Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Your choice for this week will really depend on the type of TV shows or films you enjoy. There are lots of ways to interpret the prompt, you could keep it simple and read a book that was made into a TV series or film, or get a bit more creative and read a book that's read by one of the characters on screen - if you liked Gilmore Girls then there's even a list of all 339 books that Rory reads during the series.

Suggestions:
Buzzfeed: 24 books you should read based on your favourite tv show
All 339 books referenced in Gilmore Girls
Buzzfeed: 33 books you should read based on your favourite films
Bookriot: Choose some tv shows and we'll give you a book to read
List Challenges: best books made into movies
The Mad Men reading list

Optional questions:
- What are you reading this week?
- What film or tv show is it linked to?
- What's the connection with the tv show or film?

I’m going to read Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood for this prompt! I actually watched the Netflix limited series and loved it so much I looked it up and realized it was a book...So now I plan to read it.

One of my favorite TV shows is Black Mirror and there are multiple lists of "books to read if you like Black Mirror." I am planning to read I Still Dream by James Smythe. According to a book blogger, "His novels are Black Mirror in literary form.”

Definitely reading off of the Rory Gilmore list for this prompt. I don't watch a lot of TV, so this was an easy way to connect it.

My options are:

Emma by Jane Austen
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kasey
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

One show that I have recently started watching is Younger. The main characters work in publishing, so they are always throwing around names of books. I'm only through with the first season and a half, but they have already talked about Things Fall Apart and had Bobby Flay and Jennifer Weiner as cameos.

Two of ny current favorite shows are Blackish and This Is Us. I got ideas for books to match those shows from one of the links - No One Is Coming to Save Us for the former and The House We Grew Up In for the latter.

In the Longmire series, there are some short story collections. I will probably read one of them, either Spirit of Steamboat or Christmas in Absaroka County.

I've got absolutely no ideas for this one since I'm not a big tv watcher - or movies anymore either. I'm trusting the perfect title will reveal itself to me before the end of next year!

I plan to read a book that has been shown or mentioned on The Walking Dead. Right now, my selections are:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (read by Carol and others)
War and Peace (Denise was reading this back in Season 6.)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Rick read this to Judith.)

I was going to also read something off the Rory Gilmore list, not sure what yet. Another option is The Haunting of Hill House, since that is now a Netflix show.

I like British mysteries from PBS and I've never read the books that the Inspector Lynley series is based on. So that's my first choice,
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley #1) - Elizabeth George

Backups are books set during the same time as Agatha Christie's TV movies, 1920s-1940s.
Silhouette of a Sparrow - Molly Beth Griffin
At the Water's Edge - Sara Gruen

Kathy wrote: "I like British mysteries from PBS and I've never read the books that the Inspector Lynley series is based on. So that's my first choice,
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley #1) - Eli..."

Kathy - You might also like the Sidney Chambers mysteries by James Runcie, based on the PBS TV show Granchester Mysteries. They are pretty good!

Pam wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I like British mysteries from PBS and I've never read the books that the Inspector Lynley series is based on. So that's my first choice,
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Ly..."

Thanks, Pam. I'll add Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death to my list of possibilities. I certainly do like Granchester!

I've heard really good things about Claudia Gray's Star Wars books, so I'll probably read Leia: Princess of Alderaan or Bloodline.
Other possibilities:
I love the cozy mystery TV adaptation of Agatha Raisin, so maybe M.C. Beaton's The Quiche of Death.
Actors David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson from the X-Files are both published authors.
If you like Midsomer Murders, Anthony Horowitz was a writer on the show and he's written Magpie Murders and most recently The Word Is Murder. If you like Sherlock, Horowitz also wrote The House of Silk and Moriarty.

I love this prompt! My first inclination when I saw this was to read about Russian spies living in the US during the cold war since I was such a big fan of the show The Americans. I've read a couple of non-fiction books from this era so I am leaning towards a novel and welcome any suggestions.

My other options are The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood which was the inspiration for The Wire or Exodus which was discussed in Mad Men.

One of my friends suggested Harry Potter Therapy: An Unauthorized Self-Help Book from the Restricted Section and I bought a copy, but haven’t read it yet. I’ll try to hold off and save it for this.

There are no more seasons of it, but I still like Downton Abbey, so my book for this might come from this listopia - Downton Abbey-esque books.

Kathy wrote: "I like British mysteries from PBS and I've never read the books that the Inspector Lynley series is based on. So that's my first choice,
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Lynley #1) - Eli..."

Ooooh... if anyone is a fan of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries the first book is Cocaine Blues. I recommend the show as well!

@Serendipity It does not need to be a current movie or TV show. One of the books I am thinking of is based on Firefly. It was a short lived TV show quite a few years ago.

This one speaks to my treasure hunt-loving heart. I am going to try to notice book references in TV series and movies during the year. It could be books cited, someone reading a book etc. and that will be my choice. If that fails there is always Westworld (The TV series and the movie) or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner) or The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes or any of the other endless possibilities.

