Books To Read

Tis the season where all of the movie rendition of books comes to theaters near you.  Between now and Christmas, there are a number to look out for.

Now, you may be someone who believes good books should never be made into movies, and if they are, they should be avoided like the plague.  I am not one of those people, but will be a very harsh critic if I feel the book’s overall message or story has been slaughtered by the movie.  For example, I am a big fan of the Harry Potter books and movies because I feel the writers have done a pretty good job hanging onto the main story line.  Sure, I miss some of the “story within a story” arcs, but I also know they do little to move the story forward and must be left out for the sake of time.

That being said, I do believe you should read the book before you see the movie.  I believe this for two reasons.  The first reason is pretty obvious – you should go into the movie with an expectation to see a good book brought to life.  And, if it is done poorly, you should understand why it is a poor movie so you can rant and rave to your friends and/or loved ones about how they ruined the book.  The second is a little less important, but I have found very important in the past.  You should know what you getting into by watching the movie.  Let’s just say I learned my lesson when attending the first of the Lord of the Ring movies.  I had never read the story, nor did I really know what the story was about.  It was quite the awakening…in both a good and bad way. I love the movies now – but I also read the series before the other movies came out.

Okay – enough of my philosophy around books made into movies.  There are many coming out.  The first one is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer.

From Right Turn without Signaling


You’ve read the hype, now read the book.  I can’t wait to see the movie.  I liked the books even if they aren’t the most politically correct of books.  They are a good story.  I hope the movie is good, because if they aren’t, you will hear a collective scream from all of the fans.  Anyway, back to the book.  The book is appropriate for ages 13 and above.  And has a huge readership with woman in their 30s and 40s.

Another book is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate Dicamilo.  This is a story about a mouse and a princess.  It contains four stories actually that get weaved together at the end.

The animated movie of the book comes out near Christmas and features Emma Watson (of Hermione fame) as the voice of the princess.  I will be rushing to read it myself.  But everyone that has read it loves it.  This books is aimed at readers ages 8-13.

The last book is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke who is one of my favorite authors.  Cornelia Funke has a great way of putting children in fantastic situations.  In this book, a girl discovers her father has read characters out of the story and into the real world.  When her father is kidnapped by the bad characters, she must figure out how to get him back.  It is a great adventure and the start of a trilogy.  Unlike other trilogies, this first book is fairly self contained.

This book is for ages 9 – 12.  As an adult, I loved the creativity of the story.  Cornelia Funke does a great job coming up with new fantasy stories.  In our house, we have read this one, The Thief Lord, and The Dragon Rider.  All are fantastic for both kids and adults.  The movie version of Inkheart comes out in January, so plenty of time to read this one.

Happy reading!

One Comment Add yours

  1. garbonzo says:

    Inkheart is one of my favorite books. It is wonderfully written and has so many twists and turns. I want to live in a house full of books! Oh, wait. I already do! More bookcases are needed!

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