In February, I returned to my mom's home country of Taiwan for the first time in over a decade. It was a great trip, and I'll be blogging more about the food, the sights, and my family over on my own website. But here, I just want to talk about the flights. Why the flights?

Because YA.

Getting to Taiwan required 3 separate flights, altogether totaling (with layovers) about 36 hours of travel. And it was the same coming back. That's... a lot of time. Fortunately, transoceanic planes are now usually equipped with personal entertainment centers. So while my neck, back, and butt still had to suffer through the long ride on those uncomfortable seats, at least my mind was pleasantly occupied.

The Fault in Our Stars

Confession: This movie was just so-so for me.

(Please don't hurt me! I loved the book!)

Don't get me wrong: I still cried. A lot. And I think there were great aspects. Shailene was excellent as Hazel, as was Laura Dern as her mother. It was beautifully filmed. It captured the spirit of the story.

But I think certain things -- like Hazel's internal monologues, and Augustus's external ones -- worked better in print than on screen.

Still, I'm glad I finally saw it. Even more than that, I'm glad the movie will bring so many new readers to the book.


This was a beautifully animated, quirky, but slightly uneven story about a boy and the endearingly strange underground creatures that raised him.
Book Covers

One of my favorite things to do in foreign countries is go to a local bookstore and browse the shelves. Granted, I can't read most of what I see, but it's still fun. To see the cover designs and trends. To see what's popular.

Here's what I saw in Taipei. What series and titles can you spot?

Since I haven't had much time to watch movies lately, I am frighteningly out of the loop. But one night over the holidays my sister brought out THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, insisting I would love it.

She was right. I ended up watching it again the very next day, in fact. The film was endearing and heartwarming, much like Mitty himself. Even though there are not many young adults in the film, it felt very much like a coming-of-age story. Except that instead of a confused, self-conscious teen, the protagonist was a quiet, unassuming middle-aged man who spent his free time caring for his aging mother, pining for a pretty co-worker, and daydreaming of adventure.

When Mitty finally embarked on some real adventures of his own, I felt like a supportive parent shouting, "You go, Walter!" Yes, the adventures were far-fetched (i.e., jumping from a helicopter into shark-infested waters off the coast of Greenland), but somehow it all came off as charming and delightful instead of annoying.

MITTY, starring Ben Stiller (who also directed the film), was understated and carefully executed. The cinematography was cleverly artistic and the scenery breathtaking. I still get goosebumps thinking about Mitty skateboarding down that deserted highway in Iceland. With a great soundtrack and supporting cast that includes Shirley MacLain, Kristen Wiig, Adam Scott and Sean Penn, the movie is quiet and profound, humorous and quirky and surprisingly sweet, all at once...


The film was based on a four-page short story written by James Thurber in 1939, so I immediately tracked down the original story and gobbled it up. Of course, Stiller took a lot of creative license creating his version of a modern-day Mitty adventure. All I can say is, it totally worked.

Have you seen this movie yet or read the short story? What did you think?

Much is being said about Young Adult books being turned into films.  This is not a new formula, and turning books into movies has been the bread and butter of Hollywood for quite some time.  However, film rights for YA books seem to be snatched up quicker than publication. 

Money matters a whole awful lot on the business side of books and film.  There's an immeasurable demand for successful franchises like Harry Potter, Twilight, Divergent and The Hunger Games, and fears for those deals that don't garner as much attention or revenue like Beautiful Creatures or The Mortal Instruments.  There's no formula for success.  No one knows what will be the Next Big Thing.

However, if asking little old me, I'd say the most satisfying YA book to film has been The Perks of Being a Wallflower.  It's beautifully acted, visually realised and the soundtrack is infinite.  That's what I look for in a film, let alone an adaptation.  There is an immeasurable demand from me for films like that. 



art by the enormously talented Simini Blocker

So when Rainbow Rowell tweeted yesterday that her film rights to Eleanor & Park have been sold to DreamWorks, little old me did a crotchety dance.  Like, dude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I could not be happier.  I can't think of a book that doesn't represent adolescence any better. 

