Page & Screen Pairings for Every Book and Movie Lover
On a chilly winter evening, there’s nothing like curling up with a mug of something warm and a good book. The second-best activity? Curling up with a mug of something warm and a film adaptation of a good book. We’ve got you covered on both fronts. Here are our suggestions for the best recent books that made for the best recent movies.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (adapted from Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins)
In the adaptation of Collins’s second Hunger Games book, Katniss Everdeen’s life is falling apart again. The Girl on Fire’s Peeta-saving stunt in the arena won her the annual bloodbath and made her not just a household name, but a hero. It also angered the Capitol higher-ups. And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry, which is exactly what Katniss finds out as the Districts begin to rebel, led by her example. Get the popcorn and watch the reckoning.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (adapted from Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins)
In the adaptation of Collins’s second Hunger Games book, Katniss Everdeen’s life is falling apart again. The Girl on Fire’s Peeta-saving stunt in the arena won her the annual bloodbath and made her not just a household name, but a hero. It also angered the Capitol higher-ups. And you wouldn’t like them when they’re angry, which is exactly what Katniss finds out as the Districts begin to rebel, led by her example. Get the popcorn and watch the reckoning.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (adapted from The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Kill the dragon, kill the dragon, kill the dragon! The second installment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy finds Bilbo and Company finally meeting the nemesis we’ve heard so much about: the fearsome, fire-breathing Benedict CumberSmaug. This middle movie contains favorite bits from its source material (barrel floating!), appearances by favorite characters (Bard the Bowman!), and a few surprises (Legolas!).
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (adapted from The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien)
Kill the dragon, kill the dragon, kill the dragon! The second installment of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy finds Bilbo and Company finally meeting the nemesis we’ve heard so much about: the fearsome, fire-breathing Benedict CumberSmaug. This middle movie contains favorite bits from its source material (barrel floating!), appearances by favorite characters (Bard the Bowman!), and a few surprises (Legolas!).
Divergent (adapted from Divergent, by Veronica Roth)
Have another helping of teenage dystopia with the first stab at bringing Roth’s futuristic Chicago to the screen. In a world where the populace is divided into personality factions, Tris Prior is in trouble. She doesn’t fit the mold of any of the five types; she is, in a word, Divergent, and being different isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, to say the least. Imbuing Tris with life is Shailene Woodley, who gives the character the brains and brawn she deserves.
Divergent (adapted from Divergent, by Veronica Roth)
Have another helping of teenage dystopia with the first stab at bringing Roth’s futuristic Chicago to the screen. In a world where the populace is divided into personality factions, Tris Prior is in trouble. She doesn’t fit the mold of any of the five types; she is, in a word, Divergent, and being different isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, to say the least. Imbuing Tris with life is Shailene Woodley, who gives the character the brains and brawn she deserves.
The Fault in Our Stars (adapted from The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green)
In the immortal words of Johnny Cash: you’re gonna cry, cry, cry. Whether you watch or read, Green’s love story of two cancer-stricken teens will make you sob. And to the delight of Nerdfighters, this film captures the whirlwind romance of Hazel (Shailene Woodley, again) and Augustus (Ansel Elgort) beautifully. Some infinities are bigger than others, and this is one of them.
The Fault in Our Stars (adapted from The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green)
In the immortal words of Johnny Cash: you’re gonna cry, cry, cry. Whether you watch or read, Green’s love story of two cancer-stricken teens will make you sob. And to the delight of Nerdfighters, this film captures the whirlwind romance of Hazel (Shailene Woodley, again) and Augustus (Ansel Elgort) beautifully. Some infinities are bigger than others, and this is one of them.
If I Stay (adapted from If I Stay, by Gayle Forman)
Forman’s novel features an inventive storytelling mechanism: a narrator who isn’t quite corporeally there. Seventeen-year-old Mia has an extensive and haunting out-of-body experience following a car accident, and we are privy to her every thought along the way, as she reviews her life and tries to figure out whether to return to it… or see what comes next. Watching Chloe Grace Moretz portray Mia’s most important (and agonizing) decision is a must.
If I Stay (adapted from If I Stay, by Gayle Forman)
Forman’s novel features an inventive storytelling mechanism: a narrator who isn’t quite corporeally there. Seventeen-year-old Mia has an extensive and haunting out-of-body experience following a car accident, and we are privy to her every thought along the way, as she reviews her life and tries to figure out whether to return to it… or see what comes next. Watching Chloe Grace Moretz portray Mia’s most important (and agonizing) decision is a must.
The Monuments Men (adapted from The Monuments Men, by Robert M. Edsel)
File this one under true stories that sound like the stuff of movies. George Clooney assembles the Ocean’s 11 of art history in this adaptation of Edsel’s account of Allied soldiers who rescued artwork stolen by the Nazis. It’s a wonderful story that just might restore your faith in humanity—and it stars Bill Murray!
