Top Ten Book to Movie Adaptations

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish.

I prefer not to think of the adaptations that I didn't like (Eragon, Ella Enchanted, Percy Jackson...) so I decided to focus on the ones that left me smiling and happy. At the same time, this list makes me nervous. So many of these are close to my heart. What if someone hates one of my favorites? That's totally fine, everyone has their likes and dislikes... But someone hating something I love is a bit like someone telling me they don't like my best friend.

 

Anne of Green Gables- I am Stage Managing the musical adaptation this summer, and it's made me fall in love with Anne and her world all over again. I identify with Anne more than almost any other literary character. Daydreams, books... I'm not an orphan, and I'm still searching for my Gilbert, but Anne and I share a bond. And the movies! Oh those movies! Could they have possibly picked better actors to fill those roles? The books I so adore were so lovingly adapted. Beautiful Prince Edward Island, wonderful actors, the best moments from the books... I watch them at least once a year.

 I recently found out that some of my fellow Broke and Bookish bloggers have NOT seen the movies OR read the books! How terrible is that??? Do me a favor and go nag them. (Hint: it's Kelly and Jen)

 

Lord of the Rings/Hobbit- I recently got into an argument with a friend about these movies. He doesn't really like them, I adore them. The argument ended with me telling him he's not allowed to talk about the series around me. Again, BRILLIANT casting. Seriously.  There were changes from the original, but none of them bother me. The movies are beautiful. I have watched them numerous times and still love them.

 

Jurassic Park/Lost World- I was terrified of these movies when the first one came out. Now they are some of my favorites. If you've read the books, you'll know just how much they've changed. A lot. And yet these movies are great. My friends and I went and saw Jurassic Park at the IMAX, in 3D. It was like seeing it for the first time! I think I came close to dumping my popcorn a couple of times when I jumped, or one of my friends did.

Inkheart- I've read the books, and the movie strays a bit... but I love it with all my heart.  Can you name a movie more bookish? Elinor and her marvelous love for books... "But I just adore everything Persian"/ "You've been to Persia?"/ "Yes, a hundred times. Along with St. Petersburg, Paris, Middle-Earth, distant planets and Shangri-la. And I never had to leave this room. Books are adventure. They contain murder and mayhem and passion. They love anyone who opens them." The casting isn't perfect but some of them were so wonderful that they make up for the rest. Helen Mirren as Elinor? Paul Bettany as Dustfinger? Wonderful.

Howl's Moving Castle- I saw Miyazaki's movie first, then later went back and read the book. I love them both. (Though, it IS Miyazaki. I don't know how I could hate any of his movies anyway) They are almost identical until about the middle section, then they go separate ways, but I can't say which of them I prefer!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- I don't mean the one with Johnny Depp (which is pretty good). I'm talking about Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. The music, the whimsy, the charm. My dad read the book to me when I was really little, and I've watched the movie multiple times. I love it. Pure Imagination is one of my favorite songs.

 

Princess Bride- I'll say it. It's better than the book! One of my all time favorite movies. I mean, really, how can you not like it? I know it's possible. I have an aunt who hates it. She also hates the Goonies, so I don't have a lot of faith in her taste in movies. (Love you still, Aunt Marci!) But the movie is so quotable, the actors took characters that were merely likable, and made us adore them.

 

The Great Gatsby (2013)- Not everyone liked this. I was enchanted by it. The style, the actors, the elements of the story they focused on.... They captured so much of the book.  It kept me thinking for weeks after I saw it. Although, I can't decide if hearing Leonardo DiCaprio say "Old Sport" makes me want to hit something, or laugh.

  

Stardust- Again, better than the book. I adore this movie. I've watched it... I don't even know how many times. I read the book, and just didn't enjoy it as much. Which is weird, because it's Neil Gaiman and I love just about everything he does.

 

Perks of Being a Wallflower- I liked the book. I loved the movie. Again with the casting. They were so perfect. They were characters that I liked in the book, but wasn't sure I could love. The movie made me love them.

What are your favorite adaptations??

 

Slowly losing my mind... (Reading A Song of Ice and Fire)

I do believe I have traded in my sanity in exchange for the Song of Ice and Fire series. Like I said over at The Broke and the Bookish, I read the first book well over a year ago. After a bit of persuading from a couple of my favorite blogging friends *cough Kelly and Daisy cough cough* I started reading the second book. My life has been a whirlwind ever since. Every time something crazy happened, which is about every 20 pages (give or take 19) I'd message the two of them. You know that really big spoiler that happens in the third book? The one that even shocked the author (aka: Evil Santa)? I was at rehearsal when I read that. I'm not sure how I kept my composure. I picked up my phone and messaged Kelly and Daisy. All I said was: "WHAT DID I JUST READ?!?!" Just ask them, they can tell you about my frantic messaging as I freaked out over the events of the books.

