Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #8

 
     Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, which allows bloggers to share lists of some of our favorite (and not-so favorite) things.  This week we’ll be highlighting the top ten books that we'd like to see made into movies!   I'm a little late getting to the meme this week (for me it's more like Top Ten Wednesday!!!) but I can honestly say that it's because all of the sudden I got sick Tuesday - with it slowly getting worse as the day went on.   I still don't feel so great, but I love this question and have to answer it!  So here goes, we'll try to get ten books that I'd like to see as movies.  Then I'll be crashing for the night.  Happy late Tuesday everyone and I look forward to seeing your lists! :)
 
 
Top Ten Books That Should Be M0vies (In No Certain Order)
 
1.  Being Henry David by Cal Armistead:  Probably not the first book to cross the mind of any of the other TTT posters this week.  There is just a very translatable quality to this book though.  For much of it the main character has amnesia and doesn't even know who he is.  It would make a really great coming of age story AND mystery.  It would have to be cast just right to work out though.
 
2.  The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong:  If movie people could actually learn from the stupid effing mistakes they've made lately, like completely butchering the Beautiful Creatures series' chance at becoming a film franchise, I might trust them with these books.  They have kick-ass non-stop action, supernatural elements, family drama and major romantic tension.  Perfect for a film series! :)
 
3.  The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder:  I did enjoy The Fault In Our Stars the first time I read it.  But on repeat the teens were a little too precocious to be realistic to me.  I got annoyed with them.  This book however, only improves on repeat readings.  The town of miracles (literally named Promise), the struggle with cancer, the family reactions, the letting go and the romance were all perfectly carried out.  The main character Cam is kind of a disaster and not very approachable.  But her list of things to do before she dies is what she wants to complete.  It might sound like a teen version of The Bucket List - don't insult it like that.  This book would make a really sad, but phenomenal movie.  And it would give Hollywood an opportunity not to whitewash - Cam is half Samoan, her sister is half Norse, their Mom has Italian heritage and the Mom's boyfriend is Japanese.
 
4.  Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst:  This could be the teen movie of the next generation -especially since it kind of makes fun of the beyond tired obsession with vampires.  This book is beyond hilarious and if the director and screenwriter kept to the original novel for the story, I'm sure people would love it! :)
 
5.  Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury:  Set during a time when Jane Austen is still Anonymous and ladies are expected to be prim and proper, our heroine Agnes is going on adventures, studying Egyptian hieroglyphics and trying to solve a mystery regarding Napoleon's spies/tactics.  And it does all this while managing to stay truly amusing.  The romance is also very sweet, if a bit volatile.  The perfect historical romp, that would maybe interest more in historical fiction.  Plus, the Austen fans would be a built in audience.
 
6.  Stolen by Lucy Christopher:  This is the kind of movie that would win Academy Awards - or at least be nominated for them.  Everyone wonders what it would be like to be kidnapped - Gemma finds out in a terrifying moment at the airport with her parents.  But while she's with the kidnapper, Gemma's feelings definitely start to get blurred between hate, understanding and dependence.  A truly fascinating look at the development of Stockholm Syndrome.
 
7.  The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik:  There are so many modernized versions of Pride and Prejudice - not that it's without reason.  But I think there might be a little more appreciation for her other novels if they were reworked modern on the movie screen as well.  As a retelling of Mansfield Park (which seems to be one of Austen's least favored books), this is a good way to bridge to gap between today's kids and the original book.  Very well written and with a surprise twist at the end, this could definitely be part of the new wave of well-made teen movies.
 
8.  The Face On The Milk Carton and Whatever Happened to Janie? by Caroline B. Cooney:  Ideally the entire series would be made, but with 5 books (and not being dystopian or fantasy) it's highly unlikely.  First published in 1990, it's the story of a girl who sees her own face on her milk carton at school one day - and realizes that she is someone else's kidnapped child.  She has to decide whether or not to tell anyone, or stay quiet with the family she loves.  It was made into a TV movie in the late 90s with Kellie Martin.  Update it a little bit for the times and it would be a hit.  The story is the universal what-if.  We all wonder about being someone else, but what if you actually were?
 
