Movies The Lost Daughter and David Copperfield, The Flight Attendant on TV, RAILS Hilarious Promo video, Italian Book Fair Postponed Due to Coronavirus, The Words I Never Wrote by Jane Thynne, Cartier's Hope by MJ Rose, In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

I'm excited that so many movies and TV shows are coming out that are inspired by great books. These look fascinating, with the exception of the adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel into a film with no Italians in the lead roles (the book is about Italians in the 50s and 60s). Also, a former Doctor from Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, will be in David Copperfield.

Movies: The Lost Daughter, The Personal History of David Copperfield

(Note: Though this is a book about Italians, there are no Italian actors in the film at all, which is a shame and an embarrassment).

Oscar-winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl), Dakota Johnson (Bad Times at the El Royale) and Peter Sarsgaard (Jackie) will star in The Lost Daughter http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43343947, based on the novel by Elena Ferrante, Deadline reported. Maggie Gyllenhaal adapted the book and is making her directorial debut with the project.

"When I finished reading Elena Ferrante's The Lost Daughter, I felt that something secret and true had been said out loud," Gyllenhall observed. "And I was both disturbed and comforted by that. I immediately thought how much more intense the experience would be in a movie theatre, with other people around. And I set to work on this adaptation. I find that the script has attracted other people interested in exploring these secret truths about motherhood, sexuality, femininity, desire. And I'm thrilled to continue my collaboration with such brave and exciting actors and filmmakers."

Searchlight Pictures has released a new trailer for The Personal History of David Copperfield http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43343948, Armando Iannucci's reimagining of the classic novel by Charles Dickens, starring Dev Patel, he reported that in the screenplay he co-wrote with Simon Blackwell, Iannucci "puts a quirky spin on the kind of satire he developed in blistering, politically charged series The Thick of It and Veep, and films such as In the Loop and The Death of Stalin. In Iannucci country, no one is left unscathed and everyone--wokeness and politically correct allegiance be damned--is a potential comic slaughter."

The Personal History of David Copperfield has already garnered "a slew of awards since its world premiere," IndieWire noted, with five British Independent Film Awards, including best supporting actor for Hugh Laurie. The cast also features Darren Boyd, Peter Capaldi, Tilda Swinton and Benedict Wong. The film will be released in the U.S. May 8.

I love Bebe Neuwirth, she's an amazing actress and singer.

TV: The Flight Attendant

Emmy and Tony winner Bebe Neuwirth will have a recurring role opposite Zosia Mamet in HBO Max's thriller drama series The Flight Attendant http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43427344, starring and executive produced by Kaley Cuoco, Deadline reported. The project is based on the novel by Chris Bohjalian. The cast also includes Sonoya Mizuno, Michiel Huisman, Rosie Perez, Colin Woodell, T.R. Knight, Griffin Matthews, Merle Dandridge and Nolan Funk. Susanna Fogel will direct and executive produces the first two episodes. Other exec producers include Greg Berlanti, Cuoco, Sarah Schechter, Steve Yockey, Meredith Lavender and Marcie Ulin.

 This links to a great little video about the importance of Libraries that had me laughing and also appreciating what my library has to offer even more!

RAILS With Actor Nick Offerman

http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43400838 (Parks and Recreation) filmed a  promotional video for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS). Appearing as the Wizard of the World Wide Web, he convenes an emergency meeting of the "elders of the Internet."

"Libraries have real people," the wizard explains to his cynical digital crew. "They get to know you and offer reading recommendations more personalized than any algorithm. They can even tell the difference between real and fake news.... Libraries have all the information that anyone could ever need, plus real spaces, fun educational programs, meet-up groups... you can even get a flu shot at the library."

The New York Public Library, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, recently released its "Top 10 Checkouts of All Time http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43400841."

On a more serious note, British library advocate and BBC Two's University Challenge star Bobby Seagull was part of a group that presented a 10-point Manifesto for Libraries http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43400842 at the House of Lords in 2019, pushing the case for long-term funding for libraries. Last week, he wrote in the Big Issue: "Libraries are more than just books http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43400843, they represent what it means to be truly human. They contain the minds of our ancestors as well as the latest thinking of contemporary minds.

We need our libraries, as they are shining beacons of knowledge, sharing and inclusive communities.... The best way to show your support for libraries is to use them."

 This new virus is in the news, as it's expected to spread to up to 50 percent of the population within a year. Even though the mortality rate is somewhat low, even 2 percent of that group means thousands of people will die, especially those, like myself, with immune system deficiencies. Little children and older adults are also at risk.

Bologna Book Fair Postponed Because of Coronavirus

Because of the spread of the coronavirus to Italy, the Bologna Book Fair http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43427294 is being postponed to May 4-7 from March 30-April 2. Organizers said today on the fair website http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43427294: "We hereby inform all Exhibitors and Visitors that due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus emergency Bologna Children's Book Fair has been rescheduled for Monday 4-Thursday 7 May 2020. We will be releasing further organisational details in a few hours."

