This week I’m continuing our “Read the Book Before You See the Movie” theme with five more books that are going to be made into movies this year. You should have plenty of time to read the novel before you see the film.
You know the book is usually better!
A Long Way Down, by Nick Hornby: Four very different people –a talk-show host, a single mom, a troubled teen and an aging musician – meet on the same roof top on New Year’s Eve and find that they have one thing in common: each one of them showed up on this roof to jump to his or her death. Dark and yet humorous, you won’t soon forget this novel. The movie stars Aaron Paul, Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike and Sam Neill. I couldn’t find a U.S. release date for this film.
Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn: This is the story of Libby Day. As a seven-year-old, Libby was the only survivor of her family’s horrific murder. Twenty-five years later, Libby finds herself short on cash and comes up with a unique plan: she will sell artifacts relating to her family’s murder to The Kill Club, a group of true crime enthusiasts who debate famous murder cases. Libby learns some shocking truths about the terrible event in her past. The movie stars Charlize Theron as Libby, and is scheduled for release in September.
Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn: Ms. Flynn has hit the Hollywood jackpot as another one of her novels gets turned into a movie starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. This film should be released in October. Gone Girl is the story of Nick Dunne, who becomes a prime suspect when his wife, Amy, disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary.
This is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper: This funny novel gives us the Foxman family: Judd, who has just lost both his wife (she was having an affair) and his job (she was having an affair with his boss.) Judd is called home when his father dies to sit Shivah with his dysfunctional family. Seven days with this group? What could go wrong? The movie stars Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Rose Byrne and Jane Fonda. It will be released in September.
Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed: This memoir follows Cheryl as she tries to reclaim her life by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail after the death of her mother and going through a divorce. She is inexperienced, but determined. Is this a good plan, or just another one of her bad life decisions? The movie stars Reese Witherspoon, Charles Baker and Laura Dern. No release date has been set yet.