Genre Fiction

Author Lauren Weisberger has a new novel – Chasing Harry Winston (May 2008) – topping the lists. Being her third novel, and the only whose scandals I have not yet devoured, it seems an appropriate time to review her first two: The Devil Wears Prada (2003) and Everyone Worth Knowing (2005).

If you have not yet read the best-selling debut novel, or seen the 2006 top-grossing film of the same name, here’s a one sentence summary: Editor-nerd Andrea finds herself lost, yet intrigued, by the fast-moving, label-loving, back-stabbing world of magazine publishing. It’s a good watch, and a better read. In fact, I loved the book so much so, that I bought Weisberger’s second novel the day it was released.

So did hundreds of other people, but then they told their friends not to bother. Sales from the first two weeks of Everyone Worth Knowing made it an instant bestseller; but, with nasty reviews it quickly tapered off. It’s story follows Bette as she quits her job in search of something more, and stumbles her way into working at a popular New York City PR firm … and in the headlines of the gossip columns.

Critics can be harsh, especially when your previous works sets such high expectations. I quite enjoyed reading both of Weisberger’s little-girl-meets-big-city stories, but I remember more details from The Devil Wears Prada.

Chasing Harry Winston is about three best girlfriends who, despite living an enviable, socialite life, want change so much that two of them make a pact to alter their lives drastically over the course of one year. It’s a tale of “Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.”

The plot of her third novel certainly has notes of the previous two, but if Weisberger feels at home creating chick lit for the businesswoman, then I warmly welcome her books that allow me to live vicariously through her socializing, hard-working characters.

I mention author odi Picoult quite often. It’s not that I am a huge fan of her writing - I’ve actually only read one of her books - it’s more that she is a ubiquitous novel machine. I am in awe of her ability to turn out quality and quantity. So it’s only natural that Picoult is the next author for a book count.

Dear Jodi, how many books have you written? (Not counting your work with Wonder Woman comic books.)

1. Songs of the Humpback Whale (1992)

2. Harvesting the Heart (1994)

3. Picture Perfect (1995)

4. Mercy (1995)

5. The Pact (1998): Adapted to a Lifetime Original Movie in 2002.

6. Keeping Faith (1999)

7. Plain Truth (2000): Became a Lifetime Original Movie in 2004.

8. Salem Falls (2001)

9. Perfect Match (2002)

10. Second Glance (2003)

11. My Sister’s Keeper (2004): In works for a feature film debut later this year. This is the novel that I read, and recommend.

12. Vanishing Acts (2005)

13. The Tenth Circle (2006): Turned into a Lifetime Original Movie in 2008 that premieres next Saturday, June 29.

14. Nineteen Minutes (2007): This was Picoult’s first book to debut at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.

15. Change of Heart (2008): This one also debuted at number one.

And two books are expected in the next two years:

16. Handle With Care (2009)

17. Untitled Seventeenth Novel (2010)

One of Jodi’s secrets is revisiting characters from previous novels. The McAfee family is featured in The Pact, Salem Falls, and Nineteen Minutes. Detective Patrick Ducharme helps out in both Perfect Match and Nineteen Minutes. Frankie Martine first met readers in Salem Falls, and revisited the pages in Second Glance and Perfect Match.

On her Web site, which has elaborate resources for book groups and a synopsis of each book, Jodi says, “It’s always great fun to bring a character back, because you get to catch up on his/her life; and you don’t have to reinvent the wheel–you already know how he speaks, acts, thinks.”

Bloomsbury Auctions is preparing two hefty, book-related auctions replete with original artworks, children’s illustrations, 19th and 20th century literature, manuscripts, personal letters and notes, literary collections, early publications, and first editions and prints.

The goods are divided into two categories: The first collection - “Literature” - will be up for sale by auction on Thursday, June 19, starting at 2 p.m with a total of 302 lots that are currently available for online viewing.

The second - “Children’s Literature and Bibliophile Sale” - happens on Wednesday, June 25, at 2 p.m. with 509 lots that are also available for prior viewing online.

There are numerous authors with work up for grabs; some names include A. A. Milne, Hans Christian Andersen, Frank L. Baum, Truman Capote, Henrik Ibsen, Charles Lamb, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, J. M. Barrie, and William S. Burroughs.

Even if you don’t have the mad money to participate (starting bids range from about $200 to $2,000), it is utterly fascinating to peruse the items. As a book lover, I was in awe of how many original pieces were still around and intact.

Author Jodi Picoult is featured in the new issue of TV Guide magazine (for the week of June 23 - June 29, 2008) in “Cameo,” on page 36.

The writer of many great novels talks to TV Guide about her books being turned into movies, specifically The Tenth Circle (2006) which debuts on Lifetime Network on Saturday, June 29, at 9 p.m. EST.

