just piddlin': The Book is Always Better

My daughter thinks she should get a discount of some sort – maybe a free popcorn would be nice – for having read the book long before it was announced that it was going to be a movie and everyone jumped on the bandwagon with their tissues. The Fault in Our Stars, of course. The teen romance/tear-jerker/friend-story that’s got every female, and some males, boo-hooing through the pages and starting today, into their Jujubes. And we’ll be among them.

(I kinda asked Elle if I could please come with her. She said yes. 1 point for mom, right – she still likes me!)

I read the book before I knew it was going to be a movie, too, at her insistence that it was such a good book. In fact, I always read the book before seeing the movie.

This read the book first mantra does have some faults. There are some movies I’ve never seen because I haven’t gotten to the book yet, as my daughter points out whenever I repeat this rule. But I do make exceptions, and then I never read the book. And then there’s some books that I just don’t want to see the movie.

Hunger Games. My daughter dragged me to the movie before I finished, I was reading to slow for her and her friends. Never finished the book, or the sequels and haven’t seen anymore of the movies. I got the gist from the first one – kids chasing kids and killing each other off.

The Life of Pi. This has been on my bookshelf for years – years! My daughter read it, my son and I tried to read it but he quickly got bored in chapter 1 and they were convinced I’d never finish so we watched the movie. Loved the movie! Now I wish I had read the book. But I would definitely watch the movie again.

For Colored Girls… Read the book, or script, in college. Well-written, good book. Never even wanted to see the movie.

The Great Gatsby. On the to-read pile, still haven’t seen the movie.

Beloved. Read it, watched it. Still don’t understand why it was even made into a movie. Will read the book again. Although, I have seen a stage performance of The Bluest Eye which was absolutely wonderful.

Gone Girl. Read it and can’t wait for the movie. I may want a different ending. Maybe?

DaVinci Code. On the to-read pile, still haven’t seen the movie.

12 Years a Slave. See above.

I will risk missing the movie while the book languishes on the to-read pile. Why? Because the book is always better. Always. And since I hardly ever never go back and read after watching the movie, I’d rather just skip the movie. Yes, I admitted in the beginning, there are some faults with this system like missing some good movies, but hey – you’ve got to stick to your principles.

Now, let me grab my tissues and popcorn.