The first adaptation of a novel by Laura Lippman, Every Secret Thing is filming this month in New York City and on Long Island, which is a bit surprising, since, like Lippman’s other novels, this one is set in Baltimore (in reviewing it, the Baltimore Sun said that “Baltimoreans will relish insiderish elements of the story”).

The novel is Lippman’s first standalone, after having already achieved success with seven mysteries featuring private investigator and former Baltimore reporter, Tess Monaghan. Turning from mysteries to much darker psychological suspense, she writes about two young women who return to their Baltimore neighborhood after seven years in juvenile detention, sentenced for kidnapping a baby who died in their care. Perhaps coincidentally, other children begin to disappear. Lippman builds suspense as the reader tries to figure out who is responsible.

Lippman has continued writing both Tess Monaghan mysteries and standalones. In a review of her most recent title, And When She Was Good, (HarperCollins/Morrow, 2012), the NYT‘s Janet Maslin pronounced that “Ms. Lippman’s stand-alone novels have been much more nuanced and interesting than her Monaghan books.”

Directed by Amy Berg, the film stars Dakota Fanning and Danielle Macdonald as the two young women. Also in the cast are Elizabeth Banks and Diane Lane.

Dirty Wars is both a documentary, with a newly-released hot trailer and a book (Perseus/Nation Books). Excerpted in The Nation, where the author, Jeremy Scahill is a correspondent, it accuses the Obama administration of continuing “the policies that liberals were outraged about under Bush … just with a kind of rebranding.”

He appeared yesterday on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes. The book is currently at #61 on Amazon’s sales rankings.

The documentary, which won an award at the Sundance Film Festival, will be released first in NY, LA, and Washington DC on June 7 and then nationwide.

We’re pleased to see that, even though she faces a major challenge now that she’s been named  the editor of the NYT Book Review, Pamela Paul is still able to write her weekly children’s book column in the daily NYT.

This week, she devotes the column to a single picture book, Mary Wrightly, So Politely, by Shirin Yim Bridges, illus. by Maria Monescillo (HMH, 4/16/14), the story of a quiet little girl who finally musters the courage to speak up for herself (and her baby brother). Paul calls it a “smart, affecting and original story.”

Deadline reports today that film rights to the self-published inspirational 2007 blockbuster (later picked up by Hachette/Grand Central) The Shack have been acquired f by Summit Entertainment.

Gill Netter has signed on as the producer. He most recently produced the Ocsar-winning adaptation of Yan Martel’s Life Of Pi, a project he worked on for over a decade before it became a reality.
 

As part of their coverage of the Boston marathon bombings, last night’s 60 Minutes took a look at the training of bomb-sniffing dogs. Featured was Mike Ritland, who trains military dogs and has set up the K9 Warrior Foundation to care for retired warrior dogs. In Trident K9 Warriors: My Tale From the Training Ground to the Battlefield with Elite Navy SEAL Canines (Macmillan/St. Martin’s), published last week, he takes readers inside that secretive world.

As a result of the story, the book rose to #1 on Amazon’s sale rankings.

Last night during dinner with one of my oldest friends, I asked if she’d heard that E.L. Konigsburg had died, she said, “Oh no! You don’t know what she meant to me.”

And I didn’t. I only know what she meant to me. My friend, who isn’t a librarian and hasn’t been to the kids’ section of the library since her son was little, vividly recalled reading Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth (S&S/Atheneum) in elementary school. She and her friends were so entranced by the book that they became witches, making up spells and wreaking havoc.

I was only half listening as I recalled my first visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in my early twenties. I walked from the grand stairs to the entrance. As I sat, enchanted by the fountains, I realized I was following the footsteps of the famous run-away Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (S&S/Atheneum).

One of the delights of being a school librarian is rereading Konigburg’s titles. A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (S&S/Atheneum) was required reading in our 5th grade for a very long time.

I have a brother who is sight impaired. When it became obvious that he wouldn’t be able to read again using his eyes, I started shipping him audio books I had reviewed. At a family gathering he took me aside and said he never was much of a reader and wasn’t interested in these kids books, so please  stop sending them. “Sure,” I said. “Sorry.”

Then I reviewed the audio of The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place (RH Audio). It was fabulous. Five stars! Not thinking, I popped it in a jiffy pack off to the brother.

About a week later, a phone call. “Hey, Lisa, you know that audio book you sent me?”

I sputtered, “Oh, I am sorry, I wasn’t thinking … I just loved it so much …  I won’t send anymore.”

“No, no,” he interrupted, ” it was great! Send me more just like that.”

