Latest news with #BookClub
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Book Club: Read ‘Mrs. Dalloway,' by Virginia Woolf, with the Book Review
Welcome to the Book Review Book Club! Every month, we select a book to discuss with our readers. Last month, we read 'The Safekeep,' by Yael van der Wouden. (You can also go back and listen to our episodes on 'Playworld,' 'We Do Not Part' and 'Orbital.') It's a beloved opening line from a beloved book: 'Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.' So begins Virginia Woolf's classic 1925 novel, 'Mrs. Dalloway.' The book tracks one day in the life of an English woman, Clarissa Dalloway, living in post-World War I London, as she prepares for, and then hosts, a party. That's pretty much it, as far as the plot goes. But within that single day, whole worlds unfold, as Woolf captures the expansiveness of human experience through Clarissa's roving thoughts. Over the course of just a few hours, we see her grapple with social pressures, love, family, the trauma of war and more. The result is a groundbreaking portrayal of consciousness and a poetic look at what it means to be alive. This year, the novel turns 100 years old. To celebrate the book's centennial, in June, the Book Review Book Club will read and discuss 'Mrs. Dalloway,' by Virginia Woolf. We'll be chatting about the book on the Book Review podcast that airs on June 27, and we'd love for you to join the conversation. Share your thoughts about the novel in the comments section of this article by June 19, and we may mention your observations in the episode. Here's some related reading to get you started. Our original 1925 review of 'Mrs. Dalloway': 'Mrs. Woolf is eminently among those who 'kindle and illuminate.' Mrs. Woolf has set free a new clarity of thought and rendered possible a more precise and more evocative agglutination of complicated ideas in simplicity of expression.' Read the full review here. This essay by the author Michael Cunningham (whose book 'The Hours' is a riff on 'Mrs. Dalloway') about Virginia Woolf's literary revolution: 'Woolf was among the first writers to understand that there are no insignificant lives, only inadequate ways of looking at them. In 'Mrs. Dalloway,' Woolf insists that a single, outwardly ordinary day in the life of a woman named Clarissa Dalloway, an outwardly rather ordinary person, contains just about everything one needs to know about human life, in more or less the way nearly every cell contains the entirety of an organism's DNA.' Read the full essay here. The writer Ben Libman's essay, 'Was 1925 Literary Modernism's Most Important Year?', in which he discusses Virginia Woolf and a host of other modernist writers: 'She is an inhabitant of minds. And the mind, in 'Mrs. Dalloway' and later, in a more extreme sense, in 'The Waves' (1931), is a kind of nebulous antenna tuning in and out of life's frequencies, ever enveloped in its luminous halo.' Read the full essay here. We can't wait to discuss the book with you. In the meantime, happy reading!
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Movie Quiz: What is Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film ever?
Book Club Sign up to the Irish Times books newsletter for features, podcasts and more
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Is Reese Witherspoon's New Furniture Worth Buying? Here's Our Honest Review of the Draper James x Polywood Collection
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission. Reese Witherspoon has long been the queen of Southern charm, whether she's gracing the screen or launching stylish collections through her lifestyle brand, Draper James. Now, she's bringing that signature grace outdoors — literally — with a brand-new patio furniture collaboration. More from The Hollywood Reporter The 73 Most Dazzling Jewelry Gifts From Celebrity-Owned and Hollywood-Loved Labels Peacock's Best Subscription Deal for Spring Ends Soon: Here's How to Save Nearly 70 Percent Off 'The Morning Show' Sets Return Date With Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon (and Jon Hamm) Back for Season 4 Time Jump When the opportunity came to try a few pieces from the collection, I had high expectations. Polywood has a solid reputation for building sturdy, eco-friendly outdoor furniture, and this collaboration promised to blend that durability with Draper James' signature Southern charm. If you're in the market for new patio furniture, here's the low-down on Polywood from customization to unboxing to backyard lounging. The Draper James x Polywood collection pairs Witherspoon's timeless eye for detail with Polywood's eco-conscious craftsmanship. The result: a collection that feels thoughtfully designed and effortlessly refined. The silhouettes are clean and classic — rockers with just the right sway, deep-seated chairs that invite you to sink in and dining sets that tie it all together. This is the kind of patio setup that makes you want to pour a lemonade — or grab a Reese's Book Club read — and stay a while. Every piece of furniture we tested held up against the elements, from sunny weather to hailstorms. They're nearly kid-proof, too: Whether it's a sticky popsicle, a dropped juice box or a spontaneous round of chair jumping, we found that the seating handled it all. Pros: Many customization options Easy to assemble and clean