I'm taking a short break now. Doing a reread of Harry Potter with Jen and Kelly from the Broke and the Bookish. (We discovered during our discussion about Code Name Verity that Jen had never read the Harry Potter series, Kelly and I decided that was terrible and that we needed to fix it. So we are.)

I'll read another book, either Seige and Storm or The Madmans's Daughter and then I'll jump back into the madness.

Wanderlust Wednesday

This is (hopefully) going to be a new feature here at The Bookish Thespian. If you know me... or have read my "about me" you know I suffer from delight in Wanderlust. I love traveling, if I get stuck home for too long I start to get twitchy. I got to go to Arizona for a day a couple weeks ago and that made me happy. At least I was getting out of the state for a bit.

Now about this feature. Haven't you ever read a book that made you want to book the next plane ticket? Hop in your car and just start driving, pausing only long enough to kidnap your friends and take them with you?

I know I have. And that is what I am going to talk about. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it the second Wednesday of every month. If I did it every week I think I'd run out of books pretty fast. So every second Wednesday I am going to tell you about the lastest book I've read that's made me more wanderlusty than usual.

Now here is where you come in. I would LOVE to hear about what books give you wanderlust. Did any books actually inspire a trip? Or are you impatiently waiting to visit that place you read about? Tell me! I'm excited to discuss it!

Please, leave a comment!

Top Ten Beach Reads



Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created over at my other blog, The Broke and the Bookish.

I live in Utah, therefore I am rather... landlocked. And no The Great Salt Lake does NOT count. If you live in Utah, you understand. I'm not sure what I'd consider a beach read, so I basically thought of books that made me think of the beach, or books that were summery... or in some cases, just books that I thought might qualify as a beach read.

She spends so much time outside, on the beach... It makes me want to make the 11 hour drive to get to a real beach.

The entirety of this book takes place at a beach on in the ocean.

If that doesn't qualify it as a beach read, I'm not sure what does.

This one might make you want to stay on the beach and not venture too far into the water. 

This is a fun, light read. It seems like it would be a delight to read

while sitting on the beach with lots of sunshine.



I didn't even really love this book. It was cute, but not a favorite. However, the descriptions of the beach and living so close to the water made me wish I was there.



Aside from being a great book, it takes place at the beach. Made

me wish I was AT the beach.

The characters spend a lot of time wrapped in furs, and being cold. Seems like this would be a delight to read in the warm sun. 

This is a fun, light read. Seems like it would be fun to read on the beach!

Simply put, I adore this book. I'd love to read it while sitting in the sun!

Because why not? An old favorite seems like a perfect beach read. 

What's on your list? Do we have any in common? Any you think I should add to this list? Tell me in the comments!

Throne of Glass

Book/Author: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Pulisher/Year: Bloomsbury 2012

Series?: Yes!

Angst Level: 2

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

 

Me:

This was one of those books that was on my tbr list long before it was even published. Then it sat on my wishlist for a really long time. (I'm in my last two semesters of college, I am ridiculously poor) Finally, I had some extra money after judging drama competition. (I'm still amazed I got paid to go and watch kids perform, critique them and then give them some direction. Paid for something fun. That I have a degree in. It's an amazing thing) Anyway. I finally had some extra cash and bought a couple of books, and this was one of them.

I really enjoyed this. If you've read some of my other reviews you know how much I love a tough heroine. I also have a serious weakness for retellings. Cinder anyone? I had high hopes for this, and it did not disappoint. It has just the right amount of action and suspense, mystery, character development and world building to make it a delightful read.

You:

I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good retelling, strong heroines, or fantasy.

Have you read Throne of Glass? What did you think? Do you have any favorite retellings?

Shadow and Bone

Book/ Author: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Square Fish

Series?: Yes "Grisha Trilogy"

Rating: 5 Stars!

Angst Level: 2

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Me:
I have no idea how I came so late to the party that is Shadow and Bone. I'd heard about it in passing. The occasional tweet, an update on Goodreads... But for some weird reason, I never picked it up. Even though it's pretty much everything I love in a book. Likable heroine learns she's much more than she thought, learns kick-a skills, saves people... Magic, adventure, romance... Needless to say, I really enjoyed it. It was exciting, I liked the characters, great world building.

You:
I recommend this to you if you are looking for a good fantasy read, or like characters that start off average and become amazing.

I am glad about one thing. I didn't have to wait very long for the second book!

Oh, and about the "Angst Level". Don't you ever get tired of too much angst in a book? Or just want to know how much to expect when you pick up a book? Me too. So I'll be including an "angst level" on all of my reviews from now on. Happy reading!