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Literary Love Triangles

[source: Sony Pictures Television]

Like the very best comfort food, a good love triangle can make you forget all your troubles; they just make you feel good! Okay, they actually make you feel angst-ridden, angry, swoony, like you’re on the wings of love, and both satisfied and unsatisfied—sometimes all at once. Love triangles can be terrible! But isn’t this push-and-pull what makes a good love triangle so fun? And as much as literature and pop culture is riddled with these complicated relationships, not all of them are created equal. To make a love triangle truly great, both suitors need to be viable options. A reader needs to understand why a character might choose either person—and the best love triangles of all inspire vehement disagreement amongst fans (but, like, in a nice, fun way, okay?). To celebrate true love and the uncertainty and angst that goes with it, let’s take a closer look at six powerful love triangles found in literature both classic and contemporary.

Posted by Maggie Fremont

Childhood Characters We’d Love to Revisit as Adults

Image by Klári Cseke from Pixabay

This summer’s Christopher Robin features 47-year-old Ewan McGregor in the titular role. The young boy from A. A. Milne’s classic book is long gone. In his place is that same beloved character, only with decades of life behind him and an ever-waning imagination ahead of him. It’s a fun concept, but it really got us thinking about other favorite literary characters from our childhood – characters whose adult selves we would love to meet.

Posted by Danielle Mohlman

How to Decrease Your Bookish Carbon Footprint

Let's face it. Even the most eco-conscious bookworm is sure to feel a tinge of guilt as they set out to devour the latest paperback. So, today we’re examining our reading habits – and making small adjustments that can make a big impact.

Posted by Danielle Mohlman

Kisses in Pop Culture, Ranked Worst to Best

[source: Icon Productions]

Today is International Kissing Day, but who needs just one day of the year to celebrate that wonderful moment when lips meet and sparks fly? We’re still celebrating the magic of kisses in pop culture… and awkwardly laughing at the less-than-magical ones, too. From the badly written to the cringeworthy, we’ve got some of the worst lip-locks on page and screen for you. But don’t worry, we’ve rounded up a few of the very best, too. Pucker up for the best and worst kisses in pop culture, ranked.

Posted by Rose Moore

Heist Movies That Need an All-Female Reboot

[source: Warner Brothers Entertainment]

Ocean’s Eight came out last month and we were pumped. Well, we’d be even more excited if there were more than, um, eight women in the crew, but that feeling is subdued every time we watch that gorgeous trailer. So, while this isn’t an Ocean’s Fourteen situation – or even a complete reboot of Ocean’s Eleven – we appreciated the gesture and were first in line at the theater opening weekend. But it got us thinking: In our dream Hollywood, what heist movies would we give an all-female reboot?

 


[source: Universal Pictures]

The Sting (1973)

In The Sting, Paul Newman and Robert Redford play two con men hell-bent on outsmarting a 1936 mob boss. It’s a classic heist movie set during the Depression and we’d be surprised if reboot isn’t already being kicked around. Our version would update the script, setting it in the Chicago of today. Marisa Tomei and Constance Wu would play the Paul Newman and Robert Redford analogs, respectively, and “the sting” would be taking down a corrupt local politician.

 


[source: Gramercy Pictures]

The Usual Suspects (1995)

We’re eager to replace Kevin Spacey’s entire cannon and The Usual Suspects is an excellent place to start. In this neo-noir heist movie, Verbal (Kevin Spacey) recounts via interrogation the events leading up to a horrific shootout aboard a boat. The inciting incident of this massacre was a police lineup that brought together, as if randomly, five conmen. In our reboot of The Usual Suspects, Samira Wiley would play Verbal, with Rachel Brosnahan, Jameela Jamil, Tiya Sircar, and Tessa Thompson rounding out the suspects.

 


[source: Warner Brothers Entertainment]

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

In Dog Day Afternoon, Sal (John Cazale) and Sonny (Al Pacino) attempt to rob First Brooklyn Savings Bank to pay for a loved one’s surgery. But the plot turns out to be a complete bust; Sal and Sonny arrived after the daily cash pickup and there’s nothing to steal. The whole thing quickly turns into a media circus and while any other screenwriter would take advantage of the inherent comedy, Frank Pierson decided instead to dive into the humanity of these one-time criminals. In our version, the Sonny character would be played by Hannah Simone, with Gina Rodriquez as Sal.

 


[source: Universal Pictures]

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

The Fast and the Furious franchise lives large in our cultural zeitgeist, but in case you’ve been living in a bunker for the last sixteen years, here’s the gist: Brian O’Connor, a Los Angeles police officer, must decide where his loyalty truly lies when he’s sent undercover to destroy a street racing gang. Imagine how badass it would be to see an all-female street racing gang on the big screen! We’re thinking Lucy Liu in the Vin Diesel role, natch, with Lupita Nyong’o as the undercover police officer and Mackenzie Davis, America Ferrera, Awkwafina, and Hana Mae Lee rounding out the crew.

Posted by Danielle Mohlman

Book Recommendations for the Men of The Bachelorette

[sourced: ABC]

We’re five weeks into The Bachelorette and it’s anyone’s game. There are so many chiseled and coiffed men vying for Becca’s attention, it makes our heads spin. (Some would say too many men and we see you, Jordan. And we also see that villain edit you’re getting.) But in a world where everyone’s phones have been taken away and there’s a suspicious lack of food, what else is there to do but read? We took the time to come up with book recommendations for some of the more, um, memorable men in the mansion. Who knows. Maybe it’ll keep them occupied between group dates.

Posted by Danielle Mohlman