Books to Movies! July - December 2015

Another great batch of books are getting turned into movies! My last post featured Books to Movies from January to June 2015. This time I'm featuring books being released from July to December! Again, I hope to read the books before I see the movie, which I think I've been pretty good! Have you read any of these books? Are you thinking of seeing these movies? Let me know what you think!

1. 2. 3.

4.  5. 6.

7.

1. Every Secret Thing by Laura Lippman 

• What it's about: When two little girls, Alice and Ronnie, find an infant in an abandoned stroller, a terrible incident shatters three families. Years later, the girls are 18 and trying to find a new start, but the crime keeps haunting the families and the police — especially when another child disappears.
• Starring: Dakota Fanning, Danielle Macdonald, Diane Lane, Elizabeth Banks 
• Releasing May 1 - Ok, so I cheated a little on this one since it should have been in the last post, but I didn't know about it then! 

2. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

• What it's about: A woman is struggling to get over the brutal murder of her family and the secret society wants her to revisit the crime to find out what really happened.
• Starring: Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Mortez, Christina Hendricks, Nicholas Hoult and Corey Stoll
• Releasing: Aug. 7

3. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

• What it's about: In this love story, young Louisa forms a bond with Will, the paralyzed man she is employed to help.
• Starring: Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin
• Releasing: Aug. 21

4. The Scorch Trials by James Dasher

• What it's about: The second book in the Maze Runner series, Thomas and the Gladers are entering phase two of their “trials” and race to earn a cure for the Flare virus. Chased by Cranks and facing a series of dangerous weather conditions, the boys attempt to complete their mission. 
• Starring: Dylan O'Brien
• Releasing: Sept. 18

5. Mockingjay, Part 2, by Suzanne Collins

• What it's about: The last book of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay is the completion of Katniss Everdeen’s rebellion against the Capital and her fight to bring President Snow down.
• Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
• Releasing: Nov. 20

6. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

• What it's about: A lighthouse keeper and his wife discover a baby and a dead body near their home off the coast of Australia after WWI. 
• Starring: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander

7. Room by Emma Donoghue 

• What it's about: The story follows a child, Lenny, who has been raised in a small room by his mother after she was abducted and kept prisoner there for years. 
• Starring: Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, William H. Macy

Book to Movie: The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks 

Gah! I love Nicholas Sparks' books! Say what you want, but he knows how to write a romance and make women swoon! I loved reading The Longest Ride (see my review here) and I couldn't wait to see the movie when it came out! My friend came down to visit me this weekend and we went to see this together. It's been our plan ever since we found out it was going to be a movie. 

I was a little worried when the movie started because it was quite different from the book. My friend was pretty upset at first, but the more we watched the less upset we were. The way the movie is set up really works well and we talked about it after the movie ended. I think it would have been difficult to follow and maybe confusing if the movie had been exactly like the book. 

One of the differences I noticed was I felt more connected to Sophia and Luke's story when reading the book, but when I was watching the movie, I loved Ira and Ruth's story much more. Sophia wasn't quite what I imagined her to be, so that might have had something to do with it. Or it could have been that the flashbacks were easier to visualize for Ira and Ruth's story in the movie. Regardless, I loved this movie! I laughed...I definitely cried... and Scott Eastwood is incredibly hot! 

Cast

 Scott Eastwood as Luke Collins

 Britt Robertson as Sophia Danko

Alan Alda as Ira Levinson

Jack Huston as Young Ira Levinson

Oona Chaplin as Young Ruth Levinson 

Trailer

Books to Movies!! January - June 2015

There are so many movies coming out this year that are based on books! My TBR list keeps growing and growing. So I decided to preview some of these books and movies for the rest of you to see! I've read some of these books, but these are the movies I'm most excited for. I'll definitely be reading the books before I see the movies. I have to break this segment into a couple different ones because there are so many good books-to-movies coming out :) This certainly isn't an exclusive list, but the first ones I've found/remembered.

1.   2. 3. 

4.  5.  6. 

7. 

1. Still Alice by Lisa Genova 

• What it's about: A women is diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer's and has to learn to cope with her life and her family
• Starring: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart and Kate Bosworth
• Releasing: Jan. 16

2. Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern

• What it's about: Childhood best friends Alex and Rosie are separated as teenagers when Alex's family moves from Ireland to America. Rosie feels lost and plans to join him in Boston, but a surprise pregnancy keeps her tied to Ireland, and they struggle to navigate true love.
• Starring: Lilly Collins, Sam Claflin
• Releasing: Feb 6

3. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

• What it's about: Bianca Piper is somewhat of an outcast, but she has a gorgeous group of loyal friends to keep her company. When man-whore Wesley Rush calls her the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend), Bianca adds him to the top of her enemy list. But when things turn bad at home, she develops a friends-with-benefits relationship with him, and worse, falls for him the more they hang out. The movie is reminiscent of a modern She’s All That.
• Starring: Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne, Allison Janey, Robbie Amell
• Releasing: Feb 20

