Monday, February 26, 2018

March Movie Madness

Picture by Andrea Cox
While other folks are hosting college basketball watch parties for March Madness, I'll be hosting a new reading challenge here on Writing to Inspire.

In January, we read books from our ever-growing to-be-read piles.

For February's reading challenge, we read books that were all about love.

This month, I thought we'd have a bit of fun. There will be two phases to this challenge. The second one is optional.



Phase One: Books

Read books that have been made into movies.


There are so many of these, both in the general and Christian markets. I can hardly wait to see which ones you'll read this month!

I have a long list of made-into-movies books, but since I'm catching up on a couple of reading challenges (from a group on Goodreads) that are wrapping up soon, I might only get to one or two.

Here are the ones I'm considering:

90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

I've already seen the movie a couple of times, and I'd like to read the author's account of his experience before watching it again. Nonfiction books normally take me longer to read than fiction ones, so this will be one of only a couple of true stories that I read in March.




The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum

This is a general market story I've already read, but it's been years and I'm due for a rereading. This time, though, I think I'll listen to the audio version. The movie series is one of my favorites in the action/thriller genre, and it will be wonderful to rewatch them after having read the books. I know the books and movies are vastly different, since the books are set in the Cold War era and the books are set in modern times, but they're each entertaining in their own ways.




N or M? by Agatha Christie

A year or so ago, I saw a miniseries on PBS that featured episodes called "N or M?" and were based on Agatha Christie's book by that same title. The miniseries was called Partners in Crime and was about a crime-solving married couple who often found themselves in tight spots before solving the case. It's on my wish list, because I would love to watch that show again soon. In the meantime, I'll be giving the audio version of the book a try.







Phase Two: Movies

Watch the movie after reading the book.

Share how the book and movie compare to one another
or which one you enjoyed better.

In recent years, I've learned that reading the book before seeing the movie is something I really enjoy doing. Therefore, I thought this two-phase challenge might add a little fun to your month and perhaps even begin a new trend for you.

Even if you've seen the movie before reading the book, doing both can still be lots of fun. Here are some inspired-by-a-book movies that I enjoyed so much that I now want to read the books:




I'm eager to see which books and movies you choose to read and watch this month. Please share when you've finished them and how you liked them in the comments.



Which books that were later turned into movies have you already read?

Which movies based on books have you enjoyed?

Which ones are you looking forward to?

Join the conversation!
I love hearing from you.




February was All About Love. Remember to put in your final romance books for that month's challenge.



16 comments:

Andrea Cox said...

I got an early start on my first book, the audio of N or M?, today while washing dishes. Are you making plans for which book(s) you'll read for March's Movie Madness challenge?

Rebekah said...

I'm still thinking. :P I think this month is going to be harder. At least for me. I may have to read a Jane Austin book! *gulp*

Andrea Cox said...

Have you considered reading some nonfiction books that have been made into movies? These can also prove to be research, perhaps. There have been several Christian fiction books made into movies (on Hallmark and Lifetime Movie channels). I'll be looking forward to seeing which books you end up reading.

Rebekah said...

Yes, I've actually used our library's inner library load for the first time to get "A Smile as Big as the Moon" and am very excited to read it. :)

Andrea Cox said...

I didn't know that movie was based off of a book! I might just have to add that one to my to-read list. That was a wonderful Hallmark Hall of Fame movie.

Rebekah said...

My mom and sister saw the movie, but my grandma is borrowing our dvd, so I'll have to wait to watch it.

Andrea Cox said...

Phase One: Books
1. N or M? by Agatha Christie, 3/2/18, 4 stars (general market)
2. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, 3/5/18, 4 stars (general market)

Andrea Cox said...

I got another one finished today. It looks like I'm well on my way to a half dozen.

Phase One: Books
3. The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum, 3/6/18, 4 stars (general market)

Andrea Cox said...

Phase One: Books
4. The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum, 3/8/18, 4 stars (general market)

One more audio Bourne book, and then I can get the movies watched.

How are y'all coming along on your books and movies for this challenge?

Dawn Cox said...

I finished reading Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks. I watched the movie, too!

Andrea Cox said...

Great job, Mom! You're ahead of me in that I haven't yet watched the movies to go with the books I've read. :)

Rebekah said...

This was not a good month for reading. I did read some, but two of the books were beta or alpha reading, and two were finishing a series where the first book works for this month, but the others didn't. So, here's my list.

Mama's Bank Account
Random Harvest
Big Red

And on all three of these, I had watched the movie long before I read the book.
I still want to read "A Smile as Big as the Moon" but it hasn't come to the library yet. :(

Andrea Cox said...

Wonderful work, Rebekah! Sounds like you had a really busy month.

Andrea Cox said...

Here's my final count:
Books - 5
Movies - 4

Phase One: Books
N or M? by Agatha Christie, 3/2/18, 4 stars, audio, general market
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, 3/5/18, 4 stars, audio, general market
The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum, 3/6/18, 4 stars, audio, general market
The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum, 3/8/18, 4 stars, audio, general market
90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper, 3/31/18, 5 stars, paperback, Christian nonfiction

Phase Two: Movies
The Bourne Identity, 3/21/18
The Bourne Supremacy, 3/23/18
The Bourne Ultimatum, 3/25/18
90 Minutes in Heaven, 3/31/18

I do not yet own the TV mini-series of N or M?, but I have seen it in the past. I am not counting the mini-series as part of this challenge, since I didn't watch it after having read the book.

Rebekah said...

Okay, I did get to read "A Smile as Big as the Moon" and read half of it in March, and finished it April first. Not sure if that counts or not. ;) I would have read it sooner if it had come into the library sooner. But wow! If you liked the movie, you should read the book! There are a few swear words I wish he had left out, but the rest of it was so neat! I watched the movie a couple weeks ago and really liked it, but I liked the book better. :)

Andrea Cox said...

Rebekah, I'll count that. We can't help it when the library doesn't get the book in soon enough. I'll definitely be adding it to my to-read list. :)