From Page to Screen: In Cold Blood (1967) and In Cold Blood (1996)

My love for Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood (which some ungenerous souls might call an obsession) has been well documented on this blog.

But my interest in the story transcends the book. The 1967 film adaptation is one of my favorite movies and is one of the examples I always point to when people claim that a movie can never be as good as the book.

A few months ago, I watched the 1996 miniseries adaptation of the story with my coworker Jen. If the 1967 version is one of the best adaptations I’ve ever seen, the 1996 version is easily one of the absolute worst.

Usually the “From Page to Screen” series is a venue for me to compare and contrast books with their adaptations. But this is my series and my rules, and I’ve decided to bend the rules for this one. So, this month we’re comparing and contrasting two adaptations and exploring why one is considered a masterpiece and the other, well, isn’t. Let’s just call it Screen vs. Screen for this month.

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Discussion Thread: What Have You Been Reading in 2017?

I spend a fair amount of time talking to all of you about what I’ve recently read, but seeing as we’re almost 1/4 of the way through the year, I thought now would be a good time to ask you, gentle readers, what you’ve been reading in 2017.

So, what have you read this year that you particularly enjoyed?

Have you read anything recently that you didn’t like?

What are you planning on reading next?

Is there a book you have been dying to read, if only the library would finally get it?

What would you like to see me review in 2017?

Be sure to tell us in the comments, either here or on Facebook!

Allison Hoover Bartlett’s The Man Who Loved Books Too Much

In thinking about true crimes of passion I could relate to, the title of this book most definitely caught my eye!

John Gilkey’s claim to fame as a career criminal was not how much he stole but what he stole: rare books, mostly.  Why specialize in stealing rare books? Writer Allison Hoover Bartlett wanted to find out and by following his story provides a look not only into the motivations behind his crimes but also into the world of legitimate rare book collectors, stories of other book thieves, and the story of the man who tracked Gilkey down, Utah antique book dealer Ken Sanders.

Oddly-Specific Genres: Love Gone Wrong

The need to find balance in all aspects of your life is much touted these days.  We at the Berryville Library want to do our part to help you in this quest.  So, after a February full of hearts, love and chocolate, we thought March was a perfect time to feature true tales of love gone wrong! 🙂

Of course, said love gone wrong doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic love. . . .