It may seem as though every movie hitting the silver screen lately is based on a comic book, but novels and other books are better represented in Hollywood than you may realize. Once upon a time, studio heads in LaLa Land hired the likes of William Faulkner, Raymond Chandler, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Ray Bradbury to pen scripts for them. Nowadays, book publishing deals often include brokering film rights, leading to that seemingly ubiquitous line in movie credits and film posters: “Based on the book by…” Continue reading
Monthly Archives: September 2014
Banned Books Week 2014
Walt Whitman once declared, “The dirtiest book of all is the expurgated book.” As booksellers—and more importantly, as readers—we have to agree. Here in Bas Bleu’s Bluestocking Salon, we talk a lot about how much books mean to us; is it any wonder the thought of someone trying to block our access to them makes us see red? Continue reading
The Books That Shape Us
Perhaps you’ve noticed the exercise making the rounds on Facebook lately: One user will post a list of the ten books that “stayed with them” in some way and challenge their friends to do the same. As Facebook trends go, it’s a fun one: We always like to hear what our friends are reading, and it’s a pleasant surprise when someone we don’t know well turns out to be a (literary) kindred spirit. But it’s also revealing to see which books helped to shape the people we know into, well, the people we know! Continue reading
September Book a Month: Still Life
As part of Bas Bleu’s 2014 Book a Month program, each month we’re offering discussion questions about the featured work—for book clubs as well as thoughtful individuals. You may use the questions to reflect back on each book once you’ve finished it or to guide you as you read. Either way, we hope these features will enrich your reading experience. (We’ll do our best to avoid plot spoilers, but you should proceed with caution!)
Picturesque small town filled with hidden secrets? Check. Thoughtful yet charismatic detective? Check. Rich cast of supporting characters? Double check. We know you bluestockings love a good mystery novel, and September’s feature, Still Life, is one of Bas Bleu’s recent favorites. Continue reading