Tag Archives: event

Bard on the Blogs: Shakespeare in Popular Culture – Guest Post by C.J. of ebookclassics

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Bard

Okay, I am incredibly excited for today’s post! Today we have C.J. from ebookclassics writing about Shakespeare references in popular culture! I LOVE when I find references to some of my favorite works – this happens often for me as I love Shakespeare and The Wizard of Oz, they are always referenced! Let’s see what C.J. found!!

Also don’t forget to check out a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter for a chance to win a Shakespeare retelling of your choice!

Shakespeare References in Pop Culture by ebookclassics

Although I still struggle to understand the work of Shakespeare, I fully appreciate his genius and nothing makes me happier than seeing references to his many wonderful plays and poems in pop culture. You probably have heard of Shakespeare references in Star Trek and Disney movies, but some of the more recent references you may have missed include the following:

1. Iron Man rewording a Shakespeare quote to tease Thor in The Avengers movie (2014).

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2. William Shakespeare as a master builder in The Lego Movie (2014) and heckling Emmett, the main character.

3. The Bard is a favorite of Orange is the New Black’s fierce poem quoting Crazy Eyes played by Uzo Aduba.

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4. The pairing of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers with our strange obsession with zombies in Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, both a popular YA novel (2010) and movie (2013).

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5. MacHomer, a play that combines the doh-ness of Homer Simpson with Shakespeare’s most intense protagonist.

6. Mumford and Son’s debut album title, Sigh No More (2009), is taken from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and several lines from the play are in the song.

7. The Tenth Doctor and Martha meet Shakespeare and foil a dastardly plot in The Shakespeare Code (Doctor Who, series 3, 2007).

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8. Who would know better than someone close to her? The novel, Juliet’s Nurse by Lois Leveen (2014) is a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet.

9. We see how two black men in Shakespeare’s time react to Othello in a hilarious Key and Peele skit (2013).

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10. The addictive, House of Cards, is greatly influenced by Shakespeare and, in particular, Richard III, with Frank Underwood played by Kevin Spacey often breaking the fourth wall with the audience.

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What do you love about Shakespeare? What are some of your favorite Shakespeare references in pop culture?

Bard on the Blogs: Guest Post by Lily from ChaptersPagesWords

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Bard

Today, we have Lily from ChaptersPagesWords reviewing the (in my personal opinion) FANTASTIC Kenneth Branagh adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing!! This is one of my favorite Shakespearean adaptations EVER! Enjoy Lily’s review and don’t forget to head over and check out a Rafflecopter giveaway to enter for a chance to win a Shakespeare retelling of your choice!

Title: Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Main Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton

My Rating: 4 stars

I very much enjoyed this movie not only because of the plot but because of the characters, setting and overall experience. I would recommend this movie to anyone thirteen or older because I found this movie fun and entertaining.

Much Ado About Nothing was a great retelling of the play by Shakespeare. Branagh does a good job of taking the best part of the play and making them into the movie.

The movie is set in Messina in Italy so the setting throughout the entire film is beautiful. The setting is an important aspect in this film and was in my opinion well chosen. Much Ado About Nothing is meant to be set in 1598 and Branagh chooses to show this in an interesting way that made it fun for me to watch.

This movie / play is a comedy and it did make me laugh. So many things go wrong in the plot of this movie and the actors/actresses become characters that you sympathise with  and grow to love. Although the film is in Shakespearean language, the movie was easy to follow and at times the plot benefited from this asset.

I think this movie was very well adapted from the play. With the amazing choice of cast and setting, this movie was overall very enjoyable and loyal to the play.

That’s all for this review, I hope you enjoyed and I’ll see you soon!
Happy Reading!
Lily x
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Bard on the Blogs: Shakespeare Inspired Gifts!

