Quentin Tarantino: the true master of revenge.

Last night I watched Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained. It was AWESOME! Everyone should go see this movie* it's incredible. In the mean time we have some of Quentin's other masterpieces in the library so be sure to check these out too!

Reservoir Dogs   Four perfect killers. They were perfect strangers, assembled to pull off the perfect crime. Then their simple robbery explodes into a bloody ambush, and the ruthless killers realize one of them is a police informer. But which one?

Pulp Fiction Low-rent hit men, their boss's sexy and wilful wife, a desperate prize fighter and the most outrageous pair of armed robbers to ever pack a rod in a wild mixture of explosive action and wickedly funny humour.

Kill Bill Volume 1 Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, the bride emerges from a coma and decides its time for payback - with a vengeance. Having been gunned down by her former boss and his deadly squad of international assassins, it's a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn't start, but is determined to finish.

Death Proof  A deranged stuntman stalks his victims from the safety of his killer car, but when he picks on the wrong group of babes, all bets are off. He becomes involved in an automotive duel of epic proportions.

Iconic 90's Movies

It’s iconic 90’s movie week so get yourself some out of date tangy fruits on trade me, sit back and enjoy their high waist pants.

Beauty and the Beast 1991
Tale as old as time, true as it can be. I this is easily my favorite Disney movie and one of my favorite love stories. Beautiful young Belle (who is a hot nerd) agrees to be imprisoned in a castle with the Beast to save her father’s life (because she’s kick-ass and brave). But it’s okay because then the Beast gives her his library and if that’s not true love, I don’t know what is. This movie is magical. I recommend you get the sing-a-long version.

Forrest Gump 1994
Life is like a box of chocolates you never know what you’re going to get. Unless you’re about to watch Forrest Gump because then you know it’s going to be great. So run Forest run down to the library to get yourself a copy!

Sister Act 1992 Sister act 2 1993
Sister Act and Sister Act 2 –Back in the Habit are two of my favorite movies in the world. I’m not joking. I have both of the soundtracks on my Ipod. When you have a cast that includes Whoopi Goldberg, Maggie Smith and Lauryn Hill singing rock and roll infused Gospel songs; it’s amazing that this isn’t everyone’s favorite movie. Seriously just watch them.

Jurassic Park 1993
I straight up love dinosaurs but in 1993 this movie scared the crap out of me! I still check the kitchen for raptors now and again. Treat your self to a Jurassic Park Marathon and watch all 3 of them.

Pulp Fiction 1994
We are just spoiled for choice when it comes to great movies in the 90’s. Not only did Quentin Tarantino give us this masterpiece but we also got Reservoir Dogs in 1992. I will say that Pulp Fiction is slightly better because Reservoir Dogs doesn’t have that epic dance scene.

Honorable mentions include: Dances with Wolves, Spice World, Empire Records, That thing you do, Schindler's List, Edward Scissorhands, Braveheart, American History X, The Lion King, Fight Club, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Goodfellas, Saving Private Ryan, Silence of the Lambs

It's a mag, mag, world

I love magazines. There is something about their shiny covers and flickable pages that makes them so satisfying to read.

Books, of course, will always be my first love but magazines come a close second. It's a love affair that goes a long way back.

The first magazine I can remember reading was Bunty. It was the most perfect magazine for a seven year old reading fanatic such as myself, filled as it was with stories about boarding schools and girl detectives. I so wanted to be like the girls in the stories I read. To share in their adventures, to solve crimes and to have midnight feasts while trying not to be caught by the headmistress. It all sounded so wonderful.

As I got older other magazines came and went. There was My Guy and Oh Boy and Tiger Beat but the best of them all was Jackie, it was the ultimate teen girl mag and throughout my teens I followed this magazine with a dedication that only a teenage girl can have as each week I eagerly waited for the latest issue to arrive only to devour its contents within a few hours.

Now days my reading taste has changed a little but when a shiny new magazine hits my hands I still get that same thrill. They are to me, glossy, bite size pieces of joy.

So here's to magazines. Long may they live and continue.

