And Now, The Full Excerpt from To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

And Now, The Full Excerpt from To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

If you were with me earlier this week, I shared a mini excerpt of Christopher Paolini’s new book To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Today, I’m here to share with you the full excerpt. You can find more info about this book on my previous blog post.

Without further ado, here’s the full excerpt:

Cold fear shot through Kira’s gut.

Together, she and Alan scrambled into their clothes. Kira spared a second of thought for her strange dream—everything felt strange at the moment—and then they hurried out of the cabin and rushed over toward Neghar’s quarters.

As they approached, Kira heard hacking: a deep, wet, ripping sound that made her imagine raw flesh going through a shredder. She shuddered.

Neghar was standing in the middle of the hallway with the others gathered around her, doubled over, hands on her knees, coughing so hard Kira could hear her vocal cords fraying. Fizel was next to her, hand on her back. “Keep breathing,” he said. “We’ll get you to sickbay. Jenan! Alan! Grab her arms, help carry her. Quickly now, qu—”

Neghar heaved, and Kira heard a loud, distinct snap from inside the woman’s narrow chest.

Black blood sprayed from Neghar’s mouth, painting the deck in a wide fan.

Marie-Élise shrieked, and several people retched. The fear from Kira’s dream returned, intensified. This was bad. This was dangerous. “We have to go,” she said, and tugged on Alan’s sleeve. But he wasn’t listening.

“Back!” Fizel shouted. “Everyone back! Someone get the Extenuating Circumstances on the horn. Now!”

“Clear the way!” Mendoza bellowed.

More blood sprayed from Neghar’s mouth, and she dropped to one knee. The whites of her eyes were freakishly wide. Her face was crimson, and her throat worked as if she were choking.

“Alan,” said Kira. Too late; he was moving to help Fizel.

She took a step back. Then another. No one noticed; they were all looking at Neghar, trying to figure out what to do while staying out of the way of the blood flying from her mouth.

Kira felt like screaming at them to leave, to run, to escape.

She shook her head and pressed her fists against her mouth, scared blood was going to erupt out of her as well. Her head felt as if it were about to burst, and her skin was crawling with horror: a thousand ants skittering over every centimeter. Her whole body itched with revulsion.

Jenan and Alan tried to lift Neghar back to her feet. She shook her head and gagged. Once. Twice. And then she spat a clot of something onto the deck. It was too dark to be blood. Too liquid to be metal.

Kira dug her fingers into her arm, scrubbing at it as a scream of revulsion threatened to erupt out of her.

Neghar collapsed backwards. Then the clot moved. It twitched like a clump of muscle hit with an electrical current.

People shouted and jumped away. Alan retreated toward Kira, never taking his eyes off the unformed lump.

Kira dry-heaved. She took another step back. Her arm was burning: thin lines of fire squirming across her skin.

She looked down.

Her nails had carved furrows in her flesh, crimson gashes that ended with crumpled strips of skin. And within the furrows, she saw another something twitch.

Kira fell to the floor, screaming. The pain was all-consuming. That much she was aware of. It was the only thing she was aware of.

She arched her back and thrashed, clawing at the floor, desperate to escape the onslaught of agony. She screamed again; she screamed so hard her voice broke and a slick of hot blood coated her throat.

She couldn’t breathe. The pain was too intense. Her skin was burning, and it felt as if her veins were filled with acid and her flesh was tearing itself from her limbs.

Dark shapes blocked the light overhead as people moved around her. Alan’s face appeared next to her. She thrashed again, and she was on her stomach, her cheek pressed flat against the hard surface.

Her body relaxed for a second, and she took a single, gasping breath before going rigid and loosing a silent howl. The muscles of her face cramped with the force of her rictus, and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

Hands turned her over. They gripped her arms and legs, holding them in place. It did nothing to stop the pain.

“Kira!”

She forced her eyes open and, with blurry vision, saw Alan and, behind him, Fizel leaning toward her with a hypo. Farther back, Jenan, Yugo, and Seppo were pinning her legs to the floor, while Ivanova and Marie-Élise helped Neghar away from the clot on the deck.

Kira! Look at me! Look at me!”

She tried to reply, but all she succeeded in doing was uttering a strangled whimper.

Then Fizel pressed the hypo against her shoulder. Whatever he injected didn’t seem to have any effect. Her heels drummed against the floor, and she felt her head slam against the deck, again and again.

“Jesus, someone help her,” Alan cried.

