Books Adapted to/from Video Games (next themed read)

So, the next themed read is officially Books Adapted to/from Video Games. For this list, I chose books that are based on popular video games, but I also included one that inspired a very successful game series.

Ico: Castle in the Mist (2005) by Miyuki Miyabe

When a boy named Ico grows long curved horns overnight, his fate has been sealed - he is to be sacrificed in the Castle in the Mist. But in the castle, Ico meets a young girl named Yorda imprisoned in its halls. Alone they will die, but together Ico and Yorda might just be able to defy their destinies and escape the magic of the castle.

Based on the video game: Ico










Bioshock: Rapture (2011) by John Shirley

It's the end of World War II. FDR's New Deal has redefined American politics. Taxes are at an all-time high. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has brought a fear of total annihilation. The rise of secret government agencies and sanctions on business has many watching their backs. America's sense of freedom is diminishing... and many are desperate to take that freedom back.

Among them is a great dreamer, an immigrant who pulled himself from the depths of poverty to become one of the wealthiest and admired men in the world. That man is Andrew Ryan, and he believed that great men and women deserve better. And so he set out to create the impossible, a utopia free from government, censorship, and moral restrictions on science - where what you give is what you get. He created Rapture - the shining city below the sea.

But as we all know, this utopia suffered a great tragedy. This is the story of how it all came to be... and how it all ended.

Based on the video game series: Bioshock

Assassin's Creed: Renaissance (2009) by Oliver Bowden

Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, a young man embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance. To eradicate corruption and restore his family's honour, he will learn the art of the assassins. To his allies, Ezio will become a force for change, fighting for freedom and justice. To his enemies, he will become a threat.

Based on the video game series: Assassin's Creed












Alan Wake (2010) by Rick Burroughs

Welcome to Bright Falls - a seemingly idyllic small town in the Pacific Northwest. The perfect place for Alan Wake, a bestselling crime novelist, and his wife, Alice, to relax for a few weeks. Maybe a second honeymoon and the fresh air will cure Wake of his writer's block.

But when Alice goes missing under mysterious circumstances, Wake's desperate search for her leads him into a hell only he could imagine. In the depths of nearby Cauldron Lake, a dark and malevolent presence has awakened from a long slumber. It's reaching out now, turning the townsfolk into mindless killers. Sheathed in shadows, vulnerable only to light, they are Taken.

Wake's journey will lead him to the very edge of madness, and deep within the dark woods, he will come face-to-face with a story he has no recollection of ever writing.

Based on the video game: Alan Wake

The Last Wish (1992) by Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin.

And a cold-blooded killer.

His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world.

But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good... and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

Video Game it inspired: Witcher









Have you read any of these? Which is your favourite video game to book adaptation? Which video game would you like to be adapted into a novel?

Next Themed Read or List of Funny Books If You're In For A Laugh

As I've already told you the next themed read will  be funny books. I've given it a lot of thought and I finally came up with the books that best suit it. So, here is the complete list of the books I'll be reading from next week and on:

1. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (1990) by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

I'm excited to finally read this book! As a fan of Neil Gaiman, it was unforgivable of me to not have read it already. But I'm going to make it right. Plus, it's about time to read a little more Terry Pratchett.

2. Napalm & Silly Putty (2001) by George Carlin

If you are a fan of stand-up comedy, you certainly know who George Carlin is and the style of his comedy. I expect that this book will have me crying the whole time. If it's from the laughter or despair I'm not sure, but most probably from both of them. 

3. A Confederacy of Dunces (1980) by John Kennedy Toole

Is this the funniest book ever written? It most definitely has the reputation and I can't wait to find out if it's true. This novel was published after the suicide of the author and won a Pulitzer Prize. I'm really intrigued.

4. The Diary of a Provincial Lady (1930) by E.M. Delafield

This is an autobiographical novel that since its publication in 1930 has been very popular. It's considered one of the funniest books ever written and to be honest I like the whole theme it has.

5. Dear Luke, We Need To Talk, Darth: And Other Pop Culture Correspondences (2014) by John Moe

I don't need anything more than the title to read this book. Star Wars and other pop culture references are enough to guarantee that at least I'll dig in it with great interest. 

6. Funny Girl (2014) by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby can be really funny. I mean really, really funny. I'm hoping that this novel as well will not disappoint me. But then again I've enjoyed every single book by Nick Hornby, so my expectations are high.

7. Tales Designed to Thrizzle (2009) by Michael Kupperman

A two-volume graphic novel. It's funny and it's quirky, what more is there to ask? Plus the cover is really intriguing.

Honourable mentions

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) by Douglas Adams

What can I say about this series? You've probably read it and if you haven't just do it! This is for the time being the funniest book I've ever read. I won't read it though for the themed read because I've already had. Numerous times.

The Princess Bride (1973) by William Goldman

This book has everything. I know that the movie is well-known and it's really good, but I'm surprised that a lot of people haven't read the novel. It's probably one of the most underrated books and I recommend it wholeheartedly!

Bridget Jone's Diary (1996) by Helen Fielding

This is actually very, very funny. Yes, it's a romance. It's definitely something different from the rest of the books on this list, but it's very enjoyable.

So, this is it! Have you read any of those books?What did you think? Would you add any others?

Reading Challenge

The first challenge for this blog will be to read all of David Mitchell's novels in chronological order. New Year's, then, will find me reading Ghostwritten, which was first published in 1999. Six novels by the same author is a challenge in itself, but I'm rather intrigued by this one, although I have to confess that I have already read Cloud Atlas. There is only to check if the magic is still there.

So, to make a complete list of the books included in this challenge, I will read:

• Ghostwritten (1999)
• number9dream (2001)
• Cloud Atlas (2004)
• Black Swan Green (2006)
• The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet (2010)
• The Bone Clocks (2014)

I hope you'll join me in this Reading Armchair.