SciFiNow : the premier sci-fi fantasy horror & cult TV magazine

It probably comes as no surprise that I include this title as one of my favourites. After all the latest issue has Dean and Sam, the boys from Supernatural on its cover (sign...) which is reason enough to read it.

It is though a bloody good magazine, filled with articles about all the latest in the world of sci-fi, from Supernatural to Promenthus to interviews with writers such as George R. R. Martin.

Now go away while I study this magazine with the intensity it deserves.

Writing magazine
A recent discovery for me and one that I am enjoying immensely.

If you're into writing and books and reading then I recommend that you read this as it will open you to all kinds of aspects of the written world from how to write a good crime novel to publishing your own e-book to where authors get their ideas from.

It's fascinating stuff.

Good reading : the magazine for book lovers

Another magazine aimed at those who love everything about books and reading. Being an Australian publication it has a slightly more local flavour and is filled with lots of reviews of upcoming books.

If you're anything like me, you'll come away with an ever increasing list of books that you'll want to read.

Empire

Empire has been around awhile, since 1989 in fact. That it's survived when so many other magazines have fallen under the blade is probably a testament to how good it is.

Like Sci-Fi Now this is a mag that I look forward to and read from cover to cover. No skimming articles here, instead I work my way through each and every little tidbit, often with a pen by my side so that I can take note of any movie that I decide that I just have to see. As you can imagine this list, like my book list, can get pretty long, actually make that really long...

Who do you think you are? magazine.

As you probably know from my last post I've been doing my family tree for some time now and like all family treers (okay so it's not a real word) I need all the help I can get in how to find that elusive and sneaky relative who refuses to be found.

Family history has become big business in the last few years and Who Do You Think You Are has been partially responsible for the sudden interest in finding one's ancestors.

Tying in with the show is the magazine which contains much more than what is shown on screen. There are Q & A sections, book reviews, hints and tips on where to go next; the amount of detail that is covered is endless.

BBC Good Food.

Now, though I'm not much of a cook I am a bit of foodie. In fact I love food; the smells, the colours, the taste, it's tantalising stuff.

I love looking through foodie books and magazines too. Everything always looks so perfect, so eatable, that it makes me wish that I could cook just so I could try some of the amazing recipes that are featured.

My favourite foodie magazine is this one, with its brightly filled pages and meals that make my mouth water. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

5 film guides to make me feel deficient as a moviegoer...in the best way possible

"There are only three ages for women in Hollywood - Babe, District Attorney, and Driving Miss Daisy."
- Goldie Hawn

Title:A horrible experience of unbearable length : more movies that suck
Author: Roger Ebert
Year: c2012
Summary: Ebert's I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie and Your Movie Sucks, which gathered some of his most scathing reviews, were bestsellers. This new collection continues the tradition, reviewing not only movies that were at the bottom of the barrel, but also movies that he found underneath the barrel.

I am kinda bad at choosing movies. Well, no, I'm *really* bad at choosing movies to watch. This is no secret. While it's not something I would say I wear as a point of pride, it isn't something I'm embarrassed about. I figure there are worse things that could populate that particular list. When we have a bad movie night my nephews cringe AND rejoice when it's my turn to pick something. I could, I suppose, get huffy about it and be all hurt. But there's no fun in that. How can I torture my nephews with terrible-to-them films that are wonderful-to-me? THIS IS HOW! I feel like I need to increase the likelihood of my finding stuff that only I will like, which is where these film guides come in handy. Ordinarily, these things brass me off. They all feature films that are deep and meaningful and full of great dialogue and Oscar nominated films. You know the kind of thing I mean: worthy :/ Guides like that make me feel like I'm lacking and yes, I know, that says more about ME than it does about the BOOK *blows raspberry* I was playing in the catalogue looking for something-or-other and came across Ebert's book A horrible experience of unbearable length : more movies that suck, which sounded like MY KIND OF THING *places request* It also made me wonder what else we had sitting undiscovered in our libraries that offered something a bit different, something alone the lines of what I'm after - a little bit of quirk factor, a dash of off-kilter, and a sprinkling of what-the-heck. And came up with THIS: 5 film guides to make me feel deficient as a moviegoer...in the best way possible. My nephews won't know what hit them. Roll on bad/strange/mad/crazy movie nights!