“Watch out!” shouted Seppo. “That thing on the floor is moving! Shi—”

“Sickbay,” said Fizel. “Get her to sickbay. Now! Pick her up. Pick—”

The walls swam around her as they lifted her. Kira felt like she was being strangled. She tried to inhale, but her muscles were too cramped. Red sparks gathered around the edges of her vision as Alan and the others carried her down the hallway. She felt as if she were floating; everything seemed insubstantial except the pain and her fear.

A jolt as they dropped her onto Fizel’s exam table. Her abdomen relaxed for a second, just long enough for Kira to steal a breath before her muscles locked back up.

“Close the door! Keep that thing out!” A thunk as the sickbay pressure lock engaged.

“What’s happening?” said Alan. “Is—”

“Move!” shouted Fizel. Another hypo pressed against Kira’s neck.

As if in response, the pain tripled, something she wouldn’t have believed possible. A low groan escaped her, and she jerked, unable to control the motion. She could feel foam gathering in her mouth, clogging her throat. She gagged and convulsed.

“Shit. Get me an injector. Other drawer. No, other drawer!”

“Doc—”

“Not now!”

Doc, she isn’t breathing!”

Equipment clattered, and then fingers forced Kira’s jaw apart, and someone jammed a tube into her mouth, down her throat. She gagged again. A moment later, sweet, precious air poured into her lungs, sweeping aside the curtain darkening her vision.

Alan was hovering over her, his face contorted with worry.

Kira tried to talk. But the only sound she could make was an inarticulate groan.

“You’re going to be okay,” said Alan. “Just hold on. Fizel’s going to help you.” He looked as if he were about to cry.

Kira had never been so afraid. Something was wrong inside her, and it was getting worse.

Run, she thought. Run! Get away from here before—

Dark lines shot across her skin: black lightning bolts that twisted and squirmed as if alive. Then they froze in place, and where each one lay, her skin split and tore, like the carapace of a molting insect.

Kira’s fear overflowed, filling her with a feeling of utter and inescapable doom. If she could have screamed, her cry would have reached the stars.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is out in September 2020. You can preorder through Tor.com

Excerpt Series: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Excerpt Series: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

You might be asking yourself why the name Christopher Paolini is so familiar. Well, it’s because he wrote Eragon aka The Inheritance Cycle a little while back. In the time he’s written Eragon and the four books in the series, he’s sold millions of books, did a world tour, and moved to Colorado where he embarked on his next writing journey.

Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a short excerpt from Christopher Paolini’s highly anticipated novel To Sleep in a Sea of Stars. Honestly, you have me with the title. Good gracious, could it appeal to starry-eyed dreamers everywhere?

Before diving into the excerpt, I wanted to share a little bit about the synopsis. This is Christopher Paolini’s first adult novel filled with science fiction voyage across the stars. I’m hoping it turns out to be a giant space opera. Please, please, please be a space opera!!

The mini excerpt I’m sharing today and the full excerpt I’ll share on Friday is legit. This book already has me hyped and it’s a few more months before it’s out!

Here’s what the book is about

Kira Navárez dreamed of finding life on new worlds.

Now she has awakened a nightmare.

While exploring a distant planet, she discovers an alien relic that thrusts her into an epic journey of transformation and discovery.

Her odyssey will carry her to the far reaches of the galaxy.

Earth and her colonies are on the brink of annihilation.

One woman.

    The will to survive.

        The hope of humanity.

This epic novel follows Kira Navárez, who, during a routine survey mission on an uncolonized planet, finds an alien relic that thrusts her into the wonders and the nightmares of first contact. Epic space battles for the fate of humanity take her to the farthest reaches of the galaxy and, in the process, transform not only her ― but the entire course of history.

A mini excerpt of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini

Without further ado, here’s the excerpt I’m sharing with you all today:

Kira dug her fingers into her arm, scrubbing at it as a scream of revulsion threatened to erupt out of her.

Neghar collapsed backwards. Then the clot moved. It twitched like a clump of muscle hit with an electrical current.

People shouted and jumped away. Alan retreated toward Kira, never taking his eyes off the unformed lump.

Kira dry-heaved. She took another step back. Her arm was burning: thin lines of fire squirming across her skin.

She looked down.

Her nails had carved furrows in her flesh, crimson gashes that ended with crumpled strips of skin. And within the furrows, she saw another something twitch.

Kira fell to the floor, screaming. The pain was all-consuming. That much she was aware of. It was the only thing she was aware of.

