When I reviewed The Princess and the Pirate last year, that article became my 300th movie review! Then, earlier this year, my review of Sea Change became my 325th movie review! As March is National Reading Month and since I haven’t written a reading related tag in three years, I’m commemorating these milestones with a book tag! While searching for a tag on Booktube (the book/reading community on Youtube), I stumbled upon the Spring Cleaning Book Tag video from the channel, OwlCrate. I realized I had an answer to every question the hosts shared in the video. I also remembered how spring is on the horizon. If any of my readers are interested in participating in the Spring Cleaning Book Tag, they are welcome to write their own tag posts!
1. The Struggle of Getting Started – A book or book series you struggle to begin because of its size
In the past, I’ve read the first book and the short story collection in The Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children series. While I have enjoyed reading those books, I’ve struggled to continue past the first novel. This is because I haven’t found the time to read the rest of the series. At one point, I did start the second book, only to not finish it. I do want to read more of the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children books. I just need to make a stronger effort to continue.
2. Cleaning Out the Closet – A book or book series you want to unhaul
For last month’s Buzzwordathon, I reviewed The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowery Nixon. Because of Joan’s creative decisions, I found the book disappointing. The protagonist, Christina, makes several contradictions that could make a reader frustrated. Joan prioritizing Christina’s “coming of age” story caused the novel’s suspense to be far and few between, as well as provide a lack of urgency. So, if I had the opportunity to unhaul a book, I’d select The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore.
3. Opening Windows and Letting Fresh Air In – A book that was refreshing
Since I’ve read some books in the Murder, She Wrote series, I’ll choose these stories for this prompt! What I like about the series is how the books aren’t novelizations of episodes the show’s fans have already seen. Instead, these stories are new, unique tales featuring characters and settings fans of Murder, She Wrote have come to know and adore. Creating a new story takes creativity and effort. So, the fact this series contains different stories from the show is, in my opinion, refreshing!
4. Washing Out the Sheets’ Stains – A book you wish you could re-write a certain scene in
As I mentioned in my tag post, The “Flaming Hot…5 Reasons Why” Tag, Kili is my favorite character from The Hobbit trilogy. With that said, I would re-write the conclusion of The Battle of the Five Armies, so Kili and the rest of The Company could receive a more victorious outcome. If this had happened, that victorious outcome might have been translated to The Hobbit trilogy.
5. Throwing Out Unnecessary Knick-Knacks – A book in a series you didn’t feel was necessary
Off the top of my head, I couldn’t think of an unnecessary book in a series. But when I first heard the prompt, I thought of an unnecessary subplot in a book, so I’ll talk about that instead. In Private L.A., by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan, I was not a fan of Justine’s subplot, specifically the part where she develops romantic feelings for a man named Paul. Not only did I not sense chemistry between Paul and Justine, this part of the story wasn’t resolved. Personally, I wish James and Mark had solely focused on Justine coming to terms with her PTSD symptoms.
6. Polishing the Door Knobs – A book that had a clean finish
Not every book is meant to start a series or a literary universe. Sometimes, a story only needs to be told in one book. That leads me to bring up Words on Bathroom Walls by Julia Walton! Without spoiling the book or its film adaptation, I will say the story had a definitive ending, with everything wrapping up as nicely as possible. While I wouldn’t oppose a sequel to Adam’s story, I don’t think it’s necessary.
7. Reaching to Dust the Fan – A book that tried too hard to relay a certain message
Definitely California Angel by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. It seems like Nancy tried to capitalize on programs like Touched by an Angel and Miracle on 34th Street without presenting or attempting to present a complete understanding for what made those programs work. Also, it seems like Nancy used faith as an excuse to avoid explaining why certain events were taking place in the story.
8. The Tiring, Yet Satisfying Finish of Spring Cleaning – A book series that was tiring, yet satisfying, to get through
For this last prompt, I’ll be selecting All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr instead. Reading the novel for 2022’s Buzzwordathon, I completed this 500+ page story in less than six month’s time. Though it took me longer to read than I expected, I’m glad I finally read the book! Because I finished All the Light We Cannot See, I can now have an honest opinion about it.
February’s theme for Buzzwordathon is ‘verbs’. Because the act of taking something is a verb, I chose to read The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore by Joan Lowery Nixon. When creating a mystery story, it’s important to make the characters distinct from one another. This way, the reader will be able to keep track of who is who. How Joan achieves this goal is by describing the characters, from what they look like to their personalities. When talking about her friend, Lorna, the protagonist, Christina, says “Lorna is what they call “outgoing” and always seems to know the right things to say”. Meanwhile, Christina describes herself as someone who tends “to keep things all bottled up inside me”. Making these two characters opposites of each other is one way Joan helps the reader remember the story’s characters.
