Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books That Need a Sequel

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they discuss that week. Comments are appreciated. 

This week's topic is such a rabbit hole through which to travel. There are so many great choices. Since time is limited, I will stick with my top three.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough spands sixty years, so one could argue what else is there left to say? For me, I always felt Justine got the short end of the stick. A sequel told from her point of view or taking her from the end of this book through her own life would be interesting.

Admittedly, I haven't fully read Marilla of Green Gables by Sarah McCoy yet, for no other reason than lack of time. What I think would be a great sequel for McCoy to tackle is a story about Matthew Cuthbert. He tends to be the forgotten one, but I feel he could be a fascinating character in his own right. 

The Rocky Bluff P.D. books by F. M. Meredith are already a series. Though I know it won't happen, I would love to see a Gordon Butler spinoff. Gordon has long been my favorite character, and it would be wonderful to see his story continue. 

Looking forward to seeing what you shared. 

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Books I Love That Became Films or TV Shows

 

The Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge is hosted by Long and Short Reviews. They offer this blog hop as a weekly prompt to help you gain new friends and visitors. You don't have to participate every week, but if you decide to post and join the blog hop for a week, Long and Short Reviews asks that you share your link on their weekly post on their website (it will be the top post on the home page each Wednesday morning). The link list remains open for new links for 48 hours. Visit the other bloggers participating to see what they are talking about that week. Comments are appreciated. 

How is it Wednesday again? I still haven't caught up on Tuesday's blog visits, but I hope today is an easier day. Today, we are talking about favorite books that became films or TV Shows. Since I spoke about Little House on the Prairie, I won't go there. I won't even mention Anne of Green Gables. Here are a few others worth sharing. 

The 1993 movie, Gettysburg, was based on the novel The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, which tells a fictionalized version of the three days of fighting at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War. This novel is part of a series that Sharra wrote with his father. 

Before Nicholas Cage starred as Rayford Steele in Left Behind, based upon the Left Behind novels by Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins, that role was played by the late Brad Johnson, with Kirk Cameron playing another major character, Buck Williams. This is the last series I recall eagerly awaiting the arrival of each new book. 

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough was brought to the small screen in the early 80s, with Richard Chamberlain playing ambitious priest Ralph de Bricassart alongside Rachel Ward's Meggie Cleary. 

In 1994, The Stand by Stephen King was brought to television as a mini-series starring many well-known actors like Richard Thomas, Molly Ringwald, Gary Sinise, and Rob Lowe. 

On Strike for Christmas was the first book I ever read by Sheila Roberts. It's how I came to love her work. In 2010, Lifetime Television brought it to the small screen. I've never seen it, but I really want to one day. 

What can anyone say about the Harry Potter series except that it is amazing? I held off on reading it for years because I don't read overly popular books. Once I indulged myself, I was hooked, though I don't think I've seen a single movie all the way through. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books that Should be Adapted into Netflix Shows/Movies

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I have to start this week's topic by stating I don't watch a lot of TV or movies. That's changed a bit lately as we have spent more time at home, but I prefer to read than watch anything (with rare exception). Thanks to my Kindle Fire HD 10, however, I have binge watched the entire Fuller House series. Though this might seem odd, I am watching season 1 of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, which aired from 2010-2013. I've always been a fan of Scooby-Doo, so I wanted to check out a more recent adaptation. You can read some of my thoughts at my kid's book blog.

So, on to today's topic. These are my suggestions for Top Ten Books that Should be Adapted into Netflix Shows/Movies. Some of these would be remakes of other shows/movies, but I think modernizing these could gain new audiences.

One of my favorite TV mini-series, The Thorn Birds is overdue for a remake. Proving I don't follow Hollywood at all, I can only guess who would play the main characters. Maybe Chris Hemsworth or Henry Cavill and Anne Hathway or Kiera Knightly. I suggest less focus on Meggie's younger years and moving swiftly into her coming of age and the forbidden love between Meggie and Ralph.

In The Cutting by James Hayman, readers meet Detective Sergeant Michael McCabe, who moved from New York City to Portland, Maine to escape a dark past. Along with his partner, Maggie Savage, McCabe must find a sadistic killer of young, blonde women. McCabe and Savage return in The Chill of the Night, where they must discover who killed a young attorney and dumped her body at the end of the Portland Fish Pier. This would make a great series. Hayman already has six books for inspiration.