Chillin' out under the stars with free movies

I'm excited about free movies in parks over the coming months, all over the Auckland region.

How cool to be able to head outdoors, with friends & a picnic, to sit back, relax and be entertained under the stars. Wicked.

There's a wide range of movies, including Kiwi flicks Sione's Wedding, Love Birds and Boy.

Check out the movie listings and locations online, and look for event updates on Facebook, or follow @moviesinparks on Twitter.

There's also the music in parks series of events happening too. Follow @musicinparks onTwitter for regular updates.

See you there!

Weeping Waters

Did you see the awesome film last night on Tangiwai? Despite the fact that I had very heavy eyes (will let you know the reason why for that later in the week), I stayed riveted through the whole thing, and may even have shed a tear at the end. This wasn't guy gets girl and everyone lives happily ever after stuff. This was New Zealand history, our people, our country, our pain and our triumph.




The tale told last night is recounted in book form in What are you doing out here : heroism and distress at a cricket test / Norman Harris ; with a foreword by Bob Blair.

If you want to know more about Tangiwai check out the Libraries holdings under this subject headings link.

It's Oscar Day!

Today we take the opportunity to escape into a bit of glitz and glamour as the Film Industry celebrate their achievements at their annual Academy Awards Ceremony. We can admire (or wonder) at the garmets worn down the red carpet, cheer for our favourites (I am sooo hoping that Colin Firth and The King's Speech feature) and yawn our way through the acceptance speeches.

Although many of the movies featured in the awards today haven't made it to DVD yet, once they do they will join the growing and eclectic collection available at (or by request through) your local library. From rock music (or classical) to classic movies, from children's to documentaries and all the way to the latest releases. There really is something for everyone with 17,534 DVD's (as of today) to choose from. You can find the full list at this catalogue link (and from there start narrowing things down so it is easier to choose).

As well as the autobiographies you can find under Call No. 920 on our non-fiction shelves, we also have a range of books about the film industry. You can delve into subjects from how to make movies, to movies that you shouldn't miss on our non-fiction shelves around Call No. 791.

Also watch out for the new Express Select (or Best Seller) DVD collection which will be coming soon to a library near you. More details to follow.

God Save the King

Once again a trip to the movies has both utterly enthralled me, and proved how lacking my knowledge is. First, I was absolutely blown away by The King's Speech over the long weekend (despite reservations that all the hype and build up may have left me disappointed). I'm not sure if you were supposed to, but I shed a tear watching Colin Firth as King George VI, struggle to complete a full sentence in the face of bullying, ridicule and some rather silly supposed remedies. The script was tight with some fantastic one-liners delivered with aplomb and superb timing by the cast including Helen Bonham-Carter and Geoffrey Rush. Enough superlatives - but if you miss it at the movies, make sure you catch it when it is released on DVD. Or you can request the book of the movie The King's Speech: how one man saved the British Monarchy / Mark Logue and Peter Conradi which is based on the recently discovered diaries and notes of Lione Logue (but you may have to wait as there is a bit of a list at the moment).

However, secondly, it revealed that although I already knew some of the story (George V dies, Edward abdicates for Mrs Simpson, the new Queen Elizabeth never forgives her and Bertie has a stammer which he overcomes), there were facts in the story I had no idea of. For instance (and most glaringly) I had never given much thought to the rest of the family and was surprised to learn through the film that there was at least one younger brother (John who suffered from epilepsy and died at a young age). On further investigation I found that he in fact came from a family of six children. After Edward and himself, came Mary, Henry, George and John. I also learnt that he was naturally left handed and had to suffer nasty nannies and metal splints to cure knock knees.

To find out more about King George VI check out this keyword search link to our classic catalogue. Our Digital Library history resources would make another good starting point.

The Millenium Trilogy

I had a couple of days off last week and have used it to good effect. I finally got my hands on Book 3 of Steig Larsson's Millenium Trilogy "The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest" to complete the cliff-hanger from the end of Book 2.

