Have you seen this new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trailer?

Can. Not. Wait.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Be honest – how many times have you watched the new Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie trailer?

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Man, oh man.  Am I lucky or what?  The second U.S. screening of Pope Joan will be held in Park City, Utah this Tuesday May 18th at 7:30 at the Park City Music Festival. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased through the Park City Music Festival website. There *may* be a chance that Donna Woolfolk Cross will be in attendance as well.   YES!

Edited to add:  There is also a second showing at  7 pm at the Egyptian theater  in Park City on Sunday, May 23rd.

Movie trailer:

Go!  See it!  Read the book!

I’m SO excited!!  Short notice but will I see you there?!

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

As apparent from the comments on the book review, it’s a love it or hate it book.  What about the movie?  Planning on seeing it?  I admit, it looks good but I wonder if I’ll find it slightly annoying.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Although it’s already come out, I can’t help but mention Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! I loved it!  As long as one doesn’t nitpick it with the book, it was the best of the entire series.  I wish there was a huge battle at the end but like I said, nitpicking . . . . So good!

Another one that is already out but deserves mention, My Sister’s Keeper. I heard Jodi Picoult talk about her reaction to the movie when she came to Salt Lake City including her feelings about changing the end of the movie from the book.  This book has been in my house forever and I refuse to watch the movie until I read the book.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell. I haven’t read the book but the movie trailer really makes me want to. It just came out yesterday.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I have had this book on my shelf for probably a year and a half with good intentions to read it. Here’s hoping the movie release will push it to the top of the TBR. Releases August 14, 2009.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. My husband claims he never knew this upcoming movie was a book.  To which I’m incredulous.  Everybody knows about this book.  Right?  If not, shame.   Looks good and releases September 18, 2009.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. Who doesn’t love this book?  Like many of us, I grew up with Where the Wild Things Are and have more than one copy in the house.  Maurice Sendak couldn’t be more pleased with the film, so now I’m even more excited.  Husband is also really excited.  He saw seven movies of the film at Comic-Con and he said it was amazing.  Releases October 16, 2009. Movie site.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I had no idea that this was being made into a movie but man, it looks fantastic!  Releases October 16, 2009.

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Road Dahl. I read and reviewed Fantastic Mr. Fox when my book club had a book to movie theme month.  I can’t wait to see this movie!  Comes out November 13, 2009 and features George Clooney, Meryl Streep, and a billion more.

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. Need I say more?  Many will be fighting the crowds to see this one on November 20th.  I must admit that I’m a bit disappointed that they still didn’t throw money into the special effects.  We shall see . . .

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. SO looking forward to this movie!!!!  I read the book pre-blog when it was first released.  So good.  Releases December 11, 2009.

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross. The movie trailer isn’t officially released to the public yet but in a phone chat with Donna during our book club, she gave us a secret link and trust me, you want to see this movie. In a recent press release that I received from Donna she needs readers help to make sure that the movie makes it to a movie theater near you.  PLEASE read this statement from Donna and then make your voice heard.  In addition, you have a couple more weeks to purchase the book and get your name entered to be flown to the movie premiere.  Details on that.

Alice in Wonderland!!!! I got all giddy when I watched the trailer for Alice in Wonderland simply because it makes me excited for my husband.  He’s almost crazy with anticipation.  The book holds a special place in my husband’s heart as he has probably collected at least a dozen different versions of the story and he’s done multiple sketches of the characters.  Plus putting Johnny Depp and Tim Burton into the mix and he’s just beside himself.  He’s refused to watch the trailer.   He was at Comi-Con and was super bummed not to get into their panel.  It’s going to be a long wait until March 5, 2010.

So what movie based on a book are you most excited about watching this summer and fall? Did I miss any?  Let me know in the comments and I’ll include the trailer in the comments.

Copyright 2010. Maw Books Blog

Maw Books has an affiliate relationship with several bookstores, including Indiebound, Powell’s, and Amazon . When you buy a product (not just books – any product), via one of my links, Maw Books earns income from the sale and as always, it’s much appreciated as all affiliate income is used to support the blog. There is no cost to you.