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth 

• What it's about: In Roth's follow-up to Divergent, Tris and Four leave the crumbling Dauntless and seek help to get to the bottom of what's going on in their dystopian society.
• Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James
• Releasing: March 20

5. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

• What it's about: The love stories of two couples — an elderly one and a young one — are intertwined in a North Carolina setting.
• Starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson
• Releasing: April 10

6. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

• What it's about: A young woman named Bathsheba Everdene has to deal with the difficult, sometimes tragic consequences of being in relationships with three different suitors at the same time.
• Starring: Carrey Mulligan, Tom Sturridge, Matthias Schoenaerts 
• Releasing: May 1

7. Paper Towns by John Green 

• What it's about: Margo Roth Spiegelman, the unattainable girl next door, convinces Quentin to embark on a journey of revenge, but come the next morning, Margo has gone missing and has left clues for Q. He and his friends go on a road trip in search of M, unsure if they will find her dead or alive. 
• Starring: Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff
• Releasing: June 19

The Fault in Our Stars Book-to-Movie Review

IMDB Info

Summary: Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group.

Rating: 8.1/10

Time: 126 min 

Rated PG-13

Cast: 

Shailene Woodley as Hazel

Ansel Elgort as Gus

Nat Wolff as Isaac

Laura Dern as Frannie

Sam Trammell as Michael

Willem Dafoe as Van Houten

So, for those of you who read my review of The Fault in Our Stars, you probably know I liked it, but didn't think it was as amazing as everyone else hyped it up to be. I still definitely feel this way, but I wanted to see the movie anyways. I really like watching movies after I've read the book to see how other people interpret the book and to see it actually played out in a movie.

A lot of times, the movie isn't quite what I had in my head, and that's true for this movie as well. The actors, although great, weren't what I had pictured. But that doesn't mean I didn't like the movie, it's just different. I really like Shailene Woodley as an actress. I know some people don't for various reasons, but I do! I also think she's an interesting person; I've seen her appear on a few shows and she talks about her lifestyle. I think she played a great Hazel; she's shows Hazel's personality well and shows how cynical she is regarding the outlook of her life, how she's a grenade and is going to blow up and ruin people when she dies.

This character is complemented really well by Gus, played by Ansel Elgort, but he's not what I pictured Gus looking like! Still, he played the character well, showing Gus' playful and serious side. On a side note, I think it's awesome he and Woodley played brother and sister in Divergent! And Nat Wolff as Isaac was great! I loved Isaac's character and thought Wolff was perfect for the role. I know everyone is lusting after Elgort, but I personally think Wolff is better looking (:

Dern, Trammell and Dafoe were wonderful supporting actors in this movie. Van Houten is awful in both the book and movie, but he definitely adds a lot to the story! I often found myself just wanting to slap him and make him face the real world. Haha!

And I hate saying this, but I think I may have liked the movie better than the book...*gasp* Yes, I know. Everyone loves this book and says its SO amazing, but I just didn't feel that way about it, but I thought the movie was enjoyable. This rarely happens for me, but it's okay when it does. Although I didn't think the book was as amazing as everyone else said, I still thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm glad to have read it.

Read my review of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green here!

Have you seen the movie after reading the book? What did you think? I love hearing your thoughts! 

Gone Girl Movie Review

IMDB Info

Summary: With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.

Rating: 8.6/10
Time: 149 minutes
Rated R 
Cast:

Ben Affleck as Nick Dunne

Rosamund Pike as Amy Dunne

Neil Patrick Harris as Desi Collings

Tyler Perry as Tanner Bolt

Carrie Coon as Margo Dunne

Kim Dickens as Rhonda Boney

I first read this book so long ago when I borrowed it from my aunt. I loved it but didn't remember most of it when I went to see the movie, which I was actually happy about to be honest. Sometimes, if I read a book and see the movie shortly after, I concentrate too much on what's different in the movie. But this time, I had forgotten a few things that happened, so when it happened in the movie, I was surprised! It definitely makes the movie more enjoyable.

Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike were great in the roles of their characters. I loved Affleck's character because you want to feel bad for him; I mean, his wife's missing! But then you learn he's not quite so innocent and isn't the greatest husband, and you want to hate him just a little bit. And Pike did great as Amy. I loved her in the beginning, but the more you learn about Amy, the more you hate her too! I thought they portrayed their personalities pretty well. I was quite surprised how much I liked Tyler Perry playing Tanner Bolt. I was a little worried at first since he tends to appear in comedies, and I wasn't sure how well he'd do in this dramatic thriller, but he did great. I also enjoyed Kim Dickens as Detective Rhonda Boney. She annoyed me in the beginning (which she was supposed to), because she made the evidence fit her viewpoint, rather than letting her view be changed by the evidence. But she began to grow on me, much like she did in the book.

