What Books Are Becoming Movies Summer 2015

1 Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

What it's about: Susannah Cahalan's autobiography examines her diagnosis of the rare autoimmune disorder encephalitis, in which she would black out, have violent episodes, and have delusions.
Who's starring: Chloë Grace Moretz will play Susannah. Thomas Mann and Jenny Slate will costar.

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2 Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

What it's about: This YA novel depicts a world where two different kinds of people exist — the privileged few with superhuman abilities, and underprivileged with no abilities — and a young woman, Mare, who infiltrates the other side.
Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but Elizabeth Banks will direct.

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3 The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

What it's about: In this mystery, a woman thinks she may know something about a crime involving a couple she sees on her train commute every day.
Who's starring: Emily Blunt is starring (see the cast here), and The Help's Tate Taylor is directing.

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4 Home Is Burning by Dan Marshall

What it's about: Marshall's memoir tells the story of his return home as a 20-something to help take care of his mother and father, diagnosed with cancer and ALS, respectively.
Who's starring: Miles Teller will star and produce, and Jonathan Levine is directing.

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5 The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

What it's about: A young girl gets stuck at JFK on her way to London, only to meet a boy who seems utterly perfect.
Who's starring: Hailee Steinfeld will star in the adaptation, which is written by Dustin Lance Black.

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6 In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck

What it's about: Steinbeck's 1936 novel portrays the plight of an apple picker who tries to organize a major strike.
Who's starring: James Franco is directing a cast that consists of himself, Selena Gomez, Bryan Cranston, Josh Hutcherson, Ashley Greene, and Nat Wolff.

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7 Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

What it's about: A soldier and his squad survive a battle in Iraq and come back to the US for a promotional tour that includes a stop at a Thanksgiving Day football game.
Who's starring: Garrett Hedlund and newcomer Joe Alwyn are attached to star. Ang Lee will direct.

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8 The Circle by Dave Eggers

What it's about: A young woman, Mae Holland, takes a job at a Google-like tech company, where she quickly climbs the corporate ladder.
Who's starring: Emma Watson is starring as Mae, alongside Tom Hanks. James Ponsoldt is directing.

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9 The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace

What it's about: A rich man spends an ungodly amount of money on one bottle of wine — only to suspect that he's been duped.
Who's starring: Matthew McConaughey will star.

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10 Z For Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien

What it's about: This postapocalyptic tale follows the last woman on Earth as she encounters two of the last men.
Who's starring: Margot Robbie is starring opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine.
Watch the trailer for Z For Zachariah.

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11 The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

What it's about: 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan struggles to survive in a world devastated by an alien invasion.
Who's starring: Chloë Grace Moretz will star as Cassie, costarring with Liev Schreiber and It Follows breakout star Maika Monroe.

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12 Fifty Shades Darker by E L James

What it's about: In this Fifty Shades of Grey sequel, Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele's relationship deepens as he lets her in a little more.
Who's starring: Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson will reprise their roles as Christian and Ana. Here's everything else we know about the adaptation.

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13 The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

What it's about: Two sisters in France end up in different positions during WWII; one fights with the resistance and one becomes a prisoner.
Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but screenwriter Ann Peacock has just been hired.

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14 Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

What it's about: The second installment of the Maze Runner series continues as the Gladers and Thomas have escaped the maze but find themselves in their next test.
Who's starring: Dylan O'Brien will play Thomas again, along with much of the original cast; see who else is starring.
Watch the trailer for Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.

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15 Nerve by Jeanne Ryan

What it's about: In this YA novel, a high-school senior gets caught up in a creepy online game of truth or dare.
Who's starring: Emma Roberts and Dave Franco are starring.

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16 Left For Dead by Beck Weathers

What it's about: In this 1996 true story, a group of climbers embarked on a journey to the top of the tallest mountain, and not all of them survived. Author Weathers was part of the group.
Who's starring: In the film adaptation titled Everest, Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley, Josh Brolin, Jason Clarke, John Hawkes, and Sam Worthington star as the hikers.
Watch the trailer for Everest.

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17 The Martian by Andy Weir

What it's about: Astronaut Mark Watney gets stranded on Mars and must survive alone while NASA tries to rescue him in this sci-fi novel.
Who's starring: Matt Damon will play Mark Watney, while Jessica Chastain and Kristen Wiig will costar. Ridley Scott is directing.
Watch the trailer for The Martian.