Weather-, sun- and mold-resistant materials 20-year warranty Cons: Made-to-order, 2-4 weeks for delivery Shipment includes many large boxes The Draper James x Polywood collection comes in eight lumber colors, from crisp white to rich wood tones and a bold forest green. The cushion options are just as varied, with dozens of styles ranging from classic solids to playful ginghams and timeless stripes. You can even order samples of both lumber and cushion fabrics — a thoughtful touch that makes it easier to find the perfect match for your space. For our set, I chose the Vintage Sahara finish with Dune Burlap cushions. With two active toddlers, we try to stick to pieces that can handle the daily mess (like our Ruggable rugs and Article couch), so white —though so pretty — was out of the question. The Dune Burlap felt like the best compromise — warm, neutral and forgiving. It ended up looking a lot less brown and more creamy in person than I expected from the website, which was a nice surprise, making it an even better fit for our space. The Vintage Sahara finish is part of their vintage collection and only available directly on Polywood's website. Buy at Draper James, $3,149 Each piece is made to order, which means there's a bit of a wait involved while your furniture is crafted and shipped. For me, it took about three weeks for my order to arrive. The pieces are delivered on pallets in large boxes, and while this can make for a slightly overwhelming delivery day, the assembly process is fairly straightforward. Polywood includes all the necessary screws, tools and clear instructions, making it possible to go from box to backyard in just a few hours. It took me about two and a half hours to assemble the furniture I received, and while it's a bit of a workout, the result is well worth the effort. Once assembled, the furniture feels substantial and sturdy, without any of the wobble or creak that can plague lesser outdoor sets. What impressed me most was the look and feel of the 'wood.' The material has a solid, weighty feel that instantly gives off a sense of durability. It's made in the USA from high-density polyethylene lumber (a.k.a. recycled plastic) and holds up impressively well in all kinds of weather. Hardware is made from 18-8 marine-grade quality stainless steel with a Xylan coating, which Polywood says helps the metal resist corrosion no matter the climate. The products come with a 20-year warranty, adding to the peace of mind that they're built to last. Since receiving the furniture, it's already gone through a few rainstorms, even a recent hailstorm and wind gusts. It's mentioned on their site that there isn't a need to cover. I was skeptical about not covering my new furniture, but I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly it dried and did not leave watermarks. The material was not only waterspot-free, there was also not a single dent in sight. Cleanup is straightforward, too: Polywood says its furniture requires just a little soap and water to keep the material looking fresh. The cushions are equally impressive and are made of outdoor performance fabric that's resistant to mildew, mold, salt, sun and moisture. All of those features combined to deliver plush and supportive seating designed for hours of relaxed lounging, even after they endured their fair share of weather. Buy at Draper James, $3,049 The Draper James collection also has an adorable kids' selection that brings the same timeless design and all-weather durability to pint-sized patios. Mini rockers, benches and table sets are the perfect way to let the little ones join in the fun. These scaled-down versions are just as tough as their full-sized counterparts, making them a practical choice for families who want to create an outdoor space that works for everyone. Buy at Draper James, $229 Overall, the Draper James x Polywood collection delivers on its promise of style, comfort and durability. It's a smart investment for anyone looking to upgrade their outdoor space with pieces that are both beautiful and built to last. With a range of customization options, low-maintenance and sturdy design and Reese Witherspoon's impeccable taste, it's an easy pick for anyone tired of flimsy, disposable patio furniture. If you're ready to give your outdoor space a bit of Southern charm with a side of sustainability, this collaboration is well worth considering. It's functional and photogenic, which feels like the exact balance Witherspoon would want for quiet brunches and backyard bashes alike. Draper James x Polywood Furniture Collection Specifications Price range: $79 for side tables to $4,749 for nine-piece dining sets Shipping and returns: Free Fulfillment: Minimum 14 days Warranty: 20 years for residential use Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Lady in the Lake' to 'It Ends With Us': 29 New and Upcoming Book Adaptations in 2024 Meet the Superstars Who Glam Up Hollywood's A-List Rosie O'Donnell on Ellen, Madonna, Trump and 40 Years in the Queer Spotlight
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jane Fonda, 87, stuns in a timeless embellished gown for the closing ceremony of the 78th Cannes Film Festival
