EarlyWord

Kenneth Branagh may have abandoned plans to direct an adaptation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. In August, Variety reported that he was planning to begin production on Guernsey in the spring of 2012. Now, that publication announces that Branagh is set to direct Italian Shoes, based on the book by Swedish writer Henning Mankell (New Press, 2009). Branagh starred in the English-language adaptation of the author’s crime-thriller series Wallander for the BBC.

Italian Shoes is decidedly not a crime thriller, however. It’s the story of an aging former surgeon, living alone on a remote island. Various women from his past come to visit and help him regain the desire to live. Reviewing it, the Boston Globe noted, “…if the plot seems like something out of a film by Mankell’s father-in-law, the late Ingmar Bergman, the prose isn’t any sunnier.” Even so, the reviewer was amazed to report, “But you know something? Italian Shoes is a good read.”

Branagh continues his career in front of the camera, playing Sir Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn, based on the book by Colin Clark, released for the first time here as a tie-in. The Oscar buzzed movie opens this Thanksgiving. Two new clips, featuring Michelle Williams as Marilyn, were released yesterday.

My Week with Marilyn Colin Clark Retail Price: $16.00 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Weinstein Books – (2011-10-04) ISBN / EAN: 1602861498 / 9781602861497

Also on audio from Dreamscape and on OverDrive.

The understated picture book, I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen, (Candlewick Press9/27/11) is one of the ten titles on the just-released list of the New York Times Best Illustrated Childrens Books.

Illustrator Klassen’s first effort as both author and illustrator, it was one of EarlyWord Kid’s correspondent, Lisa Von Drasek’s Picks of BEA. It is also featured as a PW Editors’ Favorite of the year.

The list will be featured in the special Children’s Book section in the 11/13 NYT Book Review.

NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Books, 2011

Along a Long Road Frank Viva Retail Price: $16.99 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – (2011-06-28) ISBN / EAN: 0316129259 / 9780316129251

A Ball for Daisy Chris Raschka Retail Price: $16.99 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Schwartz & Wade – (2011-05-10) ISBN / EAN: 037585861X / 9780375858611

Brother Sun, Sister Moon Katherine Paterson Retail Price: $17.99 Hardcover: 36 pages Publisher: Chronicle Books – (2011-06-01) ISBN / EAN: 0811877345 / 9780811877343

Grandpa Green Lane Smith Retail Price: $16.99 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Roaring Brook Press – (2011-08-30) ISBN / EAN: 1596436077 / 9781596436077

Ice (Stories Without Words) Arthur Geisert Retail Price: $14.95 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books – (2011-03-29) ISBN / EAN: 1592700985 / 9781592700981

I Want My Hat Back Jon Klassen Retail Price: $15.99 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Candlewick Press – (2011-09-27) ISBN / EAN: 0763655988 / 9780763655983

Me . . . Jane Patrick McDonnell Retail Price: $15.99 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – (2011-04-05) ISBN / EAN: 0316045462 / 9780316045469

Migrant Maxine Trottier Retail Price: $18.95 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Groundwood Books – (2011-03-01) ISBN / EAN: 0888999755 / 9780888999757

A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis Matt de la Pena Retail Price: $17.99 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Dial – (2011-01-20) ISBN / EAN: 0803731671 / 9780803731677

A New Year’s Reunion: A Chinese Story Li Qiong Yu Retail Price: $15.99 Hardcover: 40 pages Publisher: Candlewick Press – (2011-12-27) ISBN / EAN: 0763658812 / 9780763658816

The cover for the movie tie-in editions of The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo is much darker and moodier than the original, although still retaining a bit of that distinctive yellow. It is being released in trade pbk (9780307949493), mass market (9780307949486) and audio (UNABR., 9780307989550). The movie adaptation arrives Dec. 21.

To bring to life the look of Stieg Larsson’s goth punk computer hacker heroine, Lisbeth Salander, director David Fincher chose rock star stylist Trish Summerville. Soon, you, too, can get that look. Summerville has designed a “Dragon Tattoo” line of clothing for the Swedish-based (how appropriate) retail chain H&M. The line launches online and in stores on December 14th.

A new extended movie trailer gives a sense of the movie’s mood.

Rooney Maura, who plays Lisbeth Salander, adopts a softer style for the Nov.Vogue cover and photo shoot (we detect a dragon cleverly embroidered into the back of her dress).

