Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, starts this evening at sundown, and continues for eight nights. I’m looking forward to celebrating with my family — we’ll light the menorah, sing songs, play dreidle, eat latkes, and get a little silly. And what better way to prepare for the holiday than by thinking about books?
Here’s a round-up of some of my family’s favorite Hanukkah books — these are mainly children’s books, but really fun to enjoy with all ages.
Hanukkah books for grown-ups seem to be a trend now, especially in romance. Here’s one I’ve read (The Matzah Ball), and a few whose covers made me smile (or, okay, burst out laughing).
Whatever you choose to read and whatever you celebrate, wishing you a holiday season filled with lights, good cheer, great company, and awesome reading!
I’m back with two more book-to-screen comparisons… and I have to say, it’s very weird to combine these two extremely different books/movies into one post! But I’m lazy… so here goes.
Which was better — the book or the movie? Read on to find out!
Face-off #1:
The Cabin at the End of the World Book by Paul Tremblay, published 2018 Knock at the Cabin movie, released February 2023
Thoughts: After reading the book several weeks ago (check out my review, here), I’d been curious about the movie adaptation. The book tells a terrifying story of a family terrorized by strangers who show up at their remote vacation cabin and inform them that they’ve been chosen for a terrible mission: They must willingly chose to sacrifice one of their family members, or the world will end. Are these people crazy? Are they doomsday cultists? Can anything they say be true? The book is scary and claustrophic, and in many ways, the movie captures the feeling of dread and the way a happy interlude can change to absolute terror within mere moments. The movie’s casting is terrific, especially David Bautista as Leonard, the leader of the intruders — a huge, powerful man with a quiet voice and a sad, kind demeanor, whose gentleness makes his instructions all the more awful. The movie is well done and — based on my family’s reactions — very powerful for those who haven’t read the book.
However… the movie changes the ending in significant ways, and that was a bit of a dealbreaker for me. The book’s impact is enhance by its ambiguity — we’re left to wonder whether any of what the intruders said was real, and whether there really was any connection between the events inside the cabin and the fate of the world. I actually loved that about the book — we’re left to consider for ourselves whether mass delusions and coincidences were at play. The movie removes the ambiguity, as well as changing the family members’ fates, and I thought both changes cheapened the overall impact. I’m glad I watched the movie, but it just doesn’t live up to the book.
Verdict: The book for the win!
Face-off #2:
Wonder Book by R. J. Palacio, published 2012 Movie released 2017
Thoughts: After reading White Bird by R. J. Palacio a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired to finally read Wonder, a book which has become a phenomenon in the 10+ years since it was first published. This middle-grade book is sweet and thoughtful, with an emphasis on kindness, inclusion of multiple points-of-view and experiences, a remarkable main character, and even plenty of humor. I was a little hesitant about watching the movie, worried that it would lean too heavily on the sweet to the point of becoming saccharine, but actually, I found it very, very good. Given that the parents are played by Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, their roles are a little more prominent than in the book, but not distractingly so. The focus remains on Auggie and his experiences going to school for the first time, and the young cast is quite impressive. The movie captures most of the book’s plot beats, although by necessity, some elements end up left out or diluted. Still, it’s a very well-made adaptation, and well worth checking out.
Verdict: The book for the deeper looks into characters’ experiences… but the movie is great too!
Have you read any of these books or seen the movies? Do you have an opinion on my face-offs? Please share your thoughts!
It just so happens that I had the chance this past week to watch three adaptations of books I’ve read. Here’s my quick take on the age-old question: Which was better — the book or the movie (or series)?
Face-off #1:
Happiness for Beginners Book by Katherine Center, published 2015 Netflix movie, released July 2023
Thoughts: Having read the book only two weeks before watching the movie, the book details were possibly too fresh in my mind. It was impossible to avoid comparisons, and unfortunately, that did not work in the movie’s favor. I really enjoyed the book, especially how it showed the main character’s internal growth and her determined efforts to learn to appreciate life more and actively choose happiness. I also enjoyed the group dynamics, and how part of the main character’s romantic dilemma had to do with her perception of a possible connection between her love interest and another woman who she’d developed a genuine friendship with. In the movie version, the emotions never go particularly deep, and a lot of the scenarios are played primarily for laughs. The friendship isn’t explored or emphasized beyond the surface-level, and the hiking itself isn’t presented as being as challenging as it is in the book. Most frustrating of all, many of the issues that make the central romance so interesting in the book are sanded away here. It wasn’t bad to watch, just not especially noteworthy either.
Verdict: The book for the win!