The Monuments Men (adapted from The Monuments Men, by Robert M. Edsel)
File this one under true stories that sound like the stuff of movies. George Clooney assembles the Ocean’s 11 of art history in this adaptation of Edsel’s account of Allied soldiers who rescued artwork stolen by the Nazis. It’s a wonderful story that just might restore your faith in humanity—and it stars Bill Murray!
Heaven is for Real (adapted from Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo)
In this bestseller, Burpo recounts what he believes was his son Colton’s trip to the afterlife and back. Colton, after an emergency appendectomy, detailed to his family an extraordinary and intricate story of visiting Heaven during his near-death experience. This touching tale of faith and fatherhood never fails to tug at your heartstrings, so grab the tissues before you settle in.
Heaven is for Real (adapted from Heaven is for Real, by Todd Burpo)
In this bestseller, Burpo recounts what he believes was his son Colton’s trip to the afterlife and back. Colton, after an emergency appendectomy, detailed to his family an extraordinary and intricate story of visiting Heaven during his near-death experience. This touching tale of faith and fatherhood never fails to tug at your heartstrings, so grab the tissues before you settle in.
12 Years a Slave (adapted from 12 Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup)
Winner of last year’s Best Picture Oscar, 12 Years a Slave paints the wrenching picture of the true-life struggle of Solomon Northup, a black man born free in New York state, then kidnapped and sold into slavery prior to the Civil War. It is unsettling, upsetting, difficult to believe—let alone watch—and, at the same time, spectacularly moving and important.
12 Years a Slave (adapted from 12 Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup)
Winner of last year’s Best Picture Oscar, 12 Years a Slave paints the wrenching picture of the true-life struggle of Solomon Northup, a black man born free in New York state, then kidnapped and sold into slavery prior to the Civil War. It is unsettling, upsetting, difficult to believe—let alone watch—and, at the same time, spectacularly moving and important.
The Wolf of Wall Street (adapted from The Wolf of Wall Street, by Jordan Belfort)
Bad boys have more fun (at least for a while) in Martin Scorsese’s rollicking take on Belfort’s memoir of his time as a shady banking kingpin. The sex, drugs, and international finance shenanigans are so outlandish they’re hard to fathom, but they sure make for some entertaining movie moments.
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The Wolf of Wall Street (adapted from The Wolf of Wall Street, by Jordan Belfort)
Bad boys have more fun (at least for a while) in Martin Scorsese’s rollicking take on Belfort’s memoir of his time as a shady banking kingpin. The sex, drugs, and international finance shenanigans are so outlandish they’re hard to fathom, but they sure make for some entertaining movie moments.
Shop all DVDs and Blu-rays >
Lone Survivor (adapted from Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell)
Continuing the theme of astounding nonfiction, Lone Survivor depicts the disastrous Operation Redwing, the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. Luttrell, the titular survivor, documents the reconnaissance mission tasked with observing al-Qaida activity in 2005, as well the bravery of his fellow SEALs. Mark Wahlberg ably tranfers that heroism from page to screen.
Lone Survivor (adapted from Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell)
Continuing the theme of astounding nonfiction, Lone Survivor depicts the disastrous Operation Redwing, the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. Luttrell, the titular survivor, documents the reconnaissance mission tasked with observing al-Qaida activity in 2005, as well the bravery of his fellow SEALs. Mark Wahlberg ably tranfers that heroism from page to screen.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (adapted from The Butler, by Wil Haygood)
Behind every great man is an even greater butler, or at least that’s what becomes apparent in this look at the life of Eugene Allen, an African-American man who served eight American presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Through this prism of one man’s incredible life, both book and star-studded movie explore the immense social upheaval of the 20th century.
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (adapted from The Butler, by Wil Haygood)
Behind every great man is an even greater butler, or at least that’s what becomes apparent in this look at the life of Eugene Allen, an African-American man who served eight American presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Through this prism of one man’s incredible life, both book and star-studded movie explore the immense social upheaval of the 20th century.
World War Z (adapted from World War Z, by Max Brooks)
Brad Pitt (and his long tresses) anchors this deathly urgent tale of a worldwide zombie outbreak and a race for the cure to stop it. When it comes to the utter terror of the undead hurling themselves at you—for these are not the shambling flesh-eaters of yesteryear—the film is as compelling as its source material.
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World War Z (adapted from World War Z, by Max Brooks)
Brad Pitt (and his long tresses) anchors this deathly urgent tale of a worldwide zombie outbreak and a race for the cure to stop it. When it comes to the utter terror of the undead hurling themselves at you—for these are not the shambling flesh-eaters of yesteryear—the film is as compelling as its source material.
Shop our Page & Screen store