With baseball over and holiday madness not quite yet begun, mid-November is the perfect time to take a little breather. Grab a blanket and a mug of something hot, and settle in to read these books as their stories hit screens.
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
By Newt Scamander (aka J.K. Rowling)
Scholastic, but tricky to find these days; check your local library! The screenplay is due out Saturday ($24.99, Scholastic), and the book is set to be republished March 14 ($12.99, Scholastic).
Back in 2001, J.K. Rowling gifted Hogwarts hopefuls this slim “textbook,” packed with fun tidbits and a bunch of Harry, Ron and Hermione’s handwritten notes and doodles. On Friday, Eddie Redmayne takes us back to that magical world as Scamander himself, causing all kinds of trouble in 1920s New York.
“Arrival,” originally published as the short story “Story of Your Life” in the collection “Stories of Your Life and Others”
By Ted Chiang
$16, Vintage Books
When a race of aliens makes contact with humans, linguist Dr. Louise Banks is called on to help everyone understand one another. Amy Adams stars as Louise in the film, out now, along with Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker.
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”
By Ben Fountain
$9.99, Ecco
Young Iraq War hero Billy Lynn grapples with tough memories and a tricky present as he attends a Thanksgiving football game where he and his squadmates are to be honored at halftime. Newcomer Joe Alwyn, as Billy, joins a star-studded cast—Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin and more—in the film, due out Friday.
“Tony and Susan,” coming to screens as “Nocturnal Animals”
By Austin Wright
$14.99, Grand Central Publishing
In this story-within-a-story, Susan Morrow receives and reads her ex-husband’s new novel, “Nocturnal Animals,” a thriller about a man whose family trip goes tragically wrong. Jake Gyllenhaal plays both the author and his protagonist in the film due out Friday, acting opposite Amy Adams as Susan and Isla Fisher as the character’s wife.
“A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life”
By James Bowen
$15.99, Thomas Dunne for St. Martin’s Griffin
Dogs get all the credit for being “man’s best friend,” but cats can have hearts, too, as evidenced by this true story. Bowen was a struggling musician and recovering drug addict when he met Bob, a stray cat who eventually made him a YouTube star. According to the BBC, Bob plays himself in the film due out Friday, with Luke Treadaway filling in as Bowen.
@gauxmargaux | mhenquinet@redeyechicago.com
