The 10th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards
The only major book awards decided by readers – 5 million votes in 21 categories. Best fiction: Still me – Jojo Moyes; Best mystery and thriller: The outsider – Stephen King; Best science fiction: Vengeful – V.E. Schwab; Best fantasy: Circe – Madeline Miller; Best historical fiction: The great alone – Kristin Hannah…
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2018
Author interviews on ABC One plus one
Always an interesting program. Tune in after xmas for a week of author interviews from throughout 2018 with Jane Hutcheon……or check the archive. Includes Morris Gleitzman, Clementine Ford, Marcus Zusak, Liane Moriarty, Jeff Kinney, Michael Robotham, Tim Winton
https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/one-plus-one/
https://www.abc.net.au/news/programs/one-plus-one/archive/
The dry – Jane Harper
Winner of the 2017 ABIA Book of the Year; 2017 Indie Awards Book of the Year; 2017 Gold Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year and many more. Federal Agent Falk returns to his old hometown to uncover the truth about the death of his childhood friend and face the demons of his past. I have just started reading this and I’m hooked!
‘Something mythic and valiant … a quintessential Australian story beautifully told’ (SMH)
http://janeharper.com.au/Books/The-Dry
Film version The dry
Eric Bana will star as Aaron Falk in the film version, to be directed by Robert Connolly. Filming begins February.
Harpers other books: Force of nature (2017) – Agent Falk returns to investigate a missing bushwalker at a corporate retreat.
The lost man (2018) – What really happened to the third brother in the isolation of the outback?
‘The Lost Man is Jane Harper’s third consecutive marvel…and her most marvellous yet…. What an extraordinary novel: part family drama, part indelible ode to the Outback – a thriller as forceful and atmospheric as a brewing storm. Harper works miracles. We’re lucky to witness them.’ (A.J. Finn)
La belle sauvage (The book of dust part 1) – Philip Pullman
I have just finished this prequel to the Northern Lights series and loved it! Pullman’s concept of human souls manifested as animal daemons is unique and special. I want one! There will now be 2 series made, with HBO now co-producing with the BBC series; series 1 will air in 2019. Stars Dafne Keen as Lyra, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel and Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby; directed by Tom Hooper. Northern Lights won the Carnegie Medal and later named as the finest Carnegie winner of them all. It’s an awesome series that deals with many philosophical issues. Can’t wait for The testaments, the sequel to the novel The handmaid’s tale by Margaret Atwood – due Sept 2019 (series 3 of the excellent TV series due 2019).
https://www.cnet.com/news/his-dark-materials-fantasy-tv-series-release-date-cast-plot-bbc-hbo/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6168651/His-Dark-Materials-TV-series-LOOK.html
https://www.theverge.com/2018/11/28/18116012/handmaids-tale-sequel-margaret-atwood-the-testaments
Mortal engines film
In a dystopian future, remnants of humanity form mobile predator cities, where larger cities hunt and absorb smaller settlements. Based on the popular book series by Phillip Reeve, the film has received mixed reviews, but the author states: ‘Christian Rivers has done a fantastic job – a huge, visually awesome action movie with perfect pace and a genuine emotional core…There are many changes to the characters, world, and story, but it’s still fundamentally the same thing.’
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571234/
Mary Queen of Scots and The favourite
Stars Margot Robbie as Elizabeth I and Saoirse Ronan as Mary; directed by Josie Rourke. Explores the battle for power between the 2 women.
‘A darkly compelling, if factually questionable, retelling’ (The Guardian). The film The favourite, starring Emma Stone and Olivia Colman, also looks excellent – an historical comedy-drama about 2 cousins jockeying to be the court favourites of Queen Anne in the early 1700s.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/16/mary-queen-of-scots-review-saoirse-ronan-josie-rourke
https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/mary-queen-of-scots-review-saoirse-ronan-margot-robbie-1202021017/
https://www.wmagazine.com/story/the-favourite-movie-emma-stone-yorgos-lanthimos
Top Google searches 2018
Australian and global. Most searched person: Barnaby Joyce; What is?…bitcoin; How to…opt out of My Health Record…..
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-14/google-top-searches-for-2018/10616794