The Tenth Circle approaches the topic of teen date rape from an usual perspective - the father of the girl. In the article, Picoult talks about research she did for the story, letters she continuously receives (and saves) from date rape survivors, and her worry over giving her “baby” over to the film gods.

“I shouldn’t have worried,” Picoult told TV Guide. “The Tenth Circle is the best adaptation of my writing I’ve seen to date.”

Lifetime has previously produced movies based on Picoult’s novels The Pact (1998; film version 2002) and Plain Truth (2000; film version 2004). My Sister’s Keeper (2004) is in works for a feature film, due to hit theaters this year. The Tenth Circle stars Ron Eldard as dad Daniel, Kelly Preston as the mom, and Britt Robertson as victim/survivor Trixie.

Today’s bestsellers … are not today’s at all. They come from a decade ago; they are the top ten bestselling fiction books from all of 1998. Be sure to check out the authors: a few of them are still writing bestsellers to this day!

1. The Street Lawyer by John Grisham: This was Grisham’s ninth legal thriller about a Washington, D.C. lawyer who changes his priorities and begins working for men that his law firm was responsible for making homeless.

2. Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy: The first of the Rainbow Six series, this counter-terrorist tale has spawned video games and a movie coming 2010.

3. Bag of Bones by Stephen King (original cover art shown): For the first time, a Stephen King novel was given literary merit outside of the horror genre. Like many of King’s works, it has been adapted to film and is expected to hit theaters in 2009.

4. A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe: Taking his time with research, writing, and editing, this novel was published 11 years after Wolfe’s previous - and first - book. The result of all his hard work? 742 pages of satire.

5. Mirror Image by Danielle Steel: Set during World War II, this is a story of twin sisters fighting to make the right decisions for themselves and their family. One leans towards starting her own life with a new husband; the other, toward staying home and caring for their widowed father.

6. The Long Road Home by Danielle Steel: First she’s abused by her mother, then left by her father, then turned over to the nuns to finish school. But it’s not until she’s pregnant with a priest’s baby that Gabby’s story really takes off.

7. The Klone and I by Danielle Steel: It’s a tale that’s been told dozens of times: Man leaves woman with kids. Woman grieves. Woman finds new freedom in a trip to Paris.

8. Point of Origin by Patricia Cornwell: A medical examiner is taunted and hunted by a psychopathic killer. It’s not connected to the 2002 film of the same name.

9. Paradise by Toni Morrison: It was an Oprah Book Club selection. That should say plenty about the mood and themes (not cheery, but with an uplifting ending).

10. All Through the Night by Mary Higgins Clark: Not connected to the Cyndi Lauper song, or Humphrey Bogart’s 1942 film, or Cole Porter’s tune all of the same name. It is a “cozy Christmas mystery” free of murder.

It seems that 1998 was a good year for Danielle Steel! She also released His Bright Light that year.

Reading a book online, while cheaper and more environmentally friendly than buy it in print, has never appealed to me. I am just not interested in sitting and staring at a computer screen longer than need be. I’ve toyed with the thought that I might download classics to read on the bus if I had a Blackberry or iPhone. But, alas, my free cell phone does not accept e-book downloads.

DailyLit, the leading publisher of online books, knew that this was a problem and has come up with a new hook to make e-books more appealing.

Teaming up with social networking site Twitter, DailyLit has established virtual book clubs.

Starting this week, DailyLit has made three popular titles available in short, daily installments via Twitter. All subscribed readers receive readings on the same schedule, and can then discuss the book in the designated forums. The first group reading began June 16 and includes Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom (2003) by Cory Doctorow, 100 Ways to Succeed/Make Money (online only) by
Tom Peters, and Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen.

Joining is free and explained in detail on DailyLit’s Twitter page. E-books can be received through RSS feed, e-mail, Twitter notices, and some mobile devices.

Perusing a used bookstore is probably my favorite way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. But you have to go with the open mind idea that you will be discovering new books, and only occasionally snagging a good deal on a bestseller. Plus, it >bothers me that they purchase the used books from patrons for only $1, then turn around and sell them for $8. That is an impressive markup.

I have found something that, while it won’t inspire the same giddiness as going to a used store, will help alleviate my qualms: PaperBack Swap.

Here’s the simple steps you can take at PaperBack Swap to trade your books for new ones:

1. Register.

2. List at least 10 books that you are willing to trade. Now you will have 2 credits good for 2 new books.

3. Request books that you are interested in.

4. Mail your books (+1 credit each) when requests come through to you; receive books (-1 credit each) when others mail you your requested ones.

5. Read a new book for only the cost of shipping one. Add it to your shelf, or toss it back in the mix of available books to be traded.

