Books Turned into Movies

This debate has gone on for as long as books have been made into movies, and it will likely go on for the years the come since the popularity of turning books into movies is at a record high! I want to ask: what do you prefer, books or movie versions? Let me know in the comment section :) Or, like me, do you change your mind depending on the story that is being told, how it's being directed, and more? I absolutely love some adaptations, but hate others. Sometimes, I love them both, but as totally different series (this is honestly how I feel about Harry Potter!) I've made a habit of looking into the different versions of the same story, and made quite a few cards comparing book and movie versions. Explore these cards to find a new movie to watch or book to read! Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood The Princess Diaries Bride and Prejudice Chocolat The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Riding in Cars with Boys Ella Enchanted Clueless (based off of Pride and Prejudice) Prada to Nada The Fault in Our Stars Warm Bodies Admission The Wolf of Wall Street Beautiful Creatures Syrup The Spectacular Now The Great Gatsby Aquamarine Divergent Gone Girl Mockingjay Pt 1 The Hobbit ...and that's just the cards I've managed to write! I plan to keep adding more to this collection as they come out, so follow the collection here if you want to see more! If there are any book-to-movie adaptations that you loved, or hated, or were wondering if they were worth the time, let me know the name in the comments and I'll add it to my watch/read list :)

Okay Books Turned Into Great Movies

"Which one's better: the book or the movie?" This is a question I feel like we're all so tempted to answer after seeing any remake of a book into a movie, and it's totally valid: we want to know if the book is being ruined, or if the movie is worth seeing. People are quick to say that the movie sucked and that the book will always be better. But sometimes the movie version of a book is so strong it actually is better than the book, or does something new with the books message that we might not have been able to imagine otherwise. The cinematic experience of a story is totally different form the literary one. Here's some movies that, in my humble opinion, I think are better than the book version! Forrest Gump The book Forrest Gump was just really, really not good. I really liked the movie, but the book was ridiculous. Thankfully, the movie was absolutely nothing like the book, except they had the same main characters. For that I am eternally grateful because that book was just one big disaster, and I probably would not have watched the movie had I read the book first! Book Forrest is, in most ways, just not the same guy. For one, book Forrest is a hulk of a man with inhuman strength...he swears a lot and there's too many scenes where the author enjoys making sure that we know female characters are impressed by his manhood. Yup. Not movie Forrest at all!! The Godfather I have always felt that the book lacks the immense subtlety and grace of the movies, being instead a stumbling piece that's a bit hard to get through. It's still readable (and probably enjoyable to many) but I prefered the smoothness of the movie version over the written one. Les Miserables Les Miserables, in its numerous adaptations, is a tricky thing. Some people hate it, some people love it, everyone has a different opinion. The book is by no means unreadable, but I too think its about 700 pages too long. It's definitely a compelling with fascinating characters, but when there are 50+ page tangents, it's hard to keep going. The movie allowed me to follow and love the characters in a totally different way that I liked so much more. Fight Club First off, I should say that I do enjoy Chuck Palahniuk's writing. Some people find it awful and impossible to get through, but I quite like some of his work. However, I thought Fight Club, as a book, was just OK. It was Palahniuk's first book, and it was one of his weaker, shallower ones. But the movie...the movie!! The movie has something else. I'm not sure what it is, but the movie is without a doubt better than the book for me. The Bridges of Madison County I don't want to soil The Bridges of Madison County, but you can basically call it the Fifty Shades of Grey of 1992. Robert James Waller's book sold tens of millions of copies, but was not enjoyed by anyone who was trying to see it as real literature. With Clint Eastwood directing the movie, though, the story became really fantastic and moving. And Clint's a total heart throb, so that helps. Jaws Jaws is a pretty average book. But the film...the film! It’s beyond spectacular and has scared people out of waters for decades. While I still wish Hollywood would have kept the original ending, the movie is still pretty great. Die Hard (all of them) Beginning with Die Hard in 1988-- it was based on the 1979 best-selling novel "Nothing Lasts Forever" by Roderick Thorp. Die Hard 2 was adapted from the 1987 novel "58 Minutes," by Walter Wager. Die Hard with a Vengeance was adapted from a script called Simon Says by Jonathan Hensleigh, which was also originally intended to be the original script for Lethal Weapon 4. It was novelised by Deborah Chiel. Live Free or Die Hard was based on the 1997 article "A Farewell to Arms" written for Wired magazine by John Carlin. A Good Day to Die Hard was the first totally original movie in the series. And absolutely none of those are as good as the movies!!!! Are there are movies you really thought were an improvement of the original book? Add it on in the comments!

