel joins him. They long to start a family but she miscarries and has still births, so when a young infant washes ashore Tom allows his wife to keep the infant. It's a decision which has devastating consequences. 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A spine tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography. This book will delight readers who enjoy adventures found in the shadows. 
Here's to great literature that can be made into movies!

The Last Station

There are always movies that make you think about your existence, make you feel sad or happy, or just make you laugh. I am an avid movie watcher.  One of my all-time favorite movies is Last Station. When I first decided to watch this movie it was because it starred James McAvoy (yep, I said it).  I didn’t know what to expect from this movie because I am not really into period pieces.  However, Last Station was an excellent film with superb acting and a great storyline.  It is about Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and it has a couple of risqué scenes that add depth to the movie.

                There are quite a few films that are based on books and this is one of them.  Last Station: A Novel of Tolstoy’s Final Year is a biographical novel written by Jay Parini.  It shows the relationships between Tolstoy, his wife, and his lead disciple.  I think the movie, which stars Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy, Helen Mirren as his devoted wife, and James McAvoy as his personal secretary, did a great job following the flow of the book.  In order to enjoy the films completely, I prefer to watch the movie before reading the book.  I am more of a visual person and I don’t like to know what is going to happen in advance.

                If you want to watch something really good, I would highly recommend Last Station.  It’s a movie that will keep your interest and in the process you’ll learn something about the iconic Russian writer Leo Tolstoy.

TV Series Based On Books (and One Comic)

This month check out our very diverse collection of TV series--on both DVD and Blu-ray!

The following are series that are based on books and one comic:

Friday Night Lights--based on the book Friday Night Lights: a Town, a Team, and a Dream by H. G. Bissinger

House of Cards (US Version)--based on the book House of Cards by Michael Dobbs

Sherlock--based on the Sherlock Holmes series of books and stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle--a good start is A Study in Scarlet.

Outlander--based on the series by Diana Gabaldon--start with Outlander.

Rizzoli and Isles--based on the series by Tess Gerritsen--start with The Surgeon.

Longmire--based on the series by Craig Johnson--start with the Cold Dish.

Boardwalk Empire--based on the book Boardwalk Empire: the Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by Nelson Johnson.

Orange Is the New Black--based on the book Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison by Piper Kerman.

The Walking Dead--based on the comic series by Robert Kirkman.

Justified--based on some short stories and the novels Pronto and Riding the Rap by Elmore Leonard.

Dexter--based on the series by Jeff Lindsay--start with Darkly Dreaming Dexter.

Masters of Sex--based on the book Masters of Sex: the Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson... by Thomas Maier.

Game of Thrones--based on the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin--start with Game of Thrones.

Bones--based on the Tempe Brennan series by Kathy Reichs--start with Deja Dead.

Call the Midwife--based on the book Call the Midwife: a Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth.

The Circle, revisited

If you're a movie hound, then maybe you've heard that David Eggers' The Circle will be hitting the big screen on April 28. Starring Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Bill Paxton, and more, it promises to be an entertaining way to pass two hours or so. But have you read the book? I wrote about it a few years back, but if you've forgotten, well, read on.

Have you ever wanted to just grab someone by the shoulders and shake them awake because they seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the things happening around them--or worse, the things happening to them?  If not, allow me to introduce you to Mae Holland (Emma Watson), the naïve young protagonist of The Circle. Trust me, you'll want to do more than just shake her by the book's end.

Truthfully, I really liked Mae at first. I especially enjoyed her excitement and wide-eyed wonder at landing a dream job at one of the world's most powerful tech companies, the Circle. Like most new employees, Mae is eager to please her superiors, including her friend Annie (Karen Gillan), who pulled strings to get her the job, but in doing so she seems almost as eager to give herself away in the process. For example, all Circle employees are expected to participate in various company activities (there are hundreds to choose from) and contribute to the company's social-network feeds (Zing, InnerCircle, OuterCircle, etc.), all of which is taken into account when calculating an employee's "Participation Rank." Okay, whatever: The food in the cafeteria today was excellent. Zing! But when Mae is dressed down for spending a weekend at home rather than staying on campus and "participating," not to mention having the gall to go kayaking without documenting any of it on her social feeds, I was bothered by her acceptance of these criticisms as valid. Unfortunately, Mae telling her supervisors that what she does on her own time is her own business would have been useless, because at the Circle, everything you do is the Circle's business. Rather than rebel, Mae acquiesces, and in doing so, she begins to lose herself.