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Bard

Welcome! Happy birthday to Mr. William Shakespeare TODAY!! He would be 451! Crazy how time flies, am I right?! Today I am chatting about buying ALL OF THE THINGS for that special Shakespeare lover in your life!! (*sends entire list to loved ones) Let’s see what we have here! As something a little extra (because we love you guys) Alexa and I are hosting a giveaway for the duration of Bard on the Blogs!! You just head on over to the Rafflecopter and see what’s up!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

R&J Hairpin

Romeo and Juliet Hairpins! Admittedly not my favorite play by Shakespeare (read: my least favorite, possibly) but these are still pretty neat! I wouldn’t say no to receiving these babies! Find them here.

Macbeth cuff

Look at this Macbeth cuff! There are tons of other designs, but I LOVE how this one captures the dramatic and macabre moment when Lady Macbeth struggles to clean the blood from her hands. Find this cuff (and others like it) here.

hamlet cufflinks

These Shakespeare Hamlet Skull Cufflinks will go perfectly at your (or my) literary themed wedding!! They are fancy while also being a teensy bit read it: dangerous. Perfect for your partner! Find these babies here!

keychain

This simple yet awesome key chain would be perfect for your Shakespeare lover, bonus points if she is also a librarian like yours truly! Adorn your keys with this great key chain by heading over here!

to tea

To Tea or Not To Tea? Is the question….the answer is always a resounding YES!! How lovely would this look hanging in your kitchen? I can picture it now, and it looks gorgeous! Find this tea towel (to buy for ME) here!

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What better pairing to go with your new tea towel than some Shakespearean inspired teas!! Fandom made by Adagio Teas you can get a sampler pack with all different kinds! Speaking from experience, I have the Game of Thrones sampler pack and it is worth. every. penny. Go buy these NOW!

let her sleep

I am pretty obsessed with these prints. Though they (apparently) would go great in a nursery, I don’t see why I can’t have them hanging above my own bed! Admittedly, the first quote is from Napoleon but still, they go together perfectly! Find them here!

Bard on the Blogs (1)

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Bard

Hi friends!

You may remember (I mean, how could you forget) that I am a Shakespeare fangirl!! Honestly, I have a Shakespeare inspired tattoo, two kitties named after Shakespeare’s famous women, my most important inanimate objects are named after Shakespearean characters..the list goes on and on!

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What’s past is prologue.

That being said, it is no question that when Alexa of Alexa Loves Books asked if I wanted to to join her in a blog collaboration celebrating the bard I jumped at the idea immediately. Thus, Bard on the Blogs was born! It is an event celebrating William Shakespeare, starting on his birthday, April 23 and ending on April 27! Alexa and I will be sharing some Shakespeare centered posts, and we want you guys to join in!

Much like the call for volunteers for Fortnight of Fright, you just fill out the form below with what you would like to do. You can write about whatever you like as long as it is Shakespeare themed! Maybe a review of his plays or the film adaptations, or your favorite quotes, even Shakespearean recipes are allowed! Get creative! The form closes on April 1, so go forth and sign up! Oh and P.S. rumor has it there might be a giveaway involved!

To see what I have done in the past to celebrate Shakespeare, take a look at the post below:

Happy Birthday, William Shakespeare!

Love-A-Thon: Welcome!

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BANNER - 2015 LOVEATHON

Hello my lovelies!!

I am sure most of you know that the lovely Alexa over at Alexa Loves Books is hosting her annual Love-A-Thon, if you have no idea what I am talking about, head over to her intro post and them come on back! Awesome, right? It is just another way that some of us are trying to focus on the cheer and positive aspects of our book blogging community. I will have a few posts on the blog throughout today and tomorrow, and will be participating as much as I can on Twitter using the hashtag #LoveAThon so make sure to stay tuned! If you read on, you will learn a bit about me and the impact that the blogging community has made on my life! Happy reading, friends!

