Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch and when I sat down to think about it I was surprised just how many movies I still need to get around to. Unfortunately in most cases I still need to read the books too which is why I've been putting them off LOL.

1. The Book Thief

I first read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak about seven years ago and I absolutely loved it, it's a incredibly emotional story and one I've actually been meaning to reread for a long time now. As soon as I first saw the trailer I wanted to watch the movie, in fact it was one I had planned to see at the cinema but for some reason I never quite got around to it.

2. The Fault in Our Stars

I'm ashamed to admit that I've never read a John Green book (and yes I do know that is a terrible thing for a book blogger to admit!) but I've heard amazing things about both The fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns. To be honest I put off watching both movies because I've not read the books but I know that they're the kind of thing I need to be in the right mood for so I'll keep holding off until the right moment.

3. How to Train Your Dragon

I've not read the books in this series either but I love dragons and having seen a few episodes of the cartoon with my friend's son I know I'm going to enjoy the movies.

4. Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2

I'll always have a soft spot for the Twilight books, they may not be the best books ever written and looking back now there are a lot of things that disturb me about the relationship between Bella and Edward but the books got me reading again and for that I'll always be grateful. I don't love the movies but I've watched the other 3 so I feel like I need to see it through to the end!

5. The Host

I'm sure it won't be a surprise when I say that I haven't read The Host yet (even though it's been on my to read pile since 2010!) but I've heard great things about both the book and the movie so I really do need to get around to it.

6. Vampire Academy

I absolutely LOVE Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series so I was really excited when I found out they were making a movie. Okay so I know the movie was a flop and I've not heard great things about it but it's still one I want to watch one day.

7. Warm Bodies

I had mixed feelings about Warm Bodies, I loved the main character and I enjoyed reading his story but the whole zombie / human romance aspect just made me cringe. I wasn't interested in the movie at first but my friend told me it was fantastic so I promised her I'd give it a try.

8. The Notebook

Another embarrassing fact about me - I have never read a Nicholas Sparks book! I can practically hear you all gasping in shock but it's true. I've heard great things about The Notebook though, both the book and the movie so again it's one I really feel like I should watch at some point.

9. Beautiful Creatures

This is another series I've been wanting to read for a long time but haven't quite got to yet. I refuse to watch the movie until I've read the first book though.

10 (& 11). The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

I absolutely loved the Chronicles of Narnia growing up, I reread all the books again and again and even have my Dad's copies from when he was at school tucked away in a box somewhere. So, I'm not quite sure why I never got around to watching the movies when they were released but I really must get to them one day.

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As a bonus I thought I'd include a couple of movies that haven't been released yet but that I'm REALLY excited about:

Victor Frankenstein - December 2015

Pride Prejudice & Zombies - February 2016

These both look AMAZING and I definitely need to try and watch them at the cinema :o)

So what do you think? If you've seen any of these I'd love to know what you thought of them (please keep it spoiler free though!). Did some of them make your list? What other movies would you recommend?

News: Penguin Chats Reminder & Your Chance to Meet Lauren Oliver!

I wanted to give you a reminder that the first ever Penguin Chat will take place later on today. If you want the chance to chat with Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and ask them any questions you have about the Beautiful Creatures books and upcoming movie then make sure you're on Twitter at 8pm GMT tonight! You can find all the details on the Penguin blog but here are some accounts you might want to make sure you're following on Twitter so you're ready to join the party: @PenguinUKBooks @kamigarcia @mstohl. You'll need to follow the #PenguinChats tag to make sure you don't miss anything.

Beautiful Creatures

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Lauren Oliver is heading to the UK!

Now I know there are a lot of Lauren Oliver fans out there! I love her dystopian series: Delirium (read my review here), Pandemonium (read my review here) and can't wait to read the final instalment Requiem when it is published in March. I have some very exciting news to share with you, to celebrate the release of Requiem Lauren is heading to the UK which means that my fellow British fans are going to get a chance to meet her!! How exciting is that? I was lucky enough to meet Lauren a couple of years ago when she came over to launch Delirium and she was absolutely lovely. I'd love to meet her again and get my copies of Pandemonium and Requiem signed!

So, if you want to meet Lauren she will be at the Waterstones branch in Piccadilly, London on Tuesday the 19th of March at 6:30pm. The tickets cost just £3 each and you can find all of the details about the event and how to buy them on the Hodder website here. I'm guessing there will be limited tickets so you might want to reserve your place as soon as possible to make sure you don't miss out!

Requiem

News: Announcing the first #PenguinChats featuring Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (including Beautiful Creatures character profiles)

I'm very excited to announce that I'm one of Penguin's official blog partners for their new #PenguinChats project. The aim of the project is to make it easier for readers to connect with some of their favourite Penguin & Puffin authors - even the ones who aren't based in the UK. Check out this announcement from Penguin for more information:

There’s an incredible community of teen, young and new adult authors, bloggers and readers out there, and we want to provide a way for everyone to find each other, link up and talk books!

