42 - A Book Based On a Popular Movie

[Denise]

I think I'll read 2001: A Space Odyssey

[Ron]

Found this one:

Approaching the Hunger Games Trilogy: A Literary and Cultural Analysis

[Sunshine]

I'm reading as you wish: inconceivable tales from the making of the princess Bride

[Diana]

There's a lot of books that pick up where the movie ended or work to fill in gaps in the storytelling. I think Disney's publishing arm, Hyperion, is pretty good at that cash grab lately. The Popsugar site recommended Bravely which is a continuation of the cartoon movie. I didn't much care for it.

I did enjoy Raising the Horseman though, which is a modern day followup of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The author, Serena Valentino, has an entire series based on Disney Villains that would work for this too.

There's a book sequel to the movie Hocus Pocus: Hocus Pocus & The All New Sequel.

There's a few Star Wars books that give some backstory to Padme, Luke and Leia's mom: Queen's Shadow, Queen's Hope, and Queen's Peril. There's also a neat art book based on the women of Star Wars: Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy

[Jennifer]

I may be misunderstanding this prompt. I was thinking it was a book written from a movie, however I'm seeing some that were books before movies. I have noticed a handful of Stephen King books that were books before movies. With that would The Body, by Stephen King, count in here? TAI

[Nadine in NY]

Jennifer wrote: "I may be misunderstanding this prompt. I was thinking it was a book written from a movie, however I'm seeing some that were books before movies. I have noticed a handful of Stephen King books that ..."



The prompt is "a book based on a movie" so books that later became movies is the opposite of that. HOWEVER, some people may have decided to stretch or twist the prompt to suit their own reading taste.


If there are any Die Hard fans among us, I just saw this book at Barnes & Noble yesterday:
A Die Hard Christmas: The Illustrated Holiday Classic
I flipped through it, and it is literally a short novelization of the movie, complete with pretty decent illustrations.

[The Pampered Librarian]

I thought at first that this one would be problematic for me, but then I thought harder and turns out it's the opposite. I will choose from a multitude of novelizations of my favorite TV Series I watched growing up, like "The X-Files" or "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". It should be easy and painless ;-)

[Ron]

Laura wrote: "I thought at first that this one would be problematic for me, but then I thought harder and turns out it's the opposite. I will choose from a multitude of novelizations of my favorite TV Series I w..."

Laura, your post made me think of Firefly/Serenity. I think I have some books on that show/movie that I could use.

[StefanieFrei]

Death on the Nile for sure did not come after the movie nor did Murder on the Orient Express...but is in the listopia. As are a bunch of others in that list.
I am having a hard time here.
I do have Phantom.
Or I might consider some of the novellisations that were written not by Agatha Christie but based on her plays, like Black Coffee.
Same, I doubt that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was written after the movie??

[Nancy]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was most definitely not written after the movie.

I think people aren't understanding the prompt when they are adding books to the list.

[Heather L]

StefanieFrei wrote: "Death on the Nile for sure did not come after the movie nor did Murder on the Orient Express...but is in the listopia. As are a bunch of others in that list.
I am having a hard time here.
I do h..."

The Phantom of the Opera was a book before it was a musical or movie, so does not work here.

[L Y N N]

Milena wrote: "Dixie wrote: "What about As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride? Is that cheating? I really don't want to read a novelization (but will if I have to..."

Why do you not have a vote? There is no official Popsugar representative in this group. I guess Nadine or Lynn are the closest to officials we have. But your vote counts to me, so thank you."
This challenge is all about "you do you," IMO! No Popsugar police around! ;) Milena's "vote" is just as valid as anyone else's here! ;)

[Theresa]

It just says a book BASED on a movie. A broad term meaning it nee nnot be a novelization. It coukd be someine's memoir of making a movie like Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman. Or it could be the superb Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of Casablanca--Bogart, Bergman, and World War II. 5 stars and 5 hearts read. Same author wrote On the Road to Tara and The Making of the Wizard of Oz: Movie Magic and Studio Power in the Prime of MGM.

[Deanna]

Would Long Live the Pumpkin QueenLong Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas work for this?

[Mandy]

Deanna wrote: "Would Long Live the Pumpkin QueenLong Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas work for this?"

i think it would. it's a sequel to the movie.

[Kate]

Jennifer wrote: "I may be misunderstanding this prompt. I was thinking it was a book written from a movie, however I'm seeing some that were books before movies. I have noticed a handful of Stephen King books that ..."

I don't think you're misunderstanding at all. I think a lot of people who are adding to the list are misunderstanding, unfortunately. Maybe some are doing so intentionally, but I would caution everyone pulling from the list to double check the order in which the book and movie came out!

[Dea]

I was struggling with this, because novelizations aren't really my thing.

But then I remembered Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, which looks at the events of the original Star Wars movie through the eyes of bit characters.

