Oscar-worthy movies start with good book —January 25, 2013
The nominations are in, and the race is on! It's Oscar season! This year, the 9 movies nominated for best picture are outstanding, and I feel the competition is pretty fierce. Sadly,most of the movies are in the land of the unknown…that space between theaters and DVD release.Good News! Five are based on books, and we have them here at your library.
Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick 8 nominations | I haven’t seen this movie yet, but the book is fantastic. I couldn’t put it down; I read almost through the night before forcing myself to sleep. It's about a man who’s recently been released from a mental institution (the bad place), and is coming to grips with being on "away time" from his wife. It's terribly sad, and a bit of a mystery. I kept trying to figure out the real story of what happened, and was surprised how it ended. This is my top recommendation.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel 11 nominations | This is a popular book club book (so we have plenty of copies!). I just started reading it, so at about 10 pages in, I can't say much. However, many other staff members say it’s amazing. The short story is it's about a boy who gets lost at sea with a tiger and does a lot of self-reflection. Who doesn't love an epic, life-changing odyssey?
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 8 nominations | Most people have read this classic...probably in high school. It's a tough read, but a great story. It follows a man who is down on his luck and thrown in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Upon release, he falls on more bad luck. He decides to break parole and start his life over. Unfortunately,an inspector has made it his life mission to find the man and bring him to justice! There's also some stuff about love and the French Revolution in theretoo. Oh, and it has a beautiful soundtrack (also available at the library.)
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (inspiration for “Lincoln”) | 12 nominations It's always interesting to see a non-fiction book turned into a movie. The book is a bit intimidating at 916 pages. However, it takes an interesting look into the world of Abraham Lincoln. Again, I haven't had the pleasure of finishing the book yet, but thus far it's really good. Itmainly focuses on the end of the Civil War and the passing of the 13th amendment, causing a bit of turmoil among the politicians. While Argo was the Golden Globe best picture winner, this one is still my pick to win the Oscar.
The Master of Disguise by Antonio Mendez (inspiration for “Argo”) 7 nominations | This is another one I haven’t read, but it’s a true to life spy thriller. That’s right, Mendez was a high-level operative who lived a life worth sharing, and the CIA granted him permission to tell his story. What more could you want?
It's a well-known fact that a book is better than the movie. It takes a little longer, but that merely means you can savor the enjoyment. Some of these have a wait list, but come in and we’ll get your name on the list and find a way to get it to you as soon as we can. We also have some titles on Overdrive, and if available, we would be happy to load one on our new Kindles or Nooks!
