Read These 17 Books Before Their TV Or Film Adaptations Come Out
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You know the feeling: You're jumping into some buzzy TV series like Big Little Lies or going to see Dune and you have that friend who is like, "Oh, you've gotta read the book."
But like, now you're watching the show/movie and you're seeing the whole story play out, so now, are you really gonna read the book? And if you do, would it even be the same experience your friend had?
Well, you're in luck — here are 17 bestsellers that just might be the next Game of Thrones or Gone Girl. You can read them ahead of time and be that friend!
1.Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This viral page-turner follows the meteoric rise and mysterious breakup of a '70s rock group, loosely inspired by Fleetwood Mac. Reid has written a number of bestsellers and is a favorite of the BookTok community of voracious young readers.
The miniseries premieres on Prime Video on March 3, so you'd have to really binge-read to make it on time, but reading along with the series is always an option!
2.On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl
Newlyweds Lee, fresh from the Korean War, and Muriel, a Kansas transplant, settle in San Diego in 1956. Muriel, however, feels increasingly bored and out of place and takes up betting on horse races in secret. Meanwhile Lee's brother Julius falls in love with a card cheat in Vegas and starts chasing him from Vegas casinos to Tijuana dive bars. Muriel and Julius' alternating points of view inform each other's quest to find love – and their place in a rapidly changing America.
Just yesterday it was announced that Jacob Elordi, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Will Poulter, Diego Calva and Sasha Calle will star in the upcoming film adaptation.
3.American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
As one of the only Asian kids in his class, Jin Wang struggles both to fit in with his peers and to embrace his Chinese identity. Meanwhile, Danny, an all-American teenager, avoids the embarrassment of his stereotypical cousin Chin-Kee. These seemingly unrelated tales, along with the story of the Monkey King of Chinese legend, come together with an astonishing twist in this funny and complex coming-of-age graphic novel.
Award-winning Everything, Everywhere, All at Once costars Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu will reunite in this series adaptation, debuting later this year on Disney+.
4.One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Can't get enough TJR? You're in luck.
Emma Blair's life as a travel writer comes to an abrupt halt when her husband Jesse vanishes in a mysterious plane crash. Years later, newly engaged to her high school friend Sam, Jesse calls her — he's alive! Now, Emma has a choice to make, and no matter what, somebody's heart is going to break. It's me, my heart is going to break.
This film adaptation, starring Broadway legend Phillipa Soo, Simu Liu, and Luke Bracey, produced in association with BuzzFeed Studios, is in theaters April 7 and on digital April 14.
Watch the official trailer here:
5.Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage
When aspiring playwright Jonah orchestrates a meeting with successful Pulitzer Prize winner Richard, a passionate affair begins. But when Jonah spends some time in the Hamptons with Richard's friends — and staff, all young, attractive, and gay — things take a disastrous turn in this dark, twisted thriller.
Amazon Studios is currently developing Daddy, the upcoming series adaptation. Stephen Dunn (creator of Peacock's Queer as Folk reboot) is set to direct.
6.'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
An author moves back to Jerusalem's Lot, where he lived for several years as a young boy, to work on his next novel and starts to discover that people in the town are turning into vampires. King has asserted in multiple interviews that 'Salem's Lot is his favorite of all of his works.
The upcoming theatrical film adaptation is not the first time the horror classic has been adapted. A two-part television miniseries aired on CBS in 1979, four years after the book's release. Sadly, Warner Bros. continues to push back the release date on this new version starring Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, and Bill Camp. Hopefully we'll see an updated release date soon!
7.The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
At 16, light-skinned twins Desiree and Stella Vignes run away from their small all-Black town of Mallard, Louisiana to New Orleans, but they quickly get separated. Years later, Desiree moves back to Mallard with her dark-skinned daughter Jude. But what happens when Jude moves to Los Angeles and meets a white girl whose mother is mysteriously identical to her own?
HBO won the bidding war for Bennett's 2020 bestseller and will be developing a limited series based on this twisty novel.
8.Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
When 13-year-old Joyce Reynolds tells everyone at a party that she once witnessed a murder, nobody believes her. When she is found drowned in a tub of apples, Inspector Poirot is called upon to find out what happened and investigate Joyce's original claim.
The adaptation, A Haunting in Venice, will be the third in Kenneth Branagh's Poirot series after Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release on Sept. 15 and stars Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Kelly Reilly, and Michelle Yeoh.
9.Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Alex, the first son of the United States, has to stage a friendship with Henry, a British prince, to avoid bad PR in the midst of his mother's reelection campaign. The dialogue sparkles in this funny and slightly-steamier-than-YA queer romance as Alex and Henry's relationship gets way more real than either of them bargained for.
