Oscars Best Picture Nominees: Readalikes

Credit Flickr user Rachel Jackson
Credit Flickr user Rachel Jackson

We are in the midst of Hollywood’s award show season with what seems to be an endless variety of shows every weekend. Each show bringing new red carpet styles, Youtube-able acceptance speeches and a new list of what films to watch. In the spirit of this flurry of film festivities and movie lists, we thought a readalikes post would be the best way for us at the Hub to partake in all of this fun. So in preparation for the quintessential award show, the Oscars, we’ve come up with a list of a YA readalikes for some of this year’s most talked about films – The Academy Awards Best Picture Nominees.

Special thanks goes to Hannah Gomez, Jennifer Rummel, Erin Daly, Tara Kehoe, Sharon Rawlins, Jessica Lind and Wendy Daughdrill for helping to create these booklists.  

Continue reading Oscars Best Picture Nominees: Readalikes

What Would They Read? Captain America: The Winter Soldier

captainamerica

Captain America: The Winter Soldier debuted in theaters this weekend opening to the tune of $37 million dollars on its first day alone. It’s an entertaining new installment to the Marvel universe and one that has certainly shaken up the status quo for subsequent movies and the ABC television show SHIELD. There are lots of amazing articles on the interwebs that can speak to the awesomeness of this movie, its post-credit introduction to the second Avengers film and the many theories about this all means for the Marvel-verse going forward.

Since they pretty much have the movie and the film/comic nerd analysis covered for us, I thought it would be fun to create a “What would they read?” list for some of our favorite Captain America characters from Winter Soldier.

  • Steve Rogers aka Captain America – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak  (2007 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults)
    Death narrates this story from World War II where he tries to understand the horrors of human nature while also relating to Liesel, a young German girl who steals books and tells stories to sustain her friends and family during the war. Given that the Captain has missed out on years of popular culture, it seems like he would be the type of reader to relish the historical fiction novels more. This one might especially appeal to him since it is based in a time period he can actually remember. There is also a nice connection to be made between Death trying to understand the human race in the novel and the Captain trying to understand this new world that he finds himself in.  Continue reading What Would They Read? Captain America: The Winter Soldier

What Would They Read?: Glee

Glee is a wonderful show that comprises a plethora of teen issues portrayed in both Glee-Themed-Karaoke-Revolution-Announced-2dramatic and comedic ways.  I’ve watched the show for years, but there is one thing that has always bothered me.  Why don’t any of the Glee kids read?  There is not one member who discusses a favorite book comments on what he or she is currently reading.  One of the few times the library gets any attention is when a small group of the Glee members sing M.C. Hammer’s “You Can’t Touch This” in the library in hopes of getting into trouble.  Sure, Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight Saga” is mentioned, but only in reference to Tina’s clothes and Principle Figgins’s fear of vampires.  So I’ve decided to take it upon myself to educate the Glee club on books.  They’ve been taught about acting, dental hygiene, Spanish, and several other topics.  It’s about time that they opened a book.

Finn Hudson – I understand that due to devastating real-life circumstances (the tragic death of actor Cory Monteith), Finn is no longer on the show.  However, I would still like to include the character in this experiment of Reader’s Advisory because the character is still important to the show.  Finn is an interesting character to analyze.  He was the first of the jock/popular crowdKnights of Hill Country to join the Glee club.  While at first, viewers may see him as a dumb jock, a deeper, more thoughtful Finn has been revealed over the course of the show.  I would recommend Knights of Hill Country by Tim Tharp.  The plot of this title can be compared to the relationship between Finn and Rachel.  Knights of Hill Country tells the story of a football hero, Hampton, who begins to see more than the football in a town that eats, sleeps, and breathes football.  He begins to notice Sara, a girl who usually would not speak to and would definitely not consider dating.  Knights of Hill Country is a thought-provoking story about creating your own identity instead of living the character created by others.  The death of his father has always been something on Finn’s mind.  He might be interested in reading a book about war and the effect it has on those left at home.  For a fiction title, I would recommend Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie, which discusses a teen whose brother died in Iraq.  If Finn preferred something from the non-fiction shelf, I would give him Ghosts of War: The True Story of a 19-year-old GI by Ryan Smithson.  In Ghosts of War, Smithson talks about his experiences in Iraq.

Continue reading What Would They Read?: Glee