Throughout the book, Christina makes several contradictions that could make a reader frustrated with her. Toward the beginning of the story, while visiting Lorna at her house, Christina contemplates on what should be important in her life. Even though she turns to her friend for advice, Christina is unsure which direction will lead her to an answer. A chapter later, shortly after she’s been kidnapped, Christina asks “Will my children someday have any idea of what I’m like inside”? This quote implies she already knows what is important to her: having a family in the future. If she already found what’s important to her, why would Christina bother to question what is important in the first place? As the story continues, Christina contradicts herself again, by discovering the most important thing, to her, is herself. Didn’t she already figure out what was important back in chapter three?
In all honesty, I can’t recommend The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore. This is because of how weak the story is. It is possible to tell a “coming of age” story while also giving the characters a mystery to solve. Instead of evenly balancing these two concepts, Joan prioritizes Christina’s “coming of age” story over the mystery itself. That decision led to a book where suspense is far and few between, as well as a novel that lacks urgency. What also doesn’t help was how the kidnappers’ identities were revealed earlier in the story. There is an overarching mystery about an unknown kidnapper in Christina’s case. But the aforementioned reveal took away some of the book’s intrigue.
Overall score: 2.1 out of 5 stars
Have fun during Buzzwordathon!
Sally Silverscreen
Disclaimer: Because this story includes a kidnapping, some readers may be sensitive to this book. Other subjects that may be offensive to some readers are:
— Some occasions where characters swear
— Christina refers to her father as a “bigot” due his religious beliefs
— Christina, a high school junior, develops a crush on a college sophomore
— Some occasions of violence
— The subject of teen pregnancy is briefly referenced
In my post about what readers can look forward to on my blog this year, I shared my results of 2022’s Buzzwordathon readathon. Because I had four fails and didn’t finish reading December’s book before the end of the year, I chose to participate in 2023’s Buzzwordathon in an attempt to improve my results. Though I’m publishing my review for January’s selection in February, I did complete the book in the month of January. That book is The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman, as the theme for January was ‘life and death’. This means the words ‘life’ or ‘death’ had to be featured in the title.
One component that can affect my reading experience is the quality of descriptive imagery. This part of the story is what helps readers picture characters, events, and locations in their mind. Throughout The Life She Was Given, Ellen uses comparisons to elaborate on an intended point. An example is when she described the physical appearance of Merrick, an employee of The Barlow Brothers’ Circus. When one of the protagonists, Lilly, meets Merrick for the first time, “his face reminded Lilly of pictures she’d seen of the moon, with craters and dents and rocky parts”. In fact, Merrick was sometimes referred to as “the moon-faced man”. By comparing his face with the uneven surface of the moon, Ellen is not only describing Merrick in greater detail, she also writes how a child would view the world around them.
Group of clowns image created by Freepik at freepik.com. Image by Freepik
What drew me into wanting to read The Life She Was Given was the mystery surrounding Blackwood Manor, the home inherited by the book’s other protagonist, Julia. While the mystery itself was intriguing and held my attention, it wasn’t prioritized within Julia’s chapters. Instead, more focus was given to taking care of the horses on the Manor’s farm. Readers learn more about Claude, the man in charge of the farm, and Fletcher, the veterinarian, as well as their connection to Blackwood Manor. But because the mystery was not emphasized in most of Julia’s chapters, it took Julia almost the entire book to solve the mystery.
White horse image created by Gabor Palla at freeimages.com. “FreeImages.com/Gabor Palla.”
The Life She Was Given is a tough book to get through. This is not a poorly written piece of literature and I thought the book itself was just fine. The reason why The Life She Was Given is a tough book to get through is because of some of the topics included, which are heavier in nature. Some of these topics are abuse, violence, and mistreatment of animals. Ellen incorporates these subjects into her story in an honest way, not sugar-coating anything or holding back any punches. If you choose to read this book, please be aware of this fact before you start reading.
Overall score: 3.6 out of 5 stars
Have fun during Buzzwordathon!
Sally Silverscreen
Disclaimer: As I said in my review, The Life She Was Given contains heavier subjects, such as abuse, violence, and mistreatment of animals. Other content some readers may find offensive are the following:
— Characters swearing at several moments in the story
— Lilly being placed in some concerning situations, such as underage drinking
— Dialogue reflective of the 1930s and 1950s
— One chapter featuring a horse giving birth
— Mentions are characters dying, including a drunk driving accident
For August’s Buzzwordathon, the theme is ‘Items/Objects’. Originally, I was going to read Redwood Curtain by Lanford Wilson. This is because a) a curtain could be considered an item/object and b) I already own a copy of Lanford Wilson’s play. But I ended up watching the film adaptation of Redwood Curtain earlier than expected. Therefore, I decided to write an editorial on how similar and different Redwood Curtain’s adaptation is from its source material. That editorial will be published during The Fifth Broadway Bound Blogathon. In the meantime, I have selected Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels for this month’s Buzzwordathon, especially since ‘jewels’ could also be considered an item/object! I have blogathon news of my own as well, so keep reading to find out what’s to come!
