Citizen Reader

Welcome to a special Friday edition of Citizen Reader!

Remember a while back when I couldn't stop talking about Winston Graham's "Poldark" series? The historical fiction series set in 1700s Cornwall that actually blew my mind the first time I read them? (And continue to do so, every time I re-read them?) Well, here's a link to a guest article I wrote for Anglotopia, proving once and for all that I spend TOO MUCH time thinking about the Poldark saga:

A Tale of Three Poldarks

In it I discuss the original twelve-book series. And the 1975 TV adaptation. And the 2015 adaptation. So you'd think all of that would be enough Poldark, wouldn't you? However, let me assure you: there will never be enough Poldark.

Happy weekend, all.

In Monday's New Nonfiction list, I said that Frank Trentmann's title Empire of Things: How We Became a World of Consumers, from the Fifteenth Century to the Twenty-First sounded interesting. And now here's a review of it that really makes me want to read it!*

*And this is not an April Fools joke. I always used to hate April Fools' Day, but last night CRjr was running around saying nonsensical (and to him, hilarious) things, and then shouting, "April Fools!" It made me feel a bit more warmly towards April 1.

I have not yet gotten around to reading Jane Jacobs's classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities, but I did read Wrestling with Moses: How Jane Jacobs Took on New York's Master Builder and Transformed the American City, and loved it.

And now it appears a new book, comprised of an interview with Jacobs, is coming out. I must have it.

Sven Beckert's Empire of Cotton: A Global History is recently out in paperback. I've not read it, but it sounds like it could be good.

Courtesy of Becky at RA for All, a great list of authors for books about American presidents, both fiction and nonfiction:

http://raforall.blogspot.com/2016/02/happy-presidents-day-ra-for-all-reading.html

Enjoy! Maybe if you keep busy reading any of those books you'll be able to ignore the rat race (and I do mean race of actual rats) of this year's presidential election season.

Last week Jimmy Carter won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album, for narrating his book A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety.

I just like Jimmy Carter, and always meant to read this book. Maybe I'll just listen to it instead!

I've always rather enjoyed Ted Rall, even when I don't.

And now he's written a biography of Bernie Sanders, in graphic novel form. I'm still pretty much done with politics, but I don't read very many biographies or graphic novels. This might be a good one to shake things up.

...is closer to becoming a major motion picture.* I was not a fan of this book.

*But, read the whole article for the hidden good news: Kenneth Branagh will be directing the film adaptation of Artemis Fowl! YAY!

Happy Valentine's Day, all, and for the day please do consider looking at this link from Flavorwire, explaining which couples from popular rom-coms would never, ever last past the end credits. I agree with most of these (and particularly enjoyed the sentiment "Among the many, many things to hate about Love, Actually..."):

10 Movie Couples Who Definitely Didn't Make It, Sorry

A couple of notes: do watch the Knocked Up clip, if only to see Paul Rudd being hilarious at the end of it. The only thing that saves me from absolutely loathing Judd Apatow and his too-long, not-funny-enough movies is the fact that he seems to recognize that Paul Rudd is an underappreciated comic genius and casts him a lot. And, I'll admit it: I still kind of hope Lloyd Dobler and Diane Court made it.