And I would, I thought at the time, except, there are no more just like that. And now there won’t ever be.

Diane Sawyer was supposed to have the first word on Amanda Knox’s memoir, Waiting to Be Heard,(Harper; HarperLuxe, HarperAudio) in an interview with the author on April 30, the book’s publication date. Instead, the NYT‘s publishing reporter, Julie Bosman got it first, breaking the embargo with a story on Friday.

Knox, an American attending college in Perugia, Italy, was accused, along with her boyfriend, of killing her roommate. She was tried, convicted and imprisoned, but released after the the decision was was overturned. In March, the Italian courts again changed their minds and ordered a new trial, which is to be held some time next year.

Holds are heavy in many libraries.

The Weinstein Company has picked up distribution rights to a movie based on Suite Francaise (Random House), the novel by Irène Némirovsky, which became a surprise hit when it was published in 2004, more than 60 years after the author’s death in Auschwitz.

The film, which is about to begin production, is directed by Saul Dibb. Set during the Occupation of France, it stars Michelle Williams as Lucille, a young French woman who has an affair with a German officer, played by Matthias Schoenaerts. Kristin Scott Thomas will play Lucille’s mother-in-law. Shooting is set to begin in France in late June.

Self-publishing reaches a new milestone this week. The number one title on the 4/28 NYT Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Best Seller list is a self-published novel, The Bet, by Rachel Van Dyken (read excerpts on the author’s blog).

This is the first time since the NYT began publishing separate ebook best seller lists in February of 2011 that a self-pubbed title has topped the combined list (Wait For You by J. Lynn and Hopeless by Colleen Hoover both hit #1 on the ebook only list, but didn’t break through on the combined list, where they appeared at #2. Both authors subsequently signed with traditional publishers. Fifty Shades of Grey did not appear on the NYT lists until after it was picked up by Random House).

A total of three self-published titles are on the current combined list of fifteen, two of them in the top ten, an evolving shift from the first lists, which had none.

Idaho author Van Dyken has published several historical romances with Astraea Press. She tells Forbes in an interview that Astraea was uncomfortable with The Bet because it falls into the “New Adult/Contemp” category and it “only does sweet romance,” so she decided to self-publish through Amazon’s CreateSpace.

While many of the author’s previous e-books are available via OverDrive, this one is not. It is also published in mass market paperback (ISBN: 978-1483918778), but it is not currently listed on wholesaler databases.

Several sure-fire best sellers are coming next week, including new titles from David Baldacci, Amanda Quick and Kristin Hannah… but don’t overlook two debuts on our Watch List which arrive with breathless excitement … the media is already busy with Michael Pollan‘s new book and with a debut that claims Texas is Big, Hot, Cheap and Right.

All of the titles highlighted here and more, on our downloadable spreadsheet, New Title Radar, Week of April 22.

Watch List

The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope, Rhonda Riley, (HarperCollins/Ecco)

Kaite Stover picked this in her Booklist “Book Group Buzz” blog post; “A young woman rescues someone she thinks is a badly burned soldier from World War II and soon learns differently. Decades later, Adam and Evelyn have raised a family of beautiful accomplished daughters with otherworldly talents. The writing is captivating and the story is a page turner.” It’s a May IndieNext pick, with a particularly glowing recommendation, “… one of the most exquisitely beautiful novels that I have ever read. Unconditional love in the face of an extremely unusual beginning to a relationship is one of the hallmarks of Riley’s debut. The ability to just be, to enjoy each day to the maximum, and to let love grow and expand for years to come is something we all desire. I could not put this book down!” —Nona Camuel, CoffeeTree Books, Morehead, KY

The Golem and the Jinni, Helene Wecker, (Harper; HarperLuxe; Thorndike Large Print)

The word most often used to try to describe this debut is “magical.” HarperCollins Library Marketer, Annie Mazes effectivelt communicates the in-house excitement, which is catching — it’s an IndieNext pick for May, a Wall Street Journal promising first novel as well as an Amazon Featured Debut. On GalleyChat, it’s been described as a “lovely meld of folklore, history and love story.”

Media Magnets

Big, Hot, Cheap and Right: What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas, Erica Grieder, (Perseus/PublicAffairs)

Already featured this week in the NYT’s Business Day, Bryan Burroughs (Barbarians at the Gate) writes, “Ms. Grieder’s is the rare book that takes stock of the Texas model without ridiculing many of its traditions and politicians … Ms. Grieder’s clear, vivid writing makes it downable in a single afternoon.” The author was interviewed yesterday on American Public Media’s Marketplace. Attention will continue next week with an appearance on Fox Business’s Stossel, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Martin Bashir and All In with Chris Hayes.

