Most of you know that I put off reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green for a long time - mostly because of the hype of the book - and partially because I was pretty sure that I was going to be the only blogger in the entire world that didn't like the book. Needless to say, I was wrong on both accounts. The hype was not only well-deserved, but I should have listened to it. Also, the book was so incredible that I cried like an infant reading it on a plane in just 5 hours.

When I heard it was optioned as a film though, I was really upset. Let's be honest. 99% of the time, book-to-film adaptations just don't live up. (My Sister's Keeper, anyone? Talk about a trainwreck.) There's something different about this one though, and it has me incredibly excited to see it. I even think that Shailene Woodley might just work as Hazel, which is something I never thought I'd say. Check out the official trailer below:

I was actually, for the most part, pleasantly surprised about the trailer, and it gives me just a smidge of hope that it might live up to its literary counterpart. I'd be really interested to see what you all think though! 
Have you read The Fault in Our Stars?  What do you think of the trailer and, most of all, are you excited to see the movie?

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish.

Each week they will post a new top ten list that one of our bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a great way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

The Top Ten Best & Worst Book to Film Adaptations

I'm one of those people that needs to read the book before I see the movie, but it's a catch-22 because if I love a book, the movie will almost certainly never live up. That said, there are some that do live up to their literary counterparts, so I figured I'd show a split. Here are the five best and the five worst book to film adaptations...in my humble opinion, of course!

1. Pride & Prejudice - The 2005 version. Keira Knightly plays the perfect Lizzie Bennett...and Mr. Darcy...yeah, that is all.

2. The Notebook - I swear, I'm not a big romantic film lover, but this is perfection to me. Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are the perfect Allie and Noah.

3. A Walk to Remember - I read this book so long ago, but the movie actually lived up, and it made me cry half a dozen times. It doesn't hurt that the music is pretty great, too.

4. Atonement - I went with some friends to see this one who thought it would be like Pearl Harbor. Needless to say, it's not. It's rough, it's edgy and it's not a feel-good movie...but it's amazing.

5. Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix - The movies just got better and better. I just happened to love this film the most. It might be the fact that I still love Sirius Black.

1. I Am Number Four - I really liked this book despite the controversy surrounding the author(s) of it. The film, however, was just blah. I expected more from you, Alex Pettyfer! 

2. The Last Song - I love this book. I hate this movie. I should have felt something while watching this, but let's be real. Miley Cyrus portrays the emotional range of a bean.

3. The Lovely Bones - This movie is just blasphemy. I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved. Tell me, do you really think that any of the true passion was captured in this film? No. It wasn't.

4. My Sister's Keeper - Ugh. I really don't have words to say how wrong this film was cast and just how badly it played out. That ending...you changed the. entire. book. UGH.

5. The Lightning Thief - There have been worse movies made. I know this. However, if you're trying to set up an epic new fantasy film series...do it right. The books is a zillion times better.

Let's Talk is a new weekly feature here at i swim for oceans. I think it's important that we all have our say, and there's something to be said for raising our voices. Simply put, here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What are your favourite and least favourite book to film adaptations, and why?

Book to film adaptations are notoriously bad, my friends. I mean, seriously…who are we kidding here? There are so many films that just have not lived up to their literary counterparts that I often forget that there can be good ones. You guys know the bad ones I’m talking about; those movies that take excessive liberties, completely conceal the plot and spin the story into something that’s merely a shadow of what the book once was? Do I really need to illustrate those for you? Probably not, but here are some of the worst ones I’ve ever seen…EVER.

That said, there are (occasionally) those book to film adaptations that actually manage to impress me. Now, that’s no small feat, mind you because when they do it’s because of a few things. 

1. They don’t deviate too far from the book’s storyline. 

2. The actors actually fit their literary counterparts and do them justice. 

3. The movie doesn’t skimp on the book’s details simply for shock value or ratings. 

Yes, I know. I’m picky. But hey, when you like a book, do you really want to see that book have a crappy film fail at its sad attempt to do it justice? The answer’s no, and you know it. The point is, I can probably count on two hands the number of films that have measured up, but below are my top three.

What do they have in common? They run in the same vein as the books, which is like gold to me. I seriously love them. The fact of the matter is that while I allow for creative freedom, I love a book for a reason, and it saddens me when films lose that reason.