Instead of spending your jaded moments trying to wait for a star to fall in front of you, why not try to spice up your wasted moments and watch this books being put into motion pictures. I assure you this is worth your time and will surely cook your guts out.

1Still Alice, Lisa Genova

Pocket Books

Sony Pictures

Still Alice

 The story follows Alice Howland, an accomplished professor and a mother of three grown children. She starts to lose her memory and is later diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease, struggling to maintain her lifestyle and sense of self. The book is heartbreaking and emotionally charged, and there’s already Oscar buzz surrounding Julianne Moore’s performance; it’s bound to be a good film to catch!

Amazon review: 4.7/5 stars

Critics Consensus: Elevated by a gripping performance from Julianne Moore, Still Alice is a heartfelt drama that honors its delicate themes with bravery and sensitivity.

Release date: Jan. 16

Starring: Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kate Bosworth, Kristen Stewart

2The Mortdecai Trilogy, Kyril Bonfiglioli

Penguin Books

Mortdecai

 Charlie Mortdecai, a charming and cultured art dealer, travels to America in search of a stolen painting linked to a lost bank account filled with gold. The book is soaked with sharp humor and it’s impossibly intriguing, making this a perfect fit for Johnny Depp.

Amazon review: 4.2/5 stars

Release date: Jan. 23

Starring: Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor, Olivia Munn, Gwyneth Paltrow

3Where Rainbows End (Love, Rosie), Cecelia Ahern

Hachette Book Group

Canyon Creek Films

 Where Rainbows End (Love, Rosie)

Rosie and Alex, best friends since childhood, are the type of people who should be together, even if they don’t realize it. Despite being separated as teenagers, they are inseparable via email and letters, and are constantly on the rise of a potential romance. This story comes from the same author as P.S. I Love You, so if you enjoyed that then there’s a good chance you’ll like this too.

Amazon review: 4.2/5 stars

Release date: Feb. 6

Starring: Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse

4The Last Apprentice (Seventh Son), Joseph Delaney

HarperCollins

Legendary Pictures

 The Last Apprentice (Seventh Son)

Old Gregory is the Spook for the county, and he’s been trying to find a replacement for years. After testing several candidates, he comes down to the last apprentice and his last hope — Young Thomas. His first challenge is up against Mother Malkin, and people are relying on him to succeed. It’s a fantasy thriller and with Jeff Bridges at the helm, it’s a film fans are looking forward to.

Amazon review: 4.4/5 stars

Release date: Feb. 6

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Kit Harington, Julianne Moore, Ben Barnes

5Fifty Shades of Grey, E.L. James

Vintage

Fifty Shades of Grey

An innocent, independent girl named Anastasia Steele falls for a rich, powerful, and dominant man named Christian Grey. Their newly developed romance brings out the dark side in Ana and a very unusual side of Christian. The book is 530 pages of sex and BDSM with a little bit of plot in between. The theaters will be packed, but apparently there’s not nearly as much nudity as the book implies so who knows how raunchy the adaptation will be.

Amazon review: 3.4/5 stars

Release date: Feb. 13

Starring: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes

6The DUFF, Kody Keplinger

Hachette Book Group

Granville Pictures

The Duff

Bianca Piper is somewhat of an outcast, but she has a gorgeous group of loyal friends to keep her company. When man-whore Wesley Rush calls her the DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend), Bianca adds him to the top of her enemy list. But when things turn bad at home, she develops a friends-with-benefits relationship with him, and worse, falls for him the more they hang out. The movie is reminiscent of a modern She’s All That.

Amazon review: 4.3/5 stars

Release date: Feb. 20

Starring: Mae Whitman, Bella Thorne, Allison Janey, Robbie Amell

7Dead Stars (Maps to the Stars), Bruce Wagner

Blue Rider Press

Dan McFadden

 Dead Stars (Map to the Stars)

Based on the early stages of the Maps to the Stars script, Dead Stars is a satirical takedown of Hollywood culture and fame. The book has mixed reviews, but Julianne Moore won Best Actress at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in the movie.

Amazon review: 3.3/5 stars

Critics Consensus: Narratively unwieldy and tonally jumbled, Maps to the Stars still has enough bite to satisfy David Cronenberg fans in need of a coolly acidic fix.

Release date: Feb. 27

Starring: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson

8In the Heart of the Sea, Nathaniel Philbrick

Penguin Books

Warner Bros.

In the Heart of the Sea

This is the true story of the whaleship Essex that was attacked by a sperm whale and left several crew members at sea for more than 90 days, resulting in desperate measures for survival. This was also the story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It’s a fascinating read and will no doubt be just as intriguing to see on screen.

Amazon review: 4.6/5 stars

Release date: March 13 (Click here to watch the trailer.)

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Charlotte Riley

9Insurgent, Veronica Roth

HarperCollins

Insurgent

 The second book in the Divergent series, Insurgent continues Tris’ fight against Jeanine Matthews and her brutal agenda that threatens to tear society apart and kill Divergents. The book is exciting and hard to put down, and hopefully the movie will follow the novel more than the previews imply.

Amazon review: 4.5/5 stars

Release date: March 20

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ansel Elgort, Kate Winslet

10Serena, Ron Rash

Harper Collins

SERENA

The book is a thrilling story that follows newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton on their journey to create a timber empire and ruthlessly kill all who fall out of favor. When Serena finds out she can’t bear children, she seeks to murder the illegitimate child she believes George is trying to protect. We’ve seen JLaw and Bradley Cooper kill it on screen before, so hopefully we’re in for a treat.                                                              Magnolia Pictures

Amazon review: 3.8/5 stars

Critics Consensus: Serena unites an impressive array of talent on either side of the cameras — then leaves viewers to wonder how it all went so wrong.

