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June 11, 2007
Book Review: Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
It’s the holiday season in the north of Scotland, where a disparate group of individuals have converged. Elfrida, a free-spirited retired actress in her mid-sixties, is acting as companion to Oscar, a retired choirmaster and organist who recently lost his wife and daughter in a car crash. They are soon joined by two of Elfrida’s distant relations and a newcomer to the area, all of whom are several decades younger. Although diverse in age and temperament, the characters eventually find solace in friendship and the comforts of hearth and home. Filled with warm characters and rich descriptions of rugged Scottish coast, Winter Solstice is a soothing, delightfully cozy read.
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 1:47 PM
June 10, 2007
Nigerian Author Wins 2007 Orange Prize
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has won the 12th-annual Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction with Half of a Yellow Sun, her second novel. The book, a sweeping war epic set during Nigeria’s vicious 1960s Biafran conflict, was called “a moving and important book” by prize judges.
The Orange Broadband Prize is one of the the U.K.’s most prestigious literary awards, given annually to the best novel written in English by a woman of any nationality. Because of its focus, the award has been controversial. Previous winners include Larry’s Party by Carol Shields, Bel Canto by Ann Patchett and On Beauty by Zadie Smith.
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 4:40 PM
June 6, 2007
Lights, Camera, Read: Summer 2007 Edition
The summer movie season is in full swing, and in the midst of all the blockbusters, there will be a few films with literary underpinnings:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling
Evening, based on the novel by Susan Minot
Jindabyne, based on the story "So Much Water So Close to Home" by Raymond Carver
Stardust, based on the novel by Neil Gaiman
So before you see the movie, check out the book!
Posted by hplreadingcorner at 4:54 PM