I’ve devoted this year to reading books that have been adapted into movies, and then watching the movies. It’s been an interesting year! This is a great way to run a book group, because there are lots of resources to help, and if you don’t have time to read the book, you can still watch the movie and participate. (although without comparing the book to the movie!) At the Screen and Page on Goodreads, I tried to find both “Theater Reads” (currently in theaters) and “Watch at Home Reads” (available on DVD or to stream) options. I found that at times there weren’t too many options for theater reads that might lead to good discussions. I stuck to options for adults, and some of them are rated R.
I started out with Manhattan Night, based on the book “Manhattan Nocturene” by Colin Harrison. If you like dark and twisty, you might like them, I quite enjoyed both.
Next up was the Oscar winning “Room” by Emma Donoghue. Some of these titles were outside of what I usually might read or watch, and led to some pleasant surprises.
“Me Before You” by JoJo Moyes was another pleasant surprise. I bought the book and shared it with several friends. We planned to go to the movie for ages, but it was hard to get our schedules on the same page! We finally got to see the movie recently, enjoyed it a lot, and felt it closely followed the book.
I liked the book “The Light Between Oceans” by M.L. Stedman. Haven’t had a chance to see the movie yet, but it’s on my list.
Another dark and twisty one: “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. Loved both the book and the movie!
“The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak is one that’s been around for awhile that I had not gotten around to. I struggled a bit at first with the book, but I’m glad that I read it before watching the movie. Brilliantly filmed, with great characters, and it’s in part about the power of books and reading.
“The Dressmaker” by Rosalie Ham was another pleasant surprise that was a stretch beyond what I normally read. I enjoyed the book, and hope to see the movie soon.
Along the way, I watched some book-to-movie adaptations without getting the book read.
- The Man Who Knew Infinity – a true story of a brilliant mathematician. Book by Robert Kanigel. Great story I knew nothing about!
- Fundamentals of Caring – book by Jonathan Evison. Love Paul Rudd, loved the movie!
- Hunt for the Wilderpeople – an enjoyable movie based on the book “Wild Pork and Watercress” by Barry Crump.
- End of the Tour – another true story, about the author David Foster Wallace, and the interview with journalist David Lipsky. Based on the book “But of course you end up becoming yourself.”
- Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – I read the book by Jesse Andrews because I liked the movie trailer, but enjoyed the movie more. It was fun to actually see the movies they made.
- Jack Reacher Never Go Back – Enjoyable action flick. I really must try one of the books by Lee Child.
It’s about a wrap for the year 2016. I enjoyed this so much I intend to keep it up in 2017!
I seek to create order from the chaos of complex information. Join me at the Daily PlanIt to gain insights, inspiration, and information to increase skills for a better life. I unlock the power of teaching reading with phonics in the pursuit of literacy at www.phonicspow.com. In my spare time I explore books and movies, often choosing titles available on both screen and page.
Daily PlanIt 