The eNotes Blog 8 Novels Turning Into Movies in 2015 Get Your eNotes BookSummaries

8 Novels Turning Into Movies in 2015 Get Your BookSummaries Beloved books turned film are probably one of the biggest cornerstones of  todays cultural foundation (Harry Potter, Twilight, Fault in Our Starsmust I go on?). This coupling  allows fans to extend  their fanaticism  from the pages to the big screen. But sometimes we, er, forget the main points, characters, and themes of the bookand suddenly its opening night. The read-a-thon we planned got pushed to the side (probably by a Netflix marathon, oops) and we could  simply  use a refresher. Luckily, we have just the refresher you need on the top eight 2015 movies-inspired-by-books with book summaries. 1. Paper Towns,  July 24 Quentin Jacobsen is a seventeen-year-old living in an Orlando-area high school. He has been in love with his childhood best friend, Margo, his entire life. Quentin is an intelligent boy and Margo has a reputation for being tough and cool. When they were nine years old, he and Margo shared a discovery that changed their lives forever. Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 2. Ten Thousand Saints,  August 14 On New Year’s Eve, 1987, teenaged friends Teddy and Jude smoke pot beneath the stadium grandstand of a small college in Lintonburg, Vermont. Teddy and Jude have been best friends since seventh grade, when Teddy moved to Lintonburg with his mother Queen Bea and his half-brother Johnny. Both Teddy and Jude have been abandoned by their fathers; Teddy never knew his, and Jude’s adopted father, Les, left for New York City when he was nine.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 3. Z for Zachariah,  August 28 The novel takes its title from a religious alphabet book that Ann had as a child, which began â€Å"A is for Adam† and concluded â€Å"Z is for Zachariah†- a progression that led the toddler to deduce that if Adam was the first man, then Zachariah must be the last. This point emphasizes that O’Brien’s narrative will be an inverted Creation story, although it is less about the creation of a new world than it is about the hoped-for reclamation and reformation of an old one.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 4. A Walk in the Woods,  September 2 The central theme which runs through all of A Walk in the Woods is the difference between two quite separate worlds: the civilized world of home and the wild world of the untamed wilderness. Bryson is constantly amazed at the ease with which one passes into the latter and the difficulty of returning to the former.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 5. Mockingjay (book), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (film), November 21 (*Beginning of Chapter 13 Summary) Katniss is back in the hospital. Now, her neck is being treated. Fortunately, her spine and voice box have not been ruined by Peeta’s attempts to strangle her. She reflects that if she had been alone in the room with Peeta, she would have died. Even Haymitch is shocked by what has happened to Peeta.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 6. Into Thin Air (book), Everest (film),  September 18 The author of the bestselling INTO THE WILD (1996) and an acclaimed journalist, Jon Krakauer was assigned by OUTSIDE magazine to write an article concerning how commercialized the climbing of Mount Everest had become. Some climbers have paid as much as $65,000 to join a guided group that would lead them to the summit. Krakauer makes the point that high-altitude climbing is dangerous even for the most veteran of climbers let alone for any novice group member. The author bluntly states that some of the novices were not qualified to climb Mount Everest.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 7. Peter Pan (book), Pan (film),  October 9 In the nursery of the Darling home, a dog is the nurse, or nanny. Perhaps that is one reason there is so much joy there. Nurse Nana bathes the three children and gives them their suppers and in all ways watches over them. One night, Mrs. Darling, on Nana’s night off, sits with the children as they sleep. Drowsing, she is awakened by a slight draft from the window, and, looking around, she sees a strange boy in the room.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 8. Frankenstein (book), Victor Frankenstein (film),  November 25 Robert Walton, an explorer, describes his trip to the Arctic in letters to his sister, Margaret Saville, who lives in England. After discussing his preparations for the trip, one of Walton’s letters informs Margaret that his ship is stuck and surrounded by ice. Walton then relates a strange event: As they looked out on the enormous ice field, Walton and his crew saw a gigantic man being pulled by a dogsled. The following day they discovered another, smaller man, desperately ill, adrift on a sheet of ice. Walton writes that he brought the man onto his ship, allowed him to rest, and attempted to nurse him back to health. After a week the man was able to talk and told Walton an incredible story. The man’s name is Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist born in Geneva, Switzerland.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ Will you be catching any of these blockbusters this fall? Let us know in the comments!