Penguin Chats are a 30 minute Q&A with a Penguin author on Twitter, hosted by @PenguinUKBooks and using #PenguinChats. We’ll be inviting anyone and everyone to put their questions to the author to receive an immediate and live response!

We’ll also be linking up with top book bloggers to offer you exclusive content in the month leading up to the event, and a 24-hour discount on the featured book through penguin.co.uk on the day.

Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The inaugural Penguin Chat will take place at 8pm GMT on Sunday 27th January, with Kami Garcia (@kamigarcia) and Margaret Stohl (@mstohl) authors of the incredible Beautiful Creatures ahead of the film release on 14th February.

You can read the full announcement on the Penguin Blog here for more information. Don't forget to follow the #PenguinChats tag on Twitter to join in the fun.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm incredibly excited about the Beautiful Creatures movie - I've posted the trailer before (you can watch it here) & I think it looks fantastic! I haven't actually read the series yet, although I've been meaning to for a long time, so I really need to read at least the first one before the chat on the 27th. If you're one of the few who like me haven't read the book yet check out the synopsis and character profiles below for more information.

Is falling in the love the beginning . . . or the end? In Ethan Wate’s hometown there lies the darkest of secrets . . .

There is a girl.

There is a curse.

In the end, there is a grave.

Ethan never even saw it coming.

Ethan Lawson Wate
Ethan is 16 years old and is the books narrator. Six months prior to the start of the book his mother was killed in a car crash and, since then, his father has become a recluse, rarely leaving his library. Ethan dreams of leaving Gatlin to travel the world and fears becoming stuck like many of the town’s residents.

He meets and falls deeply in love with Lena Duchannes, a Caster, and also discovers that he and his family are more involved with the darkness of the Caster world than he could have ever imagined.

Quotes from Ethan:

• “There are only two kinds of people in my town. The stupid and the stuck.”
• “I’m a freak, you’re a freak. Your house makes rooms disappear, my house makes people disappear. Your shut-in uncle is nuts and my shut-in dad is a lunatic, so I don’t know what you think makes us different.”
• “Maybe you don’t have to be a Caster to have power. Maybe you just have to fall for one.”

Lena Duchannes
Lena is an outsider in a small town like Gatlin, regarded with suspicion by many who misunderstand her. She was born a Natural Caster – an extremely rare type of Caster with incredibly powerful supernatural abilities. When we first meet her, Lena is awaiting her 16th birthday, when she will discover if she will be claimed by the Dark or the Light. Her deepest fear is of becoming Dark and turning into a cruel and evil Caster.

Before moving to Gatlin, Lena has recurring dreams of a teenage boy who saves her and when she meets Ethan, she realises he is the boy in her dreams. But can he save her? Or will her Caster powers be too dangerous for a mortal like Ethan?

Quotes from Lena:

• “You’re not the only one falling.”
• “In case something happens tonight, I just wanted you to know; I love you, Ethan.”
• “You’re a Mortal. You can’t understand. I don’t want to see you get hurt, and that’s what will happen if you get too close to me.”

Link
Wesley Jefferson Lincoln, better known as Link, is Ethan’s best friend and the on/off love interest of Lena’s cousin Ridley Duchannes. His life, like Ethan’s, changes upon the arrival of Lena in Gatlin when he discovers the existence of the Caster world – and falls in love with the dangerous Siren, Ridley.

Quotes from Link:

• “Ladies, ladies. There’s no need to fight. There’s plenty of this to go around.”
• “I know I’m an idiot, but there’s one girl in my head right now.”
• “You’re not gonna kiss me, are you?”

Macon Ravenwood
Macon ‘Melchizedek’ Ravenwood, is Lena’s uncle and was chosen to watch over her until her 16th birthday. Despite his reputation as the ‘bogeyman’ of Gatlin, he is kind, generous and will go to any length to protect those he loves. He is rarely seen without his dog Boo, whom he describes as his “eyes.”

Quotes from Macon:

• “Do you know what lengths I will go to, to keep her safe for five months? What it will cost me? How it will drain me, perhaps, destroy me?”
• “I warned you that this friendship would be dangerous, that it could develop into something more. A future between the two of them is an impossibility.”
• “Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures.”

Ridley Duchannes
Ridley (born Julia) Duchannes is Lena’s cousin and childhood ex-best friend, as well as the on/off girlfriend of Link. She became Dark on her 16th birthday and is also a Siren – a seductress who can easily entrap and control human minds. Ridley is wild, stubborn and rebellious, and when armed with a red lollipop, can make people do anything she wants. Despite being Dark, she genuinely cares for Lena and risks her life to help Ethan and Link save her cousin.

Quotes from Ridley:

• “Take a good look Hot Rod. This is the last time you’re ever gonna see me.”
• “Got any big plans for your birthday, Cuz?”
• “Don’t look so wounded. We had fun while it lasted.”

Amma
Amarie Treadeau, better know as Amma, is Ethan’s nanny and has been with the Wate family for many years. She cares for Ethan as any mother would, after his own mother died and is fiercely protective of him. Amma is also a Seer – she is able to see back to the past and also see into the future, as well as contact the spirits of the deceased.

