The Man Behind "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Steig Larsson, author of the Millenium triliogy that includes The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, died suddenly just after delivering his three manuscripts to a publisher.  Check out this interesting CNN article about the late author, who apparently "left behind a trail of intrigue that rivals the dark thrillers he created."  Read it here.

Mixed Feelings on Baz Luhrmann Remaking Movie of "The Great Gatsby"

Over the past year, various entertainment news sites have confirmed that director Baz Luhrmann has acquired the rights to make a film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby.  Since this is quite possibly my favorite book of all time, I must say I have mixed feelings on Mr. Luhrmann being the one to helm this project.  While I love Moulin Rouge and Romeo+Juliet, I'm just not sure whether Lurhmann's somewhat trippy style will play well on such an iconic American masterpiece.  Similar to when rumors swirled about Tim Burton taking on the last Harry Potter movie, I'm incredibly intrigued about how this will turn out, and also incredibly nervous.  Either way, I'm already thinking about who will be cast as Nick, Daisy and, of course, the great Jay Gatsby, who was portrayed by Robert Redford in the popular 1974 version.  To be honest, I really wouldn't mind seeing Luhrmann's previous leads, Ewan McGregor or Leonardo DiCaprio, take part in what is sure to be an unforgettable adaptation.  

How do you feel about Baz Luhrmann as the director?  Who would you cast for the roles of Gatsby, Nick, Daisy and so on?  Comment below!     

Ellen Takes Us (and two really lucky kids!) Inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

 
I love Ellen.  And as you already know, I love Harry Potter.  So you can imagine my extreme happiness while watching this video, where Ellen takes two kids through the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!  Hogsmeade!  Ollivanders!  Honeydukes!  Zonkos!  Hogwarts!  Dumbledore's office!  A roller coaster! AHHH! Check it out! You can also see it on Ellen's webspage.

Attention Muggles! Harry Potter Theme Park to Open June 18th!

Harry Potter fans, get ready.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios officially has an opening date.  Starting June 18th, Muggles around the world who have waited anxiously for their Hogwarts acceptance letters will finally be able to fall into the pages of J.K. Rowling's beloved series.  Visitors will be able to venture through Hogwarts Castle on "Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey," enjoy a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks, find their wands at Ollivanders and more!  FYI: the Harry Potter fanatic inside me in screaming in excitement.  You can bet on the fact that I'll be making my way down to Orlando this summer, ready to play some Quidditch and live out my literary fantasies.  Watch the video below for a sneak peak at the main ride!

Book-to-Movie Adaptations...What's your Favorite?

EW's PopWatch blog recently did a post on favorite book to movie adaptations.  I could probably sit here for hours thinking of all the movies I like that were books first, but my personal favorite would have to be The Notebook.  I know what you're thinking--out of all the amazing adaptations, I pick a Nicholas Sparks book?  Here's why: it's the only one where I can honestly say that the movie was better than the book.  I'm a big Nicholas Sparks fan--I've read every one one of his books and usually know months ahead of time when his next one is coming out.  The Notebook was, of course, a great book.  But Nick Cassavete's movie brought this romance to a whole new level, and few (women) who have seen this movie will forget the on-screen chemistry between the amazing leads, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, who were actually a real-life couple at the time.

Thinking about book-to-screen adaptations makes me think of other books I can't wait to see on the big screen.  Emily Giffin's Something Borrowed, one of my favorite chick-lit books, comes out next year starring Ginnifer Goodwin as main character Rachel.  Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants has recently announced the casting of Twilight's Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon for the lead characters (not sure how I feel about this pairing).  And coming to the small screen, Ken Follett's epic historical novel Pillars of the Earth has been turned into a TV mini-series starring an array of well-known actors, including Donald Sutherland.

The one I'm most excited for though, which I Google almost daily, is the coming adaptation of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.  If you haven't heard of this series, check it out here.  Think The Time Traveler's Wife meets Braveheart.  The series focuses on Claire Randall, who accidently travels back to the Scottish Highlands of the 1700's, where she falls in love with the handsome and heroic Jamie Fraser.  Move over Edward Cullen--Jamie Fraser has just topped you as the most ideal male character of all time.  Although no casting has been announced, Outlander fans have been eagerly waiting and making suggestions for who they want in these unforgettable roles.  Though each book is close to a thousand pages, if not more, I just finished book four and still can't get enough of the epic romance between Jamie and Claire.  I'll be counting down the days until I can see it come to life on screen.

So what book-to-movie adaptations are your favorites, or what books would you love to see brought to the big screen?

'Tis the Season...For Great New Books!

With rain and snow falling hard across the north east for days on end, it certainly feels a little more like December than March.  While December means that at least you have the holidays to look forward to, March usually brings nothing but confusing weather patterns and far-off dreams of summer.  But for me, the beginning of March brings something else entirely.  No, not just midterms or high anticipation for spring break (which is a tad consuming I'll admit).  This year, the month of March means the release of several new books by some of my all-time favorite authors.  Christmas hath come again for me.  Let's take a look:

Hitting the shelves tomorrow, March 2, is the latest sure-to-be tear jerker (as all her books are) from New England native Jodi Picoult, called House Rules.  Usually centered around an issue and involving a court case, Picoult's books are the kind that deliver intensely researched information and social commentary, wrapped within a heart-warming story.  In House Rules, Picoult takes on the currently high-profile issue of autism, in which a young autistic boy is accused of murder.  I've managed to read all but four of her novels, and some of the best include The Pact (teen suicide), Nineteen Minutes (school shooting), Change of Heart (the death penalty), and My Sister's Keeper, which was recently made into a movie starring Abigail Breslin and Cameron Diaz (who actually did a great job).  I have no doubt that House Rules will have me glued to my nook while sitting poolside in the Bahamas next week.  I'll try to keep the tears to a minimum.

Several weeks later on March 23, the next addictive book from Harlan Coben arrives in stores across the US.  And when I say addictive, I mean addictive.  Caution: be prepared to devote every waking minute to reading once you have started.  From the first page of one of Coben's books, the reader is like a fish on a hook, completely at the mercy of Myron Bolitar or one of Coben's other great characters.  Not until the end, when the reader is deliriously dizzy from all the twists and turns he manages to create, is the reader able to put the book down and go about his or her normal life.  I've read every one of Coben's books (usually the day they're released) and I've never been disappointed.  This next one, Caught, certainly won't be any different.  With missing people, real and faked murders, confusing clues and a never-ending array of witty characters, Coben's thrillers are definite must-reads.

Though her list of novels isn't as long as that of Ms. Picoult or Mr. Coben, Emily Giffin is another one of my favorite authors who has a new release coming out this spring.  While Giffin's novels can be categorized as "chick-lit," they are definitely the cream of the crop in their category.  Her previous four novels, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, Love the One You're With, and Baby Proof, are each easily devoured in one delicious sitting, leaving the reader wanting more.  Fortunately, Giffin delivers on this need with the release of Heart of the Matter on May 11.  I'm sure that she'll once again have us wishing that she could write faster.  At least we have the big-screen production of Something Borrowed to look foward to next year, and hopefully it's sequal Something Blue not long after.


So readers, do you have a favorite book by these amazing writers? Who are some of your favorite authors?