This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is Page to Screen Freebie. I decided to focus my post on my favorite book to movie/TV show adaptions. Usually the books are always better than the film adaptions, but here are the cases in which I found the movie or TV show as good as or better than the novel. I also decided to stay away from the major series adaptions - Hunger Games, Twilight, etc.
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
Both the book and movie are really good. The story follows Christine, who suffers amnesia and wakes up every morning forgetting everything that happened before her accident. As she slowly begins to piece together and remember her life, Christine stumbles upon a shocking truth.
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
For both the book and the movie, The Exorcist proves that the original is ALWAYS better. To be clear, I’m talking about the movie that came out in 1971. The movie is very creepy and unsettling without including a bunch of jump scares or gory special effects. I enjoy horror and have watched/read countless horror media but the original Exorcist movie is in my top list of most scary movies that actually left me SCARED.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Hazel, a teen facing a terminal illness, meets August Waters during a cancer kid support group and her life is never the same afterwards. The Fault in Our Stars is definitely a sappy love story that I’d normally stay away from. The book was OK; I usually enjoy John Green’s books, but I felt like the teens were too wise beyond their years… normal teens don’t talk like that. BUT, I loved the movie. Ansel Elgort and Shailene Woodley have great chemistry and the writing and acting were spot-on. My advice? Ditch the book and play the movie. And also buy some Kleenex; you’ll need it.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
During the 1960s, three ordinary women take an extraordinary step in fighting racism in the south. Skeeter, a white 22-year-old recent college grad, engages the help of black maids in exposing racial tension in their small, southern town. I’m sure you guys have heard of both the book and the movie, but they are both fantastic!
Holes by Louis Sachar
Who remembers this throw back read? It’s focused on a boy who’s wrongly sent to a brutal camp where the children are forced to dig mysterious holes all day in the desert. Published in 2000 when I was 10, I absolutely loved this book. I haven’t read it since then (maybe I need to do a reread now that it’s 19 years later?) but I remember loving the storyline and characters. The movie, featuring Patricia Arquette and Shia LaBeouf, came out in 2003, and my friends and I were OBSESSED with it and the song, Dig It.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
It may be strange that Jurassic Park is on my list, but I read the book for the first time a few months ago and loved it. The movie is also great as well. I’ve probably watched it thousands of times since it came out in the 1990s. It spurned a successful movie franchise that probably everyone in a first world country has at least heard of. So, yeah, Jurassic Park is definitely on my list. *Rawr*
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The storyline follows Charlie, an observant teen who goes through ups and downs during his transition from adolescent and adulthood. The book is great; it’s definitely a good read for high school freshmen who don’t know who they are yet. The movie adaption, which features Emma Watson and Logan Lerman, includes great writing, and fantastic acting. I definitely recommend it to basically anyone.
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Closet gay Simon Spier begins an online romance with another not-so-openly gay teen boy at his school when he gets blackmailed. Simon must play wingman for his classmate or his sexual identity will becomes everyone’s business. I watched the movie - Love, Simon - before reading the book, and I absolutely loved it (I think it was one of my favorite movies of the year). I didn’t read the book until recently, but I really enjoyed it as well. I appreciated how the movie changed slightly for a better viewing experience. I feel like movies that strictly follow the book are boring. There are some elements in print that don’t translate well to film.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Melinda becomes a social outcast after busting an end of the summer party by calling the cops. She faced a trauma at the party and becomes silent. Melinda learns the importance of speaking up for herself while finding solace in her art class. Both the book and the movie are great; they really capture what it’s like to be a young teen who’s going through a difficult, life-changing time.
Vampire Diaries - Book series by L.J. Smith
CONFESSION: I DNF’ed the first book in the Vampire Diaries series. I felt like it was terrible with a capital T. Elena is a spoiled, selfish brat who only cares about how popular and pretty she is. I also found the writing to be dull. The TV show, on the other hand, is really addicting. They changed quite a bit from the book; I can’t remember all the details but it made it much better than the books.
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