I noticed a number of movies released in the past year, and also many upcoming ones, are book adaptations. I know some people who don't like it when their favourite book is turned into big screen fare but on a personal level, I love when a book is made into a movie especially if I have read the book beforehand. Some people hate when the movie does not conform to the original storyline of the book but I like to spot the discrepancies/changes between the book's storytelling and the rework for the film. I just do that because I like to see how observant I am, whether I really paid attention to the book when I read it or I was just on auto-pilot. There have been many films where I loved the movie and the book despite seeing some changes made but sometimes the rework for the movie doesn't work and other times, the book becomes a bland read in comparison to the movie version.
Anyways, I was doing some book shopping online (not B&N.com, I'm once bitten, twice shy with them) and bought a bunch of books whose movie versions have already been shown or are currently released at the cinema. Also some normal non-adapted (yet) books. In my shopping cart:
1. Slumdog Millionaire
At the recent Golden Globes, the film "Slumdog Millionaire" was a big winner and it has also been nominated for 10 categories in the upcoming Academy Awards on 22 February 2009. I had the book it was based on, which is of the same name, in my recommendations list on Amazon quite some time before it won all those awards but didn't really pay attention to it as I wasn't too sure about the storyline. But after it won big, I thought I might as well take a read since I have plans to view the movie. Like I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for award-winning things.
2. Marley & Me
A story about a couple and their dog, Marley. The movie stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson with a dog. It was no 1 at the box office during Christmas. I love Jen A since her "Friends" days and have heard good things about the movie. So, I'm going to read the book before I watch this film.
3. The Road
Cormac McCarthy's tale of a father and son in a postapocalyptic world. I saw him on Oprah, the book was one of her Book Club choices and the fact that to get that interview with him was difficult for even the talk show queen was what intrigued me about "The Road". I have not read any Cormac McCarthy books before so this will be my first. I hear it is deep stuff. Also, this title won the 2007 Pulitzer, hence my heightened interest. Viggo Mortensen acts in the movie and since I have a soft spot for Viggo dating back to his Aragorn days, I will want to see this movie. Again will read the book first.
4. Twilight Saga
Anyways, I was doing some book shopping online (not B&N.com, I'm once bitten, twice shy with them) and bought a bunch of books whose movie versions have already been shown or are currently released at the cinema. Also some normal non-adapted (yet) books. In my shopping cart:
1. Slumdog Millionaire
At the recent Golden Globes, the film "Slumdog Millionaire" was a big winner and it has also been nominated for 10 categories in the upcoming Academy Awards on 22 February 2009. I had the book it was based on, which is of the same name, in my recommendations list on Amazon quite some time before it won all those awards but didn't really pay attention to it as I wasn't too sure about the storyline. But after it won big, I thought I might as well take a read since I have plans to view the movie. Like I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for award-winning things.
2. Marley & Me
A story about a couple and their dog, Marley. The movie stars Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson with a dog. It was no 1 at the box office during Christmas. I love Jen A since her "Friends" days and have heard good things about the movie. So, I'm going to read the book before I watch this film.
3. The Road
Cormac McCarthy's tale of a father and son in a postapocalyptic world. I saw him on Oprah, the book was one of her Book Club choices and the fact that to get that interview with him was difficult for even the talk show queen was what intrigued me about "The Road". I have not read any Cormac McCarthy books before so this will be my first. I hear it is deep stuff. Also, this title won the 2007 Pulitzer, hence my heightened interest. Viggo Mortensen acts in the movie and since I have a soft spot for Viggo dating back to his Aragorn days, I will want to see this movie. Again will read the book first.
4. Twilight Saga
Yup, I am on the bandwagon with this one. I haven't watched the movie but the buzz about Twilight has been in my stratosphere of consciousness since June '08. I just wasn't interested enough to get into it but people left, right, front, back and center have been raving about Stephenie Meyer's vampire saga that I finally caved and got the whole set. I even went online and got the rough draft of "Midnight Sun" (apparently it is book 1, Twilight, but told in Edward's perspective) put up by Meyer herself on her website when I read somewhere that she had released it. I personally do not find Rob Pattinson attractive in this movie as Edward, although he did look yummy as Cedric in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". And I have heard some pretty annoying things about the cast so I was just not drawn to the movie but I'll buy into the hype. Once I finish all 4 books.
