Movie adaptation: ‘Everything, Everything’ by Nicola Yoon

everythingeverythingpic — The movie adaptation of ‘Everything, Everything’ by Nicola Yoon opens in theaters on Friday May 19. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Nicola Yoon is The New York Times best-selling author of “Everything, Everything” and “The Sun is Also a Star,” a Michael L Printz Honor book and a National Book Award finalist. “Everything, Everything” is her debut novel for young adults and the movie adaptation will open in theaters on Friday May 19, 2017. It stars Amanda Stenberg as Maddy and Nick Robinson as Olly and is the story of 17-year-old Madeline Whittier, who has “bubble baby disease.”

According to Wikipedia, in “Everything, Everything,” Madeline is a girl who suffers from severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and cannot leave her house or interact with anyone who has not been “sanitized.” The only people she interacts with are her mother and Carla, the nurse who takes care of her. After a new family moves in next door, she meets and befriends their son Olly. They decide to go to Hawaii together because Maddy claims it was the last place she believes she had a ‘normal’ family. Once there she ends up getting sick and is taken to the hospital after which her mother shows up and takes her back home. Eventually, the truth comes out that her mother lied about her being sick because after her father and brother died, Maddy became seriously ill and she was afraid of losing her too. Olly, his mother and sister move out but he and Maddy reunite in New York.

Book signing: ‘Taming the Feast’ by Chef Ben Ford at Hotel Emma

chefbenpic — This Friday May 19 Hotel Emma is hosting a book signing with Chef Ben Ford at Curio. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

This Friday May 19 Hotel Emma at the Pearl is hosting a book signing with Chef Ben Ford. The community is invited to join Chef Ben Ford for a special book signing at Curio, the gift shop at Hotel Emma from 5:30p.m. to 6:30p.m. This event is free and open to the public and there is no need to RSVP. He will be there to sign copies of his first cookbook: “Taming the Feast: Ben Ford’s Field Guide to Adventurous Cooking” and guests will be able to enjoy some bites, a glass of wine and get to meet the chef and author. Guests may bring their own copy of the book or purchase one on site. (Hotel Emma, 2017)

Chef Ben Ford is known for wowing crowds with his over the top handcrafted feasts and now with “Taming the Feast” he presents a field guide to adventurous cooking. He gives step by step instructions with photos and illustrations so anyone can grill, smoke or roast outdoors or a smaller version of the feast in their own kitchens. Along with recipes, artisanal techniques and gorgeous photography, Chef Ford shares stories of growing up with his father Harrison Ford, then a carpenter, and his life as a chef at some of California’s best restaurants.

Hotel Emma
136 E Grayson
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 448-8300

New release: ‘Golden Prey’ by John Sandford

John Sandford is the pseudonym for John Roswell Camp, a former journalist turned best-selling author of thriller novels, short stories and non-fiction books. His first two novels of the Kidd series were written under his real name but when he started the Prey series he published under John Sandford. He has written the Prey series, the Kidd series, the Virgil Flowers series and the Singular Menace series but the Prey series has proved the most popular. It features Lucas Davenport, a former detective with the Minneapolis Police Department who is known for his unorthodox and manipulative behavior as a detective. Throughout the series, he has also worked as a Deputy Chief, an investigator for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and later as a United States Marshall. The twenty-seventh Prey novel, “Golden Prey,” was released this month and Lucas Davenport is back in his first case as a U.S. Marshall which sends him into uncharted territory.

According to Amazon, in “Golden Prey” Davenport ends up in Biloxi, Mississippi where a drug cartel counting house has been robbed and suitcases full of cash have disappeared. Five bodies are left behind including one of a six-year-old girl and the case quickly spirals out of control. Things go from bad to worse as cartel assassins, including a torturer known as the “Queen of home-improvement tools” and Davenport get caught up in a race to find the Dixie Hicks shooters who hit the counting house. They do not care who Davenport is so he must solve the case before he ends up another victim of the cartel and the men who held up the counting house.

Movie adaptation: ‘The Circle’ by Dave Eggers

Dave Eggers is an American author, editor and publisher whose work includes “Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?” “Heroes of the Frontier” and “The Circle.” He is the founder of McSweeney’s, an independent publishing company in San Francisco that publishes books, a quarterly journal of new writing and a monthly magazine. The movie adaptation of “The Circle” starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson will be out on theaters on Friday April 28, 2017. It is the bestselling dystopian novel about surveillance, privacy and the growing intrusions of technology in everyday life.