The story explores how she won the role, despite strong objections from studio execs. (they thought she was “too sensible”).

Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, his first film based on a children’s book and his first foray into 3-D, arrives in theaters this Thanksgiving. Bets are now being taken on what he will direct next.

According to Variety, he is “seriously considering” jumping on another bandwagon — Scandinavian crime fiction, in the form of Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman (Knopf, May, 2011), book #7 in the Norwegian author’s Harry Hole series.

It won’t be the first adaptation of a Nesbo title. A Norwegian-language film based on Nesbo’s standalone, Headhunters recently broke Scandinavian box office records (explaining why the cover of the U.S. edition, released in Sept., bears the words “Now a Major Motion Picture”). Summit is planning on an English-language version of Headhunters, following in the footsteps of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which was originally adapted into a Swedish-language film, followed by David Fincher’s English-language version coming Dec. 21.

Scorsese, however, has many possible upcoming projects, most of them based on books:

Furious Love — based on the book about the Burton/Taylor love affair by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger (Harper, 2010). Deadline reported in June that Paramount was finalizing a a deal to produce the movie, with Scorsese directing.

The Irishman — based on “I Heard You Paint Houses”: Frank “the Irishman” Sheeran and Closing the Case of Jimmy Hoffa by Charles Brandt (Steerforth, 2004). Back in March, stories quoted Robert De Niro saying he was “fully committed” to starring in this movie, along with Joe Pesci and Al Pacino. No news since, however.

The Gambler — based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The film journal, The Moving Arts, recently published a story about Scorsese’s fascination with the Russian writer (Taxi Driver, “clearly owes [a debt] to Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and, more notably, Notes from the Underground“). In August, Deadline wrote that Leonardo Di Caprio was set to star (and mistakenly referred to it as a remake of the 1974 movie of the same title starring James Caan).

Silence — In February, The Playlist confidently proclaimed this would be Scorsese’s next film after Hugo, calling it the director’s “passion project that’s been percolating since early 2006.” Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro were attached to star. It’s based on the Japanese writer, Shusaku Endo’s 1966 novel Chinmoku. The 1980 English translation, titled Silence, is still in print.

The Wolf of Wall Street — based on the memoir by Jordan Belfort (Bantam, 2007), head of a notorious investment firm in the 1990’s. In May, it was announced that, after a long delay, the movie was back on track again, to star Di Caprio, but it would have to wait until the actor completed filming of The Great Gatsby with Baz Luhrman.

Sinatra — the one directorial project Scorsese is attached to that is NOT based on a book (although he was once planning to direct a film based on Nick Tosches’s book about Dean Martin, Dino). No news on this one since March.

Many have tried, and most have failed, to predict what Scorsese will tackle next. Rather than joining that pointless exercise, tell us, which would you most like to see him do?

Our vote? Furious Love. Angelina Jolie was once rumored for the role of Elizabeth Taylor. How about Scorsese’s favorite actor, Di Caprio, for Burton?

Library Journal‘s Top Ten Books of 2011 will be unveiled on Nov. 17. Counting down to the big day, daily guest posts by librarians of their own top picks are being featured on LJ‘s refreshingly readable new Reviews site. In the first post, Lauren Gilbert, head of community services at the Sachem Public Library, NY, gives a passionate recommendation for National Book Award Finalist, The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt, (WW Norton, 9/26).

Will the librarians’ picks differ from the editors’? We suspect they will skew more towards titles that are fun to read and recommend.

The official LJ Best Books list will debut in two installments on the 11/17 and 12/1 LJBookSmack newsletter, followed by Best Media (audiobooks, DVDs, games, and music) in the 12/15 issue.

On the Publishers Weekly‘s site, the editors are blogging about their favorites, leading up to the release of their list on Monday.

UPDATE, 12/21:

We’re happy to announce that our annual spreadsheets, rounding up all the titles in the national best books lists, with ISBN’s and information on additional formats — audio, large print, and eformats from OverDrive — are now available for downloading and checking against your collections.

• 2011 Adult Fiction
• 2011 Adult Nonfiction
• 2011 Childrens and Young Adult

Sherlock Homes himself said (paraphrasing a famous British writer), “I trust that age will not wither, nor custom stale my infinite variety.” USA Today writes that the master detective is hot again after all these years, with movies, re-releases and a “new” Holmes novel.

