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10 Books to Read Before Watching the Movies This Year

by  | January 10
Books To Read Before Watching the Movies

2019 is looking pretty dope so far—we just got a very diverse freshman class in Congress, another royal baby on the way, and we’re getting more amazing books and movies than we can probably keep up with.

The pop culture world is already buzzing about all the incredible films that will be coming out all year long, so we obviously had to pull together a list of our favorites…which happen to be based on books!

If you haven’t read these books yet, check them out before they hit the big screen. Because the book is always better (duh).

Five Feet Apart

Five Feet Apart

by Rachael Lippincott

Saimah’s Pick

Movie Release Date: March 15

For fans of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars…

Five Feet Apart shares the story of two teenagers who are living with cystic fibrosis (CF). Their condition weakens their immune system, making even fighting a common cold seem like they are tackling pneumonia.

Stella has always been very regimented with her treatments and following the rules. When Stella and Will cross paths they want to throw all the rules out the window. Will shows Stella what she should be fighting for….

Cole Sprouse of Riverdale fame and Haley Lu Richardson star in this movie, which is directed by Justin Baldoni (Rafael from Jane the Virgin). This is a heartfelt story of young love and overcoming the curveballs that life throws our way.

The movie hits theaters on March 22, so check out the book now!

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Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

by Maria Semple

Shefali’s Pick

Movie Release Date: March 22

Where'd You Go, Bernadette, based on the novel of the same name by Maria Semple, stars Cate Blanchett and Emma Nelson, and will be released this March!

I absolutely can’t wait to see the movie because (1) Cate Blanchett is a dream, and this role is right up her alley and (2) Where'd You Go, Bernadette made me a champion laugh-cryer (cry-laugher?).

The story: Bernadette Fox is having a rough time. She takes #homebody to the next level, rarely leaving the house, having weird turf wars with the neighbors, and keeping a lot of her past hidden from her only kid, fifteen-year-old Bee. After a series of somewhat strange events, Bernadette’s husband, Elgin, considers committing her to a psychiatric institution and tries to hold an intervention at Bernadette’s dentist appointment (of all places, really Elgin?!) in order to do so. Except everything (obviously) goes wrong, and the FBI, the police, and the neighbors are all present when Elgin confronts Bernadette. And, naturally, she skips out.

It comes down to Bee (because Elgin is really proving useless at this point) to locate her mother—so she begins going through Bernadette’s old emails, letters, and documents to piece together what happened in her mom’s past and where she might have run away to.

The bulk of the story is told through these documents, which makes for a fascinating and lively read. You won’t be able to put down this quirky dramedy (cause I for sure didn’t). And all the mom-daughter feels are a beautiful bonus.

(Love you, Mom!)

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Wounds

Wounds

by Nathan Ballingrud

Shefali’s Pick

Movie Release Date: March 29

Horror fans, listen up! Making its premiere at Sundance Film Festival is Wounds, featuring Armie Hammer and Dakota Johnson. The movie follows a New Orleans bartender whose life begins to unravel after a series of disturbing and inexplicable events start to happen when he picks up a phone left behind at his bar.

The film is based on author Nathan Ballingrud’s novella “The Visible Filth,” which is one of six stories in his upcoming collection Wounds and is giving me the creepy crawlies! I mean, the subtitle is Six Stories from the Border of Hell…could we expect anything less?

If you loved Books of Blood by Clive Barker, then you’ll love these stories, which are confounding, strange, and utterly mesmerizing… You’ll search for the map of hell in “The Butcher’s Table.” You’ll attend the opening ceremonies of the Seventieth Annual Skullpocket Fair (via special invitation from Jonathan Wormcake, the Eminent Corpse of Hob’s Landing) in “Skullpocket.” And you’ll walk away from the whole collection riveted by Ballingrud’s terrifying depictions of the murky line between the known and the unknown.

This is a must-read before watching the indie horror flick! (Which obviously is a must-watch, cause, um, Armie Hammer.)

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Pet Sematary (Media Tie-In)

Pet Sematary (Media Tie-In)

by Stephen King

Shefali’s Pick

Movie Release Date: April 5

Soon to be a film starring Jason Clarke and John Lithgow, Pet Sematary is a classic novel by Stephen King.

When Dr. Louis Creed and family move to idyllic Ludlow, Maine, the rural town seems too good to be true. And it is.

The undercurrent of danger in the small town is palpable, especially so in the graveyard near the Creeds’ home, where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. Behind this “pet sematary,” there is another burial ground, one that lures people in with seductive promises and ungodly temptations. A blood-chilling truth is hidden there—one more terrifying than death itself. An ominous fate befalls anyone who dares tamper with this forbidden place, as Louis is about to discover...

