I love watching movies that were originally books, so when my husband and I were looking for a movie to watch and Nicholas Sparks' The Choice popped up as an option, I was excited to see it. I'd read the book a few years ago and remembered being a fan of it so we cozied up and pushed play. I was pleased to see that the movie followed along with what I remembered quite well and of course, brought tears to my eyes just like it did when reading.
There are so many other books of his (current count is 11 books made into movies) that have turned to movies including the well known A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Safe Haven, and The Lucky One.
But his books aren't the only ones that have been made into amazing movies, there are so many more out there!
My preference is to READ the book first and then watch the movies. I've rearranged my reading just to hurry up and read a book before the movie comes out. Currently waiting on my delivery of Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll because I'm imagining that the movie (starring none other than Mila Kunis) will be absolutely amazing.
Another upcoming book to movie film that I'm anxious to watch will star Tom Hanks in A Man Called Otto - which will be adapted from A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I can only imagine Tom Hanks playing a grumpy ole neighbor :)
One thing that is crazy is that I absolutely LOVE reading thrillers (preferring more psychological thrillers to something with a ton of blood and gore), but I can't usually watch them. I'm tempted to try my luck with The Woman in the Window by A.J.Finn. It's not a crazy thriller, but the ending does get fairly intense. My thought is that since I know what's going to happen, maybe it won't scare me as much on the big screen??? But who knows, I feel emotions very strongly when reading and watching movies. I'll test out my theory soon!
I have had the rare occasion where I unknowingly watched a movie to discover at the end that it had been adapted from a book. That happened when I watched the movie based on Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin. I quickly went to get the book to see how it compared. The movie version was slightly different, but what I realized is that I really enjoyed having a face to the characters as I read through the trilogy. And it pushed my to discover an author that I've now read many of her works as they are light and enjoyable chick lit.
How do you all feel when the movie has different aspects to it - whether it's a slight change in the plot / storyline or maybe a character was portrayed different than you imagined? A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell had a number of differences to the movie version. Some parts had me scratching my head, others worked well. With Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively as leading ladies, it didn't really matter what the variations were because the movie on it's own was excellent.
Finally, for some great books-turned-movies to watch with your family (teen appropriate), here are some of my suggestions that we've watched in our cinema room on a Saturday night: The Art of Racing in the Rain, The Fault in Our Stars, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The 5th Wave, Ender's Game, and Divergent.
Books to Read Before the Movie Conclusion
There are so many books that have been converted into movies. As you can see in this list, there are ones that would be ideal for date nights, others that are perfect for a girls night in, and some that can make the entire family happy. I hope you have a chance to check out some of these books to read before watching the movie!
More Book Recommendations!
Learn more about the Powerful Benefits of Reading for Pleasure
Dive into thrillers with Psychological Thrillers - Professional Twist
For romantic comedies, check out Faking Love, Finding Laughter: Exploring the Enchanting World of Fake Dating Tropes in RomComs
Reminisce about the past with Historical Fiction Favorites
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1984