I’ll See You Again, Jackie Hance, with Janice Kaplan (Simon & Schuster; S&S Audio; Thorndike Large Print)

The mother of three girls who were killed while returning from a camping weekend recounts how she managed to cope with the tragedy. The author will appear on Rock Center with Brian Williams tonight (promo from the Today Show below).

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Next week, a new picture book arrives from Mo Willems and there’s not a pigeon in it (or a piggie, or an elephant) … the prolific Neil Gaiman is releasing two books … Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini publish THE middle-grade book of the season … and Kiera Cass continues her mashup of The Hunger Games and The Bachelor. 

All of the titles highlighted here and more, on our downloadable spreadsheet, Kids New Title Radar, Week of 4.22.13

Picture Books

Tiptoe Joe, Ginger Foglesong Gibson, Laura Rankin, (HarperCollins/Greenwillow)

Read-aloud perfection for the preschooler with a new sibling in the house. (“Shhh, the baby is sleeping!”) It’s a Kids IndieNext Spring: “One by one, Tiptoe Joe the Bear gathers his menagerie of friends to experience something special. As dear friends thud, stomp, and tiptoe towards the surprise, each wearing a colorful and different accessory, the happiness grows until wonderful treasures are revealed. Both inviting and suspenseful, this is a joyful book to share. Beautifully illustrated, Tiptoe Joe has the makings of a classic!” —Joanne Doggart, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham, MA

That Is Not a Good Idea!, Mo Willems, (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)

Employing the framework of a silent movie, the dastardly villain (a fox) entices an innocent damsel (a goose), all while the readers and their surrogates (the chicks) will be shouting the title refrain. Rock star Mo hits another read-aloud homerun.

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Fancy Nancy: Fanciest Doll in the Universe, Jane O’Connor, Robin Preiss Glasser (HaperCollins)

Is Fancy Nancy a guilty pleasure? Why do I have judgmental opinions about sparkly pink books? O’Connor is a brilliant writer who delves into the psyche of little girls and lets us wade in the everyday issues of childhood. There should be an award for that. Robin Preiss Glasser brings light and line and delight to every page, we KNOW Nancy and her family through her detailed portraits. Don’t miss it.

Bink and Gollie: Best Friends Forever, Kate DiCamillo, Alison McGhee, Tony Fucile, (Candlewick)

They are back!! Kudos to Alison McGhee, Kate DiCamillo and Tony Fucile for another delightfully dry easy-to-read tale about this pair of friends.

Dinosaur Zoom!, Penny Dale (Candlewick/Nosy Crow)

Dale who created the high-interest mashup of paleontological creatures and construction vehicles, Dinosaur Dig! is back with dinos driving cars as they hurtle to a birthday party.
 

Middle Grade

House of Secrets, Chris Columbus, Greg Call, Ned Vizzini, (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)

This is THE MIDDLE GRADE BIG BOOK OF THE SEASON! Yes, I know I am shouting. Chris Columbus (the director of the first  two Harry Potter movies) and Ned Vizzini (It’s Kind of A Funny Story, The Other Normals) have teamed up to tell a tale that all the Riordan/Colfer/Rowling fans will be fighting over. Magic, adventures, good vs. evil AND its almost 500 pages!

Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain: Lunch Lady #9, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, (RH/Knopf)

One of my favorite graphic novel series for the Captain Underpants set.

Young Adult

Unnatural Creatures: Stories Selected by Neil Gaiman, (HarperCollins)

Gaiman has curated a selection of short stories that reads as if he were sitting across the table saying, “Read this…now read this…okay…read this.” Who wouldn’t follow this expert’s advice? He explains here why he put this volume together. Also out this week is the second InterWorld novel, The Silver Dream (HarperTeen) written with another sci fi master storyteller, Michael Reeves.

The Elite, Kiera Cass, (HarperTeen)

PW called the first in this series “A cross between The Hunger Games (minus the bloodsport) and The Bachelor (minus the bloodsport)” Teen readers will be anxious to get their hands on number 2. The CW is at work on a second pilot for a possible series (they scrapped the one shot last year). We’ll learn in a few weeks if it will go to series, but early buzz is good. Cass has a new YA romance series in the works, described as “Matched meets Never Let Me Go — children trained in academies to be perfect friends can be purchased by the wealthy as companions and a forbidden romance ensues.”

Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood, Abby McDonald, (Candlewick)

I like chicklit. There I said it. Books about women and girls navigating the world of friendships and romantic relationships. I missed McDonald’s Sophomore Switch, loved Boys, Bears & a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots (couldn’t resist the title). The title of this new one says it all. If you are looking for what the “trenders” are calling the “new young adult” or YA crossover, don’t overlook Abby McDonald.

Arclight, Josin L. McQuein, (HarperCollins/Greenwillow)

This debut is a Kids IndieNext Spring pick: “This is a page-turner of dystopian fiction unlike anything I’ve ever read. A stunning debut novel, there’s a reality throughout this work that one doesn’t usually find in science fiction aimed at adolescents. So much more than just an ‘entertainment for young people,’ this story of identity and the courage found when one faces one’s worst nightmares deserves a very wide audience.” —Keri Rojas, Cornerstone Cottage Kids, Hampton, IA

Veronica Roth’s dystopian YA trilogy began with Divergent, continued with Insurgent and will end with Allegiant (HarperCollins/Tegen; Dreamscape audio; both, 10/22/13). The author revealed the title in a video on the USA Today Web Site just before midnight yesterday.

This is a good opportunity to offer lessons in the spelling of suffixes (some tips here).

The film adaptation of the Divergent began shooting earlier this month in Chicago, starring Shailene Woodley as Tris. Ashley Judd recently joined the cast to play her mother and Tony Goldwyn is in talks to play her father.

DivergentOfficial.com

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The adaptation of  Joseph Finder’s thriller, Paranoia (Macmillan/St. Martin’s, 2004), originally scheduled for release in October has been moved up to Aug. 16. Below is more background on the novel from our earlier post.

Described as a “high-tech corporate espionage thriller,” the movie features an impressive cast, including Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), Gary Oldman, Harrison Ford, Amber Heard (The Rum Diary), and Richard Dreyfuss.

The plot concerns an ambitious young technologist, Adam (Hemsworth), who, after making a major misstep is blackmailed by his ruthless CEO (Gary Oldman) into spying on the company’s top rival, run by a character played by Harrison Ford. Adam finds himself living the life of his dreams, as a rich, successful young Manhattan bachelor but eventually has to find a way out from under his boss, “who will stop at nothing, even murder, to gain a multi-billion dollar advantage.”

After four spy thrillers, (including High Crimes, which was made into a movie in 2002, starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman), Joseph Finder began specializing in corporate espionage with the release of Paranoia, which was his breakout book. His most recent novels are the first two in a series, featuring Nick Heller; Vanished (Macmillan/St. Martin’s, 2009) and Buried Secrets (Macmillan/St. Martin’s, 2011).

The author notes on his blog that he doesn’t plan to write a sequel to Paranoia, but tells readers (take note, Hollywood) that if they like that book’s main character, they will like his new series character.

The pub date for Dan Brown’s next book, Inferno, (RH/Doubleday; RH Large Print; Vintage Espanol; RH Audio) is May 14. It turns out that is no accident. RH/Doubleday’s Suzanne Herz tells the Wall Street Journal‘s “Speakeasy” blog, that if you write the date backwards, it become 3.1415, which is the value of pi.

She  leaves it up to fans to try to piece together why that would be important to the plot, which the publisher describes this way,

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces…Dante’s Inferno.

Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust…before the world is irrevocably altered.

The Inferno is the first part of Dante’s The Divine Comedy, which was just released in a  new translation by Clive James (Norton).

Gillian Flynn’s huge best seller, Gone Girl, did not make the cut from the longlist to the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her name appears on the cover of one of the six finalists, however. In the single blurb on Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, (Hachette/Little, Brown/Reagan Arthur), Flynn calls it “One of the best novels I’ve read this century.”

Two previous winners are on the list for their new books, Zadie Smith for NW (Penguin/Viking) and Barbara Kingsolver for Flight Behavior, (Harper).

The Guardian picks Bring Up the Bodies, (Macmillan/Holt) by British author Hilary Mantel as the one to beat, having already won two major UK awards this year, the Booker and Costa prizes. No book has won all three in one year.

Also on the list are Americans Maria Semple for Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Hachette/Little, Brown) and A. M. Homes for May We Be Forgiven (Penguin/Viking).

Previous prize winners include Madeline Miller last year for her debut novel, The Song of Achilles, (Harper/Ecco), Lionel Shriver for We Need to Talk about Kevin (Harper; 2005), Marilynne Robinson for Home (Macmillan/FSG; 2009) and Ann Patchett for Bel Canto (HarperCollins; 2002).

The winner of the £30,000 prize will be announced on June 5th.