She arched her back and thrashed, clawing at the floor, desperate to escape the onslaught of agony. She screamed again; she screamed so hard her voice broke and a slick of hot blood coated her throat.

She couldn’t breathe. The pain was too intense. Her skin was burning, and it felt as if her veins were filled with acid and her flesh was tearing itself from her limbs.

Dark shapes blocked the light overhead as people moved around her. Alan’s face appeared next to her. She thrashed again, and she was on her stomach, her cheek pressed flat against the hard surface.

Her body relaxed for a second, and she took a single, gasping breath before going rigid and loosing a silent howl. The muscles of her face cramped with the force of her rictus, and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

Hands turned her over. They gripped her arms and legs, holding them in place. It did nothing to stop the pain.

“Kira!”

She forced her eyes open and, with blurry vision, saw Alan and, behind him, Fizel leaning toward her with a hypo. Farther back, Jenan, Yugo, and Seppo were pinning her legs to the floor, while Ivanova and Marie-Élise helped Neghar away from the clot on the deck.

Kira! Look at me! Look at me!”

She tried to reply, but all she succeeded in doing was uttering a strangled whimper. 

Then Fizel pressed the hypo against her shoulder. Whatever he injected didn’t seem to have any effect. Her heels drummed against the floor, and she felt her head slam against the deck, again and again.

About Christopher Paolini:

Christopher Paolini was born in Southern California and has lived most of his life in Paradise Valley, Montana. He published his first novel, Eragon, in 2003 at the age of 19, and quickly became a publishing phenomenon. His Inheritance Cycle—Eragon and its three sequels—have sold nearly 40 million copies worldwide. This is his first adult novel.

I’ll be sharing the full excerpt on the blog this Friday!

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is out in September 2020. You can pre-order your copy here.

My Reading Life for the Next Few Weeks

My Reading Life for the Next Few Weeks

Hey everyone!

I wanted to pop on here and give you an update on my reading life for the next few weeks. Of course I’ll be doing my mid-month checkins, but I’m reading as much as I can for my first Summer Reading List.

Yes, it’ll be my first time creating a summer reading list for my blog and I’m excited and nervous. It was almost last minute and it actually stems from a bigger project I’ve been working on with my TBR. Here’s how this all came about:

I was looking at my April TBR and just wanting to finally catch up with my growing TBR. Every month, I feel like I receive so many books and as much as I want to read all of them, I can’t. I’m always playing catch up and I always seem to leave a few books behind. I want to fix this problem and really only read new books as they come out (and a few older books mixed in each month).

My first challenge is reading all the new books currently releasing. In order to catch up, I need to ignore my backlist and only focus on the new releases. I figured since I’m reading all these new books then I’m going to put together the summer reading list. So what I decided to do was work on putting this list together and spending my summer reading only backlisted books.

My second challenge is then dedicating my summer to solely reading backlisted novels. This means only the books I’ve accumulated on my bookshelves over the years. No new reads. No library holds. I’ll read a new release every once in a while (especially since my review job is reading ONLY new releases), but I want to finally catch up on my fantasy series, start some new fantasy, and read older books written by some of my new favorite authors.

I always feel like I don’t have enough time to read my backlist while new reads continue to publish every single week. While there’s no stopping the train over the summer, I want to read pretty much only new books for now. When June/July starts, then I’ll be switching over to an 80/20 split; eight backlisted novels and two new reads or something like that. I would love to read at that ratio until the end of September where I’ll switch back to only reading new books until the winter.

I’m not sure if this method will work, but my biggest issue is the backlisted TBR. I want to dedicate an entire season to reading them and catching up with my TBR. Even if I make a small dent, I’ll feel proud that I dedicated time to reading these books and finally feeling the accomplishment of reading them.

I apologize to everyone who don’t want me to read only new releases, but it’ll be for a little while. My review numbers will be going up as well, but I’ve decided I like having reviews on here. It’s a part of my reading life and something I don’t want to ignore anymore.

I’m Excited About Tolkien

I’m Excited About Tolkien

Happy #MiddleEarthMarch!

Well, I wish I was reading The Lord of the Rings this month, but I have too many books to read. I think Middle Earth will have to hold until April for me. However, it doesn’t mean I’m not excited about the new trailer for Tolkien. You can watch the teaser trailer above.

The movie is supposed to be about the years that inspired a lot of what JRR Tolkien wrote in The Lord of the Rings. It covers his time in the war, his friendships, his obsession with language, and the love for his wife. Did you know that JRR Tolkien was totally in love with his wife and he considered her the muse of his work?