Jane Fonda turned heads at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday as she walked the red carpet for the closing ceremony. The actress, 87, donned an elegant and timeless gown with floral embellishments covering the torso and mid-length sleeves. Her waist was cinched in slightly with a thick waistband that then led to a sleek chiffon style skirt with a delicate train. The Book Club star had her silver shoulder length hair curled to frame her face and allow her earrings to shine through. Jane was enjoying herself on the carpet as she was photographed waving and cheering towards the crowds. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. On Friday evening, Jane was in attendance at the star studded L'Oreal Light on Women Award. Also in attendance was Jane Fonda, whose ageless beauty was breathtaking as she donned a white towel fabric gown with soft shoulder pads. Jane's bright silver locks were styled in bouffant waves and she wore a pair of silver sandal heels to pair with the gown. The Monster-In-Law actress is part of L'Oreal Paris' Golden Squad which was created in 2018 with iconic members such as Helen Mirren, Julianne Moore and Isabelle Adjani. During the press release at the time Jane said: 'You have to be brave and not so invested in looking the way you used to but try to look as good as you can at the age that you are.' In an interview to promote her new sneaker campaign with Golden Goose, the New York City native dished about how she's been able to maintain her fabulous figure through the years. 'I don't feel like an old person. I'm much younger than I was when I was in my 20s, in all the ways that matter,' the two-time Academy Award winner said, after revealing that she still works out with a trainer every day. During her conversation with the The New York Times, she elaborated about her exercise routines, personal style and thoughts on aging, all the while sharing about her fondness for the sneaker brand. 'So it never occurred to me with this campaign, "Oh, God, isn't this great. They're using an old woman,"' she added when shifting her focus back to her collaboration with Golden Goose. 'But now that I think about it, it is cool. I like that.' The star studded carpet also saw Elle Fanning, 24, looking like the epitome of elegance as she took to the red carpet in a pale blue ruffled gown which boasted a Bardot neckline and princess skirt. Elle's gorgeous satin dress was cinched at her waist with a black ribbon belt and added extra sparkle with a dazzling diamond necklace and matching bracelet. Meanwhile Bridgerton star Simone, 30, slipped into chic red figure-hugging number for the occasion which boasted quirky pockets and strapless neckline. The British actress accessorised with silver jewellery and glamorous make-up as she posed up a storm on the red carpet ahead of the ceremony. The star studded carpet also saw Elle Fanning, 24, looking like the epitome of elegance as she donned a pale blue ruffled gown which boasted a Bardot neckline and princess skirt This year's Cannes Film Festival is taking place in the wake of Trump´s vow to enact tariffs on international films. Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d´Or, to give out at the end. Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories. 'You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation,' says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who´s returning to Cannes with 'The Secret Agent, a thriller set during Brazil ´s dictatorship. 'You´ve got to really prepare for the whole experience because it´s quite intense - not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as you go up the steps at the Palais.' Trump sent shock waves through Hollywood and the international film community when he announced on May 4 that all movies 'produced in Foreign Lands' will face 100 percent tariffs. The White House has said no final decisions have been made. Options being explored include federal incentives for U.S.-based productions, rather than tariffs. But the announcement was a reminder of how international tensions can destabilize even the oldest cultural institutions. The Cannes Film Festival originally emerged in the World War II years, when the rise of fascism in Italy led to the founding of an alternative to the then-government controlled Venice Film Festival. Over recent years the star-studded extravaganza has arguably won more attention for the outfits worn by its celebrity guests than the roster of feature films being screened on the Croisette. But new nudity rules, devised for 'the sake of decency,' have been implemented at this year's festival. According to organisers, the austere move is an attempt to stifle the celebrity trend for 'naked dresses' - namely provocative outfits that reveal considerably more than they conceal - on the red carpet. 'For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as any other area of the festival,' states a Cannes festival document. 'The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.' The surprise new policy features in a recent festival-goers charter - released with a series of outlines regarding expected public behaviour. Guests are expected to converge on the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière for some of the highest profile film screenings across a packed two-week schedule in Cannes. It's understood that the iconic venue now adopts a more conservative dress code, with suits, dinner jackets and floor-length evening gowns generally favoured over headline grabbing ensembles.