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18 Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

What it's about: In this love story, young Louisa forms a bond with Will, the paralyzed man she is employed to help.
Who's starring: Emilia Clarke is playing Louisa opposite Sam Claflin. Other costars include Matthew Lewis, who you can see in this on-set roundup.

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19 The November Criminals by Sam Munson

What it's about: A misbehaving high-school senior investigates the death of his classmate.
Who's starring: Ansel Elgort and Chloë Grace Moretz will star. Catherine Keener also has a supporting role.

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20 Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

What it's about: A journalist examines extreme runners to figure out how the Tarahumara Indians were able to run for miles — and often barefoot — without injury.
Who's starring: Matthew McConaughey is set to star.

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21 The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson

What it's about: The nonfiction book focuses on the diagnoses and behaviors of actual psychopaths.
Who's starring: Scarlett Johansson has signed on to star in the adaptation, which is being described as a psychological thriller.

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22 Goat by Brad Land

What it's about: The memoir of a young man, Brad Land, who joined a fraternity at college in an already fragile emotional state, only to be hazed and tormented.
Who's starring: Ben Schnetzer will play Brad, with Nick Jonas as his brother.

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23 Room by Emma Donoghue

What it's about: A 5-year-old boy grows up in a small shed, which becomes the only world he knows because his mother hides the truth — they're being held captive.
Who's starring: Brie Larson is starring as Ma, the mother; see who else is starring.
Watch the trailer for Room.

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24 The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers

What it's about: It's the true tale of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan teen from poverty who becomes one of the world's best chess players.
Who's starring: David Oyelowo will star as the man who mentors Phiona, and Lupita Nyong'o will play her mother.

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25 It's What I Do by Lynsey Addario

What it's about: War photographer Lynsey Addario recounts her exploits in wartime and battle-ridden places like Afghanistan.
Who's starring: Jennifer Lawrence will play Lynsey, and Steven Spielberg will direct.

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26 The Lost City of Z by David Grann

What it's about: In this true tale, Grann tells the story of how British explorer Percy Fawcett got lost searching for an ancient, fabled civilization in the Amazon in 1925.
Who's starring: Charlie Hunnam will play Fawcett, and Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller will costar in the film, which will be directed by James Gray.

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27 The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

What it's about: The dramedy follows three Brown University graduates in an examination of their lives after 9/11.
Who's starring: Jeff Bridges will play Thwaite, and Lake Bell will direct the adaptation.

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28 In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

What it's about: The book tells the story of the Essex, a ship that was sunk by a whale in 1819, leaving the crew at sea for more than 90 days.
Who's starring: Ron Howard is adapting the book for the big screen, and the film will star Chris Hemsworth as first mate Owen Chase, Cillian Murphy as second mate Matthew Joy, and Benjamin Walker as Captain Pollard.
Watch the trailer for In the Heart of the Sea.

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29 Inferno by Dan Brown

What it's about: The Da Vinci Code series continues with Robert Langdon's latest adventure as he tries to stop another international scheme by following clues in Dante's The Divine Comedy.
Who's starring: Tom Hanks will reprise his role as Langdon, and Felicity Jones will costar as Sienna Brooks. Ben Foster will play the villain.

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30 The Taliban Shuffle by Kim Barker

What it's about: Journalist Kim Barker records her memoir of being a journalist in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the early 2000s.
Who's starring: Tina Fey will star in and produce the adaptation, titled Fun House. Margot Robbie and Nicholas Braun will costar.

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31 High Rise by JG Ballard

What it's about: A luxury high-rise building becomes a center for violence and chaos.
Who's starring: Tom Hiddleston will star alongside Sienna Miller and Elisabeth Moss.

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32 How to Be Single by Liz Tuccillo

What it's about: Manhattanite Julie travels the world to study the dating habits of other women, and back in New York, her single friends navigate their love lives.
Who's starring: Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Dan Stevens, Leslie Mann, Lily Collins, and Alison Brie will star.

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33 Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

What it's about: The relationship of two young Nigerians is tested by long distance and immigration issues when she moves to America.
Who's starring: Lupita Nyong'o will play the female lead opposite David Oyelowo, while Brad Pitt is producing.

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34 The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

What it's about: A young female department-store clerk becomes obsessed with another woman in the store in this 1950s drama.
Who's starring: In the renamed Carol, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara play the leads, with Carrie Brownstein in a supporting role.
Watch the trailer for Carol.

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35 The Driftless Area by Tom Drury

What it's about: Pierre, a young bartender, experiences ups and downs in rural Iowa before falling for a mysterious woman named Stella.
Who's starring: Zooey Deschanel is playing Stella, and Anton Yelchin will play Pierre. Aubrey Plaza also has a role.

