It is a hobby that has been around for hundreds of years which people have been able to do in an ever increasing number of ways. Whether you like to frequent coffee shops with the latest find from a charity shop or simply prefer to use your trusty kindle whilst commuting to work, reading books is still one of our favourite past times.

It can be argued however that it has lost traction in recent decades with less of us deciding to read for pleasure. This can be put down to many factors, the main one being the introduction of the internet which is now the place where people sink most of their time into. This is troubling as a lack of reading has been linked to a fall in people that have a wider vocabulary. The fear is so much so that it has been said we will have to resort to communicating in grunts and sniffs by the next century…

Okay, that last part was utter rubbish. The fact remains though that reading is an integral part of developing a person’s vocabulary in early life and helps them to maintain it as they grow older.Reading a book offers us a way to do this whilst giving us enjoyment from the immersion we can find through the stories we read.This is why World Book Day is so important, as it strives to get people interested in reading books again. It is a day that tries to bring back those who have shunned books for so long and helps them find books that satisfy their interests and makes it a pleasure for them to read again.

So in honour of such a special day we have compiled a list of critically acclaimed films that were actually adapted from books, some of these may surprise you-

The Amityville horror (1979 and 2005) – The original adaption and the remake are both well-known horror films that were sourced from a book written by Jay Anson in 1977. The book is said to be based off actual events, if this is true then we would not want to visit the Amityville house any time soon.

Jurassic Park (1993) – A lot of people’s obsession with dinosaurs can be traced back to seeing this film for the first time although Steven Spielberg actually adapted from a novel with the same name written by Michael Crichton in 1990. It is said that this novel is an updated version of Frankenstein as there are correlations that can be drawn from the biological tampering in both novels.

Goodfellas (1990) – One of Martin Scorcese’s masterpieces was adapted from a novel called ‘Wiseguy’ written by Nicholas Pileggi in 1985 which itself was based on true events about a mafia mobster that turned into an FBI informant.

Schindlers list (1993) – This powerful film which still resonates in many people memories even 22 years after its initial release was adapted from a Booker Prize winning novel called ‘Schindler’s Ark’. It was published in 1982 by an Australian author called Thomas Keneally and was sourced from documented accounts of Oskar Schindler’s valiant actions throughout the war that saved thousands of Jewish lives.

Fight club (1999) – The book that this was adapted from was published in 1996 by Chuck Palahniuk to little fanfare and when the film was released it too slipped under the radar. It was only years after that the film and ultimately the book have gained popularity and now enjoy cult status.

You hear many people say when the big blockbusters come out that they’ve read the book. They will then most likely go on to say that annoying phrase, “The book is better than the film”. However irritating this must be, for the most part it is true. This is because books contain so much more detail in the story that a two and a half hour film can’t match and as a result gives a more immersing experience. This is why, in the spirit of World Book Day we implore each and every one of you who haven’t picked up a book in years to rediscover this favourite past time. You might find more enjoyment in it than you think.

You may want to go one step further and take our advice from our last blog and join a book club. This would allow you to share your experiences, views and opinions of the books that you’re reading and might give you more satisfaction than just reading the book alone.

If this post has inspired you to start reading again why not share it with us by tweeting us or posting on our Facebook page with what book you plan on reading.

Sources for images: All images are CC and were sourced from Pixabay.