I was five when Star Wars came out, so this one tugs at my heart! Yay.

[Nancy]

I really wish this prompt included TV show. There are tons of novelizations of shows I would read, but not so much for movies.

[Heather L]

Nancy wrote: "I really wish this prompt included TV show. There are tons of novelizations of shows I would read, but not so much for movies."

Join me in twisting the prompt to fit your one interests/TBR. There aren’t really any movie novelizations I want to read, but I have several series based on TV shows in Mount TBR (Psych, Monk, Charmed, NCIS:LA, Castle...). I’d rather knock one of those off the pile than try to find something based on a movie that I may not like. I read the one book in Mount TBR that would have have fit for 2022 challenges.

Speaking of, for anyone who liked the rom-com Letters to Juliet, I would recommend the book Letters to Juliet: Celebrating Shakespeare's Greatest Heroine, the Magical City of Verona, and the Power of Love by Lise Friedman. The authors were inspired by the movie to write this book.

[Ellie]

Kate wrote: "I would caution everyone pulling from the list to double check..."

This advice should stand for every single prompt, don't trust the listopias! Some people just enjoy adding books to lists and aren't doing the challenge, some people have widely different ideas on prompts, sometimes the books just turn out to not be what they thought they were. So use them as a guide, but always check the book meets your own definition.

[Nancy]

Heather L wrote: "Join me in twisting the prompt to fit your one interests/TBR."

I totally would, but I found A Christmas Story, which was written after the movie, even if it's the stories that the movie was based on. It's a bit of a stretch but such is life.

[Anna]

I've seen Your Driver Is Waiting, which is set for release in February, marketed as a "gender-flipped reboot of 'Taxi Driver.'"

Is that on base, do you think?

[JoDee]

Dr. No

I'm excited for Percival Everett's newest book, perfect for this prompt.

[Vanessa]

I think the Veronica Mars books that came after the tv show ended would also work for this prompt.

[Chrissie]

Vanessa wrote: "I think the Veronica Mars books that came after the tv show ended would also work for this prompt."

INTERESTING. I've been struggling with this prompt but I think I've found my solution! thanks!

[Ruth]

Nadine in NY wrote: "Brandon wrote: "I feel like I have a million things to say in this thread, as tie-in books are my main wheelhouse.

Joanna, both of the From a Certain Point of View books are great, and there is li..."

Buffy WAS a movie before it was a TV show, so the Buffy books are still movie spin offs, just with more steps in between.

[Phair]

I’m currently reading They Shouldn't Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action which uses the John Wick movies to discuss the history of action movies and the newer “gunfu” trend which combines gunplay with martial arts. Unfortunately, no photos.

[Laura Ruth]

Jennifer wrote: "I may be misunderstanding this prompt. I was thinking it was a book written from a movie, however I'm seeing some that were books before movies."

Yeah, it was a little startling to see "12 Years a Slave" on the list. I'm quite sure movies did not exist when it was written!

[Heather]

I think I'm going to stretch this and read Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box (Volume 5) because I've had it on my TBR for maybe more than a decade and it is about an extremely popular, long running piece of media, which incidentally did have a singular TV movie. Does anyone think this will be ok?

[Heather]

Stephen wrote: "I've been meaning to read Resistance Reborn for a while, so this may be a good opportunity.

As an alternative, I know there are books where people look at certain movies (and other..."

I'm debating reading one of the same series Doctor Who Psychology: A Madman with a Box (Volume 5) which I'm hoping will be okay since it's about a super popular piece of media.

[Heather]

Heather L wrote: "StefanieFrei wrote: "Death on the Nile for sure did not come after the movie nor did Murder on the Orient Express...but is in the listopia. As are a bunch of others in that list.
I am having a ha..."


Agree! Phantom of the Opera was written before movies existed (at least in their current form), however, a book written about the making of the movie Phantom of the Opera or a book written about all of the times Phantom of the Opera has been turned into film would count.

This is the same as if you read a book about the variety of Dracula & Dracula-esque characters in film, as it is a book based upon a popular film (or several).

[Nadine in NY]

Heather wrote: "Agree! Phantom of the Opera was written before movies existed (at least in their current form), however, a book written about the making of the movie Phantom of the Opera or a book written about all of the times Phantom of the Opera has been turned into film would count.. ..."



yeah our Listopias are notoriously unreliable. Think of them as a guide, a place to start, but not necessarily the final answer. They are very useful as a guide, so I love them despite their failings!!!

[Melanie (aka DarkBeauty73)]

I READ Batman nightwalker GN

[Dixie]

How about a book based on a movie, where the film script was written first (1980-81) but filming was delayed, so the script was rewritten into a novel and published (1985) before the film was eventually made a decade later? This was the case with Carl Sagan's Contact.