Face-off #2:
Red, White & Royal Blue Book by Casey McQuiston, published 2019 Prime Video movie, released July 2023
Thoughts: On the other hand… I read this book four years ago (and loved it) — but other than the bare bones outline of the story, I didn’t have any details in mind while watching this movie, and that saved me from dwelling on what was left out or changed. Instead, I could just watch and enjoy. I liked it a lot, although occasionally Prince Henry came across as a bit too tentative and seemed almost younger than he’s supposed to be. No matter. It’s a really engaging piece of entertainment, and if anything, it’s made me want to revisit the book and see how the two fit together. I suppose for die-hard book fans, there’s no way the movie can live up to expectations, but for me, it worked really well and was a feel-good mood lift.
Verdict: It’s a tie!
Face-off #3:
The Summer I Turned Pretty Book trilogy by Jenny Han, published 2009 – 2011 Prime Video series (two seasons so far), 2022- 2023
Thoughts: While I really enjoyed the books, they didn’t necessarily stick with me over the years, and I was happy to check out the two available seasons of the TV series. The show adds diversity lacking in the book through casting choices and by including bi and trans representation, although it can’t avoid the fact that there is a ton of privilege in all the characters’ lives. After all, a huge piece of the core plot is that this is a story about two families and the fancy beach house they share every summer. Somehow, seeing certain elements on the screen drive home the fact that these teens spend a lot of time upset about things less privileged people could only dream about. The love triangle between main character Belly and the two brothers, Jeremiah and Conrad, also doesn’t translate as well to the screen. Watching it unfold, I just wanted to shake her and tell her to walk away from all this mess — this is not a healthy situation! There’s an underlying element of grief and loss in season 2, but even that somehow seems pushed to the background much of the time — and while the loss absolutely informs every characters’ actions, it doesn’t feel especially real much of the time.
Verdict: Neither is perfect. Read the books for more plot development (and less in-your-face cringe-iness about bouncing back and forth between brothers who really have enough to deal with already)— but watch the show for eye candy, a talented young cast, and interesting dynamics outside of the love triangle.
You caught the big news this week, right? No, not the coronavirus. Or skyrocketing unemployment rates. Or whether we should all be drinking Lysol. (Answer: No.)
Stephenie Meyer announced on Monday that after years of delay, she’s finally releasing Midnight Sun. Yes, after something like 13 years, we’ll finally have the privilege of finding out what Edward was thinking all those times he watched Bella sleep.
The brief history, for those who don’t know: Midnight Sun retells the events of Twliight, but from Edward Cullen’s point of view. Stephenie Meyer was working on this book ages ago, but after the manuscript was leaked online in 2008, she basically felt that the story was ruined and decided to not go further with the project.
But we’ve never forgotten, have we?
Okay, snark aside, I was as hooked on the story as anyone back in the day when the Twilight books were shiny and new. Maybe not to insane shrieking, crying fan levels — but I owned all the books (um, still do…)
See them hiding back there on my very top shelf? Buffy is there to make sure the sparkly vampires don’t escape.
… and I went to a midnight release event for Breaking Dawn, had a few Twilight-themed t-shirts courtesy of Hot Topic, and engaged in many a heated Team Edward vs Team Jacob debate. (For the record, Team Edward, all the way!)
But years pass, and we get over it, and now I can’t really think about those books without scoffing over the more ridiculous elements, like…
Thinking that being a boy’s special brand of heroin is romantic
The whole sleep-stalking thing
“Vegetarian” vampires. Please
The idea that Bella would be safest in her hometown because that’s the last place the murderous vampire who wants to kill her would expect her to go. Because he assumes she’s not a dumb-ass? I mean, there’s literally an entire world of other places to hide. This never made the slightest bit of sense to me.
Bella falling down
Bella being carried by people all the time
Vampire baseball
Sparkles
And that’s really just book 1.
Vampire baseball. Sorry, just had to say it again.
So do we need Midnight Sun? I’ll tell you, I’m friends with some really smart and amazing and well-read women who were huge fans of the series and who are over the moon about Midnight Sun being released. Now, do any teens actually still read the Twilight books? No idea. But the people who were hooked way back when? I have a feeling enough will be devouring Midnight Sun to put it squarely on all the bestseller lists. Whether they admit to reading it or not is a different question.
As for me? Well…
I did read the gender-swapped version of Twilight that came out in 2015 (Life and Death — my review is here)… and I didn’t actually hate it. I borrowed it from the library, read it out of curiosity, and was amused. It was fine.
So yeah, I’ll probably read Midnight Sun. Again, out of curiosity mostly. Will it be awful? Maybe. Will Edward’s stalkeriness and Bella’s ridiculousness still make me cringe? Oh, undoubtedly.
But I kind of need it in my life anyway. I’m not sure that I’ll buy it. (But probably yes.) And maybe I’ll just read it ironically (or at least, that’s what I’ll claim.)
Midnight Sun will be released August 4, 2020. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet?
Bookshelf Fantasies 