Category Archives: Book Column

Authors, Book Column, Events, Movies

The Martian Movie Trailer

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Andy Weir‘s (@andyweirauthor on Twitter) book was so much stinking fun to read. I can’t say that enough. I walked around for weeks after I read The Martian, just trying to get others to read it. the-martianThe story was great. They nailed the bookcover with the shiny paper. The whole package. I don’t care if you don’t like sci-fi books. This was such a good read that you just want Mark Watney to survive.

And now the movie is coming out November 25th! I have yet to see a movie that I enjoyed as much as the book, but after watching The Martian trailer which came out today, this could be really close. I think Matt Damon may have the ability to deliver the snarky brainy lines just as I heard them in my head.

I had no idea it had so many well-known Hollywood names in it either. You can watch the trailer below:

Fingers crossed. And if you haven’t read Andy Weir’s The Martian, you should really give it a try before the movie comes out.

Birmingham, Book Column, Bookstores, Events

Birmingham Book Events: June 7, 2015 – June 14, 2015

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Here are three local Birmingham author signings that may be worth a visit. It’s great to see McCammon still cranking out the books. I think we’re not too far off before A Boy’s Life is considered a classic. So check your calendar and see if any of these book signing interest you.

Thursday, June 11th starting at 4:00pm – Robert McCammon will be at the Alabama Booksmith  signing his new book The Border. This one has aliens!

Friday, June 12th starting at 9:00pm – Dr. Ruth Westheimer will be in town signing her new book The Dr. Is In. This is a ticketed event, so call ahead. It’s being held at the Terrific New Theater on 2nd Ave. North.

Saturday, June 13th from 2:00pm – 3:00pm – Dr. Donald E. Wilson, Professor of History Emeritus at Samford University signing his new book Alabama Bomber Boys: 70th Anniversary Memorial Edition at Books-A-Million, Brookwood Village.

Book Column, Games for Readers, Gifts for Book Lovers

Jenga for Book Lovers

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Jenga is one of my all time favorite games. It couples just the right amount of skill and tension (please, please, please don’t fall!). And now some every so thoughtful folks have combined my love of books with Jenga for the Jenga: Book Lovers Edition. How cool is that?

Jenga_Book_Lovers

Each block has a question on it, which you are to answer if you successfully remove the block from the teetering tower.

Questions have things like:

“What literary character would you like to be?”

“What’d your favorite children’s book?”

I am sure that if I was a true booknerd that I’d have some pithy quote about ‘books being the building blocks’, yadda, yadda… but I just want to play this game!

No doubt this would be fun to kick off a new book group or library event and if you have a booknerd on your list to buy for, then I imagine this would be a good fit.

Have you ever played Jenga: Book Lover’s Edition?

Book Column, Book Talk, On the Web

Booklandia.tv

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The online book world just got a little more fun thanks to the launch of Booklandia.tv. This site is a bit of a social experiment and a bit of classroom project as the videos are produced by 20 University of Oregon journalism students.

Booklandia.tv launched in April 2015 and has 23 videos posted so far and all of them focus on books, authors and readers. The site seems to be going for a more social-share vibe rather than straight up journalism. I think there may only be one or two videos over two minutes in length. So it’s definitely designed to snack on and share.

I can already tell that one of my favorite segments will #JudgeItByTheCover bit where they stop a passerby and ask them what they think the book is about based solely on the front cover. It’s pretty fun.

There is also the What’s on Your Nightstand, where they chat with folks out on the street,  Q&A’s with authors and even a kids segment called Kid’s Corner. The “About” tab says they have a partnership with Powell’s, but I can’t figure out exactly.

Booklandia_TwitterIt’s been fun skimming through the videos. They also have a direct YouTube page and are @BooklandiaTV on Twitter as well.

 

So if you’re hungry for some snack-sized book content to watch check out Booklandia.tv. I can tell it’s only going to get better and more creative.