As yet non-adapted books I snagged.....
5. Cecelia Ahern 3-in-1 Box Set
(Where Rainbows End/If You Could See Me/A Place Called Here)
I found Cecelia Ahern when browsing Borders and saw her debut bestseller "P.S, I Love You". I had, then, recently read in the papers it was being adapted into a movie. I also had read the rave reviews on the book. I bought it and was not disappointed. The book made me laugh, cry, angry, irritated; a whole whirlpool of emotions. I have watched the movie starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. My feelings are simply meh on the movie, I loved the book sooooo much more. Anyways, the box set was a good deal and I started "Where Rainbows End" today and am nearly done. I love it! I love the style, it's written as emails, texts, letters between the people in Rosie Dunne's life. I am going through the gamut of feelings just like when reading "P.S, I Love You". Another reason I'm a big fan of Cecelia Ahern's writing is because she is also the co-creator and exec producer for the fantastically funny "Samantha Who?" starring Christina Applegate.
6. Thanks For The Memories
Another Cecelia Ahern. This is her second most recent offering. The premise of the story sounds promising. The book description goes:
"Joyce Conway remembers things she shouldn't. She knows about tiny cobbled streets in Paris, which she has never visited. And every night she dreams about an unknown little girl with blonde hair. Justin Hitchcock is divorced, lonely and restless. He arrives in Dublin to give a lecture on art and meets an attractive doctor, who persuades him to donate blood. It's the first thing to come straight from his heart in a long time. When Joyce leaves hospital after a terrible accident, with her life and her marriage in pieces, she moves back in with her elderly father. All the while, a strong sense of deja vu is overwhelming her and she can't figure out why !"
I'm looking forward to reading this one.
7. The Almost Moon
This is by the same author who wrote "The Lovely Bones" which is being turned into a movie and is currently in post production (according to IMDB.com) as I type. "The Lovely Bones" movie is a star studded vehicle featuring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon and directed by Peter Jackson. I absolutely LOVED "The Lovely Bones" book. It was one of those books that I dreaded reading because of the subject matter but I ended up simply adoring this story, it was heartfelt and wrenching but also hopeful. It's amazing you can say all these things about a tale of a girl who gets raped, murdered, cut up into pieces, dumped in a sinkhole and where the murderer gets away and her family is left in a kind of limbo state. "The Almost Moon" is just as dark. The disturbing storyline of this novel is about a woman who kills her own mother whom she believes has stifled her whole life. The online synopsis explains:
"Taking place 24 hours after the act, it explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers; the meaning of devotion; and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story."
I read the Amazon reviews for this book and they were not flattering but I have faith in Sebold's writings and am looking forward to it nonetheless.
8. When You Are Engulfed In Flames
A David Sedaris book. I have not read his previous work, "Me Talk Pretty One Day", but I read the reviews for this one and it appears everyone only has good things to say about this. It's a collection of "uproariously funny and profoundly moving" essays. A book that's going to make me laugh out loud? I'm sold.
9. Confessions of an Air Hostess (A Little Black Dress Book)
And lastly, as my little bit of guilty pleasure, a chick lit book. After vampires, postapocalyptic worlds, murders and unrequited love, I just need some fluff. I love the books from publisher "Little Black Dress". They make the most affordable chick lit and there are some gems in the "Little Black Dress" collection. Their books almost always cost just about USD5 and this one is no different. From bestselling Irish writer, Marisa Mackle, comes a story of the air hostess to end all other air hostesses where a great love story and a fantastic, loveable heroine combine to make this romantic novel.
When everything is rung up, I have spent a grand amount of USD114.45 on a total of 14 books. That averages out to USD8.17 per book. I have to say, that's nifty and smart shopping right there! I believe I should be covered till June on the reading front. Just holding out for the book "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell" by Tucker Max and Meg Cabot's "Queen of Babble Gets Hitched" which are both currently unavailable at my usual store.