If you didn’t, then you might want to give the movie a shot. I know I’ll be watching it because I can’t resist the story of one of the most coveted fantasy novels of all time. I think this is going to be the Year of the Rings (I just made this up). Even the new series Amazon is working on will begin with the second age, the years where the ring was created and used by the all-powerful (and super scary) Sauron. With the new TV show in the works for Amazon and this new biopic on JRR Tolkien, I think a lot of people are going to pick up this book and fall deeply in love with the world Tolkien created.

Anyone else excited about this one? Anyone else a fan of author biopics?

My Thoughts: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

My Thoughts: Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Over Galentine’s Day, I was given the opportunity to go see Five Feet Apart a month before it releases everywhere. My friend, Kari, and I decided to get some dinner beforehand and then head into the movie. When we checked in and got there, they gave us free popcorn, free soda, and a swag bag filled with the book, a popsocket, and a little bag of tissues.

The tissues should have been the thing to tip me off. It should have immediately been a warning that I was about to cry my eyes out. Because that is just what I did.

Five Feet Apart is the story of a young teenager named Stella and a young guy named Will. They both have Cystic Fibrosis, which is a debilitating disorder where the mucus, sweat, and digestive fluids is thicker than a normal person. While that doesn’t sound like anything too serious, what happens is that the mucus builds up in the body without any way to go. When CF patients say that it feels like drowning, it’s literally their bodies filling with liquid to the point they can’t breathe.

There are thousands of different cases of Cystic Fibrosis. My friend Kat at @readwithkat has CF and she’s able to live life at home and medicate herself. In the book and the movie, Stella, Will, and their friend Poe all have a specific kind of CF that requires hospital care and monitoring. All three of these characters have three different cases of CF, which means that one person can infect another with their CF germs and make their cases worse. This is the whole emphasis on “five feet apart.” It’s technically six-feet apart, but we’ll get into why there’s a missing foot now.

Of course the book is a YA novel, so it’s about Stella and Will’s love story. Yes, they have a love story after I told you all the “six feet” stuff. It’s not like anything you would normally read in a YA. You could call it downright chaste, but it’s really not about the physical parts of love that are important. What’s important is the ability to build a relationship and a love for someone without physically being able to touch them.

And that is demonstrated so many times throughout the movie and the book. These CF patients love each other in platonic or romantic ways, but they can’t hug each other. They can’t high five or sit too close to each other because of their disorder. Yet, they were able to find that without touching. You find more creative ways to hold one another when using your arms and body aren’t available.

So between the movie and the book, they are one in the same. If anything, the book is slightly better than the movie because there’s one thing the book has that the movie doesn’t; internal dialogue. What I absolutely loved about the book was reading Will’s and Stella’s thoughts. Reading what they’re feeling while they fall in love with each other helps explain a lot of what I saw in the movie. It’s tough for two kids who love each other, but then add on a disorder that will kill you and then it’s just near impossible to be in love.

I think the only thing I didn’t like was the ending of the book. I thought the movie ending was so much more impactful without having them face each other again. I could be wrong, though. People do love a happy ending. Also, the book was written after the movie was in production.

Don’t forget to see Five Feet Apart in theaters starting March 15, 2019!

I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.

Seven Reading Challenges to Fuel Your 2019 Reading Life

Seven Reading Challenges to Fuel Your 2019 Reading Life

I love a new year. New years always means new resolutions and while I have my own list of reading goals, I know some of you might be looking for something for yourself. I love that word, “challenge.” It means that you’re taking your regular life and trying to add more to it. It could be a new routine. It could be a different approach to what you’ve been doing. It could mean anything, but what it definitely means is standing outside of your comfort zone.

I love a good challenge and with that in mind, I put together a quick list of some reading challenges I found online. A few live on their own while others are within the Bookstagram community. I hope you find something that works for you!

The Reading Women Reading Challenge

As you can imagine, this reading challenge focuses on one overarching point; read more women. This challenge is great because it doesn’t just challenge you to read women, but it also challenges you to read diversely. I’m always up for challenges like this and while I won’t be participating in this one, if you love reading diversely and you love reading female authors, then you’ll love to follow along and try your hand.

The Guy With the Book’s #BetterReadsChallenge

Out of all the challenges, this is probably both the easiest and the hardest challenge to do. Instagrammer, @theguywiththebook, decided that this year he would read every single day. For some people, this isn’t an easy task. We all have busy lives with a lot of stuff going on and reading may have to take a back seat every once in a while. However, Faroukh challenges all of us to read every day. It doesn’t have to be all day and it doesn’t have to be an hour. He just challenges you to pick up that book and read it.

Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge

I love the read harder challenge because it really makes you read harder. If you’re the type looking to change up your reading life this year, then definitely try this one. It’ll get you out of your comfort zone and help you discover more enjoyable reads.

Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Reading Challenge

If you’re looking for something on the easier side when it comes to challenges, I think Anne Bogel’s reading challenge for 2019 might be the one for you. It’s challenging yes, but in comparison to some of the others listed here, it feels a little bit more geared towards your own reading choices. You can easily find novels in your own collection or brand new ones at the store that fit into any of those categories. I think this is perfect for someone who wants to challenge themselves for the first time this year. No shame in that game!

The Unread Shelf’s Reading Challenge

I loved when Whitney from @theunreadshelf came up with this challenge last year and this year she’s continuing her challenge. Out of all the challenges, this is the one that’s most intriguing to me (and mostly because my unread bookshelves are bigger than my read ones). This year, you’ve got monthly prompts already set up for you and the challenge is to read what you already own. I’m very much into this idea and I’ve already started this challenge by adding two books from my backlist bookshelf to my monthly TBR. Also, I’ve got my own book club dedicated to reading books published before the current year. It’s going to be a blast to see how much shelf space I can make with this one.

Popsugar’s Reading Challenge

I discovered this challenge this year too and oh my gosh, I’m in lurve. Not only are the books on this list fun, but it challenges you to read based on aesthetics. Read a book with a plant on the cover! I mean, that could be anything. I think what Popsugar offers here is a fun reading experience. It’s not about improving your reading life or expanding your worldview. It’s about enjoying reading and challenging yourself in a different way. I might just follow these every once in a while to change up my reading life!

Goodreads Reading Challenge

The old tried and true reading challenge. Perhaps you’re not interested in upping your reading game. Perhaps the challenge for you this year is to read as much as you can. So for those folks, the Goodreads Reading Challenge is right for you. Just set the number of books you want to read this year and then do it. Read those books! But make sure to give yourself space and don’t worry if you can’t hit that goal at the end of the year. We’ve always got next year.

 

My Thoughts and an Excerpt from Tahereh Mafi’s New Novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea

My Thoughts and an Excerpt from Tahereh Mafi’s New Novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea

This is a little bit different from what I normally do, but I was perusing Twitter when I saw this:

Screen Shot 2018-06-28 at 1.30.51 PM

In my head, I was hyperventilating. I had heard Tahereh Mafi was going to move away from her high fantasy books to write something that felt much more autobiographical.

I knew that it would be about being Muslim American and the months and years after 9/11.

However, I didn’t think I would get to read an excerpt from the book. I didn’t think I would read it today, a few days after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the travel ban from Muslim-oriented countries.

Here’s what the book is about

It’s 2002, a year after 9/11. It’s an extremely turbulent time politically, but especially so for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. She’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments—even the physical violence—she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. So she’s built up protective walls and refuses to let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons break-dancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her—they seem to come from two irreconcilable worlds—and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.

You can pre-order this book now!


So I read the excerpt while slurping spicy noodles for lunch and right off the bat, I knew that this will be another amazing story about Muslim Americans that needs to be boosted on all social media platforms. Since this exclusive excerpt was shared on Entertainment Weekly, I’ll share the link to that article below:

Read an excerpt from Taharei Mafi’s newest book, A VERY LARGE EXPANSE OF SEA

Now, even though I’ve only read this excerpt and highly anticipating reading the rest of this novel, I do want to share some quotes and reflections that resonated with me. You can find these after the jump!

Continue reading “My Thoughts and an Excerpt from Tahereh Mafi’s New Novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea”

The New Trailer for The Hate U Give

The New Trailer for The Hate U Give

I’m silently freaking out about this trailer. Silently, out loud. In my head, my voice is booming. Shrill screams and face grabbing ensues.

giphy1

I can’t wait for this complex story to finally be on the big screen. If you haven’t already read the book, I highly recommend you do so but also watch out for this trailer. It’s a spoiler.

It’s the story about a young girl named Starr who was with her childhood friend when he was shot by the police. They believed he was in possession of a weapon, but Starr only saw the brush he pulled out of his car window before the gun shots went off.

After that incident, the story changes into one about a young girl who lives in two different worlds. One world is where she calls home, but it’s not in the most pleasant of places. The other world is filled with white people, her high school. The only school her family wants her to attend to avoid a tragic teenage existence. Neither of them fit her, but they both define her.