Italy has reported more than 150 cases http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43427295 of the coronavirus, many of which are in Codogno, about 100 miles from Bologna and 40 miles from Milan, the New York Times said today. The Italian government has instituted a series of town lockdowns, school closings, and event cancellations in the Milan and Venice areas.

The Bookseller noted that the coronavirus has also led to the postponement of the Taipei Book Exhibition, which was to have been held February 4-9 but is now scheduled for May 7-12 http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43427297.

The London Book Fair, which starts in two weeks, is going ahead as planned, and Reed Exhibitions is "monitoring the situation very closely." The Bookseller wrote that U.K. publishers and agents have said that attendees from China, South Korea and Singapore "had pulled out ."

The coronavirus is also directly affecting the U.S. book industry http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz43427299, which prints many books, particularly children's books and art and design titles, in China. Although it's difficult to gauge its extent so far, a range of city and workplace closings and transportation shutdowns is having some effect on book printing.

The Words I Never Wrote by Jane Thynne (I wonder if she is related to Bones TV star TJ Thyne?) is a well written historical romance that takes place during WWII. It recounts the tale of two sisters, Irene and Cordelia, on opposite sides of the conflict, and how these two spoiled and beautiful young women become stronger and more mature through the strife they must endure. Here's the blurb: A chance discovery inside a vintage typewriter case reveals the gripping story of two sisters on opposite sides of World War II in this captivating novel for readers of Lilac Girls and The Women in the Castle. New York, present day: On a whim, Juno Lambert buys a 1931 Underwood typewriter that once belonged to celebrated journalist Cordelia Capel. Within its case she discovers an unfinished novel, igniting a transatlantic journey to fill the gaps in the story of Cordelia and her sister and the secret that lies between them.

Europe, 1936: Cordelia’s socialite sister Irene marries a German industrialist who whisks her away to Berlin. Cordelia, feistier and more intellectual than Irene, gets a job at a newspaper in Paris, pursuing the journalism career she cherishes. As politics begin to boil in Europe, the sisters exchange letters and Cordelia discovers that Irene’s husband is a Nazi sympathizer. With increasing desperation, Cordelia writes to her beloved sister, but as life in Nazi Germany darkens, Irene no longer dares admit what her existence is truly like. Knowing that their letters cannot tell the whole story, Cordelia decides to fill in the blanks by sitting down with her Underwood and writing the truth.
When Juno reads the unfinished novel, she resolves to uncover the secret that continued to divide the sisters amid the turmoil of love, espionage, and war. In this vivid portrait of Nazi Berlin, from its high society to its devastating fall, Jane Thynne examines the truths we sometimes dare not tell ourselves. 

Thynne's prose is rich and full, and her plot never flags, though there were times when I felt she let her love of description get the better of her for a few pages. Still, the author keeps the tension of secrets and "what happened next" going throughout the book, and while I couldn't really stand Irene's naivete (she really just allowed herself to imagine that there would be no repercussions for all the cruelty, hatred and death heaped on the Jewish people (and others) by the Nazis, and that her creep of a husband and his sucking up to the Nazi elite was politics that she could remain clean of!) and her willingly blind attitude that made her almost too stupid to live, I felt her story came full circle. By the same token, Cordelia was also fairly stupid, and she forgives her sister far too early and easily for her crimes. But at least Cordelia has a career in journalism and raises her sister's child and lives a worthwhile life. I didn't particularly like Juno's modern-day story that was really only a conceit to get to Irene and Cordelia's story a bit at a time. Juno seemed almost more of a ghost than the characters of the past. But it was good to read about how Germany has recovered in the past 70s years. All in all, an engrossing read. I'd give it a B+, and recommend it to anyone who likes historical romance/thrillers with lots of historical detail.

Cartier's Hope by MJ Rose is a literal joy of a historical romance, full of mystery and intrigue and superstition about the legendary Hope diamond. Like all of Rose's novels, it's sumptuous and lush prose keeps the engaging plot moving along at top speed. Here's the blurb: From M.J. Rose, New York Times bestselling author of Tiffany Blues, comes a gorgeously wrought novel of ambition and betrayal set in the Gilded Age.

New York, 1910: A city of extravagant balls in Fifth Avenue mansions and poor immigrants crammed into crumbling Lower East Side tenements. A city where the suffrage movement is growing stronger every day, but most women reporters are still delegated to the fashion and lifestyle pages. But Vera Garland is set on making her mark in a man’s world of serious journalism.
Shortly after the world-famous Hope Diamond is acquired for a record sum, Vera begins investigating rumors about schemes by its new owner, jeweler Pierre Cartier, to manipulate its value. Vera is determined to find the truth behind the notorious diamond and its legendary curses—even better when the expose puts her in the same orbit as a magazine publisher whose blackmailing schemes led to the death of her beloved father.

