March Book (& Movie) Madness 2023: Week 4

Union University’s Library at the Logos is back with our second presentation of March Book Madness! On Fridays in February, you will be introduced to the books competing in March Book Madness in 2023. A difference this year is that each book has also been made into a movie. We hope that this will help you with the selection process. Each week will feature our titles from two different genres. By the end, you will have been introduced to 8 genres and 16 books. Then, during the month of March, stay tuned to our social media channels to vote on your favorites. Our 2022 Champion was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Will a familiar favorite win again or will a new contender reach the top of the shelf? You, our readers, will determine the winner. We hope that you journey with us as we make our way through the Final Four and crown our second March Book (& Movie) Madness Champion!    

Rachel: Welcome.  I’m Rachel Bloomingburg, and I’ll be one of your commentators again this week, alongside Darius Mullin. I hope you’re ready because we’ve made it to the homestretch and will be introducing you to our final competitors for this year! Darius, could you tell us about our last two categories?

Darius: Sure! Our last two categories for March Book Madness 2023 are Mystery and Children’s literature! Mystery novels focus on some sort of puzzle, crime, or predicament that must be solved. The protagonist is often—but not always—a detective, such as Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or Edgar Allan Poe’s C. Auguste Dupin. Children’s literature is a broad category including, quite simply, books that are written with children as the intended primary audience. Children’s books often include accompanying illustrations and are sometimes quite enjoyable for adult audiences as well.

Rachel: They sound like vastly different categories. Would you tell us about our first entry in the Mystery genre?

Darius: The first Mystery entrant is, of course, Sherlock Holmes. There are a lot of different collections and adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, but for our purposes we’ve selected The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and the 2009 Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. and directed by Guy Ritchie. Sherlock Holmes himself is a “consulting detective” whose skills of observation and deduction are almost fantastical. His companion is Dr. John Watson, who is the narrator of Doyle’s stories. Holmes has captured the imaginations of generations of readers by navigating numerous exciting cases and adventures; the 2009 film is not based on any particular Sherlock Holmes story.

Rachel: Great choice. I’m not as familiar with this genre; however, Sherlock Holmes is a classic that I believe most will have some knowledge about. Could you tell us about the second selection?

Darius: Our second Mystery story is Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie and its 2017 movie adaptation directed by Kenneth Branagh. In this classic Hercule Poirot adventure, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by an unexpected snowdrift. The next day, one of the train’s passengers, a millionaire, is found stabbed to death in their locked cabin. Surely the murderer is still on board, but who is it? Read or watch to find out!

Rachel: Oh, wow! That sounds interesting. I may give this one a try. Who do you think will advance to the next round?

Darius: Well, these are two very strong competitors, with both the novel and movie versions of each giving us a good showing. Nonetheless, I suspect Sherlock Holmes will win out in the end, as few literary characters are more iconic. Rachel, how about we go ahead and move on to our last category, Children’s literature. Who’s up first?

Rachel: Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my! You will likely notice this line from The Wizard of Oz. The book written by L. Frank Baum with illustrations by Michael Hague, as well as the movie with the same title released in 1939, follows a young girl named Dorothy as she is transported in her home from Kansas to the land of Munchkins by way of a tornado. Her only hope is to return to her home, so the munchkins encourage her to follow the yellow brick road and make her way to the City of Emeralds and meet with the Great Wizard of Oz. As she begins her journey, she will meet a host of memorable characters including the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and The Cowardly Lion. You will later meet the Wicked Witch of the West. She is rather unhappy with Dorothy because the house she traveled in landed on top of the Wicked Witch of the East and killed her. Will Dorothy make her way back home with the help of her friends or will the Wicked Witch of the West succeed with her plan of revenge? Only time will tell.

Darius: Such a classic fantasy story! What is it facing in the sweet sixteen?

Rachel: The Chronicles of Narnia is a beloved series. While there’s debate on which is the proper order to read it, the story it tells is what matters most. For our purposes today, we will focus on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy—are sent from their home in London during the war to escape the air raids. Life is simpler in the country until the day that Lucy discovers a certain wardrobe. While it appears to be full of coats, as Lucy discovers, another world awaits her. A magical world trapped within an eternal winter and under the rule of the wicked White Witch. Lucy is a character that portrays goodness, and her arrival helps to spread the feeling of hope. Will she, along with Aslan and others on the side of good, be able to defeat the White Witch once and for all? You’ll have to read to find out.

Darius: Wow, two beloved stories going head-to-head here! And I have to weigh in on the debate—The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe comes first, at least the first time you read it. But you’re right, the important thing is to read them. Which of the two do you think is most likely to move on to the next round?

Rachel: These stories have similar elements, and I believe they both have a strong chance to advance. I think the popularity of The Chronicles of Narnia series will give it a slight edge. I’m excited to see who comes out on top!