I was not disappointed. The twists and turns of the story continued, although in many ways this was much more psychological drama than action fiction. All the main players were there Blomkvist, Salander and Berger. They are joined by new characters and intrigue as the story lead's up to Lisbeth's trial. I'm not going to say much more, because I run the risk of giving away the story to those of you out there who have not yet discovered this fantastic series.

The end of this book came on page 599 and although it left me satisfied, there was also the strange feeling of unanswered questions and that there should have been more. I am particularly interested in how Lisbeth's sister fits into the picture. So I did some digging.

When Steig Larsson decided to start writing this series, he plotted out 10 books. When he passed away he had the unfinished manuscript for Book 4 on his laptop. Unfortunately a battle has erupted between his life partner and his family and this is affecting the possible completion and publication of any further adventures for Lisbeth and Mikhail in the near future.

On another note, the movie of the second book is being released in theatres later this month. If you would like to get a sneak preview the Village Bookshop at Matakana is hosting a charity event on Sunday 18th July of The Girl who Played with Fire to support Adults in Motion. If you are interested contact the Bookshop on 09 4230315.

Here come the movies

Here are few upcoming movies and events based on books that you can find at yoru Rodney Library.

The Girl who Played with Fire (Steig Larsson) is available in Rodney in both print and audio. The movie comes out soon and there is a Charity preview event at Matakana on Sunday 18th July at 7.45pm. Tickets are $20.00with proceeds going to AIM – Adults in Motion (Snells Beach). Tickets for sale at The Village Bookshop ph 09 4230315.

Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer). The vampires and the werewolves return in Part 3 of the Twilight saga. There are plenty of people taking advantage of this as a fundraising opportunity as well if you want to check it out and do someone a good deed at the same time. I know of the Mahurangi College Netballers in the north who have screenings on Sunday evening 4th July. Tickets from the Sandra, Sports Coordinator phone 027 479 0900 .

And of course, if you don't want to go to the movie theatre, Rodney Libraries has a growing number of movies, documentaries and TV programmes on DVD that you can choose from. There is some wonderful nostalgia to be had with the classic British comedies, some foreign langauge movies and most of the up to date releases.

Don't forget to pick up your programme for the Auckland Film Festival at the library as well when you visit.

Book to screen

I think I have seen more movies in the last six months, than I have in the last six years. It's something that I always meant to do (because I love going out to the theatres), but just never seemed to get around to. However lately I have been making time.

The latest two "books to movies" that I have seen are Under the Mountain (by Maurice Gee, a book which I have read) and The Time Traveller's Wife (by Audrey Niffenegger, which I have not read).

After seeing some trailers and hearing all about the behind the scenes of Under the Mountain I was expecting big things when I went to see it last week. Maybe just a little too much as, although I really enjoyed it, somehow I wanted to like it more. The imaging and special effects were wonderful and acting generally superb, especially Oliver Driver as Mr Wilberforce who was astonishingly menacing. The adaptation (it does differ from the book) had the author's approval and was still recognisable, following the same basic plotline. It was a good night out at the movies and will always be a classic Kiwi tale.

If you go to see The Time Traveller's Wife be prepared for the action to jump around a little and be on your toes for when the past warps into the present and, once or twice, the future comes crashing into play. Eric Bana plays a Librarian (although Lisa and I did wonder how he managed to keep his job with all his time travelling - obviously no time sheets to fill out) who time travels at sometimes quite inappropriate moments. However, he still manages to find romance and happiness, although his wife has to put up with his regular absences. The tale is at times happy, sad and poignant. Lisa (who has read the book) said that it runs with the story. We both thought it was well worth the night out, and I am interested to read the book now that I have seen the movie (which is not always the case).

Last night The Lovely Bones premiered in New Zealand and so that, along with Where the Wild Things are (both of which I have read) are next on the viewing list.

