Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Should Be Movies

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Books I'd Like to See Made into a Movie

There are books that I love that I don't necessarily think will be good movies. This is usually because they'll either require serious CGI that'll probably be too costly (men turning into wolves in Sisters Red) or the book's strength is in the language, something that can't be reproduced on film (Daughter of Smoke and Bone). However, there are some books that I read and while doing so, I can actually see the movie playing in my head and I totally think it will work. These are those books:

10. Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen by Donna Gephart

This could totally be a Disney or Nickelodeon TV movie. It's cute, it's got a nice "follow your dreams!" message and Olivia could easily be an Alex Mack-style heroine for young girls.

9. Something from Tiffany's by Melissa Hill

I actually didn't like this book very much, probably because it was so obviously a movie and not a book. It's a romantic comedy set in New York and London at Christmas. It involves two couples and a Tiffany's engagement ring ending up with the wrong one. As a book, it wasn't really my thing, but cast some funny and likeable actors in the movie, show me lots of scenic shots of two cities that are particular wonderful at Christmastime and give me a lazy afternoon to enjoy it, and I think you have a guilty pleasure rom-com on your hands.

8. Valiant by Holly Black

This is a gritty contemp novel crossed with a fantasy one and I think the contrast between the bleak, dirty world of the teenager runaways and the fairy world would be very striking to depict on screen. Although there is magic in the novel, it's not the kind that would need the budget of the Harry Potter movies; there are only a few moments and I think they could be done inexpensively.

7. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The main reason I think this should be a movie is because Amandla Stenburg, who played Rue in The Hunger Games, would be a fantastic choice to play Julia and the filmmakers need to get on this now, before she's too old (Julia's not the main character, but she is my favourite one and must be cast right). This movie actually has a number of great roles for young actresses and could seriously launch the stars of tomorrow.

6. The Outcast by Sadie Jones

I've actually heard this is going to be a movie, but no news since then and many of these books get optioned, but nothing comes of it. This has to be a movie because, um, Lewis. It's so wrong to find that messed up kid sexy, yet I do. I needed to fan myself with the pages after his love scenes with several inappropriate woman, including his step-mother. I hope they cast a young actor who looks mature enough that I don't feel too dirty.

5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

One of the original YA dystopias and I think the plot and the world are simple enough (at least in the first book) to transfer to film without lots of heavy exposition scenes. Probably the biggest challenge will be finding Hollywood actors that can convincingly be the 'Uglies'.

4. Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers 

 

Mean Girls: Now Even More Hardcore seems like an easy sell to me. Seriously, while I think a movie would inevitably be made lighter than the novel, I think that could be done and still get the central message, of the bully become the bullied, across. Maybe pitched somewhere around the level of The Craft (but without magic).

 

3. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I'd love it if this became a movie. Stiefvater did such a wonderful job describing the island of Thisby, I could really see it in my mind. I think there are a lot of images from the book that would  look beautiful on screen and don't films about horses always do well?

 

2. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Are there bad zombie movies? I've never seen one. And it would be great to have a zombie movie with a teen girl leading the beheading. There are a lot of 'made you jump!' moments from the book that I think would be even scarier visually.

 

1. Fire by Kristin Cashore

The world of Monsters is one that I would love to see with my own eyes - humans and animals of bright, vibrant colours will be stunning. OK, so medieval fantasy is an expensive genre to produce on film, which contradicts my original stance on what kind of books should be adapted. But I make an exception for this one, because I want to see the Seven Kingdoms come to life so badly.