So many books. . .

Just a few more reading days remain in 2007 and as I had suspected, I didn't read nearly as many titles as I wanted to this year. The miserable maxim "So many books, so little time," is a nasty six-word nugget of truth.

There are, indeed, many books left on my TBR stack.

But enough moaning and groaning about the poverty of reading hours left to us after a busy day. I read some great books in 2007. I will list my faves for the Edglings and for posterity, with a special (drum roll) spotlight on my favorite book of 2007 on Monday. Off we go, in no particular order (I am not even entirely sure in which order I read them . . .)

1. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult: Trim away the bits of reality-defying details (and they are just bits) this was a great book about the bonds of familial love and how far we will let it take us.
2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen: The best part about this tale is its very satisfying ending.
3. When Madeline Was Young by Jane Hamilton: I'd waited years for Jane to write another book, ever since I read A Map of the World. I bought Madeline the day it was released in hardback, something I hardly ever do. It didn't thrill me like Map did, but it was still artistry in words.
4. Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards: I bought it based on cover appeal alone. Even before I read the back cover copy I was ready to buy it. The little white infant dress on the cover, the icon of innocence, was the lure for me. It wasn't my favorite book, just among my favorites. The ending was not near as satisfying at Water for Elephants, but the beginning was stellar.
5. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See: Not an easy read but expertly told. I felt pain in my toes as I read, that's how real the depiction of foot-binding was. The interesting thing for me is, I didn't like Lily the protag. She infuriated me big time. And yet I emotionally connected with her. I think it's because with the first person narrative, it's Lily who is telling the story and she is painfully transparent. She made horrible choices. And yet she told us about them anyway. Gotta have respect for that.
6. Feeling for Bones by Bethany Pierce: I didn't read a ton of CBA literature this year (SMBSLT) but I found time to read this debut novel by Pierce. Beautiful writing, richly developed characters, no formulaic writing here. I will read more by this new writer.
7. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini: The bar was set pretty high for this second book by Hosseini. The Kite Runner was my favorite read of 2006. I liked this second book very much, but it doesn't outfly the Kite. It's good, maybe as good. Just not better. Still, one of my faves for 2007.
8. Peony in Love by Lisa See: Sad, sad, sad book. But completely original. Not another one in 2007 like it. Just don't read it while sharp objects are nearby.
9. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: Another very sad read. But somehow Walls made me smile. I don't know how she did it. It wasn't a humorous book, not by a long shot. But you won't be driven to find sharp objects either. It was a riveting read.

So. There you have it. My top 9 for 2007. Come back on Monday and I'll share with you my top read for 2007 and what awaits on my To Be Read stack for 2008.

See you then . . .

By Georg

I don't usually participate in an event where I don't know at least one other person who will also be there. But last night I went to a Messiah-sing at a beautiful Catholic Church in seaside Carlsbad where I knew not a soul.

I drove the 30 miles with my copy of the oratorio, and I sat in the middle pews with 100 other altos, (surrounded by 300 sopranos, tenors and basses) and we sang ourselves silly. It was grand. There was a guest conductor, an orchestra, soloists, and scattered members of an actual choir who helped us make our entrances and kept the wild vocal runs from flying helter-skelter into oblivion.

The lady next to me didn't know anyone either. She came for the same reasons I did. She loves Handel's Messiah, but she's no professional musician. And when you love Handel's Messiah and you hear there's a Messiah-sing open to the public, well, by Georg, you take it!

I'd do it again. Next year I will. And this time I will know one person. Her name is Susan. Like me.

Did you know Georg Frederic Handel was the son of a barber-surgeon? (What do you say to someone who asks you what you do for a living when you're a barber-surgeon? It's like saying you're a gardener-astronaut, or a plumber-lawyer, or a tailor-chemist . . .)

Apparently, it was during a low spot in Handel's career that a friend talked Handel into composing an oratorio based upon a selection of biblical passages this friend had recently arranged. Handel wrote the entire oratorio in the span of just 24 days, from August 22 until September 14, in 1741.

Like, wow.

And here I thought 300 pages of story in 30 days was noteworthy. . .

