Coraline
Today I’m talking about Coraline by Neil Gaiman and the 2009 movie adaptation by Henry Selick. The story follows Coraline, an only child, whose family has moved into an apartment in an old house. Her parents are usually busy with work, so she occupies her time by visiting her oddball neighbors and exploring her new home. One day, she finds a strange door that leads her into parallel world where things are not quite what they seem to be, and she has to find a way to get back home.
The Wizard of Oz
Today I’m talking about The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum and the 1939 movie adaptation starring Judy Garland. The story follows Dorothy, a young girl living on a farm in Kansas with her aunt and uncle. She’s carried away from her home by a tornado, and lands in new world with strange people and creatures. She goes on an adventure through this new world and must overcome many obstacles in her attempt to get back home.
Chaos Walking
Today I’m talking about the first book in the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness (The Knife of Never Letting Go) and the 2021 movie adaptation starring Tom Holland (Marvel’s Spiderman) and Daisy Ridley (Rey, Star Wars) . The story follows Todd, who lives on a planet where men can hear each other’s thoughts, and Viola, who crash lands on that planet. Todd believed that all the women were killed by the native species on the planet, but eventually discovers a more sinister truth, and he must protect Viola at all costs. Together, they race across the planet, trying to outrun the bad guys and make it to safety.
The Witches
I’m talking about a book with not one, but two adaptions, that were made 30 years apart! The Witches is another classic from Roald Dahl, and the 1990 adaptation starring Anjelica Huston is the one I grew up with and love, so how does the 2020 HBO adaptation compare? Watch to find out!
The story is about a boy who is raised by his grandmother, after his parents die in a car accident. His grandmother knows all about witches, and she teaches him how to identify and avoid them. The 1990s adaptation stayed pretty true to the book, but the 2020 version gives us a more modern take and moves the story from Norway and England to the US, so there’s quite a few cultural changes, but the main plot is there.
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Today I’m talking about the book Fantastic Mr. Fox, written by Roald Dahl in 1970 and adapted for the big screen by Wes Anderson in 2009. It’s about a sly fox who takes on three farmers and comes out ahead.
Roald Dahl has written many children’s book that have been adapted for the big screen, but Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of my favorites because I absolutely love Wes Anderson and the way he brings stories to life on screen. Wes Anderson took this story and added layers of interpersonal and family drama, along with several other signature elements usually seen in his films.
The White Tiger
I’m talking about The White Tiger. The book was written by Aravind Adiga in 2008 and adapted by Netflix in 2021. It’s about an Indian man from a lower caste who manages to work his way up and break out of his social class and become a successful entrepreneur.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Today I’m talking about Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The book was written by J.K. Rowling in 1997 and adapted for the big screen in 2001. I’ve gotten several requests to review Harry Potter, so today is finally the day! In case you haven’t heard of Harry Potter in the last couple of decades, he’s a young boy who finds out he’s a wizard. He gets to go to an awesome magical boarding school, but also finds out there’s a super evil wizard who’s out to get him.
The Devil All The Time
I’m talking about The Devil All the Time. The book was written by Donald Ray Pollock in 2012 and adapted by Netflix in 2020; Narrated by the author, and staring Tom Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Sebastian Stan and Robert Pattinson. The story follows a group of characters whose lives are separate but ultimately entwined as the go through the ups and downs of their lives in rural southern Ohio and West Virginia after the second world war. This story is seriously disturbing.