And as she’s trying to figure out everything with her life, she’s also being asked to testify against the police officer that shot her friend. What does she do? Does she speak up for her friend or does she stay silent?

Movie is out October 19, 2018, so check out The Hate U Give on Amazon if you haven’t already.

Who else is ready to hear Starr speak? You can find the trailer after the jump!

Continue reading “The New Trailer for The Hate U Give”

Why I Sometimes See the Movie Before I Read the Book

Why I Sometimes See the Movie Before I Read the Book

My friend, Michaela, at The Ardent Biblio recently talked about reading War and Peace for the first time. If you aren’t aware, War and Peace is considered one of the best books of all time written by the most prolific writers, Leo Tolstoy.

However, it was originally written in Russian, is over 1400 pages long, and it takes place during the Franco-Russian War. Unless you’re actually studying the text, there aren’t many people who decide to pick this book and read it. And if you do decide to read it, there’s a lot of families, a lot of names, and a lot of important moments you have to remember.

But a copy of the book has been sitting on my shelf for years. I even dedicated some time to read Anna Karenina (Tolstoy’s other epic classic) a few years back only to stop reading it one day and never picked it back up.

When it comes to books like this, I’m immediately intimidated. I felt the same way about Game of Thrones when the show first came out. I was weary with reading the novel because of all the characters, the places, and the events you had to remember. I think this is one of the many reasons why I put off reading War and Peace.

Today just happened to be the day I decided I will read it. I know that some of this influence does come from Michaela, but the other part comes from the fact that I’m currently watching the TV adaptation of the book. Here’s a trailer below:

So you must be angry at me for watching the BBC version of this show rather than reading the actual novel. Don’t worry, I will definitely read the novel in time. I just would rather watch the show first before diving into the book.

But why?

I think we’ve come to a day and age where reading classics (or some more difficult fantasy novels) has become easier. Aside from the myriad of translations you can choose from (definitely check out The Ardent Biblio post about it above), many of the beloved classics from yesteryear are now available on TV. Movies and retellings and mini-series have been made in abundance for so many classic books. I remember the day I watched all of the BBC Pride and Prejudice and after watching the epic mini-series, I decided to read the book. I read Little Women after watching the 1995-film version with Winona Ryder for the millionth time.

Similarly to many other books I come across, I always have a tough time with visualizing characters and people. With a ton of names and events, it’s hard to keep track of them all. I always find myself flipping from the front of the book and the family tree and the index back to the page I was reading. God forbid the author doesn’t even give you that! Even when the novel is simpler, I always find myself using some actor or actress I feel is appropriate for the main character instead of dreaming up someone in my head. I should have gone into casting or something for these movies.

What watching the show does is allow me to visualize what may have been more difficult without. I’m able to see who exactly is Pierre and Andrei and Natasha and all the others. I can see them in my head and when I read the book I can use that to help shape the story. When I go to the book later on, I’ll be able to read with those characters in mind and be able to visualize the nuances of their emotions and reactions.

I’m also able to visualize the story. You may think that this will spoil a novel for me, but it doesn’t. When a book is as popularized to make a movie, I feel like the spoilers are gone. You already know what’s going to happen or you can read about them online. But the visualization of the story allows me to follow along and understand the bigger events that happen.

Of course you’re not going to get the whole book in the show. If anything, the shows and movies provide a bone structure for you to go back and read the book and fill in the muscle and the tissue. A movie without the book isn’t the same as the movie with the book. You get to a battle scene with its gore and guns and fighting and for some reason these scenes have always been really tough for me to envision in my head. Instead, I get this battle scene played out for me and I can go back later and fill in the gaps I missed about that scene.

The last added bonus of watching the movie before reading the book is that you’re never disappointed. I’ve read books before watching the movie and felt the upset of it not being true to the film. I’ve seen movies that were even better than the book and that annoys me to no end as well. Watching the movie before the book sets me up for good reading with well-crafted scenes and if the adaptation is really good, it can really blow the book out of the water (but that’s a post for another time).

Y’all probably hate me now because I do this weird method of watching the adaptation before reading the book, but for some reason it’s worked for me. I’ve been able to really enjoy some of my favorite classics because I was able to watch them played out like this. It’s also great when the people who made the movie put in the extra work to make it incredible. With an adaptation like War and Peace, there’s a lot of ground to cover in more than just three hours. I mean, look at what happened with the Lord of the Rings movies.