The movie Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows, starring Robert Downey Jr., follows last year’s surprise hit and opens 12/16. It’s based on the story, “The Final Problem,” which is included in the re-released The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Penguin; other editions available in ePub and Kindle on OverDrive).

Published today is the first “new Sherlock Holmes novel,” authorized by Doyle’s estate, The House of Silk (Mulholland/Little, Brown; audio, Hachette Audio; Large Print, Little, Brown) by Anthony Horowitz, author of the popular Alex Rider series for teens and the writer for the PBS series Foyle’s War.

The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel Anthony Horowitz Retail Price: $27.99 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Mulholland Books – (2011-11-01) ISBN / EAN: 0316196991 / 9780316196994

Of course, many other authors have carried on the Holmes tradition. Check this list from Wikipedia for the makings of an extensive book display.

Released last week, A Study in Sherlock is a collection of stories homages to the master by contemporary writers, including by Lee Child, Laura Lippman, Margaret Maron, Jacqueline Winspear and Neil Gaiman. It is available in hardcover (Poisoned Pen Press, 9781590585498) and in trade paperback:

A Study in Sherlock: Stories inspired by the Holmes canon Laurie R. King, Leslie S. Klinger Retail Price: $15.00 Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Bantam – (2011-10-25) ISBN / EAN: 9780812982466/0812982460

Coming next month is a book on Holmes’s creator, by Washington Post book reviewer, Michael Dirda.

On Conan Doyle: Or, The Whole Art of Storytelling (Writers on Writers) Michael Dirda Retail Price: $19.95 Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Princeton University Press – (2011-10-30) ISBN / EAN: 0691151350 / 9780691151359

In the NYT, Janet Maslin gives Stephen King’s 11/22/63, arriving next week, an early review. Readers, she likes it, she really likes it,

The pages of 11/22/63 fly by, filled with immediacy, pathos and suspense. It takes great brazenness to go anywhere near this subject matter [the JFK assassination]. But it takes great skill to make this story even remotely credible. Mr. King makes it all look easy, which is surely his book’s fanciest trick.

The comment about the pages flying by is significant — there’s 849 of them. Is this the season of long books? Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 is 944 pages. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is a relatively slim 656 pages. Be prepared for slow turnover of these titles.

11/22/63: A Novel Stephen King Retail Price: $35.00 Hardcover: 960 pages; 9781451627282 Publisher: Scribner – (2011-11-08) UNABR. Audio: 9781442344280

Large Print; Thorndike Press; 9781410440471

A GalleyChat favorite, The Family Fang, by Kevin Wilson (Ecco, 8/2011), is being optioned by Nicole Kidman’s production company, with plans for her to star, according to the movie news site, Deadline.

For those unfamiliar with the book, it has nothing to do with vampires, but with a quirky family of performance artists. On NPR’s Fresh Air, Maureen Corrigan was glad that it was published during the heat of summer because,

…it’s such a minty fresh delight to open up Kevin Wilson’s debut novel, The Family Fang, and feel the revitalizing blast of original thought, robust invention, screwball giddiness. Every copy of The Family Fang sold in August should have a sticker on it imprinted with the life-giving invitation that used to be issued on movie marquees in summertime during the dawn of the air-conditioning age: ‘Come on in! It’s cooool inside!’

Kidman recently wrapped filming on the film adaptation of Pete Dexter’s novel, The Paperboy. Directed by Lee Daniels (Precious), it also stars Zac Efron, John Cusack, Matthew McConaughey and Scott Glenn.

The Family Fang: A Novel Kevin Wilson Retail Price: $18.99 Hardcover: 320 pages Publisher: Ecco – (2011-08-09) ISBN / EAN: /780061579035/ 006157903

The current issue of Glamour magazine features an interview with Breaking Dawn star Kristen Stewart. The interviewer is Stephenie Meyer, who, in addition to writing the Twilight Saga book series, is a producer on the film.

Meyer has formed her own production company, Fickle Fish Films, which wrapped filming last month on its debut effort, Austenland, a romantic comedy based on the first adult title by Newbery Honor Medalist (Princess Academy) Shannon Hale. About a woman who gets to live out her obsession with the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by going to a Jane Austen fantasy camp, it stars Keri Russell, JJ Feild and Bret McKenzie, along with Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Seymour. Filming has wrapped in England, but no release date has been set.