The Amish Bishop Mysteries by Vannetta Chapman started with What the Bishop Saw. Henry Lapp rushes to the scene of an out of control fire. He soon learns, however, that this fire is no accident and Vernon Frey is left dead. Not the most liked guy, there is no end of potential suspects. Henry must decide if he will use his God-given gift to set the record straight one someone he knows is innocent is implicated in Vernon's death. 

This is the first of a three-book series, but I think it would make a great regular TV series for cozy mystery lovers that is unique in setting and because of the main character's faith. 

Here is another great book series that would make for a fun TV series or movie. The House on Tradd Street introduces us to Realtor Melanie Middleton. She inherits the house on Tradd Street from a man she recently met, not knowing of the house's malevolent presence. We also meet Jack Trenholm and a cast of other great characters who appear in this series. I think this first book would make a great movie.

As I mentioned in an earlier Top Ten Tuesday, the 1993 TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger is being remade. Due to premier in January 2021, Walker is something I will be looking for. However, I would love to see fifth-generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong make it to Netflix as a series. Author Jon Land has given us 10 books of material to get started. Would be a truly superb series if done right.

The Madhatter's Guide to Chocolate by Rhett DeVane brings us up close and personal into the lives of Hattie Davis, Jake Witherspoon, Aunt Piddie, and all the other folks in Chattahoochee, Florida. Small town secrets always make for some good viewing. 

I know this will sound unusual coming from me, but I really enjoyed what I read of The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I'm not usually into futuristic stories, but Cinder captivated me when I read it with the girls. This series would make great movies. 

In my not-so-humble opinion, Jessica Fletcher has been off television for far too long. New books are still being published featuring the former school teacher turned writer and amateur sleuth. Murder, She Wrote is way overdue for a new TV run or a new movie. 

I love everything about Charlotte Hubbard's work, but I feel A Mother's Gift would make for a special kind of movie. Leah Otto has never been comfortable with housework. She prefers to tend to her goats and chickens. Jude Shetler, a widower with three children, likes her non-traditional skills, but she is not prepared for all that goes into being a wife and mother. While struggling to keep their teenage daughters in line and care for a five-year-old who is desperately missing his mother, a new challenge arrives in the form of an abandoned baby on their doorstep. This book was wonderful from beginning to end. It would make a great faith-based TV movie.

One of the things that deters me from watching TV is that every show I enjoy is eventually canceled. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dawson's Creek had good runs, but Mercy Street and Cedar Cove barely got off the ground before they were pulled. If Netflix found a way to bring Cedar Cove, based upon Debbie Macomber's popular series back to life, I would eagerly watch each episode. 

What do you think of my list? Is there hope for any of these to be picked up? What's on your list?

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Reasons Why I Love The Thorn Birds

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is just what I needed. I've been re-watching clips from The Thorn Birds mini-series for a couple weeks--a nice distraction when my mind is wandering. I think once Massachusetts gets closer to normal it will help. Our offices are due to open next week with some strict restrictions.

But, I digress...

I pulled out my old copy of The Thorn Birds--the one that belonged to my mother. The front cover is long gone because a) this is a first edition copy, so it's over 40 years old, and b) I've read it multiple times. I bought a new copy with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward on the front cover, but for the life of me I can't find it.

Considering it has been decades since I read the story, this list will combine reasons I love The Thorn Birds book and mini-series.

The Scenery

I am a simple little girl from New England. Especially when the mini-series came out in 1983, I had no idea what New Zealand, Australia, or Rome looked like.  Between the book and the mini-series, a corner of New Zealand filled with thick, wavy red-headed Clearys came to life. As they made their way to school with young Meggie, the Cleary boys walked the wheel-rutted Wahine road where white calla lilies and orange nasturtiums flowered the high grass and wooden fences bordered properties.