BONUS: If you can’t wait for the new film, watch the 1989 adaptation!

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After

After

by Anna Todd

Saimah’s Pick

Movie Release Date: April 12

Tessa has always been a good girl. She has a steady boyfriend who loves her. But when she moves into her freshman dorm, she gets a taste of freedom from her mother’s watchful eye.

Enter Hardin, the bad boy with the alluring British accent and a devil may care attitude. Tessa can’t help but be drawn in by him. She tries to resist, but after they share a passionate moment, all thoughts of what she should do fall .

Hero Fiennes Tiffin (a.k.a. the guy who played Young Voldemort) will be playing the role of Hardin in the movie. Appropriate that he is playing the bad boy in this film too! Check out the steamy trailer.

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The Sun Is Also a Star

The Sun Is Also a Star

by Nicola Yoon

Saimah’s Pick

Movie Release Date: May 17

Natasha Kingsley has always been the girl who believes in science and facts—fate and destiny were not in her realm of reality. But 24 hours before her family is about to be deported to Jamaica, she meets Daniel Bae on a crowded NYC street and falls head over heels for him.

Similarly, Daniel was never a dreamer—he always had his feet on the ground. But when he crosses paths with Natasha everything changes…. It seems like the universe is trying to pull them together.

Yara Shahidi will be starring as Natasha Kingsley alongside Charles Melton (another Riverdale cast member), who has been cast as Daniel . This novel was a National Book Award Finalist, so make sure to read it before the movie releases on May 17!

 

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It (Audio)

It (Audio)

by Stephen King

Shefali’s Pick

Movie Release Date: September 6

It: Chapter Two is slated to hit theaters in September, and I can and cannot wait.

On the one hand, It the book and It the movie (the 2017 adaptation that brought the first half of the novel to the screen and is unofficially called It: Chapter One) both scared me silly. But on the other hand, I want to see the Losers Club all grown up (hello, James McAvoy!), and I’m excited to see how the second half of Stephen King’s story plays out on the screen.

If you haven’t read It in a while or—gasp!—at all, now is the time to pick it up.

The novel follows the “Losers Club,” a group of seven kids and social outcasts that are terrorized by a murderous, shape-shifting force they refer to as “It,” which primarily takes the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. There is a lot of gore and violence—but ultimately the story is about the nature of fear and evil, and gets quite philosophical at points. It also left me wondering if it was Stephen King that ruined clowns forever?

BONUS: After you read the book and watch It, throwback to the OG mini-series adaptation featuring Tim Curry!

via GIPHY

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The Woman in the Window

The Woman in the Window

by A. J. Finn

Saimah’s Pick

Movie Release Date: October 4

Do you prefer a story that has a bit of a darker twist? Then The Woman in the Window is for you!

Anna Fox lives alone in New York City and is thankful that this city makes it so easy to never have to leave your home. She spends her days drinking and spying on her neighbors…. She never expects that when the Russells move into the house across the way, her habit of snooping may lead her to witness something she shouldn’t.

This book will be on the silver screen in October, giving you plenty of time to pick up this page-turning !

Amy Adams is starring as Anna Fox, along with Julianna Moore and Gary Oldman who’ll be playing the Russell family. Find the latest deets about the movie here!

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The Goldfinch

The Goldfinch

by Donna Tartt

Saimah’s Pick

Movie Release Date: October 11

This captivating novel won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014.

After surviving an accident that kills his mother, thirteen-year-old Theo Decker is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. He struggles to adjust to his new accommodations, school, and lifestyle. He wasn’t raised to live on Park Ave and has a hard time fitting into this new world. He clings to the one thing that reminds him of his late mother—a small painting that pulls Theo into the underworld of art.

The movie, starring Ansel Elgort and Nicole Kidman, is set to hit theaters in October!

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Little Women

Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott

Shefali’s Pick

Movie Release Date: December 25

A classic! If you haven’t read this one yet, I don’t know what you’ve been doing all this time.

Little Women follows the tale of four sisters—grown-up Meg, tomboyish Jo, timid Beth, and precocious Amy. The March girls couldn’t be more different. But with their father away at war, and their mother working to support the family, they have to rely on one another. Whether they’re putting on a play, forming a secret society, celebrating Christmas, or navigating romantic relationships, there’s one thing they can’t help wondering: Will Father return home?

I can’t wait to see a crew of some of my favorite actresses—including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, and Laura Dern—bring this classic to life in... December! Meaning there’s plenty of time to read (and re-read) the book.

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