Is the Book Better?
Welcome to Is the Book Better, Though? — the podcast where stories go head-to-head on page and screen. Each episode, I compare books and their movie adaptations to decide once and for all which one does it better.
From Oscar winners to cult classics, I dig into what the book nailed, what the movie missed, and whether the film should have been made at all.
Expect witty commentary, honest opinions, and the occasional existential crisis over casting choices. If you love reading, movie nights, or just arguing about both, this is your new favourite podcast.
🎬📚 Join me every other week as we tackle everything from The Lord of the Rings to The Hunger Games — because sometimes Hollywood gets it right… and sometimes the book really is better.
Episodes
34 episodes
Fried Green Tomatoes
This week on Is the Book Better?, we're heading to Whistle Stop, Alabama, to compare Fannie Flagg's beloved novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe with the iconic 1991 film starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mar...
Fever Pitch - Nick Hornby Vs Colin Firth
Is Fever Pitch better as a book or a film? This week on Is the Book Better?, I’m comparing Nick Hornby’s 1992 football memoir Fever Pitch with the 1997 film adaptation starring Colin Firth and Ruth Gemmell.As an Arsenal...
Remarkably Bright Creatures
In this episode, we're comparing Shelby Van Pelt's bestselling novel with the new film adaptation, breaking down the biggest differences between the book and the movie. From Marcellus the giant Pacific octopus being even sassier on the page, to...
Book Vs Movie - California Schemin'
In this episode of Is the Book Better Though?, we’re talking California Schemin’ the unbelievable true story of Scottish rappers Silibil N’ Brains, aka Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who fooled the music industry by pretending to be...
The Shawshank Redemption
This week we're heading behind the walls of Shawshank Prison to explore Stephen King's novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, the story that inspired one of the most beloved films ever made.The problem? I've seen t...
The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada Book Review | Is the Book Better Than the Film?This week on The Dad Book Club, we're reading The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger—the bestselling novel that inspired the iconic film st...
World Cup Special - The Damned United (BONUS)
This week on The Dad Book Club Podcast, we're diving into The Damned Utd by David Peace, the bestselling football novel that explores the infamous 44 days of legendary manager Brian Clough at Leeds United.We compare the book, au...
Bridge To Terabithia - NOT A KIDS MOVIE
For this episode, we're diving into Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, comparing the beloved novel, the 2007 film adaptation starring Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb, and the audiobook narrated by Richard Armitage.Why does t...
The Swan - Roald Dahl Vs Wes Anderson
Sorry it's been a little while since my last upload! Life has been busy, but I'm back with another deep dive into a fascinating story.In this episode, we're looking at Roald Dahl's short story The Swan and comparing it with Wes ...
The Wild Robot - The Book Vs The Book Vs The Movie
In this episode, I finally sit down and compare The Wild Robot properly — the original book, the film, and the kids version — after reading the full story with my daughter.On the surface they’re all telling the same story… but t...
Bridges of Madison County - Book Vs. Movie
Season 2 is back 🎙️This week we’re getting into The Bridges of Madison County — the book by Robert James Waller vs the film with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.And honestly… we’ve got questions.We’re told this is ...
Project Hail Mary Book Vs Movie
In this episode we’re diving into a full Project Hail Mary book vs movie comparison to answer the big question:Is the Project Hail Mary movie actually better than the book?Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary novel...
Hamnet - Book Vs. Movie
In this episode we’re comparing the Hamnet book vs the Hamnet movie adaptation to see which version tells the story better.Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell became one of the most talked about historical novels of recent years, telling...
Life of Chuck - Book Vs Movie
Stephen King. Mike Flanagan. Existential apocalypse. And somehow… it’s cheesy?In this episode, we break down The Life of Chuck — comparing the Stephen King novella to Mike Flanagan’s film adaptation. Is the book profound or...
A Walk to Remember - Book Vs. Movie
In this episode I’m comparing A Walk to Remember the book and the film adaptation and breaking down the full book vs movie differences. I’m talking about the original Nicholas Sparks novel and the 2002 A Walk to Remember movie starring Mandy Mo...
You and me on Vacation - Book Vs. Movie
No video this week, sorry, blame my computer.I'm covering the Film adaptation of You and Me on Vacation, im wondering why it changed the name for the film and how long does it take for friends to fall in love? whether they do that at all...
The Housemaid - Book Vs. Movie
I've read the book, I've watched the film...which is better? I DECIDEFreida Mcfadden creates a page turning masterclass and of course it has become a film, but will the film hold up? Lets see...
Christy - Book Vs. Movie
This week on the podcast I’m finally back after an accidental Christmas break (yes, I genuinely forgot it was Christmas). Apologies for missing last week.In this episode, I dive into the Christy Martin book and compare it to the film ada...
The Revenant - Book Vs. Movie
In this episode of Is the Book Better?, I take on The Revenant — comparing Michael Punke’s historical novel with Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Oscar-winning film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. From brutal frontier survival to icy reven...
Forrest Gump - Book Vs. Movie
In this episode of Is the Book Better, Though?, I compare Forrest Gump the novel by Winston Groom with the Oscar-winning Tom Hanks film that became a pop culture phenomenon. From shrimp boats to running across America, I break...
The Fault in Our Stars: Book Vs Movie
Welcome to the podcast where we compare books vs movies every single week — diving deep into what each adaptation gets right, what it leaves behind, and which version tells the stronger story.If you love book-to-movie compariso...
Moneyball - Book Vs. Movie
In this episode, we dive headfirst into Moneyball, where spreadsheets meet home runs and Brad Pitt somehow makes baseball statistics look cool. I compare Michael Lewis’s groundbreaking book to its Hollywood adaptation, unpacking what g...
The Final Episode - ACOTAR? Completed it mate. With Laura Wilson
Sorry this is long overdue, life got in the way a little bit. Also sorry for the sound quality, someone didn't press record on the sound deck! That someone was me...We had a lot of fun doing this and spoke for a co...