The Reading Book Post, October 24th

Hello, everyone! Halloween is approaching and the spooky mood is definitely on the air! Meanwhile there are a lot of news that shook up the literary world those past few weeks. Let's take a look at what happened the previous week.

• Tiffany McDaniel has won the Not the Book Prize 2016 with her novel The Summer that Melted Everything. The novel was one of the most popular titles that were nominated for the prize both if the public and the judges.

• The Folio Prize is returning! The prize was suspended last year after the withdrawal of its sponsor, but it was announced the it will return in 2017. This time the award is expanding its categories, since now it will include non-fiction books as well as novels.

• A tragic loss for the comic world! Steve Dillon has passed away at the age of 54. Dillon's most well-known work was his DC/Vertigo series The Preacher, while he is also known for The Punisher and Hellblazer.

• The 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature definitely steered the literary world. Bob Dylan has not yet to make an announcement concerning the prize. A few days ago it was added in the website that he is the recipient of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature, but apparentely this statement is now gone. What do you think about this year's Nobel Prize in Literature?

• Can't get enough of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children? I have some good news for you! A new Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children trilogy is coming! In this new trilogy the adventures of Jacob Portman, Miss Peregrine and the rest of the children continue. The first book of the trilogy is expected in fall 2017.

• The authorship of Shakespeare's plays has been questioned numerous times through the years, Now, an international team of 23 academics believe that Christopher Marlowe was working on Shakespeare's plays and that he deserves a credit in future editions. 

• On October 21st we were celebrating Wonder Woman's birthday. But because we love to read into things, Wonder Woman wasn't the only strong woman who celebrated her birthday that particular day. I'm talking about Ursula K. Le Guin and Carrie Fisher!

• Elena Ferrante has written a children's book! And it's a little creepy! Take a look at some of its beautiful illustrations, that were created by Mara Cerri.

• Marvel often comments on current affairs with its comic books. The latest comic is named Madaya Mom and it's about a Syrian mother trapped in a town. And you can read it for free!

• It was about time! Amazon is releasing a limited edition of Kindle Paperwhite designed specfically for reading manga. The product will, of course, be available in Japan!

• Can You Identify These Classic Children's Books? This quiz is trickier than you'd expect as the description of each book is made with emojis!

• Which Spooktastic Book Should You Read This Halloween? Take the quiz to find out! I got The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Which one did you get?

Play(list) by the Book: Deadpool v Gambit

Hello, everyone! Long time, no see! But what a better comeback than with a Play(list) by the Book, one of my favourite segments of the blog. So, today we have a playlist based on all the songs and artists that were mentioned in Deadpool v Gambit. It's a really small playlist, so you'll be able to listen to it in just one sitting. Enjoy!

As usual, the rules for the playlist were the same. If a song was mentioned, it was in. If an artist was mentioned then I picked a song that I personally like. If there were certain lyrics mentioned, then I tried to find the song that they came from. Deadpool v Gambit didn't have a tricky song, so everything is included.

Find more playlists at: Play(list) by the Book

Radio Show: Play(list) by the Book  

The Reading Book Post, September 12th

Hello, everyone! I've been absent for some time, but this September turned out to be very busy, so I might not blog for another two weeks. Fingers crossed that everything will go well! Anyway, let's se what happened in the literary world the previous week.

• The winner of the Wallace Stevens poetry award has been announced. The prestigious award was given to the American poet Sharon Olds.

• Tha actor and director Andrew McCarthy is making his literary debut with the YA novel Just Fly Away. You can read an excerpt of the book, while it's set to hit the selves on spring 2017.

• Alan Moore has announced that he is retiring from creating comic books! He declared that he would like to focus on films and literary novels. I'm curious to see what he'll do next!

• There only a few stories written by F. Scott Fitzgerlad left unpublished. Well, not for long. The collection of these stories will be called I'd Die For You (And Other Lost Stories) and it will be released on 11 April 2017.

• JD Salnger's house is becoming a retreat for young artists! Illustrator Harry Bliss has bought it and it will be offered as a workplace to all those who desire to be away from everything and create intimacy with their work.

• Looking for a bookish present? Well, these Pokemon bookmarks are more than cute! Can I have one (or all of them)?

• Can You Pass A Difficult 12th Grade Literature Exam? Test your knowledge of the classics with this test! I'm glad that I passed, but I'd say that I need a revision! How did you do?

The Reading Book Post, August 15th

Hello, everyone! How is your summer reading going? I finally got some time to get to the things I was meant to for so long! Anyway, let's see what happened in the literary world the previous week.