And then I felt a little twinge of panic.  Eleanor & Park doesn't have a director yet.  Or a cast.  Who would be cast as Eleanor...who will be cast as Park?  Never has a book to film adaptation had such a challenge.  There aren't any famous actors I can think of for either part.  They're going to have to be unknowns--risky for a film company--or the characters are going to have to change in their appearance to fit a famous actor.

It makes me think that perhaps some books shouldn't be made into movies at all.

I think Rainbow realizes these challenges and has thought them over more obsessively than her readers, no doubt.  Not that she has any choice about anything!!  But she's having a go at writing the screenplay.  And happy for whoever the director will be and actors cast to represent the spirit of the book, if not perfectly fitting the physicality of the characters she's created. 

Okay. 

*mopey face*

I think there will be more answers for me after The Fault in our Stars comes out.  Someone clever discovered that John Green is the Next Sure Thing and even Paper Towns has recently been green-lighted with a director and cast.  That's big news.

Whether you love his books or not, the guy is very good at what he does.  And he's genuine about it.  He has this way of making you feel like life is just an inside joke.  That's not something to be hyped, but something to smile knowingly to yourself about. 

And I think it's probably a better formula for the medium of books. 

I hope I'm wrong. 

Prove me wrong! 

What makes a successful book adaptation for you? 

And who would you cast as Eleanor & Park?

Once upon a time, I heard about a Young Adult novel called THE BOOK THIEF. Back then, I was still somewhat new to the YA world, having only really read the Harry Potter and Twilight series. But I was intrigued. These stories about young people doing big things spoke to me in a way that I had almost forgotten books could. They made reading not just beautiful or smart (as many adult books do) but fun too.

A couple years later, I finally got around to reading THE BOOK THIEF. Truthfully, the novel was long and unusual and maybe even a bit slow... But Sarah urged me to stick with it, so I did. (For the record, Sarah is almost always right when it comes to books. Trust the Wedge!) And thank goodness I kept reading, because THE BOOK THIEF became a favorite of mine. It was beautiful and smart and fun. It was one of a kind.

Recently, THE BOOK THIEF became a movie. Yesterday, I went to see it in a theater, and I cried and cried and cried. Just like the book, the film was beautiful and smart and fun. It brought the story to life -- not necessarily true to every scene or line, but true to the spirit. Liesl was brave and warm. Rudy was innocent and devoted. Max was resilient and hopeful. Papa Hubermann was honest and kind. Mama Hubermann was fierce and proud.

If I'm being critical, I would say that there are a few moments where the two kids sound strangely wooden, due to their accents combining with the brevity of their lines. But they more than make up for it in every other way. Their charm, their chemistry, their vulnerability, their strength.

Artistically, the film is truly beautiful. There's a scene early on with a black car driving through the snowy countryside, and I remember feeling absolutely captivated by the stark simple elegance of that shot. John Williams's score is a perfect complement, moving from a tender melody for Rudy and Liesl's young love, to the urgent crescendo of burning books and shattered windows and wartime.

Do yourself a favor and read this book. See this film. And if you're anything like me, make sure you have tissues for both.

Since everyone loves Veronica Mars, we decided to peek into the depths of Netflix and see if they had anything else in the same vein. You know, other great shows or movies that would appeal to a YA audience. We found some real gems!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Twilight is all well and good, but Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the original teenage vampire story. She doesn't just hang with vampires, though -- she SLAYS them. (Well, most of them.)

Seriously, this show has everything. Action, romance, humor, magic... And Giles! We mustn't forget the brilliant, bumbling librarian whose job is to train Buffy in the art of fighting monsters, keeping our world safe and preventing the Hellmouth from opening.

This, of course, is all set against the backdrop of the "normal" high school experience. So if you're looking for paranormal romance with a literally kick-ass heroine, Buffy's your gal.

(You might recognize David Boreanaz from Bones, or Alyson Hannigan from How I Met Your Mother.)