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  1. What’s your name? Alyssa! I tend to go by a myriad of nicknames, the most popular being, “A.”
  1. Where in the world are you blogging from? Snowy New England!
  1. How did you get into blogging in the first place? I was actually in graduate school for my MLIS a few years back and we had to observe different resources for reader’s advisory, one of which being blogs. I had been following a few (The Book Smugglers, and Broke & the Bookish being two!) and I thought about how fun it would be so I started one, and convinced my friend Heidi from Bunbury in the Stacks that it was a good idea that she start one as well!
  1. How did you come up with your blog name? I wanted something that was meaningful to me, that spoke of my feelings regarding books and how important they are. I have always felt that books took me away from the drama of the real world and you can become immersed in the fictional world for a little while and forget whatever it is that needs forgetting. Thus Books Take You Places was born.
  1. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog? I read a lot of fantasy, it was always my fall back growing up and I try to really focus on reading what makes me happy. I do try and read books that are different than my go to genre but if I find that I am not loving what I am reading, I put it aside. Life is too short to read books I don’t love!
  1. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews? Hmm I have been known to write some Disney posts ranking the swooniest male leads and villains. I also write some “non-traditional” reviews for my On the Same Page feature that I do with Amy (Tripping Over Books) and Brittany (The Book Addict’s Guide) an example of one would be the personal post I just wrote on the idea of traveling souls.
  1. Best blogging experience so far? Hmm my best blogging experience has to be meeting so many wonderful people. I was surprised to see how vast the book blogger community was, and when I first started blogging it seemed so scary because everyone was already friends. It wasn’t long before other bloggers were reaching out to me and forging friendships. Through these interactions (mostly through Twitter) I found Brittany and Amy. Meeting these two has been my best blogging experience, and one of the best experiences of my life. I can’t put into words how important these gals are to me, and how lucky I feel to have met my soul friends! We have had a few adventures like road tripping to Britt’s wedding, and our trips to NYC…but I am the most excited for FRIENDSGIVING this year for sure!
  1. Favorite thing about the blogging community? It never used to be, but it has become the kindness in the community. I think there is a large of us working quite hard to keep the community alive. We have things like this loveathon, random acts of kindness, and the secret sister project that have been started by bloggers in order to showcase and preserve the special relationships that we have. I think many of us work hard to keep the positivity alive and it definitely shows.
  1. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2015! AHHH ummm only 5? Okay I will choose ones that I do not have ARCs of:
  1. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read? It is from my childhood but I am pretty obsessed with The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. I think they are funny and fun, and full of heart.
  1. Which book boy or girl would be your book BFF? DEFINITELY Sybella from Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers, she is my spirit animal and would understand me as no one else does.
  1. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests? I like to “game.” As in, you can catch me in front of my 3DS, Xbox, or any Nintendo console for hours at a time playing Zelda or Fable. I also like to bake, hike, go letterboxing and geocaching. I drink tea, and listen to old time radio shows, sometimes while putting together a puzzle. I am a pretty stereotypical librarian, right down to the two cats named after Shakespeare’s uppity females.
  1. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for? Usually presents for other people. I honestly have to hold myself back from buying my loves things anytime I go out. I also love trinkets, so antiquing is my favorite.
  1. Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book. Hands down would have to choose The Lies of Locke Lamora, or Name of the Wind but they would have to be amazing. Like, HBO perfect adaptation amazing, as amazing as Game of Thrones amazing. I NEED THEM TO BE AMAZING. Also I hear that The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy is going to be a movie and I have such high hopes!

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Guest Post: Cat Winters on A Vampire Novel That Isn’t a Vampire Novel

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Hello friends!! I am insanely excited to share a guest post with you by one of my favorite authors, Cat Winters!! I am sure that you all remember how much I loved In the Shadow of Blackbirds. You will also be lucky enough to read my rave review of The Cure for Dreaming tomorrow! For now, take a glimpse at Cat’s musings on how The Cure for Dreaming came about, and what it was like for her to write a vampire novel that wasn’t really a vampire novel.

 

A Vampire Novel That Isn’t a Vampire Novel

by Cat Winters

CureforDreaming_cover

Back in 2007, I signed with my current literary agent because of a manuscript I wrote called The Vampire’s Wife, a suburban satire/love story for adult readers. Twilight was a brand-new book at the time, but I hadn’t yet heard of it. My kids were both under ten and a long way off from reading YA, and my attention was directed toward reading and writing adult fiction.

