10 Books That Will Vie for the 2016 Oscars

Anyone can suggest that you read this year's Oscar page to screen books (and you should, because they're all great), but we're here to share with you some books becoming movies this year that we think have Oscar written all over them.
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This year's Oscar nominees feature six book to movie adaptations in the Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Actor categories. These titles, American Sniper, The Imitation Game, The Theory of Everything, Still Alice, Unbroken and Gone Girl, prove that often times the best films are the ones that come from proven source material. Anyone can suggest that you read this year's Oscar page to screen books (and you should, because they're all great), but we're here to share with you some books becoming movies this year that we think have Oscar written all over them. Check one of these out and be one of the first to say "I read it before it was an award-winning movie!"

"Serena" by Ron Rash (Released 2/26/15)
Award-winning duo Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper star as newlyweds Serena and George Pemberton as they struggle to create an empire in the North Carolina mountains timber trade. Their passionate marriage involves illegitimate children, murder and desperate behavior which is sure to bring out the very best in Lawrence and Cooper’s acting abilities.
"Child 44" by Tom Rob Smith (Released 4/17/15)
Tom Hardy stars as Leo Demidov, a former military officer, who hunts down a serial killer of children during Stalin’s Soviet Union regime. Co-stars include Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman.
"Far from the Madding Crowd" by Thomas Hardy (Released 5/1/15)
This love story follows the gorgeous Bathsheba (Carey Mulligan) as she attracts all kinds of suitors from a shepherd to a wealthy bachelor to a military man. The story dives into the nature of relationships and how those choices have lasting effects. Directed by Thomas Vinterberg and co-starring Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge and Matthias Schoenaerts.
"Black Mass" by Dick Lehr & Gerard O’Neill (Released 9/18/15)
John Connolly and James “Whitey” Bulger grew up as best friends in Boston. But as adults, they end up on opposing sides with Connolly working for the FBI and Whitey as the leader of the Irish Mob. Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton play Whitey and Connolly in this action-packed tale that features Benedict Cumberbatch, Sienna Miller and Dakota Johnson.
"Victor Frankenstein" (Frankenstein) by Mary Shelley (Released 10/2/15)
This classic tale gets a reboot as told through Igor’s perspective as he befriends Dr. Frankenstein and witnesses the horrors of Frankenstein’s work as it happens. The film version stars Daniel Radcliffe as Igor and James McAvoy as Victor Von Frankenstein.
"The Martian" by Andy Weir (Released 11/25/15)
This film has serious star power as Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, an astronaut that is one of the first to land on Mars. Presumed dead and left behind by his crew, Watney must use all he has to survive in space and make it back to Earth. Damon stars alongside Jessica Chastain, Donald Glover, Kristen Wiig and Sean Bean.
"In the Heart of the Sea" by Nathaniel Philbrick (Released 12/11/15)
Based on the true story that inspired Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, this book describes the events of the sailors on board the whaling ship, Essex, when they were attacked by a whale and stranded at sea for more than 90 days. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy, the film is sure to garner some attention and great dramatic performances.
"Dark Places" by Gillian Flynn (No announced release date yet)
Fans of “Gone Girl” will have another shot at Gillian Flynn’s storytelling with “Dark Places.” Charlize Theron plays Libby Day, the only survivor of a brutal attack that left murdered her family when she was a child. Many years later, Libby must examine the events of that night and get to the bottom of what really happened.
"The Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry (No announced release date yet)
Rooney Mara and Vanessa Redgrave play the younger and older versions of character Roseanne McNulty, a resident of a Mental Hospital in Sligo, Ireland. Set during a time when Ireland was ripe with conflict, Roseanne reflects on her past and present lives filled with love and loss.
"The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman (No announced release date yet)
The keeper of a lighthouse (Michael Fassbender) and his wife (Alicia Vikander) rescue a baby found in a rowboat near their home off the coast of Australia. They claim the child as their own but their certainty in making that choice wavers as this moral dilemma plays out.

Check out an excerpt from The Martian below:

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