16 page-to-screen adaptations so good you can skip the book

Reading books is a great way to entertain yourself and pass the time, but let’s face it, sometimes it’s a struggle to get out of that reading slump. You might have a list of books you want to read but never get around to actually reading them. We feel you. Over the past few years, some of our favourite books have been adapted for the screen and are available for viewing on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Crave. 

To make it easier for you, we’ve summarized some of the best books to TV adaptations, so you can just skip the book in this case, head straight for the remote, and binge-watch these 16 shows at your leisure. 

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers is an addictive thriller series based on the author’s New York Times bestseller. The eight-episode, drama-steeped show is about nine strangers from the city who gather at a remote retreat in California called Tranquillum House. They each come under the premise of healing and transformation, but the resort isn’t what they expected. Starring Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, and Luke Evans, you’ll find yourself compulsively pressing “next episode” on repeat until you reach the end of the series. 

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Sally Rooney is cherished for her novels, and her first one, Conversations with Friends is currently being filmed for TV starring Jemima Kirk, Joe Alwyn, and Alison Oliver. Her second book, Normal People, was scooped up for TV a few years ago, and it’s a brilliant coming-of-age story that follows Marianne Sheridan and Connell Waldron and their complex relationship as they navigate adulthood. The series, which stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal has received critical acclaim and has been widely praised by critics and publications.

Maid by Stephanie Land

Filmed in Victoria, BC, Stephanie Land’s Maid tells the devastating story of her life working as a maid while also trying to raise her daughter. Twenty-eight-year-old Land had dreams of becoming a writer however an unexpected pregnancy led her on another path. Driven to carve out a better life for herself, she works hard as a maid by day and takes classes online at night, never letting go of her dreams of becoming a writer.

Her writing includes themes of survival on food stamps, government assistance, and what it’s like to live in halfway houses. Ultimately, Land writes about the American Dream. Starring Margaret Qualley, Maid is adapted beautifully for the screen. 

Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell

It’s hard to believe there was a Sex and the City before SJP and her pals. It was American journalist and author Candace Bushnell who’s responsible for one of our all-time favourite shows. Bushnell wrote a column for The New York Observer that was later adapted into the bestselling Sex and the City anthology. The book was the inspiration for the six-year, 94-episode running show that we could watch on repeat, again and again. Starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, and Cynthia Nixon, this comedy-drama will live forever in our hearts. The follow-up, And Just Like That…, we’re not so sure.

Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar

Gossip Girl here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite. Von Ziegesar, we owe you big time for blessing us with this juicy teenage drama. Her New York Times bestseller was adapted for TV in 2007 and stars big names like Blake Lively and Leighton Meester. The series revolves around the lives of privileged upper-class students who attend Constance Billard School for Girls and live in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The show was revived last year with a younger cast of characters, but it left us with a hole in our hearts for Blair and Serena. 

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

An American dystopian tale based on Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood’s bestselling book, The Handmaid’s Tale was ranked by The Guardian as one of the 100 best shows of the 21st Century. What started out as a 10-episode deal with Hulu has since expanded into a four-season, 46-episode series. Elisabeth Moss plays the part of protagonist June Osborne while Joseph Fiennes takes on the role of Commander Fred Waterford. Hulu announced in December 2020 that it’s been renewed for a fifth season. 

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

We don’t think we’ve ever seen so much buzz around a TV show. Game of Thrones had viewers at the edge of their seats for the finale, which aired on May 19, 2019. Many critics have referred to the fantasy drama, which is an adaptation of the novel series by George R. R. Martin, as one of the best television series of all time. The leading cast includes Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, and Emilia Clarke, with each making an estimated $1 million per episode by the final season.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Another by Australian author Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies was adapted for the screen by Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine. The series is set in Monterey, California, and follows a group of affluent women and their families. Episode one kicks off with a murder, which brings five women in the community together, each one hoarding their own secrets and lies. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, and Shailene Woodley, this one is not to be missed.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

By the time we finished Orange is the New Black, the cast members felt like family. Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, the Emmy Award-winning show was created by Weeds producer Jenji Kohan and follows the life of one woman in a minimum-security federal prison. Once known as Netflix’s most-watched and longest-running series, the show has received numerous accolades and favourable reviews. 

You by Caroline Kepnes

Suspense at its best, Caroline Kepnes’ novel was adapted for TV in 2018. The psychological thriller stars Penn Badgley and Elizabeth Lail and is about a protagonist called Joe Goldberg, a bookseller and serial killer in New York City who falls in love and develops an obsession with Guinevere Beck (Lail). There’s a recurring theme with Goldberg’s love interests as he later moves to the West Coast and falls for another girl. You has recently been confirmed for a fourth season. 

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and New York Times bestselling novel, Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere premiered on screens across North America in 2020. We follow the enviable Richardson family and a mysterious mother and daughter who enter and upend their life in this compelling drama. Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are the leading ladies in the series, which premiered on Hulu, quickly becoming the most-watched drama ever on the streaming service.

Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Fans of Downton Abbey and Gossip Girl, we have a new show for you to dive into. Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton is a period drama produced by the Queen of television, Miss Shonda Rhimes, who’s also responsible for Grey’s Anatomy. Set in London, and narrated by Julie Andrews, the series follows Daphne Bridgerton as she makes her debut onto Regency London’s competitive marriage market. Starring Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Bailey, and Ruby Barker, the show surpassed Netflix’s projections, with more than 63 million tuning into the premiere.

The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis

Take a step back in time to the 1950s with this coming-of-age drama based on the book by Walter Tevis. The series follows protagonist Beth Harmon, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, a fictional chess genius on her rise to the top of her game as she struggles with drug and alcohol dependency. Beautifully shot, the show has received critical acclaim, and is one of Netflix’s most-watched miniseries, available in 63 countries. Anna Taylor Joy won the 2021 Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her performance as Harmon.

Modern Love edited by Daniel Jones

Heartwarming, original, and emotionally impactful, Modern Love by New York Times Editor Daniel Jones was adapted for TV by Amazon Prime in 2019. The series is based on the weekly Modern Love column of the Times and adapts different love stories taking place all over the world. 

Some favourites include “Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am” starring Anne Hathaway, about a young lawyer called Lexi with bipolar, and “On a Serpentine Road, With the Top Down”, starring Minnie Driver, about a middle-aged woman parting with a car that ties her to her dead husband, who she still grieves for.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

The first book in McManus’ young adult series One of Us is Lying made it to screens in October last year. The book has held a steady place, remaining near the top of the New York Times bestseller list for over four years. The series follows five Bayview High students to detention, but only four make it out alive. Each of the four had individual motives to kill Simon, but what unravels is not what you would think. Eight episodes have been released so far, and a second season has been confirmed. 

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

All three of Gillian Flynn’s novels have been adapted for TV or film. We’re sure you remember her bestselling book turned movie, Gone Girl, which starred Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. Her latest adaptation, Sharp Objects, is a psychological thriller following a troubled reporter named Camille Preaker who returns to her hometown to cover the murder of two girls. The series stars Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson, and has received rave reviews, with James Poniewozik of the Times calling the show “mesmerizing.”