A follow-up to the book, Midnight in Austenland, is coming Jan. 31. Also in the works is Hale’s untitled sequel to the Princess Academy, coming in August, 2012.

Midnight in Austenland: A Novel Shannon Hale Retail Price: $24.00 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA – (2012-01-31) ISBN / EAN: 1608196259 / 9781608196258

The book is dedicated to her cats for being the “best cats, best friends ever.” Later, she threatens those who bad mouth her cats. “Don’t talk s–t about my cat; I’ll go squirrel monkey on your ass.” Does anyone know what this means?

Below, Snooki shows what goes down at the typical author/publisher meeting:

Convicted Ponzi schemer, Bernie Madoff is currently serving 150 years in jail. His wife Ruth, son Andrew and his fiancée, Catherine Hooper, appeared on CBS Sixty Minutes last night, as part of the promotion for a new book, Truth and Consequences: Life Inside the Madoff Family by Laurie Sandell (9780316198936; Hachette Audio, 9781611135251). The book is based in on interviews with the three of them. Ruth Madoff says that Andrew and Catherine wanted to do the book and she did so as part of an effort at reconciliation with them. Interviewer Morley Safer notes, “neither Ruth nor Andrew will benefit from sales of the book, Catherine Hooper will.”

As a result of the show, the book rose on Amazon’s sales rankings, but did not crack the top 100. It is currently at #111. Libraries that purchased it are showing modest holds on light ordering.

Although it was under an embargo, sections of the book have been widely leaked, so the claim that Bernie and Ruth attempted suicide is not a revelation.

Part Two:

Mark Madoff’s widow, who remains estranged from the family, also published a book recently. It was not mentioned on the show.

The End of Normal Stephanie Madoff Mack Retail Price: $26.95 Hardcover: 253 pages Publisher: Blue Rider/Penguin – (2011-10-20) ISBN : 9780399158162

Available in EPub and PDF on OverDrive.

The holidays are heralded with the release of tie-ins to three major family movies, directed by two major filmmakers. Coming for Thanksgiving is Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. At Christmas, Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin will be going head-to-head with, um, Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

Heavily anticipated (as documented by New York magazine’s “Anticipation Index“) is Joan Didion’s next memoir Blue Nights, which follows her searing Year of Magical Thinking. We also see the finale of the Wicked series.

Memoir & Biography

Blue Nights by Joan Didion (Knopf; RH Audio; Large Type, Thorndike) is a memoir of the acclaimed writer’s loss of her adopted daughter in 2005, and her reckoning with herself as an aging, grieving mother. New York magazine has a piercing profile of Didion, with more coverage to follow after the blockbuster success of Didion’s memoir of widowhood, The Year of Magical Thinking. Appearances are scheduled for the Today Show, NPR’s Fresh Air and the Charlie Rose Show. Library Journal says, “This worthwhile meditation on parenting and aging by a succinct writer, while at times difficult to read and a bit self-centered, is well worth the emotional toll.”

No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington by Condoleeza Rice (Crown; Random House Audio) is the former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State’s story of eight years serving at the highest levels of government. The Washington Post writes that Rice’s confessions of self-doubt and regret are a revelation – and calls it the first serious memoir of the Bush Administration.

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews (S&S; Thorndike Large Print) is a biography by the host of MSNBC’s Hardball that draws on interviews with friends and former staffers of the 35th President. PW says, “Matthew’s stirring biography reveals Kennedy as a fighting prince never free from pain, never far from trouble, and never accepting the world he found.” Matthews has ready access to TV coverage and will appear on several shows next week, including NBC’s Today Show and ABC’s The View.

Usual Suspects

Zero Day by David Baldacci (Grand Central; Hachette Audio; Grand Central Large Print) finds combat veteran and investigator in the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Division on a brutal murder scene in West Virginia coal country. Preorders have kept it in Amazon’s Top 100 for a month.

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans (Simon and Schuster; S&S Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is another feel-good Christmas tale by the mega-selling author, this time featuring the self-made owner of a copy shop empire, Carl, and his estranged son, Luke. Kirkus is not impressed: “Although Luke’s downfall is a mesmerizing train wreck, his redemption is predictable and unearned.”

