Latest news with #CityofThieves
Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
'The Last of Us' Fans Spotted a Subtle 'Game of Thrones' Easter Egg in the Season 2 Finale
As fans continue to unpack The Last of Us's season 2 finale, some eagled-eyed viewers have noticed a subtle nod to its fellow HBO series, Game of Thrones, nestled within the episode. The blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference takes place during a flashback of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) waking up on a couch with a book on her stomach: Thieves of the City by Ben Davidoff. It's a play on the 2008 book City of Thieves by David Benioff, who was a co-showrunner (alongside D.B. Weiss) of Game of Thrones, which of course also starred both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. For the uninitiated, City of Thieves is a World War II coming-of-age novel set during the Siege of Leningrad. In the original Last of Us video game, Abby is also seen reading the book as a deliberate nod to the story. Game director Bruce Straley confirmed in a previous interview that City of Thieves was one of the inspirations behind the PlayStation game. If HBO's The Last of Us continues to follow its source material closely, there could be another nod to Benioff's book in the upcoming third season. Lev, a young boy born to a Seraphite mother, teams up with Abby for a large portion of The Last of Us: Part II. Lev is also the name of one of the main characters in City of Thieves. The Last of Us's showrunner, Craig Mazin, is well aware of the GoT-TLOU overlaps. He recognized Ramsey right away when he started watching their audition tape. 'I was like, oh shit, it's Lady Mormont,' Mazin told ELLE back in 2023. Even though Ramsey's fame could've been a distraction Mazin was confident the actor was the right match for Ellie. '[In] my mind, I was like, if we don't cast Bella as Ellie, then I will go to my grave knowing that we could have made a better show than we did.'
Elle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
'The Last Of Us' Fans Spot Subtle 'Game Of Thrones' Easter Egg In Season 2 Finale
As some continue to unpick that The Last of Us season two finale, others have started registering the subtle nod to its fellow HBO bedfellow Game of Thrones nestled within the episode. The finale, which has left fans shocked after some of their favourite characters died, cut away at one point to a flashback of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) waking up on a couch with a book lying on her stomach. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE And while the character's reading material might have passed some viewers by, others noticed that her book was a significant easter egg pertaining to another hit HBO series. The book on Abby's lap is Thieves of the City by Ben Davidoff, who is a co-showrunner (alongside its creator D.B. Weiss) of all eight seasons of Game of Thrones which of course also starred both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. For the uninitiated, the novel is a work of fiction and is a play on David Benioff's 2008 book City of Thieves — a World War II coming-of-age novel set during the Siege of Leningrad. 'Idk [I don't know] who else noticed this but in this finale of #TheLastOfUs Abby is reading Thieves of the City by Ben Davidoff which is clearly a fun nod to another big name in HBO programming and his book,' one eagle-eyed fan noted on X. The reference is a nod to the original video game, too. In the game, Abby is seen reading City of Thieves as a deliberate nod to its author. The video game creator has since confirmed in an interview that the book was one of the inspirations behind the game of The Last of Us. There's also a nod to Benioff's book in the confirmed upcoming third season. Lev — a young boy born to a Seraphite mother — teams up with Abby for a large portion of The Last of Us: Part II. Lev is also the name of one of the main characters in City of Thieves. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Naomi May is a freelance writer and editor with an emphasis on popular culture, lifestyle and politics. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard as its Fashion and Beauty Writer, working across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Acting News Editor at ELLE UK and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others.
Buzz Feed
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
11 Engrossing Books That Will Be Hard To Put Down
There's always a place for a book you can't stop reading, and for me, that place is wherever I am on holiday. So, here are 11 books that you may not be able to put down. Replay – Ken Grimwood This fantasy/sci-fi novel follows the life of Jeff Winston, and then it follows the life of Jeff Winston again, and again. Saddened and unenthused by his life, Jeff suddenly drops dead, only to wake up as his 18-year-old self with all of his memories in tact. In repeating parts of his life, he explores different relationships, decisions, and various paths, making him, and the reader question where a meaningful life truly comes from. City of Thieves – David Benioff This historical fiction is set four months into the siege of Leningrad, during a brutal, biting winter. With food scarce, a teenager named Lev is caught looting the body of a dead German paratrooper, and is arrested and put in a cell with Kolya, a charismatic young deserter. Instead of facing execution, the two are instead given an almost impossible task: finding a dozen eggs for a Soviet colonel's daughter's wedding, or die. Their journey takes them through the perilous conditions of soviet Russia, and bring the two closer as they fight for their survival. And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie This gripping psychological thriller and murder mystery follows ten individuals, all with a wicked past, who are lured to a private island under false pretences. When, one by one, the group begin to be murdered, we wonder who is the orchestrator of this scheme, and how they have choreographed it. Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie This novel follows Ifemelu and Obinze who are young and in love when they each leave military-ruled Nigeria for different shores. Ifemelu goes to America, where defeats and successes come in equal parts, and where race becomes a potent issue, something she'd never had to consider before. Obinze arrives in London, undocumented and in danger, and his life there is fraught with it's own hardship. We follow their different stories, and what happens when they reunite 15 years later. Hurricane Season – Fernanda Melchor This novel starts with the murder of a local 'witch' in a desolate Mexican village. Questions as to who committed such an act, and why, begin to be asked, and a society shrouded in poverty, violence and misogyny is revealed. With a lyricism that is unique and hard to put down, Hurricane Season certainly keeps your eyes fixed on the page. Dark Matter – Blake Crouch This alternate reality sci-fi novel follows Jason Dessen, a physics professor who has been abducted. His life as he knew it is gone, and finding his way back there is more confusing, mind-bending, and horrifying than he ever could have imagined. Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir Ryland Grace has woken up – he's on a last-chance mission and the fate of humanity depends on his success. The only issue is, he cannot remember a thing. Awakened millions of miles away from home, and with no one around him other than the corpses of two others, Ryland's hazy memory begins to return, and the sheer magnitude of his task begins to dawn on him. The 7 husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid This is the fictional story of Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo, who, after her life in the limelight, is ready to tell all of her scandalous secrets, her rise to fame, and her sacrifices to an unknown journalist, Monique Grant. Surprised that a star such as Evelyn would choose her, Monique seizes the opportunity; her conversation with Evelyn includes some shocking revelations, ones that Monique herself is somehow connected to. Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi This novel, spanning 300 years and two continents, follows the lives and subsequent generations of two half-sisters born in different villages in eighteenth-century Ghana. We follow the sorrow-filled stories of each lineage, one staying in Ghana at the height of the slave trade, and the other sold off and shipped to America where the decedents are raised in slavery. The magnitude of this novel is a feat of it's own, but the heartfelt stories are elegantly, and viscerally told. The Firm – John Grisham Mitch McDeere finished law at Harvard and is bombarded with offers from law firms, but one offer stands out: Bendini, Lambert and Locke. After taking the job, it becomes clear that this is the law firm of the mafia, one that is almost impossible to get out of. Mitch must figure out how to balance this new life embedded in criminal conspiracy in order to survive. American Dirt – Jeanine Cummins Lydia has a fairly comfortable life in Acapulco with her son and husband, a life they're content with. But when her husband publishes an exposé of the newest prominent drug mogul, their lives change forever. Forced to flee in order to protect themselves, Lydia and her son, Luca, embark on an attempt to reach the United States, along with many others who seem to be running from something, but towards what? We'd love to hear your own recommendations, let us know in the comments below!
