Thematic Sunday: January/February 2017 Books to movies/TV list

As is the case every year, 2017 brings a lot of adaptations to the big and small screen. If you're one who likes to keep up on such things, here are some from January and February to get a head start on.

January:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

To start us off, Sherlock finally comes back on BBC (PBS in the States) on January 1rst. It is apparently the final season so buckle in folks.

The Oz series by Frank L. Baum

On January 6th, NBC brings us a trippy retelling of the Wizard of Oz series that rather reminds me of Tin Man. We'll see how this one goes.

The Amityville Horror: A True Story by Jay Anson

January 6th brings yet another Amityville horror movie. Technically this book is not the movie in question, but the original Amityville movie's source material is this old 1977 horror book.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Technically this movie comes out on Christmas, but it's not getting a wide release until January 13th. So many people won't get to see it until then. To tide you over, check out the recently released nonfiction book that inspired the movie.

A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket

On Netflix, January 6th, A Series of Unfortunate Events fans will finally get an adaptation they deserve as a TV show. Also, I'm going to be reading through this series in 2017. Because uh...I've never read it. ;ducks head;

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

On January 28th, a movie based on this series of books about a dog searching for his purpose over the course of several lives releases.

Afterlife With Archie series/or Archie series

On January 26th, CW launches a new TV show based around the Archie franchise. From the trailer I suspect they're going the Afterlife with Archie route. Which would be in tune with CWs genre friendly bent. If you're not interested in supernatural Archie, there's the regular Archie comics as well as Jughead and the Betty and Veronica series. All of the new Archie comics are pretty damn solid. I recommend all of them.


In February:

X-Men: Legion Quest

On February 8th, FX starts a new show centered around X-Men Legion. From the looks of it, it takes several liberties as these comic book shows often do. But still, a good excuse to check out some old X-Men comics.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

On February 19th, HBO premieres a mini-series based on this 2014 best seller.

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach

On February 24rth, this historical fiction novel comes to the big screen.

Thematic Sunday: Holiday Seasonal Reads

So the holiday season (or hell as us retailers sometimes call it) is officially upon us. Here are some snowy reads to pick up to get you in the festive mood:

1) Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

This is exactly what it sounds like. Three cute contemporary romances set around the holidays. This is set to become a movie in late 2017, so good time to read it.

2) My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins

If the above book puts you in the mood for more cute romances, definitely pick this one up.

3) Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

In a rare departure from his lawyer books, Grisham offers a hilarious tale about a couple who tries to skip Christmas, only for it to backfire.

4) Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris

While not only about Christmas, this short story collection offers some hilarious tales such as Sedaris' time as a Macy's store elf.

 5)A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd

Yes, the famous movie classic is based on a book.

6) The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford

Instead of recommending A Christmas Carol, which lets face it, is an obvious choice, I'm going to point you to this book about the publication process for the holiday classic.

7) The Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas

Fan of the Nutcracker ballet? Check out this edition that includes Nutcracker and Mouse King and The Tale of the Nutcracker which inspired said ballet.

8) The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Frank L. Baum

Another good classic to look into is this one by the author of The Wizard of Oz. For more classics, check out all of the Penguin Christmas classics collection. As a bonus, they're really pretty books.

9) Shiver Trilogy Book 1: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

If you want something wintery, but not necessarily Christmas (not everyone celebrates it!) I recommend this oldy from Stiefvater. It's full of snow scenes.

10) The Ex-Games by Jennifer Echols

Another wintery-but-not-Christmas book to look into is this cute little romance from the Simon Pulse teen romance collection.







I did try to find some Hanukkah/Kwanzaa themed books guys, but...other then some cute picture books, there don't seem to be any. Publishing industry: do better.

Thematic Sunday: Gilmore Girls Revival Reading List

This is not a very imaginative list of me, but I've been binging the new Gilmore Girls like every other fan of the show this weekend. I'm completely finished so if you wish to gush with me, feel free to do so. As with the original show, books feature a lot. Some were already on the original Rory Gilmore challenge (that I'm still making my way through), so I'm going with books that aren't on the previous list.

1) Mark Renton 1: Skagboys by Irvine Welsh

Okay, the show references Trainspotting, but that's actually the second book in this series.

2) Coming Into the Country by John McPhee

There's only a mention of the author on the show. This book is probably his best known one of you're curious.

3) The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

There's a big scene that is based around this non-fiction book about getting organized.

4) Consider the Lobster and Other Essays by David Foster Wallace

Consider the Lobster is referenced at one point.

5) Prometheus Bound and Other Plays by Aeschylus

The greek writer is referenced in a joke at some point. Here's a good selection of his work.

6) Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Another major moment is heavily inspired by this book.

7) Tevye the Dairyman and The Railroad Stories by Sholem Aleichem

This classic Jewish writer was referenced at one point. I'll let you all guess who referenced it.

8) Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth

This classic poet is referenced at one point. Here's a good book to get a beginners look at his work.

9) Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Poems and Other Writings

Again, a specific book was not mentioned, but this author was mentioned in a conversation.

10) I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron

There's a good joke at one point referencing this book.