Dawson's Creek

If you're into the contemporary scene, check out Dawson's Creek. It's the classic boy-doesn't-realize-the-girl-next-door-is-in-love-with-him-because-he's-hot-for-the-new-girl story. With a side of Pacey Whittaker, aka the most lovable loser ever!

As they they traverse the treacherous waters of high school, these four friends banter back and forth with the wit and vocabulary of a John Green novel. There are also a ton of great adult characters -- especially Dawson's grossly in-love parents and Jen Lindley's severe-but-sweet grandmother.

Confession: The college years are not as good, so we give you permission to stop at the end of Season 4.

(You might recognize Joshua Jackson from Fringe, James Van Der Beek from a myriad of guest roles, or Katie Holmes from being married to Tom Cruise.)

Friday Night Lights

This show might be the best ever. (And trust us, it makes no difference if you like football or not.) There are no "good guys" or "bad guys" -- just real people trying to live their lives, reach their goals, and find their loves.

The show centers around Coach and Mrs. Coach, whose strong marriage is a great model of what we'd like to see more of, both in fiction and real life. The teenage characters are who propel the conflict, though. Like the smart, rebellious daughter. Her shy, scrawny boyfriend who gets propelled into the spotlight when the star quarterback suffers a debilitating accident. The alcoholic bad boy and the picture-perfect cheerleader he can't have. The mouthy, arrogant running back who's just trying to make a name for himself so that he can go pro and take care of his family. (Can you that tell we love these characters?)

We dare you to watch a few episodes of this show and not start rooting for the Dillon Panthers. Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose.

(You might recognize Gaius Charles from Grey's Anatomy, Taylor Kitsch from John Carter or Battleship, Kyle Chandler from Argo or Super 8, or Connie Britton from being awesome.)

Clueless

If you don't have the time or emotional energy to invest in a television show, but you still want some good YA laughs, Clueless is the movie for you. Though it might seem like shallow fluff at first -- full of goofy fashion and scheming romance -- it's actually a very clever and hilarious retelling of Emma by Jane Austen. And by the end, you'll probably find yourself using hip 90s slang like "rolling with the homies" or "what-ever," complete with hand motions.

(You might recognize Donald Faison from Scrubs, or Paul Rudd from Perks of Being a Wallflower or lots of Judd Apatow movies.)

Felicity

It's so true, isn't it, that many of the best movies are screenplays based on novels? Like the two recent hits The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Silver Linings Playbook. Or (going back a ways) Stand by Me and The Princess Bride. And many, many others.  

It seems like Hollywood is sampling from the YA bookshelves quite a bit lately, and we couldn't be more excited about their choices. Here are a few upcoming book-to-movie titles that we can't wait to see:

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - in theaters March 29th 

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human. (from Amazon.com)

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl - in theaters Feb. 13th   

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. (from banesandnoble.com)

And let's not forget Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - in theaters tomorrow!!

R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between. (from amazon.com). 

Sometimes, the best stories to read at Christmastime aren’t about Christmas at all. Some stories need only a moment of Christmas cheer to transport you. These books may not have reindeer and elves or tiny babies in mangers. But the holiday spirit is there — in the memories, the magic, the atmosphere.

Here are some of our holiday favorites:

Stephanie: Whenever I reread THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, I always feel like a kid at Christmastime. I still remember my surprise the first time I read the part where they think they’re being chased by the White Witch but Father Christmas shows up instead. I remember crawling into our downstairs closet, packed with winter coats, and wishing with all my heart that a snowy wood would appear. For me, the first Narnia story is steeped in nostalgia and Christmas spirit. It’s one of those stories I wish I could discover for the first time, all over again.


Kristan: For me, THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern evokes holiday spirit because at its core, it's a story about magic and giving. (And the magic OF giving.) Celia and Marco take turns creating the most beautiful, elaborate spells for one another — like bottled scent-memories, wishing candle-trees, and colorful fire-fountains. They also share their wondrous creations with the public, drawing endless crowds to the traveling circus. Oh how I wish I could drift in and out of those tents, basking in the moonlight and smiling under the soft white snowfall.