As Father Ralph drives the road from the presbytery in Gillanbone to Mary Carson's Drogheda homestead, clouds of dust trail behind him and he must avoid flocks of sheep roaming the pastures. He steps out of the car and opens twenty-seven gates leading to Drogheda, his patience waning with each gate, and the impressive sheep station looming in the distance. The brown landscape is dotted with sparse trees, Close to the house the roses in a variety of colors bloom. Contrast that against the opulence of the Vatican with its stunning artwork, plush furniture, mosaics on the floor, and elegant chandeliers. Only Drogheda comes close in comparison in this story, but even Mary Carson's wealth can't compete with that of the Catholic Church.




The Music (mini-series)

Henry Mancini--one of my father-in-law's favorites--is the genius behind the musical arrangements for The Thorn Birds mini-series. From the theme song to Meggie Grows Up, from Paddy and Fiona to Ralph and Meggie, and from Forbidden Love to Goodbye, Dane and beyond, it is no wonder the music won Grammy Awards in 1983 and again in 1988. Even now, I can hear the music and know that it goes to the movie.

Paddy (spoilers in white)

We quickly learn that the Cleary patriarch does not fear hard work. While his wealthy sister doesn't save him from it, he never expected her to when he came to Drogheda. Hat in his hand, head bowed, he expresses his gratitude for what Mary has done for him and his family. He also knows that one day, his beloved wife Fiona (Fee) will take her rightful place in society. In the book and the mini-series, we learn more about his tense relationship with Frank, their oldest son. We are also saddened to know he will never hear Fee tell him what was truly in her heart.

Stuart or Stu (spoilers in white)

Easily overlooked, this quiet, sensitive young Cleary is closest to Meggie, the only Cleary daughter. They pal around together as the younger two siblings. After Frank goes away, Stu and Meggie grow even closer. It is he who shares her secret that she is in love with Father Ralph, but he is also the one who encourages her to move on because he can't ever stop being a priest ... even for her.

Strong Female Characters (spoilers in white)

With Mary Carson, Fiona (Fee) Cleary, Meggie, and Justine there is no end to the strong female characters. Amazingly, all want nothing to do with the church for one reason or another. 

My favorite scene is when Justine is in Rome with Dane. Excited to show her his world, Justine is stuck meeting people at the Vatican. When she sits down to tea with Cardinal Ralph and Cardinal Vittorio Contini-Verchese, the latter notices how uncomfortable she is there and she makes a comment that except for the Virgin Mary women are relegated to the cheap seats in the upper balcony. Without missing a beat, Vittorio responds, "but you are forgetting that we call the upper balcony 'Il Paradiso.' Paradise." 

As they are saying goodbye, Ralph walks Justine out. He says the Cleary women always pit themselves against God and the church. Justine says they have Dane to pray for their redemption. He mentions how protective she is of Dane and that she seems to fear for her brother among the "red-robed vultures." She says it is pretty fast company for "a boy whose only ambition is to give his soul to God." Touche! 



The Complexities of Ralph de Bricassart (spoilers in white)

I'm always fascinated by what motivates characters. Ralph is motivated by one thing--ambition. His ambition leads him to make choices--or not make choices--that torture him until the very end.

Instantly taken with young Meggie Cleary when she arrives at the Gilly Station, she becomes his special project. He can love her because she is a child. Problem is she grows up. Not only does she grow up, but he has fallen in love with her and knows she loves him. Since he considers himself above mortal men, he simply can't give into his yearnings for Meggie. Besides, he wants to be pope one day, so he must deny his feelings. 

For decades, Ralph fights his desire for Meggie while he rises through the hierarchy of the Catholic church. Trying to forget him, Meggie starts a life of her own. Destiny, however, will bring these two together again. 

Anne & Luddie Mueller (spoilers in white)

Having been blessed with in-laws who treated me more like a daughter than a daughter-in-law, I've always been drawn to the caring couple living at Himmelhoch.

After Meggie marries Luke O'Neil, they move to Queensland. Unable to buy a station of his own, Luke sets up a place for Meggie to stay while he works. This childless couple takes to her instantly and treats her more like a daughter than a servant. They love Meggie; perhaps more than her own parents ever will.

Fee as a Grandmother (spoilers in white)

As a mother, Fee left a bit to be desired. She gave all her love to Frank and ignored her only daughter. One would think Paddy's death would soften her, but it made her harder, more stubborn. It isn't until Justine and Dane grow up on Drogheda that we get a sense of the loving side of Fee. It is her love of Dane that brings her to tears when they learn he has drowned (the first tears she has shed since Paddy died), and it is her love of Justine that brings her to beg for Meggie's forgiveness and pleads with her to help her daughter before it's too late.

