Genre Fiction

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.

Tracy Chevalier has been on my mind lately since she has a new book - Burning Bright (2007) - and since, after careful consideration, I chose The Birth of Venus (2004) by Sarah Dunant, a novel with Tracy tones, as my next read.

Although I haven’t cracked Burning Bright yet, I own and have read all of her other historical fiction novels. I recommend reading them all, in this order:

1. Girl with a Pearl Earring (1999): I don’t care if you have seen the Scarlett Johansson movie version. In fact, that’s even more reason to dive in: While the story did translate well to film, Chevalier’s A+ ability to describe color, vision, wonder, and discovery was lost.

2. The Lady and the Unicorn (2003): I never imagined that some one, some book, could forever change the way that I look at tapestries. Learn about weaving, designing, dying, and all while watching the artist and his master’s daughter fall in love.

3. Falling Angels (2001): Less artistic than the others; more about the people themselves. It’s a weird pairing of tales - childhood friendship juxtaposed with a mother’s sexual exploration - but they are easily connected with their humanistic aspects.

4. The Virgin Blue (1997): Unfortunately, unmemorable. However, very readable. I loved every second of it as the story tore me through the pages, but the second the covers were closed the details were lost.

Intrigued? Tracy Chevalier’s Web site allows you to read the first chapter of each book, learn her inspirations, and travel the true historical trails of each novel. And everyone, whether you’ve read it before or not, must experience the colorful cooking experience of Girl with a Pearl Earring’s first chapter.

What’s the one question that everyone wants to ask every author?
Okay, so I’m generalizing just a tad here, but interviewers seem to ask writers “What’s you’re favorite book” an awful lot. And I know that I want to know, too.

CNN just posted a Real Simple article that asks ten bestselling novelists this very question. Each author responded with three books: the best one-day read, best for a long weekend, ones to savor all summer long, and those that you can pick up and put down repeatedly.

The players include Augusten Burroughs, Jackie Collins, Nelson DeMille, Janet Evanovich, Elizabeth Gilbert, Philippa Gregory, Sophie Kinsella, James Patterson, Jodi Picoult (shown here), and Danielle Steel.

Here are a few highlights:

For quick reads, Sophie Kinsella mentioned one of my favorites, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) by Mark Haddon. Danielle Steel’s pick, listed just below Jodi Picoult’s, was
Change of Heart (2008) by Jodi Picoult. Or less specifically, “Anything by Jodi Picoult.”

More than one author went back to her childhood with her pick for collections to savor all summer. Janet Evanovich loves all 65 Years of Little Golden Books, and Elizabeth Gilbert favors
The Treasury of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Jodi Picoult has a great recommendations when she picked The Best American Short Stories anthologies for good dabbling books.

For a full rundown of all authors picks for all four categories, check out the CNN/Real Simple article titled Top authors pick best summer books

Tonight, one of my favorites events ever is going to happen. I finished my nighttime book last night, and tonight I get to pick out which book to dive into next. I live for this moment.

But so many choices! And it’s such a big decision. Do I hit up one of Jennifer Weiner’s that I haven’t read yet? Or Barbara Kingsolver? Which way do I turn?!

After careful strategizing and planning, I have narrowed my next bedtime read down to two choices. Neither is one that I had heard of prior to spying them at the used bookstore, but both remind me of another story that I’ve previously enjoyed.

Option 1: Tuscany for Beginners (2005) by Imogen Edwards-Jones, which sounds like a more comical version of Under the Tuscan Sun (1997) by Frances Mayes.

Option 2: The Birth of Venus (2004) by Sarah Dunant seems to fall in line perfectly with Tracy Chevalier’s fantastic works of fiction blended with art history.

Decisions, decisions …

Finding a best-selling novel at a used bookstore is one of my favorite things. But finding a surprise hit is even better. It takes time, analysis, and skill to hunt through hundreds of little-known titles and find a fantastic read.

Icy Sparks (1998) by Gwyn Hyman Rubio was one of my best finds to date.

I had never heard of the unexpected friendship story before it was in my hands at my favorite used book spot. Apparently Oprah had, because it was listed in her book club in 2001. Other than knowing that Oprah approved, all I had to go on was the back cover blurb. I am so glad I took the chance and spent the $4.