Here is a photo of my copy of Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
Back in 2019, I reviewed Murder, She Wrote: The Highland Fling Murders. One of the favorite aspects of that book was how distinctive each character was, as there were a lot of characters in the story. Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels contains the same strength. Whether in Cabot Cove or on the Queen Mary 2, each character was unique from one another. At the beginning of the book, the readers are introduced to Maniram, Cabot Cove’s newest resident. He is a jeweler who owns his own jewelry store, sharing his knowledge of valuable gems with Jessica and her friends. Also in this story is Maniram’s cousin, Rupesh. He is a man of many talents, from being a skilled karate athlete to being very knowledgeable with computers. Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels presents him as a room steward on the Queen Mary 2. But as the story progresses, readers find out just how different Rupesh is from Maniram.
Out of the Murder, She Wrote episodes I’ve seen so far, my favorite one is “Film Flam”. What makes this episode great is its educational and insightful approach to the movie premiere process. In Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels, part of the book takes place in London. Instead of bringing up locales that many readers would be familiar with, locations that aren’t often talked about are included in the text. One of them was Grosvenor Square. According to the book, this area was known as “Little America”. A reason is General Eisenhower’s headquarters were located in the Square. During her London adventure, Jessica has dinner at a restaurant called The Ivy. This establishment does exist, boasting a fine dining experience, according to The Ivy’s website. In the book, Jessica describes the restaurant as a “celebrity-driven restaurant that has long been a favorite of London’s theatrical and motion picture crowd”. Meanwhile, The Ivy’s website states “With an enduring celebration of the arts and culture that have defined it since its naissance, The Ivy remains part of the fabric of London life, and a home away from home for its many loyal guests”. Because of reading Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels, I learned more about London’s landscape that I didn’t know before.
What I like about the Murder, She Wrote books is how the stories aren’t novelizations of pre-existing episodes. While this is the case for Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels, it didn’t really feel like the show. That’s because so few characters from the show and previous books were featured. In Murder, She Wrote: The Highland Fling Murders, a Scotland Yard agent and friend of Jessica’s, George Sutherland, was workingalongside Jessica to solve that book’s mystery. When I found out George would be in Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels, I was excited to read about his and Jessica’s reunion. But as I read this book, I discovered George only made a handful of appearances. Compared to other mystery books I’ve read, the sense of urgency in Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels was weaker. What contributed to this flaw was how most of the story focused on Jessica’s trip instead of the mystery. Another contributor was how two intelligence agents were responsible for solving the case. That creative decision made the mystery seem like it was out of Jessica’s reach. It affected her ability of getting involved with the book’s case, especially compared to the show.
I haven’t read many of the books in the Murder, She Wrote series. But out of those I have read, Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels is my least favorite. This book was fine, interesting enough to keep me invested in the story. However, I was expecting more. There was a short period of time where I lost motivation to read this book. Not wanting to experience another Buzzwordathon fail, I finished the story, especially since I wanted to find out what happens. I do plan to read more Murder, She Wrote books. One of them will be reviewed for my upcoming blogathon. As I stated in the introduction, I had blogathon news to share. That news is I’m hosting a blogathon this November! The theme is ‘World Television Day’. More details about the event will follow…
Overall score: 3.6 out of 5 stars
Have fun during Buzzwordathon!
Sally Silverscreen
Disclaimer: Because Murder, She Wrote: The Queen’s Jewels is a murder mystery story, the subject of murder is brought up on more than one occasion. A suicide is also briefly mentioned and swearing does occur a few times.
It’s that time again; another review for this year’s Buzzwordathon! July’s theme is ‘Bookish Words’. Since the word ‘bookshop’ was an obvious choice, I selected The Bookshop on theCorner by Jenny Colgan. At the beginning of my copy of the book, Jenny includes a message to the readers. This message explains the different places a book can be read, sharing tips to help the reader have a good reading experience. Jenny’s message was a nice gesture to her audience, as it felt genuine. In this message, Jenny shares how she purposefully gave her characters different names, in an attempt to avoid confusion. As a reader, I appreciated this creative decision because it was easier to remember who was who. But another creative decision I liked was how Jenny gave each character a distinct personality and characteristics. With a mostly strong use of character development, this allowed the characters to be unique and memorable from one another. The use of descriptive imagery toward settings and scenery was one of the strongest components of The Bookshop on theCorner! Through select word choices, Jenny paints a distinguishable landscape between the city (Birmingham, England) and the country (Kirrinfief, Scotland) that feels realistic. One example is when Jenny describes sunshine in the countryside. She refers to this natural element as “golden”. She also writes about the sunlight’s effect on other pieces of nature, such as how it is “illuminating every crystal raindrop”. Literary details like these help elaborate the story’s surroundings.
