Books behind Oscar

Last Updated on Monday, 20 February 2012 12:30

Pioneer Library System - Monthly Picks

The 84^th Academy Awards are on Sunday, February 26^th. Do you know that many of the Oscar-winning films are based on books? It is often said that the book is always better than the movie, so let's take a look at some of the books that inspired past Oscar-winning films.

The accidental billionaires by Ben Mezrich

The high-energy tale of how two socially awkward Ivy Leaguers, trying to increase their chances with the opposite sex, ended up creating Facebook.

Between a rock and a hard place by Aron Ralston

A mountaineer who survived a near-fatal accident by amputating his arm when it became trapped behind a boulder in Utah describes how he endured five days of hypothermia, dehydration, and hallucinations before managing his own rescue.

The blind side by Michael Lewis

Follows one young man from his impoverished childhood with a crack-addicted mother, through his discovery of the sport of football, to his rise to become one of the most successful, highly-paid players in the NFL.

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

The author recounts how she escaped the doldrums of an unpromising career by mastering every recipe in Julia Child's 1961 classic, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," a year-long endeavor that transformed her life.

Push by Sapphire

Precious Jones, 16 years old and pregnant by her father with her second child, meets a determined and highly radical teacher who takes her on a journey of transformation and redemption.

True grit by Charles Portis

With the help of a disreputable marshal and a Texas Ranger, Mattie Ross, 14, rushes after the man who robbed and killed her father in the 1870s.

Winter's bone by Daniel Woodrell

Reaching her sixteenth year in the harsh Ozarks while caring for her poverty-stricken family, Ree Dolly learns that they will lose their house unless her bail-skipping father can be found and made to appear at an upcoming court date.