The trauma of adapting a book to the big screen

As a bookworm and a filmbuff, as well as a librarian trying to keep up to date with what's happening in the literary world, it's hard to ignore the furore currently being carried on in the media about the screen adaptation of award winning novel The Vintner's Luck by Kiwi Elizabeth Knox. In the interests of keeping our blog readers informed (and on the basis that part of the reason for this blog is to keep Rodney Libraries users up to date with current issues), here are some links for you to read about it.

Author Elizabeth Knox is upset that the movie adaptation has changed the emphasis of the novel away from what she created. Read the Dominion Post article where she revealed that she cried after seeing the movie and how much it departed from her book.

The movie itself has received mixed reviews, including some reasonably strong critical panning. This is itself, would not prevent me from going to see the movie. In fact, I have often found that movies that have received the harshest reviews, are those that I enjoy the most - just call me a film heathen. Examples of reviews include one from the Dominion Post, this one from The National Business Review and this from the TV3 website. This will give you an example of how varied opinions are, which is really just an indication that everyone is different - which is a good thing, isn't it?

The Vintner's Luck (and the sequel Angel's Cut) are extremely popular titles at Rodney Libraries and it can be difficult to find them on the shelf. I have to be honest and say that The Vintner's Luck isn't my favourite book (I much prefer Elizabeth's Dreamhunter series), but it was still a good enough read. The key to much of the discussion, is in most cases books have to be adapted to the movie screen. The best a film can often do is keep to the spirit of the book. If this movie does move away from the main story of the book as much as reported, perhaps it should have been described as being "based on the book by..." and there wouldn't have been so much debate.

However, I wouldn't let the reviews or the deviation from the book put you often going to see the movie, or the purported deviation in the movie put you off reading the book. As for myself, I probably will go to see the movie, simply because I want to draw my own conclusions.

Charity Movie screening

Hot on the heels of all the other books to movies recently reviewed comes THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO - THE MOVIE. Here's how to be one of the first to see it.

The Village Bookshop at Matakana have arranging a Charity Screening on Sunday 6 December @ 6.00pm in the Tivoli Theatre, Matakana Cinemas. The ticket price is $20 and a percentage of ticket will be donated to Warkworth Christian Food Link.

Ticket holders are also invited to the Village Bookshop, Matakana to celebrate the festive season from 4.00-6.00pm on 6 December in the leadup to the movie. There will be bubbles & refreshments, plus all who are shopping at this time will receive a discount of 10% on their purchases. You can get your tickets from the Village Bookshop or Matakana Cinemas.

Both your bloggers (rodneylibraries and kowhaireader) will be attending so see if you can spot us. I am looking forward to watching a movie of a book I haven't read yet.

A Night at the Movies

I approach films that are based on books with both excitement and trepidation. Will the movie live up to the book (if I have already read the book) or will the producers exercise their own special powers and adapt the book into something either unrecognisable or disappointing? The trepidation never quite outweighs the excitement and stops me from lining up to buy my ticket, seat myself in a dark theatre with my icecream (and in some theatres, the glass of wine) to personally witness the transformation of words to screen.

Which is how I found myself out at the local Matakana Cinema last night with a couple of friends to watch My Sister's Keeper based on the novel by the popular Jodi Picoult. It is the story of a family almost torn apart by the emotional rollercoaster of a daughter battling an acute form of cancer. A mother who doesn't know how to give up fighting for Kate. A son who has fallen through the cracks while the focus is on Kate. Another daughter who employs a lawyer so she is can no longer be used as spare parts for Kate. A father battling to do what's best for everyone. And at the centre of it all is stunning brave and sick Kate.

I cried while reading the book and I wept during the movie, even knowing what was coming. I am extraordinarily glad to report that while parts of the book have been adapted to the screen, the spirit of the book and the characters remain in the movie. It is powerful and moving, but didn't descent into schmultz (I am not sure if that is a word, but you probably get the idea). Neither of the two friends I went with had read the book, and they were equally moved. One commented that it was extremely realistic in the portrayal of a dying cancer patient and brought back a lot of memories.