Sarah: For me, Christmas isn't complete without Christian Bale... er, LITTLE WOMEN. Every year, I watch Winona Ryder break Christian Bale's heart. And I lament. Marry Laurie and not Professor Bhaer! He's trying to be your dad or something by telling you not to write about vampires. Jo says, "But this is what sells!" and I nod my head. MmmHmm. Strangely, I have the same reactions when I re-read the book (and I always re-read at Christmas.) But somehow every time, I come around to Professor Bhaer. He stirs her imagination, her mind, he brings out the best of her talents. He is her match. Then again he doesn't sing "Here We Come A-wassailing" and fall down with her in the snow. Hmm. Perhaps some Louisa May Alcott fanfic is in order. Either way, I hope Susan Sarandon can one day accept that she's my mom in an alternate universe. Peace. On Earth.

Ingrid: DASH AND LILY'S BOOK OF DARES sort of makes you feel like you're experiencing the holidays in the Big Apple right along with these two characters. I once visited New York City during the month of December, and I still vividly remember the lights, the ice skating, the shoppers... the festive atmosphere that pervaded the city. There is nothing quite like it. Dash and Lily capture that excitement perfectly (and often, humorously). If you need a good, upbeat story to see you through the holiday haze, check this one out.

That title?  It's my new favorite phrase thanks to the Disney movie Wreck It Ralph.  Have you seen it yet?

It's stupendous.  Mainly because of the storytelling.  I wasn't one of those blown away by the humor (which relied on puns that went over the kiddunk's heads), or by the political correctness (it's Disney, 'nuff said).  I was charmed by the "finishing line."  And the world building.

Okay, okay.  Yes, this is a book site.  Why am I talking about movies?  I'm getting there...

We know you all read (readers of the world, UNITE.  Bangarang!), and some of you write too.  But did you know that once you cross that line between writing angsty (yet strangely efficient) poetry to novel-length fiction that you will NEVER be able to watch a movie or read a book again without seeing the mechanics?

Yeah, NO ONE ever tells you that.  When you write stories, you can't go back to being fooled by the man behind the curtain.  You ARE THE MAN behind the curtain.  There's no being gullible.  You see the minions working all the strings, and then you imagine BIGGER minions with stronger strings.  You see it all.

But there's hope!  Yes, there's hope.  Every once in a while you read a book that makes you forget that there are strings.

Hello, sweet DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT

You see a movie, and you think it's going in one direction, and you say, "Okay, this is the 'all is lost' minion stringing me along...I see you, minion!  Let's just skip to the end because I'm bored now." And then something magical happens.  The story glitches.  (Glitching is good now, friends).  You forget your way.  You're at a traffic light and you have no idea how you got there.

You are quite happy to be an oversized, smelly oaf riding on the back of a frosting-coated race car on a sugar rope race track.  And you can smell the mentos.

You gotsta love a story that does that.  Ralph, you Wrecked It!!

Every so often we like to have a post featuring awesome books that aren't Young Adult, but are so stupendous we think you'd like them just as much.  Not saying you don't already read adult books, but there's a possibility you might have missed some because those shelves in the teen section of B&N are super shiny.  True story:  we pass them each week for our We Heart YA meetings, and declare, "One day, my pretties, you'll all be ours!"  (Most Coveted at present: SHADOW & BONE, and BETWEEN THE LINES).

What exactly IS a cloud atlas?  "The ever-changing manifestations of fixed human nature."  (Thanks Wikipedia.)

You've probably already heard they're making a movie based on this book by David Mitchell.  Please, if you do nothing else today, check out this extended trailer.  It's amazeballs!!  (This is Sarah speaking, by the way, and she wants to go on record that Tom Hanks and Halle Berry are not her favorite actors, but she's still salivating over the possibilities of this film.)

If the visual merits of the trailer don't sell you (Sarah squeed just at the sight of a ship on water, she's got it bad, folks) here are some reasons why we think Young Adults will love this book:

1.  Sweeping human themes of inter-connectedness, but also predation.  Who better to approach these topics than a young mind, fresh and insightful?  (You philosophers, you).

