Amazon under Scrutiny, Bad Sex in Lit Award, The Devil Wears Prada Musical, The Pursuit of Love and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay on TV, Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly and The Toll by Neal Shusterman

Well, here we are on Friday the 13th, the day after my 59th birthday, finally getting a post into place after 10 days. I have been doing more DVD watching and binge-watching on Netflix than ever before, mainly because of Crohn's difficulties and all kinds of craziness with the holidays and family issues. Still, now that I have a whole roster of birthday books to read, I need to get to it and get this post done and reviews up so I can delve into the exciting new TBR stack! 

Oh Amazon...why, with all that money streaming into your coffers do you have to play dirty with workers lives and town livelihoods? 

More Scrutiny About Amazon

While the New York Times ran a front-page story http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680889 this past weekend documenting Amazon's unsettling effects  on the city of Baltimore, Md., the newspaper is not the only news outlet or other organization to put Amazon's practices under increased scrutiny lately.

Early last week, the Atlantic, in conjunction with Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting, reported on the severe performance quotas http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680891 under which Amazon employees and contractors work at its fulfillment centers and warehouses, and found that in 2018 employees were injured at a rate more than twice the industry average.

In a report underwritten by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Economic Roundtable http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680892 said that while Amazon has provided jobs for a "job-hungry labor force" in Southern California, wages for the typical warehouse worker are so low that the company helps "perpetuate the economic struggle in these neighborhoods." The report also discusses the company's carbon footprint as well as the air pollution caused by its trucking operations, which disproportionately affects low-income communities of color.

A coalition of 42 local and national organizations, ranging from labor groups and digital privacy watchdogs to social and environmental justice groups, has come together to form Athena http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680893, an alliance set on organizing opposition to "Amazon's growing, powerful grip over our society and economy."

On the subject of grassroots resistance against Amazon, in another story, the Times discussed http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680894 the growing movement in greater detail, touching on Amazon's decision to abandon its plans for a new headquarters in Long Island City in New York as well as its failed attempt to stack the City Council in Seattle, Wash., with politicians sympathetic to the company.

And finally, the Seattle Times http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680895 ran a round-up of its own, including some comments from an Amazon spokesperson.

Every year I love hearing about authors who write horrible, pathetic or hilarious sex scenes into their novels. I would think that there would be no lack of them, as most of the romance novels I've read have horrible sex scenes in them, complete with heaving bosoms and throbbing manliness. This year marks one in which two authors shared the honor, as the judges couldn't decide which one was worse.

Bad Sex Scenes in Literature Award

Didier Decoin and John Harvey were co-winners of "Britain's most dreaded literary prize," the Bad Sex Award http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42680942 for "the year's most outstandingly awful scene of sexual description in an otherwise good novel." The Guardian reported that Decoin won for passages in The Office of Gardens and Ponds, while Harvey earned the dubious honor for Pax.

"Faced with two unpalatable contenders, we found ourselves unable to choose between them. We believe the British public will recognize our plight," the judges said. The Guardian noted that "in a clear callback to the controversial decision to award two Booker prizes this year, when chair of judges Peter Florence claimed, 'We tried voting, that didn't work... We couldn't separate them,' the Bad Sex judges said they were unable to choose even 'after hours of tortuous debate.... We tried voting, but it didn't work. We tried again. Ultimately, there was no separating the winners.' "

Who can forget Meryl Streep as the thinly disguised Anna Wintour? Or the delicious turn of Stanley Tucci as her ME? ("Gird your loins, people!") I can just imagine this musical, which will be hilarious and ribald and wonderful, if done right.

On Stage: The Devil Wears Prada Musical

Tony winner Beth Leavel (The Drowsy Chaperone, Mamma Mia!) has been cast as Miranda Priestly and Taylor Iman Jones (Head Over Heels) as Andy in The Devil Wears Prada http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42723962 musical, Playbill reported. James Alsop is the choreographer. Based on Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel, the story was previously adapted as a film in 2006 starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway.

The production's opening date has been pushed to July 13, 2021, with plans to run through August 15 at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago. Additional casting and Broadway plans will be announced at a later time.

"We realized that we wanted more time to work on the show," said producer Kevin McCollum. "Our creative team members are in demand around the world with ridiculous schedules. The new dates mean that not only do we get an ideal theater in Chicago (the CIBC Theatre), it also allows our New York landlord to confirm the Broadway venue, which means we have more time to coordinate our physical design, marketing, and sales plans accordingly."

The Devil Wears Prada musical has music by Elton John, lyrics by singer-songwriter Shaina Taub, a book by Paul Rudnick, music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo and direction by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro.

I used to have a real thing for the Mitford clan...they all seemed so bright and talented and nefarious. So I think this new adaptation, especially by Mortimer, should be fantastic.

TV: The Pursuit of Love

Lily James (Downton Abbey, Baby Driver) will star in The Pursuit of Love http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42751106, a BBC One adaptation of Nancy Mitford's classic novel, written and directed by Emily Mortimer. Deadline reported that a three-part series has been ordered from BBC Studios-backed Moonage Pictures and Open Book.

Mortimer is currently writing a reboot of the popular British legal drama Rumpole of the Bailey, based on the book series by her father, John Mortimer. Commissioned by Charlotte Moore, director of BBC Content, and Piers Wenger, controller of BBC Drama, The Pursuit of Love will be produced by Rhonda Smith.

 This was a wonderful book back when I read it 20 years ago. I developed a respect for Chabon as a writer and cultural critic. His wife, however, seemed to me to be insane, and her writing style left me cold. However, I would like to think that this adaptation for Showtime will turn out well, especially if they allow it to migrate to Netflix.

TV: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

The "20-year journey to the screen" of Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz42780963 "may finally be coming to an end," Deadline reported. A limited series adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been set up at Showtime through CBS Television Studios "with a big production commitment."

