Genre Fiction

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.”