Books to Movies, recent and upcoming

It would be easy to write a blog post every other month with updates on books classic and recent, obscure and popular that are making the transition to Hollywood. In addition to the coming excitement of Oscar Season, the fall holds a few action titles with literary beginnings. We've gathered a few together, with some reading suggestions.

Alex Cross, based on Cross by James Patterson
Release date: October 19
This is the third film based on Patterson's popular Alex Cross series. The first two films, Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider, star Morgan Freeman as Cross, while the most recent film stars Tyler Perry. The series starts with Along Came a Spider, and the next book, Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, comes out in November.
Readers may also enjoy:

• Rules of Prey by John Sandford, the first book in his Prey series featuring Lucas Davenport. Fast-paced, violent, and full of gritty details, these suspenseful mysteries mix elements of police procedurals with the psychology of the criminals.
• If I Should Die by Grace Edwards, the first book in her Mali Anderson series. Set in Harlem, this fast-paced series has a tough, intelligent, African-American woman as the detective. Anderson left the police force over racism and sexism, but when a murder is committed before her eyes, she puts her skills to use.

Cloud Atlas, based on Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Release date: October 26
Mitchell's experimental novel about the interconnections between the generations makes for a rather unusual movie, where stars like Halle Berry and Tom Hanks play multiple roles. It is a complex and thought-provoking novel that features Mitchell's skills at changing voice and style.
Readers may also enjoy:

• David Mitchell's most recent novel, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet, set in late 18th century Japan with a diverse cast of characters.
• If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino is the novel that helped to inspire Cloud Atlas  (http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2004/may/22/fiction.italocalvino). This book includes ten different stories written in varied styles.

Anna Karenina, based on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Release date: November 9
The latest in a series of film adaptations of this Russian classic about society's expectations and doomed love stars Keira Knightley and Jude Law, and should appeal to fans of luscious costume dramas. While you're waiting for the theatrical debut, you can check out the adaptation from 1934 starring Greta Garbo.
You may also enjoy:

• The Awakening by Kate Chopin. This highly controversial late Victorian novel of a woman dissatisfied with her marriage who begins a tragic affair. Chopin's novel shares a similar leisurely pace, though it is more lyrical than weighty.
• If you're looking for a good costume drama, try Phantom of the Opera, Marie Antoinette, or Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair is based on the novel of the same name by William Thackeray, about a young English girl who plots and schemes her way up the social ladder.

 
Life of Pi, based on Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Release date: November 21
Martel's haunting, suspenseful, and spiritual story of a young boy, Pi Patel, stranded at sea in a lifeboat with wild animals, including a tiger, will be guided to the big screen by director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain).
You may also enjoy:

• A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer. This moving Newbery Honor book tells the story of an 11 year-old girl who has to make the dangerous journey from Mozambique to her father's family in Zimbabwe. Farmer incorporates many elements of the Shona spirit world in the book. Though Nhamo's journey is dangerous, she maintains her sense of humor.
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This inspirational and reflective novel by the highly regarded Brazilian author has been translated into 71 different languages. A parable or fable about following your heart and the meaning of life, this story is spiritual and gives the reader much to consider.

Please stop by the Recommendations Desk on the first floor, check out NoveList Plus on the library's website, or visit W. 11th & Bluff next week for more reading suggestions. Or submit a Personal Recommendations request, and we'll create a reading list just for you!