Love Triumphs (spoilers in white)

Richard Chamberlain, who played Ralph de Bricassart, said in an interview that The Thorn Birds was the biggest tragedy-driven soap opera. It's true: bad stuff happened to these people all the time. Not just Meggie and Ralph. The author truly put most of these characters through the ringer. The reason it remains so popular, however, is that Meggie and Ralph's love for each other triumphs despite all of it. Ralph comments on it more than once in the mini-series, that despite all she has lost, Meggie never loses her ability to love. After losing Frank, her father, Stu, and Dane, Meggie still loves. She loves "with a singleness of mind and heart." Ralph even tells Vittorio he wishes he could love like that.

It doesn't seem possible Justine could ever find love either. It's not like she has a great example considering her parents are no longer together, and her mother has always mistreated her for being Luke's daughter. Yet, Rain is determined to be with her. Justine refuses to believe it could ever work out, and uses Dane's death as an excuse to pull away from him. In the end, Rainer begs Meggie's help so that Justine doesn't waste her life on Drogheda trying to make it up to Meggie for living while Dane died. 

How the Book was Adapted to a Mini-series (spoilers in white)

Many times the book is better than the movie or mini-series it is based on. In the case of The Thorn Birds, both are equally good. I do, however, prefer the mini-series in many ways to the book.

Having seen the mini-series before reading the book, I simply can't imagine a twenty-eight-year-old Father Ralph with dark curly hair versus Richard Chamberlain's features, but many of the changes made sense.

One thing I didn't remember from the book is that Ralph actually dies before Vittorio, and the latter admits he always figured Dane was his son; whereas in the mini-series Vittorio dies before Ralph. The words Ralph utters to Meggie right before he dies, actually belong to Meggie in the book. Since it truly was Ralph and Meggie's love story that propelled the plot forward once the Cleary family came to Drogheda, it is fitting that the last scene in the mini-series is of Justine's plane flying overhead off to her future with Rain while Meggie rests her head in Ralph's lap after her has died. 

While there is so much more I could say about The Thorn Birds, I don't want to make this post into a novel in and of itself. I hope you'll decide to read it if you haven't.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - May 11

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday! I hope all you moms out there had a lovely Mother's Day. We spent it with the kids, so that was nice. After a cold, windy Saturday we had a warmer day on Sunday. I didn't get as much done last week as I would have liked, but I'm getting back into the swing of things.

In my reading world, I reviewed these books at The Children's and Teens' Book Connection. the author is running a giveaway.

I finished this one. It wasn't what I expected, but the cover sure is pretty.

I also read this one, and my review will appear on my children's book blog on Wednesday. 

I am still reading this one.

I really want to read this one next. I'm in a Little House mood lately. 

I would also like to re-read this novel. I loved this book the first time I read it. I've read it at least three times since the mini-series came out in 1983. Did you ever read it? Have you ever seen the mini-series?

That is it from my neck of the woods. Hope you have a nice week.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I’m Scared to Re-read

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Books I’m Scared to Re-read

I read The Thorn Birds for the first time after the movie staring Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward came out. I've read it several times since, usually skipping much of the narrative and getting right into the dialogue. I'm not sure I would be as enamored with it if I read it now.

It took me a while to actually read the Left Behind series. I rarely read anything popular when it first comes out. I finally gave it a chance after the third book had come out and I was hooked right away; blew through the entire series as each new book released. As one would expect in a book about the end times, there is a lot of death. I'm not sure I want to read that these days.

I began reading this series in high school and went right from one book to the next until I was done. I'm sure my mother never would have allowed it if she were alive. Some sexy scenes in these books. My fear in re-reading a series that came out so long ago is that the writing won't capture me the way it did when I first read it and that might be disappointing. I've never read anything else from this author either. 

This was probably one of the creepiest series I read when I was a teenager. Not sure I could handle the content now. It is so disturbing to me as a wife and mother. 

While I found the pace of this book to be very slow, I recall how eloquently written and intriguing it was. The mystical aspects of the book didn't do much for me, but it's woven deeply into the plot. This is a book I really enjoyed then, but would never feel the need to read again. It's pretty dark. 

