Miss Moneypennypincher | REALLY Cheap TV, Contract Free

I hate cable.  I hate how much they charge.  I hate how arbitrary the prices seem.  It really burns me when you sign up for a promo price and then the promo period ends and the price goes up, but I'm pretty sure the cable company made money either way.  I know I am a cheapskate, but I just really hate cable.  And I really hate cable contracts, because there is nothing worse than being FORCED to pay someone with the threat of a cancellation fee.

So, I cancelled cable.  For a couple days my family was in shock, but here's the thing:  I use the library.  We have free DVDs. My kid can watch all the Thomas the Tank Engine I want her to, and my husband and I can rent Skyfall for our weekend movie, free.  Plus we all read (shocker!!!).  So, we made it awhile with no cable.  Then How I Met Your Mother and Modern Family started up in the fall, and football season began, and I knew I had to figure out how to get TV cheap, without contracts.

This is what I did:

Courtesy of blurokr.deviantart.com

I kept the internet service in my home. (It was $19.99 per month)

I bought a digital antenna (it was about $36). +
I bought a Roku, a device to stream internet onto my TV.  ($94.99, even cheaper if you have a warehouse membership) +
I signed up for Netflix app on the Roku (no contract) $7.99/month +
I signed up for Hulu app on the Roku (no contract) $9.99/ month +
I got a Playon subscription for $39 per year (it was on sale, no contract required. This is a great way to watch HIMYM, since CBS is not available on Hulu.) = 

If we did this for only a year, calculating the price of the Roku device, and the Playon, we would pay $31.22 per month for TV.  No contracts required.

For any show that we absolutely MUST have (like Mad Men), we can buy them per episode ($1.99) on the Amazon App on the Roku.  We don't have to have a cable contract for the whole year just to watch one show.  Plus when our shows are not on, we can cancel Hulu, cutting an additional $7.99 out of our budget.  We can still catch TV, through the digital antenna.  Netflix is also optional, since the library carries most movies and television shows, either at the library or through Link+.
To put this in perspective, it is predicted that in 2015, the average cable bill will be $123 per month.  Not internet, just TV.  With that price, someone can save approximately $92 per month by streaming TV and using the library for free DVDs.  You can get $1104 back in your pocket every year just by changing the way you watch your TV.

 Knock Knock
---Who's there?
Will
---Will, Who?
Will you take me with you on your family vacation that you got to go on because you just saved $1104???  You will?  YAY!!!!  I can't wait!

Books On Film | How The Grinch Stole Christmas

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss,  is a holiday favorite. Originally published in 1957, the book tells the story of a bitter creature who steals all the toys and trappings of Christmas from Whoville in an attempt to ruin the holiday. 

In the process, The Grinch learns the true meaning of the holiday, which is family and togetherness. The book was written as a critique of the commercialization of Christmas.

It has been adapted into film twice. The first, a 1966 animated movie which is still widely watched. The second, a 2000 live action film starring actor Jim Carrey.

The book has also been adapted into a stage play. The play has been performed by various local musical theater groups and as a Broadway production since 1994. The story was also incorporated into a 2010 Christmas episode of the musical television show Glee and was included on their first Christmas album.

 

One of the best things about How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is the famous You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch. Who doesn't love that song? Well, now it's time to test your knowledge. Do you know the missing words from the first verse of the song? 

You're a    1    one, Mr. Grinch.
You really are a   2   .
You're as    3    as a cactus,
You're as charming as an    4  ,
Mr. Grinch.
You're a bad banana with a    5    black peel.

Find out if you were right by listening to the song (1966 cartoon version) or checking out the answers below! 

[source: youtube]

Answers:

1. mean

2. heel

3. cuddly

4. eel

5. greasy

Covers Courtesy of LibraryThing

IMDB: Movies 1966/2000

Books On Film | Debbie Macomber

Author Debbie Macomber has been writing romance novels since 1982. She has sold over 150 million books and several of her Christmas themed books have been made into Hallmark Channel Original Movies. 

 

Mrs. Miracle (1996) was adapted into a 2009 movie starring Dawson's Creek actor James Van Der Beek.The book is about a single widower with two boys who finally decides to try his hand at love again thanks to the encouragement his new nanny Mrs. Miracle. The sequel Call Me Mrs. Miracle (2010) was also adapted into a movie by Hallmark.

Last Christmas season, Trading Christmas, one of the stories from the When Christmas Comes (2004) anthology was also adapted into a movie. The story is about two people, Emily and Charles, who decide to houseswap for Christmas. Charles meets Emily's best friend and Emily meets Charlie's brother. Unexpected adventures in love await them both. 

