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Posts Tagged ‘The Hunger Games’

BEAUcoup Books Lover- Hope in Children’s Literature

Friday, December 10th, 2010

With the young adult genre as the only genre in the publishing world actively growing right now, it makes perfect sense that talking about YA trends has become a trend in itself.  Scholastic just released a list of the “Ten Trends in Children’s Books in 2010” with some interesting ideas that may bode well for the publishing industry’s future.

First, as series like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games prove, the Young Adult genre is growing in a way that invites adults to enjoy as well.  Adults may mock the younger titles and read them in secret (I have known some who remove the jacket cover of certain books and replace it with another), but the reality is that these books are good, and more people are becoming aware of that.  I firmly believe that anything to get people reading and away from more mindless entertainment is a positive thing.  Also, the existence of books both adults and teens can enjoy together creates a sort of solidarity, and might invite an even larger young crowd to read if they follow in the footsteps of people they look up to and see as “cool.”

Second, dystopian fiction is on the rise.  It seems to be the new generation’s version of the past generation’s brooding favorites like Catcher in the Rye (but I hope new generations like this classic title as well!).  I find this to be a good omen, because it means the younger generations are thinking about the state of our society in a critical way.  I found The Hunger Games to be incredibly smart and filled to the brim with social commentary.  Let’s just say that reality TV and plastic surgery couldn’t look any worse in the eyes of heroine Katniss, and now these issues are on our young people’s minds.

Another obvious trend is the interest in the supernatural and mythological, with books like Percy Jackson, Immortal, and Prophesy of the Sisters.  Perhaps this is escapism incarnate, but the trend also points to heightened creativity with less limitations – never a bad thing!

The best thing about the growth in children’s literature is just that: the fact that more and more young people are reading.  Getting youth hooked on books will hopefully lead to adults hooked on books as those youth grow up.  This new generation of readers has a different mindset, and has been raised with technology as an extention of their fingertips.  Ebook and app opportunities abound, giving a whole new genre for the publishing community to set its sights on.

Who said publishing was dying? I don’t think so.

BEAUcoup Books Lover- A Visit to the Movie Theater

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Word on the street is that the baby bible What to Expect When You’re Expecting is on its way to the big screen, with Lionsgate giving it the Love Actually treatment, ensuring success by including as many big stars as can stand each other.  I am a huge romantic comedy lover myself, but I can’t quite understand the thought process on this one.  Love Actually is a minor masterpiece.  It was the first of its kind with a genuinely touching theme coming to us after a time of crisis.  Of course it found success.  I will also note that it is one of the few romantic comedies I can think of that men are equally fond of watching as their women counterparts.  But sadly, Valentine’s Day, the 2010  take on the same idea, left much to be desired, and He’s Just Not That Into You, while entertaining, couldn’t capture our hearts in quite the same way.  And What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a much more specific niche.  Yet…I will probably see it anyway.  I suppose this is the movie industry’s game- the movie doesn’t have to be that good, as long as the consumers realize that fact only after they have paid to see it.  With a connection to such a successful book, their base of viewers is already guaranteed.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting is just one of many in a long trend of book-to-movie attempts. Word has is that The Hunger Games, the young adult series barely 2 years old, is on its way to a major motion picture, and Water for Elephants, the summer bestseller, is already deep into filming at this point.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo has two complete movie series to its name with both the original Swedish version and the upcoming flashy American version (featuring Daniel Craig!).

Don’t get me wrong, I realize that books have always been popular films, but I do think the movie industry is becoming increasingly dependent on the publishing industry.  It is now a given that any book with a plot and appearing on the New York Times Bestseller List could very well be the next blockbuster. The ever-growing, glamorous, and wealthy film industry has come to depend on the struggling publishing industry.  Ironic.