The Next Always by Nora Roberts (Berkley; Brilliance Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is the first installment in a series that draws extensively on the author’s experience running a historic Maryland inn. PW says, “Roberts paints a charming picture of smalltown life with likable characters, but supernatural thriller elements feel out of place in the bucolic contemporary setting, and too much detail about the nuts and bolts of the inns restoration slows down the story.”

Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steele (Delacorte; Brilliance Audio; Random House Large Print) is the story of an Eloise-like girl raised by a single father as he struggles to keep his hotel running while being a responsible parent. PW says, “As usual, Steel leaves nothing of her character’s feelings, backgrounds, or attitudes to reader inference, preferring to spell out every last detail, but who can argue with success?”

Out of Oz: the Final Volume in the Wicked Years by Gregory McGuire (Morrow; HarperAudio; HarperLuxe) finds Oz in the midst of civil war, with granddaughter of the infamous Elphaba, Wicked Witch of the West, coming of age with a band of friends. Booklist give it a thumbs up: “after the slightly disappointing Son of a Witch (2005) and A Lion among Men (2008), Maguire recaptures his mystical mojo.” The musical based on first in the book series, Wicked is still running on Broadway. News broke in January of a possible ABC TV mini-series based on the book (not the musical). Since there has been no further news, that project may be stalled.

Young Adult

Crossed (Matched Trilogy #2) by Ally Condie (Dutton; Penguin Audiobooks) is the second installment in the popular teen science fiction series. PW says, “Newcomers will need to read the first book for background, but vivid, poetic writing will pull fans through as Condie immerses readers in her characters yearnings and hopes.”

Movie Tie-ins

The Hugo Movie Companion by Brian Selznick (Scholastic) ties in to the movie Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese and based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret, also by Brian Selznick. The film opens 11/23 (the day before Thanksgiving). Scholastic is also publishing The Hugo Cabret Notebook in November. The first trailer was released this week, followed quickly by a second trailer.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (Scholastic) ties in to the major Spielberg movie that opens 12/23. The story, about a horse taken from a gentle farm boy and sold into service in WW1, was originally published in Great Britain in 1982.

The Adventures of TinTin by Herge, adapted by Stephanie Peters (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) ties into another big Spielberg movie, opening on Christmas Day. Other tie-ins include a chapter book, picture books, and a middle grade book, (check our list of Upcoming Movies Based on Books for all the tie-ins). LBYR is also re-releasing the Tin Tin originals in new editions.

Dr. Seuss’s still-timely 1971 environmental fable The Lorax, has been adapted into a 3-D full-length feature film, which arrives in theaters on March 2nd next year. The first trailer debuted on the Web today.

Tie-ins:

The Lorax Pop-Up! Dr. Seuss Retail Price: $29.99 Hardcover: 18 pages Publisher: Robin Corey Books – (2012-01-10) ISBN / EAN: 0375860355 / 9780375860355

Step into Reading Titles:

Look for the Lorax (Step into Reading) Tish Rabe Trade Pbk 9780375869990; $3.99 Hdbk. Library Bindg 978-0-375-96999-7; $12.99 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers – (2012-01-10) Age Range 4 to 6 yrs

..

How to Help the Earth-By The Lorax (Step into Reading) Tish Rabe Trade Pbk 978-0-375-86977-8; $3.99 Hdbk. Library Binding: 978-0-375-96977-5; $12.99 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers – (2012-01-10) Age Range: 5 to 8 years

In today’s Washington Post, Ron Charles calls The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje, “a charming mixture of eccentricity, serendipity and impish fun.” The semi-autobiographical story of a boyhood journey that affected  the main character’s entire life, Charles says the novel’s “vignettes convey a delightful sense of the urgency and mystery of adolescence, their galloping imagination, thumping anticipation and assurance that every overhead whisper is a conspiracy, a forbidden tryst or a murder in the planning stages.”

The book is #4 on the new Indie best seller list, rising from #6 last week.

The Cat’s Table Michael Ondaatje Retail Price: $26.00 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Knopf – (2011-10-04) ISBN / EAN: 9780307700117/0307700119

RH Audio, 9780307943712; Center Point Large Print, 9781611732245

For a while, it looked like it might not happen, but Summit has announced a release date of March 15, 2013 for Orson Scott Card’s 1985 science fiction classic Ender’s Game. It will be directed by Gavin Hood  (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Tsotsi).

No casting announcements have been made yet.