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Oscar Worthy Reads

	Conclave by Robert Harris The pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will gather to cast their votes in the world’s most secretive election. They are holy men. But they are not immune to the human temptations of power and glory. And they are not above the tribalism and factionalism that consumes humanity. When all is said and done, one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on Earth. Adaptation: Conclave (Best Adapted Screenplay 2025) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	American Prometheus by Kai Bird In this acclaimed work twenty-five years in the making, Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin capture Oppenheimer’s life and times, from his early career to his central role in the Cold War. A deeply informative account of history and biography. Adaptation: Oppenheimer (Best Picture 2024, Best Film Editing 2024, Best Directing 2024) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis A portrayal of life in “the zone of interest,” or “kat zet”—the Nazis’ euphemism for Auschwitz. The narrative rotates among three main characters: Paul Doll, the crass, drunken camp commandant; Thomsen, nephew of Hitler’s private secretary, in love with Doll’s wife; and Szmul, one of the Jewish prisoners charged with disposing of the bodies. Adaptation: The Zone of Interest (Best International Feature Film 2024, Best Music 2024) Also available on Libby as an *ebook*.
	The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar by Roald Dahl Henry Sugar, an independently wealthy man who enjoys gambling, finds and reads a doctor's report on a strange patient who called himself "The Man Who Sees Without Using His Eyes". The patient had the ability to see even after doctors had sealed the man's eyes shut and bandaged his head. Adaptation: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Best Live Action Short 2024) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	Erasure by Percival Everett Thelonious "Monk" Ellison, a professor of English literature and novelist, is in a rut. He writes novels that are highly academic and philosophical. Ellison struggles to get his books published because, as his agent repeatedly explains to him, publishing houses do not believe his writing to be "black enough". Adaptation: American Fiction (Best Writing 2024) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi The 1883 children's fantasy novel is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocchio, which he faces many perils and temptations, meets characters that teach him about life, and learns goodness before he achieves his heart's desire of becoming a real boy. Adaptation: Guillermo del Torro's Pinocchio (Best Animated Feature Film 2023) Also available on Libby as an *ebook*.
	All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque A semi-autobiographical novel, the book describes the German soldiers' extreme physical and mental trauma during the war as well as the detachment from civilian life felt by many upon returning home from the war. Adaptation: All Quiet on the Western Front (Best Cinematography 2023, Best International Feature Film 2023) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a 2019 illustrated children’s book following the developing friendship between the four titular protagonists; the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse. Adaptation: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (Best Animated Short Film 2023) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	Women Talking by Miriam Toews Based on true events, in a remote Mennonite community in Bolivia, girls and women would wake up to discover they had been raped; the nighttime attacks were attributed to ghosts and demons, punishment for their sins, or "wild female imagination. Eventually, it was revealed that colonists were using a chemical spray to and sexually assault the women. Adaptation: Women Talking (Best Adapted Screenplay 2023) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	Dune by Frank Herbert Thousands of years in humanity's future, feudal control over the fiefdom Arrakis, its spice production, and the impact on humanity's development become the centerpoints of a millennia-long conflict that develops through the series. Adaptation: Dune (Best Cinematography 2022, Best Production Design 2022) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	Drive My Car [short story] by Haruki Murakami Kafuku, a veteran and widowed actor, hires 24-year-old driver Misaki Watari to chauffeur him around Tokyo due to his license being revoked due to a D.U.I. and glaucoma. During their trips, Kafuku occasionally tells her about his life as an actor and his late wife's extramarital affairs. Adaptation: Drive My Car (Best International Feature Film 2022) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.
	Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder On frequently traveled routes between seasonal jobs, Jessica Bruder meets people from all walks of life: a former professor, a McDonald’s vice president, a minister, a college administrator, and a motorcycle cop, among many others—including her irrepressible protagonist, a onetime cocktail waitress, Home Depot clerk, and general contractor named Linda May. Adaptation: Nomadland (Best Picture 2021, Best Directing 2021) Also available on Libby as an *ebook* *and an* *audiobook*.

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