Enjoy an Enchanted April

If you enjoy Downton Abbey, come discover The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim.  The author's name may be unfamiliar today, but Elizabeth, Countess Russell, began a highly successful literary career in 1898 and published more than 20 popular books.  She was also a mother of five children, a cousin of Katherine Mansfield, and a lover of H.G. Wells. 

The Enchanted April, first published in 1922, was a best-selling sensation in England and the United States, and has inspired 2 major films and 2 Broadway plays.  Set in England and Italy in the early 1920s, this witty and lyrical novel chronicles the story of four strangers who come together for a holiday in an Italian castle and rediscover themselves.

The novel is available as a free ebook, and hard copies are available at the Avondale circulation desk.  Our screening party is scheduled for Sunday, April 14th at 2:30 p.m., and our discussion will take place on Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30 p.m.

Read more about it.
Download the free ebook.

Our March Adaptations Title: Big Miracle by Tom Rose

Based on the incredible true story:  An animal-loving volunteer and a small-town news reporter are joined by a native Alaskan boy to rally an entire community - and eventually rival world superpowers - to save a family of majestic gray whales trapped by rapidly forming ice in the Arctic Circle.

Screening Party:  Sunday. March 10th @ 2:30 p.m.

AfterParty :  Tuesday, March 26th @ 6:30 p.m.

Check us out!

Adaptations was featured on the Feb. 14th broadcast of "All Things Social" on WJSU Cool & Current, The Jackson, Mississippi NPR affiliate.  Click here to listen to the interview online.

The Color Purple

Alice Walker's powerful novel The Color Purple won both the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction, and has been adapted as an acclaimed film, nominated for 11 Academy Awards. and a celebrated musical, nominated for 11 Tony Awards. 

The classic 1985 film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover.

Join us for a special screening party Sunday, Feb. 10th at 2:30 p.m. and share the experience. 

We'll discuss the book and its adaptations at our AfterParty Feb. 26th at 6:30 p.m.

Read about this program on the BPL Blog.

Celebrate a New Year of Adaptations!

The 2013 season of Adaptations premieres this Sunday, Jan. 6th, with a 3-week Sherlock Celebration.  The complete Sherlock schedule is below in the previous post, and coming attractions are listed in the side column.  Our eclectic line-up includes blockbusters and classics, bestsellers and under-the-radar gems.  So pop open a good book, pass the popcorn, and enjoy!

Sherlock Holmes Returns!

Join us in January 2013 for a new Sherlock Celebration Series!  We'll read A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the novel that originally introduced the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and we'll enjoy three new Sherlock films. 

Screening Parties
Sunday, Jan. 6th @ 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan 13th @ 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 20th @ 2:30 p.m.

Our AfterParty discussion program is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 29th @ 6:30 p.m.  Click here to download A Study in Scarlet.

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens' classic novella has never been out of print since its first publication in 1843 and has been successfully adapted to film, stage, opera, and other media multiple times.  Join us Sunday, Dec. 2nd at 2:30 p.m. for a special screening of the 2009 film adaptation of A Christmas Carol.  Our AfterParty discussion is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 11th at 6:30 p.m.

Read Dickens' abridged version of the text prepared for public readings.