Here is a photo of my copy of The Bookshop on the Corner. Screenshot taken by me, Sally Silverscreen.
There’s nothing wrong with incorporating romance into a story. In fact, some of my favorite Hallmark films feature at least one romance. But what makes or breaks that romance is the execution of its dynamic. Many types of romances can be found in literature, from stories about “enemies to lovers” to a tale revolving around “college sweethearts”. When an author chooses one of these dynamics early on in their writing process and consistently utilizes that dynamic, that story may have the potential to be a well-told narrative. Unfortunately, this is not what happened in The Bookshop on theCorner. While reading Jenny’s book, it seems like she couldn’t decide which romance dynamic she wanted to adopt. Instead of choosing one and sticking with it, Jenny picked four of them. Because of their inconsistent presence and lack of confidence, none of these dynamics worked. In fact, the fourth romance dynamic (which is found toward the end of the book) was so unexpected, it felt like I was reading a completely different book.
The inconsistent execution of the romance dynamics is just one flaw in The Bookshop on theCorner. The titular bookshop (which was not a brick-and-mortar store or on the corner, as the cover and title suggest) is more of an afterthought. That’s because the majority of the story is a “slice of life” tale chronicling the protagonist’s adjustment to her surroundings. Nina’s, the protagonist’s, literary matchmaking is really moments of convenient coincidence just to push the story forward, instead of problem-solving skills Nina acquired over time. The more I read The Bookshop on theCorner, I more I found myself disliking Nina. What started as an admirable and somewhat relatable protagonist evolved into a selfish and narrow-minded person. When I first read the synopsis for this book, it sounded like a typical Hallmark Channel “rom-com”. But now that I read The Bookshop on theCorner, it is nothing like those productions. If you enjoy Hallmark movies, books about books, or Scottish stories, please seek elsewhere. You aren’t missing anything by not reading this story.
Overall score: 1.7 out of 5 stars
Have fun during Buzzwordathon!
Sally Silverscreen
Disclaimer: As I mentioned in my review, The Bookshop on theCorneris not like a typical Hallmark Channel “rom-com”. The content that prevents it from being like that aforementioned type of story is the following:
Several chapters discuss a male and female character having sex
Some swearing can be found throughout the story
One chapter chronicles a lamb giving birth. A lamb being injured is also mentioned.
At one point in the story, Nina talks to her friend about a character from a picture book being presented unfavorably. That friend calls Nina out for sounding “weird”.
A Latvian man is described as “exotic”
Nina’s friend, Surinder, says, on more than one occasion, Nina has “gone native” after she moved to the country.
A teenage character is described as being “puppy fat”
A characterwith MS (Multiple Sclerosis) is briefly discussed
Last month, I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by Annlyel from Annlyel Online. However, because I’ve recently taken two out of town trips and had several blogging related things on my plate, I wasn’t able to accept the award as soon as I had wanted to. Now, I have set aside some time to finally publish my blog post for my third Sunshine Blogger Award! Before I list the rules, as well as the questions with my answers, I want to thank Annlyel for choosing to nominate me for this award! I still can’t believe that I’ve won five awards within the one year that I have been blogging! What really makes the awards I’ve won so special is that each of the nominators had believed in me, as a blogger, enough to want to give my blog the time of day. This amount of belief gives me the confidence to be as great of a blogger as I can be!
If you can, which movie is your favorite of all time? There are several movies that I absolutely love. But since I have to pick one for this question, I’ll go with Atlantis: The Lost Empire! Among Disney’s collection of animated films, Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a very different kind of story. However, it still has that familiar sense of “Disney magic”!
Have you been to Disney World? If so, what’s your favorite park? Yes, on more than one occasion, in fact! There are so many great locations in this Orlando, Florida amusement park. But, when it comes to favorites, it’s a tie between Disney M.G.M. Studios (or as it’s now known as Disney Hollywood Studios) and Magic Kingdom. As a fan of movies, I think it’s so cool that Disney created a whole “land” dedicated to this topic. With the Magic Kingdom, you can’t go wrong with an original classic.
Who’s your favorite Star Wars character? I’m not as invested in the Stars Wars franchise as I am with other film series. I have seen the films from the original trilogy, though, so I’ll choose Yoda and the Ewoks. The Ewoks are so fierce and adorable, while Yoda is kind and wise. Frankly, I’ve always wished that I could give Yoda a hug!