As most readers know, an epic vampire craze quickly took off around that same time, especially once the Twilight movie debuted in 2008. My vampire novel was making the rounds to publishers during all of the hubbub, but it was a book that fell somewhere in the middle of literary fiction and chick lit, so no one knew quite what to do with it. Despite the thirst for vampire entertainment, the novel, sadly, never found a publisher.

By the time I started writing my first YA novel (and ultimately my first published novel), In the Shadow of Blackbirds, the vampire fiction market was already becoming oversaturated. Readers tired of their fanged heroes and heroines, and I put the idea of ever writing another vampire novel aside. My focus became my shiny new WWI-era ghost story.

However, the Twilight craze, with all of its Team Edward/Team Jacob merchandise, the fan fiction, and even the astounding number of Twi-Rock bands, still intrigued me. I tucked an idea into the back of my head: Wouldn’t it be interesting to one day write a novel about Victorian teens who fall in love with Bram Stoker’s newly published novel, Dracula? How would young women at the turn of the twentieth century have reacted to that classic, sensuous tale of a seductive “gentleman” vampire? What would the boys think when reading about a man who overcomes women by biting into their bare necks and sucking the life straight out of them? Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Coraline Review by Jessie Reads Everything

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FoF2014

Wow you guys, when I asked Jessie to guest post on my blog for Fortnight of Fright I didn’t know that she was a fellow Neil Gaiman fangirl. Needless to say, I am insanely excited for you guys to read her review of the movie adaptation of Coraline!

 

coraline

 

I absolutely adore Neil Gaiman’s books! His writing style tends to be equal parts whimsical and creepy. I’ve been a Gaiman fangirl ever since I read Coraline back when it released in 2002. I loved it! It was atmospheric and weird and just downright creepy! It didn’t take long to read and when I finished the only thought I had was how I wished they’d make the book into a movie.

While Coraline the Book and Coraline the Film are very similar, they have some notable differences that help bring the story to the screen. But they both tell the story of a bored girl’s journey into another world that is so much like our own yet so different.

The book portrays Coraline as a lonely, attention-seeking girl who is bored of the rusty and worn out house she lives in. Her parents pay no attention to her, and the neighbors are more than a bit eccentric. Some might refer to them as freaks. Things change when she finds a doorway into a parallel world that mirrors her life. Coraline, courageously embarks on a bizarre and frightening adventure to find just what she wants in life. The story is filled with frightening imagery, descriptions of the occult, and a darkness that is deepened by the simple yet powerful language Gaiman uses. The writing and the prose are part of why this book stands out from other children’s. Not to mention it contains one of my favorite quotes:

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: The Midnight Visitor (Valeria from A Touch of Book Madness)

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FoF2014

Hi friends! I hope that you have enjoyed the playlists, and special post from Eldritch Black (PLUS GIVEAWAY) so far and boy do I have a treat for you today! We have Valeria from A Touch of Book Madness sharing a true ghost story! I really can’t get enough of this stuff, and I know you guys are going to love it. Many thanks to Valeria, and happy reading!

Creepy house

 

The Midnight Visitor

You know how when we think of old, big or abandoned houses we tend to think of creepy ghosts lurking round? Maybe because they seem to have too much history, but whenever I encounter one of these I always get the feeling that if I stare too long at the darkened window I will see someone looking back. But in new modern places we tend to feel safe, at least from ghosts and such nightly creatures.

The problem is we forget that where those places are built used to be something else, and we could still find some things lurking around at nights. This is what happened to my friend at the beginning of the year. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Guest Post by Eldritch Black

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FoF2014

 

Hello, friends! I am incredibly excited because today I have Eldritch Black, the author of The Book of Kindly Deaths (reviewed – HERE & spoiler alert: I loved it) on the blog today. He is sharing a pretty fantastic post written by Horasmythe Spindleclef, the food critic for the Grimwytch Gazette, on some of the many places to frequent around Grimwytch – and which places you should avoid, as well. ALSO he has been so kind to sponsor a giveaway, so read on and after you’re finished, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a copy of The Book of Kindly Deaths, AND a gorgeous necklace featuring the lovely book. Happy reading!

