Today, April 23, is World Book Day :writing and since we got our start as a site that discussed books that Johnny likes or based his films on....today, please take a minute to tell us which of the books we've discussed, or what movie of Johnny's that was based on a book that you've especially enjoyed! Why?

A side question....has Johnny's love of books affected you in any way?

This isn't really about me. (bummer :lol: ) But I wanted to tell you about my husbank and Public Enemies.

After I finished the book, (I didn't tell him they were filming) I just left it out on the table and mentioned how interesting it was. He is a real reader but very picky. Anyway I came home the other night and he was laying on the bed in the guest room reading. He hardly looked up, so I read for awhile and went to bed. I woke up at 2:30 am and could see the light was still on. I found him deep asleep, still dressed, mouth wide open, clutching PE. I was too tired to search for the camera. LOL Needless to say we both enjoyed Public Enemies.

Finding out Johnny loved books made me take a look at his other movies (besides CBP) and that made me a fan.

Deppends

Now there is a difficult question Karen. :blink: I will have to choose the first time we read The Libertine as my favourite discussion. It was the first of our book discussions, and we had a lot of fun with it. :D

I have been introduced to so many different kinds of books through Johnnys movies and this site. I would never have even thought to read The Peoples Act, Happy Days, or The Club Dumas, to name but a few, without these influences.

So thanks Johnny and JDR for broadening my outlook....now bring me that horizon. :D

Oh, and Deppends, good call on not mentioning the Johnny link to your husband. :lol: Mine doesn't read at all, but when I told him what it was about...he guessed there was a Johnny connection :rolleyes: I found him flicking through it, so thanks for that too JDR. woohoo

Anne x

I particularly enjoyed the Shantaram discussion. The book had so much depth to it and many of us when reading certain sections found ourselves in tears, or having to put the book down and 'take 5' because of the intensity of a particular chapter. There were moments in that book that haunted us, so we shared our thoughts and feelings on how those scenes would be transfered to film.

A movie based on a book that I have particularly enjoyed would most definitely be 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'. As a kid I loved that book and what Johnny did with the character of Wonka was exactly as I had envisioned him in my mind as a very young child (well, apart from the hair). :lol:

And of course we mustn't forget 'Secret Window' and Mort Rainey! :thud

I wouldn't say Johnny's love of books has affected me, because I have always loved books and have boxes and bookcases full of them. However, the books Johnny chooses and what JDR chooses to discuss are usually added to my reading list. I may not always reach that reading deadline (I've still not read 'Public Enemies' yet Karen), but I catch up eventually. *Makes mental note to read 'So Idle A Rogue' and 'Public Enemies' with haste. *

I really enjoyed the book of Secret Window and The Libertine. :) I was a little bit dissapointed about Blow. It was not as good as the movie. :(

I guess Johnny enspired me to read a lot of books because his movies are so interesting and so are the books. :D Like I said I cannot wait to read Public Enemies soon. woohoo

I've always loved reading books and when you combine that with my love for Johnny, well what could be more perfect than :jdr

I've only been a member here since December '06 so although I didn't read many of the books with you, I'm catching up!

I'd have to say Shantaram has been my favorite so far and I was more than surprised how much I enjoyed Rex Mundi since I had never read a graphic novel before.

My favorite Johnny movie based on a book is probably Secret Window.

My favorite books that Johnny has read is Shantaram and The Tortilla Curtain.

Johnny reminded me that, before kids and the real world got in the way, I loved reading more than anything. The kids are grown and gone, and even though the real world is still here (LOL), I've fallen in love all over again with reading. My nickname at work is "the bookworm". I have a book under my arm everytime I head for the cafeteria. The best part is being asked by a co-worker to borrow one of my books to read and to find out how much they enjoyed it!

Shantaram is my number one book
Joanie

:shistle My first thought of this is The Affected Provincial's Companion by Lord Breaulove Swells Whimsy. :lol: I still get a giggle everytime I think about trying to pick it back up and finish it. This is a book that I would have never even thought of reading. And then there was the one that I kept having to ask Anne what all the words meant.....was that the People's act of Love??? I could never have made it through that book without the friendly help from overseas ( :thanks Anne). It is really nice to have all the great viewpoints and help when we get stuck.

Johnny has broadened my horizens as far as books go. And I now look for time in the day to try and get some reading in.

The Ninth Gate is by far my favorite based on "The Club Dumas". I get so involved in that film or when reading the book that I am oblivious to anything else. Because it is a book about books, mysteries, travel...is why I enjoy it so much.
I have read books and poetry I would never had read but for Johnny's influence. I have always been a reader but my choice of books includes so much more than it did. Another of my favorites is "A Long Way Down" which I keep hoping he will make into a movie. I have other favorites too. :thumbsup

Most interesting book for me has to be Shantaram--I just pictured Johnny in that role the entire time reading that one. As was mentioned, it has so much depth to it and I really hope this film gets made sometime.

I've always been an avid reader, but don't think I'd ever have read any Tom Robbins books such as Villa Incognito(when I meet Johnny, I want him to explain that one to me-lol). However, I did enjoy Fierce Invalids....., but probably wouldn't have picked these 2 up without the Johnny connection.

