Throwback Thursday (January 31) – About a Boy

So. Ahem. Apparently Mandi and I had a miscommunication. So if you thought the giveaway was going up/ending/continuing this week, that is not what’s happening. BUT DO NOT FEAR. Here’s what’s going to happen:

NEXT WEEK on our Throwback Thursday posts, we will put up a list of Throwback Book/DVD combo prize packs. No, I’m not telling you what the selection will be yet, but trust me, there will be something for everyone. There will be a Rafflecopter to enter. The giveaway will run for one week, and when it ends, the winner will get to pick the prize pack of their choice. 

ALL THROWBACK THURSDAY POSTS AND COMMENTS FROM JANUARY WILL QUALIFY AS ENTRIES. There will be space on the Rafflecopter to let us know how involved you’ve been in Throwback Thursday this month. The more you participated, the better your chances.

So what are you waiting for? Link up, and we can’t wait to unveil our prize packs next week!

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books.

It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. We hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can put up a Throwback Thursday post on your non-bookish blog; or if you don’t have a blog at all, just use the comments to tell us about a book you remember fondly.

And Throwback Thursday is no longer limited to just books! Throwback Thursday is dedicated to shining the spotlight on any book-related old favorites that need to be remembered.What’s your favorite classic television show or movie adaptation? What about your favorite song? Was your favorite toy a character from a book?

Here’s how it works:

  • Pick any media (or non-media item) released more than 5 years ago. Remember to keep it book-related!
  • Write up a short summary (include the title, author, and cover art, if applicable) and an explanation of why you love it. Make sure to link back to The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books in your post.
  • Link up your post at The Housework Can Wait or Never Too Fond of Books.
  • Visit as many blogs as you can, reminisce about books you loved, and discover some “new” books for your TBR list – or some other classic!

Feel free to grab the Throwback Thursday button code from the sidebar to use in your posts.

Thanks for participating, and we look forward to seeing which books you choose to remember!

My Throwback this week is…

About a Boy (2002), starring Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and Nicholas Hoult.
Based on the book About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

I honestly can’t remember why I decided to watch this movie the first time, but I’m glad I did. Grant plays Will, a 38-year-old slacker who lives in off the royalties of a cheesy Christmas song his dad wrote, and who has never worked a day in his life. Will decides that it is a brilliant idea to date single mothers, because they will ultimately not want to commit to him and he will always be left looking like the good guy. It’s a terrible plan, and obviously it backfires. But before it crashes and burns, Will winds up crossing paths with Marcus (Hoult), a quirky and socially awkward twelve-year-old living with his depressed and sometimes-suicidal mother (Collette). To escape from his worries about his mom, Marcus foists an awkward-yet-endearing friendship upon a reluctant Will. And soon, although the last thing Will wanted in life was the trust of a weird little boy, he and Marcus learn they’re better together than they were apart.

I seriously love this movie. It’s a fabulous balance of quirky and sweet and awkward and witty and touching. It’s also the reason that it weirds me out now when I see Nicholas Hoult doing movies like X-Men and Warm Bodies and Jack the Giant Slayer. To me, he will always be Marcus Brewer, singing with his eyes closed. I love the humor, the friendship, the occasionally cringe-worthy awkwardness, and the British accents. Give it a try.

This is a blog hop! Link up your Throwback Thursday post below! 



6 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday (January 31) – About a Boy

  1. Was talking to a friend who feels amazingly guilty for never having read Turman Capote. I feel the same way about Nick Hornby. And this movie is lovely! Why haven’t I read the book?!

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