Who’s your favorite Marvel superhero? Definitely Bucky Barnes! I’ve talked about him plenty of times on this blog, so I don’t really need an explanation.
Who’s your favorite DC Comics superhero? When it comes to superheroes in film, I have found myself more invested in the MCU heroes than those from DC. For this question, though, I’ll say Batman is my favorite DC hero. Over the years, I have enjoyed watching the Batman film from 1989. I also think that Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy has, for the most part, been solid. It’ll be interesting to see what Robert Pattinson has to offer, talent wise, to the iconic role.
What’s your favorite guilty pleasure, pertaining to food? In my life, I don’t really have any “guilty pleasures” because I don’t feel guilty about liking the things that I do like. However, I will say that this edible “guilty pleasure” is mustard potato salad. Trust me, this dish is more delicious than it sounds!
What city is on your bucket list to visit? Definitely Kansas City, Missouri! I’d love to see the Hallmark Headquarters in person!
What’s your favorite pastime activity? Ever since I could remember, I have always loved reading! I’m currently reading The Secret Garden in preparation for an upcoming blog post. This is my second time reading it, and so far, it’s a good book!
Wakanda, Coruscant, or Hogwarts; which of these fictional worlds would you love to visit? Out of these three locations, I’d pick Wakanda. Since Bucky has spent some time there, he could give me a tour of some of his favorite spots. He could also introduce me to some of his newer friends, like T’Challa and Shuri. Then, we could all join forces and figure out how to have Wakanda become the host country for the Summer Olympics (this should totally be a plot point for either Black Panther 2 or Bucky and Sam’s show on Disney+).
What’s your favorite novel of all time? I actually have several favorite books. But the one that I will share is A Little Princess! Sara is such a great protagonist and the “all girls are princesses” message still holds true!
What’s your favorite sporting event? No doubt, it’s the Cheerleading and Dance Worlds! Competitive cheer and dance are my favorite sports, so this particular event is the biggest event for them. I’m hoping that in the 2020 Summer Olympics, cheer and dance teams can be included into the overall athletic program.
Which fictional, mythical, or extinct creature/animal would you want to have as a pet?
Have you ever watched a Hallmark movie? If so, which one was it?
What is the one TV show that you wish hadn’t been cancelled?
There’s a pop culture themed exhibit at you nearest museum! If you could suggest a piece of movie, television, literary, or theatrical memorabilia to include in the exhibit, what would you choose?
Which two movies or television shows would you love to see have a crossover event? This can be any two films or any two television shows (cancelled or current).
Is there a remake, sequel, or franchise continuation that you wish never existed? If so, what is it?
If you could be an audience member at any sports event, what would it be?
What was your last blog post about?
Which party theme is your favorite (example: Movie theme, Halloween theme)?
Do you have a blogging tip that has helped you as a blogger? If so, share it with your readers!
What was the best purchase you made at a garage sale, rummage sale, flea market, thrift store, etc.?
Happy National Reading Month! When this time of year comes around, I usually don’t do anything to celebrate the occasion. As a reader, I have felt bad about not doing anything to acknowledge it. But, now that I have a blog, I have the opportunity to commemorate National Reading Month! Over the years, I’ve observed how many Hallmark Hall of Fame movies are based on pre-existing literature. This inspired me to create the Hallmark Hall of Fame Reading Challenge! As I was researching the history of Hallmark Hall of Fame, I discovered that there are a lot of plays, short stories, and novels that were adapted into films. Honestly, there were so much pre-existing literature associated with Hallmark Hall of Fame, it took me several days to complete this list. Even though this reading list is very long, you do not have to complete this reading challenge within the month of March. In fact, you can complete this challenge whenever you want! Also, you can read as many or as few books as you like! If you want to watch the Hallmark Hall of Fame movies that these literary works were adapted into, that is completely optional. Now, I’ll explain the set-up of this reading challenge list!
Starting on the left, each book is listed in the chronological order of the film’s release. For instance, even though Richard Paul Evans’ book, The Locket, was published in 1998, the movie adaptation was released in 2002. The title of the book and the book’s author are listed next. After that, the title of the film is placed within parentheses. There are times when a film adaptation does not share the same title as its respective piece of literature. A recent example of this is The Second Sister being the basis for Christmas Everlasting. Feel free to scroll through the list and find your next piece of literature for the Hallmark Hall of Fame Reading Challenge!