If you like Christmas feel-good movies with a little romance thrown in, then these are the books for you! If you like Hallmark movies, check out the original stories.                                                       

If you are a fan of Debbie Macomber then you may also want to read the Cedar Cove series, which has been adapted into Hallmark's first original series. It stars actress Andie McDowell and premieres in Fall 2013.

Covers courtesy of LibraryThing
Biographical information - Debbie Macomber - About

Books On Film | A Christmas Carol

How many of these actors have played Scrooge?
[Answer at bottom of the post]

1. Jim Carrey
2. Kelsey Grammer
3. Vanessa Williams
4. Tim Curry
5. Walter Matthau

*   *   *

Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol is a Christmas classic. It was originally published in 1843. It's the story of Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge's discovery of the meaning of Christmas with help from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future.

The book has been adapted into film many, many times. According to IMDB, there have been at least 140 film adaptations of A Christmas Carol. The first known adaptation was a short film called Scrooge made in 1901. In addition to the films, there have been multiple radio and stage performances of the book since the first CBS radio production premiered in 1934.

The most frequently watched version of A Christmas Carol is probably 1951 adaptation, starring Alastair Sim. It is frequently played on television during the Christmas season.

There have also been many kid-friendlier adaptions, including A Sesame Street Christmas Carol, Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure, and more. 


Answer: All of them!

Sources: IMDB/Wikipedia
Covers courtesy of LibraryThing 

Books On Film | Nancy Drew

Here's a mystery for you! Who is Carolyn Keene?

Everyone has probably heard of the amateur detective Nancy Drew. The series has been in publication (off and on) since 1930. However, while the books list the author as Carolyn Keene in reality there is and never has been such a person! Since the creation of the series, the books have been written by different freelance writers using the same pseudonym. The brainchild behind Nancy Drew was actually writer/publisher Edward Stratemeyer, who had previously used the same technique to launch The Hardy Boys series in 1927.

The original Nancy Drew (1930-2003) has a total of 175 books to it's name. Nancy Drew, Girl Detective (2004- ) was created as it's replacement and still going strong today.  There have also been several teen-oriented Nancy Drew series, including The Nancy Drew Files #1-124 (1986-1997) and Nancy Drew on Campus #1-25 (1995-1998).  Of course, there were also series aimed at younger kids. The Nancy Drew Notebooks #1-69 (1994-2005) and it's replacement series Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew (2006- ) feature a pre-teen Nancy Drew and crew solving mysteries.

 

Nancy Drew has also made several big and small screen appearances since it's launch. Warner Brothers made four Nancy Drew movies starring Bonita Granville in the 1930s, and one movie, Nancy Drew (2007), starring Emma Roberts in the 2000s. There was also a Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys television show in the 1970s and a television movie in 2002, both on ABC.

Some would assume that the kids these days only gravitate towards the newer version of Nancy Drew, but we've found that the kids enjoy them all. If your child likes mysteries then check out Miss Nancy Drew!

[Publishing Info Source: series-books.com - Nancy Drew / wikipedia.org - Nancy Drew]
[Covers Courtesy Of: Librarything]

Books On Film | Bones

The television show Bones, starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz, has been on the air since 2005. The show follows forensic anthropologist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (Deschanel) and FBI agent Seeley Booth (Boreanaz) as they solve murder cases.

The show is based on the Temperance Brennan books by mystery author Kathy Reichs. Reichs herself is a forensics anthologist as well as a writer, professor, and producer on the show Bones.

The Temperance Brennan books began in 1997 with Déjà Dead and now there are fifteen books in the series with more to come. The television show and the books differ in dramatic ways. The Brennan in the books is more closely modeled after the author. She is older than her television counterpart, works as the Director of Forensic Anthropology in the Canadian province of Quebec, and partners with the Quebecois police. In the television show, she is an anthropologist at the fictional Jeffersonian Institute (modeled after the Smithsonian Institute) in Washington, DC and she consults with FBI.

The television program not only showcases Brennan's anthropology skills, but also the skills of her fellow Jeffersonian scientists in solving cases. This includes entomology, forensic art, pathology,  psychology, and archeology to help solve cases. If you like to see science applied to real world situations this might be the show for you.

Even with the differences between the books and the show I believe if you like one you will also enjoy the other. Assuming murder, mayhem, and anthropology interest you, of course!

For more information about our Link+ borrowing system, please click here.
[Covers courtesy of LibraryThing]  
[Author/Show/Book Source: KathyReichs.com]
[Titles in order: Good Reads - Temperance Brennan series]  

Books On Film | Supernatural

We all know that books are frequently made into movies, but the reverse also occurs. The process of adapting a movie or television show into a book is called novelization.

