While the scenery and wardrobe choices help make a movie memorable, at Writer’s Relief we know what’s really important—the title of the book that character is reading! Nothing makes a book nerd’s heart beat faster than to see someone reading a tome on the big screen. It’s an insider’s wink—a literary Easter egg—for those of us who love to read. Here are some of our favorite books that make cameo appearances in movies.

Favorite Books Read By Characters In The Movies

Five Centuries of English Verse by William Stebbing in Dead Poets Society

Spoilers ahead! The end of Dead Poets Society packs a serious emotional punch on its own, but when poetry by Henry David Thoreau is thrown into the mix, you better have a box of tissues at hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_TNfuuotZE

A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The wizarding world is chock-full of mysteries and delights, but the unnamed wizard reading Stephen Hawking at The Three Broomsticks might top them all. Who is he, and why is a wizard with a magic wand in his pocket interested in the theory of black holes?

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss in Addams Family Values

We all love Dr. Seuss, but you’ve never really experienced the hat-wearing cat’s antics until you’ve heard the macabre reading performed by Morticia in Addams Family Values. If you enjoy your children’s literature with a side of spooky, this reading will send shivers of glee—or terror—down your spine.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman in…The Princess Bride

Does it count as a book in a movie if the book is the movie? Since the book makes an appearance in the grandson’s bedroom, we say yes! And honestly, we love any excuse to watch The Princess Bride again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEy5-ysvbKc

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad in King Kong

Many people know that Apocalypse Now is based on the beloved Joseph Conrad novel Heart of Darkness, but many people don’t realize that King Kong also pays loving tribute to the book. The character Jimmy is seen reading the book on his way to Skull Island.

Question: What’s your favorite reference to a book in a movie?