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Top Ten Books I Would Love To See As A Movie/TV Show


I've tried to step a bit outside the box on this one, so I've left off a lot of my usual favorites, in order to focus more on the visual aspect of film making (instead of focusing solely on great stories).


O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
I didn't even blink when I saw the title for this week's list.  I absolutely adore this book and think it would make an amazing film, particularly if the cinematography held true to Cather's stark descriptions of the landscape.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
I would love to see the bookstore come to life, but even more than that I would love to see the tech, and watch the interplay between the two.

Patrick Ness' Chaos Walking Trilogy
Yes, I have a not so secret need to see Amanda Tapping play Mistress Coyle, but I would also love to see this as a series of films or as a miniseries because there's such a sensory feel to the books with the typography and the presence of noise, that I would love to see how that translated onto the screen.

The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Banks
I really should write a review for this book because it's definitely one of my favorites from this year.  It's by turns sarcastic and poignant and while there is an element of love to the story, it lacks the usual YA drama, holding more carefully to the overall story arc which I adore.

Houses of Stone by Barbara Michaels
I think this book would make a great film.  It may be more of a cliche than the films I normally watch but I think there's enough mystery, intrigue, and romance in there for almost anyone, plus I'm not going to lie I wouldn't mind seeing Cameron on my screen.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
The geek cred in this book is really enough of an excuse to turn it into a flim, but I would also love to see the interplay between the real and digital worlds.  I think there's an opportunity there to do some really interesting or innovative things.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I blame the cover and Morgenstern's beautiful descriptions of the circus for this one, but I think it would make an incredibly breathtaking film both visually and in terms of the story development.  This book has such beautiful character development, the locations have a real visceral feel to them, and the plot would definitely leave the audience hanging on until the very end.

The Felicity Books by Valerie Tripp
I know that some of the American Girl books have been made into films, but I would love to see more, particularly ones focusing on Felicity since she was always my favorite as a kid and she's since been discontinued.

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
I know a lot of what I love about Benjamin's writing wouldn't transfer to the screen, but even so, this book is so intriguing and refreshing.  I think the progression across time would make for a really interesting film narrative, and I would never say no to another film with period costumes.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I don't know how you would ever condense such a long book into a film and honestly I wouldn't want anyone to, so this one would have to be a done in a single season or miniseries much the way the BBC produces many of its projects.  There's so much here to work with in terms of characters and settings but also a lot that can be done with the themes and various narrative points of view.


* Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by the always lovely The Broke and the Bookish.

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