I am intrigued the the Stranger Things prequel novel, Suspicious Minds, coming out next year. So I might read that but I also feel like there are so many better ways to interpret this prompt.

I don't watch much TV (and I had not even noticed the "movie" part of this category when it was first voted in!) BUT the few shows that I have loved have book spin-offs!! So I don't actually know which of these I will read because I want to read all of them!

Mr. Kiss and Tell by Rob Thomas - Thomas wrote two books that pick up where the Veronica Mars movie left off, AND Kristen Bell reads the audiobook!!! I loved the first one, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line. Highly recommended for Veronica Mars fans! (And did you hear they are making another movie??!! So exciting! LoVe is back!)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8, Volume 2 by Joss Whedon - I read volume 1 of this series and really enjoyed it.

There are LOTS of other Buffy spin-offs, including: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Carnival of Souls, Angel & Faith: Live Through This, Fray: Future Slayer (I read this and loved it!) and ...

Angel: After the Fall, Volume 1 by Brian Lynch - somehow I didn't even know this series existed until I started looking for this category. Haha maybe I "stumbled upon" it.

And my fourth choice: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon (a Firefly spinoff).

Johanne wrote: "This one speaks to my treasure hunt-loving heart. I am going to try to notice book references in TV series and movies during the year. It could be books cited, someone reading a book etc. and that ..."

I love this idea, Johanne. It never even occurred to me to watch a TV show specifically to see what characters are reading. Probably because I watched hardly any TV this year, due to all the reading I was doing instead.

I have a lot of options for this one:
Sharp Objects
Geek Love (AHS Freak Show)
Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny (The Girls Next Door)
Perfect (Pretty Little Liars)

Plus I have a ton of Stephen King books that I could choose from.

Tonya wrote: "I have a lot of options for this one:
Sharp Objects
Geek Love (AHS Freak Show)
[book:Down the Rabbit Hole: Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy B..."

Tonya, what is the connection between Geek Love and AHS Freak Show? Is it just similar theme, or was that season actually based on the book?

All you Twin Peaks fans might find something here: An Incomplete Guide to Literary References in Twin Peaks

Bryony wrote: "Your choice for this week will really depend on the type of TV shows or films you enjoy. There are lots of ways to interpret the prompt, you could keep it simple and read a book that was made into ..."

This one is really difficult for me because I don't really watch TV and I hardly ever go to the movies, and when I do, the movies I like are very different from the books I like. The only show I watch is Steven Universe and so I'm using a very loose definition of "related" for this prompt. Or I might wildcard.

Shelley wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I like British mysteries from PBS and I've never read the books that the Inspector Lynley series is based on. So that's my first choice,
A Great Deliverance (Inspector Ly..."

Thanks for the recommendation Shelley.

For those of you who don’t watch much TV, you could always read something from the Great American Read list!

If you were a fan of "Lost" back in the day, there are quite a few reading lists related to that TV show around the internet, like this one.

I guess Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls or if I can get my hands on it Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home.

I also own these two that Ive never read:
The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy
Hunger Games Companion

Really, I've kind of been feeling like reading Outlander again, since the show isn't really doing it for me. ( or for times sake an Outlander graphic novel?The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, no forget that, it got terrible 1 star reviews from everyone lol)

Pam wrote: "For those of you who don’t watch much TV, you could always read something from the Great American Read list!"

This is a great idea! Thank you for suggesting it.

Milena wrote: "I was going to also read something off the Rory Gilmore list, not sure what yet. Another option is The Haunting of Hill House, since that is now a Netflix show."

Milena are you watching Hill House?? I started it last night and I actually got scared LOL. It was so creepy. I binged almost 6 episodes before I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. Finishing it today and now I feel like re reading the book because its been years and only a very few details seemed familiar to me.

Im still thinking on this one because until recently I didn't watch TV or even many movies ever. Old shows I used to enjoy: ER, Greys Anatomy, BUFFY!!!!!!!! Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, Breaking Bad....

recent shows I've been watching: The Sinner, Big Little Lies and Sharp Objects ( already read them) Hill House ( read it) Shameless, Handmaids Tale and 11/22/63 ( read them) geez Ive been watching a lot of tv....

I want to start on This Is Us next so I'm trying to think if anything would relate to that or Shameless.

For now I'm leaning towards the Buffy Graphic.

Tracy wrote: "Milena wrote: "I was going to also read something off the Rory Gilmore list, not sure what yet. Another option is The Haunting of Hill House, since that is now a Netflix show."

Milena..."

I want to read the book first, so that's why I haven't seen it yet. My daughter watched it, she said it was very creepy. She watched the last episode on Halloween.

Hey, if anyone can recommend a book related to Steven Universe, I would very much be grateful for it. It's pretty much the only show I watch, haha. For those unfamiliar, it's a cartoon dealing with lesbian romance, a space opera, colonization, kindness and empathy, alien women, and finding your own identity. If any of these triggers a book recommendation, I would greatly appreciate it!