Thematic Sunday: Feminist Reading For Beginners

So I've been listening to We Were Feminists Once by Andi Zeisler on audio. It's going into the fact that there are a lot of misconceptions out there about feminism and it becoming a buzzword these past few years in the media has frankly not helped matters.
So, if you've recently decided you might actually be open to this feminist thing the chances are that you've probably learned it's actually more complicated then the general public would have you believe. Here are some good books to look into if you want to be more knowledgeable about feminism, it's history, many different pockets of thought, and some of the issues facing us today. Oh, and definitely look into the book I mentioned, it's a great intro for what's going on with feminism now.

A Vindication Of The Rights of Women by Mary Wollenstonecraft

If you want to go back to some of the early feminists, Wollenstonecraft is a great place to start.

The Essential Feminist Reader by various authors, edited by Estelle B. Freedman

Good crash course through feminist historical writings.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This tiny book should be read by all feminists and given to anyone who is still going around fighting for equal rights but claiming they're not feminist.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Personally, I find this book a tad dated (it was written in the sixties, and it mostly is concerned with middle-class straight white women). But, it is a good way to understand where baby boomer feminists are coming from. Chances are they read this book and it influenced a lot of their thinking.

Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis

Unfortunately, even feminists can be racist. One of the big problems in feminist circles is how they tend to leave all non-white women behind (as well as LGBT women). Please, if you're going to declare yourself feminist, make sure your feminism is inclusive.

Feminism is For Everybody by bell hooks

For those who need to understand why your feminism should be inclusive.

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women

For those who may not be totally convinced that there's still sexism around.

Gender Trouble by Judith Butler

A good intro to LGBT/trans issues.

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

If you're a feminist, you're going to hear about Gloria Steinem. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. If you want to know who she is and what's she's done, her memoir is probably a good place to start.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

If you're a geek/consumer of any sort of media you're going to start noticing some less then savory aspects of the thing you consume when you start researching/reading up on feminism. These essays are about reconciling the media we enjoy with our feminism and how you can like problematic things and still be a feminist.

Thematic Sunday: Books For DWTS Season 23 Fans

So DWTS is back with a vengeance this year. It's a wide and varied cast, as always. If you want to do some reading into the cast or just a theme for this year, here are some books to look into:

by Amber Rose

If you're curious about Amber Rose at all, she has a memoir that came out last year.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

There are always a few football players on DWTS. For more on football, this is a good book to go with. It concerns Michael Lewis, instead of Calvin Johnson, but it goes into football itself as well as Michael Lewis's own life.

Grace, Gold, and Glory by Gabrielle Douglas

Laurie Hernandez does not have a bio out (yet). But her teammate, Gabby Douglas does. Well worth a look if you're a gymnastics fan.

Here's The Story by Maureen McCormick

Yes, Marcia Brady is on DWTS. If you want to know more about the actress herself, here's her memoir.

I'm Hosting As Fast As I Can! by Tom Bergeron

Yes, the host of DWTS (and America's Funniest Home Videos) has a book out.

Better Late Than Never: My Story by Len Goodman

My favorite grumpy judge from DWTS also has a memoir out.

Taking The Lead: Lessons From a Life in Motion by Derek Hough

Fan favorite Derek Hough's memoir

Dancing Lessons by Cheryl Burke

Another popular dancer's memoir

Thematic Sunday: Iron Man for Beginners

So here's a guide to comics to read if you're new to Iron Man. If you've seen the three Iron Man movies, you've honestly got a pretty good handle on his origin so you could skip right ahead to the newer stuff if you wanted too.

Invincible Iron Man Omnibus series

If you are one who wants to start at the very beginning, then this series is the way to go. It collects all of Iron Man's early appearances from Tales of Suspense to Avengers.

Iron Man Vol. 1: Demon in a Bottle

If you're interested in starting the Iron Man solo books, this is where to start. Tony didn't start getting his own adventures until the seventies or or so.

Iron Man: Iron Monger

This might be a story line of interest to fans of the movies. It has Stane (the villain from the first Iron Man film) and Rhodey starting his superhero career.

Iron Man: The Dragon Seed Saga

If you're interested in the Mandarin, the villain from Iron Man 3, then this is a good place to look. Just be warned...it's different from the movie and racist.

Iron Man Omnibus by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen

Yes, there are two omnibus. The first series is the original by Stan Lee. The second is this one, that brought Iron Man into the early 2000s by Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen. If you're more interested in modern Iron Man, this is a good place to start.

Iron Man: Extremis

Another story arc that might be of interest to movie fans is the Extremis story line.

Civil War: Front Line

Iron Man was a big player in the Civil War story line. This focuses more on Tony and Captain America during this time.

Iron Man: Director of S.H.E.I.L.D

Story arc that takes place after the results of Civil War. This is basically where Tony in the MCU is now. So if you have seen all the movies and want to just jump into the comics without going backwards story line wise, this might be a good place to start.

Iron Man Vol. 1: The Five Nightmares by Matt Fraction

Another possible good place to start while waiting for more Iron Man in the MCU movies.

Iron Man Vol. 1: Believe

If you just want to jump straight into the more recent story lines, this is a good place to start.