This is just the start of the summer season of movies which have been based on or adapted from books, both novels and picture books, for adults and children. Here are a few more to look forward to:

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer (needs no introduction and which will probably be reviewed on this blog next week when it opens)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
A Christmas Carol - Disney's version of the classic Dicken's Christmas tale
Under the Mountain - the Kiwi classic by Maurice Gee adapted and updated
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - and directed by Peter Jackson
The Vintner's Luck by Elizabeth Knox - directed by Nicky Caro and starring Keisha Castle-Hughes
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - one of the hottest series of 2009
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan - for teen horror fans

With so many books being adapted to movies, it makes me wonder if a Book to Movie Club (as opposed to a straight Book Club) might be something people are interested in. Drop me a line at Warkworth Library (warklib@rodney.govt.nz) and let me know.

Have a good day. Ka kite ano

Weekend recommendations

Spring might be here and summer just around the corner, but in traditional Kiwi style, it's a wet windy weekend out there folks. Which means it's a perfect weekend to stay inside and check out some DVD's from your local Rodney Library collection.

In keeping with New Zealand Book Month theme, why not finally get around to seeing some of our fantastic Kiwi movies based on books by our own (or revisit them). There are movies in our collection such as Once were Warriors, The Whale Rider, Sleeping Dogs and Under the Mountain, all good home-grown fare.

It's not only movies though. If you want to revisit Television programmes or documentaries we have a wide selection. From the Best of Country Calendar, Surfing the Menu New Zealand and Getaway New Zealand, all the way through to one off documentaries such as Tau Te Mauri: Breath of Peace about eight Kiwi's who are doing their bit for global peace. To view our full New Zealand DVD selection, click on this catalogue link.

Libraries and Movies

Your two bloggers took themselves off to Matakana for lunch and the movies on Sunday. It could have been in celebration of this blog getting a mention on the Nine to Noon programme on National Radio on Thursday, but was in fact just something we decided needed to be done.

We saw Young Victoria, which we agreed was an exceptionally good movie. Part period drama and part romance, this covered the year leading up to her accession to the throne and the turbulent first years of her rule, up to and including the birth of her first child. While it was a fictionalised version of her life, it was still insightful in many ways. The movie provided a view of the class structure, the control over the young woman and the protocols that had to be observed in the late Georgian and early Victorian eras.

After going to movies based on true lives, I often come back to the library and search out reading on the subject. Obviously I am not the only one with such an idea as when I did a catalogue search for Victoria, Queen of Great Britain, I discovered that all books on her life were currently unavailable. However if you do want to read more, have a look at the selection anyway and put a hold on it so you are next in line. We also have children's and teens books which you can check out on this catalogue link.

Picture from IMdb (Internet movie database) website.

I escaped. I explored. I discovered.

It wasn't exactly in celebration of Library Week but that's what I did last weekend. Here is my story.

As my days are spent in the wonderful world of the Library and books here at Warkworth, ESCAPE is hardly the word I would use for leaving the library and heading off down to the Hawkes Bay, especially as the prime focus of the trip was a Children's and Teenagers Librarians seminar. But as it was a change of scenery for me, that constitutes the Escape part of Library Week.

I certainly EXPLORED. Not only by exchanging ideas with other librarians, but also wandering around the wonderful Hawkes Bay, including visits to the Hawkes Bay Museum in Napier and the Hastings Library, one of our fellow War Memorial Libraries. They have a wonderful mural and acknowledgement in their entry hall which I took some time to read and admire, bearing in mind our recent rededication up here in Warkworth. I also wound my way up to the top of Te Mata Peak above Havelock North, passing dedicated cyclists and trampers who made it to the top under their own power. The view was stunning, if the wind a little chilly, and I was very impressed by one young girl who did a tandem para-pont (hopefully the right terminology) off the peak.

And I DISCOVERED. That it is time to read and re-read the New Zealand classic Under the Mountain (Maurice Gee) and the internationally renowned Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak) before the movies premiere later this year. I saw trailers of both and they look absolutely stunning. If you want a sneak preview of Under the Mountain go to the official website. I met and shared ideas with colleagues, heard from Kiwi authors Vince Ford (The Chronicles of Stone) and Ted Dawe (Thunder Road) and also discovered how to do craft things from the bubbly Fifi Colston (who also happens to be the illustrator of the children's picture book we are using on Wednesday for National Storytime, Ititi's Gift).