Unearthly Delights

Greetings, my name is Horasmythe Spindlecleft, also known as the gourmet of gourmets. If you’ve ever dined in my modest little Inn “The Fat Cobblefoot”, situated on the side of the Foggypeake mountains, you’ll be well aware of my extensive knowledge of food. And the finer things in life.

You’ve no doubt heard of my infamous twice-fried bat wings and hair of Hackthin tart, creations of exquisite beauty, though I say so myself. Not to mention my highly regarded Doormouse eye on toadstool and very-berry-sherry sauce.

It’s with great pride that I can announce I’ve been appointed chief scribbler of food reviews for the Grimwytch Gazette.

Below are the very first of many pearls of wisdom concerning places where weary travelers may sip and gorge upon unearthly delights. Outside of The Fat Cobblefoot.

As well as places to avoid like Fungal-throat plague.

The Malady Inn

A Fairly good stock of Old Catwhist, shame about the clientele.

The Malady Inn is a worn old building on the side of the Eastern Blackwood Road. Inside is a cosy, dingy room and its fairly affable landlord, Mr. Barrow. His bar is well stocked for the most part, although not to the scale of The Fat Cobblefoot. I chose a dish of sainted duck, goat-foot soup and a pint of Old Bramble’s Tipsy. It was an adequate meal until a table of Babbleslithers sat beside me and ruined the meagre ambience. Upon finishing their food, one of the more portly among them threw up his entire course through his left eye.

An unpleasant, vulgar end to a mediocre, but serviceable evening. Continue reading →

On the Same Page: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

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Title: The Goose Girl

Author: Shannon Hale

Publishing Information:  May 13th 2005 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling, Adventure

Series Information: First in The Books of Bayern series

Format: Hardcover, 400 pages

Source: Gifted for my personal library from Amy

Recommended For: Fans of Jessica Day George, Patricia C. Wrede, strong heroines, and sweet romances

Related Reviews: Brittany’s Review and Amy’s Post on Quotes

Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, spends the first years of her life under her aunt’s guidance learning to communicate with animals. As she grows up Ani develops the skills of animal speech, but is never comfortable speaking with people, so when her silver-tongued lady-in-waiting leads a mutiny during Ani’s journey to be married in a foreign land, Ani is helpless and cannot persuade anyone to assist her.

Becoming a goose girl for the king, Ani eventually uses her own special, nearly magical powers to find her way to her true destiny. Shannon Hale has woven an incredible, original and magical tale of a girl who must find her own unusual talents before she can become queen of the people she has made her own.

This was Amy’s choice for our On the Same Page feature, and a few years ago she even bought it for me (before we were best friends) when she had me for Secret Santa! So it is no question that she LOVES this book, and therefore I knew that I would love it as well. Well, friends, love it I did. I adored Ani and her strength, but I also loved that she was unsure about herself and her abilities. She was very real to me, and I love it when that happens. I could honestly go on and on about this book, but as we try and change it up for our On the Same Page posts I thought I would share a read alike guide with you instead of a traditional review!

So, if you liked The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, try…

 

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George – While it may sound that this is just another dragon inspired fairy tale employing all of the familiar themes, I promise that it is more involved than that, and though reminiscent of other tales it is uniquely sweet and promising. This novel comes highly recommended for those of you looking for a sweet story about a girl, her dragon, and their successful attempts to save a kingdom.

 

 

Entwined by Heather Dixon – This story follows Azalea and her sisters, they live with their mother and father and their favorite thing in the world is to dance. Unfortunately, their mother dies giving birth to their youngest sister and the palace goes under a period of mourning, in which no dancing is allowed. Azalea finds out some information regarding the secret passages in their castle and they discover a magical wood beyond their castle that contains a dancing glen, taken care of by a man who only goes by the name Keeper. Then, evil comes to the castle and there is an epic battle and all of these love pairings come about in a non-obvious way and it was so sweet and refreshing from the immediate I-have-to-have-you-now that comes in most YA romance novels. Also? I cried. This alone makes me like this book because it was so unexpected. The relationship between the girls and their father is even better than the romantic relationships in the book, which is rare and beautiful.

Continue reading →