Read my review of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn here!

Have you read the book and seen the movie? Tell me what you thought!

[Review] If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Publisher: Speak
Publishing Date: April 6, 2010
262 Pages
Format: paperback, purchased
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis

On a day that started like any other...

Mia had everything: a loving family, a gorgeous, adoring boyfriend, and a bright future full of music and full of choices. Then, in an instant, almost all of that is taken from her. Caught between life and death, between a happy past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one critical day contemplating the only decision she has left - the most important decision she'll ever make.

Simultaneously tragic and hopeful, this is a romantic, riveting, and ultimately uplifting story about memory, music, living, dying, loving.

My Review

This is a good book. Unfortunately, for me, it wasn't a great book. I'm sure I'm one of the few people that feel this way, too. My expectations were high for this book; I had read so many reviews about it, so I couldn't wait to start it. I'm pretty sure that's the reason it wasn't as great for me. So many times, not all, but many times I get really excited to read a book, I feel like I don't love it as much as everyone else. My other thought is that it took me a while to finish this book. As a previous post of mine on my blog, I've been super busy lately with wedding plans since its just three short weeks away! This is making it take longer for me to get through books and consumed so much of my time. Maybe if I had read it all within a few days I would have enjoyed it more.

That being said, I still really liked this book! The story is heartbreaking - how do you choose between leaving your life behind or staying after everything has changed so much? The characters are pretty well developed and I enjoyed getting to know them. I think Teddy is a cute younger brother and reminds me of mine, although he's now 23! And her parents are fun and loving people, even a little hippy, which I found very entertaining! I also really envy Mia's character in her cello abilities! I can't play an instrument to save my life, so anytime I hear about someone who can, I'm instantly jealous! haha I really want to read the next book in this series! It will probably be a while before I have a chance to get a copy and read it, but I think it will be a good follow-up to this one! (:

[Review] Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden 
Publisher: Vintage Books
Publishing Date: 1997
434 Pages
Format: paperback, purchased
Buy Links: Amazon  |  B&N

Synopsis 

A literary sensation and runaway bestseller, this brilliant novel presents with seamless authenticity and exquisite lyricism the true confessions of one of Japan's most celebrated geisha.

In Memoirs of a Geisha, we enter a world where appearances are paramount; where a girl's virginity is auctioned to the highest bidder; where women are trained to beguile the most powerful men; and where love is scorned as illusion. It is a unique and triumphant work of fiction at once romantic, erotic, suspenseful - and completely unforgettable.

My Review

I'm so glad I finally read this book! Arthur Golden's work is so beautifully written that I couldn't put it down. Chiyo is such an innocent little girl that's dropped into an incredibly different world than she is used to. I felt like I was learning about the world along with her. I loved watching Chiyo become Sayuri and growing up in this world.

This book was clearly well researched and Golden did a great a job. The world of a geisha is intriguing and I loved reading about it. To be honest, I knew nothing about geisha when I picked this book up, but had heard it was good, so wanted to give it a try! I didn't realize that this book was based on an actual geisha in Japan. I thought it was just a fictional story, but i soon learned, that while the story may be fictional, it was based on the life of a real person. I'm interested in reading the biography of the real woman now.

[Review] The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger 
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc.
Publishing Date: 2003
536 Pages
Format: paperback, purchased
Buy Links: Amazon  |   B&N

Synopsis 

A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

My Review 

I'm torn on my review of this book, so I'm giving it 3.5 stars. While I really enjoyed reading it, I found some parts to be dragged out, making me want to skip pages and just finish the book. Henry and Clare have a beautiful love story that really stands the test of time. I really loved the beginning parts when Henry would visit Clare as a young girl, and then a little further into the book when Clare has to explain some things to Henry about how they know each other. It was very sweet and romantic. One character I don't really like is Gomez; I just want to smack him upside the head sometimes!

Throughout the middle of the book, I felt like some things could have been left out, and maybe the story a little shorter. However, I still very much enjoyed it. I thought the ending was well done and I liked finding out how their lives play out. Overall, I think it was a great love story and I would recommend others to read it. Now I want to watch the movie again!

Movie Trailer

Stacking the Shelves 2.10.14

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews. Its all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, whether physical or virtual books. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! Tynga posts this meme on Saturdays, but you can post on any day that works best for you! Check out the guidelines by visiting Tynga's blog!

Usually I post this on Saturday or Sunday, but since I was gone over the weekend, I'll just post now :) Small week for receiving books, but that is definitely ok! I have so many already that it's probably a good thing that I didn't get many. 

Purchased

I've been waiting to get a copy of this book for some time because I keep hearing how great it is! I searched at my local used book store, but could never find it, so I finally broke down and bought it new (which I almost never do). Probably going to be the next book I start! 