[Ron]

Dixie wrote: "How about a book based on a movie, where the film script was written first (1980-81) but filming was delayed, so the script was rewritten into a novel and published (1985) before the film was event..."

That would be cool if the prompt could be interpreted that way. I love the movie Contact and the book is just as good if not better.

[Cindy (BKind2Books)]

I totally would, but I found A Christmas Story, which was written after the movie, even if it's the sto..."

Actually the book *was* written before the movie. The short story collection was called In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash and was published in the mid-60s. (I think it might have been rereleased after the success of the film). So it totally works for this prompt!

[Heather L]

I ended up filling this one without even trying. I pulled House at the End of the Street by Lily Blake off Mount TBR for a different challenge and realized it was a novel based on the screenplay for a movie. Quick read and okay for what it was, despite the plot snafu near the end. If you liked the movie, you might like this as well.

[Mony]

For this challenge, I had the pleasure to go back to one of my childhood cartoon shows that's stayed with me all these years. Particularly the episode where Jane gets a video call from a girlfriend early one morning, looking like hell. She quickly puts on "her morning mask before taking the call. LOL

So read this comic book...lots of fun.

[Ron]

Trying to think of some NF ones. I'm sure there are a lot. I just need to find something I'm interested in.

*****

Update:

Okay that was easy:

Ages of Superman: Essays on the Man of Steel in Changing Times

[Ron]

Well, this should be fun. Even though I like the Ages of Superman book, this one is more specific and right up my alley.

Release the Snyder Cut: The Crazy True Story Behind the Fight That Saved Zack Snyder's Justice League

*****

This one might also be worth reading:

With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood During The Golden Age Of Comic Book Blockbusters

[LeahS]

I'm currently reading The Three Musketeers. Obviously that was written before movies existed, but my edition is one produced by the BBC to tie in with a dramatisation in 2014. It has a new translation commissioned for the book.

I wondered whether you could squeeze other classic novels into this category if you found an edition that was specifically produced as a tie-in.

For this prompt, I read Quatermass and the Pit by Kim Newman, about the 1967 classic sci-fi/horror film of that name. The first chapter was a bit of a list of productions, but the rest of the book was quite interesting, comparing the film with an earlier TV series and film, looking at casting decisions, special effects, and particularly the input of the screenwriter, Nigel Kneale.

[Sherri]

I read Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of The Godfather. 5 stars

[Jenny Dahl Bakken]

I am really struggling with this. If I stretched it to “based on a TV series” it would work better for me - I for example gave one of the Veronica Mars books already. But movies? Ugh. Can't think of a single example

[Chrissie]

I am leaning towards Veronica Mars books too. PURCHASING them even. I hate purchasing books - libraries are my thing. But as I recall there was a Veronica Mars Movie so barring any other brilliant idea, this is what I'll be doing.

[Nadine in NY]

Chrissie wrote: "I am leaning towards Veronica Mars books too. PURCHASING them even. I hate purchasing books - libraries are my thing. But as I recall there was a Veronica Mars Movie so barring any other brilliant ..."



that's a good point, I am pretty sure the books are set AFTER the movie, but before the infamous season 4.

The audiobook for the first book is read by Kristen Bell!! Highly recommended!! I wish she read the second one too, but she did not.

[Rachel Anne]

Some of the books came before the movie. You'd have to check publishing dates

[Heather]

I loved seeing this prompt because it was an excuse to read more Stargate books! I read Far Horizons: Volume One of the Travelers' Tales which is actually a short story collection. There's an even mix of SG-1 and Atlantis stories. I enjoyed all of them a lot.

Stargate SG-1 is a TV show based on a movie. It picks up where the movie ended with several of the same characters (but new actors) and some new characters. Stargate Atlantis is based on SG-1. So it's up to you if you think any of this counts for this prompt.

[Ron]

I still need to read Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, but I think first I'm going to start with the young readers edition: Killers of the Flower Moon: Adapted for Young Readers: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

[Chrissie]

I have been struggling with this prompt, but I may have come to a conclusion I can live with. Wondering if others would agree. I know, my challenge my interpretation but maybe someone else out there is struggling.

I am happy to stretch the prompt to a book based on a TV show.

That said, there was a show Castle, where the character Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion was a writer. There are books by Richard Castle in my library (HUGE plus for me!). And yes, it's the same Richard Castle.



thoughts?

[Ron]

Chrissie wrote: That said, there was a show Castle, where the character Richard Castle, played by Nathan Fillion was a writer. There are books by Richard Castle in my library (HUGE plus for me!). And yes, it's the same Richard Castle.

Heat Wave (Nikki Heat, #1) by Richard Castle

thoughts?

I had not even thought of this! I own all of the Richard Castle books. They are so great. You can't go wrong with book 1 though, Heat Wave. That one is my favorite, especially since Nathan and Stana read it at Comic Con once. It was hilarious!