Genre Fiction

Today, July 31, is Harry Potter’s (the character) birthday! Likewise, it is Potter author J.K. Rowling’s birthday, too.

Happy birthday to both J.K. and Harry!

Stephenie Meyer’s name is being tossed around the teen lit world a lot lately, especially now that she has a book releasing this weekend. But it wasn’t until all the Twilight Saga buzz that I had heard of the young author. So who is she?

Fast Facts on Stephenie:

* Her birthday is Christmas Eve, 1973, making her 35.

* She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and three sons - Gabe, Seth, and Eli.

* Her husband, Christian, is nicknamed “Pancho.”

* Many of her five siblings’ names are used for characters in her books.

* In 2005, she was named one of the “most promising new authors of 2005″ by Publishers Weekly.

* She graduated from Brigham Young University, Utah, with an English degree. The college is known for being Mormon, and Meyer remains a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

* One story of hers is included in the memoir collection Prom Nights from Hell (2007), edited by Meg Cabot.

* Her novels include: Twilight (2005), New Moon (2006), Eclipse (2007), The Host (2008), Breaking Dawn (August 2, 2008), Midnight Sun (work in progress).

* All of her books are teen fiction, except for The Host, which was targeted for adults.

* Stephenie says that the idea for writing a vampire story came to her in a dream.

* Muse is one of her favorite bands. They are featured in many of her books, as well as Blue October, Coldplay, and Linkin Park.

* Twilight, in addition to earning numerous recognitions and “top lists” honors, has been translated into 20 different languages.

* A big-screen movie of Twilight is set to hit theaters December 12, 2008.

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.”

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.

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.

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?

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.”