2018 – The Second Sister by Marie Bostwick (Christmas Everlasting)
2018 – The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe (The Beach House)
2017 – The Christmas Train by David Baldacci (The Christmas Train)
2017 – Love Locks by Cory Martin (Love Locks)
2016 – A Heavenly Christmas by Rhonda Merwarth (A Heavenly Christmas)
2012 – Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas (Christmas with Holly)
2012 – A Smile as Big as the Moon by Mike Kersjes with Joe Layden (A Smile as Big as the Moon)
2011 – Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (Have a Little Faith)
2011 – Nobody Don’t Love Nobody: Lessons on Love from the School with No Name by Stacey Bess (Beyond the Blackboard)
2011 – The Last Valentine by James Michael Pratt (The Lost Valentine)
2010 – The November Christmas by Greg Coppa (November Christmas)
2010 – The Lois Wilson Story: When Love Is Not Enough by William G. Borchert (When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story)
2009 – A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid (A Dog Named Christmas)
2009 – Irena Sendler: Mother of the Children of the Holocaust by Anna Mieszkowska (The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler)
2008 – Front of the Class: How Tourette Syndrome Made Me the Teacher I Never Had by Brad Cohen with Lisa Wysocky (Front of the Class)
2008 – Sweet Nothing In My Ear: A Play In Two Acts by Stephen Sachs (Sweet Nothing In My Ear)
2007 – Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (Pictures of Hollis Woods)
2007 – The Valley of Light by Terry Kay (The Valley of Light)
2006 – Candles on Bay Street by K.C. McKinnon (Candles on Bay Street)
2006 — If Nights Could Talk: A Family Memoir by Marsha Recknagel (In from the Night)
2006 – The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy (The Water Is Wide)
2005 – Silver Bells by Luanne Rice (Silver Bells)
2005 – Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachel Simon (Riding the Bus with My Sister)
2005 – The Magic of Ordinary Days by Ann Howard Creel (The Magic of Ordinary Days)
2004 – Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler (Back When We Were Grownups)
2004 – Plainsong by Kent Haruf (Plainsong)
2004 – The Blackwater Lightship by Colm Toibin (The Blackwater Lightship)
2003 – Fallen Angel by Don J. Snyder (Fallen Angel)
2003 – A Painted House by John Grisham (A Painted House)
2003 – Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland (Brush with Fate)
2002 – The Locket by Richard Paul Evans (The Locket)
2002 – My Sister’s Keeper: Learning to Cope with a Sibling’s Mental Illness by Margaret Moorman (My Sister’s Keeper)
2001 – Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby (In Love and War)
2001 – Follow the Stars Home by Luanne Rice (Follow the Stars Home)
2001 – The Flamingo Rising by Larry Baker (The Flamingo Rising)
2000 – The Runaway by Terry Kay (The Runaway)
2000 – Looking for Lost Bird: A Jewish Woman Discovers Her Navajo Roots by Yvette Melanson with Claire Safran (The Lost Child)
2000 – Cupid and Diana by Christina Bartolomeo (Cupid & Cate)
2000 – Atticus by Ron Hansen (Missing Pieces)
1999 – A Season for Miracles by Marilyn Pappano (A Season for Miracles)
1999 – Caleb’s Story by Patricia MacLachlan (Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter’s End)
1999 – Durango by John B. Keane (Durango)
1999 – Night Ride Home by Barbara Esstman (Night Ride Home)
1998 – Grace & Glorie: A Play in Two Acts by Tom Ziegler (Grace & Glorie)
1998 – Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler (Saint Maybe)
1998 – Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn (The Echo of Thunder)
1998 – The Love Letter by Jack Finney (The Love Letter)
1997 – Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons (Ellen Foster)
1997 – What the Deaf-Mute Heard by G.D. Gearino (What the Deaf Man Heard)
1997 – For the Roses by Julie Garwood (Rose Hill)
1997 – The Wild Palms by William Faulkner (Old Man)
1996 – Calm at Sunset, Calm at Dawn by Paul Watkins (Calm at Sunset)
1996 – Lily Dale by Horton Foote (Lily Dale)
1996 – The Boys Next Door by Tom Griffin (The Boys Next Door)
1995 – Journey by Patricia MacLachlan (Journey)
1995 – Redwood Curtain by Lanford Wilson (Redwood Curtain)
1995 – The Piano Lesson by August Wilson (The Piano Lesson)
1994 – The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (The Return of the Native)
1994 – Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (Breathing Lessons)
1993 – To Dance with the White Dog by Terry Kay (To Dance with the White Dog)
1993 – Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan (Skylark)
1992 – A Shayna Maidel by Barbara Lebow (Miss Rose White)
1992 – O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (O Pioneers!)
1991 – Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (Sarah, Plain and Tall)
1990 — Decoration Day by John William Corrington (Decoration Day)
1990 – Father’s Arcane Daughter by E. L. Konigsburg (Caroline?)
