The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion
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10.6 (And The Oscar Goes To...)
Any suggestions for Avatar?
Or any of the other movies? The ONLY one I've seen from the list is Avatar... Oh, and Up.
I haven't seen any of the movies either, but both Up in the Air and The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game were adapted from these books.
the blind side is supposed to be a great book. my dad read it a loved it an the movie was great
Jayme wrote: "Does the supporting actors one count? "Yes for option two if they won for the supporting actor/actress it would count.
I am going to read Audrey Hepburn: An Intimate Portrait. I like that the author interviewed her in order to write the book.I was also considering reading about Bette Davis or Vivien Leigh. I love that whole time period in acting!
That was a great time of acting. Gone With the Wind is one of my favorite movies! The class that actresses had back then... it was nice.
Jamie wrote: "Fiona (Titch) wrote: "I am going to read Coraline for mine."Ooh me too!"
Coraline isn't nominated for best picture though...
Can it be a movie nominated for any award?
Avatar:Dances with Wolves
The Story Of Pocahantas
Old Man's War
Ferngully
Call Me Joe: The Short Fiction of Poul Anderson
How close thematically do the books need to be to the movies? For example, could I read a book set in France during WWII to go with Inglorious Basterds?
Ms Anderson wrote: "How close thematically do the books need to be to the movies? For example, could I read a book set in France during WWII to go with Inglorious Basterds?"It should have somewhat of a similar plot if possible.
Fiona (Titch) wrote: "I am going to read Coraline for mine."
Coraline is not up for best picture so that doesn't work.
could you read a book about apartheid in relation to District 9? i saw the movie as a modern day parable about apartheid. it was a great flick!
District 9 was a fantastic film and yes I also saw it as a take on apartheid. I was goign to ask if anyone had any book suggestions for District 9?
Alice wrote: "District 9 was a fantastic film and yes I also saw it as a take on apartheid. I was goign to ask if anyone had any book suggestions for District 9?"lol, I didn't see the parallel, but then again, I wasn't looking for it. Now that you guys mention it, I see it a bit.
I'll Scream Later is the autobiography of Marlee Matlin, who won the Academy Award for Children of a Lesser God in 1986. This is what I'll be reading.
kiki wrote: "could you read a book about apartheid in relation to District 9? i saw the movie as a modern day parable about apartheid. it was a great flick!"If you can explain a connection between the book and the film yes.
From this thread and the plans thread it looks like a lot of people are either reading biographies or the original books (Push, Up in the Air, The Blindside). Has anyone decided to take the theme/plot parallel route? I saw that Tanja came up with some ideas for Avatar (thanks!). Those of you that have see District 9, can you think of a book about apartheid that would parallel the story? Any ideas for The Hurt Locker?
I was just going to skip this task, but if you guys have ideas I'd love to hear them!
Katie wrote: "From this thread and the plans thread it looks like a lot of people are either reading biographies or the original books (Push, Up in the Air, The Blindside). Has anyone decided to take the them..."
Agreed. I'm having a hard time with this one so any suggestions would be nice. I don't care to read any of the best pictures; particularly because I don't own them..haha and I've seen the movies first..and I hate reading a book after I've seen the movie. Always read the book first! :)
Since I've only seen Inglorious Basterds, I'm taking the "similar plot" route for this task.As of right now, I'm going to read Greater Than Angels (subject to change if I find anything better). I just read Daniel's Story at school during my break period, and that one would follow the idea of the Jewish Resistance to the Nazis.
Sarah's Key examines the events of the Vel d'Hiv roundup, which happened in Paris during WWII, and without giving too much away, the way the character Sarah survives is similar to how Melanie from the movie does.
Additionally, you could read about Die Weisse Rose, a student group that attempted to thwart the Nazi regime. The Silenced or Sophie Scholl: The Real Story Behind German's Resistance Heroine are possibilities for this idea.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the plot for The Hurt Locker. It's about a bomb disposal unit, so here's a handy little list I found on Amazon of books about disposing of bombs: http://www.amazon.com/Squad-Literatur....
For District 9, here's a quick list of books (skip past the movies section) on apartheid: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aparthei...
Katie wrote: "From this thread and the plans thread it looks like a lot of people are either reading biographies or the original books (Push, Up in the Air, The Blindside). Has anyone decided to take the them..."
I would think that any story, fiction or non-fiction, about a soldier or soldiers at war would work for The Hurt Locker. Cynthia would have to give the final ok though.
Some suggestions:
What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It
Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War
Jarhead
In The Company Of Heroes
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
Dear John
Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad
The Things They Carried
Generation Kill
Flags of Our Fathers
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest
From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava
Ms Anderson wrote: "Since I've only seen Inglorious Basterds, I'm taking the "similar plot" route for this task.As of right now, I'm going to read Greater Than Angels (subject to change if I find anyth..."
Thank you for mentioning Sarah's Key! I already own this, so I think I'll read it instead of Up in the Air.
Cynthia wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Does the supporting actors one count? "Yes for option two if they won for the supporting actor/actress it would count."
I was referring more to reading the book for the movie the actor was in. The actor got supporting actor for "The Lovely Bones" so I wanted to know if I could read the book.
Cait wrote: "Ms Anderson wrote: "Since I've only seen Inglorious Basterds, I'm taking the "similar plot" route for this task.As of right now, I'm going to read Greater Than Angels (subject to ch..."