Release date: March 27

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper

11The Longest Ride, Nicholas Sparks

Hachette Book Group

 

The Longest Ride

 Like any other formulated Nicholas Sparks book, this story involves romance, secrets, relationship problems, and scenes that will make you cry. The Longest Ride is a story of two couples whose lives intersect in profound ways. If you’ve read or seen any other Sparks creations and loved them, this will most likely be no different. Also, say hello to Clint Eastwood’s hot son.

Amazon review: 4.6/5 stars

Release date: April 10

Starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robertson

Town and Country ./ Photograph by Noe DeWitt

12The Moon and the Sun, Vonda N. McIntyre

Pocket book

Paramount Pictures

 The Moon and the Sun

 Set in 17th-century France, King Louis XIV is on the quest to immortality by way of a captured sea woman, but Marie-Josephe is determined to save the mermaid’s life, for she is not the monster so many people believe her to be. Pierce Brosnan stars and hopefully dominates.

Amazon review: 3.8/5 stars

Release date: April 10

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, William Hurt, Benjamin Walker, Kaya Scodelario

13Child 44, Tom Rob Smith

Grand Central Publishing

Summit Entertainment

Child 44

Leo Demidov, a loyal and dedicated officer of Stalin’s Soviet Union, is demoted and exiled when he begins to investigate a serial killing of children. Admitting that these crimes are being committed is a crime itself against the State. Demidov and his wife Raisa set out to find the killer, and uncover shocking revelations in the process.

Amazon review: 4.3/5 stars

Release date: April 17

Starring: Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Noomi Rapace

14Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

Cornhill Magazine

Fox

 Far From the Madding Ground

A classic love story you probably read as part of your high school’s curriculum, Far from the Madding Crowd is about an independent, beautiful woman who attracts three very different suitors: a shepherd, a sergeant, and a rich bachelor. The novel is about tough choices, the nature of relationships, and bouncing back from hardship. Carey Mulligan will make a great Bathsheba!

Amazon review: 4.4/5 stars

Release date: May 1

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Michael Sheen, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge

15Paper Towns, John Green

Penguin Group LLC

 Paper Towns

Margo Roth Spiegelman, the unattainable girl next door, convinces Quentin to embark on a journey of revenge, but come the next morning, Margo has gone missing and has left clues for Q. He and his friends go on a road trip in search of M, unsure if they will find her dead or alive. If you like John Green books (The Fault in Our Stars), then this should be right up your alley.

Amazon review: 4.3/5 stars

Release date: June 19

Starring: Cara Delevingne, Nat Wolff, Ian Gavan / Getty

16The Scorch Trials, James Dashner

Delacorte Press

The Scorch Trials

The second book in the Maze Runner series, Thomas and the Gladers are entering phase two of their “trials” and race to earn a cure for the Flare virus. Chased by Cranks and facing a series of dangerous weather conditions, the boys attempt to complete their mission. The book is just as thrilling as the first and no one is complaining about seeing Dylan O’Brien return to the theaters.

Amazon review: 4.4/5 stars

Release date: Sept. 18

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster

17Black Mass, Dick Lehr and Gerald O’Neill

PublicAffairs

Cross Creek Pictures

 Black Mass

Based on the chilling true story of John Connolly and James “Whitey” Bulger, an FBI agent and the leader of an Irish mob, this book details the dark deal between the pair that spiraled out of control. It’s a compelling read, but what’s more interesting is the wig Johnny Depp is sporting.

Amazon review: 4.2/5 stars

Release date: Sept. 18

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dakota Johnson, Sienna Miller

18Frankenstein (Victor Frankenstein), Mary Shelley

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Frankenstein

 Frankenstein is of course the story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation of a monster built from several corpses. This movie is based on the contemporary adaptations of Mary Shelley’s book and instead focuses on Igor, Victor Frankenstein’s hunchbacked young assistant. It’s an interesting take on a classic tale and Daniel Radcliffe will obviously be great.

Amazon review: 4.2/5 stars

Release date: Oct. 2

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy

19Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Jungle Book

 An orphan boy named Mowgli is raised by a pack of wolves and befriends a bear named Baloo and a black panther named Bagheera. It’s a classic story and the talented cast of the film makes this a wildly anticipated live-action Disney release.

Amazon review: 4.3/5 stars

Release date: Oct. 9

Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong’o, Christopher Walken, Ben Kingsley

20Mockingjay (Part 2), Suzanne Collins

Scholastic Press

Lionsgate

 Mockingjay (Part 2)

The last book of the Hunger Games series, Mockingjay is the completion of Katniss Everdeen’s rebellion against the Capital and her fight to bring President Snow down. The last movie is going to be amazing, but the fact that it’s almost over really blows… (sorry)

Amazon review: 4.3/5 stars

Release date: Nov. 20

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

21The Martian, Andy Weir

Random House LLC

The Martian And Weir

Astronaut Mark Watney was one of the first people to land on Mars, and he’s sure to be the first person to die there. After his crew believes Mark died from a dust storm, he’s stranded and completely alone with no way to signal Earth. With the recent trend of space movies (seriously though, what is going on?), this is bound to be another awesome but stressful two hours at the movies.

Amazon review: 4.6/5 stars

Release date: Nov. 27

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kristen Wiig, Chris Jackson / Getty

Astronaut Mark Watney was originally listed as the first person to walk on Mars in “The Martian” but he was actually one of the first people to walk on Mars. Sorry!

And there you got! Save the dates and don’t forget to reserve your tickets and a bucketful of popcorns!

Source(s): buzzfeed.com, rottenromatoes.com

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