Find me here

Just thought I'd let you know that I'm guest-blogging over at Randy Ingermanson's Advanced Fiction Writer's Blog these next couple of days, chatting about the art of writing at an accelerated pace.

I happen to write fast. I don't insist on it, not for myself or for anyone else. It just happens to be how I write. Sometimes people ask me how I can write a book so quickly. (I usually start and complete a novel in 6 to 10 weeks). I had to think about it the first time someone asked me. So I did think about it and I figured it out. I am sharing my method, if you want to call it that, on Randy's blog.

The wise Mr. Ingermanson, also a speedy writer, is the Snowflake Man. His process for plotting a book, patterned after the ever-intriguing snowflake model, is one I can firmly get behind because it's similar to my own technique of planning a book. I blueprint it, right down to the light fixtures. Not because I have to, but because it's just what I do.

Hey, check out Randy's snowflake page right here.

And then come by the blog and see how I do what I can't help doing. . .

From shelves to screens

A number of days ago I read an intriguing article in the San Diego Union Tribune about the recent trend of literary reads making the transition to the big screen. Included in the article was the author's list of books-turned-into-movies that didn't disappoint, ones that most certainly did disappoint and a list of - insert gasp here - movies deemed better than the books that birthed them.

The list intrigued me and set me to thinking of making lists of my own. What would I list as great books-turned-movies, disappointing books-turned movies and what book would I like to see made into a movie and who would star in it? So I asked myself these questions as well as a bunch of author friends. Here are the results. Who knows? Maybe this list will ease the mental weight of unfinished Christmas shopping for you. Books and DVDs make great gifts. Off we go. . .

Favorite movie based on a novel:
Edgewise: Return of the King: I never visualized Tolkien as wonderful as this.
James Scott Bell: The Hustler: Robert Rossen took a minor novel and turned it into one of the great American films. Ditto The Godfather from Coppola (though the Puzo novel was very popular).
Deborah Raney: Cold Sassy Tree starring Faye Dunaway, Richard Widmark and Neil Patrick Harris; remained quite true to the book as I remember.
Kristen Billerbeck: Bridget Jones's Diary, BBC Version of Pride and Prejudice.
Colleen Coble: Gone With The Wind. It felt like I lived the book.
Thom Lemmons: Though it's technically a mini-series, I'd have to say Lonesome Dove. Of course, since McMurtry had tons of creative control over the screenplay, that makes sense.
Camy Tang: Pride and Prejudice, the BBC version (although it's more of a miniseries than a movie). It was just so well done! It was close enough to the book to be enjoyable without any nagging annoyances, and the acting from some of the cast (like David Bamber and Alison
Steadman) was stellar.

What movie based on a novel disappointed you the most?
Edgewise: I seem to do a memory dump every 12 months This may not be the most disappointing to me for all time, but defintely in recent history: Memoirs of a Geisha. It was an okay movie, but it could've been so much better.
James Scott Bell: Robert Altman's version of The Long Goodbye. What he did to Chandler is a crime.
Deborah Raney: I'm almost always disappointed in movies that were based on novels. In my opinion, it's a rare exception if the film is better than the book.
Kristen Billerbeck: The Count of Monte Cristo.
Colleen Coble: The Stand. It deserved better. It's the best King book of all time.
Thom Lemmons: The first Lord of the Rings animated feature, back in the 70s. The biggest problem was with trying to bring Tolkien's vision to the screen before the advent of CGI.
Camy Tang: I have to preface this with the fact I'm not a very critical movie watcher, I like most things. There were very few movies from books that I thought were absolutely horrible. The only one that stands out is the 1972 BBC version of Emma, which annoyed me in the first 20 minutes because the acting was horrible, the script was appalling, and the screen direction was tiring.

