See You on the Silver Screen

See You on the Silver Screen

• May 1, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic/Top Ten list and invite everyone to share their own answers. I'm so obsessed with lists!

Even though I firmly believe that the book is always better than the movie and must read the book before I see any movie version, I really love this week's Tuesday topic. I'm guessing it's not just me, but I love to imagine books turned into movies. However, not all books would translate well onto the silver screen. So, here area ten books I think would make great movies, divided into four categories: teen movies, costume dramas, romantic comedies and remakes of old classics.

Top Ten Books I'd Like to See Made Into A Movie

I Heart Teenage Love:

1. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - This book was meant to be a movie. Falling in love at an airport? Check. Taking a desirable trip across the pond? Check. Swoonworthy boy and family drama? Check and check. I don't know about you, but this hits SO many of the elements I want in a fun, breezy movie!

2. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - Okay, this has some other good movie elements, but on the darker and moodier end of the spectrum. You've got death, grief, crazyboutya first love and wacky but lovable family. I know you're dying to watch it now! The only thing that could take this into unfortunate movie territory? The casting! It would have to be perfect.

Give Me the Costumes & the Drama:

3. Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl - Now an orphan, Lizzy's dream of a society debut are wrecked. To support herself, she accepts the position of lady's maid to young Princess Victoria and is thrown right into the middle of intrigue upstairs AND downstairs. UM YES! I'm down for nothing with a royalty, costumes, and gossipy drama. This was a really good read so I'd love to see it turned into a movie!

4. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly - This is a book that is incredible because of its writing, but I think it would make a lovely movie. It would totally be one of those slow, artsy and dramatic movies with a gorgeous soundtrack. Yes, I want to see this movie partially for its imaginary soundtrack. It would be SO GOOD! This book deals with a murder and the mystery surrounding it, which I'd totally want to see!

5. The Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen - Basically, this is like Gossip Girl set in the early 1900s. DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW AWESOME THIS MOVIE WOULD BE? Lots of drama. Major secrets. I'm all in.

Romantic Comedies Rock:

6. The First Husband by Laura Dave - Yes, I have a soft spot for romantic comedies. Can I help it that they are my movie weakness? While I enjoyed all of Laura Dave's books, this was the one I loved and would want to see as a movie. It was the whole woman growing up and into her own. A quick and convenient marriage that requires her to move from the city to the country? A hot chef as one of the fellas? That's got girl movie written all over it.

7. Stay by Allie Larkin - I made no secret about the fact that I thought this book was hilarious, and I think it would also make a hilarious movie. When her best friend marries the man she secretly loves, Savannah gets drunk, watches a Rin Tin Tin marathon and orders a dog from Slovakia. It's that one decision that prompts her to face her past and embrace her future. It has the perfect amount of snark to keep it from being too cutesy, and I'd love to see that translate into the big screen.

A Good Old-Fashioned Classic (aka Give Me a New Movie Version, Pretty Please):

8. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy - I like Vivien Leigh, but I'm not crazy about the quality of the version of this in which she stars in the leading role. I have started that version several times but haven't actually finished it. So, someone in Hollywood, please give me a new version of this! It's got a crazy biyotch heroine, some absolutely fabulous secondary characters and lots of Drama. Yes, with a capital D.

9. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - I really love this movie, but I'd be really interested to see how it would be translate on the big screen today. I think it's interesting how they are like nine million versions of anything by Jane Austen (who I love so I'm not complaining), but this one hasn't been touched in years. I'm dying to see a new version of this Southern classic!

10. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - According to IMDB, a movie of this does exist but I've never seen it (or heard of it before looking it up) so I'm not counting it. This is one of my favorite coming-of-age novels, and I know it would be a wonderful movie. By turns heartbreaking and uplifting, it would be so wonderful to see this classic on the big screen.