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36 Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

What it's about: In the third Hunger Games book, Katniss fights against the corrupt Capitol from within District 13.
Who's starring: Jennifer Lawrence and other franchise cast members will reprise their roles in the adaptation, the second half of which is coming in November. See the whole cast here.
Watch the trailer for Mockingjay: Part 2.

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37 A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

What it's about: A young boy deals with bullying and his mother's illness by inventing a fantasy world filled with monsters and other creatures.
Who's starring: Felicity Jones will play Mum, with Liam Neeson and Sigourney Weaver costarring.

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38 Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

What it's about: Spanning decades, the book kicks off in 1962 on the Italian coast, following the ups and downs of a love affair that ends in Hollywood years later.
Who's starring: Imogen Poots will play Dee Moray, and Todd Field will direct the film adaptation.

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39 Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

What it's about: After her mom, Bernadette, disappears, 15-year-old Bee dives into emails, documents, and secret correspondences to find her.
Who's starring: Richard Linklater is set to direct the film, and though there's no cast yet, we have a few ideas. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber — the writers behind (500) Days of Summer — are set to write the screenplay.

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40 The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

What it's about: Two siblings from a family of performance artists have to learn to live in the real world.
Who's starring: Jason Bateman and Nicole Kidman are playing the siblings, with Bateman directing.

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41 The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers

What it's about: Two young soldiers are taken under the wing of an experienced sergeant in Iraq.
Who's starring: Benedict Cumberbatch is playing the sergeant, with Tye Sheridan and Will Poulter as the soldiers.

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42 The Secret in Their Eyes by Eduardo Sacheri

What it's about: An MI-5 agent trying to solve a murder works for the FBI and uncovers a terrifying new truth.
Who's starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor will play the MI-5 agent opposite Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts.
Watch the trailer for Secret in Their Eyes.

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43 Silence by Shusaku Endo

What it's about: Set in 17th-century Japan, the book follows the story of Jesuits who are trying to bring Christianity into Japan.
Who's starring: Andrew Garfield is playing Father Rodrigues in the film, which is being directed by Martin Scorsese. Adam Driver also has a supporting role.

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44 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

What it's about: It's a twisted spin on Jane Austen's classic novel that puts heroine Elizabeth Bennet in the middle of protecting her family and town from the undead.
Who's starring: Lily James will play Elizabeth Bennet; see who else is starring.

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45 Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

What it's about: In this YA novel, a teenager named Jacob explores the ruins of a strange house on an island near Wales.
Who's starring: Eva Green will play the title character, with Asa Butterfield, Kim Dickens, Allison Janney, and Samuel L. Jackson costarring. Tim Burton is directing.

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46 The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff

What it's about: The story of real-life artist Einar Wegener, who was one of the first people to have transgender surgery.
Who's starring: Eddie Redmayne will star opposite Alicia Vikander and Amber Heard, while Tom Hooper will direct.

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47 The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

What it's about: A confirmed bachelor falls for the girl next door in this 2007 novel from the romance master.
Who's starring: Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, and Tom Welling will star.

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48 Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

What it's about: Mary Shelley's classic story follows Victor Frankenstein as he discovers the secret of life and puts together a body using corpses. Horrified by the monster he's created, Frankenstein flees until the monster returns to him.
Who's starring: Daniel Radcliffe will play Igor, the hunchback assistant to Victor Frankenstein (James McAvoy), in this adaptation, titled Victor Frankenstein.
Watch the trailer for Victor Frankenstein.

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49 The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

What it's about: A lighthouse keeper and his wife discover a baby and a dead body near their home off the coast of Australia after WWI.
Who's starring: Michael Fassbender will star alongside Alicia Vikander as his wife.

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50 The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge by Michael Punke

What it's about: After a 19th-century fur trapper gets mauled by a bear and then left for dead by thieves, he embarks on a journey for revenge.
Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy will costar in the adaptation, which is being directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Watch the trailer for The Revenant.

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51 Black Mass by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill

What it's about: The true-crime novel follows the infamous mobster Whitey Bulger, the head of the Irish mob in the '70s, and his relationship with childhood friend John Connolly, who grew up to work for the FBI.
Who's starring: Johnny Depp is playing Bulger, with Joel Edgerton as Connolly. Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, and Juno Temple are also in the supporting cast.
Watch the trailer for Black Mass.