Stephenie Meyer links found on this blog:
Stephenie Meyer on Ellen Show Tomorrow
Stephenie Meyer’s Midnight Sun Put On Hold After Illegal Copy Distribution
Twilight & Harry Potter Both Change Movie Release Dates
Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer Book Review
The Host by Stephenie Meyer Book Review
Breaking Dawn Book Cover Released
The New Twilight Movie Trailer
The First Completed Scene of Twlight Released
Thoughts on Attending Stephenie Meyer’s Book Signing
Twilight Movie Trailer

So did Breaking Dawn make you want to watch the movie more or less?

It has been years since I’ve read a Roald Dahl book, one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time, so I was looking forward to reading James and the Giant Peach.  James is sent to live with his two horrible aunts after his parents die a quick but very horrible death (by a rhinoceros no less!).  Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge were “selfish and lazy and cruel” and beat James for no reason at all.  When he wasn’t working, he had no friends, no toys, and wasn’t allowed to leave the house on top of a little hill where he could see the ocean and friends that he longed for.

But that all changes when a magical little old man gives James a bag of magical crystals  that are sure to change his life forever if only he can eat them before his Aunts catch him.   But instead he accidently drops them at the roots of on an old peach tree that never bears fruit.  A peach begins to grow, grow and grow and there is no sign of stopping!

When it grows to the size of the house, the adventure really begins when James discovers that he can crawl inside where he meets a bunch of new friends – who just happen to be oversized insects – including a spider, ladybug, grasshoper, and earthworm.  James and his new friends begin to roll away and are sent on an adventure that takes them into the ocean, through the sky and across the ocean to New York City!

Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was fun full of irreverant humour.  I did get bored in the middle while the seagulls were flying across the ocean and they came into mishaps with the Cloud-Men.  I always loved Lane Smith, the illustrator of the version I have, but I can’t decide about these illustrations.  Some of them are really nice and some of them are a miss.  But regardless, I still love him.

I haven’t seen the movie for James and the Giant Peach but thought it would be worth checking out.  The movie trailer:

I read James and the Giant Peach during Banned Books Week.  This book has been challenged because it’s too magical, advocates communism (what?!?), and because James disobeys his Aunts, despite the fact that they are abusive, as well as a myriad of other reasons.  Relax people!  Do you really think a story of a magical, huge peach is going to harm our kids?  I think the kiddos are smart enough to figure out that this one is just a story!

Do you read Roald Dahl?  I have most of his books, which one should be next?

Roald Dahl website.

Edited to add:  The whole time I was reading this book I kept reminding myself to share my peach pudding recipe, and what would you know, I published it without the recipe!  If you have fresh peaches, this recipe is TO DIE FOR!  I’ve made it three times within the last month as peaches are on right now.  I’m seriously salivating!

Grandma’s Peach Pudding

Mix and boil milk, sugar, and salt together.  Combine separately cornstarch with a little milk and make a thin thickening.  When milk mixture boils pour in thickening.  Pour a little of this into the beaten eggs and mix up.  Add the egg mixture back into main mixture.  Add vanilla and butter.  Bring to a boil while stirring until mixture has reached pudding like consistency. Chill mixture.  Roll out graham crackers.  In a bowl layer graham crackers, pudding, fruit, graham crackers, pudding, fruit, and crackers.  Let stand 2 or 3 hours.  Serve with real whipped cream.  I actually don’t use the stove for this and do everything in the microwave.  With the exception of peeling and cutting peaches, it only takes about 15-20 minutes.

When Brian Steidle retired from the Marines, he started looking for a job in which he could utilize his military skills.  While browsing the classifieds, he came upon an ad from a civilian contracting company overseeing a cease fire in the south.  With naivety, he quickly accepted thinking that he had just landed his dream job.  It wasn’t long after his arrival in Sudan, that Brian transferred to Darfur, working as the American representative in the African Union.  A monitoring force of only 300, the African Union’s mandate prohibited them from taking any action to actually protect civilians or arrest perpetrators.  Their only job was to “observe, inquire, and write reports.”

Can you imagine?  You’re dropped into the middle of a genocide, where the the government of Sudan has killed hundreds of thousands of its own people through aerial attacks on the villages and  the Janjaweed (meaning devil on horseback) raiding them from the ground and the only thing you have is a pen/paper and a camera?