Icy Sparks, the title character, is a young girl living in the South in the 1950s, being raised by her grandparents, and struggling for acceptance.

Icy croaks. Literally. She has a tic that causes her to let out loud croaking-like noises and twitch, and has to face the cruel reality of being misunderstood at a too young age.

Then there’s Miss Emily Tanner, a local store owner. At 300+ pounds she also understands being teased, stared at, and an outcast in their small Kentucky town.

Naturally, Icy and Emily become fast and hard friends. But even Miss Emily can’t stop Icy’s grandparents from thinking the girl has a mental disorder.

Largely about common bond friendships, Icy Sparks also takes a brutally honest look at living in a world that thinks something is wrong with the way you are.

Oprah approved, and so do I.

Did you know that Indiana Jones has been turned into a fiction book hero, too? Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) was the first novelization of the character, written by Campbell Black. Since then, the other films - and even the TV series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles - have all been published.

On sale today, is the latest and fourth installment of Indy’s adventures, releasing in book format just two days prior to the film’s premiere - May 22, 2008.

If you’re a super-quick reader you can get it all read in time to see the movie on opening night.

Both film and book share a plot surrounding the search for a mysterious legend: the Crystal Skull of Akator. According to its legend, the skull was stolen from a hidden City of Gold that is guarded by the living dead in the Amazon. The skull holds powers that will be controlled by whoever returns it to the city.

To order a copy online, check out Random House where you can get Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) in hardback for $26, an audiobook download version for $20, or on CD for $31.95.

This edition was written by James Rollins, a writer, practicing veterinarian, and an amateur spelunker and certified scuba enthusiast. Where do these authors find the time?

Other authors of Indiana Jones novels include James Kahn for Temple of Doom, and Rob MacGregor for numerous titles. Wolfgang Hohlbein has written 8 German versions which have not been translated. Wikipedia’s Indiana Jones Franchise page has a complete list of Indy books and authors.

It’s time for another bestseller list. Here are the current top ten bestselling fiction books at Barnes & Noble book stores and Web site:

1. Breaking Dawn (2008) by Stephenie Meyer

2. Love the One You’re With (2008) by Emily Giffin

3. Lover Enshrined (2008) by J. R. Ward

4. Odd Hours (Odd Thomas Series #4) (2008) by Dean Koontz

5. The Front (2008) by Patricia Cornwell

6. The Host (2008) by Stephenie Meyer

7. The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008) by Garth Stein

8. Bright Shiny Morning (2008) by James Frey

9. Netherland (2008) by Joseph O’Neill

10. Eclipse (2007) by Stephenie Meyer

Three bestsellers from Stephenie Meyer, all released in the past 12 months? Who is this writing machine? Has anyone read anything by Stephenie?

I’m guessing that you enjoy reading books. I’m also going to guess that your interest in reading began at a young age because someone put a fun, colorful, easy-to-read book in your hands and taught you how to read.

Not all children are so lucky. Some cannot afford books. Some have illiterate parents. Some will never learn to read; others will have such difficulties that they will be turned off from books.

That’s where First Book comes in.

First Book is a nonprofit organization that gives “children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books.” And they need your help on both ends - collecting and distributing.

Here’s how you can help inspire a child to become an avid reader:

* Donate funds to First Book. Every $2.50 buys a new book, because 98 percent of their income goes directly to the cause.

* Register your organization, school, community center, etc. to be eligible to receive new books.

* Buy yourself some new books through the First Book shop and the proceeds of your purchase will go to the charity.

* Check out the “Get Involved” part of the Web site to realize dozens of other ways to help.

Who would have thought that a graphic novelist would go on to write an intriguing, intricate, bestselling love story?

But that is Audrey Niffenegger’s exact path. In the late ’80s Audrey created a handful of visual books and stories such as The Spinster (1986). Then she wrote The Time Traveler’s Wife (2004).

Henry can time travel - but not at will. He has no control over his disorder as he pops in and out of his future wife Clare’s life over a span of decades. With her carefully thought out details and timing, Niffenegger managed to keep the reader from becoming confused, despite the characters’ confusing lives. The novel takes you through Clare and Henry’s unique romance, as Henry gets to know Clare as a child, a teenager, and an adult - all at once.

