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Shazam!

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Watch the Movie, Read the Book!
Movie: Shazam!  Starring: Zachary Levi
Book: Shazam! (New 52) by Geoff Johns

The movie was marketed as “Big meets superheroes.”  I think that is a perfect summary of the movie.

“The movie follows Billy Batson, a troubled 14-year-old boy living in foster homes in Philadelphia. After running away for the 23rd time, Billy moves into a foster home with the Vazquez family and their 5 foster kids. One day Billy Batson gets on a subway car and he finds himself transported to a different realm. An ancient wizard gives him the power to turn into an adult superhero by uttering the word Shazam! Billy and his new foster brother, Freddy Freeman, have lots of fun learning how to use his superhero powers.” – New Line Cinema

“Shazam has been in publication at DC Comics 40+ years. The movie is based very heavily upon the 2012 New 52 era reboot of Shazam! Writer Geoff Johns and artist Gary Frank reimagined the character’s entire world. There are also some big differences between the movie and the book. Much of the harder edge in The New 52 story is gone and instead the zany ridiculousness of the character’s Golden Age is present.” – ScreenRant.com

I decided to watch the movie because of the trailers, Zachary Levi, and good reviews from friends who had seen it. I was not disappointed. I really, really, hope they make a sequel. Shazam! was as advertised – a fun superhero movie that the whole family can enjoy. As in any superhero origin movie there was a lot of explaining, things happening in the past, characters introduced with no real depth (saving it for the sequel!), and a training montage. I LOVE montages. The one for Shazam explored his powers as a superhero and what a teenage boy would do if he could turn into an adult at will. Almost the whole family can enjoy this light fare. Although the villain is not that scary, he does kill people. In addition, the 7 deadly sins are represented in the flesh as demons. They are vicious and scary looking. Depending on the child, I would recommend this for ages 10+.

As with every superhero of DC comics, there are many Shazam books – from the old comics to present day, the children’s Billy Batson and the magic of Shazam! series, and kid’s early reader books. I only read the graphic novel the movie is based on (via hoopla because the book was checked out!) . (I prefer to read non-superhero graphic novels but really enjoy movies based off of superhero comics.)

The graphic novel was a quick read.  As stated before, there are major difference in the comic and the movie but also a lot of the same story. Differences like there are two villains in the comics but only one in the movie and the 7 deadly sins are imprisoned in people not statues. The comic cleared up some questions that movie reviewers pointed out. For example – why Billy Batson is chosen and why the villain needed Shazam’s power. Depending on the child, I would recommend the comic to ages 7+. I think the killing and 7 deadly sins are less scary visually than in the movie.

The experience on my iPad in the hoopla app was different but nice.  Last time I read a comic as an eBook it was on my 1rst generation Kindle Fire (which I miss greatly.). The viewing experience on hoopla is similar. It shows you one panel at a time or zooms into different parts of a larger panel/page of the comic like my Fire did. Although it does not show you the full page first and then the separate panel like my Fire. The hoopla app may have that capability but I did not search for it. The best parts about reading a comic as eBook is you always read the panels in the correct order, the words are bigger, and you can zoom. I am still requesting the graphic novel in hardback so I can peruse the pics in the regular way.

I hope you enjoy Shazam! in all its formats. Click to see all the Shazam!’s the library offers.

 

The English Patient

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The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Adults

Ondaatje’s novel is a poetic intersection of four stranger’s lives during their stay in an abandoned Italian villa at the end of World War II. There is Hana–the nurse, Caravaggio–the handless thief, Kip–the bomb defuser, and the English patient–the mysterious, bedridden man with severe burns covering the entirety of his body. With a slow and eloquent pace, the book gives each character the time to recount and process their lives and identities during the war. All the while, the mystery of the English patient unravels in the form of fragmented and feverish memories that conclude in a tragic tale of love and loss. What is revealed through their stories speaks to the complexity of identity, “otherness,” and the global consequences of war on cultural and geographical borders.

What I love about this book is how four perfect strangers come to realize that they, as people of the world, share “communal histories” and those cultural borders that suggest otherwise are meaningless in the face of loss. Their self identities, which were previously described in terms of nationalities, become blurred and then reactualized in the presence of the English patient–who is both literally and figuratively someone whose identity has been burned away from his very being. Ondaatje’s book is a deep reflection of the shared human experience and the tragedies of war.

Find it in our catalog.

