book
look
King of comics?
Next Stephen King a Marvel Gethers will develop, co-finance and co-Bestselling author Stephen King has produce several movies with Focus Films—
agreed to write a new installment of his Dark all of which are based on books published
Towers series as a graphic novel to be pub- by Random House and its imprints.
lished by Marvel Comics. Tentative plans are Examples of films based on books and pro-for the graphic novel to first be published as a duced by Focus Films include The Pianist,
comic-book periodical beginning in April The Constant Gardener and Brokeback
2006 and then as a hardcover later in the year. Mountain. RHF and Focus Films will work
Jae Lee will illustrate and Richard Isanove, together to develop scripts, select directors
who won a Quill Award for his work on and produce and market the films.
Marvel’s 1602, will be the colorist.
Libby novel to be reprinted
Book awards from abroad The Apprentice isn’t just a Donald
David Bergen won the Giller Prize last Trump–fueled TV show; it’s also the name of
month for his novel The Time in Between, a novel penned by Lewis “Scooter” Libby, for-
which is about a former American soldier mer chief of staff to Vice President Richard
who returns to Vietnam more than 25 years Cheney. Thomas Dunne Book/St. Martin’s
after the war. Other books by the Winnipeg, has decided to print 25,000 copies of the
Manitoba–based author include A Year of paperback, originally published in 2003. The
Lesser and The Case of Lena S. formerly out-of-print book received a lot of
The Giller, which is Canada’s premier fic- attention after Libby’s indictment, with one
tion prize, was created 12 years ago by Jack copy selling for $2,400 on Amazon.com.
Rabinovitch, in memory of his wife, Doris
Giller. The winner receives C$40,000. Reader feedback
Across the Atlantic, Britain’s Crime Runaway by Canadian author Alice
Writers’ Association (CWA) awarded John le Munro was my book-club selection when our
Carré’s The Spy Who Came In from the Cold club met here in my home last March.
its “Dagger of Daggers” award, selecting it as Following lunch, which the other 11 mem-
the top book of the last 50 years. The award bers seemed to thoroughly enjoy, the 12 of us
marked the CWA’s Golden Jubilee and, gathered in the living room to begin dis-
according to its Web site (
www.thecwa.co.uk) cussing Runaway.
marks “the first time that such an award has Unfortunately, for me at least, the book I
been made to a crime writer by his or her felt wasexceptional wastrashedby theother 11
peers.” Le Carré is the author of The Constant members, and essentially relegated to the “soap
Gardener, which was made into a movie ear- opera” bin. As I recall, I was the lone member
lier this year. of the club who saw merit in Alice Munro’s
At the same event, Arnaldur Indridason’s writing, her characters and story material.
novel Silence of the Grave was named the top Now, some eight months later, your [cov-
crime novel of the year. Indridason’s prize erage] of the book is sweet vindication at last.
included £ 3,000. Hopefully, some of our book-club members
will rethink themselves.
From books to the big screen By the way, another book [covered] in
Random House has announced that it’s Costco Connection and recommended a few
getting into the movie business, joining Focus months ago, Me and Emma by Elizabeth
Features, a motion picture and distribution Flock, was outstanding. It may well be my
company, to form Random House Films book-club selection when it is again my turn
(RHF). The goal of the deal, according to a to hostess next March.
press release, is to “provide authors with a Thank you for making my day!
wider range of audiences and readers and Helen Alexander
film makers with access to a diverse and Hollywood, South Carolina C
large array of material.” As president of the
new division, Random House’s Peter Source: Publishers Weekly
signings
KI T DEFEVER
Frank McCourt
Frank McCourt signs Teacher Man on
December 3, at noon, at the San Diego,
California, Costco, at 4605 Morena
Boulevard.
Katie Brown signs Katie Brown’s
Weekends on December 3, at noon, at
the Westbury, New York, Costco, at
1250 Old Country Road.
Diana Gessler signs Very Charleston
on December 10, at noon, at the
Charleston, South Carolina, Costco, at
3050 Ashley Town Center Drive.
Sue Grafton signs S is for Silence on
December 17, at noon, at the Goleta,
California, Costco, at 7095 Market
Place Drive.
Liz Lemon Swindle signs Son of Man
on December 17, at noon, at the Orem,
Utah, Costco, at 648 East 800 South.
(Click here for maps and
directions to Costco locations.)
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