I've enjoyed so many of the book discussions here, even while being a "liurker." It's these discussions that brought me out of "lurkdom" to join JDR and I'm so happy I did! I really enjoyed The People'a Act of Love---wonderful book and so much to discuss with this one as well.

I'm enjoying reading everyone's thoughts. :) Good question Karen!

-Dona

..... looking over at my shelf with all the books we've read....

First and foremost I would have to say "Shantaram". It moved me in a way that I never knew a book could. It made me laugh outloud, it made me cry, it literally made me yell back at Lin sometimes .. lol!!! It made me really think about some of the sayings that Lin would say.. I almost want to call them parables!! I've recommended this book to many people who have thanked me afterwards. Even one friend in Germany who I had just started telling her about it said a friend had just gotten it for her for her birthday and she was finding it an amazing read as we all did.

Next would be "The Diving Bell and The Butterfly". An amazing story of a man and the story he needed to tell. I dont know how Jean-Dominique managed but he did. I never would have been able to persevere like he did. I would read a short paragraph and just have to think"how long" did it take for him to blink that out. How he managed to keep all his thoughts outlined in his mind... well.. just really something!! I remember telling someone where I worked at the time about this one and she asked to borrow it.

I didnt think starting out that I was going to enjoy "A Long Way Down" but I did! I liked "The Rum Diary" too.. it was just different for me.

And I think that is what it is... it's different. I've read books that I normally would never have picked up. This is a unique and maybe a strange way other people would think to choose a book to read... but I cant think of a better way. Johnny's different tastes in books has really opened up my eyes and more importantly, my mind.

Good question Karen. And I learned something else today.. I never knew there was a World Book Day either!!

I've been enjoying reading everyones insights too!!!

~ Mary Kay

Wow! I'm getting a bit of a lump in my throat as I think about responding to this post. To speak truthfully will require a transparency I'm not entirely comfortable with but I think I will risk it...

In a way, I guess I can say it's responsible for saving my life, or at the very least giving me the courage to begin living my life again.

This past year has been the darkest one of my life. (I won't go into details or I won't be able to finish this.) I'll jsut say that somewhere along the way I lost my equilibrium and found myself in almost a state of paralysis. I began to pull away from everyone and everything important to me. I couldn't even read which has always been one of the greatest loves of my life and my best therapy when things get tough.

I ran across a Johnny Depp bio (not a very good one) that had his filmography in the back. As I looked through it, I was astounded! I have been a fan of JD's since the Jump Street days, but I spend so much time overseas that somehow I had missed TONS of his movies. I could hardly believe my eyes...

I began catching up, watching movie after movie of Johnny's, astounded by his choices, overwhelmed by his incredible transparency and his integrity. I felt my soul being restored and began to believe in myself again. I've never been a fan of books turned movie. If I really love a book and a movie is made I generally avoid it like the plague. I'm going through the process now in reverse. I guess when it's Johnny, it's just different...

I think my favorite work of his so far is 'The Libertine' (I love true stories) and I will read the book now that i know there is one! Public Enemies is the first time I've ever read a book while it is being filmed. Jsut about the time Johnny's work began to bring me out of my despair is when I heard PE was coming to WI, nothing has been the same since...

thanks for 'listening' and Happy World Book Day!!!!!
Betty

I have to say a big ol' huge THANK YOU to everyone who's added something to this thread!! And also, let's don't let it end today, please feel free to continue adding thoughts and experiences!

I think books touch our soul and take us to places that our physical bodies might never be able to visit.

I think The People's Act of Love and The Ginger Man both affected me, for differing reasons, the most. Followed closely by PE. All three of the authors opened their thoughts and ideas to me and to JDR and they and their stories all have changed my life in one way or another.

Every book, every author changes our lives, the way we think, the way we treat people. I have to thank Johnny for again, opening doors and windows for me.

I enjoyed reading Shantaram...although I was a still a "lurker" on the site and didn't participate in your discussion. I had been to India and this book is just amazing. And I suppose that through Johnny's indirect influence via this novel I had a great adventure finding my way to Cafe Leopolds in Mumbai in 2006. I love books and reading and I am lucky in my job with preschoolers that I get to promote books and reading all of the time. I "play" a librarian once a week and the kiddos get to check out books from our lending library. I love this site because it values Johnny's intelligence and sensibilities (is that a word? :blink: )Public Enemies is great too; can't wait to see the movie!

I enjoyed People's Act of Love and Public Enemies the most in fact I have ordered 8 of the books cited in BB's bibliography at the end of PE and I am reading the 4th book "Don't Call Us Molls" about the women in the Dillinger gang and it is providing a fascinating view of a woman's life in the 1920-1940 era and illustrates why these ladies ended up with the likes of JD, BBF, MGK, and Karpis. I have been a member of JDR for about 2 maybe 3 years and basically "lurk" but a book discussion brings me out of my "shell" and while I have always been a Depp fan I joined JDR due to the book discussions. I appreciate the fact that Karen works so hard behind the scenes to provide us with the interviews and the stimulating discussion questions. Depp's choice of books is unusual and I have to say I discovered the world of graphic novels due to the Rex Mundi series and there is a world of books in this genre which are thought provoking and a great read. That is about it. :) :writing Anne r