February is the month for love and romance…or at least all the ads we see keep telling us it is! To help celebrate, we’re giving you suggestions for a cozy, romantic movie night…which just so happen to have book versions you can curl up with if you’re going solo this year! Or, if you find an option you really like, you can do both! So pop your popcorn and grab your favorite box of candy, because these options are great for spending an evening with that special someone, even if that “special someone” is yourself!
Book: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Film starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe.
Hazel has terminal cancer. She knows how her story ends…or does she? When a miracle shrinks her tumor enough to buy her a few more months of life, she joins a cancer survivors group for teens, and that’s when everything changes. Namely, her outlook on life thanks to hunky fellow patient Augustus. The two strike up a bond and go on a quest to find and meet the author of Hazel’s favorite book before her time runs out (and of course fall in love in the process). Definitely have your box of tissues ready if you add this one to your list!
Book: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Film starring Shane West, Mandy Moore, Daryl Hannah, Peter Coyote
When a high school prank goes wrong, Landon and his friends end up on their principal’s bad side. He decides to let them choose their punishment: expulsion or several tasks to help out around the school. This includes joining the school play, where Landon becomes reacquainted with an old friend from elementary school, Jamie. Jamie isn’t popular and she doesn’t wear make up or dress flashy, so popular Landon never really noticed her…until he hears her sing in the school play. Will Landon fall in love with the “uncool” girl in spite of his friends? Will Jamie break down her walls to give Landon a chance, or does her awful secret keep her from loving anyone? If you have any tissues leftover from A Fault in Our Stars, trust us, you’ll need them.
Book: The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Film starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage
If you’ve ever seen this movie, you probably have a favorite quote that you can break out at the drop of a hat. And if you’ve never seen it, you’re in for a ride! But did you know that it was also a book first? Written in 1973, the novel was written by author William Goldman, but instead of writing all the boring parts, he only wrote “the good parts”, and presented it as an abridgement of a fictional author’s work! The movie gets around this by using the framing device of a grandfather reading the book to his sick grandson (who would much rather be playing video games…at first), and so we don’t see the grandfather reading every part of the book. We only see “the good stuff” (which is all that was ever written in the first place). Sound confusing? That’s okay, whether you choose to watch the movie or read the book, there’s plenty of high adventure, sword fights, and “twue wuv” it will all make sense by the time you get to the end. Just look out for the Rodents of Unusual Size!
Book: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Film starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Dave Franco
Okay, stop me if you’ve heard this one: A boy and a girl fall in love, but they can’t be together because their families absolutely hate each other, so they plot and scheme to find a way to make their love work despite their obvious differences. Romeo and Juliet, right? Well…yes. But also Warm Bodies, a modernized retelling of Shakespeare’s classic tale using everyone’s favorite trope: zombies! In this version, set in a zombie apocalypse, Julie and her friends are sent on a supply run. When they enter a mall, Julie meets R (who can’t remember his full name, of course), who is immediately drawn to her. This attraction only increases when R eats Julie’s boyfriend (in self-defense, we swear) and experiences his memories by eating his brains. This leads R to save Julie from a pack of zombies. She’s suspicious of his intentions, but slowly begins to learn to trust him, and possibly even…love him? Will these two star-crossed lovers find a way for their love to blossom, or will the zombie horde consume everything in its path? The shocking twist ending will definitely surprise you (or maybe not, it’s a romance book after all)!
Book: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
Film starring Amandla Stenberg, Nick Robinson, Ana de la Reguera, Anika Noni Rose
Maddy Whitier lives in a bubble. She can’t leave the house, and the only people she sees regularly are her mom, her nurse Carla, and Carla’s daughter, Rosa. She can’t interact with anyone who hasn’t been sanitized. That’s because Maddy is being treated for a rare autoimmune disease known as SCID. Maddy longs to see the world (especially the ocean) but doesn’t dare move outside of her bubble, for fear of getting sick or upsetting her mom. But when a new family moves in nextdoor, Maddy is able to start a friendship (and romance, of course) with Olly, the cute neighbor boy. He gives her the friend she’s always wanted, and she supports him as he deals with a rough home life. As the two get closer and closer, Maddy’s mother starts to restrict her ability to contact him. Will Maddy be able to take her life into her own hands and find a way to get her happily ever after with Olly? Or will her mother’s terrible secret ruin everything?
These aren’t the only great romance novels that became movies, of course! It’s just a selection to get you started! Maybe you want to mix and match by watching one of these movies, but reading a different novel, so you get the best of both worlds! Or maybe you have a favorite that we missed! Whatever you decide, here’s to finding the next title that makes your heart skip a beat!
