Ever wondered what it might be like to star in a Korean drama? Global TV site Viki is set to launch a new show tonight that hopes to give viewers exactly that experience: Dramaworld is a 10-episode series promising to bring casual and diehard KDrama fans into the stories that they love.
The Thursday Book Beat: Newly Discovered Shakespeare First Folio Rocks the Literary World
Hey there readers, your friendly neighborhood Angel here, back from a bookish weekend in New York City! I attended the 2016 Kweli Children’s Book Writers Conference this past Saturday, and was surrounded by amazing writers and illustrators of colour who are bound to do amazing things for kidlit. Here’s hoping we get to see some…
That Dr. Strange Trailer Sure Is Awful
The Dr. Strange trailer. So… it’s here. We hated it. Here’s why: Megan Purdy: This seems like a trailer for four movies in one: The Matrix, Inception, Eat Pray Love and a watery wuxia ripoff for white America. It’s visually confused and so derivative that it makes no argument for its own existence. It relies…
Dogears: Strangled by Scarves
Exit, Pursued By A Bear E.K. Johnston Dutton Books for Young Readers/Penguin Random House Canada March 15, 2016 Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Full disclosure: I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and talking to E.K. Johnston many times on Twitter and at events….
The Thursday Book Beat: DC Superheroes to Land On YA Shelves
Hello readers, I’m back, with many thanks to Ardo for covering last week’s book news! There’s a couple big announcements in store for you in this column, so let’s get started. Dominating both the YA and comics scene the last few days is the announcement of four new YA books starring Batman, Wonder Woman, Catwoman,…
The Thursday Book Beat: Amandla Stenberg Brings #BlackLivesMatter YA Novel Adaptation To Life
March is nearly over, dear readers, but the book news truck keeps rolling along. This week, we’ve got some amazing movie adaptation news for you, as well as an interview that’s incredibly riveting. The book world was alight after finding out on Wednesday that Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) would be starring in an adaptation of…
Canada Reads: In Defence of Birdie by Tracey Lindberg
This year the theme of Canada Reads is “starting over.” Some of our writers decided to join in and defend some of the short-listed titles, including Tracey Lindberg’s Birdie. Tracey Lindberg introduces Birdie and her story to readers not in a prologue, nor on page one of chapter one, but instead in her dedication. We read…
Shinbun Saturday: Studio Ghibli Adapts the World’s Oldest Manga
It’s Angel here with your manga news, as Vernieda is off on a lovely writing retreat! The first post-Daylight Savings week is always a challenge, but I’ve got some interesting news bits that might perk you right up. Continuing their tradition of sharing beautiful stories, Studio Ghibli has announced their adaptation of the world’s oldest…
Starting Over: Canada Reads 2016
Launched in 2002, Canada Reads is an annual battle of the books hosted by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). Each year five books are chosen, and five designated champions advocate for their title. A book is eliminated at the end of every day until there is only one left standing – the book every Canadian should…
The Thursday Book Beat: On White Privilege and Publishing’s Role
Readers, much of the publishing industry was consumed last week by J.K. Rowling’s tone-deaf miniseries on the history of the North American wizarding community. It’s a conversation that’s continued this week, as Native American writers have maintained their vocal protests against Rowling’s cultural appropriation. Simon Moya-Smith joined Dr. Debbie Reese and Dr. Adrienne Keene in speaking…
Shinbun Saturday: TOKYOPOP Hits Hollywood…Again
Happy Saturday, readers! Vernieda and Angel here to bring you up to speed on the week in manga. Planning a trip to Japan this year? You might want to check out the 88-stop anime pilgrimage tour that Kadokawa will be offering for foreign tourists! The tour was announced at a meeting of interest for the…
5 Things I Learned from Watching Idol Scandals Unfold
It wasn’t long after my first tentative steps into learning about East Asian pop culture that I came across an inescapable and fascinating part of the entertainment industry: Idol scandals. They range from disrespect and rude remarks to full-on sex scandals and everything in between. Some idols emerge unscathed, the attention only fueling their popularity. Others…