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52 Paper Towns by John Green

What it's about: The Fault in Our Stars author John Green tells the story of Q and Margo, childhood friends united by a mystery.
Who's starring: Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne play Q and Margo, respectively.
Watch the Paper Towns trailer.

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53 The Ninth Life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen

What it's about: This sci-fi thriller follows a young boy after he suffers a near-fatal fall on his ninth birthday.
Who's starring: Aaron Paul is playing Peter, and Jamie Dornan is playing Dr. Pascal.

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54 Love May Fail by Matthew Quick

What it's about: A woman dealing with the breakup of her marriage heads back to her hometown to clear the name of a former teacher.
Who's starring: Sam Raimi will direct the movie, which is not yet cast. Mike White is adapting the script.

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55 Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

What it's about: A young, disturbed man plans a murder-suicide in this YA drama.
Who's starring: Channing Tatum and his producing partner Reid Carolin are codirecting, and Tatum may star in the film.

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56 Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

What it's about: Rowling revisits the Harry Potter universe in this book about Newt Scamander, who "wrote" the textbook that Potter and his classmates would study.
Who's starring: Eddie Redmayne will star in the film trilogy; see who else has been cast. David Yates has signed on to direct.

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57 Struck by Genius by Jason Padgett

What it's about: Padgett's memoir follows his unusual journey of becoming a math genius after suffering a traumatic brain injury.
Who's starring: Channing Tatum will produce and potentially star in this biopic.

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58 You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers

What it's about: Two 20-something friends go on an international trip to find themselves after one of their best friends dies.
Who's starring: Daniel Radcliffe is attached to star as Will.

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59 The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

What it's about: This true story follows the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, who helped to save hundreds of people from the Nazis in World War II by smuggling them into empty cages.
Who's starring: Jessica Chastain will star in the movie.

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60 Into the Forest by Jean Hegland

What it's about: Two sisters live alone in a crumbling house and try to survive in the near future.
Who's starring: Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood will play the sisters, with Max Minghella costarring.

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61 A Hologram For the King by Dave Eggers

What it's about: A struggling businessman heads to Saudi Arabia for a fight to save his finances, hoping to steer clear of foreclosure and pay his daughter's college tuition.
Who's starring: Tom Hanks will star in the film adaptation, which Tom Tykwer is directing.

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62 The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

What it's about: This coming-of-age tale tells the story of a boy and his fascination with a tiny but special painting.
Who's starring: The adaptation has not been cast yet, but we have many ideas about who should star.

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63 Live by Night by Dennis Lehane

What it's about: Set in the Prohibition era of the '20s, the novel tells the story of a Boston thief who finds success as a rum runner.
Who's starring: Ben Affleck is writing, directing, and starring in the film, marking his second time adapting one of the author's books — his directorial debut came with the adaptation of Lehane's Gone Baby Gone. Zoe Saldana and Sienna Miller are costarring.

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64 The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison

What it's about: The book changes perspective between a couple who has been together for 20 years while she takes care of him and he cheats on her.
Who's starring: Nicole Kidman will produce and star in the adaptation as the wife.

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65 The BFG by Roald Dahl

What it's about: In the children's classic, a young girl, Sophie, befriends the titular big friendly giant.
Who's starring: Bill Hader is playing the Giant, and Steven Spielberg will direct the live-action adaptation.

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66 The Minds of Billy Milligan by Daniel Keyes

What it's about: It's the true story of Billy Milligan, the first defendant in the US law system to use multiple personality disorder as a defense.
Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio will produce and possibly star as Milligan in the adaptation, which will be titled The Crowded Room.

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67 The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

What it's about: Two strangers on a charter plane crash in the wilderness and have to depend on each other to survive.
Who's starring: Charlie Hunnam and Rosamund Pike are starring opposite each other.

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68 Books to Read Before They're Movies

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69 Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

What it's about: A young girl from Ireland starts a new life in New York in the 1950s. She falls in love with an American but feels torn between him and her family back home.
Who's starring: Saoirse Ronan is set to play the lead opposite The Place Beyond the Pines' Emory Cohen.
Watch the trailer for Brooklyn.
Release date: Nov. 6

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70 Max Perkins: Editor of Genius by A. Scott Berg

What it's about: This biography of Max Perkins sheds light on the life of the book editor of literary greats like Thomas Wolfe and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Who's starring: Colin Firth is set to portray Perkins, while Michael Fassbender has picked up the role of author Wolfe in the adaptation (which will be called Genius).

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