Elle
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Why Thriller Author Andrea Bartz Thinks You Should Start Your Own Newsletter ‘Now'
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. Andrea Bartz hasn't 'made it.' Not yet. She doubts she ever will. Her latest thriller, The Last Ferry Out, is her fifth book in six years—now part of a list that includes the New York Times bestseller and 2021 Reese's Book Club pick We Were Never Here—and she's enormously grateful for the success and ongoing longevity of her writing career. But she also acknowledges that 'the goalposts,' as she puts it, never stop shifting. 'You could see that as, I don't know, depressing,' she says. 'But I really think it's freeing. It's empowering to know that, like any other career, a writing life is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.' These nuggets of literary wisdom spring up naturally in conversations with Bartz, who's used her penchant for advice to drive readers to her Substack newsletter, Get It Write, as well as her own books. A decade ago, she was a magazine editor for publications including Glamour and Psychology Today, but after one too many outlets folding and journalists laid off, she realized she needed 'some project where I can't go into work on a random Tuesday and find out it's been taken away from me.' A book would be hers. She 'got serious' about the draft that would become her debut novel, The Lost Night, and balanced freelance journalism with fiction writing as her book sales slowly supplied greater and greater percentages of her income. Now, she considers herself a full-time author who conducts a 'little freelancing on the side.' But she's never once forsworn the tap-dancing mentality journalism taught her. She's currently writing for the screen; working on her next novel; and running her Substack, which has grown into an author community she adores. 'As the world feels scarier and scarier, and we feel—or, at least, I feel—more cut off from other people, we don't have the same community building that we had generations ago,' Bartz says. 'So, finding literary community, especially online, is necessary for surviving long-term in this industry and not feeling so lonely or so frustrated or so gaslit.' The Last Ferry Out is a classic vacation thriller, set on a gorgeous (fictional) island where Bartz's protagonist, Abby, has arrived to learn more about the final days of her fiancée, Eszter, who died of an allergic reaction on the island. But as she seeks closure, Abby instead learns that the circumstances around Eszter's death were unusual—and, perhaps, malicious. As Bartz has promoted the book both in-person and online, she has repeatedly underscored that even an 'escapist' thriller like her own can have a wide-reaching and ambitious impact. As she wrote to her Substack followers this week, 'Let's make this book a hit and show publishers that queer stories are worth investing in!' Ahead, Bartz discusses the origin story behind her latest suspense; the politics and pleasures of the thriller genre writ large; how authors should build communities online; and the benefits of 'radical candor' with her readers. 'So many people have helped me get where I am,' she says, 'so I am constantly keeping an ear and an eye open, asking, 'How can I show up for this community? How can I be someone who is a net good [in the publishing industry], who's helping other people?'' Yes. In February 2020—before I knew that that was epically lucky timing—I spent a month traveling solo around Mexico. And everywhere that I went, I met these really lovely welcoming expats, these close-knit communities who swept me in, welcoming me into their ranks while I was there. I went salsa dancing with some of them and I did beach bonfires with other ones. I really liked all these people, and I was sort of jealous of them, because here they are living in paradise full-time, and I was like, 'What's going on? All they have in common is that they parachuted out of their normal lives?' And that got me thinking: What are they running away from, and/or what are they seeking? Would these people even be friends if it weren't for the fact they all speak English? The mind of a thriller writer always churns, so I love trying to capture close-knit, closed-door social milieu. So with that little knot of expats, I thought, 'Okay, what if we took that group and we threw a dead body into the center?' Which is what I always do. And that gave me the idea for The Last Ferry Out, which is about a woman traveling to the island where her fiancée died in an accident a few months earlier, meeting these enchanting expats there, but the more she digs, the more she begins to suspect that maybe it was not an accident at all, and she might actually be trapped on an island with her fiancée's killer. When I'm working on a manuscript, I need to have some kind of swirling energy force at the center of it that's a question I don't know the answer to, or I don't know exactly how I feel about it yet. Expats were such a great example because I was envious of them, but do I think their lifestyle is unethical? Is there something weird about the ownership that they claim to have over a place and the sort of disdain they have for tourists when they are long-term tourists, in a sense? The question of who owns a place is so interesting. And I knew that I was going to figure out how I felt about it via my narrators and them interacting with this island and with the community there, both the locals and the expats. Eszter, the woman who died on the island, is first-generation; her parents are Hungarian. And that was partially based on my own life. My grandparents are Hungarian; they were immigrants. They brought my mom over when she was young, and they have immense pride in the U.S. They very much care about being the 'good' kind of immigrants, and they feel this very strong sense of American pride. But, also, nobody ever called them expats. They are immigrants. I wanted to introduce those elements as well and think about how they would affect Eszter's thinking about this group of people who have made this beautiful island their playground—but also they do have a genuine affection for it. I don't know that I came to any big conclusive answers by the end, but it was fun for me to explore what it means to call a place home. I think all art is political. I think if it weren't, then there wouldn't be forces working as hard as they are right now to silence artists in different ways and to ban books and to keep people from considering other things. I think, especially for fiction, when you read a novel, you are