Novelizations take two forms: direct screen-to-book adaptions and "spin-off" books. "Spin-off" books are written in the same universe with the same characters, but with plots not seen in the source material. Direct screen-to-book adaptations are more common with movies and "spin-offs" more common with television shows, particularly science fiction and fantasy shows with large fan-bases.

The fantasy, horror show Supernatural, which is about two brothers who hunt supernatural creatures, was first novelized in 2007. Since the show is in it's eighth season and the show has put it's own spin on classic monster mythology, there is plenty of story to draw inspiration from.

If you like to watch Supernatural check out the books below. Are they as good as the show? You tell me!

1. Nevermore by Keith R.A. DeCandido 

2. Witch's Canyon by Jeff Mariott  

3. Bone Key by Keith R.A. DeCandido 
4. Heart of the Dragon by Keith R.A. Decandido [Link+]

5. The Unholy Cause by Joe Schreiber [Link+]
6. War of the Sons by Rebecca Dessertine [Link+]

If you are looking for other supernatural novelizations, checkout out the Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed books.

Have you checked out the novelization of one of your favorite movies or television shows? How did it compare? Comment below and let us know!

For more information about our Link+ borrowing system, please click here.
[Bibliographic Source: Good Reads - Supernatural TV Show Books] 
[Cover images uploaded by Candace]  

Books On Film | Goosebumps

It may be surprising, but many children love horror!

R.L. Stine has written over 300 horror books for young readers since 1986. His long-lasting series, Goosebumps, is very popular among elementary and middle school students. The books are scary and age-appropriate, without being gross.

In 1995, Fox and Scholastic Productions adapted the books into a television show (TV-Y7). It was one of several children's horror shows airing the mid-to-late 90s, which included series such as Nickelodeon's Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Disney's Eerie, Indiana. Goosebumps was on the air for four years and the DVDs from the show are still frequently checked out at the library.

Stine continues to write in the series today and has even created a spinoff series, Goosebumps Horrorland. If you have a child that likes the scary stuff have them check out the Goosebumps series or even Mostly Ghostly and Rotten School (other series by R.L. Stine).

Goosebumps (TV Show) Intro:

[Source: YouTube]

What was your favorite scary story as a child? Comment below!

[Bibliographic Source: rlstine.com - About R.L.]

[Book cover courtesy of LibraryThing] 

Books On Film | Stephen King

In honor of Halloween, I'll spend the month of October talking about several spooky adaptations of adult and children's books!

Stephen King has been publishing books for thirty-eight years and the large majority of what he's penned has been adapted into films, many of which are now considered horror classics. 

 

Hollywood Movies

His first novel, Carrie (published in 1974), was adapted into a film starring Sissy Spacek and with that, the title wave of Stephen King adaptations began. Some of his most famous big screen horror films are The Shining (1976) with Jack Nicholson, Firestarter (1979) with Drew Barrymore, and Misery (1987) with Kathy Bates. He also penned movie classics The Shawkshank Redemption (1981) and The Green Mile (2006) with Tom Hanks.

Television Movies & Miniseries  

Not only have his novels been made into big screen movie productions, but also into television movies by network and cable channels. Some of the most famous television horror adaptations include Salem's Lot (1975), IT (1986) with Tim Curry, The Tommyknockers (1987), and The Langoliers (1989).

Television Shows

King's stories have also been adapted into several television shows. The most well known adaptation is the USA Network series based on The Dead Zone (1976), starring Anthony Michael Hall. 

If you take a look at Stephen King's catalog of titles you will be very surprised at just how many of your favorite movies are based on his books.

Do you have a favorite Stephen King book or movie? Comment below! 

 
Bibliographic Source: StephenKing.com - The Library
[Cover images courtesy of LibraryThing]

Books on Film | From Paper to Film

How many of your favorite movies are actually based on books?

Film and television adaptations of teen novels are all the rage now. The Hunger Games series and The Twilight series have made it to the big screen, while titles like The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle series have been adapted into television shows. 

It's not just a teen lit phenomenon either, both adult and children's books are regularly adapted into film.  Fantastic adventure films, like Jurassic Park, and fun family films, like Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs, are based on books.

It's also not a new phenomenon. Books have been adapted into movies for almost as long as film-making has been around. Sherlock Holmes was one of the earliest series to be to be adapted into film.

And not only are books adapted into film, but vice versa! This film to book transformation is very popular in science fiction. Movies like Star Wars and television shows like Star Trek have inspired many authors to pick up their pen.

Books on Film will explore old, new, and upcoming film and television adaptations from novels, written plays, and comic books; as well as draw attention to novels inspired by some of your favorite movies and shows.

Do you have a favorite book adaptation? If so, share by adding a comment below. 

[Book covers courtesy of LibraryThing]