Act now

If you have been putting off reading Atonement, then now is the time to read it. A film version is in the works, and you can be sure that key plot details will be broadcast the world over. This is a literary book with a few tricks up its sleeves, so you will want to be in the dark. You may have seen that there was some recent controversy over the degree to which McEwan borrowed from a memoir for Atonement. The literary world has his back. Atonement is one of my favorites of the last few years, and I would have hated to have it spoiled by movie talk, so once again, I recommend you read it now.

Moving to the genre side of the house, Lee Child's Killing Floor is being made into a film as well. I am dubious as the director comes from a television background (although a good one) and the co-writer's credits include the Core, Catwoman and the Transformers.

While we are on the subject, one of the finest of the Stephen King books, The Talisman (co-written with Peter Straub) is getting the miniseries treatment. It's a great, fanstastical story, but I wonder how it will do on the big screen.

Oh and what the heck, here is some talk on Kavalier and Clay's long and unfinished trip to the big screen.