Good Omens

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Read the Book, Watch the Movie!
Book: Good Omens
Mini-series: Good Omens
Release Date: Early 2019

The world is ending and the demon and angel from the Garden of Eden aren’t happy about it. They have come to like the human race (and the accouterments they get to experience on earth themselves) so they decide that they will simply have to work together to prevent the antichrist from bringing it all to an end. The only problem is that the antichrist was accidentally switched at birth and currently growing up in an idyllic British country village with no idea at all about his vast and unimaginable power. Don’t worry, the distant descendant of the only truly correct prophetess, Agnes Nutter is also working to track down the antichrist before everything quite literally goes to hell. Pratchett and Gaiman, two masters of both fantasy and humor, teamed up to write one of the most beloved books of our time. Now it is being translated for the screen by Amazon Prime staring David Tennant as the demon, Crowley, and Michael Sheen as the angel, Aziraphale. If you are looking for a story that will make you laugh out loud while also reminding you that the human race is full of hope, this is a truly wonderful book. Look for the mini-series in early 2019 on Amazon Prime. Find it in the catalog

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

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Book: Valerian and Laureline by Mézières, J.-C. (Jean-Claude)
Movie: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Movie Release Date:  21 July 2017
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, & Rihanna

“An adventure film from Luc Besson, the director of The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, based on the French comic book series by J.C. Mézières.  It is the 28th century, Alpha is the space-traveling city inhabited by millions of species from thousands of planets. Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are special operatives that are part of the force that maintain order in this universe.  It is nonstop action as the two complete one mission after another.  One mission is special and assigned to them by the Minster of Defense himself. Enjoy the ride as they race to solve the mysterious force that is threatening the city of Alpha.”  -IMDb

I picked this up because of the cover. I like space operas and I really liked the other films Luc Besson had directed. The visuals were just as stunning as The Fifth Element but the story was not as engaging. I did enjoy it but if I could have stopped comparing it to The Fifth Element, I would have enjoyed it even more. It was a fun action movie with simple missions that go sideways so chaos ensues. The 2 main characters had that great chemistry of being in love but still annoyed with each other. There was a lil bit of mystery which, I figured out cuz I am a mystery queen. The secondary characters played by Rihanna and Clive Owens were cool. The alien races were original looking but not so out there I got distracted by their otherworldlyness. I would recommend this to people who like fun, nonstop action, adventures in space with bright imagery and a lil morality lesson with their entertainment.

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Me Before You Series by Jojo Moyes

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Series Title: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

First Book: Me Before You

Who it’s for: Adults

Me Before You is the first book in a trilogy surrounding the life of Louisa Clark. Louisa is a loveable character whose life is altered forever when she lands a new gig helping paraplegic Will Traynor. The first novel was turned into a movie and our lovable Louisa is played by the even more loveable Emilia Clarke. Throughout the trilogy Louisa finds herself a little more with each person that comes in and out of her life. Readers who enjoy books about self-discovery and a little romance will devour these novels. The series only gets better after the first book so pick up your copy of After You and Still Me. Find it in the catalog

 

The Darkest Minds

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Read the Book, Watch the Movie!

Book: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Movie: The Darkest Minds
Movie Release Date: August 3, 2018

Ruby first witnessed the effects of Idiopathic Adolescent Acute Neurodegeneration (IAAN) when her classmate spontaneously dropped to the cafeteria floor during lunch. This mysterious disease has since killed 98% of America’s youth population in rapid succession.  Those few that do not succumb to the illness emerge with an assortment of powerful (and frightening) abilities.  So frightening in fact that when Ruby awakes on her 10th birthday, her parents lock her in the garage and immediately call the police.  She’s then carted off to Thurmond, a government-run camp operating under the guise of “rehabilitation” manned by the US military’s new Psi Special Forces (PSF) branch.  Upon her arrival,  Ruby discovers that kids with her particular kind of abilities are considered especially dangerous and are to be executed on-sight.  In a desperate act of self-preservation, Ruby disguises herself and her abilities to escape detection.

Now 16, Ruby’s secret is out and a group called the Children’s League comes to aid her in her escape from camp.  In exchange, they want to train Ruby as a soldier in their fight against the government.  Perturbed at the idea of being used as a weapon, Ruby runs – right into a group of kids in search of East River, a haven hidden away to protect AWOL youth like themselves.  She joins their ranks, but she fears that her presence is putting her new friends in danger.  PSF’s and Skip Tracers are intent on tracking them down and Ruby’s lack of control over her abilities puts everyone at risk.  While war wages on the outside, Ruby must battle her want of companionship against her need to protect said companions.

The first in a series, The Darkest Minds is thrilling, heart-breaking, and a little bit terrifying from beginning to end, exploring themes of friendship, self-sacrifice, and overcoming fears along the way.  Find it in the catalog.