I read this book years ago, but since there is now a movie out, I really wanted to reread it. Again, I couldn't find it at the local used bookstore, so I bought it new. One thing that bothers me -- the book store was selling this as "new fiction" and therefore, the price was much higher. But it's NOT new!!! It's actually quite old, so I'm kind of irritated that they're doing that. I understand since it's now a movie, they are expecting to sell more copies, but seriously, it shouldn't be marketed as new! I searched around the store to find the smaller paperback because I wasn't going to pay $15 for the larger sized "new" book.

 I have to say though, I like this cover much better than the original! 

Read the Book Before the Movie Comes Out!

Lately I've been seeing a lot of posts about whether a book was better than the movie, and reading books first. Then I stumbled upon the Barnes and Noble blog about books to read before they become movies this year (here), and another blog post about five other books to read before they're movies (here).

I'm not extremely picky about reading a book before seeing the movie, but I do prefer it. However, I read The Hobbit after seeing the first movie, and just started The Time Traveler's Wife, and I watched that movie years ago! Sometimes I just can't get to all my books and I really want to see a particular movie, so I don't always read the book first.

Below are some of the books that will become movies this year! (I got the list from B&N) I'm very excited for some, and others I'm indifferent about because I either haven't read them yet, or haven't even heard of them.

A Most Wanted Man, by John le Carre (Jan. 19)
Haven't heard of it


The Monuments Men, by Robert M. Edsel (Feb. 7)
I've been seeing previews for this and it looks pretty good! Plus there's tons of big-name actors in it as well. I didn't realize it was based on a book, but I'll definitely check it out now (:








Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead (Feb. 14)
Can't wait for this to come out! However, I haven't read the book yet. I just got it in the mail a week or so ago, and was going to start it, but wanted to get one that's been on my shelf for a while done first. I definitely plan to read this before I see the movie! I've heard such great things about this series!

Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin (Feb. 14)
The previews for this look SO good! Again, didn't realize it was based on a book, but this love story sounds wonderful!

In Secret, based on Therese Raquin, by Emile Zola (Feb. 21)
Haven't heard of this book

A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby (Mar 7)
Again, no idea what this is about

Divergent, by Veronica Roth (Mar 21)
Another movie I CAN'T wait to see! I absolutely loved the book, and I think Shailene Woodley will make a great Tris. Even though the next two books didn't interest me as much as the first, I still think the movies will be great (: I've already got a 'date' with my best friend to see this the weekend it comes out!







The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (June 6)
Really liked this book as well. Didn't leave me crying like it did a lot of other people, but I thought it was good. I think I'll wait until it comes out on DVD to see it, or go see it at the cheap-seats. I'm interested to see how Shailene Woodley will do in this compared to Divergent since they're so different!

The Hundred-Foot Journey, by Richard C. Morais (Aug 8)
Haven't heard of this one




The Giver, by Lois Lowry (Aug 15)
I can't believe it's been SO long since this book was published and it's finally going to be a movie! I can't wait to see it! I think Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges will be amazing! I love this book so much, now I just need to read the others in the series (:

Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn (Sept 1)
I haven't read this book yet, but I really enjoyed Gone Girl, so I'm going to give it a try! It sounds pretty good. I'm sure I won't see this in theaters, so I'll most likely read it before I see it!

This is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper (Sept 12)
Not sure I've heard of this..

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner (Sept 19)
Read this book, and definitely want to see the movie! The names of the actors don't sound familiar, which I sometimes prefer in movies - it makes their characters seem more real.


Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn (Oct 3)
Ben Affleck as Nick? Umm, yes please! Oh, and did you know Flynn wrote a new ending to this?! I definitely wanted to throw the book at the wall when I finished this, but I don't know how I'll feel about a new ending! I guess we'll see!


Mockingjay, Part 1, by Suzanne Collins (Nov 21)
Why do the last movies of a series always have to be split into two parts? I feel like this is way overdone... and I think this book could be in one movie. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the book, and I've really enjoyed the movies so far. But it just drags it out and annoys me!

The Hobbit: There and Back Again, by JRR Tolkien (Dec 17)
Again, this one book was made into three movies. Was it necessary? I don't know. I really liked the book, and I really like the movies, but when does it end?!

Wild: A Journey From Lost to Found, by Cheryl Strayed (TBD)
I saw a preview for this movie with Reese Witherspoon and it looked interesting. Then, a few days later, I was talking to a friend who said she was in the middle of reading this and liked it so far. Not sure if it's something that will interest me, but I might give it a shot. I've decided to try to read more non-fiction from now on - it won't be a lot, but just maybe a book or two a year.


Which ones have you read? Will you see the movies? Do you prefer to read the book first, or will you watch the movie first?