Chapter #23: Is The Book *Always* Better?

Let’s talk adaptations.

Feeling My Shelf is a bi-weekly newsletter about books, life, and well, life with books. Grab your favorite caffeinated beverage and get comfy. First up, some recent reads.

Summer on the Bluffs by Sunny Hostin

Set in Oak Bluffs, a town on Martha's Vineyard, self-made Black millionaire Ama invites her three goddaughters, Perry, Olivia, and Billie, for one last summer at her beloved beachside property (named Chateau Laveau), after which she plans to gift the home to one of them. Each one desperately wants the house and has secrets they don’t want Ama to learn. Little do they know, Ama has a few of her own. It’s a great beach read! I enjoyed the secrets and the nods to Black culture and Louisiana (as someone from Louisiana!)

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams

Only Stacey Abrams could get me to read (and love) not one but *two* political thrillers. This fantastic sequel to While Justice Sleeps sees Supreme Court clerk Avery Keene trying to get her life back on track after unraveling an international conspiracy involving the U.S. President. That plan goes sideways when Preston, a fellow clerk, approaches Avery with information that a federal judge was blackmailed in the days before her death. As Avery digs deeper, she discovers a frightening pattern threatening national security. It’s a suspenseful and entertaining read following corrupt politicians and a smart spunky heroine.

Going Dark by Melissa de la Cruz

Revenge is a dish best served…on the internet. Going Dark follows a college-aged influencer named Amelia, who vanishes on vacation with her boyfriend, Josh. He returns to San Diego without Amelia raising suspicion from their friends and the police. The story sheds a light on privilege and how different missing persons are treated based on race. It started off slow, but the twists were good – even though I didn’t really like the ending.

If there’s anything I love just as much as books, its movies. No lie, I spend 40% of my time reading, 40% of my time at the movie theater, and the other 20% thinking about both things. And some of my favorite films are based on books. But it’s no secret that screen adaptations have a bad rep with readers.

Insert the age-old question: is the book always better? If you ask me, no.

A survey conducted by SuperSummary, an online resource that provides study guides for fiction and non-fiction asked over 2,000 people, ages 23 to 62, to answer questions about books adapted into feature films or TV shows. They found that 34% of people enjoyed the book, compared to 27% who preferred the movie. Nearly 25% also agreed with the statement that “screen adaptations typically ruin books,” with 46% saying that screen adaptations would never be as good as the books.

Way harsh, Tai.

It’s true that reading allows you to really absorb a story. It gives you more than two hours to fall in love with the characters. And the author’s writing style and voice often spice up the experience. Books allow your imagination to run wild and all the little details weaved throughout to be to appreciated.

On the other hand, movies and shows are easier to consume. They’re visually stimulating and free of the most boring plot points. Meh book endings are changed. And actors can take a so-so sentence from the book and turn it into a line of dialogue quoted for years to come—and eventually used as a sound on TikTok.

Wonder author and illustrator R.J. Palacio spoke to Shondaland about the challenges of having her books turned into films.

“The hardest part really is wrapping your head around the idea that you’re giving your baby away,” she told the website. “You’re entrusting your words, your vision, your story to someone else to adapt to a totally different medium.”

Emphasis on a totally different medium. A lot of the “book is better” folks often overlook the fact that screen adaptations aren’t supposed to be a carbon copy of their source material. But instead a fraternal twin. They share the same DNA and may even look kind of similar, but they're individuals with their own unique features and personalities.

That’s why I’m not “team book” or “team movie/show,” I’m captain of “team just depends/love them both.” Case in point:

The book was better: The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. (The book made me cry, the movie made me mad.)

The movie was better: The Devil Wears Prada based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel of the same name. (Hello, Meryl Streep!)

I loved them both! The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Princess Diaries, Crazy Rich Asians, Waiting to Exhale, The Hate U Give, and too many more to name!

Available now — I enjoyed them all!

• “The Last Thing He Told Me” (based on the book by Laura Dave, Apple TV+)

• “Renfield” (inspired by characters from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker, Peacock)

• “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” (based on the novel by Judy Blume)

• “The Perfect Find” (based on the romance by Tia Williams, Netflix)

Coming soon — a few I’m looking forward to

• “Survival of the Thickest” (based on the memoir by Michelle Buteau, Netflix)

• “Oppenheimer”(based on the biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

• “Red, White & Royal Blue” (based on the novel of the same name by Casey McQuiston)

How do you feel about book-to-screen adaptations? Any you’re looking forward to seeing this year?

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore, which follows a young librarian and a grumpy, older man who form an unlikely friendship through a small book club.

The 56 most erotic books you will ever read. “My love of reading has shaped my entire life.” This summer, read a screenplay. The 17 best books like Bridgerton. “There’s something inherently cringe about writing fiction.” Which beach read is your state’s favorite this year? TikTok wants to sell books now. MoveOn is launching a banned bookmobile this summer. Why are dystopian books so white?