Amazon Studios is producing the film, due out this year, with Minx heartthrob Taylor Zakhar Perez as Alex, Nicholas Galitzine as Henry, and Uma Thurman as president Ellen Claremont.
10.The Color Purple by Alice Walker
OK, obviously The Color Purple is not a "buzzy new title" and is more a staple of American literature, but still. Walker's classic depicts the lives of two sisters, Celie and Nettie, as they grow up in rural Georgia in the early 20th century.
You're probably already familiar with Steven Spielberg's 1985 adaptation starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah. The upcoming musical film is actually adapted from the 2005 stage musical of the same name and will star singers Fantasia and Ciara as Celie and Nettie.
11.Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker
Baker's fiery and hilarious 1962 novel about a wedding gone awry went "viral" in New York and Los Angeles literary circles earlier this year because...well, it's hard to pin down exactly why. But Baker's depiction of a relationship — equal parts tender and caustic — between a very self-involved Berkeley student and her twin sister feels shockingly modern and fresh, even in 2023.
So much so, in fact, that almost 60 years after the book was published, there was a bidding war for the film rights. Sarah DeLappe (Bodies Bodies Bodies) is attached to write the script.
12.Silo series by Hugh Howey
In post-apocalyptic Earth, humanity lives in a massive and mysterious silo underground, following a strict code of conduct thought to ensure their safety. But the rules and secrets of the silo might be just as toxic as the atmosphere they are hiding from.
Howey is a major self-publishing success story. He uploaded his original short story, Wool, through the Kindle Direct Publishing platform and counted himself lucky when it got 1,000 downloads in a month. Now, the Silo series spans several books, a graphic novel, and soon, a series on Apple TV+. You can read the complete series in one volume in Wool - Omnibus Edition.
Dune's Rebecca Ferguson stars in her second big sci-fi adaptation, this time alongside Tim Robbins, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, and Common.
13.Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Feeling like an outsider after moving from New York to the suburbs of New Jersey, 11-year-old Margaret Simon develops her own unique relationship with God and feels comfortable confiding in him about everything from family to crushes on boys, despite not having any religious affiliation herself. Blume's 1970 classic coming-of-age story has been a staple for tweenage girls ever since, known for its refreshingly honest exploration of adolescent topics like menstruation.
The upcoming film is actually the first adaptation ever created, as Bloom rejected all other offers over the last 50 years. You can see Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret and Rachel McAdams as her mother Barbara in theaters April 28.
14.The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
That's right, Reid makes this list a THIRD time! Old Hollywood starlet Evelyn Hugo finally agrees to tell her story to relatively unknown writer Monique, but the biographer didn't expect just how many turns Evelyn's story would take, nor how much it would relate to her own life.
The casting of the upcoming Netflix adaptation is still up in the air, but fans are eagerly awaiting the announcement (and coming up with their own theories already).
15.Dune by Frank Herbert
It's not too late! Dune is a classic for a reason. Paul's journey across the harsh desert planet of Arrakis in the midst of political upheaval continues to inspire more great works of science fiction, including a new wave of authors energized to write about environmentalism and climate change.
You can already stream Dune (2021), which covers the first half of the novel, on HBO Max. Frank Herbert's world is very expansive and politically complex, so if the film left you a bit confused, the original text can fill in any gaps and maybe even help you impress friends with some factoids when Dune: Part Two drops in November.
16.The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
Set in 1890, teenager Jo Kwan lives in a basement and works as a lady's maid for a wealthy family in Atlanta. Unbeknownst to her employers, she also anonymously writes an advice column for proper Southern ladies called "Dear Miss Sweetie." As the column gains notoriety, Jo realizes she might have a chance to start real discourse about race, class, and gender — as long as she doesn't get caught.
Korea-based Bound Entertainment is developing the series with author Lee, who will serve as executive producer (which, in my opinion, is always a good sign). Bound Entertainment was founded by Samuel Ha, who has a track record of leveraging both Korean and international talent for a global audience like in Bong Joon-ho's Okja and Snowpiercer.
17.The Power by Naomi Alderman
Our world's familiar patriarchal systems start to fall apart when teenage girls all over the world start to develop the sudden ability to produce electricity from their hands. This novel, influenced by author Alderman's friendship with Margaret Atwood, is told through various characters who use this ability to change all kinds of power dynamics, from family structures to national government.
Toni Collette, Auliʻi Cravalho, and John Leguizamo star in this upcoming adaptation on Prime Video. The series is set to premiere March 31, so you better start reading!
