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Two of my favorite hobbies besides crafting are reading and watching movies. Both hobbies provide me a way to escape the stresses in my life and be transported to another time or place. One thing I have noticed, that many time movies are based on books. Sometimes these adaptations are terrible, but other times the movie helps bring the book to life.
So let’s grab a snack or a glass of wine as I tell you about my top 8 book to movie adaptations! Be sure to also check out my other movie list: 7 Movies That Are Perfect For Girls Night In.
PS I Love You
So the start of this book and movie is very sad. Holly’s husband Gerry has recently died at a very young age because of a brain tumor. She is extremely heartbroken because the love of her life has died and she is not even 30 yet. On the eve of Holly’s 30th birthday, she receives a letter from Gerry. It turns out that Gerry wrote several letters to be delivered to her at various times to help her get over his death. These letters help bring Holly out of her comfort zone and to start to live again.
The book and the movie varied a little, but I enjoyed both. Be sure to check out the book and the movie. This book would be a great book to read with your friends as a book club. The movie would be a good movie to watch with your friends as you drink wine in these stemless glasses.
The Princess Diaries
If you are looking for a movie that you can watch with your kids and possibly get them to read a book, then you should check out The Princess Diaries. The Princess Diaries is about a teenage girl, Mia, who meets her long-lost grandma and finds out that she is actually royalty. The movie shows what happens when she is expected to make the decision to become a princess. This was Anne Hathaway’s breakout role and also starred Julie Andrews.
So The Princess Diaries is actually a book series written by Meg Cabot that consists of 10 young adult books. I remember reading these books when I was younger. There is also an additional book for adults called Royal Wedding: A Princess Diaries Novel that talks about Mia’s life after college that you can read while your kids read the young adult series.
October Sky
This is one of my favorite science movies and books. This movie is based on the memoirs of Homer Hickam. Homer Hickam was born and raised in a rural coal town in West Virginia. Homer knew that he didn’t want to spend his life working in the coal mine. He was impacted by the launch of Sputnik to learn more about rocketry and engineering. He was encouraged by his math/science teacher to enter the local science fair. The movie follows his struggles as he works to win the science fair.
Homer Hickam worked at NASA and was responsible for training astronauts for science payloads and extra-vehicular activities (EVA). He helped train the astronauts who repair the Hubble Telescope. His memoir Rocket Boys was a New York Times Bestseller in 1998 and was the inspiration for the movie.
Holes
So my boyfriend would be really upset if I didn’t include Holes in this list. Holes was one of his favorite books and movies growing up. I also read Holes as a child and enjoyed to book. I sometimes felt that I related Stanley greatly because I can be really unlucky. This movie is also another movie that you can watch with your kids (if you have kids) to get them interested in reading.
Holes is about a boy named Stanley who is wrongly convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. He is sent to a juvenile correction center where he has to dig a hole every day. So plan your next movie night with Holes with popcorn that you can make and eat out of this bowl.
A Walk To Remember
A Walk To Remember is one of my favorite Nicholas Spark’s novels that was made into a movie. My next statement is bound to be a little controversial, but I am not afraid to admit that I like this more than The Notebook.
It tells the story of a troubled high school student (Landon) whose life is turned upside down when he falls for the preacher’s daughter (Jamie). What he doesn’t realize is that she has a secret that is probably going to limit the time they have together.
There are several differences between the book and the movie, but the movie stays true to the book for the most part. The book is told from the point of view of Landon several years later while the movie takes place in modern times. Be sure to have plenty of tissues when you are reading the book or watching the movie.
The Hunger Games Series
The Hunger Games was one book series that a read in one weekend a few years back. I love dystopian novels and this is a very dark dystopian world. The movies followed the storyline pretty well. This series is also a good introduction to dystopian novels.
In this dystopian world, there are 12 districts and capital. Every year, each district is required to send one male and one female teenager (called tribute) to a fight to the competition that is televised. Katniss’s young sister is chosen as one of District 12’s tributes. She does the most selfless thing possible and volunteers in her place.
There are 3 books in the series and 4 movies. The last book is broken up to 2 movies. My one complaint about the movie version of the books is what Peeta looks like and it isn’t really a big deal. I always pictured him as a short kid that was slightly overweight. Maybe I thought he looked like this because his family was the local bakers.
Where the Heart Is
I remember reading this book in high school and watching the movie with my mom on several occasions. This is such a heartwarming story. It is one that I am sure that you will enjoy.
Novalee is a pregnant 17-year-old who is moving across the country with her boyfriend. While they are in Oklahoma, he leaves her at a Wal-Mart. She lives in the Wal-Mart for a short time and even has her baby there. This book and movie tell the story of how she starts her life over in this small Oklahoma town and the people she meets. Some of her new friends include a local nurse, a librarian, a photographer at the Wal-Mart, and an elderly woman named Sister Husband.
This book is easy to read and would be great to read at the beach on vacation or on an airplane. The movie is another one that would be great to watch with your girlfriends. Or better yet, you can watch this movie while working on a CraftEaze box.
Christmas With The Kranks
Christmas will be here before you know it, and one Christmas movie that I have watched the last several years is Christmas with the Kranks. This movie is heartwarming and perfect for the holidays. I feel a lot of people can relate to the Kranks in the movie at one point or another.
Luther and Nora’s daughter has left for the Peace Corps and will not be home for Christmas. They do not want to celebrate without her, so they decide to skip Christmas and go on a cruise instead. As you can guess, hilarity occurs as their neighbors, friends, and coworkers find out that they are skipping Christmas.
Christmas with the Kranks is based on the book Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. This is one of the movies you can watch year after year around Christmas. Maybe, just maybe it might also convince you that you need to buy your own giant Frosty.