Same here! I have this book too and was wondering where I could fit it in. Thanks!
Also following the idea of the Jewish Resistance to the Nazis, you could read Defiance: The Bielski Partisans.
I have only seen Avatar -- but after reading the synopses I think it will be interesting to read something related to the movie An Education (http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nomin...). It sounds a lot like Lolita, but I read that so I wonder if anyone else knows of any other books like that?
Thanks Ms. Anderson and Cait. Lots of good ideas there. I guess I was just confused about how close the parallel had to be.
I'm going the biography route and reading Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn. I love and adore her.
For a book relating to District 9, I'm going to read The Restless Supermarket by Ivan Vladislavic, set during the "tumultous years of apartheid's demise".
I think I am going to try to do the Aliens v Earthlings theme from District 9 which can open up a lot of books - I'm going to plan on something from the Ender's series. I think Ender's game could work, but I am going to do the second one, Speaker of the Dead because I have already read the first
Bridgit wrote: "I think I am going to try to do the Aliens v Earthlings theme from District 9 which can open up a lot of books - I'm going to plan on something from the Ender's series. I think Ender's game could w..."Oh, that is a good idea. If Cynthia allows it. I have been wanting to read the Ender series.
Erin wrote: "I have only seen Avatar -- but after reading the synopses I think it will be interesting to read something related to the movie An Education (http://oscar.go.com/nominations/nomin......"Several years ago I read How It's Done, which sounds pretty close to An Education, too. It was a decent book.
Jayme wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Does the supporting actors one count? "Yes for option two if they won for the supporting actor/actress it would count."
I was referring more to reading the book for ..."
No just best picture nominees.
I would love to read a world war II book that is a alternate history (to go with Inglorious Bastards, which is an excellent movie if you have not seen it). I think I will go withThe Plot Against America
Manday wrote: "I would love to read a world war II book that is a alternate history (to go with Inglorious Bastards, which is an excellent movie if you have not seen it). I think I will go with[book:The Plot Agai..."Thanks for sharing your idea, Manday. I've been wanting to read that.
As in Avatar Earth is an environmental disaster, would a book that depicts Earth as an environmental disaster work?
I think the hardest part of this task is waiting for the books.
Cynthia wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Cynthia wrote: "Jayme wrote: "Does the supporting actors one count? "Yes for option two if they won for the supporting actor/actress it would count."
I was referring more to reading..."
Then i will stick With The Blind Side.
I didnt realize they talked about the state of earth in Avatar, I must not have been paying attention.
If avatar is about an environmental disaster then a good book to read would be The Rapture. I saw it on the TV book club last night and it looked really interesting. I will use that if Cynthia allows that theme.
kiki wrote: "could you read a book about apartheid in relation to District 9? i saw the movie as a modern day parable about apartheid. it was a great flick!"My sophomores noticed the parallel to apartheid...they also discussed how the corporation's plans for moving the prawns is almost exactly the same as what Elie Wiesel describes in the first chapter of Night
The Avatar links I presented were posted in a Sci-Fi/Fantasy group I'm in or discussed amongst peers OR published in blogs/news articles. I'm going to read Old Man's War. It has a similar avatar theme. When a man reaches old age, he is given an option to join the military in a new body (avatar part). It's a super soldier form. If he survives so many years, he can get a new body (not super soldier) and start life all over again but younger.
It's a book my Dad recommended when we saw Avatar together. BUT if the theme has to be an exact comparison than focusing on the avatar part, I might do Ferngully.
Sam wrote: "kiki wrote: "could you read a book about apartheid in relation to District 9? i saw the movie as a modern day parable about apartheid. it was a great flick!"My sophomores noticed the parallel..."
ooh, i could see how a book about the holocaust could tie in, too. they did move them around and segregate them much the way they moved the jews around in the ghettos.
depressing stuff! District 9 really got to me, and has stayed with me all these months.
Coralie wrote: "As in Avatar Earth is an environmental disaster, would a book that depicts Earth as an environmental disaster work?"As long as you can explain how it connects in a meaningful way to the film it counts.
I haven't watched the film so if someone can let me know how avatar depicts an environmental disaster taht would be great, that way I can fit in the book I want to use for it!!
Alice, if you watched Disney's Pocahantas, you have an idea what the environmental theme. In the Disney film, miners come to destroy the trees and landscape for the very precious ore underneath. In Avatar, miners come to destroy the trees and landscape for the VERY precious ore underneath the native's sacred tree. In both they have the whole everything is tied to each other in nature theme.So if you read a book about deforestization, it'll work.
The amusing link on the plot -- http://www.thefunnyblog.org/wp-conten...
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Xenocide (other topics)Speaker for the Dead (other topics)
A Table in the Presence (other topics)
The Tom Hanks Enigma: The Biography of the World's Most Intriguing Movie Star (other topics)
The Tom Hanks Enigma: The Biography of the World's Most Intriguing Movie Star (other topics)
More...
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards Ceremony will be held on March 7th...in honor of this ceremony which celebrates excellence in film read either...
A. A book that relates to one of the films nominated for this years best picture...(if the film was adapted from a book you may read the book it was adapted from...if it is an original story read a book that has a similar theme or plot).
Or
B. A biography/autobiography of an Academy Award winning actor, actress, or director.
If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.