One of the things that Cathy and I both enjoy is reading. She's a romantic. Nora Roberts. Jude Devereaux. A few moons ago, we went on a cruise and she discovered The Twilight Saga through the first film with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. She discovered that there was a book series and just devoured it. From Twilight, she moved on to other Young Adult series like City of Bones. She read If I Should Stay. I don't think she's seen the movie. She's working on a YA series by James Patterson. Neither one of us knows what it's called. She's a huge fan of The Hunger Games films and the Divergent series. She's tried reading the novels, but enjoys watching the films more.
One of my best memories is my older brother Tim taking me to see the first Star Wars film. It was at the River Oaks Theater in Calumet City. Holla! This was before theaters became cineplexes. I'd never seen a theater as crowded as this one was. I couldn't figure out why. This was the first film I'd seen without either of my parents; or, even my Auntie Ei. Just a couple 'a' bros hanging out. This was the first movie I'd seen that wasn't Disney.
Mind = blown.
I found George Lucas' paperback novel for Star Wars and I devoured it. I got the giant size two issue Marvel Comics adaptation. I started reading the monthly Marvel series. I read the Star Trek adaptations; both the comic books and the novels. I read the original Battletsar Galactica. There was a novelization of the premiere episode; then, Marvel had a monthly series. For awhile there Marvel had the Monopoly. Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica.
When Superman: The Movie came out, I read the companion novel. The Blues Brothers came out, I read the novelization.
One of my favorite things is an cassette - I said a CASSETTE - of Roddy McDowell reading the novelization of the 1989 Batman film starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger.
I'm not sure how, but I "discovered" the late Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone series. I love mysteries, too. From time to time I make my way through the Sherlock Holmes series. I still enjoy A Study in Scarlet.
I've read all six of the Ninth Doctor novels. Novels featuring the Tenth Doctor are on my bucket list.
Right now, I'm somewhere in the middle of You Only Live Twice.
When Cathy started reading YA novels, I dusted off my Encyclopedia Brown. I started The 39 Clues. I gave The Vampire's Assistant a try.
In September of 2011, when we brought Justin home from Ukraine, I came across Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl. Fir me, it is better than The Lightning Thief. From 2011 to 2014, over the trips to Ukraine to bring our three kids home, I read the Artemis Fowl series.
The reason I mention this, is that our son, Justin, has developed a rule. He will not read any book that has been adapted to a movie. He won't read the Harry Potter books for that reason. He's been reading Darren Shan, James Patterson and some other books. He's sticking hard and fast to The Rule. Except when it comes to Star Wars. He wants to read read them... All in order... From I through VI... The Phantom Menace... Through Return of the Jedi...
I say that slowly, because he vehemently denies that Parts IV, V and VI came before I, II and III. Which would seem logical. But no.
I am learning just how different my son at his age from when I was his age. I had to read the book before I saw the movie. Now, I'd rather do what he's doing. Read a book that hasn't or won't be made into a movie.
Comic books, novels, television series and movies are all separate, singular experiences. What my son is teaching me is that Batman may work as a comic book character, or as Adam West or Kevin Conroy, but not so much as a movie. Very few novels survive the Adaptation. Just look at Stephen King fer instance.
It's interesting learning from my kids.
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