After a village attack, Brian met a small baby named Mihad who had been shot in the back, with gaping entry and exit wounds.  The baby’s aunt (her mother died) tried to have Brian treat her.  Brian couldn’t do anything, “I shook my head and swallowed with half-hearted acceptance that there was nothing I could say or do to change the situation.  I took photos and made notes for my report.  Silently fuming, I moved on, clutching my camera a little too fiercely.”  He did this time after time.

Brian writes about the frustration that comes while witnessing the atrocities of a genocide and not being able to do anything about it.  What’s worse, is that the world wasn’t doing anything about it either.  Darfur is the world’s most crucial humanitarian crisis in the world right now.  But do people even care?  While back home for a few weeks, Brian had this conversation with a bartender.

“Darfur is a region of Sudan.  There’s a genocide going on there – the government has already killed a few hundred thousand of its own citizens.”

“Whoa.  That’s intense.  So, like, isn’t everyone in Africa killing each other, if they’re not starving already?” he asked.

Annoyed, I tried to give him a quick summary of the conflict.

After a few minutes he broke in.  “So, why do we have Americans like you there?  What do we get out of it?”

“What?  Nothing,” I told him.  “You get nothing.”

“So, why should I care?”

I almost knocked my beer over.  “Shouldn’t we care about massive killing?”

“So what?  Africa is a mess.  I don’t really care if they keep killing each other,” he said.

What!?  Wouldn’t you care if people were being killed down your street?  Wouldn’t you care if people were being killed in your city?  Wouldn’t you care if people were being killed in your state?  In your country?  What’s the difference between a 100 miles, a thousand, or three thousand?

There’s a  lot of argument over the word genocide.  I totally agreed with this statement:

Every nation had an obligation to prevent such atrocities.  To me, whether or not to use the word genocide wasn’t what was important.  People were dying in large numbers and we had the means to stop the violence.  Unfortunately, we did not have the will.  They are ‘just Africans,’ someone said to me once.  It made me sick.

I highly recommend reading The Devil Came On Horseback, Bearing Witness to the Genocide in Darfur for those wanting an insiders view.  It was well written and kept me engrossed the whole time.  Before reading this book, I watched The Devil Came on Horseback documentary based upon Brian’s time in Darfur.  If you don’t read this book (which I think you should) than I highly recommend that you watch this documentary!  It’s one of the best that I’ve seen but it’s also one of the most graphic.  It’s not for the faint of heart, but I think that’s the point.  It’s a call to action.  My husband and I cried through this film, especially when you see Brian break down on camera.  He’s very sincere.

The official trailer:

More about Brian:

Why am I doing this?  Surely, my efforts are hardly going to make a ripple in the big picture.  But when I read Brian’s following words, it was a confirmation to me, that I’m doing the right thing.

Sometimes when I am talking to people about Darfur, they ask me how they or the United States will benefit from getting involved in the issue.  I can feel my anger rising.  I tell them:  You get nothing!  You get nothing from helping these people – except to know you did something good, that you did the right thing.  You helped people who couldn’t help themselves.  Every human being should have a chance to grow up without violence, to make independent choices in life, to drink a glass of clean water, to be free of fear – the fear or rape or a bullet in the back during the simple task of collecting firewood for daily meals.

I then point to my photo of Mihad and say:  If these reasons aren’t enough for you, I give you her.  Shouldn’t she have the right to grow up surrounded by peace and love?  What child deserves to be shot at age one?

What nation can allow genocide to continue?

What person can turn their back on the victims of such hatred?

When the genocide in Darfur has ended, what will you say you did to stop it?

Don’t forget to get involved in the Reading & Blogging for Darfur campaign taking place all September.  Visit www.globalgrassroots.org an organization founded by Gretchen Steidle Wallace (Brian’s sister), and www.thedevilcameonhorseback.com for information about the film. 

When the genocide in Darfur has ended, what will you say you did to help stop it?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (can’t wait!):

The Tale of Despereaux (read my book review here):

 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (read my book review here):

And although I’ve previously posted the Twilight trailer before, here it is again  (you know, just in case you missed it, which you probably didn’t):

Any movies coming out soon based upon a favorite book that you are excited for? Mention a title and I’ll add the video into the comments.

This trailer does showa lot, but I think it’s better then the first. My husband and I both agree that Twilight has a “Smallville-ish” feel to it. If you watch Smallville (which we do love) then you know what I’m talking about it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then I don’t even want to get into it.

Are you Stephenie Meyer fans getting more excited?