Books Blog : movie

Elizabeth II, in Film and Fiction

myzticrhythmz@evpl — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:45:00 GMT

Britain’s Royal Family is always a source of curiosity, and their Monarch is no exception. Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, has been featured in a number of films, documentaries, and books over the past several years. Here are a few to enjoy.

The Queen, a 2006 feature film starring Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, portrays the turmoil in the Royal Family in the days following Diana, Princess of Wales’ death. This film portrays the public’s strong sentiment in favor of the Princess, as the Queen struggles with a proper response to her former daughter-in-law’s death. Mirren’s portrayal is sensitive, with a bit of humor thrown in, and well worth the viewing.

As Queen, Elizabeth has sometimes seemed detached from her subjects, and fiction authors have responded by imagining her in creative ways. Alan Bennett’s The Uncommon Reader poses a unique notion: What if Queen Elizabeth became such an avid reader that she loses interest in her “duty,” and becomes more introspective and sympathetic to others? This novella is a quick, pithy read, and sure to bring a smile.

Author William Kuhn creates a different scenario for the Queen. In Mrs. Queen Takes the Train, the longtime Sovereign of the United Kingdom ponders what she might be find missing in her life. The answer, strangely enough, is Her Majesty's Yacht Britannia, the former Royal Yacht of the British monarch. Alone on an inclement winter’s day, Elizabeth grows restless. First, she decides to visit one of her horses, also named Elizabeth. Then she’s off to the cheese store to buy Elizabeth (the horse) some of her favorite cheese. And finally, Elizabeth boards a public train bound for Scotland to visit her beloved yacht. The chaos that ensues among the Queen’s staff and acquaintances by her unexpected journey helps cement relationships, and demonstrates loyalty beyond “duty” to their Sovereign. This book, like The Queen and The Uncommon Reader, adds a bit of warmth and compassion to a celebrated historical figure.

For more in the Library’s catalog about Queen Elizabeth, click here.

Grab a warm cup of tea and your favorite QEII tale, and enjoy!

Marley & Me

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 19:52:00 GMT

Saw a couple of wonderful trailers, first trailer and new trailer, for Marley & Me this week.

If you haven’t already read the Marley & Me book or downloadable eBook, or listened to the audiobook, or read the children’s versions Marley, a dog like no other and Bad Dog, Marley, both of which are also available as downloadable audiobooks [Bad Dog, Marley and Marley], now’s the time. The movie is expected to be released Christmas Day, and in addition to the dog star versions of Marley, it stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.

John Grogan was in Evansville as our One Book One Community author/speaker in 2006 . His new book, The Longest Trip Home, a memoir of his years before Marley, was released today (Oct 21st).

Digital Bookmobile visits Fall Festival this Friday!

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:10:00 GMT

As part of a nationwide tour, the Digital Bookmobile, a 74-foot state-of-the-art tractor-trailer, will be visiting the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival on Friday, October 10, 10:30am to 6:00pm. Visit the Bookmobile, at the northwest corner of the Lloyd & St. Joe, to find out more about the EVPL's recently-revamped OverDrive collection: featuring downloadable audiobooks, eBooks, video, and music!

OverDrive Media Specialists will be on-hand to lead visitors through the various rooms of the bus. You'll learn how to browse our collection of digital titles; download & play audiobooks, eBooks, & videos; and get hands-on time with compatible MP3 players. If you own an MP3 player, bring it; you'll receive personal instructions on transferring titles to it!

Full information can be viewed on the event page. See you Friday on the bookmobile!

More Information

Event Page: View all the details, including info about the different areas of the Bookmobile.
OverDrive @ EVPL: Our revamped OverDrive collection launched last week. In addition to the downloadable WMA audiobooks we previously offered, we now offer downloadable MP3 audiobooks, videos, & music!
DigitalBookmobile.com: OverDrive's official website of the Digital Bookmobile. Find out more about their nationwide tour and upcoming tour stops.

Thurber Prize for American Humor

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:43:00 GMT

The 2008 Thurber Prize for American humor has been awarded to Larry Doyle for his first novel, I Love You, Beth Cooper. Runners up for the prize were Patricia Marx for Him, Her, Him Again, the End of Him and Simon Rich for Ant Farm: and other desperate situations.

So if you are in the mood for some well-written, humorous fiction, these would be some good titles to try.

I Love You, Beth Cooper will soon be a movie directed by Chris Columbus (currently planned for March 2009 release). The story is about a nerdy high school senior who proclaims his love for the most beautiful, popular girl in school in his valedictorian speech. Then she shows up at his door wanting to show him the best night of his life. Doyle has written for Beavis and Butt-Head and The Simpsons, and his first novel "both celebrates and mercilessly satirizes all things teen with razor-sharp humor" according to Publishers Weekly (PW) in their review of his book.

Simon Rich, author of Ant Farm, is a contributor to Mad magazine and former president of the Harvard Lampoon. Ant Farm is a collection of short, humorous pieces, half of which formerly appeared in the Harvard Lampoon. Most of the 57 pieces are only two pages long, and each with a different topic. The PW review says, "The tone remains constant throughout, but the topic changes every page with the abruptness of an iPod shuffle." True, these fragments are fun, and some are so abrupt they could have been iPhoned in."

I enjoyed the start of Claudia Deane's review of Him, Her, Him Again, the End of Him in The Washington Post: "There are college boyfriends. There are caddishly bad college boyfriends. And there are caddishly bad college boyfriends you somehow can't quit. And now, thanks to Patricia Marx's Him Her Him Again the End of Him, there's Eugene.

Encountered while her 21-year-old narrator is studying abroad at Cambridge University, Eugene is a budding philosopher, fresh out of Princeton and AmeriCorps with a copy of the Magna Carta in his pocket."

Author Patricia Marx is a former Saturday Night Live writer and a New Yorker contributor.