Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new subject each week and this week's topic is "Top Ten Bookish Soundtracks".
I was trying to come up with a topic for this week's freebie Top Ten and thought this might be fun. My list includes soundtracks and scores that are connected with books.
The links will take you to Amazon where you can listen to clips from the soundtracks. *I am not an Amazon affiliate so I get no money if you use the link to buy anything*
The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King)
Score by Howard Shore and novel by J.R.R. Tolkien
I recently started rereading The Fellowship of the Ring and I decided to listen to the soundtrack while I read which made it more fun, especially during the suspenseful parts. I'd say The Fellowship of the Ring is my favorite score followed by The Two Towers because I love the Rohan theme an then The Return of the King.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (and other films in the series)
Score by John Williams and novels by J.K. Rowling
John Williams is known for creating memorable movie scores and the Harry Potter score was no exception. Hedwig's Theme is probably my favorite piece from the movies and the most popular (a lot of people had it for their ringtones). When you hear it you immediately connect it to Harry Potter. Of course John Williams didn't score all of the films but his themes are used for all of them in different variations.
The Hunger Games
Soundtrack by various artists (The Civil Wars, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, etc.) and novel by Suzanne Collins
I think this soundtrack is a good match for the novel, especially the songs by The Civil Wars and Arcade Fire. There is a folk rock kind of sound to a lot of the songs that puts me in mind of District 12.
Outlander
Score by Bear McCreary and novel by Diana Gabaldon
My favorite song from the soundtrack is of course The Skye Boat Song but I also like the Scottish traditional songs (Clean Pease Strae which I believe was also used in Braveheart) and the score in general has a Celtic feel to it. I think it would be fantastic to listen to this while reading the books or just for fun. There is a video on YouTube from last Christmas of a yule log in front of a crackling fire with music from the series. I would put it on my TV and relax and read.
Game of Thrones
Score by Ramin Djawadi and novels by George R.R. Martin
The main theme is my favorite and a ringtone on my phone (though it is harder to hear when my phone is in my purse). I also like some of the other themes used throughout the series. I haven't listened to the soundtrack while reading the books yet but I may have to do so.
Star Wars (original trilogy)
Score by John Williams and novels by Timothy Zahn
While these soundtracks could be connected with any Star Wars novelization or novel, I particularly like Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. The audio books actually incorporate music from the films and sound effects and that makes the listening/reading experience that much more enjoyable.
The Help
Soundtrack by various artists (Johnny Cash,The Four Seasons, Ray Charles, etc.) and novel by Kathryn Stockett
I love music from the 60s so the soundtrack really appealed to me and as the novel is set during that time period, it was a perfect fit.
Pride and Prejudice
Score by Dario Marianelli and novel by Jane Austen
This soundtrack is just so pretty. My favorite songs are Liz on Top of the World, The Living Sculptures of Pemberley and A Postcard to Henry Purcell (from the dance scene at Netherfield Ball). I am also a fan of Carl Davis and Melvyn Tan's score from the Pride and Prejudice miniseries. I own CDs of both versions.
The Last of the Mohicans
Score by Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones and novel by James Fenimore Cooper
The movie is very different from the book (I tried to read it after seeing the movie but didn't finish) but I love the soundtrack so I'm putting it on the list! It is used really well in the film to dramatic effect.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Score by Harry Gregson-Williams and novel by C.S. Lewis
This soundtrack really adds the right touch to the movie and some of the songs seem to really capture the magic of Narnia (especially The Wardrobe and A Narnia Lullaby) which is why I put it on the list. The first movie and book are my favorite. I have yet to read the whole series but hope to do so this year.
Twilight
Score by Carter Burwell
I may not be a big Twilight fan anymore (my copy of the book was shredded for the Guess the Book in the Jar contest at the library last year) but I still enjoy the music from the movies, particularly Bella's Lullaby which was my ringtone for awhile. I think the score is lovely even if the film was not and it definitely reminds me of the novel's setting. The soundtrack is pretty catchy too. It brought groups like Paramore and Muse to my attention. I also enjoyed the soundtrack to Breaking Dawn Part 1 with the memorable songs by Christina Perri and Bruno Mars.
YAY! Great choice of topic this week. I always love freebie week as people always do such amazing topics! I LOVE a great soundtrack, and you have picked so many amazing ones. I will always have such a soft spot for the Harry Potter one. I used to love going to see each new movie as the cinema would always be playing the soundtrack on a loop.
ReplyDeleteHere's my TTT post if you want to check it out. I picked non-book romances I would love to see get book adaptations.
those are all great soundtracks! My TTT
ReplyDeleteI love the music of the Lord of the Rings. Love, love, love.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: Hottest Books in My Library right now.
The Star Wars original soundtrack is one of my all time favorites. Just SO amazing. I used to listen to it as a kid and just hearing it brings back the feels of the movie. The LoTR one is of course a great choice. And Last of the Mohicans- I'm not familiar with the entire score but I LOVED the Clannad songs that were part of that. If you're not familair with Clannad they're a wonderful Irish band. And there's a girl who does a pretty good rendition of I Will Find You (the Clannad song from Mohicans) who does the Renaissance fair circuit- her band is Circa Paleo. It's on Youtube I think.
ReplyDeleteI had forgotten that Clannad was involved with the soundtrack. One of my high school friends was a big fan and introduced me to their music. If I remember correctly Clannad is Enya's family's band.
DeleteSeveral appeal to me as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun topic! Hedwig's theme...sigh...
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite book soundtrack of all time is A Room with a View from the 1980s Merchant & Ivory film. It's Italian opera, which is so not my cup of tea, but man, it's romantic and soaring and PERFECT.
I started watching that version on Netflix last year but didn't get the chance to finish though I have seen the newer TV adaptation.
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