What movie did you find to be better than the book that spawned it?
Edgewise: The Princess Bride. (As you wish . . . )
James Scott Bell: Shane. Yes, it's true.
Jeff Gehrke: The Postman was far superior to the book upon which it was based.
Deborah Raney: Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks. I enjoyed the book, but I thought the movie had a much more heroic, redemptive ending (though as a rule, I don't like it when a movie ends differently than the book.)
Kristen Billerbeck: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Colleen Coble: Tough one because I ALWAYS think the book is better than the movie. With one exception. I was so mad at the book Hannibal that I literally threw it across the room. Clarice would NEVER become a cannibal with Hannibal. But when the movie came out, that was fixed properly. LOL
Thom Lemmons: The first Godfather movie: the visuals, the atmosphere. . . I just thought it went beyond what Puzo was able to convey in the novel. Of course, when you've got people like Marlon Brando, Robert Duval, and Al Pacino saying your words . . .
Camy Tang: As I said, I'm not a very critical movie goer, but I do remember thinking that the Emma Thompson version of Sense and Sensibility had some of the most fabulous additions to the script and scene direction. I was very pleased with the things she added.

If you could see one book turned into a movie, which would it be & who would star?
Edgewise: Any of my Rachael Flynn books. Natalie Portman as Rachael, Keanu Reeves as Trace, Denzel Washington as Will and Brian Regan as Fig (ha!)
James Scott Bell: Presumed Guilty, starring Patricia Heaton.
Deborah Raney: Well, one of mine, of course. :) But barring that, I'd love to see Jan Karon's Mitford novels as a movie, and of course the wonderful Ed Harris would be Father Tim, and Jan Karon herself would play Cynthia. Or maybe Glenn Close.
Kristen Billerbeck: A Thousand Splendid Suns and it would star Maia Morgenstern, who played the Virgin Mary in "Passion of the Christ." One of mine? She's Out of Control and it would star Drew Barrymore as Ashley Stockingdale and Hugh Jackman as Dr. Kevin.
M.L. Tyndall: I'd love to see my first novel, The Redemption, made into a great swashbuckling movie along the lines of the Pirates of the Caribbean but to the glory of God. And of course, I would choose James Caviezel to star as my pirate Captain, Merrick! It's nice to dream. . .
Colleen Coble: My book, Abomination, would make a fabulous movie. It's got so many interesting things in it, like a serial killer who leaves victims at geocaching sites, ballet, deadly swans, a missing wife who is found but has no memory. I'd have it star Nicolas Cage as Nick (in the book Nick is a bit younger but no big deal) and I'd have Nicole Kidman play Eve.
Thom Lemmons: If I can nominate one of my own works, it would be King's Ransom (with Jan Beazley). This WWII story based on actual events is crying out for a Schindler-esque treatment. Tsar Boris would be played by John Malkovich, Dobri Dimitrov would be played by Johnny Depp ( or maybe Adrien Brody), and Juliette Binoche would play Daria Richetti. If I had to pick a more well-known novel, I'd like to see a cinematic treatment of Mark Helprin's A Soldier in the Great War. It's probably the least dependent on magical realism of any of his well-known books, and I loved the characters.
Bill Kritlow: My first book, Driving Lessons, would make a good movie. Originially I titled it "Chickenlips and Speedpump" but TN didn't like that and changed it. I wrote it with a movie in mind.
Camy Tang: Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. I'd cast Gerard Butler as F'lar and Angelina Jolie as Lessa, simply because I like the two of them as actors.

There you have it, Edglings. Care to put in your own two cents? The floor is yours. . .

The much maligned Christmas newsletter

I should have guessed if you Google "Christmas letter" you will find a plethora of websites geared to help you make the dreaded newsletter an epistle of beauty, if not wit. If not hokey. If not ridiculous.

One helpful site offers seriously cheesy templates where you just supply a name in the blanks, a few highlights from the year and presto, the deed is done. Aren't you clever?

Another suggests you let the dog write the letter. Or the house. Yep, the house writes the letter. Or the 6-month old baby. Or the cookie jar in kitchen.

You can also write it by numbers. I actually like this one. And I'm not sure why. Math was never my thing. You recap the highlights in numbers. Like this:

• 4900 miles - three cars across six states
• 11,000 pounds of household goods the movers packed up
• 3 - the number of times the movers' truck broke down enroute
• 220 - the number of bucks it takes to send a drooling Labrador from St. Paul to San Diego on an airplane
• 150 - the number of bucks it takes to send the cat
• 88 ½ -the number of headaches weathered while waiting for a MN house to sell
• one-eighth - the value of MN house compared to the CA house

Wait a minute. That is definitely NOT a Christmas letter. What is a Christmas letter anyway? What do I really want to know about the people I care enough to contact once a year, but only once a year? What do they want to know about me? Do they really want to know what a pain in the neck moving is? Will that make them think happy holiday thoughts?