Emily wrote: "Definitely reading off of the Rory Gilmore list for this prompt. I don't watch a lot of TV, so this was an easy way to connect it.

Marriage Vacation is also off of Younger

Hi Melanie, I read When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri, earlier this year. It's a lesbian romance. It didn't blow me away but I did give it a solid three stars.

Melanie wrote: "Hey, if anyone can recommend a book related to Steven Universe, I would very much be grateful for it. It's pretty much the only show I watch, haha. For those unfamiliar, it's a cartoon dealing with..."

I just finished An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green. It has a main character who is bisexual and it's about aliens who visit earth! The main character gets caught between fame and her personal identity, and the overarching message is about finding faith in humanity. Sounds like a perfect fit!

Melanie wrote: "Hey, if anyone can recommend a book related to Steven Universe, I would very much be grateful for it. It's pretty much the only show I watch, haha. For those unfamiliar, it's a cartoon dealing with..."

I think The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet might work. It definitely counts as a space opera, and I would say that finding your own identity is one of the themes. I read it last year and enjoyed it, even though sci-fi isn't usually a genre I read much.

Melanie wrote: "...lesbian romance, a space opera... If any of these triggers a book recommendation, I would greatly appreciate it!."

The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Barbary Station by R.E. Stearns
Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi
Ammonite by Nicola Griffith

Milena wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Milena wrote: "I was going to also read something off the Rory Gilmore list, not sure what yet. Another option is The Haunting of Hill House, since that is now a Netflix ..."

I finished last night and it was awesome!!Creepy but I cried at the end. In regards to reading the book first, I always do that too, but without spoiling anything in this case one really has nothing to do with the other.

Tracy wrote: "I finished last night and it was awesome!!Creepy but I cried at the end. In regards to reading the book first, I always do that too, but without spoiling anything in this case one really has nothing to do with the other...."

That's good to know since I've been wanting to watch but I haven't read the book yet and thought I would have to wait until 2019 now that I've slated the book for the Popsugar ghost story prompt!

dalex wrote: "Melanie wrote: "...lesbian romance, a space opera... If any of these triggers a book recommendation, I would greatly appreciate it!."

The Stars Are Legion by [author:Kameron Hurley..."

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.

Tracy wrote: "Milena wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Milena wrote: "I was going to also read something off the Rory Gilmore list, not sure what yet. Another option is The Haunting of Hill House, since that is..."

Good to know, thanks. I could have watched it with my daughter after all. Oh well, she gets impatient and goes ahead of me anyway.

I actually have a few books that landed on my TBR because they were related to films I've enjoyed.

I'm considering American Rust because I watched and loved "Place Beyond the Pines" (starring Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper). I was so *certain* it was based on a book (it isn't!) but my research into similar reading material brought up a recommendation for American Rust. Both deal with dying steel towns and the struggle to make ends meet, even if it leads to crime.

The other one I want to read is Restoration because I enjoyed the film of the same name, and only later realized it was based on a book by Rose Tremain. I love reading about historical medicine, plus this one also features plague doctors and the Great Fire of London.

I don't know if this is too much of a stretch or not, but my favorite movie is Apollo 13, so I was thinking I'd read Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks for this prompt. I doubt there are many links between the book and the movie in terms of topic or theme, though.

Marin wrote: "I don't know if this is too much of a stretch or not, but my favorite movie is Apollo 13, so I was thinking I'd read Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks for this prompt. I doub..."

I totally think that would work!

I have no idea how I'm going to work this one. I love movies & have some favorite tv shows, but I don't know how to narrow this down!
Some current shows jumping out at me are:
Riverdale
Parenthood

I'm open to suggestions!

Downton Abbey used to be regular viewing at my place. So I may end up reading something by Julian Fellowes - Snobs probably.

I have a few options linked to Lost, but all this Buffy talks makes me want to go back to this universe! I've never read and Buffy books, what do you guys would recommend I start with?

Tracy wrote: "Milena wrote: "I was going to also read something off the Rory Gilmore list, not sure what yet. Another option is The Haunting of Hill House, since that is now a Netflix show."

Milena..."

There are also the Sons of Anarchy graphic novels: Sons of Anarchy, Volume 1

Serendipity wrote: "Downton Abbey used to be regular viewing at my place. So I may end up reading something by Julian Fellowes - Snobs probably."

Have you read Belgravia? I quite liked it, especially having an older main character compared to what I'm used to reading.

Liz wrote: "I have no idea how I'm going to work this one. I love movies & have some favorite tv shows, but I don't know how to narrow this down!
Some current shows jumping out at me are:
Riverdale
Parenthood
..."

I love both shows. I'll have to give Parenthood some thought, but for Riverdale, you could do one of the graphic novels for the series. Also, in one of the episodes, Jughead was called "Riverdale High's's very own Holden Caulfield." So a possible creative connection there would be Catcher in the Rye.