Maybe a nice vacation?
So, I finally got around to watching the trailer for Captain America: Civil War. (It was posted last month, but my interest in Marvel's increasingly bloated universe is waning.) It looks...
Does not compute.
In an effort to arrive at a definitive list of the United Kingdom's greatest novels, BBC Culture contributor Jane Ciabattari polled 82 non-British book critics for their favorites. The resulting list is novels only (no short stories/poetry/plays), and it is perfectly respectable, although...
The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick
According to Wikipedia, Philip K. Dick considered his Hugo Award-winning 1962 novel The Man in the High Castle to be his masterpiece, but was too disturbed by his own creation to ever finish a sequel. Seeing as Dick made a career out of churning out disturbing literature, this might seem surprising, but...
Weekly Book Giveaway: The Man in the High Castle, by Philip K. Dick
This week's Book Giveaway is Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle, which has recently been transformed into a TV miniseries from Amazon. I usually find Dick's ideas more interesting than his actual novels, but what the hell: it's only 274 pages, so it can't be that bad either way...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #8: Any of the literary posters at Pop Chart Lab
Gift Idea #8: Pop Chart Lab's extremely detailed literature-themed posters ($29)...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #7: 2016 Jane Austen calendar
Gift Idea #7: "Amiable Rancor", the Republic of Pemberley's 2016 Jane Austen calendar ($19.99)...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #6: Literary subscription boxes
Gift Idea #6: Literary subscription boxes (approx. $30 to $50 per box)...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #5: Any of the great Alice's Adventures in Wonderland anniversary editions
Gift Idea #5: Any of the 3 billion (or so) 150th anniversary editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (approx. $10 to $50)...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #4: Edward Gorey anything
Gift Idea #4: Any of the many fine goods at the Edward Gorey House Store (prices vary)...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #2: "2 Spaces 4 America" Hoodie
Gift Idea #2: Any of the new Bloom County products, really, but particularly the "2 Spaces for America" hoodie ($49)...
Holiday Gift Guide Idea #1: Harry Potter artwork
Dear readers, it is once again time for the Wordcandy Holiday Gift Guide. As usual, we're running late, but (also as usual) we've found some awesome stuff.
Gift Idea #1: Harry Potter artwork from MinaLima (Prices vary, but are all high)...
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
I have long owned the Mr. Boddington's Penguin Classics editions of Pride and Prejudice and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and both suffer from a major quality control issue: the ink periodically fades to near-invisibility. Still, I loved the line's cover art, so when their edition of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility...
Weekly Book Giveaway: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
This week's Book Giveaway is the Mr. Boddington's Penguin Classics edition of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. This has never been my favorite Austen novel, but I figure the week after Thanksgiving is the best possible time to read a book about the heroism of family members who keep their personal issues to themselves...
Pride and Prejudice and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Quarto Classics Reimagined), by Jane Austen and Lewis Carroll
As longtime Wordcandy readers know, I collect editions of Pride and Prejudice and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I only have so much shelf space, so I try to be discerning, but every once in a while I see more copies that I absolutely need to own...
It's not meant to be a horror story, but...
The Guardian recently posted one of their pictorial essays on the real bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. Apparently, in 1914 a vet named Harry Colebourn was on his way to fight in World War I when...
About time
And speaking of H.P. Lovecraft, there's an article about his long and disturbing history of racism over on Salon. (See why I can't make a logical Christmas/Lovecraft connection?) Lovecraft has been in the news recently because...
I should Photoshop a Santa hat onto this guy.
The Guardian posted an article about British booksellers' attempt to create yet another shopping holiday: "Civilized Saturday", a day designed as the “perfect antidote” to the crazed bargain-hunting of Black Friday...
So pretty! Also discounted!
First: Hi, guys! We're not doing a Book Giveaway this week, because it's so short. The Giveaway feature will return next Monday.
Second: if you too admired the very beautiful "Mr. Boddington's Penguin Classics" editions that were previously only available at Anthropologie, you...
Pre-holiday shopping (for me)
I'm thinking of buying myself this adorable unicorn-shaped bookend from CB2 ($24.95), but I feel like I'd have to re-arrange my books so it was just holding back a shelf of fantasy novels, and I might be too lazy for that...
Year to date
The Washington Post has put together a timeline of the major literary news and events of 2015. I actually found it pretty interesting reading, but, um, 2015 isn't over yet...
Big stuff worth sweating
The Telegraph recently posted a totally creepifying story about self-help author Kristine Carlson, who has endured years of stalking after...
Heads up, E.L. James
Deadline informs me that Lionsgate is developing a new, one-hour series with Twilight novelist Stephenie Meyer titled The Rook, based on the 2012 novel by Daniel O’Malley...
It's no Moominworld
According to Jezebel, the Stockholm apartment of Astrid Lindgren, beloved author of the Pippi Longstocking series, is going to be opened to public tours. I was a little confused to hear that no one under age 15 will be admitted, but...
These Shallow Graves, by Jennifer Donnelly
Jennifer Donnelly's These Shallow Graves is the kind of book you want to take on a plane: long, engrossing, and simultaneously fun yet intellectually challenging enough to distract you from the super irritating guy hogging the armrest...
Weekly Book Giveaway: These Shallow Graves, by Jennifer Donnelly
This week's Book Giveaway is Jennifer Donnelly's These Shallow Graves. Somewhat to my chagrin, it seems that this is not a book about zombie prom-goers*, but instead a combination of "dark mystery" and historically-accurate depiction of the Gilded Age. A full review will follow shortly...
Cute!
There's another manhwa-to-TV adaptation in the works: an adaptation of Park Hee-jung's webtoon Cat and Dog. According to Dramabeans, it's a contract marriage-based romantic drama...
So. Much. Better.
Speaking of paperback vs. hardcover editions, I recently caught my first glimpse of the original hardcover version of Anne McCaffrey's 1967 scifi novel Restoree, and it is absolutely spectacular...
Unexpected
Last month, Literary Hub published a fascinating essay by graphic designer Linda Huang about the differences between hardcover and paperback book cover art. Ms. Huang works for Vintage & Anchor Books
Newer & improved
Mental Floss recently posted some comparison images of the changes Richard Scarry’s 1963 picture book Best Word Book Ever underwent between its initial publication and...