stepping into the shoes of another character, by definition. You are forced to be in an empathetic experience for eight hours or however long it takes you to read the book. And I think that's such a mind-blowing privilege that we authors have, where we are up in people's imaginations. Imagination is where we can dream about things being different, and we can envision a better world, and we can question deeply held beliefs. It's just so powerful and incredible to me that I get to create these worlds that are fun and exciting to read, but then also can hopefully make people—whether they realize it or not—think about things differently. A really surface-level example: This is a queer thriller, but it's not about queerness. So if somebody doesn't have any friends or doesn't have personal experiences with women who are in relationships with women like myself, now you do. You have me! And you have this story, these fictional characters, and you can see it's just like any other relationship. I think of my books as having an obligation to bring into the light elements of the female and non-male experience that are not something we like to look at or talk about as a society. Across all my books, I have women sharing their shame, their guilt, their anger, how they're biting it back, how they're keeping it in, embarrassment about ways that they're not meeting societal norms or being the person that society has told them that they should be. We as women are way more angry than we are allowed to feel and express. So let's talk about it. It's not just you. There's nothing wrong with you. So that's an element that, as I'm writing, I'm challenging myself not to hold back. If I ever start to feel like, 'Oh my gosh, this is too personal. This is too much. I don't know if I can do this.' That's when I'm like, 'You absolutely need. You are onto something real and deep, and that's the goal.' We women feel scared a lot of the time. Maybe all people feel scared a lot of the time. So there's something really soothing in choosing to dive into a world where the fear is the reason you're there, but you know, as a reader, it will be fine. You can close the book when it's done. I have a lot of anxious tendencies, and so I joke about how I'll be in a totally normal, neutral situation with friends, and I'll be the creepy one who's like, 'Wouldn't it be weird if in that window over there we saw...' and just whatever terrifying premise for a thriller pops out of my mouth. There is some empowerment and agency in, for me, writing—and, for many people, reading—these fictional experiences of, What would you do? How would you get yourself out? How would you cope? How would you take charge of a situation by becoming a detective or an amateur detective who's trying to investigate and put all the pieces together? Even as the world gets increasingly scary, it's nice for us to drop into these controlled worlds where we are in charge of the adrenaline, we're the ones deciding to indulge in the cortisol, and we're doing it for pleasure—instead of doing it because it's forced on us by the headlines every day. I had a newsletter that was a very ugly thing that I made on Mailchimp, and I hated doing it. I begrudgingly did it because people had told me, 'You need to have an author newsletter. That's the best way to maintain your community.' And so I did it when I had to, but I really dreaded it. Then I discovered that the algorithm had changed on Instagram and TikTok and nobody was seeing anything anymore. My follower count had gotten fairly healthy, and yet only 2 to 300 people were actually seeing anything that I did. I had discovered from playing around on Reels and on TikTok that what people liked most was the behind-the-scenes author stuff; the candid, unfiltered author life; the advice for craft and for publishing and for getting an agent. At the same time, I was wanting to pull away from freelance writing and was constantly having ideas and having to wait to go through an editor and get someone to approve something. And I thought, 'Okay, a Substack is basically a blog. What if I started a blog that was all the advice I want to give, all the things I want to share, all the realness, all of the calls for community and talking to one another and being in this together? What if I just made some columns that I'm excited about that make sense to me and nobody else has to sign off on it?' So I launched it in, I think, January of 2024. It's been really rewarding to work on, and I've met a ton of great people through it. There are people who wouldn't otherwise know about me and my books who, through the Substack, have become what feels like internet friends. It still feels like Substack is one of the good places on the internet. I don't know if it's going to change. I don't know if we're at the end of the era of it being the good place to go, but right now it feels pretty good. So anyone who is thinking about taking the leap, I say do it now. Think about something you can offer to the community. Think about something you can do that's a little different, that ties into your books and ties into your author brand but feels unique. Relatedly, think about what regular features you can offer, because this is going to make it easier for you to keep coming up with post ideas. Do you want to give recommendations every week? Do you want to corner the market on some kind of niche that has to do with all of your books? Do you want to be sharing news? Do you want to be talking to other people? Because starting from absolute scratch every single time—if you're determined to post, let's say, once a week—is going to be really hard. Finally, pay attention to what people seem to like and what works. Looking at my numbers made me realize that by far the posts that did best for me were the ones when I talked about failure and talked about rejection and talked about being down in the dumps about my career. I was initially nervous to talk about stuff like that, because I thought readers would be like, 'Okay, white lady who had a New York Times bestselling book. Enough.' But then I was delighted to learn that that's what people in this community do want. When we talk about the writing life ... you really want to diversify all the things that you're doing. I'm learning how to write for the screen right now, and my next book is going to be in a slightly different genre; it's going to be a little more horror. I think anyone who is interested in this career should know your job description is going to keep changing. And, hopefully, that is exciting to you. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
