From Outlander to Game of Thrones, some of the most binge-worthy tv series started as books. While not all books are perfect for the small screen, here are 8 books that would be great as TV series.
I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones
Genre: Teen, Non-Romance
This book is especially relevant for current times amid the Black Lives Matter protests and the demand to stop police brutality. As a bestselling book relevant to modern society, it’s very likely to be turned into a movie or a miniseries and it would be perfect for it. Not only is it action-packed with compelling characters, but it starts conversations about prejudice and racial tension, something we all need right now.
Lena has her killer style, her awesome boyfriend, and a plan. She knows she’s going to make it big. Campbell, on the other hand, is just trying to keep her head down and get through the year at her new school.
When both girls attend the Friday-night football game, what neither expects is for everything to descend into sudden mass chaos. Chaos born from violence and hate. Chaos that unexpectedly throws them together.
They aren’t friends. They hardly understand the other’s point of view. But none of that matters when the city is up in flames, and they only have each other to rely on if they’re going to survive the night.
Get I’m Not Dying With You Tonight on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
Chained by Elise Marion
Genre: Fantasy
Two kingdoms made tentative peace years ago but now war is about to break out again, even as both ruling families desperately try to stop it. Chained is the first book of an addictive series full of politics, intrigue, and romance. I can easily see it becoming a binge-worthy series on HBO and there is potential for some very stunning outfits begging to be cosplayed.
Sir Caden Maignart has been captured, beaten, locked in a dungeon, and wrongfully accused of kidnapping and oath-breaking. Determined to free himself and his men, and clear his besmirched name, Caden does not count on the willful nature of his captor, Lady Gwendolyn Toustain, the daughter of the man who was once his father’s mortal enemy.
After several attempts at escape, the lady orders him bound and chained to a wall in her chambers—where he will remain under her personal guard at all times and kept from conspiring with his men. While the lady’s high-handedness infuriates him, Caden cannot deny that everything else about her drives him to distraction. Forced into close proximity with her, Caden soon finds it hard to remember his mission of escape.
Learn more about Chained here.
The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
What happens when capitalism utilizes our addiction to technology for its own advantage? If you guess nothing good, then you have summed up The Word Exchange. This book is really underrated, in my opinion. Even though it’s been years since I’ve read it, I still think about the plot from time to time.
While I don’t think technology is the death of intelligence and culture, the book is still an interesting look at what could possibly happen as our dependence on technology increases. The Word Exchange is a standalone, so it’s better off as a miniseries than a full-blown TV show, but I can see it joining the ranks of Netflix Originals
In the not-so-distant future, the forecasted “death of print” has become a reality. Bookstores, libraries, newspapers, and magazines are things of the past, and we spend our time glued to handheld devices called Memes that not only keep us in constant communication but also have become so intuitive that they hail us cabs before we leave our offices, order takeout at the first growl of a hungry stomach, and even create and sell language itself in a marketplace called the Word Exchange.
Anana Johnson works with her father, Doug, at the North American Dictionary of the English Language (NADEL), where Doug is hard at work on the last edition that will ever be printed. Doug is a staunchly anti-Meme, anti-tech intellectual who fondly remembers the days when people used email (everything now is text or videoconference) to communicate—or even actually spoke to one another, for that matter. One evening, Doug disappears from the NADEL offices, leaving a single written clue: ALICE. It’s a code word he devised to signal if he ever fell into harm’s way. And thus begins Anana’s journey down the proverbial rabbit hole . . .
Joined by Bart, her bookish NADEL colleague, Anana’s search for Doug will take her into dark basements and subterranean passageways; the stacks and reading rooms of the Mercantile Library; and secret meetings of the underground resistance, the Diachronic Society. As Anana penetrates the mystery of her father’s disappearance and a pandemic of decaying language called “word flu” spreads, The Word Exchange becomes a cautionary tale that is at once a technological thriller and a meditation on the high cultural costs of digital technology.
Get The Word Exchange on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
The Amazing Interlude by Mary Roberts Rhinehart
Genre: Classic, Historical
Who doesn’t like stories about someone who sees something bad happening in the world and decides to help? That’s what The Amazing Interlude is about. Despite objections from her family and her fiance, as well as her own inexperience in traveling, 19-year-old Sara Lee goes from the United States to Europe to set up a soup kitchen for soldiers in World War I. There she meets a Belgium spy who helps her.
