Books to Film – September/October

Check out these books that inspired feature films!

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett – Life is delicious in the town of Chewandswallow where it rains soup and juice, snows mashed potatoes, and blows storms of hamburgers–until the weather takes a turn for the worse.  This family film is in theaters now.

The Informant by Kurt Eichenwald – A true story about corruption in big business and working undercover for the FBI.  This story, with all its plot twists,  is in theaters now.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak – A naughty little boy, sent to bed without his supper, sails to the land of the wild things where he becomes their king.  The film based on this classic picture book will be in theaters October 16th.

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan -  Two boys who are best friends visit an illegal freak show, where an encounter with a vampire and a deadly spider forces them to make life-changing choices.  The upcoming film, entitled The Vampire’s Assistant, is based on this series of books and will be in theaters October 23rd.

New Fiction Titles!

The Accidental Family by Rowan Coleman – This is a heartwarming English chick lit book about a career woman who loses her best friend in a car crash and takes on the responsibility of raising her friend’s two daughters.

Generosity: An Enhancement by Richard Powers – What if we discovered the gene for happiness?  Find out in this new and thought-provoking novel by a National Book Award-winning author.

John Dies at the End by David Wong – Originally an internet story, this scary novel is a blend of horror, sci-fi and humor.

New World Monkeys by Nancy Mauro – Duncan and Lily accidentally hit a boar (which turns out to be a local town’s mascot) with their car, with bizarre consequences. 

Race for the Dying by Steven Havill – In a departure from his mystery writing, Havill gives us a historical novel about mail-order medical diagnoses in Washington State in the late 19th century.

A Separate Country by Robert Hicks – Set in New Orleans after the Civil War, general John Bell Hood struggles with his inability to admit his failures. 

The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah – This is a captivating work of psychological suspense from the author of Little Face.

New Short Stories

Don’t Cry: Stories by Mary Gaitskill – Gaitskill is a master of short stories about relationships.  She is well-known for her other story collections and her most recent novel, Veronica.

Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned: Stories by Wells Tower – This wide-ranging debut collection features mostly male characters in difficult relationships and situations.

Love and Obstacles by Aleksandar Hemon – The Bosnian war and a common narrator connect these stories.  From the author of The Lazarus Project.

Love Stories in This Town by Amanda Eyre Ward – This first collection of short stories contain both poignant and funny moments, as well as wonderful female characters.  By the author of Forgive Me.

Books to Film

Check out these books that inspired films – on the big screen now or coming soon!

The Soloist by Steve Lopez – The true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a musician who becomes schizophrenic and homeless, and his friendship with Steve Lopez, the Los Angeles columnist who discovers and writes about him in the newspaper.  In theaters now.

 

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown – The murder of a world-famous physicist raises fears that the Illuminati are operating again after centuries of silence, and religion professor Robert Langdon is called in to assist with the case.  This is by the author of The Da Vinci Code.  In theaters May 15th.

 

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult – Anna was genetically engineered to prolong the life of her sister, Kate, who has leukemia.  Anna has donated blood, bone marrow and more.  Now 13 years old, she is ready to take her parents to court over the rights to her own body.  In theaters June 26th.

My Best Recent Reads

I keep thinking that I will work on my photo albums when I catch up on my reading.  Of course, I will never “catch up” on my reading.  I see something new that I want to read every day.  Here are some of my recent favorites:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer – As London is emerging from the shadow of World War II, writer Juliet Ashton discovers her next subject in a book club on Guernsey–a club born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi after its members are discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island.

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates – The devastating effects of work, adultery, rebellion, and self-deception slowly destroy the once successful marriage of Frank and April Wheeler, a suburban American couple. This book was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962, and was recently made into a film.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski – A tale reminiscent of “Hamlet” that also celebrates the alliance between humans and dogs follows speech-disabled Wisconsin youth Edgar, who bonds with three yearling canines and struggles to prove that his sinister uncle is responsible for his father’s death.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger – This is the love story of Henry and Clare. What makes their story unique is that Henry travels through time. He cannot control when it happens or where in time he travels to. Since the narration alternates between the two main characters, we come to understand both the traveler and the one who is always left behind.

With Grit and By Grace: Breaking Trails in Politics and Law, A Memoir by Betty Roberts – This is the highly readable autobiography of Betty Roberts: mother, teacher, state legislator, and Oregon’s first female Supreme Court Justice.  It is a fascinating account of both her personal and professional life.