Will the Paper Towns Movie Be Like the Book?

We all know that I'm all about the difference between books and movies when adaptations occur (I mean, I have a whole collection devoted to this...) so every time I hear that a book I've read is being adapted to be a movie I get a little nervous. What will they change? What if I hate it? Why can't it be perfect?! But then I realize I'm being unreasonable. After all, one of my favorite movies in my teens (How to Deal) was a movie I watched and loved before I even put together that it was a MASHUP of TWO DIFFERENT books by my then favorite author (I know, how didn't I realize?!) Anyways, my point is that movie adaptations are different and that can be wonderful. John Green, author of Paper Towns, things so, too! The video above is him talking about the upcoming Paper Towns movie (yay!!!) and if its the same or not. The answer is, well, there are changes (duh!) but that we should be ok with them. And if you haven't seen the trailer, well, check that out, too. @madeline posted a card about it! Right on, John! DFTBA, everyone. (Also, does anyone but John ENJOY novelizations?! Like I enjoy movie adaptations, but it usually doesn't work well in reverse for me. But maybe I'm just strange.)

Hot Dystopian Heroes

I'm not the least bit ashamed that I'm making this card. Seriously. With all the dystopian literature and movies-based-on-books that are coming out these days, it's about time we do a casting call of the hottest guys and gals from these series! Because they're all somehow so ridiculously attractive and mysteriously moody that we can't help but sa-woooon! So here it goes: the hottest of the dystopian characters from recent hits! Gale & Peeta & Finnick from The Hunger Games Series I don't want to choose between these guys, so I'll just give you all three. While they all have different personalities and characteristics that will make you love or hate them depending on what your type is, you can't deny that they're all A) crazy passionate and B) crazy attractive! And there's something super enticing about that. Katniss & Prim from the Hunger Games Series There are a lot of beautiful female characters from The Hunger Games series to choose from, but it's these two that stick out for me as the most awesome! They make me want to be more brave, more confident, and more ready to fight for what I love, just like they do! Passion and beauty put together goes a long way, and that's what this series really has going for it. Tris Prior from The Divergent Series This might be super lame of me, but Tris reminds me of a character from a Jane Austen novel, and that's why I love her so much. Obviously, the situations are so different, but she makes mistakes and learns so much throughout the series, that you can't help but admire the changes she goes through. There is so much transformation, and she handles it kind of just like a real person, which makes her super accessible, and beautiful! Four from The Divergent Series Do I really need to explain this? He's sort of deep, got an interesting story, super mysterious, super loves Tris, and has all sorts of great things going for him. And he's hot. So that helps, too? Thomas from The Maze Runner Thomas is willing to push past boundaries that others aren't so sure about, and without hesitation. Even if he doesn't initially understand his role in everything that's happening, he is a really awesome character that it's easy to love, well, most of the time! Jonas from The Giver I think the common factor in what I find attractive in all these characters is their willingness to push past the usual boundaries of the society they're in. I mean, I know that's a common characteristic of any character in a dystopian world, but I particularly like they way Jonas' journey goes. He's not reluctant to push against the flow, but he does have the obvious problems that one would face. Hellllloo Jonas! Did I miss your fave? Share in the comments! :)