Universal Pictures has the rights to film "Armada", Ernest Cline's second novel. It's not the sequel to "Ready Player One". (The author is currently writing it.) Fans of Steven Spielberg have wondered if he would direct a musical. They couldn't contain their excitement about the news of the two-time Oscar winner adapting "West Side Story" to the big screen one more time (with Latin actors to play the lead roles.) Everyone knows that it's an update on "Romeo and Juliet", one of Shakespeare's most popular plays. And the big-screen version of Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" will hit the theaters on February 9.
Thirty-two films that are scheduled for release this year are adapted from a printed material, ranging from classics to recent bestsellers. The number may be low compared to the studio era, but it means one thing. Film producers are counting on the readers. Some might be disillusioned about it. (Netflix can make it right.) This leads to an intriguing question: What books do they read? The Bestsellers Book List is a good indicator. What books do you read?
BA English students may not have the luxury of time, but they can always find ways to read a book that is not included in the reading list. It's more than a hobby, as authors would attest to it. If it's a good one, then it's hard to put the book down. If you happen to be a freshman, then you would attempt to impress your tutor, professors, and coursemates of what you have read. You'll likely to include your wish list. A genuine bibliophile will attempt to read a few titles from every genre, which the English Department would have in mind. What books must you read?
A Short List For The Enthusiastic Readers
The less-popular authors in Modern literature. The members of the faculty of the English Department would give priority to Virginia Woolf, George Orwell, and Joseph Conrad, with a good reason. They ring a bell, as they represent the pillars of the genre. They're not the only ones to define literary modernism, though. It's also important to look into the other authors, whose works have been considered precursor to the genre. Poetry is a good start, as you'll read novels most of the time. Arthur Rimbaud's poems, which reveals his restless nature, will shed some lights on why Modern literature would become a trend. The lesser works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, can be read in a shorter time. An excursion into this genre will be incomplete without looking into the plays of August Strindberg. If you can get along Shakespeare's Elizabethan English, then no play wouldn't be too difficult to understand.
Contemporary titles. You're being snobbish if you don't give the other books a chance. It has nothing to do with cheap romantic novellas, which you suspect your roommate to be hiding from you. (And you won't dare touch a book by Cassandra Clare.) It's a matter of taste, so you must figure out your preferred genre. If you're one of those few teenage readers who have an eclectic taste, then you won't be reluctant to try the Young-adult genre. The likes of Rick Riordan would make this genre as classy as the epic poems by Homer, but some series might be looked over by Hollywood producers. "The Copernicus Legacy" would be one of those books, as Tony Abbott would coin a seemingly fantastic premise about Ptolemy creating a time machine, which Copernicus discover (and use) it. The members of the Teutonic Order of Ancient Prussia are determined to get their hands on this invention at all cost, which may prompt you to wonder why many novelists (and screenwriters) like to depict Germans (or Prussians, who would shape the history of Germany) as the bad guys. It's a good essay topic, which can yield an engrossing paper on the history of Western Europe.
Periodicals. If you're receptive to new ideas, then periodicals have benefits. You'll be reminded of what you've missed on books. (These writers are doing a job, so they rather not overlook anything.) You'll get an overview of how to write your essay. (You must state your argument in the opening.) And you might stumble into new information, which you'll need to support your argument (on your next assignment). There are more incentives, but you know how it will go.
The Right Approach to Reading
Read a chapter or two whenever you get the chance to open a book. It's not advisable to include reading in your multitasking tasks, though. You must be able to focus on it, but don't try too hard to comprehend everything. Let your mind do the (subconscious) task, as you'll be able to recall it later. In this regard, you must write your paper ahead of schedule. If you have trouble in recalling it, then keep a notepad.
You'll not be able to finish the book if you keep on looking at the meaning of words (or phrases) that you have encountered for the first time. It may take seconds to know the related words through Google, but Internet can distract you easily. You'll be able to have a general idea after reading the following sentences. If you're still in the dark, then don't fuss about it. You're supposed to know the themes, which is what literary criticism is based on.
Reading can be exhausting if you do it for hours, if not frequently. You must do it under a bright light. You must be looking at the book, not down. (Your nape might have problems sooner or later.) And do it slowly.
