Hello fellow book lover,
What have you been doing more of this month — reading books or watching movies? Instead of choosing, we have been thinking about the dynamics of book-to-screen adaptations – can a single visual representation, no matter who makes it, ever live up to the imagination of thousands of readers, each interpreting the book’s words and building a world in their minds, just a little different from the next person? And when an adaptation is successful, what makes it so? As we ponder these questions, we also put together some of our favourite books that inspired on-screen adaptations here, in the hopes that you will find something new to add to your TBR or watchlist!
Is there an adaptation you hold close to your heart, based on a book you loved? Tell us about it – just click this link and let’s chat in the comments.
This April, a lot of our time has gone into repairs at the store, with the most exciting results – we have new bookshelves! Did you notice them on your last visit? They are packed with graphic narratives, cookbooks, short stories, and Champaca favourites. There is something so satisfying about filling up empty bookshelves! It made us think about all the many ways that books can be organised (this BookRiot article collects some of the more inventive methods!).
We’ve also had authors visit our space, which has been a treat for us and our community. Simon Lamouret, author of The Alcazar, talked to us about his graphic novel set in a construction site in Cooke Town, Bangalore. He also signed each copy for readers in-store with a personalised illustration! You never know what delightful things await you at author events like these.
And finally, we’d love to hear how your reading is going for the #ChampacaReadingChallenge! How many prompts have you checked off the list? One of our team read Annie Zaidi’s City of Incident for the prompt “set in a metropolis”, a thoughtful and unique novel about nameless characters whose lives intersect in a nameless Indian city. Another team member read Shearwater by Roger Morgan-Grenville for the prompt “a book about the sea”, which is about a year in the life of a Manx Shearwater, combining personal memories with the story of a bird that traverses the treacherous vastness of the ocean. You can always find the prompts, and our recommendations for each one, over here, and don’t hesitate to let us know what you think of the books you discover!
Until next time, happy reading!