Welcome back to my blog. Here’s my recommendation of a movie to check out today and hope you punch your “Ticket to the Movies!” OK, today I’m gonna let you choose a flick from the movies made from my Top 10 list of favorite books. Click here to see my full post about my favorite books-to-movies. My “Top 10” of books can change, but here we are in 2026.
So, here’s the list:
TOP 10 BOOKS and MOVIES from the books …
No. 10: ‘Dead Solid Perfect’
. (1974) by Dan Jenkins
Just as “Caddyshack” is the definitive golf movie, then “Dead Solid Perfect” is the definitive golf novel. “Dead Solid Perfect” is a bad movie about golf.
No. 9: ‘Tourist Season’
. (1986) by Carl Hiaasen
“Tourist Season” was Miami Herald reporter-columnist and novelist Carl Hiaasen’s first solo novel and with it, he instantly founded the Florida-weird genre in literature. Fortunately, it has yet to be made into a motion picture.
No. 8: ‘Red Dragon’ | ‘The Silence of the Lambs’
. (1981 | 1988) Thomas Harris
Thomas Harris’ second and third novels are each equally great, with “The Silence of the Lambs” (the third) edging out “Red Dragon” ever so slightly. Both were made into movies and there is a much wider gulf between the two films. “The Silence of the Lambs” film (click here for my review) and “Red Dragon” (originally made as “Manhunter” – click here for my review). BTW: “Red Dragon” was remade as the exact title of the novel.
No. 7: ‘Up Country’
. (2002) Nelson DeMille
“Up Country” is my favorite book by Nelson DeMille and it is about a sort-of retired military investigator who is asked to return to Vietnam (where he served in the war) on an espionage mission. It has not been translated to the big screen.
No. 6: ‘The Eagle Has Landed’
. (1975) Jack Higgins
Jack Higgins writes pretty much with the same two or three formulas, but he does such a good job that you enjoy them all. I like “The Eagle Has Landed” best of all his works and it was a neat little war film (click here to read my review).
No. 5: ‘The Choirboys’
. (1975) Joseph Wambaugh
Well, it had to happen. Someone had to take one of my favorite novels and make it into a movie that is pure crap. The blame for “The Choirboys” one lies with director Robert Aldrich.
No. 4 ‘Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas’
. (1971) Hunter S. Thompson
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream” is an incredible novel based on the real-life adventures of noted, iconic and controversial journalist Hunter S. Thompson and the flick with Johnny Depp closely follows the plot of the novel.
No. 3 ‘Noble House’
. (1985) James Clavell
“Noble House” is an even better novel of Asia than James Clavell’s most famous work: “Shogun.” “Noble House” was turned into a tee-vee miniseries (click here for my review of ‘Noble House’).
No. 2 ‘The Day of the Jackal’
. (1971) Frederick Forsyth
“The Day of the Jackal” was the first novel I truly fell in love with. It is great (click read my story about it and a timeline of its plot) and you can enjoy it now as an e-book. Just as good is the wonderful adaptation of Frederick Forsyth‘s best-selling novel by director Fred Zinnemann. It is one of the best adaptations to film from a novel you can find (click here for my review).
No. 1: ‘North Dallas Forty’
. (1972) Peter Gent
“North Dallas Forty” is simply the best sports novel of the 20th century. You can name others and they’re good, but they’re not “North Dallas Forty.” Peter Gent’s pretty-much-autobiographical account of life in the NFL in the late 1960s and early 1970s is outstanding. No so much so the film “North Dallas Forty” with Nick Nolte.
So, I say punch your “Ticket to the Movies!” and take your pick from the group above!
- CLICK to read … my full post about my Top 10 books-to-movies
- CLICK to find … links to all my movie reviews
- CLICK to find … a chronological list of my reviews
- CLICK to find … all my reviews of sports movies
- CLICK to find … all my reviews of horror movies
- CLICK to find … all my reviews of ‘007’ movies
- CLICK to find … all my reviews of Christmas movies
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