Book-to-Movie Alert: In the Heart of the Sea

This March, Ron Howard brings Nathaniel Philbrick's true life adventure story In The Heart of the Sea to the big screen starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy and Ben Whishaw.

In the Heart of the Sea brings to new life the incredible story of the wreck of the whaleship Essex--an event as mythic in its own century as the Titanic disaster in ours, and the inspiration for the climax of Moby Dick and recounts its doomed crew's ninety-day attempt to survive whale attacks and the elements on three tiny lifeboats.

"A gripping chronicle of an epic voyage of hardship and survival that deserves to be as well known now as it once was." (Kirkus Reviews)

Read more about the movie here.

Books on the Silver Screen

2014 is turning out to be the kind of year that sees many novels being turned into screenplays. Columnist Gina Vaynshteyn (of Hello Giggles) compiled a list of 17 books that will hit theaters this year. Here are just several of the books that appear on her list (click here to access the full article):

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn In Gone Girl, Amy Dunne goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary. Her husband, desperate to clear himself of suspicion resulting from incriminating passages written in Amy's diary, realizes that something more disturbing than murder may have occurred. Starring: Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike Release date: Oct. 3, 2014 Serena by Ron Rash Newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel to the North Carolina mountains in 1929 where they plan to create a timber empire. The work conditions are harsh, but Serena holds her own and runs a tight ship alongside her husband, ruthlessly killing anyone who falls out of favor. Things start to quickly unravel when George fathers an illegitimate child and Serena finds out that she is unable to bear her own children. Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper Release date: 2014 This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper In This Is Where I Leave You Judd Foxman's father dies and its the first time in years that he and his dysfunctional family spend any time together. Complicating matters even further, Judd is also dealing with his wife's infidelity and the end of this marriage. Starring: Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Rose Byrne, Adam Driver Release date: Sept. 12, 2014 ***Don't get caught wishing you had read the book before you saw the movie!***

Coming to the Big Screen

This year, a number of book have made their way to the big screen with this trend continuing for the next month and a half.  One of them is Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law.  The nineteenth novel tells of a woman's bitter struggle to live outside of moral law after abandoning her husband for her lover.  The movie re-imagines Imperial Russia in remarkable detail with brilliant acting.  Will you be seeing the movie?

Coming to the Big Screen This Fall

This fall is full of literary gems that have been adapted for the big screen!  Which one(s) will you be watching?

Jack Kerouac's classic novel of the great American road trip, On the Road, will star Kristen Stewart and Steve Buscemi.

In Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip , while war rages on in Papua New Guinea, a young girl becomes transfixed by the Charles Dickens classic, Great Expectations, which is being read at school by the only white man in the village.  The movie adaptation stars Hugh Laurie.

Bestselling novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel will be directed by Ang Lee.  It is the magical story of Pi Patel, the son of a zookeeper, who during a move from India to Canada via ship, finds himself adrift in the Pacific with a zebra, hyena, orangutan, and a 450 lb tiger.

Movie Alert: Shadow & Bone

DreamWorks, the production company that brought you the Harry Potter series, announced this week that it has acquired to movie rights to  the hit YA fantasy book, Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo.  With mesmerizing writing and delightful motifs that make it popular with adults as well, Shadow and Bone tells the story of Alina, an orphan of the Border Wars, and her only friend Mal, as she is taken to become the protege of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite.  Ultimately a story about the power of one's hidden strength, the movie is sure to be a hit.  Make sure you can say you read the book first!