8 Books to Read Before They Hit the Big Screen
Moviemakers have gone to the literary world for inspiration in 2014. So if you like to read the book before you see the movie, here are 8 books to peruse before they come out on the big screen.
The Monuments Men by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter follows a small group of soldiers assigned to retrieve and protect the art and cultural heritage of the people from Hitler’s forces. George Clooney leads the cast of actors starring in the film adaptation.
Divergent by Veronica Roth is set in a dystopian Chicago where 16-year-olds are forced to select one of five factions they will dedicate themselves to. Beatrice knows she must make the decision between staying with her family or being true to who she really is. But while her decision may save those she loves, it might also cause her own destruction.
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead tells the story of Vladimir’s Academy, a secret boarding school where vampires and half-human teens known as Dhampir are prepared for the future. Lissa is a Moroi Vampire Princess and her best friend Rose is a Dhampir chosen to be her bodyguard. But even within the walls of the school, the girls are in grave danger.
Winters Tale by Mark Helprin takes readers to a city under siege from unusually heavy snows. In the midst of the winter a master mechanic sneaks into a fortress-like mansion on the Upper West Side. He thinks the house is empty. But once inside he stumbles upon the owner’s daughter who is dying of consumption. And so begins a strange and beautiful love affair.
The Giver by Lois Lowry takes place in a perfect society where even the weather is controlled. Each December all the 12-year-olds are brought before the Elders and assigned to their life work. But one young boy is about to get an assignment that makes him privy to the society’s dark secrets.
The Hundred -Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais introduces readers to an Indian family forced from their home. Finally settling in a small town in the French Alps, the Haji family opens a inexpensive Indian cafe across the street from a French restaurant. Their spicy dishes cause a stir among the villagers and set off a food war with the owner of the French establishment.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is the second book the author has had adapted for the big screen (Her first was the 2003 movie Seabiscuit.) In this story, a young lieutenant is the only survivor of an Army Air Forces bomber that crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Pulling himself into a life raft, Lois Zamperini, a former Olympian, begins one of the most extraordinary oceanic journeys ever as he fights through hunger, thirst and desperation.
Wild by Cheryl Strayed is a memoir of the author’s life changing experiences on the Pacific Crest Trail. After her mother dies and her marriage falls apart, the 26-year-old inexperienced hiker decides to take on the trail—on her own. The epic journey pushes the young woman beyond her limits and helps her find a strength she doesn’t know she possesses.