The project will be written and executive produced by Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, who have signed a multi-year overall deal with CBS TV Studios. Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman are also executive producing the series, which will be produced by Paramount Television, "whose movie studio parent Paramount Pictures owns the rights to the book, and CBS TV Studios in the first collaboration between the new corporate siblings at the merged ViacomCBS," Deadline noted.

Waldman and Chabon have other projects in various stages of development, including A Really Good Day, based on Waldman's book and starring Anna Chlumsky (Veep) for Showtime; Behind You at Hulu, from National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson; and The Heavens, inspired by Sandra Newman's bestselling novel.

"Ayelet and Michael are two of America's pre-eminent writers," said David Stapf, president, CBS Television Studios. "From award-winning novels and non-fiction to their television and film collaborations, they have a remarkable body of work. We're thrilled to have them on our incredibly talented roster."

"The team at CBS Studios is the best we've ever worked with," said Waldman and Chabon. "We're looking forward with so much excitement to this next phase of our collaboration."

This song by a band called Placebo is a real kick in the gut if you know anyone who struggles with alcoholism. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtg8z4uzL0&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1S8tJ_uBLdaXF2nFj4MJDuunhiQBmwV_prAD0ndtNSMCoGfKE4_uU5TFA

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly is a YA reboot of the Cinderella fairytale, told from the perspective of the so called "ugly" stepsisters. The main protagonist, however, is Isabelle, the older stepsister who is what used to be called a "tomboy" and who is, in her heart, a strong warrior woman (and horsewoman). Her sister Tavi is a mathematician and bookworm who loves science and is smarter than 99 percent of her contemporaries, and thus is considered a hard sell in the marriage market. The real evil person in the tale turns out to be their greedy, grasping mother who wants them to marry into the aristocracy so that she will be well taken care of and never have to work. Women are only valuable for how they appear and appeal to men, in other words, and Stepmother dearest is the one who insists that Isabelle cut off her toes and Tavi cut off her heal to try and fit into Ella's glass slipper. Here's the blurb: Don't just fracture the fairy tale. Shatter it.

Isabelle should be blissfully happy - she's about to win the handsome prince. Except Isabelle isn't the beautiful girl who lost the glass slipper and captured the prince's heart. She's the ugly stepsister who's cut off her toes to fit into Cinderella's shoe . . . which is now filling with her blood.
When the prince discovers Isabelle's deception, she's turned away in shame. It's no more than she deserves: she's a plain girl in a world that values beauty; a bold girl in a world that wants her to be pliant.

Isabelle has tried to fit in. She cut away pieces of herself in order to become pretty. Sweet. More like Cinderella. But that only made her mean, jealous, and hollow. Now she has a chance to alter her destiny and prove what ugly stepsisters have always known: it takes more than heartache to break a girl.

Evoking the original version of the Cinderella story, bestselling author Jennifer Donnelly uses her trademark wit and wisdom to send an overlooked character on a journey toward empowerment, redemption . . . and a new definition of beauty. 

This retelling from the women's POV was refreshing and surprising in the best way. The prose was lyrical without being too poetic, and the plot flowed like a waterfall in spring. I couldn't put this book down, and read it all in one day. I've read The Winter Rose, the Tea Rose and The Wild Rose, all by Donnelly, but I wasn't aware of her YA fiction, and her deft touch with YA supernatural creature fiction in general, as it appears she's written a mermaid series and other books for Disney. Now that I know she's written so many more books, I will be on the look out for further copies of her work at the library and used bookstores. Meanwhile, I loved the feminism in this book and the strong message of self acceptance and self love, that we are all imperfect and yet all worthy of admiration and love and happiness. I'd give this stellar YA fairytale reboot an A, and recommend it to every preteen and teenage young woman out there. Adults could certainly give it a read as well.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman is the third and final book in the Arc of a Scythe Series, which began with the groundbreaking YA book Scythe. I loved the fast pace of Scythe, along with the riveting characters and swift plot. The second book, Thunderhead, was even more of a roller coaster ride, which culminated in a huge cliffhanger that had me awaiting this book anxiously, so I could discern the outcome of said cliffhanger. Though this is a long book, Shusterman's brisk prose and racetrack plot make most of the pages fly by, and you will be near the end before you know it. Here's the blurb: In the highly anticipated finale to the New York Times bestselling trilogy, dictators, prophets, and tensions rise. In a world that’s conquered death, will humanity finally be torn asunder by the immortal beings it created?

Citra and Rowan have disappeared. Endura is gone. It seems like nothing stands between Scythe Goddard and absolute dominion over the world scythedom. With the silence of the Thunderhead and the reverberations of the Great Resonance still shaking the earth to its core, the question remains: Is there anyone left who can stop him?

The answer lies in the Tone, the Toll, and the Thunder.

There were a couple of times in this book that I did wish that an editor had gone through and cut out a bunch of dead weight, especially stuff that didn't move the plot forward, and I honestly didn't like the addition of so many new characters because they weren't fleshed out enough, and I felt that they took time away from the characters readers had invested in, like Citra and Rowan, from the first two books. I do like that the bad guy is vanquished, but the very end of the book comes with not a bang but a whimper. It was somewhat anticlimactic after all the build up, and the "solution" to a world without Scythes seemed passive-aggressive and brutal, as it negated much of the good things about the society posited in the first book. Though I liked that there was a genderfluid character, too much time was spent on explaining when they were a man or a woman, and it got redundant after awhile (and therefore boring). Still, I enjoyed most of the book, and I'd give it a solid B, and recommend it to those who have patience and are able to read through some of the extraneous stuff to get to the ending.If you don't have the patience, but loved the first two books, just read the last 3 chapters of this book and you will be fine.

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