Time was, beloved patrons, when summertime meant nothing but re-runs. Endless, unremitting re-runs of the shows we had enjoyed over fall, winter, and part of the spring. But the evolution of television has opened new opportunities for how we tell visual stories–from mini-series to movie-length adaptations, and where we tell stories. The internet has revolutionized the way we watch tv and film. Moreover, the diversity of channels and options has raised the bar on the quality of those shows, as well.
So when we tell you that there are some sensational books coming to screens near you, you can be guaranteed these stories are the kind that will grip you, move you, scare you, and leave you hungry for more! The following are just a few of the books that are being adapted into shows that will be airing over the summer. We’ll be sure to keep you updated when these are available via DVD at the Library. And never fear–our round-up of movie adaptations will be along soon, too!
Dietland: After author Sarai Walker saw the film Fight Club, she became determined to write the female version, investigating all the themes of gender and sexuality that Fight Club did from a feminine and feminist perspective. The result was her snarky, subversive, outlandish and fascinating debut novel about a woman named Plum Kettle. Plum works as a ghostwriter for the advice column of a wildly popular teen magazine. After years of failed diets, weight-loss programs, and dreams of being thin, she decides to make an appointment for weight loss surgery. But while she waits for her surgery date, Plum finds herself recruited by an underground feminist cabal known as “Calliope House”, a group that soon clashes with a guerrilla group known as “Jennifer”, who has been carrying out increasingly violent acts of vigilante justice against those who mistreat women. Used to a life behind a mask, Plum suddenly finds herself at the center of a sinister–and deadly–plot. This dark comedy has been turned into a show by AMC, starring Joy Nash and Julianna Margulies. It will begin airing on June 4, 2018.
Little Women:Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel of the four March sisters has been made into yet another tv mini-series, starring Emily Watson as Marmee and the inimitable Angela Lansbury as Aunt March. We’ve had plenty of talks about Little Women here at the Free-For-All, and though it’s very much a product of its time in many ways, the book is also a remarkable story of resilience and determination that has encouraged generations of children to follow their dreams and believe in the power of love in its many forms. While I will personally be withholding judgement on this new adaptation for a little while, those of you willing to take the plunge into this new mini-series will find it airing on PBS beginning May 13.
Sharp Objects: Readers of Gillian Flynn’s dark thrillers will already know the power and pull of her stories–and anyone who saw the feature film Gone Girl will remember the way she can trick, tease, and turn viewer’s beliefs upside-down. Now, we have the chance to see the adaptation of her dark, twisty tale of journalist Camille Preaker, who is sent on the hardest assignment of her life: back to her small hometown to investigate the murders of two preteen girls. Camille has spent years trying to live down the weight of her judgmental, hypochondriac mother, or recover from the guilt she feels for abandoning her younger half-sister–but now that she’s back in her old bedroom, and once again enmeshed in her family’s and her town’s drama, Camille begins to realize that the truth is far more complicated–and far more personal–than she ever imagined. This adaptation, starring Amy Adams, will be airing on HBO in June.
C.B. Strike: Thought the title has changed a little, fans of J.K. Rowling’s Cormoran Strike series will feel right at home in this adaptation of the best-selling mystery series. After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator: he’s in debt, his girlfriend has left him, he’s living in his office, and he’s down to his last client. But when Strike is approached by John Bristow, brother of a world-famous supermodel who recently fell to her death, he finds himself suddenly thrust into a world he never imagined. Bristow’s world is full of luxury, decadence, and seduction…but it also hides worlds of secrets, shame, and darkness that Strike needs to uncover before it’s too late. Based on J.K. Rowling (writing as Robert Galbraith), this show will begin airing on Cinemax in June, as well.
So make some popcorn, beloved patrons, and prepare for a summertime’s worth of literary entertainment!
Today, we bring you a wanderlust reading list based on my recent trip to Belgium…it was for a history conference, which was great, but to be honest, I was so busy, I didn’t even get a waffle. I’m not joking.
I spent most of my time in Ghent, a port city that grew along the convergence of the Scheldt and Leie rivers, and was one of the wealthiest cities in Belgium–and Europe–in the middle ages. Flemish art and culture flourished here, as can been seen in the stunning architecture and artwork throughout the city; for the record, ‘Flemish’ is a word that describes the Dutch language and culture, as well as the numerous dialects of the Dutch language (Belgian Dutch sounds surprisingly different from Netherlands Dutch, which I never knew!)
The city remained a major site for the textile industry, making it a hub of culture and commerce well into the 19th century, and the War of 1812 ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Two years later, the University of Ghent was established, and remains a prestigious place of learning to this day.