By the time we reach the second act of the story, Orwellian slogans are being trotted out at a company pep-rally--SECRETS ARE LIES, SHARING IS CARING, and PRIVACY IS THEFT. (Seriously, didn't any of these people read 1984?) Mae finds herself rising quickly through the company ranks and becoming a star both inside and outside the Circle--and, of course, chief rival to Annie for the attention of their social-network overlords. The price is Mae's sense of self and any remaining scrap of privacy she might have held onto, as well as her friendship with Annie. Admittedly, much of what happens in this half of the book is so over the top that I found it silly, but with the ever-growing reach of surveillance, it may not be beyond the realm of possibility.

So there you have it. I can't promise that the movie will do the book justice (they almost never do, understandably), but if your interest is piqued, give it a shot. And by all means, read the book!

  

February's In the Queue

No matter if it's freezing rain or snowing outside you are sure to enjoy one of these fantastic new books from this month's In the Queue! I recommend sitting inside and forgetting the weather, while you are entranced by one of these great stories. 

Fiction
Garden of Lamentations: A Novel by Deborah Crombie
Scotland Yard detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James are drawn into separate investigations that hold disturbing and deadly complications for them.

Most Dangerous Place: A Jack Swyteck Novel by James Grippando
This spellbinding tale of suspense is based on a true life story. Jack Swyteck defends a woman accused of killing the man who raped her and must separate the need for vengeance from the truth.

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan MastaiLiving in an alternate world of flying cars, moon bases, and plentiful food, aimless Tom Barren is blindsided by a time-travel mishap that lands him in the year 2016. Filled with humor and heart this debut novel has Tom asking himself, "Should I stay or should I go?".

The Impossible Fortress: A Novel by Jason Rekulak
A dazzling debut novel--at once a charming romance, a hilarious crime caper and a moving coming-of-age story about what happens when a boy pretends to seduce a girl to steal a magazine and then discovers she is his soul mate.

The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan
This debut novel tells the story of an all women's choir in England who refuse the vicar's edict to shut down the church choir, when the men go off to war. The women of this small village use their songs to lift up themselves, and their community as WWII tears through their lives.

Lincoln in the Bardo: A Novel by George Saunders
George Saunders spins an unforgettable story of familial love and loss that breaks free of its realistic, historical framework into a thrilling, supernatural realm which is both hilarious and terrifying. Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's eleven-year-old son, finds himself in purgatory, where ghosts mingle, gripe, commiserate, and quarrel. A monumental struggle erupts as the ghosts try to determine what to do with Willie's soul.

New Books By Best Selling Authors
Vicious Circle by C.J. Box
The Devil's Triangle by Catherine Coulter
The Cutthroat by Clive Cussler
Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
A Perfect Obsession by Heather Graham
Mississippi Blood: A Novel by Greg Iles
Man Overboard by Judith A. Jance
Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
If Not For You: A Novel by Debbie Macomber
A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates
The Black Book by James Patterson
Humans, Bow Down by James Patterson

Non-Fiction
Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less by Tiffany Dufu
An inspiring memoir counsels women on how to cultivate the essential skills of reevaluating expectations, setting realistic goals and meaningfully engaging with others in order to thrive.

Cesar Millan's Lessons From the Pack: by Cesar Millan
Cesar shares heartwarming stories about dogs that have inspired him the most. He reveals the many ways that dogs and people can enrich each other's lives, sharing the lessons he has learned from the dogs he has trained.

Pretend I'm Not Here by Barbara Feinman Todd
Revealing what it's like to get into the heads and hearts of some of Washington's most compelling and powerful figures, Feinman Todd offers authentic portraits that go beyond the carefully polished public personas that are the standard faire of the Washington publicity factory. At it's heart this is a funny and forthcoming story of a young woman in a male-dominated world trying to find her own voice while eloquently speaking for others.