Books have inspired some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters over the decades: “Gone with the Wind,” “The Godfather,” “Forrest Gump” “Jurassic Park” … we could go on forever! But the age-old question remains: Is the book always better? Join the Amazing Book Challenge to find out!
The Amazing Book Challenges encourages adult and teen readers to broaden their reading horizons by discovering new subjects, series or authors. Readers are encouraged to choose 12 books throughout the year from 12 different categories. This month we’re highlighting books that have made the leap from bookshelves to the big screen in honor of “awards season” in Hollywood.
For the full list of Amazing Book Challenge categories, go to www.naperville-lib.org/ABC
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.If you’re an adrenaline junkie, try this action book: “Bullet Train” by Kotaro Isaka.
Lady Bird — the self-proclaimed “unluckiest assassin in the world” — boards a bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with one simple task: grab a suitcase and get off at the next stop. Unbeknownst to him, he’s one of five assassins on the train with missions that aren’t as unrelated as they first appear.
If you want to laugh until you cry, try this comedy: “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman.
Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines and a short fuse. People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. When a chatty couple with two daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul.
If you’re obsessed with tumbleweeds and suspenseful standoffs, try this western: “The Power of the Dog” by Thomas Savage.
Phil and George are brothers and joint owners of the biggest ranch in their Montana valley. Phil is a vicious sadist, with a seething contempt for weakness to match his thirst for dominance; George has a gentle, loving soul. When George unexpectedly marries a young widow and brings her to live at the ranch, Phil begins a relentless campaign to destroy his brother’s new wife. But he reckons with an unlikely protector.
If you’re into strange planets and political intrigue, try this science fiction: “Dune” by Frank Herbert.
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Paul Atreides is tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice,” a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will send the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
If you like knowing the ending of a film before it’s begun, try this romance: “Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman.
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie — the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months — but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner…
If you wish you lived in a different time, try this historical drama: “The Wonder” by Emma Donoghue.
The Irish Midlands, 1859. An English nurse, Lib Wright, is summoned to a tiny village to observe what some are claiming as a medical anomaly or a miracle — a girl said to have survived without food for months. “The Wonder” is a tale of two strangers who transform each other’s lives, a psychological thriller and a story of love pitted against evil.
If you like shady business deals and murder, try this crime thriller: “House of Gucci” by Sara Gay Forden.
On March 27, 1995, Maurizio Gucci, heir to the fashion dynasty, was slain by an unknown gunman as he approached his Milan office. In 1998, his ex-wife Patrizia Reggiani Martinelli — nicknamed “The Black Widow” by the press — was sentenced to 29 years in prison for arranging his murder. Did Patrizia murder her ex-husband because his spending was wildly out of control? Did she do it because her glamorous ex was preparing to marry his mistress, Paola Franchi? Or is there a possibility she didn’t do it at all?
Ashlee Conour is the marketing specialist at Naperville Public Library.