According to Amazon, “The Circle” tells the story of tech worker Mae Holland who after college starts a new job at a powerful internet company called The Circle. The Circle’s work links users’ personal emails, social media, banking and purchasing with their universal operating system resulting in one online identity. Employees enjoy open plan office spaces, impressive glass dining facilities, dorm rooms for those who spend nights at work, parties and other ammenities. Soon her life beyond the job gets smaller and her experiences at work get weirder by the day as she must deal with questions about memory, history, privacy, democracy and the limits of the human knowledge. At first, she sees it as the opportunity of a lifetime but the longer she works there the more things start to fall apart.

Television adaptation: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood

handmaidstale

Margaret Atwood is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist and environmental activist. Even though she has published several poetry books she is best known for her 1985 novel “The Handmaid’s Tale.” It is a dystopian novel set in a near-future New England in a totalitarian theocracy which has overthrown the United States government. Winner of the 1985 Governor General’s Award, it was also nominated for the Nebula Award, the Booker Prize and the Prometheus Award. Previous adaptations include the cinema, television, radio, opera and stage. Now it has been adapted into a television series on Hulu and will premiere on Wednesday April 29, 2017. It stars Elizabeth Moss as Offred the Handmaid and Samira Wiley as Moira, Offred’s college friend.

According to Amazon, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is set in the near future and describes life in what was once the United States and is now called the Republic of Gilead. The government is now a monotheocracy that has reacted to social unrest and a sharply declining birthrate by going back to the repressive intolerance of the original Puritans. Those in charge now make the rules according to the book of Genesis with bizarre consequences for its citizens. Environmental contamination had led to infertility so now young fertile women are assigned to the homes of the rich where they are supposed to have children for those men and their wives. It is told through the eyes of Offred, one of the unfortunate Handmaids, who remembers happier times when she was married with a daughter and her own name. Considered a satire, it can also be viewed as a dire warning.

New release: ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ by Jonathan Kellerman

Jonathan Kellerman is a psychologist and The New York Times bestselling author of suspense novels and nonfiction writings on psychology including “Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children.” He is best known for his novels featuring child psychologist Alex Delaware who consults for the police with LAPD detective Milo Sturgis. “Heartbreak Hotel” is his most recent Alex Delaware novel that has Alex dealing with a patient who is almost one hundred years old.

According to Amazon, in “Heartbreak Hotel” Thalia Mars comes to see Alex with some unusual questions. He normally just treats children but the witty and charming woman convinces him to meet her in a suite at the Aventura, a luxury hotel that has a questionable history. During their session, she asks him disturbing questions about guilt, patterns of criminal behavior and victim selection. When asked why the fascination with the topic she promises answers during their next session but she is found dead the next morning. The investigation into her death turns out to be one of the most baffling cases Alex and Milo have come across in years. Her complicated life holds nearly a century of secrets that have violent connotations for everyone around her.

Born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, Jonathan Kellerman worked his way through college as a cartoonist, illustrator, journalist and editor and received a BA in psychology at UCLA. He worked extensively with anxiety disorders and he used that experience to publish a book for parents titled “Helping the Fearful Child” in 1981. In 1985 he wrote his first novel “When the Bough Breaks” and it became a bestseller and was adapted into a TV movie. Since then he has written forty one crime novels, two children’s books and numerous nonfiction books.

New release: ‘Bone Box’ by Faye Kellerman

Faye Kellerman is an author of mystery novels with the most popular being the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series. Her stand-alone novels include “The Quality of Mercy,” “Moon Music” and “Straight Into Darkness” and overall her books have sold millions of copies worldwide. “Bone Box,” her newest Decker/Lazarus novel was released today and has Rina Lazarus making a shocking discovery in the woods of her upstate New York community.

According to Amazon, in “Bone Box,” Rina Decker is out for a walk when she stumbles upon human remains that were once buried deep beneath the forest. Her husband Peter, a former detective lieutenant with the LAPD who is now working for the local police is brought in to investigate the case. It turns out that the body had been buried for years and the evidence includes the skeleton of a young woman, a skull wound and long dark strands of hair surrounding the frame. The victim is identified as a missing student from the nearby college. This leads Decker, his partner and Rina to investigate what turns out to be a series of gruesome, unsolved murders that point to a diabolical serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight for years. They are in a race to protect the community from a killer who is still in the area and in search of a new victim.

