There have been so many big movie hits based on books! Most of the time, I think, the book is better than the film, but it’s still fun to compare them! What are your favorite books that’ve been made into movies? In this blog post, we’re giving you a list of 15 of our favorite books that are also movies!
15. Divergent by Veronica Roth
Beatrice Prior (Tris) is a sixteen-year-old girl who lives in Abnegation, one of Chicago’s five factions. She takes a test to see which of the factions she should join. Afterward, she has to attend the Choosing Ceremony, where she has to decide whether to choose to stay in Abnegation or leave her old faction. Tris discovers she’s a Divergent, meaning she qualifies for multiple factions, and she is warned not to tell anyone.
Personally, I enjoyed the books more than the movie series. The first movie, Divergent, remains mostly faithful to the book and is a good adaptation. In the later movies, there are several plot changes that make the movies less appealing, so the The Divergent Series takes 15th on our list.
14. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Seven guests, a secretary, and two staff stay at a manor on a lone island and are killed one-by-one.
The chilling sequence of events are detailed in the nursery rhyme:
Ten little Indian boys went out to dine;
One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late;
One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indian boys traveling in Devon;
One said he’d stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks;
One chopped himself in halves and then there were six.
Six little Indian boys playing with a hive;
A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Indian boys going in for law;
One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Indian boys going out to sea;
A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo;
A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two Little Indian boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Indian boy left all alone;
He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.
If you’re into mysteries, you’ll love And Then There Were None. There have been several adaptations of Agatha Christie’s iconic novel: one in 1945 and one in 1974, which are both movies, and then a TV series adapted in 2015.
13. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
One of Agatha Christie’s famous Hercule Poirot mysteries, Murder on the Orient Express, is also a great movie! On the Orient Express, an avalanche stops the train in its tracks and someone is murdered. Hercule Poirot must discover the murderer before they strike again.
As with many of Agatha Christie’s novels, Murder on the Orient Express is full of plot twists, and the ending is something entirely unexpected and unpredictable. The movie adaptation came out in 2017 and has an impressive cast!
12. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
On a hot day, while sitting near a bank and listening to her sister read aloud a book, Alice is just starting to drift off when she unexpectedly sees a white rabbit near her take out a pocket watch. This strange sight piques Alice’s curiosity, and she starts following the rabbit down a rabbit hole! Alice finds herself in a new world called Wonderland, full of magic, cards, and talking animals!
This is an absolute classic and has several adaptations: the 1951 animated version and the live-action 2010 adaptation with Mia Wasikowska.
11. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
During World War II, the Pevensie siblings travel to the countryside to an old professor’s house. When Lucy Pevensie steps through an old professor’s wardrobe, she finds herself in a magical snowy world called Narnia where she meets Mr. Tumnus, a faun. Lucy discovers that Narnia is in trouble and suffering under the wicked White Witch’s control. Can Lucy and her siblings save Narnia?
The Chronicles of Narnia is also a classic and must-read series. The movies have a good mix of action and fantasy and are worth checking out! The first three books of the series have been made into movies. The order to read The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Last Battle.
10. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Are you into crime and mystery? Luckily for you, the new Death on the Nile movie is coming out in 2021! The story starts with a rich and happy girl named Linnet Ridgeway, who has an affair with her best friend’s boyfriend. When they all come aboard a boat on the Nile, the trouble starts. Linnet Ridgeway is soon murdered, and it’s up to Hercule Poirot to solve this murder mystery.
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontё
Jane Eyre is raised by her abusive aunt and then sent to a charity school where she is again treated poorly. Despite the terrible treatment she received, Jane is able to earn a good education and takes a job at the Estate of Edward Rochester. A relationship blossoms between Jane and Rochester, but Jane flees when she discovers Rochester’s darkest secret.
Jane Eyre is a romance and coming-of-age story all in one. It is also widely considered one of the earliest feminist novels. There are several movie adaptations of this classic novel–I’ve only watched the 2011 version, but I found it quite enjoyable!
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice regards the stormy relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and a wealthy landowner named Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy overcome their biases to fall in love and marry.
You can actually watch the 2005 adaptation for free on Peacock!
7. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Lara Jean Covey writes secret love letters to her previous crushes. Unbeknownst to Lara Jean, her love letters are sent out, and she’s forced to deal with the chaos that ensues. The series order goes: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, P.S. I still love you, Always and Forever Lara Jean.
There are three books and three movies to match. In fact, the movie adaptation of the last book actually came out just this February!
6. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
After finding herself in a tornado, Dorothy finds herself in a magical world called Oz. When she arrives, she meets the Good Witch of the North, who gives her a pair of red shoes. Dorothy follows the yellow brick road to find the Wizard of Oz, who will be able to help her find her way back to her home in Kansas. Can Dorothy find her way home?
There are both animated and live-action adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s iconic story, but the most well-known one is probably the 1939 version with Judy Garland, which you can find on Hulu.
5. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien
The Hobbit is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo Baggins’ peaceful life is disturbed when Gandalf, a wizard, forces him to go on an adventure with the dwarf Thorin Oakenshield and his company made up of 12 dwarves. When the thirteen dwarves, Gandalf, and Bilbo set out to reclaim the dwarf kingdom of Erebor, taken by the greedy dragon Smaug, they encounter goblins, stone giants, and elves along the way. Can they survive and make it in time to reclaim Erebor?
To be honest, the first time I read The Hobbit, it was quite difficult to get through, but after reading it again recently, I ended up finding it very enjoyable! Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation of The Hobbit adds new elements, which has made it controversial in the past in terms of how faithful it is to the books, but I think the movie trilogy is definitely worth watching and great for anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure!
4. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Three African-American women, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson, work at NASA. Katherine works in a department of only white men. Though she faces many challenges and struggles as a black woman during this time, Katherine Johnson fights for African-American women’s rights.
The book was adapted into a movie in 2016 and won high praise for its portrayal.
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Do you love sci-fi and dystopian books? The Hunger Games is a trilogy of three books and four movies! Every year, Panem, a high-tech country, takes the children out of 12 districts for the Hunger Games, a fight to the death. In District 12, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to fight in place of her little sister, Prim. Will she survive?
Want to find out more about The Hunger Games trilogy? Read our complete review here. The order of the series: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingbird. The movies divided Mockingbird into two parts.
2. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Harry Potter is forced to live a terrible life with his nasty aunt and uncle, until he discovers on his eleventh birthday that he’s a wizard and possesses magical powers. Harry is swept away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he meets his two best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. He soon learns the dark truth of his parents demise at the hands of a powerful dark wizard, Lord Voldemort. At Hogwarts, the three friends stumble upon a plot to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone and bring back Voldemort. Can Harry stop the dark wizard from rising once again?
Check out our complete review of the Harry Potter series here! There are seven books and eight movies!
1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien
My absolute favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings trilogy. You’ll find yourself longing to be in a world you haven’t even been to! J.R.R Tolkien’s epic trilogy takes place in Middle-Earth, a world of elves, men, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits. The story tells of the One Ring, a powerful ring forged by the dark lord Sauron, and one hobbit’s quest to destroy it.
There are three movies and books. The movies have won numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture.
In general, I highly suggest reading the books before watching the movies so that you don’t miss out on any wonderful details that the movies simply didn’t have enough time to include.
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