Eight books to read before they hit the big screen

There’s nothing more effective in bringing a story to life than your imagination, but it is true that Hollywood does choose good reads to turn into movies. We don’t usually post book reviews but this list I found on Woman and Home last night is too good to pass up.

Labor Day (HarperCollins) by Joyce Maynard
Henry and his mom Adele, a divorcee suffering from agoraphobi and depression, live a lonely life in Holton Mills. Henry’s summer days are spent inside watching TV, entertaining his hamster and thinking about his female classmates. Just before Labor Day, Henry and Adele meet Frank, who openly admits to being a convicted murderer on the run. Despite this, Frank persuades the mother and son to offer him refuge. In turn, he becomes an unlikely father figure to Henry and companion to Adele.
The heartfelt film will be released just in time for Valentine’s Day and stars Kate Winslet as Adele and Josh Brolin as Frank.
In cinemas 7 February.

Winter’s Tale (Mariner) by Mark Helprin
Peter Lake is an Irish mechanic just trying to make a living in New York. One night, Peter breaks into what appears to be an empty house, but instead encounters a young girl, Beverly, who is dying of tuberculosis. The two strike up an unlikely relationship and Peter is soon consumed by thoughts of saving Beverly.
Mark Helprin’s Winter’s Tale is hailed as a touching love story, so who better suited to fill the role of the rough-round-the-edges romantic, Peter, than Irish-born Colin Farrell? Beverly will be portrayed by Jessica Brown Findlay of Downton Abbey fame.
In cinemas 28 February.

Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History (Cornerstone ) by Robert M. Edsel
As Hitler’s reign spreads across Europe, the Nazi leader is gathering up all the artworks he can get his hands on. He starts to divvy up this collection into two groups: the art he likes and that which he doesn’t like. The latter is scheduled for destruction, meaning the potential loss of centuries of culture.
Meanwhile, a platoon of American and British soldiers is plotting the greatest treasure hunt of all time. Their mission: to go behind enemy lines and save the world’s masterpieces before the priceless artefacts are lost forever.
George Clooney pairs his many talents with Robert Edsel’s novel as he writes, produces, directs and acts in this feature film. Joined by a group of A-listers such as Matt Damon, Bill Murray and Cate Blanchett, the silver screen version is sure to be an entertaining watch.
In cinemas 14 February.

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais
Hassan Haji reflects on his life’s story, beginning in his grandfather’s restaurant in Mumbai. His childhood is filled with memories of spicy curries, market excursions and food field trips with his mom. When the family are displaced they leave India, eating and tasting their way around the world before settling in France.
They open an Indian restaurant, much to the dismay of Madame Mallory, who owns the restaurant across the road. Despite their differences, Madame Mallory becomes mentor to the young Hassan, both in the culinary arts and in life.

The Giver (HarperCollins) by Lois Lowry
Enter a perfect world where there’s no conflict or illness, and each citizen is selected for a specific job. Jonas has reached his 12th birthday and it’s time to start training for his intended job title. He’s set to inherit the position of ‘Receiver of Memory’ – the person who stores and catalogues the town’s history. As he progresses in his training, Jonas discovers the truth about the world’s history and how our humanity was exchanged for a stable society.
Besides being an enticing read, The Giver was filmed in Cape Town last year with the likes of Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep and Katie Holmes gracing our shores. Keep an eye out for this one.
In cinemas12 September.

This is Where I Leave You (Orion) by Jonathan Tropper
Judd Foxman’s father has just died and his wife has just admitted to having an affair with his boss. Now he has to fulfil his father’s last wish by returning home and ‘sitting shiva’, the week-long mourning process undertaken in Jewish tradition. From the start, it’s a manic week with the Foxmans getting to grips with living in close quarters with one another again. This dysfunctional family endures a week of grudges revisited, secrets revealed and reminders of old passions.
A hilarious novel with a fitting comedic team set to bring it to life on screen. Jason Bateman and Tina Fey will turn Jonathan Tropper’s book into a must-see, side-splitting comedy.
In cinemas 3 October.

Gone Girl (Orion) by Gillian Flynn
It’s Amy and Nick Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, but Amy is nowhere to be found. As the investigation progresses, Nick becomes the police’s prime suspect after a mountain of evidence starts to pile up. The doting husband stands by his plea of innocence despite the fact that he increased his wife’s life insurance and used the last of her trust fund to buy a bar.
Written by acclaimed author Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl promises to be an enthauling psychological thriller as the plot twists at every corner. With Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike positioned at the helm of the motion picture script, this film is on our must-watch list.
In cinemas 10 October.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Resilience, and Redemption (HarperCollins) by Laura Hillenbrand
Before World War II, Lieutenant Louis Zamperini was a track star hero. He spent much of his childhood as the local miscreant – breaking into houses, fighting and sneaking out of the house to ride the rails. Once he discovered his athletic talent in his teens and started to channel his energy into honing this skill, he was successful enough to make it to the Berlin Olympics.
But in an instant, the world changed and Zamperini was off to war as an airman. When his plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean, he’s left with nothing but a raft and hundreds of kilometres of ocean.
Unbroken is Laura Hillenbrand’s second book and a much anticipated piece after her critically acclaimed novel, Seabiscuit: An American Legend. Zamperini’s story is being turned into a feature film under the guidance of Angelina Jolie and should be well worth the wait since it’s due for release in South African cinemas next year.
In cinemas 30 January, 2015.