1989 – The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher (The Shell Seekers)
1988 – The Tenth Man by Graham Greene (The Tenth Man)
1988 – April Morning by Howard Fast (April Morning)
1988 – Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr (Stones for Ibarra)
1987 – Foxfire by Susan Cooper (Foxfire)
1987 – The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden)
1987 – Pack of Lies by Hugh Whitemore (Pack of Lies)
1987 – The Room Upstairs by Norma Levinson (The Room Upstairs)
1985 – Love Is Never Silent by Joanne Greenberg (Love Is Never Silent)
1985 – The Corsican Brothers by Alexandre Dumas (father) (The Corsican Brothers)
1984 – La Dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas (son) (Camille)
1984 – The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson (The Master of Ballantrae)
1983 – The Winter of our Discontent by John Steinbeck (The Winter of our Discontent)
1983 – Thursday’s Child by Victoria Poole (Thursday’s Child)
1982 – Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (Witness for the Prosecution)
1982 – The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
1981 – Dear Liar: A Biography in Two Acts: Adapted from the Correspondence of Bernard Shaw and Mrs. Patrick Campbell by Jerome Kilty (Dear Liar)
1980 – A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities)
1980 – Gideon’s Trumpet by Anthony Lewis (Gideon’s Trumpet)
1979 – All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (All Quiet on the Western Front)
1978 – Stubby Pringle’s Christmas by Jack Schaefer (Stubby Pringle’s Christmas)
1978 – Homely Girl, A Life: And Other Stories by Arthur Miller (“Fame” is included within this book) (Fame)
1977 – The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer: A Novel by Douglas C. Jones (The Court Martial of George Armstrong Custer)
1977 – The Last Hurrah by Edwin O’Connor (The Last Hurrah)
1976 – Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (Peter Pan)
1976 – Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (Beauty and the Beast)
1976 – Meeting at Potsdam by Charles L. Mee Jr. (Truman at Potsdam)
1976 – Works of George Bernard Shaw by George Bernard Shaw (“Caesar and Cleopatra” is included within this book) (Caesar and Cleopatra)
1975 – The Rivalry by Norman Corwin (The Rivalry)
1975 – Valley Forge by Maxwell Anderson (Valley Forge)
1975 – Eric by Doris Herold Lund (Eric)
1975 & 1974 – Paul Gallico’s The Small Miracle by Paul Gallico and Bob Barton (Something Wonderful Happens Every Spring & The Small Miracle)
1975 – If Only They Could Talk & It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet by James Herriot (All Creatures Great and Small)
1974 – The Gathering Storm by Winston S. Churchill (The Gathering Storm)
1974 – Still Life by Noel Coward (Brief Encounter)
1974 – Crown Matrimonial by Royce Ryton (Crown Matrimonial)
1974 – The Country Girl by Clifford Odets (The Country Girl)
1973 – The Borrowers by Mary Norton (The Borrowers)
1973 – Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld (Lisa, Bright and Dark)
1973 – Peanuts & You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown)
1972 – The Man Who Came to Dinner by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart (The Man Who Came to Dinner)
1972 – The Hands of Cormac Joyce by Leonard Wibberley (The Hands of Cormac Joyce)
1972 – Harvey by Mary Chase (Harvey)
1971 – A Death in the Family by James Agee (All the Way Home)
1971 – The Snow Goose: A Story of Dunkirk by Paul Gallico (The Snow Goose)
1971 – The Collected Works of Paddy Chayefsky: The Stage Plays by Paddy Chayefsky (“Gideon” is included within this book) (Gideon)
1971 – The Price by Arthur Miller (The Price)
1970 and 1953– Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Hamlet)
1970 – The Greatest Story Ever Told by Fulton Oursler, Henry Denker, and Warren Parker (Neither Are We Enemies)
1969 – The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell (The Littlest Angel)
1969 – The File on Devlin by Catherine Gaskin (The File on Devlin)
1968 – Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (Pinocchio)
1968 – The Works Of J. M. Barrie by J. M. Barrie (“The Admirable Crichton” is included within this book) (The Admirable Crichton)
1968 – Elizabeth the Queen by Maxwell Anderson (Elizabeth the Queen)
1967 – Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw (Saint Joan)
1967 – A Bell for Adano by John Hersey (A Bell for Adano)
1967 – Anastasia by Marcelle Maurette (Anastasia)
1966 – Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward (Blithe Spirit)
1966 – Barefoot in Athens by Maxwell Anderson (Barefoot in Athens)
1966 – Lamp at Midnight by Barrie Stavis (Lamp at Midnight)
1965 – Inherit the Wind by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee (Inherit the Wind)
1965 – The Magnificent Yankee by Emmet Lavery (The Magnificent Yankee)
