Hi book lovers! So are we past saying Happy New Years yet? It’s the middle-ish of January, my university hasn’t resumed classes yet and I’m spending my free time trying to keep to my resolutions! I find that I always blame not reading enough during the school year on having to read textbooks and articles. This year, I hope to incorporate reading for pleasure into my routine; maybe through audiobooks or on the subway.
I’m also spending my time trying to see as many movies as I can and this weekend I saw Hidden Figures with my mother! The story of three black female NASA “computers” (skilled mathematicians) who were integral to launching astronauts into space has not only beat Rogue One at the box office but has also seen a surge in book sales; landing in the top five of many lists. Check out the book Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly before they’re all snatched up!
Here’s a bit of humour for you guys (I told you 2017 would be positive). Eugenia Zuroski, an English professor at McMaster University (I went there for my first year of university and my English course was my favourite!), lost her copy of Consuming Subjects: Women, Shopping and Business in the Eighteenth Century after lending it out to a student. She then bought the book on Amazon only to find her own name and date written in the corner of the title page of the book! I guess things always do come full circle? You can read about the hilarious lost and found tale here.
Speaking of stolen books, popular author Haruki Murakami is apparently at the top of book thieves’ lists in Toronto! An entire shelf of his books went missing twice in December at a book store in the neighbourhood of Roncesvalles. Talks of a black market bookstore have surfaced after stolen Murakami titles were resold to other bookstores for less money. You can read more about the black market for books here. Japan Today has said that Murakami is set to come out with a new book February 24th titled, Kishidancho Goroshi, or Killing Commendatore but the content and plot still remains unknown. Let’s hope the theft stops before his book is released in North America (only the publishing date for Japan is known as of now).
George R.R. Martin responded to a fan’s request on his blog for an update on the sixth book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, Winds of Winter. The author wrote that he has made progress but he thinks it will be out this year, he did add that he said the same thing last year. Fans, like myself, have been waiting since 2011 for a new book. That’s six years! Honestly, I have lost most my faith in Martin at this point and am a bit worried he won’t finish the series at all but hey, maybe 2017 will grant us this one nice thing. You can read the whole exchange here.
Don’t forget Netflix’s adaption of the popular children’s books by Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events, will be released on Friday and I’ll be watching to see how Neil Patrick Harris is as the antagonist Count Olaf, but also to see how accurate it is in regards to the books.
Happy Thursday!