Despite being a classic, The Amazing Interlude hovers in moderate obscurity. However, Sara Lee is the heroine worth routing for. Idealistic and headstrong, her story is perfect for a romantic miniseries or movie on Netflix or even Passionflix.
The Amazing Interlude (1918) is a story about Sara Lee Kennedy, an innocent and idealistic nineteen year old American girl from Pennsylvania, who is touched by the plight and suffering of the soldiers battling on the front lines during WWI. Funded by the local women’s charity, Sara Lee joins the Red Cross, travels to Europe over her fiance’s objections and meets Henri, an intriguing Belgian spy who helps her setup a soup kitchen near the Belgian front line.
Get The Amazing Interlude on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Genre: Fantasy
I loved the Lioness series when I was younger. I practically devoured the entire series. A fantasy book with a strong female protagonist and I am there. These books would be perfect for becoming the next hit series on Netflix or possibly Disney Plus.
“From now on I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight.”In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom. Disguised as a boy, Alanna begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, Alanna’s first adventure begins–one that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.
Get Alanna: The First Adventure on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Genre: Historical, Adventure
Another book about a girl pursuing happiness by disguising herself by a boy, Bloody Jack is a great adventure story for everyone of all ages and it’s so underrated. Jacky is hilarious and has the ability to deal with the wildest situations with grace and a sense of humor. It would be a great Netflix series, almost like Anne with an E if Anne had been the one to travel across seas instead of Gilbert. And with eight books, they have plenty of content for a very long TV series.
Life as a ship’s boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.
There’s only one problem: Jacky is a girl, And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life–if only she doesn’t get caught. . . .
Get Bloody Jack on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
Invisible by Delsheree Gladden
Genre: Teen, Fantasy
It’s hard to sort through the indie book slush pile sometimes. I love indie books and I aim to give some of my favorite indie books a little more exposure. But sometimes it takes a lot of searching to find the hidden gems. I stumbled onto Invisible after a streak of unmemorable indie books and it was like a breath of fresh air. Not only did was I absorbed in the story, but the romance between Mason and Olivia is addicting for anyone who is a fan of teen romance. This would be a good series for Netflix (let’s be real, everything works on Netflix) or on the CW.
Olivia’s best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And she’s pretty sure he’s not a hallucination. He’s just Mason. He is, however, invisible. When Olivia spotted the crying little boy on her front porch at five years old, she had no idea she was the only one who could see him. Twelve years later when new-girl Robin bumps into the both of them and introduces herself to Mason, they are both stunned. Mason couldn’t be more pleased that someone else can see him. Olivia, on the other hand, isn’t jumping at the chance to welcome Robin into their circle. Jealousy may have something to do with that, but honest fear that Robin’s presence will put Mason in danger is soon validated when a strange black car shows up outside Olivia’s house. The race to find out what Robin knows in time to protect Mason from whatever threats are coming becomes Olivia’s only focus.
Get Invisible on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
Genre: Teen, Fantasy
Another teen romance series that would be great on Netflix or CW. This was another indie book series that I fell in love with. It’s perfect for fans of broody love interests.
A girl who dreams her next day. A guy who can’t escape the demons of his past. Together they take on ultimate evil to save their world. Nara Collins is an average girl with one exception; every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore. After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate. Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.
Get Brightest Kind of Darkness on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
Bonus: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Genre: Comedy
This is a bonus book because it was already adapted for the big screen, but the movie really didn’t do the book justice. Sanitizing it for a PG-13 rating takes out a lot of the naughty humor that makes it so great. But Stephanie Plum definitely has enough content for a long-running TV series and an entertaining one at that. Probably this won’t ever be adapted just because it would be a commitment to do the full series. There are already 26 books out, soon to be 27.
However, the raunchy humor, sexy love interests, and action-packed mysteries all make for some good binge content. I can see it getting adapted for HBO or Crackle, if they can swing a decent budget for it. Definitely not the obvious choice, but Stephanie Plum has the same badass female energy in Cleaners, one of the few Crackle series I’ve binged.
Watch out, world. Here comes Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with attitude. In Stephanie’s opinion, toxic waste, rabid drivers, armed schizophrenics, and August heat, humidity, and hydrocarbons are all part of the great adventure of living in Jersey. She’s a product of the “burg, ” a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.
Now Stephanie’s all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad’s, doing her best to sever the world’s longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case. Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook. Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie’s virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario’s Sub Shop.
There’s still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting. It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At worst, it could lead to murder.
Get One for the Money on Bookshop or at your local bookstore.
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