I also realised on the flight home last night (unfortunately not a window seat) from what little I could see, that the myths and legends we read about how New Zealand were created come alive from that height. It looks just like the Gods or giants, used large sticks and dragged them through the ground to create the craggy ridges and landscape. Or that mountains moved far away to create the rivers and gullies. The romantic in me veers towards the Maori myths and legends of creation, while the realist is fascinated by the geology.

I'm back on the ground, behind my desk here at Warkworth. But that doesn't mean the adventure stops. I discover a whole different world every time I turn a corner or get asked a new question here in the library. There's always something new out there, so why not find out today by escaping, exploring, discovering, or even all three at once, at your local library.

The Library and the Film Festival

The Auckland International Film Festival kicks off tonight with the New Zealand Premiere of Jane Campion's Bright Star, based on the romance between poet John Keates and Fanny Brawne.

Several of the films featured at the Festival are based on novels or short stories. And of course there are also those, such as Bright Star and Coco Before Chanel, based on real lives, which you can read up on at the library. So here is your quick ready reference of the Auckland Film Festival and the Rodney Library.

Bright Star by Jane Campion - Opening Night. You can find both the biography and a selection of his works in the library by doing a keyword search in our catalogue John Keats. To find out more about Jane Campion and her works, do the same for her. There is a new biography on the way so put your name down for that now.

An Education : Lynn Barber is one of the special presentations at the Festival and tells the story of a 16 year old's youth in 1960's London. This memoir is also on order and should be on the shelves soon.

If you enjoy Coco Before Chanel at the Festival, follow it up by doing some reading on this remarkable woman and her world at the library by doing a keyword search for her name.

Shooting Balibo tells the tale of the making of the movie showing on Sunday 26 July. New Zealand Gary Cunningham was one of the Balibo Five who were killed, not in crossfire in East Timor, but executed by Indonesian invaders.

Other films of novels you can find in Rodney Libraries include:
Disgrace - J M Coetzee
Wake in Fright - Kenneth Cook
The Baader-Meinhoft Complex - Stefan Aust
Coraline (in 3D) - Neil Gaiman
Cheri - Collette

If you do get along to see any of the festival films, enjoy! Most of the Rodney Libraries still have a few Festival programmes left or you can find out more on the Festival Website

Snippets

Lots of different News snippets from authors, books and the publishing world to finish off this week.

Novelist J.G. Ballard has passed away. He was best known for The Empire of the Sun which was turned into a movie. He was 78.

Marina Lewycka, who wrote the international bestseller A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian and Two Caravans, wants to join her husband of 22 years, Dave Feickert, in Wanganui. However, NZ Immigration have some red tape that has to be satisfied first. Read the full story on this link

To find out what books are going to be read, discussed, reviewed on National Radio during May, check out the NZ Booksellers Link.

If you are a Patricia Cornwell fan, how do you picture Kay Scarpetta? If they made a movie, who do you think should play her? Well check out one of New Zealand's best literary bloggers Graham Beattie on Beattie's Book Blog to find out what Hollywood has planned.

And I'v just discovered a whole new way to watch the new TVNZ book programme. I'v actually only just discovered the new TVNZ book programme because it's on TV6 and I don't receive that. However, to get my fix of The Good Word, hosted by Emily Perkins, I use the internet and TVNZ On Demand. One of our customers told me she does something similar, downloading the Book reviews off the podcast option on the National Radio website to her MP3 to listen to while walking.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone.

More books to movies

Following on from a post a couple of weeks ago, here is the full list of books that have been turned into movies and are opening in New Zealand in the next couple of months.

January 2009
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate diCamillo
Hotel for Dogs by Lois Duncan
Marley and Me by John Grogan
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Yes Man by Danny Wallace
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

February
Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
He’s Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccillo
Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler by Philip von Boeselager
Q & A: Slumdog Millionaire by Vikas Swarup

March
Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Dean Spanley by Lord Dunsany