I had the best of intentions when it came to this month’s theme for Movie Club Monday, but between having a new baby and then being in the hospital for a week with her when she was two weeks old for RSV and bacterial pneumonia, I wasn’t able to do what I had in mind. So that led me to plan B where I decided to poll some of my friends and find out what their favorite movies based on a book are. Being a book lover, I have a hard time when books get adapted into movie form because inevitably they will have to leave parts out and sometimes they even change significant parts of the story line. But every once in a while, you find a movie that stays pretty true to the book and it’s enjoyable to sit back and watch the movie on a screen. So I’ve listed out over 20 books that have been adapted to film and are worth looking into.
*NOTE* I realize there are some books that have had multiple adaptations made from them. I am listing my own favorite(s) and/or those recommended to me by my friends.
Lord of the Rings
Books: by J. R. R. Tolkien
Movies:
- The Hobbit trilogy
- An Unexpected Journey (2012)
- The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- The Two Towers (2002)
- The Return of the King (2003)
The Giver
Books: by Lois Lowry
Movie: The Giver (2014)
The Perks of Being A Wallflower
Book: The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Movie: The Perks of Being A Wallflower (2012)
Anne of Green Gables
Books: by L. M. Montgomery
- Anne of Green Gables
- Anne of Avonlea
- Anne of the Island
- Anne of Windy Poplars
- Anne’s House of Dreams
- Anne of Ingleside
Movies:
- Anne of Green Gables (1985 with Megan Fellows as Anne)
- Anne of Avonlea, The Sequel (1987)
- Anne of Avonlea (1987, TV mini-series)
The Help
Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Movie: The Help (2011)
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Book: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Movie: The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)
Princess Bride
Book: The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Movie: The Princess Bride (1987)
Holes
Book: Holes by Louis Sachar
Movie: Holes (2003)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Books: by Douglas Adams
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
- The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
- Life, the Universe and Everything
- So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
- Mostly Harmless
Movie: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
The Chronicles of Narnia
Books: by C. S. Lewis
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- The Silver Chair
- The Horse and His Boy
- The Magician’s Nephew
- The Last Battle
Movies:
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
- Prince Caspian (2008)
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)
- The Silver Chair (production begins 2018, no release date announced yet)
Pride and Prejudice
Book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Movies:
- Pride and Prejudice (1995, BBC version)
- Pride and Prejudice (2003)
- Pride and Prejudice (2005)
The Hunger Games
Books: by Suzanne Collins
Movies:
- The Hunger Games (2012)
- Catching Fire (2013)
- Mockingjay: Part 1 (2014)
- Mockingjay: Part 2 (2015)
Sense and Sensibility
Book: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Movie: Sense and Sensibility (2008, BBC version)
A Wrinkle In Time
Book: A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Movie: A Wrinkle In Time (2018)
The Neverending Story
Book: The Neverending Story by Michael End (translated to English by Ralph Manheim)
Movies:
- The Neverending Story (1984)
- The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)
- The Neverending Story III: Return to Fantasia (1994)
October Sky (Rocket Boys)
Book: Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
Movie: October Sky (1999)
Harry Potter
Books: by J. K. Rowling
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Movies:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Ben-Hur
Book: Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lewis Wallace
Movies:
Ready Player One
Book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Movie: Ready Player One (release date: 3/29/18)
Stardust
Book: Stardust by Neil Gaiman
Movie: Stardust (2007)
The Count of Monte Cristo
Book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Movie: The Count of Monte Cristo (2002)
Books by Nicholas Sparks Adapted To Film
- Message In A Bottle
- A Walk To Remember
- The Notebook
- Nights in Rodanthe
- Dear John
- The Last Song
- The Lucky One
- Safe Haven
- The Best of Me
- The Longest Ride
- The Choice
So what do you think about this list? Which movies based on a book do you like best? I’d love to hear about any of your favorites that aren’t on the list!
Also, be sure to check out the other hosts of this month’s Movie Club Monday and find out which movie based on a book they chose to feature!
Next month our theme is DISNEY and I’m so excited!
13 Comments
This is such a great list! I love movies based on books. From this list, Pride and Prejudice and The Time Traveler's Wife are my favorite. I also love a good crime thriller like Gone Girl or The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo! There are a couple on here I haven't seen yet, so I'll definitely look into them!
What a great list! I never knew The Neverending Story was a book! I can't wait to show that to my kids! PS. I love your site. So pretty!
My favorite adaptations from those are The Lord of the Rings and The Help. I loved the Harry Potter books but not so much the movies 🙂
This is such a good list! The Chronicles of Narnia is my favorite book series, but I haven't seen the movie!
This is SUCH a good list! Those are most of my faves too! The Count of Monte Cristo tho…that really is a good one!
Great list! I love The Narnia Books and The Lord of the Rings.
So many good ones here! I loved the Giver. What's funny about The Hunger Games is it was one of the few times I thought the movie was better than the book!
This is a great list! I loved The Hunger Games movies and all the Harry Potter ones, of course.
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This is such a great list Shani! I've seen (and read) so many of these but a few of them I need to put on my watch list!
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