Shelf Control: Get These Books That Inspired Movies For $4.99 Or Less

Welcome back to another edition of Shelf Control. This week, I'll be featuring some titles to add to your iBooks shelf. These titles have one thing in common: they have all inspired major motion pictures. Oh, and another thing: each of them happens to be on sale in the iBooks Store for $4.99 or less. I don't know about you, but I make a point of seeing the film adaptations of books that I've read. And in the case of film adaptations of books that I haven't read, I try to read their source materials before I watch them. I most certainly agree with the iBooks Store editorial team's observation:

Reading a book before seeing its cinematic interpretation lets your imagination run wild creating your own mental images of the characters and settings. It's also fun to see how filmmakers adapt and alter stories to suit the big screen.

So, without further ado, here are the books that inspired movies that are currently available in the iBooks Store for $4.99 or less: "A Captain's Duty" by Richard Phillips with Stephan Talty, $4.99. Subtitled "Somali Pirates, Navy SEALs, and Dangerous Days at Sea," this book tells the story of Phillips, the captain of the MV Maersk Alabama when it was hijacked in 2009. It follows Phillips' ordeal as a hostage and the plight of his family in Vermont. The film adaptation, "Captain Phillips," was released last Friday to mostly positive reviews. Directed by Paul Greengrass, it stars Tom Hanks in the title role. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, $3.99. Narrated by Death, "The Book Thief" is set in Nazi Germany and follows Liesel Meminger, a foster girl who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist: books. The film of the same name, which was directed by Brian Percival, is set to be released on Nov. 15. It stars Sophie Nélisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson. "The Butler" by Wil Haygood, $4.99. This book offers an exploration of the life of Eugene Allen, the butler who is the inspiration behind Lee Daniels' "The Butler." Released a couple of months ago, the movie stars Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Redgrave, and Robin Williams. "Carrie" by Stephen King, $3.99. "A novel of a girl with a frightening power," states this book's first edition cover. If you've seen the 1976 film adaptation directed by Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek, then you already know what that power is. If not, then go ahead and dive into this book, which is Stephen King's first published novel. The upcoming film adaptation by "Boys Don't Cry" director Kimberly Peirce comes out on Friday, Oct. 18. It stars Chloë Grace Moretz as Carrie and Julianne Moore as her mother. "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, $3.99. Winner of the Nebula Award and the Hugo Award, this sci-fi novel follows Ender Wiggin, who is among the children taken to Battle School in preparation for a hostile alien race's next attack. Written and directed by Gavin Hood, the film adaptation, which is planned for release on Nov. 1, stars Asa Butterfield as Ender and Harrison Ford as Colonel Graff. "Horns" by Joe Hill, $4.99. From the twisted mind of Stephen King's son, this dark fantasy novel tells the story of Ig Perrish, who discovers horns growing from his head shortly after the mysterious rape and murder of his girlfriend. In the film adaptation, which was directed by Alexandre Aja and released last Sept. 6, Ig is portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, who happens to be the star of the most successful series of film adaptations of all time. "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson, $3.99. Subtitled "The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10," this nonfiction book follows Marcus Luttrell and a group of U.S. Navy Seals in Afghanistan. The film adaptation features Mark Wahlberg as Luttrell. Written and directed by Peter Berg, it's set for release on Jan. 10, 2014. "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela, $4.99. This autobiographical work profiles the early life, coming of age, education, and 27 years in prison of the preeminent South African statesman Nelson Mandela. Directed by Justin Chadwick, its film adaptation stars Idris Elba as Mandela. The movie opens in theaters in late November. "The Monuments Men" by Robert M. Edsel and Bret Witter, $4.99. Subtitled "Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History," this book is about a group of American and British museum directors, curators, and art historians who risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of art treasures at the behest of Hitler. Its film adaptation stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, and Cate Blanchett. Co-written, produced, and directed by Clooney, the movie is scheduled to be released on Dec. 18. "Twelve Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup and Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Free. This memoir's original subtitle pretty much sums it up: "Narrative of Solomon Northup, a citizen of New-York, kidnapped in Washington city in 1841, and rescued in 1853, from a cotton plantation near the Red River in Louisiana." Directed by Steve McQueen and scheduled to be released on Friday, Oct. 18, the book's film adaptation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as the titular slave. And there you have it. But wait, those are just the books that inspired movies that are already in theaters or are coming soon. As it happens, the iBooks Store's limited-time sale also includes some books that inspired movies that are still in development or in post-production:

"American Sniper" by Chris Kyle, Scott Mcewen, and Jim DeFelice, $4.99

"Divergent" by Veronica Roth, $3.99

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green, $3.99

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn, $4.99

"The Maze Runner" by James Dashner, $4.99

"Serena" by Ron Rash, $4.99

"Vampire Academy" by Richelle Mead, $4.99

"The Wolf of Wall Street" by Jordan Belfort, $4.99

Also included in the sale is the e-book of the original screenplay of "The Counselor," which is available for preorder for $4.99 (expected to be released tomorrow). The screenplay is written by Cormac McCarthy, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Road," which was also adapted into a movie. Directed by Ridley Scott, "The Counselor" stars Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt. It opens in theaters on Oct. 25. As always, if you have suggestions for Shelf Control, please feel free to email me at aldrin@appadvice.com or simply leave a comment below.