Books to Movies - opening June 26

My Sister's Keeper, based on the novel by Jodi Picoult (Find this book in our catalog) opens this Friday, June 26. Shelf Awareness for today, Monday, June 22 had this to say about the movie: "A young girl (Abigail Breslin) who has never questioned her role as bone marrow donor for her older sister (Sofia Vassilieva), who has leukemia, starts to crave medical independence. Cameron Diaz and Jason Patric play the sisters' distraught parents; also includes Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack."

This is what it says about the book in our catalog:

"New York Timesbestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness. Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity."

See our catalog for reviews and excerpts. The reviews make an excellent starting point for discussion. My Sister's Keeper is an outstanding choice for a book group.

Chéri, the movie based on the novel by Colette, also opens June 26.
Michelle Pfeiffer, Kathy Bates and Rupert Friend star in this tale of a young man who falls for an aging courtesan in 1920s Paris. Click here for the official website for the movie. The novel was originally published in 1920 and by many is thought to be Colette's best. HCPL will be acquiring copies of the movie tie-in edition, due to be published very soon. Meanwhile the story can be found in Six Novels by Colette. Find this book in our catalog

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper - Breaking Film News from Jodi Picoult's Website: Dakota and Elle Fanning have been cast to play Kate and Anna Fitzgerald in the movie adaptation. They're younger than in the book – but so is Cameron Diaz, who's been cast as Sara. Cameron Diaz will star in the New Line Cinema adaptation of My Sister's Keeper - and filming will begin early next year! http://www.jodipicoult.com/

At the request of a couple of the ladies, the Abingdon Lite at Nite Book Group read My Sister's Keeper for our November discussion. About half of us had previously read the book, but even after a year or so it was still a great book to reread for the discussion it engendered. If you haven't read this novel, it is intense, thought-provoking and has a shocker of an ending.

From School Library Journal
Adult/High School - Anna was genetically engineered to be a perfect match for her cancer-ridden older sister. Since birth, the 13-year-old has donated platelets, blood, her umbilical cord, and bone marrow as part of her family's struggle to lengthen Kate's life. Anna is now being considered as a kidney donor in a last-ditch attempt to save her 16-year-old sister. As this compelling story opens, Anna has hired a lawyer to represent her in a medical emancipation suit to allow her to have control over her own body. Picoult skillfully relates the ensuing drama from the points of view of the parents; Anna; Cambell, the self-absorbed lawyer; Julia, the court-appointed guardian ad litem; and Jesse, the troubled oldest child in the family. Everyone's quandary is explicated and each of the characters is fully developed. There seems to be no easy answer, and readers are likely to be sympathetic to all sides of the case. This is a real page-turner and frighteningly thought-provoking. The story shows evidence of thorough research and the unexpected twist at the end will surprise almost everyone. The novel does not answer many questions, but it sure raises some and will have teens thinking about possible answers long after they have finished the book. - Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

"Expect to be kept up all night by Picoult's latest novel, but it's much more than a page-turner; it's a fascinating character study framed by a complex, gripping story… Told in alternating perspectives by the engaging, fascinating cast of characters, Picoult's novel grabs the reader from the first page and never lets go. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, controversial, and honest book."
—Starred Review, BOOKLIST

To read an interesting interview with Ms. Picoult, go to www.readingroupguides.com

The December choice of our book group is Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison.
Four women share their secrets and their hopes and become friends through their passion for shoes.