Books turned movies for 2017

Here’s a list of some movies that will be released in 2017. I have included a children’s book/ movie as well.

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey – I am not a Captain Underpants fan, but this diaper-wearing toddler hero has inspired many reluctant readers in elementary schools to take the plunge with books like Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets. Boys find this series to be hilarious. With all the heavy literature they’re about to get hit with – even elementary fiction tends to be on the heavy side these days – Captain Underpants is a welcome diversion. In a way, he creates a pint-sized feeling of nostalgia for boys who can fondly look back on their carefree, pre-school days.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King – Teenage boys who have never picked up a book enjoy reading this novel, which is part of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. Each book in the series gets longer and longer, and yet teenagers come back for all eight books in the series. The Gunslinger is loosely based on the French classic The Song of Roland. King’s tale is a futuristic, post apocalyptic version of this French classic, which is also said to be partly inspired by a Robert Browning poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came.” The Gunslinger is an action-packed novel that tells the classic tale of good vs evil, and it represents the best of King’s novels.

I’m not into King’s horror, but I love this book. When the movie hits the big screen, Matthew McConaughey is going to be the gunslinger and Idris Elba is going to be the evil character.

Live by Night by Dennis Lehane – Murder, mayhem and mystery are Lehane’s specialty. In this best selling novel, Lehane follows the life of a gangster as he probes the underlife of the Prohibition Era of the Roaring Twenties. Ben Affleck, Elle Fanning, Zoe Saldana and Sienna Miller will star in the movie version of Lehane’s book.

A Dog’s Purpose by W Bruce Cameron – You can never go wrong with a good dog book, and if you can’t find one, just know that Cameron specialises in them. A Dog’s Purpose is the delightfully funny and tear-jerking story of a dog who is reincarnated in several different lives. I defy you to watch the trailer on line and not cry. Dennis Quaid stars in the movie.

Looking for Alaska by John Green – The king of Young Adult Literature has yet another book that is being turned into a movie. First there was The Fault in Our Stars, the story of two teenagers who fall in love in spite of the problem that are suffering from fatal diseases, and Paper Towns, my favourite John Green novel, about a troubled girl who runs away from home and leaves clues for a boy to follow.

Looking for Alaska was Green’s first novel.

It’s not my favourite, but teenagers will read any Green book.

Looking for Alaska takes place in a boarding school where boys are mesmerised by the charm and wild antics of a particular girl.

All the Bright Place by Jennifer Niven – This is one of my best discoveries for the year.

All the Bright Places is a Young Adult (YA) novel no parent, teacher or teenager can afford to miss. This is a moving story of teenage depression that deserves an entire review in the future