Just received the lovely Winter 2008 Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press catalog and some of the selections look to be must-reads as well as potentially great book-to-film adaptations.
"Bone Rattler" by Eliot Pattison
An historical who-done-it by an Edgar Award winner. A Scotsman travels to the New World during the French and Indian War following "a strange trail of clues" and "Lord Ramsey's beautiful daughter." Dream casting: Scot-o-the-moment James McAvoy.
"How the Dead Dream" by Lydia Millet
Protagonist takes "Conradesque journey" from yuppie real estate developer/aspiring politician to animal-obsessed island dweller. Dream casting: Casey Affleck (oh ye disbelievers, see "Gone Baby Gone" then get back to me).
"Jayber Crow" by Wendell Barry
No "Sweeney Todd," this novel tells the tale of an aspiring minister turned town "melancholy barber." Dream casting: Cate Blanchett... just kidding... Hugh Dancy has a sweetly confused way about him.
"Woman's World" by Graham Rawle
Now THIS is interesting: Artist Graham Rawle created the ultimate word collage by cutting and pasting 40,000 clippings from women's magazines to invent a pulp thriller that "The Times" AND "Ab Fab" star Joanna Lumley are calling "genius." Dream casting: No one in particular comes to mind--I'll tell you after I read the book.
"Mercury Under the Tongue" by Sylvain Trudel
A poetic, "geeky seventeen-year-old" is dying of cancer in a hospital ward, yet the novel manages "avoiding both misty stoicism and made-for-tv bathos." In days of yore this would've been Leo's territory, but perhaps young Paul Dano would be right for the part?
From your blog to God's ears...
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