Books Tell You Why. All About Collecting Rare Books

Collecting Signed Books with Movie Tie-Ins

By Audrey Golden. Sep 15, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Book Collecting, Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

Books inscribed by their authors are exciting additions to any collection. Yet signed books with movie tie-ins can be particularly interesting when they have connections to award-winning films. If you’re lucky, you might find a signed copy of a novel adapted for the cinema by the original author. And in some cases, you might even find a book that’s signed by one of the actors or actresses who brought characters from works of written fiction to the screen. For example, you might seek out a signed first edition of Charles Portis’s True Grit (1968), which has been adapted into two famous films starring John Wayne and Jeff Bridges, respectively. There are far too many novels with interesting film tie-ins for us to mention in just one article, but we’d like to highlight just a few for you to consider adding to your collection.

D-Day: What to Read in Remembrance of World War II

By Adrienne Rivera. Jun 6, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Movie Tie-Ins, History

On a warm, overcast night turned early morning—after weeks of air raids on German bridges, railways, and other strategic points—Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy. Indeed it took weeks of deception, planning, and careful misdirection to allow Allies to attack an under-prepared German army and regain lost ground. The Invasion of Normandy—almost canceled due to cloudy weather obscuring the full moon glow crucial to the mission's success—was a turning point in World War II, allowing the Allies to push through France and edge the German army out of the country. This year, spend June 6 reading up on events that proceeded and followed this battle or about the people who were forever impacted by the war that enveloped the entire world.

Happy Birthday, Larry McMurtry!

By Katharina Koch. Jun 3, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Pulitzer Prize, Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

June 3 is a great opportunity to celebrate Larry McMurtry and to tell a story about our visit to his hometown of Archer City late last year. Born on this day in 1936, McMurtry is the author of thirty-two novels and just as many screenplays, in addition to a handful of memoirs and essay collections. McMurtry is most known for his novel Lonesome Dove, which won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was adapted into a television series that won seven Emmy Awards. Many of his novels—including The Evening Star, The Last Picture Show, Texasville, Terms of Endearment, and Horseman, Pass By— were adapted into films that won a total of ten Academy Awards. Notably, McMurtry also co-wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain .

The Magic of Artemis Fowl and Eoin Colfer

By Adrienne Rivera. May 14, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Movie Tie-Ins, Science Fiction

Author Eoin Colfer, best known for his Artemis Fowl series, was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1965. His parents instilled in him a love of reading at a young age. He developed an interest in writing in elementary school. Inspired by a history lesson, he began writing adventure stories featuring vikings. Colfer studied education at the University of Dublin and followed in his parents' footsteps to become a school teacher. He spent several years teaching abroad. His first book, Benny and Omar, was inspired by his time in Tunisia and published in 1998.

Three Writers Who Knew What Was So Great About Gatsby

By Adrienne Rivera. Apr 10, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Legendary Authors, Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby gives us one of the most illustrious characters in fiction, Jay Gatsby. Narrated by character Nick Carroway, the novel explores issues of class, decadence, and obsession in the jazz-soaked Roaring Twenties. Since its publication in 1925, The Great Gatsby has sold over twenty-five million copies. It has been adapted into plays, ballets, an opera, a radio show, and seven movies, most notably the 2013 Baz Lurhman film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey MacGuire, and Carey Mulligan. Francis Cugat's iconic blue cover art can be found on t-shirts, mugs, and tote bags. The novel is found on syllabi in high schools and colleges alike and is frequently explored by scholars and academics. The Great Gatsby is considered by many to be the author's greatest contribution to literature, and it is widely believed to be the quintessential Great American Novel.However, when it was first published, The Great Gatsby was a flop.

Practically Magic: The Works of Alice Hoffman

By Adrienne Rivera. Mar 16, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

The genre of magical realism is a favorite for many because it taps into the reality of what it means to be human while also immersing readers in magical elements that capture the imagination. One contemporary master of this well-loved genre is Alice Hoffman.

Hoffman earned a Master of Arts in creative writing at Stanford University. During her time there, she published her first short story, At the Drive-In, in Fiction magazine. The story caught the eye of editor Ted Solotaroff and ultimately led to the publication of her first novel, Property Of, in 1977. Hoffman has been writing prolifically for young and adult readers ever since.

'Great Santini' Author, Pat Conroy, Dies at Age 70

By Leah Dobrinska. Mar 5, 2016. 9:34 AM.

Topics: Legendary Authors, Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

Pat Conroy, best known for his novels The Prince of Tides and The Great Santini, has died. Conroy's books are filled with memorable characters and compelling story-lines. His stormy childhood and strained relationship with numerous family members were often the inspiration for his relatable brand of Southern Literature. In 2009, Conroy was admitted to the South Carolina Hall of Fame.

Five Important Canadian Writers You Should Know

By Adrienne Rivera. Jan 27, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Awarded Books, Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

Canadian writers have made significant contributions to the landscape of North American letters. Without them, we'd have missed out on some of the most beloved characters of the last century, not to mention on important ideas and perspectives. We think rather highly of our literary neighbors to the north, and today, we spotlight five important Canadian writers you should know.

Six Spot-On Predictions About the Future From Isaac Asimov

By Adrienne Rivera. Jan 2, 2016. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Movie Tie-Ins, Science Fiction

The name Isaac Asimov is practically synonymous with science fiction. Throughout the course of his extraordinarily prolific career, the Boston University-based biochemist wrote and edited hundreds of novels and short story collections as well as an innumerable amount of letters. With such a background as his—and his finger on the pulse of so many scientific ideas in his day—it makes sense that Asimov would be a thought-leader. But how close did he come to predicting some of our modern day staples? It's almost unbelievable.

A Reading Guide to Sue Miller

By Adrienne Rivera. Nov 29, 2015. 9:00 AM.

Topics: Literature, Movie Tie-Ins

Finding time to write can be difficult for anyone with a job and other commitments. Add to that the increased responsibilities that come with having children and images come to mind of single-mother J.K. Rowling writing away on dinner napkins on a train to and from work—savoring the few precious hours of alone time after she put her eldest daughter to bed, before she too had to go to sleep. That she managed to turn those stolen hours and ink-filled scraps of paper into the Harry Potter series, arguably seven of the most beloved and influential books in contemporary literature, is no small feat. She was thirty-two years old when her first book was published. For author Sue Miller, it took a little more time.