Thursday, January 9, 2014

2014: A Great Year For Book-Based Movies

My mom recently shared with me this Buzzfeed list of 16 book-based movies coming out this year and it turns out I've read almost half of them and another is on my to-read list. There were even a few great books on the list that I didn't even know were being made into movies, so I'm quite excited! 2014 promises to be a good year at the theater!
 
In order of my excitement level, here are the books I've read that made the list:
 
1. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand (December 25)
* My Book Review
This amazing true WWII story of an Olympian turned airman turned plane crash survivor turned POW is one of the best books I've ever read. Angelina Jolie is directing the film and I have faith that she'll take it in the right direction.

2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (October 3)
* My Book Review
Gone Girl made my list of top books I read in 2012 and I'm excited to see the movie, especially since it stars Ben Affleck, one of my favorite actors. Gone Girl was gripping, thrilling and oh-so-deliciously twisted. The movie should be a good one. Another book by Gillian Flynn, Dark Places, is also coming out in movie form this year.
 
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth (March 21)
* My Book Review
I definitely enjoyed the Divergent trilogy, though I thought the writing and plot development could have been a bit stronger in places. The movie has a great cast and I fully expect it to be amazing. I will definitely be dragging Jarrod to see it at the theater!
 
4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (September 19)
* My Book Review
This is another YA dystopian trilogy, not as good as Divergent and nowhere near as good as The Hunger Games, but the books kept me turning pages. I'm not sure if this movie is theater-worthy, but I'll definitely check it out when it's released on DVD. I suspect I may actually enjoy the movie better than the book (gasp) -- sometimes having a visual depiction of environmental and plot elements that are the author's own invention help the story come together better.
 
5. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (June 6)
My Book Review
Lots and lots of people of all ages were blown away by this bestselling YA love story of two teenagers both battling cancer. For some reason it didn't have such a major impact on me, but I still want to see the movie. I do love Shailene Woodley! And maybe, as with The Maze Runner, the film will have more of an emotional effect on me. I'll make sure to have tissues handy just in case.
 
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry (August 15)
I read The Giver back in elementary school, and all I really remember about it is the killing of babies and the overuse of the word "tunic" -- which, at the time, I had no idea meant a long shirt. Perhaps it's time for a re-read of this quick little book. Did you know The Giver is actually the first in a four-book series? A friend of mine read the books recently and gave them a positive recommendation.
 
 
On My To-Read List:

1. Wild by Cheryl Strayed (sometime this year)
This memoir of hiking and finding oneself has been on my TBR list for-ev-er! Maybe it's finally time to move it to the top of the stack.

 
Books I'd Never Heard Of Before But Sound Intriguing:
 
1. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin (February 14)
Just last week I watched a preview for this movie and added it to my Netflix "save" queue so I wouldn't forget about it, never realizing it was based on a book! The movie looks great, and it has Syblil from Downton Abbey, but as with most films the book is probably even better.
 
2. The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais (August 8)
It involves food and France, and the movie stars Helen Mirren!
 
 
And all the rest of the films (particularly Monuments Men and A Long Way Down) sound like they will be great movies that I'll want to see,!

2 comments:

  1. I'm really hoping the Unbroken movie will deliver, because the book is so amazing. And like you, I probably won't run out to the theater to watch The Maze Runner, but I might like it more than the book too for the visual aspect!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have a feeling that no matter how well done the Unbroken movie is, it won't live up to the book. But it should still be a powerful, amazing film! I'm excited to take my (Air Force) husband to see it at the theater.

    ReplyDelete

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