• The winners for the 2016 Aurora Awards have been announced at Canvention. Among the winning novels is A Daughter of No Nation, by A. M. Dellamonica, and An Inheritance of Ashes, by Leah Bobet.

• Book trailers always get me hyped for the upcoming novels! Watch the book trailer of the children's book The Littlest Bigfoot, which will be published on September 13. Also, watch the book trailer, and read a little excerpt, from the soon-to-be published on August 9.

• 20 years ago Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published. So, London's British Library will exhibit J. K. Rowlings personal Harry Potter collection.

• Language is constantly evolving. New words are added to our everyday lives every year! But there are some words that we all use that their etymology remains a mystery to us. Interesting, right?

• Just a few months away from Gilmore Girls: A Year In Life, Lauren Graham has revealed the cover of her new memoir From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (And Everything in Between): Talking As Fast As I Can. The memoir will hit the shelves on November 29, just a few days after the series' premiere.

• Mr. Men and Little Misses were a huge part of my childhood. The series is turning 45 years old, and in order to celebrate the occasion new characters will be joining the gang. So, get ready for Mr. Marvellous, Little Miss Fabulous, Mr. Adventure, and Little Miss Sparkle!

• Did These Things Happen In the Harry Potter Books or Movies? Potterheads, it's time to test yourselves! How did you do? 

Review: Manga Classics: Emma, by Jane Austen, Po Tse, Crystle S. Chan, and Stacy King

Title: Manga Classics: Emma

Author: Jane Austen

Illustrator: Po Tse

Adaptation: Crystle S. Chan

Publisher: UDON Entertainment

Date of Publication: June 17th, 2015

Number of Pages: 308

Find it at : Book Depository

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary

Just in time for the 200th anniversary, Manga Classics brings Jane Austen’s classic tale of youthful folly and romantic exuberance to a modern audience with this beautiful new manga adaptation of Emma.

When her former governess finds happiness as the bride of a local widower, the brilliant and beautiful Emma Woodhouse — one of Jane Austen's immortal creations — flatters herself that she alone has secured the marriage and that she possesses a special talent for bringing lovers together. The young heiress next busies herself with finding a suitable husband for her friend and protégé, Harriet Smith, setting off an entertaining sequence of comic mishaps and misunderstanding in this sparkling comedy of English-village romance. Beneath its wit, the novel is also the story of a young woman's progress toward self-understanding. The impulsive match-making of Emma Woodhouse delivers both humor and heartache through the gorgeous artwork of master artist Po Tse.

Review

If there are two things that I love reading, they would probably be manga, and Jane Austen. So, when I first learnt that there was a combination of these two I was thrilled. Having already read another three instalments of the Manga Classics (Pride & Prejudice, The Scarlet Letter, and Les Miserables), I was more than eager to find out if Emma would also work well in this format.

Do you guys even need an introduction to the story? Emma is a delightful novel, with great characters! Mr. Knightley is one of those dreamy gentlemen, and Emma, although a little spoilt, is compassionate and tries to make up for the errors that she makes. Certainly, Mr. Knightley is the one that makes sure that she understands where she is wrong. This is one of the reasons why I believe that they are one of the most well-matched couples is literature, despite their age difference.

The adaptation of this Manga Classic was once again great! It made sure that the volume contained all of the main plot points, so even if you haven't read the novel you wouldn't miss anything from the story. Also, the dialogue maintained the witty spark of the Jane Austen's original dialogues, which was a big plus for me.

What I really love in this series, is that I can finally see all of my favourite characters with the exagerrated emotions that are so usual in manga. Once again, you can see the constant blushing on their faces, starry eyes, and flowers around the charming gentlemen, like Mr. Knightley, and Frank Churchill. All these images add up to the general enjoyment of Emma. 

The art style wasn't so very different from the other Manga Classics. It was beautiful, in a manga kind of way. I particularly liked the design of Emma, as well as all of those dresses! They are seriously impressive with their laces and their flowers. The one thing that I didn't really like was the Mr. Knightley. His image didn't suit the mental I had created for him, as he seamed a lot younger, almost the same age as Emma. I have to admit that this fact was a serious turn off, and I believe that I would have enjoyed this manga much more if Mr. Knightley's design was different.

Emma was delightful, like the original novel. Although I was acquainted with the plot, it managed to keep my interest. This Manga Classic is ideal for both Jane Austen fans, and for readers that aren't yet familiar with her work. I could go as far to say that this might be more enjoyable to some than the original novel, because in the manga version Emma isn't that annoying, and I know that this is one of the usual reasons that people hate it. Apart from the trouble I had with Mr. Knightley's design, this manga was easy to read and quiet enjoyable. If you're in the mood for a romance, don't hesitate to pick it up!