Read These 7 Books Before Going To The Movies This Summer

Summer movies and summer reading can go hand in hand this year. Some of this season’s biggest releases are inspired by books. Before you hit the theaters, bring some of these novels to the beach with you.

“Me Before You” (June 3 release)

You might want to read Jojo Moyes’ romantic novel before seeing this tear-jerker in theaters. “Me Before You” is about an unambitious and unemployed woman, played by “Game of Thrones” actress Emilia Clarke, who takes a job caring for a paralyzed man, portrayed by “Hunger Games” actor Sam Claflin.

“Genius” (June 10 release)

Based on the 1978 book “Max Perkins: Editor of Genius” by A. Scott Berg, this story is about American writer Thomas Wolfe, who develops a close working relationship with editor-publisher Maxwell Perkins.

“The BFG” (July 1 release)

“The BFG,” which stands for “The Big Friendly Giant,” is a must-read before hitting the theater. The book, which was written by Roald Dahl in 1982, is about a young orphaned girl who befriends the BFG.

“Cell” (July 18 release)

John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson star in this movie adaptation of Stephen King’s 2006 novel. King’s book is about a New England artist who must find a way to stop a “mysterious signal broadcast” that makes people turn into “mindless, vicious animals.” King wrote the screenplay for the movie with Adam Alecca, and reportedly altered the ending from the book.

“Pete’s Dragon”(Aug. 12 release)

This 1977 Disney film gets a live-action reboot. But before it became a movie, “Pete’s Dragon” was a short story written by S.S. Field and Seton I. Miller. Read it to the kids this summer before taking them to see this family-friendly adventure.

“War Dogs” (Aug. 19 release)

“War Dogs” is an biographical comedy starring Miles Teller and Jonah Hill. The movie is based on a Rolling Stone article, “The Stoner Arms Dealers,” which came out in March 2011. The article was then turned into a book by Guy Lawson. “Arms and the Dudes: How Three Stoners From Miami Beach Became the Most Unlikely Gunrunners in History” came out in June 2015.

“Ben Hur” (Aug. 19 release)

This marks the fifth film adaptation of “Ben Hur.” The story, which is set the 1st century, is about a fictional Jewish prince named Judah Ben-Hur. It was originally a book, written by Lew Wallace in 1880.