1964, 1954, 1953, 1952, and 1951 – Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti (Amahl and the Night Visitors)
1964 – Painting as a Pastime by Winston S. Churchill (The Other World of Winston Chuchill)
1964 – The Romancers by Edmond Rostand (The Fantasticks is loosely based on “The Romancers” (The Fantasticks)
1964 and 1958 – Little Moon of Alban by James Constigan (Little Moon of Alban)
1964 – Abe Lincoln in Illinois by Robert E. Sherwood (Abe Lincoln in Illinois)
1963 – Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion)
1962 – Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand (Cyrano de Bergerac)
1962 – The Teahouse of the August Moon (play by John Patrick, novel by Vern Sneider) (The Teahouse of the August Moon)
1962 – Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring (Arsenic & Old Lace)
1961 – Victoria Regina by Laurence Housman (Victoria Regina)
1961 – Jean Anouilh: Five Plays by Jean Anouilh (“Time Remembered” is included within this book) (Time Remembered)
1960 and 1954 – Macbeth by William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
1960 – Lost Horizon by James Hilton (Shangri-La)
1960 – Captain Brassbound’s Conversion by George Bernard Shaw (Captain Brassbound’s Conversion)
1960 and 1956 – The Cradle Song and Other Plays by Gregorio Martinez Sierra (The Cradle Song)
1960 – The Tempest by William Shakespeare (The Tempest)
1959 – A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen (A Doll’s House)
1959 – Winterset by Maxwell Anderson (Winterset)
1959 – Ah, Wilderness! by Eugene O’Neill (Ah, Wilderness!)
1959 and 1957 – The Green Pastures (play) by Marc Connelly and Ol’ Man Adam an’ His Chillun by Roark Bradford (The Green Pastures)
1959 – Berkeley Square: A Play in Three Acts by John L. Balderston and The Sense of the Past by Henry James (Berkeley Square)
1958 and 1956 – The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare (Kiss Me, Kate and The Taming of the Shrew)
1958 – Johnny Belinda by Elmer Harris (Johnny Belinda)
1958 – Dial M for Murder by Frederick Knott (Dial M for Murder)
1958 – Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates by Mary Mapes Dodge (Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates)
1957 – Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare (Twelfth Night)
1957 – On Borrowed Time (play) by Paul Osborn & L. E. Watkins and On Borrowed Time (book) by Lawrence Edward Watkin (On Borrowed Time)
1957 –Yeoman of the Guard by W. S. Gilbert (The Yeoman of the Guard)
1957 – There Shall Be No Night by Robert E. Sherwood (There Shall Be No Night)
1957 – The Lark by Lillian Hellman and Jean Anouilh (The Lark)
1956 – The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman (The Little Foxes)
1956 – Works of George Bernard Shaw by George Bernard Shaw (“Man and Superman” is included within this book) (Man and Superman)
1956 – Born Yesterday: Comedy in 3 Acts by Garson Kanin (Born Yesterday)
1956 – The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams (The Corn is Green)
1955 – Dream Girl by Elmer Rice (Dream Girl)
1955 – Works of George Bernard Shaw by George Bernard Shaw (“The Devil’s Disciple” is included within this book) (The Devil’s Disciple)
1955 – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)
1954 – Moby-Dick, or, the Whale by Herman Melville (Moby Dick)
1954 – Richard II by William Shakespeare (King Richard II)
1953 – Imaginary Conversations by Walter Savage Landor and Charles George Crump (Aesop and Rhodope)
1953 – Favorite Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (“The Courtship of Miles Standish” is included within this book) (The Courtship of Miles Standish)
1953 – Of Time and the River: A Legend of Man’s Hunger in His Youth by Thomas Wolfe (Of Time and the River)
1953 – The Imaginary Invalid by Jean Baptiste Poquelin Moliere (The Imaginary Invalid)
1953 – The Trampling Herd: The Story of the Cattle Range in America by Paul I. Wellman (McCoy of Abilene)
1953 – The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke (The Other Wise Man)
1953 – Lincoln’s Little Correspondent by Hertha Ernestine Pauli (Lincoln’s Little Correspondent)
1952 – The Small One: A Story for Those Who Like Christmas and Small Donkeys by Charles Tazewell (The Small One)
1952 – Father Flanagan of Boys Town by Fulton Oursler (The Vision of Father Flanagan)
1952 – Mistress of the White House: The Story of Dolly Madison by Helen L. Morgan (Mistress of the White House)
1952 – Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams by Avi (The Story of Roger Williams)
1952 – Doctor Serocold by Helen Ashton (Doctor Serocold)
Will you be participating in the Hallmark Hall of Fame Reading Challenge? Which piece of literature from this list would you be interested in reading? Share your thoughts in the comment section!
18 Cinema Lane 