You know how when a movie gets made that's based on a book, all of a sudden there's a wait list at the library to get a copy of that book? For instance, My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult was published in 2004, and had a big rise in requests after the film version was released in 2009. Well, here's a way to get a heads up on what's coming out as a movie in the near future. Check out these books being made into movies websites:

Bookreporter.com features upcoming releases, along with the cast, director, release date, the name of the book and author, and a brief synopsis. They generally list movies several months in advance (right now they list through August 2010). Their listings go back to 2002.

Chasingthefrog.com gives the release year, the title and a basic description (example: SHUTTER ISLAND - Psychological, Thriller, Visions, Prison, Adaptation), plot, stars and author. You can also look at past releases by year, back to 1980, or by decade, from the 1930s to the 1970s.

"According to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) historical records, Brigham Young was sealed to as many as 56 women. Many of the wives to whom Young were sealed were widows or elderly women for whom he merely cared or gave the protection of his name.

When asked by Horace Greeley in 1859, Brigham Young said that he had 15 wives, "but some of those sealed to me are old ladies whom I regard rather as mothers than wives. . ." This answer reflects the complicated nature in the definition of "plural wife." As to the number of wives with whom it is known that he had conjugal relations, sixteen wives bore him 57 children (46 of whom grew to maturity)."
~from Utah History to Go: The Wives of Brigham Young

The book The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff interweaves stories of historical and modern day polygamy from the perspectives of those who are affected by it. One narrative is about Ann Eliza Young, how she becomes the 19th (at least) wife of Brigham Young, divorces him several years later, and goes on to lecture and write about the disgrace of polygamy. The other story follows Jordan, a young man thrown out of his family and the Firsts (a fundamentalist Mormon group) as a teen, and who returns to exonerate his mother from the charge of murdering his father. And his mother was also a 19th wife. Although fictional, the story is abundant with historic details and interestingly told from a variety of narrators with differing views and opinions.

Like westerns? There is a useful website about Western Authors called Zane Grey's West Society, which includes a wide variety of categories, an index by author, articles, and additional links about westerns. Here's an interesting article about the great Zane Grey:

Why You Should Read Zane Grey by Dr. Joe Wheeler
Points West Chronicle
Spring-Summer 1996

"Zane Grey, the Western Writer, shaped the way the world will forever perceive the "Old West." Zane Grey's name on theater marquees was a bigger draw than the top Hollywood stars of his day. In 57 novels, 10 books of Western nonfiction, and 130 movies, Grey, who died in 1939 at age 67, almost singlehandedly created the "Myth of the West." His respectful treatment of Indians was ahead of its time; his word paintings of some of the worlds most spectacular country may never be equaled."

There was a Code of the West, and Ramon Adams, the Western historian, probably explained it best in his wonderful little 1969 book, The Cowman and His Code of Ethics. Adams wrote, in part:

"Back in the days when the cowman with his herds made a new frontier, there was no law on the range. Lack of written law made it necessary for him to frame some of his own, thus developing a rule of behavior which became known as the "Code of the West." These homespun laws, being merely a gentleman's agreement to certain rules of conduct for survival, were never written into statues, but were respected everywhere on the range.

When legislated laws did come to the frontier they failed to meet the needs and conditions on this fringe of civilization. Men did not respect them because they could not obey them and survive. Thus the West gained a reputation for being lawless though the blame for this condition should have been placed upon the white-collared law makers, not upon the so-called law breakers."