Ask these questions when negotiating a job offer

Ask these questions when negotiating a job offer If you’re on the job hunt and you’ve played your cards right, then perhaps you’ve found yourself in the following scenario: you’ve successfully made it through a series of interviews, waited patiently, been contacted by a hiring manager or HR representative, and been made a job offer. Often, this is absolutely fantastic news- the end result of a challenging job hunting process filled with ups and downs, excitement and disappointment. Now, after a long journey, you’re faced with an offer for what could be the next great opportunity along your career path. But hold on for a second- are you absolutely certain that this job offer is the right one for you?Most people fall into one of two camps when making a decision about a job offer. On one hand are the impulsive deciders, those who blindly and quickly latch on to the first available offer made to them. While it can be good to show that you’re eager and enthusiastic, there are some very good reas ons for deciding to slow things down a bit and take some time to weigh a job offer before accepting it. After all, accepting an offer that may not completely align with your best interests may actually set your career trajectory back, and it may be difficult to make up any lost ground- either in salary or job title. Furthermore, if you do quickly take an offer that you come to regret later, you may be sowing the seeds for a passive-aggressive workplace attitude down the road.On the other hand are the overthinkers- those who spend way too much time and effort weighing and overweighing every small detail of the offer in an attempt to reach a clear and decisive decision about whether or not to accept. These folks can count on a few restless days and sleepless nights as they struggle to reach some decision. And in the end, the exhaustion and worry that these people generate make it hard for them to feel good about whatever decision they reach. That’s not a good recipe for happine ss either.There is a middle ground between making an impulsive decision and overthinking a job offer, and for most folks it’s right where they should be when trying to decide about whether to accept a job offer. Thankfully, there are some strategies you can take advantage of to help you negotiate your next job offer. Envato recently published an article highlighting the key questions you should ask- either yourself or someone at the company- before accepting a job offer. Let’s take a closer look at some of these.Questions to ask yourselfWhat are my non-negotiables? When we’re looking for our next job opportunity, most of us have at least a vague, and possibly a concrete, sense of what we’re willing to be flexible about and what are deal breakers. This will vary by individual, based on one’s specific needs and goals. You should have a set of non-negotiables in mind when you’re on the job hunt to help you to determine if a job offer is right f or you or if some additional negotiation is required.Am I happy with the salary offer? This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised by how many people, either out of desperation or overeagerness, quickly accept the first offer made to them, even if it’s below what they were hoping to make- and once this happens it can take a long time to make up any lost financial ground. The truth is, most offers are within a flexible salary range and there is often some room for additional negotiation, especially if they really want you on their team. Just remember not to be too aggressive here or you could wind up talking yourself out of an offer completely.Is the company reputable and stable? The last thing you want to have happen is to jump onto a sinking ship. Even if the offer is great, what good is it if the company implodes before you can really reap any benefits? Before you agree to accept an offer, do your homework and make sure that the company has a good reputat ion in its industry and seems stable for the foreseeable future. There are even websites available for you to learn about what other employees thought about the company while they were there. The more information you have at your disposal, the more informed your decision will be, which is always a good move.Can I see myself getting along with my future colleagues and bosses? This one’s a bit tougher, as you’ll never truly know the answer until you start working there, but do your best to use interviews and office visit to get a sense of what it might be like to work there. Does there seem to be a friendly and collaborative vibe with good energy, or does something less positive and productive seem to be in the air? If possible, engage with whoever you run across or are introduced to and see if they seem like the sort of people you’d click well with. For most folks, this matters a lot- and could be the difference between a quick unhappy job hop and a satisfying an d extended stay.Questions to ask an HR representative or hiring managerWhen do you need my decision? If you want to make the most of your time to weigh a job offer fully, it helps to know how much time you have to decide. Politely asking this question will help you know what timeframe you’re working with, and then you can go from there.What benefits are being offered? In addition to basic information such as salary- which is typically provided upon receiving an offer- knowing what else is included in the offer (i.e., vacation time, retirement savings, insurance coverage, gym membership, etc.) will help you to weigh the full offer and determine if any additional points need negotiating.What will my everyday responsibilities look like? Hopefully, you have a clear answer to this question after interviewing, but if you don’t its okay to ask for a little more detail before accepting an offer. Remember, accepting a new job is a major life commitment, so it stands to reason t hat you’ll want to know all the parameters of the deal so you can choose wisely, including what your average work day will be like- especially if some of these details are on your non-negotiable list.Consider asking these questions when you’re weighing your next job offer and before you accept- because once you do, you may be closing the door on any further negotiating. Choose wisely and good luck!