Doubtful. I think what they want to know is am I still me. Am I still the person they knew when we lived close by and they didn't need a letter every 365 days to know what life had brought me, taught me, wrought in me. They don't want a "Here's everything that's wonderful about me!" letter. They want to know if I am still who they think I am.

Here's a great "Keep this in mind" list when writing your letter. I got it here and have edited it for space but not for humor.

• Don't brag
• Keep it short
• Keep it readable
• Don't brag
• Keep it light
• Keep letters free of jargon related to specific careers
• Don't brag
• Don't try to get a whole year into a page
• Don't use your letter as a catalog for a home-based business.
• All right, you can brag once, but follow it with something that proves you don't think you're better than everyone else.

'Nuff said.

And now, a completely shameless plug for a lovely book by a fantastic writer who shares my first name, blonde locks, love for Italian food, and until recently, the state where I live. Susan May Warren calls Minnesota home -I used to, but you already know that. She's got a terrific sequel to her Josey books.

Here's the teaser: "Russia? Not again. Josey's finally living the good life - she's got the man, the (almost-perfect) wedding, the two-story Cape-Cod house of her dreams. That is until her man drags her back to Moscow! Josey knows she has the guts to follow her own dreams across the world, but she's not so sure she can play the perfect wife while her husband chases after his. Josey's set on having the perfect life…even in a world without hot water, decent take-out and size-two leather fashion. But can she find the courage to tell her man the secret that will change their lives forever?"

You can read the first chapter here and buy this fun read here.

Susie knows her stuff. She lived in Russia for several years and this chick knows how to tell a story. Gotta love that baby bottle in the nesting doll on the cover. I think I know what the big secret is. . .

Off to write the Christmas letter that doth not brag.

Twelve Authors of Christmas

Now that December is offiically here and the mad rush has begun (my Dad likes to call this time of year Gentile Madness which is actually pretty funny because we are very Gentile), here's a little Christmas spirit comin' your way. I've joined up with my good friends Tricia Goyer and Rachel Hauck to play the Twelve Authors of Christmas. Get ready for some interesting math. It's called the Twelve Authors of Christmas but we show up on two blogs with a couple bonuses thrown in.

Between Rachel and Tricia and their fabulous blogs, 28 authors (yours truly included) will share Christmas memories and special times all geared to help us enjoy more fully the timeless joy of our Christmas traditions. Hopefully you will find a moment's rest when you stop by to read these posts:

Here’s Rachel’s lineup: Dec 1 - Colleen Coble; Dec 2 - Kathryn Mackel; Dec 3 - Janelle Scheinder; Dec 4 - Deb Raney; Dec 5 - Gayle Roper; Dec 6 - Kristen Heitzman; Dec 7 - Terri Blackstock; Dec 8 - DiAnn Mills; Dec 9 - Jill Elizabeth Nelson; Dec 10 - Donita Paul; Dec 11 - Marlo Schalesky; Dec 12 - Linda Hall; Dec 13 - Gail Martin; Dec 14 - Tricia Goyer.

And Tricia's: December 13 - Linda Ford; December 14 - Rachel Hauck; December 15 - Camy Tang; December 16 -Bonnie Leon; December 17 - Tamara Leigh; December 18 - Kim Vogel Sawyer; December 19 - Roxanne Henke; December 20 -Rene Gutteridge; December 21 - Nancy Moser; December 22 - ME!; December 23 - Karen Ball; December 24 -Neta Jackson; and a special bonus on December 25 - Maureen Lang and Mindy Clark.

Should be a lovely tour, eh? Make sure you check out Rachel's inaugural posts from Saturday and Sunday.

And I'll see you Friday where I will share with you what are several author friends' favorite and least favorite books-to-movies, plus which book they'd like to see made into a movie and who would star in it.

See you back on the Edge on Friday.