Summer Reading Series, Part 3: “The Book Was Better…”

Don’t you hate it when people say that?  You’ve seen the movie, you loved it, and whoever has read it inevitably tells you that the movie got X, Y, and Z wrong, and how the book was so much better.  Annoying, right?  Sometimes, though, it’s worth going back and reading the book, just to see what all the fuss is about.  Trust me on this one.

This spring we saw Water for Elephants be released in theaters to rave reviews.  What some movie-goers might not realize, however, is that the book (by Sara Gruen) on which the movie was based has been a book discussion darling since its release in 2006.  And if you missed Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson on the big screen, you might consider grabbing the book this summer to tide you over until the DVD release later this year.  The premise?  In Depression-era America, a veterinary student abandons his schooling after the death of both his parents, and joins a second-rate traveling circus as their vet.  Poignant and beautifully written, this is a great addition to your stack of summer books.

There’s a lot of hype surrounding The Help, which is coming to theaters in August, and a lot of that stems from the huge love both readers and critics have had for this first novel from Kathryn Stockett since its debut in 2009.  Here at the library, it has been a favorite of patrons and staff alike, well-loved and highly recommended by all.  Stockett chose to make her characters intensely three-dimensional, resulting in readers cheering their favorites and hissing at their foes through to the very end.  The story covers the vast differences among household members in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962, the heart of the South and the middle of the American Civil Rights movement.  Rife with the ironies and hypocrisies that defined the era, the story follows a myriad of characters through struggle and triumph.  I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook, if it’s a format you like—the performance is absolutely riveting.  High praise?  You decide! 

Finally, while not a theatrical release, HBO’s Game of Thrones just closed its first season a few weeks ago, and fans are beyond excited that HBO has picked the show up for a second season, slated to run next spring.  Many fans are using the time between seasons to read ahead in this series, A Song of Ice and Fire, by author George R.R. Martin.  Season 1 stuck very closely to the first book in the series, titled A Game of Thrones, and fans can only hope that the series will continue to do so in seasons to come.  Book 5, A Dance with Dragons, comes out today (July 12), so there’s plenty of reading ahead to be had.  For those not familiar, Martin’s series is reminiscent of England during the War of the Roses, with the houses of Stark and Lannister standing in for the Yorks and Lancasters.  While the struggle between these two families for the Iron Throne is the main story, we also follow stories at the great wall in the north (beyond which lies magic and danger that grows stronger with the coming of a years-long winter) as well as a dragon princess across the sea who leads a tribe of nomads and dreams of reclaiming the Iron Throne for herself.  Engrossing and epic, this is a great series to lose yourself in for the summer!  (Also watch for season 1 on DVD, to be released this winter.)

Next in our Summer Reading Series:  But Megan, what about those of us who don’t read fiction??  Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!