Darius: Well, everyone, those are our last four entrants for March Madness 2023! Which of these do you think has the best chance of making it to the Final Four? Which of our sixteen competitors will take home the crown? Keep an eye on the library Instagram for voting in the days to come, and catch up on the first three entries of this series here.

March Book (& Movie) Madness 2023: Week 3

Union University’s Library at the Logos is back with our second presentation of March Book Madness! On Fridays in February, you will be introduced to the books competing in March Book Madness in 2023. A difference this year is that each book has also been made into a movie. We hope that this will help you with the selection process. Each week will feature our titles from two different genres. By the end, you will have been introduced to 8 genres and 16 books. During the month of March, stay tuned to our social media channels to vote on your favorites. Our 2022 Champion was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Will a familiar favorite win again or will a new contender reach the top of the shelf? You, our readers, will determine the winner. We hope that you journey with us as we make our way through the Final Four and crown our second March Book (& Movie) Madness Champion!   

Sarah: Welcome back to the 2023 March Book Madness! I’m Sarah Blevins, one of your commentators, joined by Amber Wessies. Amber, what genres do we have this week?

Amber: This week we are bringing to you the genres of Romance and Classics. Romance is pretty self-explanatory; these novels include a love story. This year, we have added a twist though. The two romance novels for this competition also deal with the heavy topic of death, specifically the death of the one you love. Our second genre is classics, these are books or novels considered to be great throughout the ages. They are lasting and often studied in school. You might have read them as a child and your parents might have as well.

Sarah: Two of my favorite genres! What do we have for Romance?

Amber: Our first romance novel is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The movie directed by Josh Boone stars Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort as Hazel and Gus. Hazel and Gus are teenagers with cancer. Gus is in remission while Hazel’s thyroid cancer continues to progress. The two meet and fall in love in the typical fashion: bonding over a book and a make-a-wish trip to Holland. However, things change for the worse when Gus’ cancer returns. Grab your tissues for this one.

Sarah: Yes, that movie left me in a puddle of tears. What’s it up against?

Amber: The second novel is just as much of a tearjerker. We have Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. The movie of the same name was directed by Thea Sharrock and stars Emilia Clark and Sam Claflin. Louisa Clark has just lost her job and finds herself being hired as a caretaker for quadriplegic, Will. Will is set on committing suicide because his life cannot be what it was before his accident. Louisa is on a mission to change his mind in six months. Through their adventures and jokes, they fall in love. But is falling in love enough to change Will’s mind?

Sarah: That sounds like another great contender! This is sure to be one match you don’t want to miss! Who do you think will come out on top?

Amber: This is a tight race; I am not sure who will move to the next round. I think The Fault in Our Stars might have a slight advantage because it is a young adult novel as well. Sarah, why don’t you tell us about our two classic novels?

Sarah: First up, we have the 1847 classic, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë. The 2011 movie stars Mia Wasikowska as Jane and Michael Fassbender as the brooding Mr. Rochester. Jane Eyre follows the titular character through her school years, her work for the mysterious employer, their romance, and the aftermath that follows. Its popularity has certainly stood the test of time.

Amber: I remember enjoying this as one of the required high school readings. Who will be facing off against Jane Eyre?

Sarah: Next, we have Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Loosely based on the author’s own life, Little Women follows the four March sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, and their neighbor, Laurie, in 1860s New England. The sisters’ strong bonds are tested through the trials of growing up. The award-winning 2019 movie stars Saoirse Ronan as Jo, Florence Pugh as Amy, and Timothèe Chalamet as Laurie. It’s a story that’s been loved for ages.

Amber: This is one that I haven’t read or seen. I think I need to add it to my TBR list. Who do you think will win out?

Sarah: It’s going to be a close one for sure! I think the popularity of the recent Little Women adaptation might give it the edge, but we’ll certainly have to wait and see.

Amber: So true. Thanks for joining us this week. Don’t forget to stop by next week for the last two genres to round out our Sweet 16 bracket. Who will make it to the top of the shelf? Voting will be on the library’s Instagram page in the month of March. Stay tuned!

March Book (& Movie) Madness 2023: Week 2

Union University’s Library at the Logos is back with our second presentation of March Book Madness! On Fridays in February, you will be introduced to the books competing in March Book Madness in 2023. A difference this year is that each book has also been made into a movie. We hope that this will help you with the selection process. Each week will feature our titles from two different genres. By the end, you will have been introduced to 8 genres and 16 books. Then, during the month of March, stay tuned to our social media channels to vote on your favorites. Our 2022 Champion was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Will a familiar favorite win again or will a new contender reach the top of the shelf? You, our readers, will determine the winner. We hope that you journey with us as we make our way through the Final Four and crown our second March Book (& Movie) Madness Champion!    

