Top Ten Books I'd Like to See On the Big Screen

The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Books I’d like to see made into a movie

Though I often wish that books were never made into movies because then people stop reading the book and then only watch the movie (as evidenced by the two teens I talked to yesterday that told me that they have never read any of the Harry Potter books, but they love the movies.)

1. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford---a wonderful book about Japanese Internment and a multicultural love story between a Chinese-American boy and a Japanese-American girl. Jamie told the assembled group listening to his presentation for All-Pierce County Reads last month that he has been approached to have this book made into a movie by several different people but all want the main character to be white instead of Chinese-American.  This would totally wreck the story.  Way to go, Mr. Ford, on saying no to that proposal.
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth---this dystopian book is wildly popular in the library right now and many are comparing it to Hunger Games in terms of excitement.  Let’s allow the whole series to be written first, however.
3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness--- Actually this book is being made into a movie.  The screen writer has been chosen.  I am very excited about this one.  If done right it will be GOOD.
4. The Maze Runner by James Dashner--- Another dystopian book that would make an extremely compelling movie.  Like the Hunger Games series, the third book in this series isn’t as good as the other two, but I still loved it.
5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins--- I’m sure that this movie is already in the works.  I love the whole series and I was very pleased with the Hunger Games movie so I know Catching Fire will be good if they use the same producer.
6. Eragon by Christopher Paolini--- Every time I make one of these lists I add Eragon to it because the movie was so bad it doesn’t count.  Fortunately most students haven’t seen it and we have Inheritance Cycle devotees who love the whole series, as do I, and would happily go to a good movie made from the books.
7. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese--- this is one of my favorite books I read in the past few years.  I think it would make an excellent, almost epic movie if done right with all the historical and cultural material left intact.
8. Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach--- I think a documentary on the chapters in this book would be a hoot, and very interesting.  Obviously, it would need to be tastefully handled.
9. In the Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan.  OK, so I’m not into zombies but this book could a really good movie, even if I didn’t go and see it.
10. Paper Towns by John Green.  This book is so zany and has a good, compelling mystery. I think it would be a blockbuster.