Our Blog

Photo by Joseph Ruwa from Pexels

Summer (hopefully!) means lazy days in the sunshine, relaxing with nothing to do but enjoying yourself…and getting sucked into some really great reading. While some may be lucky enough to do their summer reading on a beach, we’re big fans of opening a book in a hammock. Not only is this somewhere that you can really get into the lazy summer spirit, but you don’t have to get to a coastline (or deal with getting sand everywhere). Instead, all you have to do is lie back, relax…and immerse yourself into one of these incredible new offerings.

[source: Starz]

It’s a good time to be a well-read TV fan. Between The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, Big Little Lies on HBO, and Thirteen Reasons Why on Netflix, readers have a lot to look forward to as the books they know and love experience massively expanded universes in the form of new worlds and new characters. And bookworms who are still trying to scratch that television itch have a ton to look forward to in the coming months. To celebrate this literary television surge, here are our the recent book to TV adaptations we’re excited about.

[source: Calum MacAulay on Unsplash]

Meeting authors can be both thrilling and terrifying, especially at a book signing. We get it, you want to look cool and collected in front of your favorite author. We've got some handy tips on becoming a book signing professional.

Let's face it. Even the most eco-conscious bookworm is sure to feel a tinge of guilt as they set out to devour the latest paperback. So, today we’re examining our reading habits – and making small adjustments that can make a big impact.

[source: Icon Productions]

Today is International Kissing Day, but who needs just one day of the year to celebrate that wonderful moment when lips meet and sparks fly? We’re still celebrating the magic of kisses in pop culture… and awkwardly laughing at the less-than-magical ones, too. From the badly written to the cringeworthy, we’ve got some of the worst lip-locks on page and screen for you. But don’t worry, we’ve rounded up a few of the very best, too. Pucker up for the best and worst kisses in pop culture, ranked.

[source: Warner Brothers Entertainment]

Ocean’s Eight came out last month and we were pumped. Well, we’d be even more excited if there were more than, um, eight women in the crew, but that feeling is subdued every time we watch that gorgeous trailer. So, while this isn’t an Ocean’s Fourteen situation – or even a complete reboot of Ocean’s Eleven – we appreciated the gesture and were first in line at the theater opening weekend. But it got us thinking: In our dream Hollywood, what heist movies would we give an all-female reboot?

[source: Universal Pictures]

The Sting (1973)

In The Sting, Paul Newman and Robert Redford play two con men hell-bent on outsmarting a 1936 mob boss. It’s a classic heist movie set during the Depression and we’d be surprised if reboot isn’t already being kicked around. Our version would update the script, setting it in the Chicago of today. Marisa Tomei and Constance Wu would play the Paul Newman and Robert Redford analogs, respectively, and “the sting” would be taking down a corrupt local politician.

[source: Gramercy Pictures]

The Usual Suspects (1995)

We’re eager to replace Kevin Spacey’s entire cannon and The Usual Suspects is an excellent place to start. In this neo-noir heist movie, Verbal (Kevin Spacey) recounts via interrogation the events leading up to a horrific shootout aboard a boat. The inciting incident of this massacre was a police lineup that brought together, as if randomly, five conmen. In our reboot of The Usual Suspects, Samira Wiley would play Verbal, with Rachel Brosnahan, Jameela Jamil, Tiya Sircar, and Tessa Thompson rounding out the suspects.

[source: Warner Brothers Entertainment]

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

In Dog Day Afternoon, Sal (John Cazale) and Sonny (Al Pacino) attempt to rob First Brooklyn Savings Bank to pay for a loved one’s surgery. But the plot turns out to be a complete bust; Sal and Sonny arrived after the daily cash pickup and there’s nothing to steal. The whole thing quickly turns into a media circus and while any other screenwriter would take advantage of the inherent comedy, Frank Pierson decided instead to dive into the humanity of these one-time criminals. In our version, the Sonny character would be played by Hannah Simone, with Gina Rodriquez as Sal.

[source: Universal Pictures]

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

The Fast and the Furious franchise lives large in our cultural zeitgeist, but in case you’ve been living in a bunker for the last sixteen years, here’s the gist: Brian O’Connor, a Los Angeles police officer, must decide where his loyalty truly lies when he’s sent undercover to destroy a street racing gang. Imagine how badass it would be to see an all-female street racing gang on the big screen! We’re thinking Lucy Liu in the Vin Diesel role, natch, with Lupita Nyong’o as the undercover police officer and Mackenzie Davis, America Ferrera, Awkwafina, and Hana Mae Lee rounding out the crew.