Amber: Hey everyone! Thank you for joining us in Week 2 of March Book (& Movie) Madness: 2023 edition. I’m Amber Wessies, and I’ll be highlighting our genres for the week along with Micah Rhodes. Rachel and Darius told you about our first two genres, Historical Fiction and Civil Rights, last week. And this week, we bring two totally different genres. Micah, can you tell us what they are? 

Micah: Thanks, Amber! This week, we’ll be covering the brackets for Science Fiction and Gothic Horror, two of my personal favorites. While they are both speculative genres, Science Fiction often extrapolates real-world research and technology to propose futuristic scenarios, while Gothic Horror leans into haunting, supernatural themes that often look to bring dark elements of the past into the present. I really like the juxtaposition of these two genres, and they can actually overlap in fascinating ways, as we’ll see. 

Amber: Science Fiction and Gothic Horror can definitely keep you on the edge of your seat or maybe just keep you up at night. Why don’t you tell us about the contenders in our Science Fiction Genre? 

Micah: Our first competitor is a cornerstone of far-future sci-fi literature. Written by Frank Herbert in 1965, Dune has proven to be influential in the decades since, most notably providing many inspirations to George Lucas’ Star Wars. Full of political scheming, novel technologies, religious quandaries, and quasi-magical power, Dune has always been upheld as foundational to modern sci-fi by avid readers. It’s seen a recent resurgence in the awareness of the general public with Denis Villeneuve’s new movie adaptation in 2021, which was a masterpiece in cinematography. I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Part 2 later this year. 

Amber: Wow, I think I need to check it out. Now, which book will Dune battle against? 

Micah: Dune’s rival is another juggernaut in both written and visual sci-fi media. Most of our audience will be familiar with the Jurassic Park movie franchise, but some may be surprised to learn that it too spawned from a literary source. Michael Crichton wrote two excellent novels, Jurassic Park and The Lost World, that established the setting for the films. In fact, the success of the first film pressured Crichton into writing the sequel, something he did not ordinarily do with his novels. The plot for both film and book can be summarized by this witty exchange between characters Dr. Ian Malcolm and Dr. Ellie Satler: 

Malcolm: “God creates dinosaurs, God destroys dinosaurs. God creates Man, man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs.” 

Satler: “Dinosaurs eat man . . . Woman inherits the earth.” 

Amber: Too funny, Jurassic Park is a great sci-fi choice. Which do you think will advance to the Elite 8 round? 

Micah: This is a tough call. Dune brings a dedicated following from the literature crowd, and its new movie is gorgeous and dramatic if a little hard to follow for viewers who haven’t read the book (especially the ending). However, though the Jurassic Park books have less of a cult following, the movies have become such titans of popular culture that I think dinosaurs will win over spaceships this year. 

Micah: Let’s move on to your category, Amber. What can you tell us about your contenders? 

Amber: Well, Gothic Horror isn’t usually my go-to genre, but I think we are all familiar with Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein. There have been many movie adaptations of Frankenstein and the Union Library has three versions that you can check out. Although we all like to think the monster in the book was the man created using cadavers, that may not be the case. Dr. Frankenstein who created the monster might be more of a monster than we thought. I wonder what our voters will think? Frankenstein is one of the novels that embodied gothic fiction with its suspense, fear, and haunting from the past. Shelley’s work represents the gothic horror of the early 19^th century.  

Micah: It’s certainly a classic, and deeply embedded in the history of the genre. This is what I love about holding Science Fiction and Gothic Horror up for side-by-side examination: we can see how they overlap! There are elements of sci-fi in Frankenstein, as the doctor is using pseudo-scientific techniques to bring about the creation of his creature. Likewise, Jurassic Park has some similarities with gothic horror and especially Frankenstein, as scientists work to bring monsters to life which then wreak havoc on humans, leaving open the question of who is more monstrous: the creator or the created? Anyway, what’s the second contestant? 

Amber: Our second book and movie duo comes from the 20th-century gothic horror period and another female author, Daphne du Maurier. Du Maurier’s book, Rebecca, has become the basis for several movie adaptations including a newer Netflix film and the Alfred Hitchcock version by the same name. Surprisingly disturbing and sad, Rebecca, tells the story of a poor girl who marries a rich widowed man with a haunting past. Although this gothic novel may be less familiar to many, Rebecca, still brings those chilling gothic elements from mystery, to love, and murder that makes these novels hard to put down. Can the new Mrs. de Winter and her husband move past the death of Rebecca? 

Micah: Hmm, intriguing. I’ll have to give Rebecca a read or a watch, or both! Which book-movie do you think will triumph? 