9.  Sorcery and Cecilia: Or, The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer:  This book is told almost entirely in correspondence between the two main characters Cecilia and Kate (who are cousins), plus all their friends and family.  The setting is a bit of an alternate history, where magic exists in Regency England.  Investigating strange goings on and possibly even foiling a plot to harm the Queen, both girls have an eventful and interesting summer.  This would make a phenomenal miniseries if produced by the BBC.  It would be very entertaining.
 
10.  Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers:  With the overwhelming popularity of the Game of Thrones, Tudors, White Queen, and The Borgias television series, this series would make a great addition to the crowd.  They'd be okay as movies (most likely subpar because of the sheer amount going on in them though).  But they would shine as a TV series, full of court intrigue, romance, magic, spies, Death (as in actually the god/patron saint of Death), and historical context.  I'm sure they would be immensely popular if done true to the books and well produced/casted/acted/scripted.  This is one that could go very wrong otherwise.

17 comments:

  1. I did like Stolen and I think it would make a good movie, but I found it a little troubling how romanticized the captor was. Most kidnap victims are not taken by attractive young men who will respectfully wait until the girl is ready to get physical. Great list! My TTT

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    1. I think his craziness made up for his supposed good looks, at least for me personally, while I was reading it. The whole Stockholm Syndrome thing would be interesting on screen. :)

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  2. Yes! The Darkest Powers trilogy would make an excellent movie franchise. I'm shocked The Face on the Milk Carton isn't a film already. I also whole-heartedly concur with #9 and #10. Love the list.

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    1. Milk Carton was a TV movie in the 90s, but I'm more shocked someone hasn't updated it and turned it into a movie/TV series more recently. I think it could gain a pretty large following. Also, DARKEST POWERS!!! GAHHH!!! It would be awesome...if they did it right! :)

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  3. I actually haven't read anything on your list, but I'm thinking of eventually giving Drink, Slay, Love a try. Assuming I have the spare time, I'm willing to take a peek at anything that rips on the recent vampire explosion, to the point that I made the mistake of going to see Vampires Suck. (All the funny bits were in the commercial, so... there goes that ten bucks.)

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    1. Drink, Slay, Love is hilarious! :) Absolutely worth the time and library rental. She gets stabbed by a unicorn's horn and it takes away her evil - but not her snark. Definitely recommend it!

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  4. The Trouble With Flirting - definitely! That was a book I'd really enjoyed. It would definitely make an excellent movie! Great choice! :-)

    I haven't read any of your other choices, though! LOL

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    1. You should totally check out Wrapped and Sorcery & if you're a Jane Austen fan. They kind of remind me of her, but with a little less wry wit and more outright humor. They're both fun though! :) And yes, TWF would make a great movie!

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  5. Grave Mercy is the only book I have read from your list.

    As a TV series I think it would generate a huge fanbase. How they would portray Death would be interesting.

    They could even continue it with Dark Triumph...Waiting for book 3 is killing me.

    Ashley
    @Bookz4Nerdz

    P.S. Not sure if you knew but you have Captcha on and they are soo annoying. so just a suggestion but if you take it off more people are likely to comment. (some other blogger told me and it did help)

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    1. I turned off the Captcha. Been meaning to, thanks for the reminder! :) And yes, Grave Mercy could have mass appeal as a TV show for sure. I just would want to see them respect the material!

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  6. Oh, I love Sorcery and Cecelia! You're right, a BBC miniseries would be perfect for it!

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    1. Yeah, I'm surprised they haven't discovered it yet. Someone needs to send a BBC exec. a copy of the book with a letter saying, "Hey I found your next project, no need to thank me!" LOL :)

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  7. This is a pretty good list! Lots of different kinds of books-mainly ones I haven't read (yet). If only, if only, lol

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    1. Finding the time is the hard part, right? :) So many books, so little time. They are all really great books, so I can't even tell you that if you read just one to pick this one "enter title here." It would be like picking a favorite kid! LOL

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  8. Oh Stolen , did not think of that book when I made my list :)

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    1. I managed to leave Christopher Pike's Remember Me series off this list and I've been talking about how I want that movie for at least a decade. My mind failed me too, so you're not alone! :)

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  9. I read Sorcery and Cecilia what seems like ages ago as a kidlet. I remember having intense internal debates about why anyone would bother drinking tea or coffee if hot chocolate was available at every meal. It's weird the things that stick with you, but I'd totally go to that movie!

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