Liked That Movie? You’ll LOVE This Book!
Because movie lovers are often book lovers, too, we’ve got must-reads for fans of some of the year’s biggest movies. When you’re done watching the loads of movies based on books this year (shout outs to the girl power trio: Wild, Gone Girl, The Hunger Games!), and are done drooling over the list of books coming to the screen in 2015, here are some deeper film-inspired cuts to add to your bookshelf.
Liked The Guardians of the Galaxy? You’ll love Abaddon’s Gate, by James S. A. Corey
Fans charmed by the kooky characters and wry humor of Guardians of the Galaxy will love old-school classics like The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy or The Stainless Steel Rat series. But if you want to give them something a little more intense—and fresher—try Abaddon’s Gate, part of the popular Expanse space-opera series. It’s a blockbuster in the form of a book. Fans include George R. R. Martin and the peeps at i09.com. Actually, why hasn’t this book been made into a movie yet? Your move, Hollywood.
Liked The Lego Movie?You’ll love Creativity, Inc., by Ed Catmull
There are a billion and one books with Legos characters galavanting through their tiny Lego worlds. But if you want to get to the heart of why so many people loved The Lego Movie, you need to dig beyond the “Everything is Awesome!” theme and embrace its real message: We aren’t all round pegs, and there’s no need to fit into square holes. So help your favorite movie lover celebrate the holidays with a book that reveals how the pros mix creativity with business: Creativity Inc., a fascinating look inside Pixar. Or if you want a more serious take on nonconformity? Try the classic Fight Club. First rule of Lego Movie Loving? Do not talk about Lego Movie Loving.
Liked Interstellar? You’ll love Einstein’s Dreams, by Alan Lightman
If your giftee goes to the movies to think and dream, Interstellar inspired lots of philosophizing. For those who couldn’t get enough of Nolan’s exploration of relativity, Einstein’s Dreams is a delicious way to spend an afternoon reading. Still need more big thoughts to think? Then blow your mind with Murakami’s classic Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, or David Mitchell’s meta-tastic Cloud Atlas.
Liked Obvious Child? You’ll love Agorafabulous, by Sara Benincasa
On the opposite end of the blockbuster spectrum, Obvious Child is about a standup comedian who winds up pregnant after a drunken hookup. Starring Jenny Slate, it’s quirky, funny, and raw, just like Sara Benincasa’s Agorafabulous, which is as much about agoraphobia and panic attacks as it is about her brilliant take on the world outside her bedroom. It’s a lovely gift for a friend who is floundering. Or try Jenny Lawson’s perfectly titled Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. We’ve all wished it, no?
Liked Boyhood? You’ll love Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson
Boyhood was a once-in-a-lifetime movie that followed its main character for 12 years, from age 6 to age 18. Take advantage of something books can do that movies can’t, and pick up an epic story that follows the same character from birth to death. Kate Atkinson examines the life of Ursula Todd—again and again—in her unforgettable Life After Life. Or you can go the intergenerational route and pick up Ingrid Hill’s Ursula, Under, a masterful meditation on family, progress, and the mysterious ways we are connected. (Note that there’s no relationship between these two Ursulas.)
What books would you pair with the year’s best movies?