Amber: I think Frankenstein may win out since so many people read it in high school. But I wouldn’t count out Rebecca with its new movie. 

Micah: Well, we’ll see if either of our predictions are correct in just a few weeks. Remember, readers, YOU will be the ones determining this year’s winners of March Book (& Movie) Madness! Want to represent your favorite page-to-screen adaptations? Vote for your favorites on Instagram next month, then see which advances. We’ll be back with our next competitor introductions after these messages… 

March Book (& Movie) Madness 2023: Week 1

Union University’s Library at the Logos is back with our second presentation of March Book Madness! On Fridays in February, you will be introduced to the books competing in March Book Madness in 2023. One difference this year is that each book has also been made into a movie. We hope that this will help you with the selection process. Each week will feature our titles from two different genres. By the end, you will have been introduced to 8 genres and 16 books. During the month of March, stay tuned to our social media channels to vote on your favorites. Our 2022 Champion was The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Will a familiar favorite win again or will a new contender reach the top of the shelf? You, our readers, will determine the winner. We hope that you journey with us as we make our way through the Final Four and crown our second March Book (& Movie) Madness Champion!  

Rachel: Welcome! Thank you for joining us for March Book (& Movie) Madness: 2023 edition. I’m Rachel Bloomingburg, and I’ll be one of your commentators for this week, alongside Darius Mullin. Our goal is to introduce you to the first two of eight genres that will be featured this year. Darius, could you tell us about the two genres to be featured this week?

Darius: Our first two categories are Historical Fiction and Civil Rights! The Historical Fiction genre is typically set in a real time and place, even if the specific characters and events of the story aren’t strictly historical. Our Civil Rights category is a more specific subset of historical fiction that includes stories centered around American citizens’ efforts to attain social and political equality.

Rachel: Both categories are great to help us better understand our past and appreciate strides that have been made for present and future generations. What is our first participant in the Historical Fiction genre?

Darius: Our first Historical Fiction candidate is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, alongside the 1962 movie of the same name directed by Robert Mulligan. Set during the Great Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows Scout Finch and her family’s experiences in smalltown Alabama. The plot culminates with Scout’s father, lawyer Atticus Finch, defending a black man against a false rape accusation.

Rachel: Yes. I remember this story. What’s our second choice in this genre?

Darius: Next up is The Godfather by Mario Puzo and its movie adaptation directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The plot tells the tale of the fictional Corleone family, an Italian mafia family based in New York City. Set shortly after World War II, the novel/movie initially follows Don Vito Corleone, the head of the family as he runs the family business. But an emergency thrusts Vito’s son Michael—who is introduced as a family misfit, uninvolved in the Corleone business—into the spotlight as main character and mafia leader. Both the book and movie versions of The Godfather are highly acclaimed, present fascinating characters, and are full of violence and intrigue.

Rachel: I don’t know much about The Godfather, but I usually like stories based around the World War II time period. Which of these two do you think will advance to the elite eight?

Darius: It’s hard to say, since both options are American classics. If I had to guess, I think To Kill a Mockingbird might have a slight edge on the competition, since a lot of people have probably read it in high school. How about you introduce us to our contestants in the next category, Civil Rights?

Rachel: Happy to. Our first choice is Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race. The book written by Margot Lee Shetterly, as well as the film adaptation directed by Theodore Melfi and shortened to the title Hidden Figures, focuses on a core group of dedicated female mathematicians (nicknamed “human computers”) that are called into service during a labor shortage of World War II. Their work helped give Americans a victory they desperately needed with regards to the space race. Math and science tend to be a male-dominated field, so I appreciate that this shows women making an impact in the field.

Darius: That’s awesome! I’ve seen that movie; it’s a great story! Could you share the second option in this category?

Rachel: Yes. Our second selection is likely more well-known when thinking of the Civil Rights genre. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, and the 2020 film adaptation starring Michael B. Jordan help to show the disparity and often unfair treatment of those with limited resources, which could lead to individuals being wrongly condemned. The book covers several cases that Bryan worked on, as well as learning what led him to get into the field. The movie focuses on the case of Walter McMillian, a black man that was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a young, white woman that he didn’t commit. I really appreciated reading the book because it reminded me that while Walter’s case was the most well-known, Bryan’s work made an impact in multiple cases. Knowing that it’s an autobiography helps to give it an even greater personal nature.

Darius: I remember being very impacted when I read that book. Sounds like two really good duos in this part of the bracket! Any ideas as to which will come out on top?

Rachel: It will be tough because both are powerful and important stories, but I think Just Mercy will come out as the winner.

Darius: Well, folks, that’s all for today! Which of the first four entrants has the best chance of making it to the Final Four this year? Keep an eye on the library Instagram for voting next month, and stay tuned for the introduction of the other twelve contestants in the weeks to come!