The Time Traveler’s Wife is perhaps the only fiction book that can enthrall three generations of readers: myself, my mother, and my grandfather. It’s not really a book that can be explained; however, you have to just read this one. But know this: I hate science fiction, and I love this novel. So don’t be scared off by the time traveling subject.

Audrey Niffenegger has said that she is currently working on her second full-length novel, set to titled Her Fearful Symmetry. The Time Traveler’s Wife was picked up for a big screen transition before it was even finished. The film is expected to release this year with Rachel McAdams is starring as adult Clare, and Eric Bana plays Henry. Brad Pitt is a producer … will we get a screen shot of Mr. Jolie?

I throw “my favorite” around a lot. So if I had to sit down a pick my favorite ten fiction books ever, here’s how it would play out:

1. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2003) by Audrey Niffenegger

2. The Lovely Bones (2002) by Alice Sebold

3. Running with Scissors (2002) by Augusten Burroughs

4. White Oleander (1999) by Janet Fitch

5. Me & Emma (2005) by Elizabeth Flock

6. Girl with a Pearl Earring (2005) by Tracy Chevalier

7. She’s Come Undone (1992) by Wally Lamb

8. Where the Heart Is (1996) by Billie Letts

9. My Sister’s Keeper (2004) by Jodi Picoult

10. Prodgal Summer (2000) by Barbara Kingsolver

11. Banana Rose (1995) by Natalie Goldman

Whoops. Was that eleven? Well, I could go on a lot longer so stopping at number 11 took restraint. Any of these make your tops?

After her rape and murder in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon (”like the fish”) continues to live on as the narrator of her own murder mystery in The Lovely Bones (2002) by Alice Sebold.

The unique voice - being both a child and the dead victim - gives this book its innocent tone. You are pulled in by the sweet young teen who has seen and known too much. She tells you who killed her before her parents know, which makes for some great opportunities for the reader to know more than the victim’s family.

Six years after finishing this read, details of The Lovely Bones are still with me. So when I saw The Bright Forever in a used bookstore, I snagged it.

Lee Martin’s The Bright Forever (2006) has, as you can see in these two pictures, a cover not far off from Sebold’s. The plotline was also similar: a young girl (Martin’s is 9) disappears in the 1970s and her whole town is up in shambles searching for her and a molesting murderer.

Martin’s book may be truer to real life, with parents that blame themselves, questions of how it could have been avoided, and multiple - often varying - points of view of characters living in the moment. But with a touchy subject like child molestation and murder: Sebold creates an intriguing, non-threatening picture of the mess left behind. Martin puts together a creepy look with more focus on the perpetrator than the effected. Unfotunately for him, Martin’s also gets an “ick factor” simply because he is a man writing about lust over a little girl.

Both pulled me from page to page, both have stayed in my mind, but no one will be making a movie out of The Bright Forever.

A film adaptation of The Lovely Bones has been in talks for awhile, and is now being filmed with Rachel Weisz and Mark Wahlberg as Susie’s parents, Susan Sarandon as her grandmother, and Irish actress Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon. Expect it theaters in 2009. Sebold’s third triumph-over-tragedy novel - The Almost Moon (2007) - is currently topping bestseller lists. Her first book was Lucky (1999) - a disturbingly accurate memoir of her own rape.

This was Martin’s second novel; he previously published Quakertown (2001) as well as a story collection titled The Least You Need to Know (1996) and two memoirs, From Our House (2001) and Turning Bones (2003). His latest is River of Heaven (2008).

Deeming a book a “best” is not an exclusive right of the New York Times. Although the Times are certainly top in the game, and pull from all genres, there are many other great - and fun - resources out there. Some create their own criteria, and others pull from NYT.

I’m going to randomly grab different sources’ lists, to find who thinks what books are “best.”

First up: HarperCollins Publishers, by total random chance.

On their Web site, HarperCollins will tell you which of their new releases (in the last three months) have made it onto the NYT bestsellers’ list. Out of the 31 adult books currently making the best of HarperCollins, here are the fiction ones. And since I am guilty of judging books by their covers, the two pictured are the ones that caught my eye based on cover design alone. Click a title to head to its page.

* Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos

* Lady Killer by Lisa Scottoline

* The Dark Tide by Andrew Gross

* Bulls Island by Dorothea Benton Frank

* The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison

* Sin No More by Kimberla Lawson Roby

* Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews

* Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman

* Sword Song: The Battle for London by Bernard Cornwell

* Rules of the Game by Neil Strauss

* The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

* Wrath of a Mad God: Book Three of the Darkwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist

* Where the Heart Leads: From the Casebook of Barnaby Adair by Stephanie Laurens

* Manic: A Memoir by Terri Cheney

Where to start? I have so many good books on my shelves that I want to share. How about with the book that I am pages away from finishing in the moment: Janet Fitch’s third and most-recent fiction novel Paint It Black (2006), named for the epononymous song by the Rolling Stones.

You may recognize Janet’s name because her second writing was a huge hit, making top lists including Oprah’s Book Club. This bestseller - a little novel called White Oleander (1999) - was also one of the most successful book-turned-movie I’ve ever read and watched, starring Alison Lohman, Robin Wright Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Renee Zellweger, to name a few.

For me, White Oleander was such a powerful story of one foster child’s struggle to find her place and a family, that when I heard Fitch had a new book coming out I jumped with excitement. Her ability to weave intricate stories with skilled writing technique blew me away. But with all the anticipation I felt, why has taken me two years since it’s release to get around to reading Paint It Black? Well, I’m a bit cheap and it was only in hardback for its first year. Then, I kind of forgot about it. Until Janet Fitch added me as a friend on MySpace.

In my profile I had White Oleander listed as both a favorite book and a favorite movie, and Janet noticed this and sent me a “hello.” Trembling, I ran to the bookstore to grab Paint It Black - and I haven’t set it down since.

Going into it blind to the plotline, I was even more surprised and pulled in by the events that go down in the first few chapters. Thus, I remain quiet to the plot. You should just read it, and not ask why, or what it is about. Just know that Fitch continues her trend of creating heartbroken characters who long to find peace and understanding in a world that hasn’t offered them much of either. (If you must know, head over to Janet’s homeage.) It’s not a happy-go-lucky read, but it never fails to inspire and offer hope.

If you’ve never read any of Fitch’s work, and for some reason can only read one before you die, I would recommend heeding no hesitation toward picking up a copy of White Oleander, reading it, and then watching the movie. But Paint It Black will not disappoint in any way either … unless there is some mega surprise that I will discover tonight as I finish the last handful of pages.

Janet Fitch’s first novel was a young adult read titled Kicks (1996). In addition to writing, she teaches fiction writing in the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California. If your on MySpace, add her as a friend! She loves hearing from readers, and will even try to respond personally to comments left on her space. Here’s what she wrote me: “Hi Sally– Thanks for the kind comment on Paint It Black–thanks for befriending it, and me!! So glad you’re liking it. Wish you good reading and many delights. all best, Janet F.”

Hello and welcome to my new site - Genre Fiction!

I am not the first writer to grace these Web pages, and Genre Fiction is not the first pages that I am gracing. You can also find my musings at Living Without Meat - a resource for vegans, vegetarians, or those just interested in animals and healthy food - and Style Fix - updates on what’s happening in the fashion world.

But to write about books? I am thrilled for this opportunity!

I have started out by reworking the “categories” section a bit (it’s to the right and down a bit on every page). Checking these out should give you a hint as to where I intend to go with Genre Fiction.

Adapted for Film: if it is, was, or will be turned into a screenplay for TV, big screen, or mini-series - you’ll find anything I write about it here.

Author Bios: sometimes, for me, it’s all about the writer behind the book (I’ll read anything by Augusten Burroughs!).

Book Reviews: … yup. They’ll be here.

Book Tours and Other Events: if you want to get your copy signed, meet the author, bump elbows with other readers, or just be “in the know” about where authors are headed - it will be here.

My Favorites: I will try to be unbiased, but there are strong books out there that I will read over and over and over and …

My Rantings: every thing must have a home. Quick personal spurts, news, etc. (like the intro you’re reading right now) will be caged here.

New Releases: classics and old faves are great, but nothing beats the anticipation of waiting for highly-praised book to hit shelves. I’ll do announcements, quick reviews, and more … within a month or so of the book being released.

New York Times Bestsellers: you’ve heard the buzz, it’s been labeled a hit by the NY Times, will you love it? And why is it so popular?

Written by Previous Writers: as I mentioned, I’m not the first. All previous reviews and writings are gathered together here.

Hope to have you back soon!