Ghent by day
Though Ghent was occupied by the German Army in both World War One and World War Two, but remained comparatively untouched, especially in comparison to places like Ypres, which was literally wiped off the map. As a result, Ghent is a stunningly beautiful city, with panoramic river views, big statues, wide, welcoming squares, and plenty of outdoor spaces in which to take it all in. There are oodles of bars, cafes, and restaurants, offering a huge variety of food and drink–particularly Belgian beer, which is typically light in color and so wheaty that it’s rather like drinking a dinner roll. As a result, it’s a perfect choice for drinking while sitting a spell near the river and watching the varied world go by.
Ghent by night
And while I didn’t get a waffle in the course of my travels, I did, however, find a charming English-language bookstore by the Leie River, who introduced me to a whole range of Belgian literature (in translation, obviously) that made me feel like I had spent weeks wandering the Flemish countryside, waffle in hand, chatting with charming Dutch-speaking locals and their picturesque cows. And, thanks to that chat, I was able to get a number of recommendations for those who would like to take an armchair adventure to Belgium–and might very well come back having experienced much more culture than I did!
The Square of Revenge: Pieter Aspe is a best-selling Flemish crime author whose detective Pieter Van In, who lives and works in a fictionalized Bruge, is fast becoming a cultural institution. He’s got every bad habit you can think of, from chain-smoking to gruff, phlemgy interruptions of anyone with whom he disagrees, but there is no doubt that Van In can get the job done. In this first of his cases, Van In is called to investigate a break-in of one of Bruge’s most famous, luxurious jewelry store; but rather than make off with the assortment of precious and historic jewels, the vandals dumped them in a vat of corrosive acid, leaving only a scrap of paper on which a strange square has been drawn in the burgled safe. Together with the stunning and sharp DA Hannelore Martens, Van In finds himself being drawn ever further into a case that becomes increasingly complicated with every step. Not only is this book a superb introduction to a beloved Belgian series, but armchair adventurers will love Aspe’s descriptions of Bruge and the lives of his characters there.
Styx: The prolific and consistently surprising Bavo Dhooge was born in Ghent, though his latest paranormal detective novel is set in the coastal city of Ostend. Rather like Aspe’s Van In, the detective in this story, the middle-aged Rafael Styx, is cranky and sore, dealing with a bad hip and a failing marriage. However, this case deals with a ruthlessly clever serial killer known as The Stuffer, who fills his victims full of sand and poses them as public art installations. Indeed, Styx very nearly winds up as The Stuffer’s latest victims–but rather than dying of the shot he took to the chest, Styx instead wakes up a zombie. Though he has to deal with some unpleasant side-effects of this condition, not least of which is nearly-controllable bodily decay and a growing taste for human flesh, Styx finds that there are benefits–including the ability to travel within Ostend’s history, which gives Styx a very unique insight into his criminal prey. Dhooge’s description of Ostend during the Belle Epoque is not to be missed, but it is his wickedly black humor and willingness to take his story where you least expect it, is really what makes this book such a treat to read.
On Black Sisters Street: A native of Nigeria, Chika Unigwe now lives in Belgium, and her stories relate the pain, struggles, and consistent loss that is the immigrant experience. In this novel, set in Antwerp, four women share an apartment in the red-light district, pledged to a ruthless Madam and an enigmatic pimp, they are seen by most as little more than commodities. But in Unigwe’s startling and deeply moving story, each woman presents her own story, revealing her deep humanity, and the secrets, hopes, and fears that drive her onward. Though bleak, the bond that forms between these women is powerful and transformative, making this story far more than a tear-jerker. It is also a ruthlessly precise and incisive view of Europe from an African perspective, giving new insight into the perennial issue of immigration, to Europe, as well as around the world.
Cheese: There is no political satire quite like a Belgian political satire, and this classic by Dutch author William Elsschot is a hallmark of that particular genre. First published in 1933, this novel tells the story of Frans Laarmans, a harried clerk in Antwerp who suddenly finds himself the chief agent for Edam cheese, those little red-rind Dutch cheeses, and ordered to sell thousands of wheels, and some 370 cases containing ten thousand full-cream cheeses. This might be some people’s dream come true, but not only does Laarmans not know how to run a business, he doesn’t even like cheese! As a visit from his bosses loom, Laarmans traverses the city, exploring its rigid class structure and charming foibles, gently cracking under the pressure of cheese. Though Elsschot had a stellar wit, and delivers the details of this story with deadpan humor, he still manages to build quite a lot of tension into the story, dragging readers along on Laarmans’ quest to sell cheese and recover his life. This book also provides some fascinating insight into the world of historic Belgium, and all its quirks.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this adventure, dear readers!
"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." ~Frederick Douglass