PaperBack Swap has been around enough years that the kinks should be worked out. With continued success in the book world, the company has added Swap-a-CD and Swap-a-DVD.

Bibliotherapist showed up on my career placement exam when I was graduating college. I had never heard the term before, and was definitely intrigued.

The practice of bibliotherapy merges psychological therapy with reading as a form of recreational therapy. Practitioners use books with a message, targeted toward their patient’s specific needs, to help portray the psychology of a situation through easy-to-relate-to characters and stories.

A new adult fiction book, released last week, sets out to help readers lose weight under these same theories.

A Novel Diet (2008) by Nikki Lang tells a story too familiar to many women today: 32-year-old Cheryl is tired of being overweight, and is ready to do something about it.

As readers follow Cheryl’s story, common weight-loss questions are answered, a format more appealing and memorable than reading an F.A.Q. guide. Topics addressed include: How is breakfast vital to shedding pounds? Why does is help to eat more, smaller meals? Why do people who weigh more tend to cook less? Which types of exercise are crucial for weight-loss?

Dr. Lang - that’s right, the author is an M.D. - has a similar book targeted to teens, and her own Web site - Novel Medicine - where you can learn more about her novel approach to health care through recipes, her blog, and more.

Cecily Von Ziegesar’s teen fiction series Gossip Girl (2002 - 2007) has become a household title since being turned into a hit - albeit controversial - prime time soap opera on The CW network. With 11 books (three were ghostwritten) and one prequel, Von Ziegesar has seemingly exhausted the tales of Serena, Blair, and their Upper East Side of Manhattan crew.

Now, she is turning to write for her growing adult fan base.

Hyperion, a book publishing division of Walt Disney and ABC, announced plans to print two new fiction books by Cecily Von Ziegesar, targeted at adults.

The first book, Cum Laude (2009), takes a natural progression in Von Ziegesar’s character development as she moves from writing about high schoolers - which she admits to exhausting - to college cliques, gossip, and drama. The story revolves around a handful of incoming freshmen who meet one another at orientation and immediately begin stirring up chaos in their new, small town. The college students face back-stabbing, crushes … and a tragic murder.

Von Ziegesar has also penned two Gossip Girl spin-off series: The It Girl (2005 - 2008) and Gossip Girl: The Carlyles (2008). These titles are all credited to her name; however, most are her ideas put together by a ghostwriter.

The spring of 2003 brought us two accounts of rehab experiences: Dry by Augusten Burroughs and A Million Little Pieces by James Frey.

Equally similar as they are different, both books make for a good read. Here are a few similarities and differences, with “1″ designating Dry and “2″ for A Million Little Pieces.

FIRST SENTENCE

1. “Sometimes when you work in advertising you’ll get a product that’s really garbage and you have to make it seem fantastic, something that is essential to the continued quality of life.”

2. “I wake to the drone of an airplane engine and the feeling of something warm dripping down my chin.”

PLOT

1. Mostly post rehab, trying to adjust to returning home after getting clean. One of the most vivid scenes is when he first opens his apartment doors to see all of the empty bottles, garbage, and booze taking over the place.

2. Takes place in a rehab center, with interactions happening between patients, and with doctors and psychiatrists.

BEST FRIEND

1. Pighead - former lover, passes away during story.

2. Leonard - fellow rehab resident, got a follow-up book - My Friend Leonard (2004) - centered on him.

DRUG OF CHOICE

1. Alcohol, especially scotch and beer.

2. Alcohol for ten years, crack for three.

AUTHOR

1. Third of six books, second memoir. Most recent released earlier this year.

2. First of three books, with third one releasing later this year.

1. Current age: 42; Character’s age: 20-something.

2. Current age: 38; Character’s age: 23

CONTROVERSY

1. None directly connected to this memoir, but sued over previous one, Running with Scissors (2002).

2. Oh my. Frey went on Oprah and affirmed that his story was 100 percent true. Later, Web site The Smoking Gun researched his background and reported that much of the memoir was fiction. Oprah confronted him in a follow-up interview, and Frey admitted to altering details. Recent publications include an note explaining the situation.

COVER ART

1. By my count, there are four different cover designs: The one shown; a fish with his head flopped into a martini; a lifesaver draped around a bottle’s neck; and an artistic, colorful one.

2. While the artwork is always that shown, some copies have Oprah’s book club seal while others have had it removed. Some also contain a note: “With new notes from the publisher and from the author.”

OVERALL

1. Great. As with all of Burroughs’ works, it’s a tough read in the sense that a lot of hard times are elaborately detailed. But his ability to make words draw a specific picture will surely win you over.

2. Good. Regardless of whether it’s true or not, it is a good story. There are rough characters and tough times, but the relationships that are woven throughout outweigh all else.

