Read it before you see it 2021

In 2012, thousands stuffed their faces with popcorn as their palms sweat watching Katniss Everdeen “volunteer as tribute” for the Hunger Games in place of her sister, Prim.

Many wondered why she would ever make such a rash, impulse decision. Others already knew her motive.

They knew her motive before ever seeing her face. They had crawled inside her mind and, as they flipped through the thin yellow pages, were Katniss Everdeen for that moment. This Katniss Everdeen may have looked nothing like Jennifer Lawrence, and District 12 an entirely different landscape. For the 28 million copies sold, there were 28 million versions of Katniss Everdeen. These 28 million knew her better than any of the billions who watched her on-screen because knowing someone’s motives is much more intimate than viewing their actions.

But did these 28 million unique versions of Katniss Everdeen die upon Jennifer Lawrence accepting her role in 2012? Now, Lawrence is Katniss Everdeen forevermore.

Just as Daniel Radcliffe is Harry Potter; Robert Pattinson is Edward Cullen; Tom Hanks is Forrest Gump.

Visuals are the boundaries of imagination.

When reading, the adjectives, nouns and verbs of each sentence offer inspiration to create an entire scene in your mind. The options are endless. It is doing an in-service to yourself to limit your relationship to a character to the interpretation portrayed by someone else.

Allow yourself to be in with these characters before they hit the screens soon.

1. "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens

Holding a spot on Reese Witherspoon’s acclaimed book club favorite picks, Owen’s "Where the Crawdads Sing" quickly became a New York Times bestseller. It tells the story of brave and valiant Kya Clark (also known as the Marsh Girl) as she battles family trauma, heartbreak, loneliness, ostracism, legal issues and living in a shack in the North Carolina Marsh. Kya teaches readers not only about the wonders of nature itself, but about the balance of trusting others and relying on oneself. Witherspoon is directing the film that is projected to premiere June 24 2021.

2. The "Red Queen" series by Victoria Aveyard

Utopian societies have ruled the Blockbuster and New York Times charts for years now, and if anyone is aware of that it is Hunger Games actress Elizabeth Banks. She has seen potential in the Red Queen series, which features an alternate future America that is ruled by those with the powerful Silver blood type that is superior to the opposing Red blood type. Main character Mare Barrow is a Red, which deems her as poor until a twist of fate offers her Silver powers. The book plays with the theme of anyone can betray anyone and the value of trust. Banks is directing and co-starring in the Peacock series soon to premiere.

3. "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah

Perhaps the most anticipated of books turning into movies is Kristin Hannah’s "The Nightingale," as she has a loyal army of fans rooting for this story. Proven successful with Hannah’s "Firefly Lane" book that is now a trending Netflix series, the movie set to premiere December 22 2021 is bound to be a hit. The story outlines the tale of two sisters living through World War II, the elder of which is housing a German officer and battling where she should comply with the German demands, while the younger is resisting at all costs. The two sisters' differing opinions show the complex concept of family and offer a window to the past.

4. "The House of Gucci" by Sara Gay Forden

Gucci has forever been held on a pedestal of glitz, glamour and luxury superior to most fashion labels. However, the story of the family behind this dynasty has remained untold — until now. Forden’s "The House of Gucci" offers insight into the complications of a family business, and why Maurizio Gucci was forced out of the company and later gunned down by a hitman while his wife was arrested. This book will be adapted into the movie "House of Gucci." The family drama, acclaimed Gucci name and star Lady Gaga bound this movie to be successful as it takes the screen November 24 2021.

5. "The Other Mrs." by Mary Kubica

Thrillers forever suck readers and watchers in as they attempt to decipher the mystery alongside the narrator. Kubica is the bestselling offer of several successful thrillers, including "The Good Girl," so "The Other Mrs." promises an enticing read. The story revolves around Sadie and Will Foust’s new move to Maine that unexpectedly did not offer a peaceful new start upon the murder of their neighbor Morgan Baines. The eyes of suspicion slowly turn towards the new couple, and Sadie is battling what is true. The mystery is set to be solved on Netflix in the upcoming year.

Gain an exclusive pre-screening of these films and shows by picking up a copy to read before they premiere!