Quotes from Amma:

• “Nonsense. That boy doesn’t have power anymore than I have a tail.”
• “Nobody messes with my boy. Not Abraham Ravenwoood, nor the serpent or Old Scratch himself, you hear.”
• “I’ll take care of this. I’ll tell him he can’t see her anymore.”

What do you think of the character profiles? If you've read the books do the actors match the way you saw the characters in your head when you were reading? Who is your favourite character? If you haven't read the books yet are you still looking forward to the film? Do you think you'll read the book before you watch the movie? Which character/s are you most looking forward to getting to know?

Winner: Beautiful Creatues series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

With the help of Rafflecopter I am excited to announce the winner of the complete Beautiful Creatures series (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl is:

Kirsty (email address starting kirstylouise..@...)

Congratulations Kirsty! You should have already received an email from me asking for your addresses so please make sure you look out for it. If I don't hear back from you within 48 hours then a new winner will be chosen. Your prize will be sent out by my contact at Penguin so you'll need to give permission for me to forward your address to them.

I'd like to say a massive thank you to Penguin for allowing me to host this giveaway for them.

Upcoming Book to Movie Adaptations I can't wait to watch!

Since I've stumbled across quite a few movie trailers recently I thought it might be nice to share them here & find out which ones you're all looking forward to watching.

The Hobbit - December 2012

I have to say the one I'm most excited about is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, I've read the book several times over the years (in fact I must re-read it soon before the film comes out!) and have always been a massive fan of this and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love the LotR films so I have very high hopes that The Hobbit will be just as good if not better and watching the following trailers has only increased my excitement!

Warm Bodies - February 2013

I have to admit I'm not so sure about Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, the fact that there is a romance between a human girl and the zombie who ate her boyfriend made me feel more than a little squeamish when I read the book (you can read my review here). However in spite of not being keen on the romance I did find that there was something incredibly compelling about the book, it was very well written and really made you think about the things that are important and what it is that makes us human. From the trailer it looks like the film stays very true to the book (although you can never be 100% sure of that until you've see the whole thing) and I am very curious about it. I don't think I'll be booking advance tickets for as soon as this one comes out but if the reviews are good then I might just give it a chance.

Beautiful Creatures - February 2013

I already posted the trailer for Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl but I couldn't really post about films I'm excited about without mentioning it again. Now the Beautiful Creatures series is one I've been wanting to read for ages but for some reason have never got around to. It looks like I'm going to have to hurry up and read at least the first book though because I don't want to miss the movie! Don't forget I currently have a UK giveaway for all 4 books in the Beautiful Creatures series that you can enter here (giveaway closes on the 5th of December)

The Host - March 2013

The Host by Stephenie Meyer is another one of those books that I bought years ago but have never got around to reading. I'm not even sure why because I've heard really good things about it & I read the Twilight series multiple times before I started blogging (don't judge, I know the series isn't perfect and not everyone loves it but it got me back into reading again after a long break so it'll always have a special place in my heart!). Anyway, I think the film looks awesome so it's another book I need to hurry up and read!

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones - August 2013

It may not be out until August but I'm already incredibly excited about City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, I love the books (read my review of City of Bones here) and think the film will be fantastic! I have a feeling that with so many fans of the series out there this is going to be one of the must see summer smash hits.



There really are some awesome book to movie adaptations coming out next year aren't there! Of course I'm also really looking forward to Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, I couldn't find a trailer for that one yet though but I'll be sure to post it on the blog when I come across it. Are there any other films coming out that I've forgotten about? Which of these are you most excited about?

Cover Reveal: New Beautiful Creatures movie tie-in cover + UK Giveaway to win all 4 books in the series! #beautifulcreatures

On 13th February 2013 the internationally best-selling novel Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl becomes a major Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros blockbuster, directed by Oscar nominated Richard LaGravenese (P.S I Love You) and featuring an all star cast including Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons, Viola Davies and hot young Hollywood talent Alice Englert, Alden Ehrenreich and Emmy Rossum.

To celebrate Penguin will be republishing Beautiful Creatures on the 3rd of January with a fabulous new cover to tie in with the movie. Today I'm very excited to be taking part in the global cover reveal so without further ado check out the fantastic new cover:

So what do you think? Stunning isn't it and it really captures the feel of the film! In case you haven't already seen the official movie trailer I thought it would be nice to include it here for you. I know this is a film I can't wait to go and see as soon as it's released!!



Giveaway Details:

Thanks to the lovely folks at Penguin I have a fabulous giveaway for my UK blog readers.

• One lucky winner will win paperback copies of all four books in the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption!
• The winner's prize will be sent out directly by my contact at Penguin so the winner must give me permission to pass their address on.
• To enter please use the rafflecopter below to confirm that you are a UK resident, there are optional extra entries for following or tweeting about the giveaway but these are not required to enter.
• Duplicate and invalid entries will be deleted and the winner will be chosen at random from all remaining entries.
• The giveaway will close at 12:01am EST on the 5th of December 2012 and the winner will be contacted soon afterwards. You will have 48 hours to reply to me with your address or a new winner will be chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway