Mary Jo Tate

“The Magician’s Nephew” to Be Filmed Next

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Michael Flaherty, co-founder and president of Walden Media, says they are considering filming The Magician’s Nephew next. Read the story here. If they continued following publication order, The Silver Chair would have been next. However, their argument that the popularity of each Narnia movie corresponds to the popularity of the related book makes sense. I’ve … Read more

The Experience of Reading Physical Books

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John Evans of Lemuria Bookstore, a fabulous independent bookstore in Jackson, Mississippi, writes about the experience of holding and reading a physical book: “Finishing a book is special. It becomes part of your life as it rests on your bookshelf. It watches you as you live around it. It’s always waiting to be held and … Read more

Join me for the Schoolhouse Expo!

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I’ll be speaking at the online Schoolhouse Expo on March 15 at 7:00 p.m. Central. My topic is “How Do You Do It All? Balancing Family Life and Home Business.” Here’s the workshop description: Home business blends well with homeschooling, but it can also create frustration, exhaustion, and chaos. You may be paralyzed by an … Read more

“The books must survive.”

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“My little hobby. Book collecting. And yet, old friend, books do not age as you and I do. They will speak still when we are gone, to generations we will never see. Yes, the books must survive.” The rabbi of Haarlem, who brought his books to Corrie ten Boom’s father for safekeeping, in The Hiding … Read more

Austen Bowl 2011

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Anyone besides me consider the Super Bowl a major yawn? I sent my four sons to watch the football game with my dad (I’m sure he needed some male bonding time) to free up our TV for the umpteenth viewing of Pride and Prejudice. (The 1996 A&E version, naturally. Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy.) Since … Read more

Can Electronic Books Make Us Better Readers?

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Steve Leveen of Levenger is a serious bibliophile who makes his living selling gorgeous products to booklovers.  After 8 months of reading on his iPad, he identified “7 Ways Electronic Books Could Make Us Better Readers.” I’m a die-hard fan of the print book, but I’m gradually acknowledging more and more worthy uses of e-books. … Read more

“Greenmantle” by John Buchan

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If you’ve ever heard of John Buchan, it’s probably because of Alfred Hitchcock’s movie adaptation of his novel The Thirty-Nine Steps. Buchan was an amazingly productive author of over 100 works of fiction and nonfiction, averaging five books a year from 1922 to 1936. He wrote a 24-volume history of World War I during the … Read more