In my attempt to read more fiction, I was reading the book of The NeverEnding Story. Crazy how accurate the movie is to the book. It's like reading a first draft script with an unlimited budget. Biggest difference I would say is that the character of Bastian is better in the movie, but the character of Atreyu is better in the book. It's great knowing the reasons for a lot of the movie's moments, characters, and themes such as the significance of the medallion. In fact, the movie seems way more random now knowing how much backstory was left out.
I got 100 pages in and stopped, because, well, my mindframe just isn't in it right now. I recommend it on the whole though. From what I can tell, the movie is the first half of the book and the second movie follows the second half. Reviews for the book aren't too dissimilar to the movies: first one is well regarded and the sequel not so much.
I'm back to non-fiction... sort of. Currently reading Michael Shaara's book on the Civil War, Killer Angels. I haven't seen the movie Gettysburg, but it's the novel the movie was based on. It's all true events and people, just with some creative liberties to make it much more interesting to read. Considered possibly the best book on the war. I first heard of it when Conan O'Brien said it was his favorite book (he's a gigantic Civil War nerd). But the biggest reason I wanted to read it is because I loved reading 12 Years A Slave which is a subtle but powerful precursor to the war. It basically ends right before the war begins, when tensions between the North and the South couldn't be higher.
I'm only a few pages in, but already I'm really enjoying it. I know almost next to nothing except what I remember from 6th grade history. Time is zipping by as I read it, so I have to make sure I carve enough time out in my schedule to really enjoy it. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie later too. When I have 4+ hours to do that.