Books To Movie/TV Adaptations To Get You Into Reading Again

You might know the channel 4 show My Mad Fat Diary but did you know it was based on a book series? My Mad Fat Diary is set in the 90s, about a 17-year-old girl, living in Lincolnshire and trying to navigate living with her mum, getting her first boyfriend and going out with her friends whilst hiding that she’s just got out of hospital for mental health issues. I think everyone should read this at some point in their lives as, despite the content, it’s presented in a fun, relatable way and is a good book to pass the time. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

The Book Thief is set for older audiences as it has 552 pages and is more complex than some of the other books listed here. This, like the film, is an emotionally charged story, it’s a story about Liesel, a girl who is in love with books and steals books from wherever she can find them, including Nazi book burnings. The girl's family take in a Jew and hide him in their basement, and he teaches her how to read. The writing in this book is beautifully crafted, as is the story, deserving of its reputation. Just, ensure you prepare your tissues for this one.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman 

Coraline is an easy read, written for older children but due to its creepiness it’s suitable for young adults. The interesting thing about Coraline, is that the movie and the book were done side by side, Neil Gaiman told the director the idea before Coraline was fully written, this means that the general concept is the same, but both are executed differently and are good in their own ways. Coraline is filled with beautiful imagery and an interesting storyline about a girl with blue hair who moves house to a place where she is bored with no other kids around and her mum and dad who don’t pay attention to her, she finds a key and unlocks a door to a parallel world with her “other mother and father”. It’s something I think everyone has thought about in one point of their lives, “imagine another world where I could get everything I wanted, and everyone is happy” but this is a story about the consequences of that.

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

A Little Princess is a classic and a classic for a reason, it’s something that will inspire children to be themselves, to be imaginative and to look after their friends.  It is a story about a girl, who moves from India to a boarding school in England whilst her father goes to fight in the war, and she must deal with the cruel Miss Minchin. Here’s a little teaser and one of my favourite quotes from the book. 
“I am a princess. All girls are. Even if they live in tiny old attics. Even if they dress in rags, even if they aren’t pretty, or smart, or young. They’re still princesses.” 

Wonder by R.J Palacio 

And Lastly, Wonder. Wonder is a book set for younger audiences but even adults can enjoy it. It is about a 10-year-old boy called Aussie who has mutations in his genes that have caused problems in the structure of his face. All Aussie wants is to go to mainstream school and be treated as an ordinary kid. Wonder switches viewpoints from Aussie to his classmates to his sister so it’s interesting to see what others think of him and why they treat him the way they do. Wonder is a quick read but one that will tug on your heartstrings, as you can see from the quote below.

“There are always going to be jerks in the world, Auggie,” she said, looking at me. “But I really believe, and Daddy really believes, that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other.”