Book review: ‘Fearless and Free’ by Wendy Sachs

Wendy Sachs is an Emmy-award winning TV producer and a former Capitol Hill press secretary, public relations executive, media and content strategist and CNN contributor. She often writes about work and life issues and women’s issues and has appeared in dozens of radio and TV shows. Her new book ‘Fearless and Free: How Smart Women Pivot – and Relaunch Their Careers’ was released on February 7, 2017. It is a career advice reference book about how women can redefine themselves and their careers regardless of age or experience.

‘Fearless and Free’ begins with an introduction by the author where she introduces herself and what she has learned from her numerous career pivots. The rest is divided into chapters such as ‘Strike a Pose and Feel the Power,’ ‘Congratulations, You’re Fired!’ and ‘Branding Is Not Bragging.’ The job market is always evolving and workers need to adapt if they are to succeed. Some of the practical advice the author gives includes the need for women to believe in themselves, think outside the box and take risks. Most importantly, they should not be too timid to brag about themselves and their skills and should take full advantage of networking. There is also advice for women who have taken time off, sometimes years off, to raise a family. She writes about how these women can translate those experiences into transferable job skills that will help them ease back into the workforce.

Even though it may be geared towards women, both men and women can benefit from this book. The subject matter and conversational tone makes it easy to read and understand. Knowing that even the author herself has struggled makes her relatable and her advice more believable. The subject of branding may be new for some but in this day of age of social media it is more relevant than ever. It is worth nothing that she has previously worked on Capitol Hill so her political connections do come to light. Overall ‘Fearless and Free’ is an excellent resource for career advice. It is recommended for readers looking to sharpen their skills and work ethics to meet the demands of an ever evolving job market.

*A copy of this book was given for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are solely the author’s.

Movie adaptation: ‘Before I Fall’ by Lauren Oliver

beforeifallpic — The movie adaptation of ‘Before I Fall’ by Lauren Oliver is due out in movie theaters on Friday March 3, 2017. Photo: google

Lauren Oliver is The New York Times bestselling author of young adult novels including ‘Replica,’ ‘Vanishing Girls’ and the Delirium trilogy: ‘Delirium,’ ‘Pandemonium’ and ‘Requiem.’ Her middle-grade novel ‘Liesl & Po’ earned her a 2012 E.B. White Read-Aloud Award nomination. The 2010 stand-alone young adult novel ‘Before I Fall,’ about a young girl who keeps reliving the last day of her life, has been made into a movie and will be released on Friday March 3, 2017. It stars Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Jennifer Beals and Diego Boneta.

According to Amazon, ‘Before I Fall’ is the story of seventeen year old Samantha ‘Sam’ Kingston who is killed in a car accident in her hometown of Ridgeview. It is written in first person narrative as Sam is forced to relive the day of the accident every day for a week. Because she is trying to figure out why this is happening to her she does things differently everyday hoping for a different outcome. Some of her actions seem out of character for her and surprise her family and friends. When she died she was the type of girl who seemed to have it all including popularity, a boyfriend and unfortunately the kind of social life that made life unbearable for outsiders and social misfits. The novel is a combination of Mean Girls and Groundhog Day that has Sam trying to solve the mystery behind her death and discovering the true value of everything she is in danger of losing. At the end the Sam who inevitably accepts her fate is vastly different than the girl at the beginning of the book.

Movie adaptation: ‘Hidden Figures’ by Margot Lee Shetterly

hiddenfigurespic — The movie adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly’s ‘Hidden Figures’ is now in theaters. Photo: google.com

Margot Lee Shetterly is an American nonfiction writer best known for her debut novel “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.” It chronicles the true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA whose calculations helped give rise to America’s greatest achievements in space. The movie adaptation is now in theaters and it stars Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst and Kevin Costner.

According to Amazon, “Hidden Figures” is the story of female mathematicians known was “human computers” who used pencils, slide rulers and adding machines to calculate the numbers necessary to launch rockets and astronauts into space. Among these were a group of exceptionally talented African American women who originally taught math in the South’s segregated public schools. That was before they were called into service to work in America’s aeronautics industry during the labor shortages of World War II. They moved to Hampton, Virginia during the Jim Crow law years when the law required them to be segregated from their white counterparts. They became known as the women of Langley’s all black ‘West Computing” group and helped America defeat the Soviet Union in the space race. Specifically it follows the lives of Dorothy Vaughn, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden starting from World War II, through the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement and shows how their superior intellect changed their personal lives and their country’s future.

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