Appealing to a young Russian jeweler for help, Vera is unprepared when she begins falling in love with him…and even more unprepared when she gets caught up in his deceptions and finds herself at risk of losing all she has worked so hard to achieve.
Set against the backdrop of New York’s glitter and grit, of ruthless men and the atrocities they commit in the pursuit of power, this enthralling historical novel explores our very human needs for love, retribution—and to pursue one’s destiny, regardless of the cost.

I'm very partial to the way Rose describes everything in such a way that you feel like you're there with the characters, experiencing every taste, sight, sound and smell of the era. You can see the glistening jewels and hear the music and dancing, and feel the frustrations of the women journalists trying to catch a break from their sexist bosses. Her story arcs are so engrossing you will start reading in the morning and be surprised when you look up and realize you've read the book through and it's late afternoon/evening already. I also appreciated the view of the haves vs the have nots from this era, and the struggle of women from every class to be taken seriously in their career pursuits. I'd give this enchanting novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who has wondered about the mystery and history of the Hope Diamond.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming was a terrible mystery novel, the first in a series about a female Episcopal priest Clare Fergusson and the local Police Chief (COP) Russ Van Alstyne who solve mysteries together as they flirt and drool over one another, (though the sheriff is supposedly happily married). There are not enough words to detail how much I despised this book, but I will try.  In a small East Coast town full of racist, snobbish homophobic hypocrites and wealthy scumbags, the only two people who are supposed to uphold the moral and legal values of the community turn out to be just as fascist as the townspeople! The protestant priest who is really a damsel in distress and has to be rescued from her stupid mistakes multiple times (but the sheriff finds this sexy and endearing, of course, because we all know women are too stupid to dress warmly for winter) and the big thuggish he-man COP Russ,who whines that his wife doesn't understand him (she's too busy getting a home business off the ground making home decor and sewing curtains and becoming too smart and independent to follow old Russ around like a lap dog and do his bidding, as a good wife should) tries to solve the mystery of who killed an unwed teenage mother and her vile sleazebag pedophile father after a baby is left at the door of the priest's church. Here's the blurb:

It's a cold, snowy December in the upstate New York town of Millers Kill, and newly ordained Clare Fergusson is on thin ice as the first female priest of its small Episcopal church. The ancient regime running the parish covertly demands that she prove herself as a leader. However, her blunt manner, honed by years as an army pilot, is meeting with a chilly reception from some members of her congregation and Chief of Police Russ Van Alystyne, in particular, doesn't know what to make of her, or how to address "a lady priest" for that matter.
The last thing she needs is trouble, but that is exactly what she finds. When a newborn baby is abandoned on the church stairs and a young mother is brutally murdered, Clare has to pick her way through the secrets and silence that shadow that town like the ever-present Adirondack mountains. As the days dwindle down and the attraction between the avowed priest and the married police chief grows, Clare will need all her faith, tenacity, and courage to stand fast against a killer's icy heart.

I felt like I was reading a book written for the racist/sexist/homophobic "christian" Republicans of the Trump era here in the US, though I know this book was written 8 years ago, so it's nearly 10 years out of date. Everyone in the book seems to believe that rich white "christian" people are better and morally superior to the poor, even Clare the priest, who you have to believe has read the bible, and must realize that Jesus was not in favor of the rich, but was into the poor and indigent population big time. But Clare sneers at the lower living standards of the poor "trashy" people in town, and judges them just as much as the snobby rich people do. She even spends an inordinate amount of time and energy practically forcing her congregation to circumvent the legal process for adoption by having them mount a phone call and letter writing campaign on behalf of two wealthy, nasty lawyers who are part of her congregation, and who will stop at nothing to get a nice white baby to raise, even going so far as to try and buy one or blackmail someone to get the baby. The male lawyer is despised throughout town for being mean and cruel and abusive when he doesn't get what he wants, and his wife is described as cold and cruel and calculating (of course, she's a career woman so how could she be anything but? Real women are the ones who stay perfectly thin for their husbands, and stay at home and are subservient...pardon me while I vomit and roll my eyes in disgust), so of course these are the perfect duo to adopt a baby! I can't think of any worse parental prospects, and yet even unto the end, Clare fights for them to gain custody of the baby. And when this poor wee mite is thrown off a bridge by his grandfather into well below freezing water, Clare jumps in after him, pulls him out after he's drowned (and has hypothermia...he's only a week or two old!) and gets him breathing quickly and suddenly this most resilient of babies is just fine, though Clare herself needs medical care after being rescued yet again by COP Russ. The prose is cheap, the characters awful, the plot thin and watery. I'd give this book a D for disgusting, and I honestly can't recommend it to anyone because it's just not worth it to fill anyone's head with stereotypes and prejudice and hypocrisy.