We parodied the book covers of the first four volumes of ASOIAF. What no-frills titles do you think George R. R. Martin should have chosen?
Category: Must Love Books
The arch from Khal Drogo’s wedding was real—until it collapsed.
The Dothraki wedding (and scenes in and around King's Landing) was actually filmed on Malta, a small island-country in the Mediterranean Sea, and which is one of the oldest-inhabited human settlements in Europe. The cool arch you see in the backdrop of the wedding, likely the ruins of a long-destroyed limestone sea cave, is called the Azure Window and it was a wildly popular tourist destination and source of national pride until the arch collapsed in 2017.
‘P.S. I Still Love You’ Heartthrob Has Been Cast!
When To All the Boys I Loved Before premiered on Netflix last summer, fans were immediately demanding the adaptation of the book’s sequel, P.S. I Still Love You. One of the biggest questions fans were left with: Who will be playing heartthrob John Ambrose McClaren?
The original film ends with his brief introduction after the end credits, where Kitty is announcing Lara Jean has a visiter at the door. Attractive as Jordan Burtchett was, we’re happy with the JAM recast of none other than Jordan Fisher. The official announcement came over Twitter just last week.
Fans will know Fisher from Fox’s recent Rent: Live event towards the end of January. Say what you will about the performance as a whole, but Fisher stole the show as Mark Cohen (originally portrayed by Anthony Rapp). Fisher was also the winner of the 25th season of Dancing with the Stars, which just makes us fall in love with him even more.
Fans, however, have had mixed reviews about the recast. Some were extremely excited about the recast, while others were left confused as to who was at Lara Jean’s door. As for me, I’m left wondering how I’m supposed to root for Peter Kavinsky once John Ambrose comes onto the scene.
Recently announced was the role of Trevor Pike, long time friend of Peter Kavinsky and John Ambrose McClaren. Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why Ross Butler will be taking on the role, which came in Netflix’s most recent announcement:
In the book, middle school friends Lara Jean, Gen, Chris, Peter, Trevor, and John Ambrose reunite for a party before losing their childhood treehouse. That’s all we’ll spoil for those who haven’t read the book. These most recent castings are making us really excited for the sequel, as if we weren’t already.
Featured Image Via ScreenRant
5 Incredible Books for Celebrating National Poetry Month
For the non-poetry reader, finding ways to celebrate National Poetry Month can be hard. We’re making it easier for you to find your next favorite book while also celebrating the beautiful art of poetry!
1. Slammed by Colleen Hoover
After the death of her father, Layken moves away from sunny Texas to snow-ridden Michigan with her brother and mother. She immediately finds love in their neighbor, Will Cooper. Will introduces Layken to the wonderful world of slam poetry through an open mic night at a local club. Though their relationship gets more and more complicated, their love for poetry remains true through the book and its sequels.
2. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Sixteen-year-old Bri dreams of becoming a rapper and ultimately making it out of her neighborhood. Before his death, her father was “an underground rap legend” leaving Bri with some big shoes to fill. The book is filled with fresh rhymes written by Angie Thomas herself, leaving readers inspired and with a renewed love of music.
3. The Rose that Grew from Concrete by Tupac Shakur
Published after his death, the book chronicles the poetry Shakur wrote from the time he was a teenager. Each poem is filled with the most intimate of thoughts and emotions. These poems will speak to each of his fans and fill them with the Shakur’s spirit, energy, and hope for a better future.
4. Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Hopkins has a unique way of telling her story, using lines of poetry instead of prose to convey the narration. The book chronicles the disturbing relationship between Kristina and her monster. Kristina is inspired by Hopkins’ own daughter, while the monster is crystal meth or ‘crank’. Kristina is introduced to the drug after a visit with her father. Under the influence, she turns into her “sexy alter-ego ‘Bree’.” The book is sure to provoke an emotional response and inspire a love of poetry.
5. Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
After her debut Speak, which touched upon the very serious effects of sexual assault, not much has changed. Shout is her response to the continued fight to end sexual assault. These poems are thought-provoking, personal anecdotes by Anderson. If Speak didn’t make you angry, Shout is sure to have you screaming. The book is filled with “reflections, rants, and calls to action” all written in free-verse to inspire the activist in you.
Do you have a favorite poetry book not found on this list? Let us know!
featured image via susan gaylord
First Edition Harry Potter Book Sells for Nearly $100k
First edition books have become prized possessions to bibliophiles around the world. The more expensive ones like The Canterbury Tales or the Gutenberg Bible have sold upwards of $4 million, while others like The Catcher in the Rye and Pride and Prejudice have sold in the thousands. Joining this list of prized first editions is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, which recently sold for just under $100,000.
J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, has found herself on the list of top ten most expensive books before with her Tales of Beedle the Bard. This book is a collection of children’s stories from the Wizarding World first featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Tales was one of just seven, hand written copies and sold for over $3 million. While the other six went to friends and editors, this one was auctioned off in order to raise money for Rowling’s Lumos Foundation.
Image via curiosasociety.com
Harry Potter became an instant sensation, going on to sell over 500 million books worldwide in eighty different languages. So what makes this one book so special? The same that makes any first edition special: spelling errors and the limited number of books. This book is one of just 500 copies, according to Bonham’s Auction House. Their site also lists out the following errors:
Publisher’s imprint page with the number sequence from 10 to 1, and author cited as ‘Joanne Rowling’, p.53 with the duplication of “1 wand” on the equipment list, misspelling “Philospher’s” on lower cover, J.K. Rowling’s signature on a sticker loosely inserted (see footnote), publisher’s pictorial boards, small crease to lower fore-corner of upper cover, very thin vertical scratch to lower cover
Image Via mugglenet
A similar edition was sold for just over $68,000, but this one book in particular was even more special. The book previously belonged to Christopher Little, J.K. Rowling’s first agent, and it contains a personalized note to him in the pages. The book was originally thought to sell between $52,000 and $75,000, according to the Independent, but a bidding war sent the price way past expectations to $90,074.
