Based on the Book

You're going to be hearing about these movies over the next few months. Why not read the book first?

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
"Using the basic facts concerning the 1940s' notorious and yet unsolved Black Dahlia case, Ellroy creates a kaleidoscope of human passion and dark obsession. A young woman's mutilated body is found in a Los Angeles vacant lot. The story is seen through the eyes of Bucky Bleichert, ex-prize fighter and something of a boy wonder on the police force." --Publishers Weekly. The movie stars Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johanssen and Hilary Swank.

The Children of Men by P. D. James
"In the year 2021, the world is a bleak place where all human males have become sterile, and no child can ever be born again. Civilization is giving way to cruelty and despair, and historian Theo Faron has nearly resigned himself to apathy. Then he is asked to join a band of revolutionaries--a move that may hold the key to humanity's survival." --Barnes and Noble Annotation. The movie stars Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine.

Eragon by Christopher Paolini
"In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters." Barnes and Noble Annotation. The movie stars Djimon Hounsou, Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons and John Malkovich.

The Good German by Joseph Kanon
"Joseph Kanon, who won an Edgar for Los Alamos, has written a noir thriller about an CBS radio reporter, the Potsdam Conference, and the corpse of a solitary American soldier. When government authorities move to cover-up the dead G.I., reporter Jake Geismar smells a story. Waiting in the wings are Russian and American plots and counterplots, one beautiful woman, and a story as stylish as it is exciting." --The Editors, Barnes and Noble. The movie stars George Clooney and Cate Blanchett.

A Good Year by Peter Mayle
"Amid the London drizzle, there is one potential ray of sunshine in Max's life. His Uncle Henry has left him his estate in his will - an eighteenth-century house and vineyard an hour's drive from Avignon, where Max used to go for his childhood holidays. Out of a job, and encouraged by his friend Charlie's talk of the money in modern wine, he heads for France to assess its potential." --Knopf Publishing Group. The movie stars Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard.

Killshot by Elmore Leonard
"After a couple witnesses a shakedown scam, they discover that the Federal Witness Protection Program is a thin cover against ruthless killers."--Barnes and Noble annotation. The movie stars Diane Lane and Thomas Jane.

Little Children by Tom Perrotta
"Perrotta moves away from his lighthearted, humorous tales of New Jersey (Joe College; Election) with his latest novel, a penetrating and absorbing portrait of three suburban couples and their failed marriages."-- Library Journal. The movie stars Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
"Jhumpa Lahiri's quietly dazzling new novel, The Namesake, is that rare thing: an intimate, closely observed family portrait that effortlessly and discreetly unfolds to disclose a capacious social vision."--The New York Times. The movie stars Kal Penn and Jacinda Barrett.

Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
"To say that Augusten Burroughs had an unusual childhood would be an understatement. His eccentric mother -- a poet -- left him in the care of her shrink, a man who might have benefitted from a little therapy himself. Somehow, Augusten survived, and the result is this memoir, one both horrifying and hysterical."--The Editors, Barnes and Noble. The movie stars Annette Bening and Gweneth Paltrow,