Sideways (by Rex Pickett)

I had dismissed this book wholesale after flipping through it in a bookstore a couple of years ago, but when I saw it on the library shelf I thought, what the hell. That's the beauty of libraries.

Of course the question is, how does it compare to the movie? The movie took the novel and improved on it, particularly the ending (everything from the wedding on). But the novel isn't crap, either. It's well written for the most part. I just think the filmmakers made some really good choices (like taking out Brad, and the ending, and so forth). My favorite scenes from the movie (Miles and Maya talking about Pinot, Miles drinking the wine in the hamburger joint) aren't in the book at all. So the screenplay is one of those rare adaptations that improves on the source material, and that Oscar was well deserved.

Also the book contains the phrase "I spelunked for her clitoris" and I think that pretty much speaks for itself. Spelunked? Like with a pith helmet and everything?