Borders, previously teamed online with Amazon.com, has branched out on its own to bring you a Web site experience as close to the in-store atmosphere that we love about book stores as possible.

There are so many new features, I couldn’t even begin to cover them all - you’ll have to just go see for yourself!

Be sure not to miss “Live at 01″ where you can see author interviews, in-store appearances, readings, and more. The “Magic Shelf” is another must-check out feature that allows you to peruse themed shelves, as you would in the store, and browse through books to help you decide if you should buy it.

But be warned, all of these new features use a lot of Internet technology that can jam your computer if you don’t have a top-speed connection. Plus, there’s no cafe to order a soy latte to enjoy while shopping - you’ll have to make it yourself.

I’m a very lyrical person. I memorize even the lyrics and tunes of TV commercials just by overhearing it a few times. This may explain why I get so geeky excited (I’m easily entertained) over songs that mention things - anything - that I like. I smile over songs with my name in it, vegetarian mentions, or nostalgic mementos.

Listening to the radio today, I was reminded that there are songs out there with books, novels, and fiction woven in.

Nickelback compared their love life to books in the second verse of Someday:

“Now the story’s played out like this
Just like a paperback novel
Lets rewrite an ending that fits
Instead of a Hollywood horror”

Seal’s words in Kiss from a Rose were commonly misunderstood as a book reference. Where his lyrics read: “To me you’re like a growing addiction that I can’t deny”; listeners (me and my mom) often heard: “To me it’s like you wrote a dictionary, don’t you know?”

Can you think of any more?

To continue attempting to de-mystify today’s quality and quantity writers, here’s a rundown of Nicholas Sparks’ fiction novels with a special highlighting of those that have been translated into film.

1. The Notebook (1996); big screen debut of the same name starring Rachem McAdams and Ryan Gosling in 2004.

2. Message in a Bottle (1998); Kevin Costner produced and starred in the film version in 1999.

3. A Walk to Remember (1999); 2002 movie featuring Mandy Moore and Shane West.

4. The Rescue (2000)

5. A Bend in the Road (2001)

6. Nights in Rodanthe (2002); set to release as an October 2008 movie with Diane Lane, Richard Gere, and James Franco.

7. The Guardian (2003); definitely not connected to the 2006 Ashton Kutcher - Kevin Costner flick of the same name.

8. The Wedding (2003)

9. Three Weeks with my Brother (2004); memoir / nonfiction style.

10. True Believer (2005)

11. At First Sight (2005); not tied with the Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino 1999 film with the same name.

12. Dear John (2006); just kicking off the filming process. Channing Tatum has been cast as John, but his female co-star has not yet been picked.

13. The Choice (2007)

Keeping track? That’s 13 books in 11 years, with four turned into screenplays. One of Sparks’ tricks seems to be re-using established, well-received characters. For example, The Notebook introduces us the Noah and Allie, then The Wedding features them and their family, years down the road. Browse Nicholas Sparks’ Web site to make more character connections between novels.

The project that he is currently working on is titled The Lucky One.

There are a few artful novelists of our time that baffle me: how does one author turn ot dozens of full-length, bestselling books in one lifetime? You know who I’m talking about - Barbara Kingsolver, Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks …

So how about a full rundown of these authors books by the numbers: How many have they written? How often do they publish a book?

First up: Barbara Kingsolver. She has produced five fiction novel thus far.

1. The Bean Trees (1988)

2. Animal Dreams (1990)

3. Pigs in Heaven (1993)

4. The Poisonwood Bible (1998)

5. Prodigal Summer (2001)

If you visit the Barbara Kingsolver homepage, you can find an extensive bibliography of her poetry, articles, nonfiction books, essays, travel articles, and more. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life (2007) is Kingsolver’s most recent publication, and is a nonfiction narrative where the Kingsolver family spends a year trying to only eat foods that they know the origin of.

The master fiction writer behind the James Bond character, Ian Fleming, would have turned 100 yesterday. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth, Britain is going crazy with events and book releases for an entire year.

Everything tied into this centenary celebration affair can be seen at the official Ian Fleming Centenary Web site through a diary events, updates, announcements, Fleming’s history and story, and details of everything James Bond.

To kick it all off, new hardback editions, with new cover art, of all 14 Ian Fleming Bond books were released by Penguin Publishing yesterday; the Royal Mail is featuring James Bond stamps, and BBC Radio 4 hosted a Fleming/Bond show on May 24.

Keep yourself in the know for more upcoming happenings by visiting the Fleming centenary site, and subscribing to the RSS feed.

The photo shown here is the new cover for Casino Royale’s. All 14 of the new covers were designed by Michael Gillette.