As yet non-adapted books I snagged.....
5. Cecelia Ahern 3-in-1 Box Set
(Where Rainbows End/If You Could See Me/A Place Called Here)
I found Cecelia Ahern when browsing Borders and saw her debut bestseller "P.S, I Love You". I had, then, recently read in the papers it was being adapted into a movie. I also had read the rave reviews on the book. I bought it and was not disappointed. The book made me laugh, cry, angry, irritated; a whole whirlpool of emotions. I have watched the movie starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. My feelings are simply meh on the movie, I loved the book sooooo much more. Anyways, the box set was a good deal and I started "Where Rainbows End" today and am nearly done. I love it! I love the style, it's written as emails, texts, letters between the people in Rosie Dunne's life. I am going through the gamut of feelings just like when reading "P.S, I Love You". Another reason I'm a big fan of Cecelia Ahern's writing is because she is also the co-creator and exec producer for the fantastically funny "Samantha Who?" starring Christina Applegate.
6. Thanks For The Memories
Another Cecelia Ahern. This is her second most recent offering. The premise of the story sounds promising. The book description goes:
"Joyce Conway remembers things she shouldn't. She knows about tiny cobbled streets in Paris, which she has never visited. And every night she dreams about an unknown little girl with blonde hair. Justin Hitchcock is divorced, lonely and restless. He arrives in Dublin to give a lecture on art and meets an attractive doctor, who persuades him to donate blood. It's the first thing to come straight from his heart in a long time. When Joyce leaves hospital after a terrible accident, with her life and her marriage in pieces, she moves back in with her elderly father. All the while, a strong sense of deja vu is overwhelming her and she can't figure out why !"
I'm looking forward to reading this one.
7. The Almost Moon
This is by the same author who wrote "The Lovely Bones" which is being turned into a movie and is currently in post production (according to IMDB.com) as I type. "The Lovely Bones" movie is a star studded vehicle featuring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon and directed by Peter Jackson. I absolutely LOVED "The Lovely Bones" book. It was one of those books that I dreaded reading because of the subject matter but I ended up simply adoring this story, it was heartfelt and wrenching but also hopeful. It's amazing you can say all these things about a tale of a girl who gets raped, murdered, cut up into pieces, dumped in a sinkhole and where the murderer gets away and her family is left in a kind of limbo state. "The Almost Moon" is just as dark. The disturbing storyline of this novel is about a woman who kills her own mother whom she believes has stifled her whole life. The online synopsis explains:
"Taking place 24 hours after the act, it explores the complex ties between mothers and daughters, wives and lovers; the meaning of devotion; and the line between love and hate. It is a challenging, moving, gripping story."
I read the Amazon reviews for this book and they were not flattering but I have faith in Sebold's writings and am looking forward to it nonetheless.
8. When You Are Engulfed In Flames
A David Sedaris book. I have not read his previous work, "Me Talk Pretty One Day", but I read the reviews for this one and it appears everyone only has good things to say about this. It's a collection of "uproariously funny and profoundly moving" essays. A book that's going to make me laugh out loud? I'm sold.
9. Confessions of an Air Hostess (A Little Black Dress Book)
And lastly, as my little bit of guilty pleasure, a chick lit book. After vampires, postapocalyptic worlds, murders and unrequited love, I just need some fluff. I love the books from publisher "Little Black Dress". They make the most affordable chick lit and there are some gems in the "Little Black Dress" collection. Their books almost always cost just about USD5 and this one is no different. From bestselling Irish writer, Marisa Mackle, comes a story of the air hostess to end all other air hostesses where a great love story and a fantastic, loveable heroine combine to make this romantic novel.
When everything is rung up, I have spent a grand amount of USD114.45 on a total of 14 books. That averages out to USD8.17 per book. I have to say, that's nifty and smart shopping right there! I believe I should be covered till June on the reading front. Just holding out for the book "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell" by Tucker Max and Meg Cabot's "Queen of Babble Gets Hitched" which are both currently unavailable at my usual store.
