Indie Awards 2013
Last week the winner of the Indie Book of the Year Award was announced: The light between oceans by M.L. Stedman. Other category winners: http://www.indies.com.au/BookAwards.aspx
Looking forward to reading the YA winner – Sea hearts by Margo Lanagan, an amazing writer.
Shortlist: http://www.indies.com.au/IndieAward.aspx
I like this website. It always has interesting info. Just noticed I am currently reading #4 in the Indie Top 10 Bestsellers – Gone girl by Gillian Flynn. It is awesome! An unputdownable, intriguing psychological thriller that I blame for too many late nights!! It was highly recommended to me and I can pass that recommendation on. It’s her 3rd novel…will definitely be reading the others! We have purchased a copy for our library – it is fine for senior students, no more gruesome or explicit than the Girl with the dragon tattoo (which is studied as a text here).
http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8442457-gone-girl
Yay….a film adaptation! “American actress Reese Witherspoon’s film production company and 20th Century Fox own the screen rights to Gone Girl for which they paid $1.5 million US dollars. The novel’s author Gillian Flynn has been engaged to write the screenplay. Witherspoon was drawn to the script because of its strong female character and its use of multiple perspectives and non-linear structure. She will produce, but not star, in the film”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_Girl_(novel)
The book thief
The film of the acclaimed novel by Marcus Zusak, that spent 230 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has begun shooting in Germany. Director: Brian Percival (Downton Abbey). Stars Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson as the foster parents of Liesel, the book thief. I thought Rush would have been perfect as Death, the narrator!
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/book-thief-begins-shooting-germany-427216
The secret garden
A new adaptation of the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett is being developed – to be set in southern USA at the turn of the century. Guillermo del Toro will be producer but not director.
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=36405
Doctor Who: 50th anniversary 3D special
Screens in Nov 2013. An extended episode written by Steven Moffatt – Matt Smith describes it as “epic” and “hilarious”! And maybe something to do with paintings. The new series of Doctor Who begins 31 March ABC1 – River Song will appear, there will be more answers about the Doctor’s future & the truth about the identity of his new companion Clara.
Kickstarter and Veronica Mars
Another example of the power of social media: the crowdfunding website Kickstarter has raised enough funds for a film version of the Veronica Mars cult TV series. More than 30 000 fans pledged $2 million in one day (now over $3.8 million), the biggest film campaign ever on Kickstarter – which funds films, dance, comics, art, design, fashion, technology, music…
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/559914737/the-veronica-mars-movie-project
Australian crowdfunding site – some interesting creative projects: http://www.pozible.com/
Or maybe you prefer Brad Pitt and zombies….
Possibly the biggest zombie movie ever. Based on the bestselling novel World War Z: an oral history of the zombie war by Max Brooks (son of Mel). Directed by Marc Forster (The kite runner; Stranger than fiction; Quantum of solace). A United Nations employee traverses the world in a race against time to stop the zombie pandemic that threatens to decimate humanity. Brad plays the UN guy , not a zombie.
http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/world-war-z-biggest-zombie-movie-ever-161702999.html
Fun stuff
You might have seen this short video doing the rounds recently…..iPads vs paper. Long live paper!