Jerome Charyn's I Am Abraham is a riveting, intimate, and compassionate portrayal of Lincoln. I'm a huge fan of Charyn's work, but not sure I would ever dive into this one again. Some of the subject matter might turn me off.

This was an excellent book. Not my typical read and not your typical vampire story, which is what drew me to it in the first place. Loved it. Don't know how I would feel if I read it again.

This was a fascinating book, but I don't know if I could tolerate the content anymore.

Here's another great book that I loved when I read it, but I fear I don't want to read about cyber bullying these days. I've watched my kids go through too many things. I don't want to read about them too. 

This is the book that changed my mind about dystopian fiction. Avoided the genre before this book. I'm really scared if I re-read The Hunger Games I won't like it as much as I did the first time.

That's it from me. What are some books you're scared to re-read?

Beyond the Books: Favorite Romantic Shows and Movies

Beyond the Books is a weekly feature hosted right by Kissin Blue Karen. Beyond the Books is a weekly writing prompt where she throws out a topic (mostly non-bookish) and others blog about it.

Today's Beyond the Books topic is: Favorite Romantic Shows and Movies

I'm not much of a romantic, but I don't mind romantic stories upon occasion. 

While a bit too hyped up for me to watch in the theater--I hate being a follower--Titanic is a beautiful love story between an aristocratic young woman and a poor artist. 

I have to include this one because I married a Greek guy. My in-laws--God bless them--wanted to invite 400 people to our wedding and have a Greek orchestra band playing. We got married six months after building our house and had no money, so we settled on 100 guests and a three-string ensemble. Some of the stuff that happens in My Big Fat Greek Wedding is so true it's hilarious. 

I loved Grease where good girl Sandy falls for greaser Danny. My only challenge with it: Sandy feels the need to change her entire look at the end to catch Danny's attention. 

Dirty Dancing is the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman falling in love with a resort's dreamy dancing instructor. Loved this movie beginning to end. This one is great for its dancing and its characters. 

My mother enjoyed The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough many years before the TV mini-series came out right before Easter in 1983. The book and movie span 60 years in the lives of the Cleary family and center around the youngest daughter, Meggie Cleary, who falls in love with the family's priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart.

What are some of your favorite romantic shows and movies? 

Special NaBlogPoMo Feature - Giving Up Colleen McCullough Style

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough tells the story of the Cleary family, who leaves New Zealand to live on Drogheda, a large Australian sheep station owned by Paddy Cleary's sister, Mary Carson.

Spanning three generations, the Cleary family's many triumphs and tragedies are captured in the near 700-page tome written by McCullough and published in 1977. In 1983, The Thorn Birds became an epic mini-series starring Barbara Standwyck, Richard Chamberlain, Christopher Plummer, and Rachel Ward, that aired during Holy Week, causing a huge controversy and raising the ire of the United States Catholic Conference.



While The Thorn Birds spans three generations of the Cleary family, it is mostly a story of forbidden love between a handsome priest whose ambitions bring him from an Outback parish to the inner circles of the Vatican, and Meggie Cleary, the only daughter of Paddy and Fiona Cleary. Father Ralph de Bricassart's love for Meggie, who is several years his junior, follows him no matter where he goes, until he is forced to confront Meggie and their desire for each other.

The Thorn Birds is a novel filled with great sacrifices that its characters make in the name of love, and therefore, it flows in perfectly with this month's theme of "Giving Up".

This story remains one of my all-time favorites. While I haven't read the book in its entirety in many years, I still remember many passages from it. And the mini-series was so well done that I am at a loss to decide which I like more--the book or the movie.

In 1996, Richard Chamberlain reprised his role of Father Ralph de Bricassart for the television movie, The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years, but this movie did not hold the appeal that the first mini-series did. In my opinion, that is because there really were no "missing years" to write about. In the book and the first movie, Ralph and Meggie were apart for many years while Ralph climbed the ladder at the Vatican and Meggie lived her own life on Drogheda; so the entire premise behind The Missing Years made absolutely no sense, unless we're talking dollars and cents.

If you've never had a chance to read The Thorn Birds or watch the mini-series, I highly recommend that you do. This is forbidden love at its best.