Books and Films Vocabulary

an action movie: a film with fast moving scenes, often containing violence

to be engrossed in: to be completely focused on one thing

bedtime reading: something to read in bed before you go to sleep

to be a big reader: someone who reads a lot

to be based on: to use as a modal

a box office hit: a financially successful film

to be heavy-going: difficult to read

a blockbuster: a film that is a big commercial success

to catch the latest movie: to see a film that has just come out

the central character: the main person in a film or book

a classic: of the highest quality

to come highly recommended: to be praised by another person

couldn’t put it down: wasn’t able to stop reading a book

an e-book: a digital book

an e-reader: a device for reading e-books

to flick through: to look quickly through a book

to get a good/bad review: to receive positive or negative feedback

to go on general release: when a film can be seen by the general public

hardback: a book with a rigid cover (see ‘paperback’ below)

a historical novel: a story set in the past

a low budget film: a film made with a small amount of money

on the big screen: at the cinema

a page turner: a book that you want to keep reading

paperback: a book with a flexible cover (see ‘hardback’ above)

plot: the main events in a film or book

to read something from cover to cover: to read a book from the first page to the last

sci-fi: science fiction

to see a film: to see a film at the cinema (see ‘watch a film’ below)

the setting: where the action takes place

showings: performances of a film

soundtrack: the music that accompanies a film

special effects: the visuals or sounds that are added to a film which are difficult to produce naturally

to take out (a book from the library): to borrow a book from the library

to tell the story of: to outline the details of someone’s life or an event

to watch a film: to watch a film on TV (see ‘to see a film’ above)