Screen adaptations of beloved books can be quite controversial, there is nothing worse than watching one of your fan-favorites get butchered by bad editing and worse screenplays.
To spare you the stake to the heart, this list of 10 book-to-TV adaptations will provide you with plenty of binge-worthy content. These books and adaptations were selected for being gripping pieces of art as a combo, and standalone materials. From psychological thrillers that combine mental health and cringy small-town American culture, to adventure tales of escaping Nazi-occupied Paris, this list is not bound by genres but purely great stories that will make you want to press “Play Next Episode.”
RelatedWhy Are Book Adaptations Always So Controversial?
10. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.32 | 81% |
In this award-winning historical novel, Anthony Doerr provides a glimpse into the life of those who survived Nazi-occupied cities in WWII through the story of a blind French girl and her father’s escape, as well as their unlikely friendship with a German military student who has excellent radio engineering skills.
The additional twist finds the family guarding a precious diamond that cannot be turned over to the Nazis, but the adaptation focuses on humanizing the connections made during the war, while also providing the viewer with an exciting sense of adventure.
Where To Watch: Netflix
9. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.22 | 82% |
Daisy Jones & The Six is one of the latest installments from Reese Witherpoon’s production company, Hello, Sunshine, and it sure held up to expectations.
The story follows an up-and-coming troubled singer, Daisy Jones, through the 1960s and 70s as she clashes with the band, The Six, that her recording label pairs her up with. Through this clash with the band leader, Billy Dune, incredible songs are orchestrated as well as a forbidden foes turn lovers story, inspired by the magic dynamic between Fleetwood Mac.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
8. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.31 | 89% |
Big Little Lies follows the secret lives of the families of Monterrey, California as four women cross paths in the death of one of their husbands – making them all suspects in the case.
Things are not as they may appear in this upper-class beach town, and family ties get complicated and dark as the small lies lead up to big changes for these four women, navigating life in a society that did not set them up to win. More motivation to watch this exciting adaptation? The all-star cast: Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Zoe Kravitz, and Shailene Woodley.
Where To Watch: HBO
7. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.01 | 83% |
If you are a fan of Gone Girl, Sharp Objects needs to be next on your reading list so you can get ready to binge the riveting HBO limited series.
The story follows a journalist who returns to her small town to investigate the murder of two children, only to be forced to face her ghosts. The book follows the twists and turns that read like true crime, but incorporates elements of psychological thriller that highlight the protagonist’s mental health issues, trauma, and the bonds of femininity. The screen adaptation perfectly captures these elements with visual representation and plays on the creepiness of small-town America.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
6. Normal People by Sally Rooney
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 3.81 | 92% |
Sally Rooney’s viral books are worth the hype, with Normal People being the spark that ignited the fire. The book follows Marianne and Connel through their passage from kids in a small town, to young adults in the big city as they navigate their feelings for each other against social and economic barriers.
The adaptation beautifully portrays their struggle in finding themselves, the dark sides of growing up along with the beauty in small and simple aspects of life. While the book is riveting, the series matches the energy and tone required to execute such an ordinary yet extraordinary story about life and relationships. Get lost in the limited series, it is hard to resist pressing “Play Next Episode.”
Where To Watch: Hulu
RelatedMust-Watch: 10 Great Movies Based on Books
5. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.03 | 91% |
My Brilliant Friend is the first novel in the Neapolitan Novels, which closely follows the friendship between two women from childhood to adulthood. This intimate story about female friendship evolves with the characters and the many ways that life pulls them apart and brings them back together throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70s in Naples, Italy.
The first book made its silver screen debut as a series on HBO and now has three seasons spanning the novels and portraying the protagonist’s life through childhood circumstances, broken-hearted teenagers, and coming of age as young women in this period while facing the social and cultural issues of the time.
Where To Watch: HBO
4. Game Of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.44 | 85% |
It would be remiss to not mention Game Of Thrones on a list of the best TV show adaptations of all time. The HBO series based on the books by George R.R. Martin made dark-fantasy tropes a mainstream event, as the fight for the Iron Throne became an international phenomenon.
Watch over 7 seasons (or read over 7 books) as the 7 kingdoms fight for power, hope that your favorite character prevails, the mother of dragons rises and destiny moves the plot forward. If you are interested in flirting with dark fantasy as a genre, consider this your gateway series that is as exciting to watch as read.
Where To Watch: HBO
3. Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 4.48 | 96% |
Open your heart to the beautiful stories of Queer teens in Alice Oseman’s Netflix series adapted from the graphic novel full of coming-of-age and coming-out narratives. Heartstopper follows Charlie, the only openly gay teen at his all-boys school in England, as his crush Nick becomes a good friend turned slow-burn romance, and the social factors the boys face in the process.
Both the book and TV series also bring forward other characters’ narratives, giving light to many LGBTQ narratives in the most heartwarming and beautiful way. The series is not only binge-worthy but impossible not to watch from start to finish. Get caught up for the season 3 release this year.
Where To Watch: Netflix
Related5 Graphic Novels To Read If You Loved Heartstopper
2. Maid by Stephanie Land
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 3.78 | 86% |
Maid by Stephanie Land is a memoir about how she escaped an abusive relationship as a young mother by taking a job as a maid. Land illustrates to the reader the difficulty of navigating social services, as a young mom escaping a situation with her young child. This dichotomy is brought to the big screen on Netflix’s 2021 limited series release starring Magaret Qualley whose critically acclaimed performance earned her an Emmy nomination,
In both the book and adaptation, the story embodies the intensity of making decisions that may not lead to stability for the young family, while finding a place in this world as a young woman and bringing up societal issues around how society works against victims of abuse.
Where To Watch: Netflix
1. Killing Eve by Luke Jennings
| Good Reads Rating | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
|---|---|
| 3.56 | 73% |
You may have seen the Emmy and Golden Globe buzz around the critically acclaimed BBC series, Killing Eve – but did you know the series is based on a book trilogy by Luke Jennings?
Eve, a MI5 British security operative gets wind of a female assassin and the sense that someone higher up is covering her trail. Little does she know, the corruption is deeper than she could ever imagine as she begins to look for the mysterious Villanelle. However, Villanelle’s cunning wit brings her to Eve as the two form an unexplainable connection. This series follows two women who walk through the world looking for purpose, and somehow find it in each other while trying to survive their dangerous situation.
Where To Watch: Prime Video