2.  There's a Love story (all good stories do, in one form or another).

3.  It's humorous (if you're a fan of British wit and whimsy, which you totally should be).

4.  It's Post-Apocolyptic (hello, um, YA dominates this genre), but also genre bending with mixes of historical, mystery, thriller, contemporary, and sci-fi.  About covers all the bases, right?

5.  It's going to make you Smarter.  Honestly, when you finish the book you will understand ALL THE THINGS (and if you do, please explain them to us).

P.S.  We would be remiss if we didn't warn that there are some things in the book that some parents might not want their Benny's and Joon's to read.  Humans are kind of messed up to each other, and that's certainly depicted in the book.  We're not going to stoop to "rating" this book for you, but it probably won't appeal to readers under 15.  Just saying.  And if you're like us, this will ultimately be Reason Number Six to read this book (Sarah...encouraging mischief since 1979).

When I started high school, I went from reading Sweet Valley High and Babysitter's Club (Yay 90's!) to reading only classics. I fell in love with Shakespeare and Jane Austen, and I wanted to read anything that would transport me to another time.

So when I would see a classic story turned into a modern film, I always felt like they kind of missed the point.




I first saw the 1996 film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet in English class my freshman year of high school. Even though I did enjoy it, I never liked it as much as reading it or seeing it acted out on stage with period costumes and posh English accents. 



My feelings changed when I saw BBC’s Sherlock. At its heart, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes aren’t about the costumes and picturesque Victorian streets. They’re about this extraordinary man solving crimes in a way that no one’s seen before and his relationship with this ordinary doctor. When you watch Sherlock, you get to see Holmes as people saw him in 1887 — as a man way ahead of our time. 
Here's a trailer, in case you haven't seen the show.
Now I want to see other classics updated and done just as well. What would Anne Shirley be like in the 21st century? Or Frankenstein and his monster?  
What classic stories would you like to see modernized?

Okay, let’s be honest: all anyone still wants to talk about is The Hunger Games, especially now that most of us have seen the film. For those of you who haven’t…

Let’s get started.

Interestingly enough, it was the first half of the movie—the parts that took place before anyone stepped into the arena itself—that were the most moving, heart-wrenching, and devastating. Long before the “Games” actually began, I was an emotional wreck.

As for the casting…

Absolutely spot-on across the board. Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci were both amazing in their respective roles as Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman. They couldn’t have been more on target (I swear, I’m not making up these puns on purpose).

Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) and Liam Hemsworth (Gale) both nailed their roles as Katniss’s potential love interests. And Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss? Brilliant. Flawless. Stunning. Insert adoring adjective of choice.  

Cinna. Lenny Kravitz was excellent in this role, and the scenes between Cinna and Katniss were authentic and emotionally charged. In fact, the scene just before Katniss must step in the elevator and go up to the arena was possibly the best (worst) moment of the entire movie, imo. Speaking of stylists, the costumes were just WOW. (Big props to costume designer Judianna Makovsky for that.)

Additions that rocked:

1. Seneca Crane being locked in the room with a bowl of nightlock berries. Wow—not easy to make viewers feel sorry for THAT character, but somehow this move by the evil President Snow came pretty close.

4. The way you could see the arena being manipulated in 3D by the Gamemakers. Creepy, sickening and thought-provoking.  

Notable deletions:

1. The mutts were just mutts. No resemblance to the fallen tributes at all (though they were some seriously scary beasts). 

2. Madge and the mayor. I can see why they cut these characters out, but I still missed them.

3. The avox girl Katniss met in the capitol (and the story of how she got there).

4. And of course, all the details and insights that are impossible to glean from a movie but that made the book so incredible and intense. Which begs the question: how does this movie hold up for viewers who didn’t read the books?

This could go on forever. Bottom line—we were impressed by the adaptation. But we’d love to hear what YOU think, so drop us a silver parachute and let your voice be heard.