Top 10 Books Made into TV Shows
A lot like the movie version, only the best book series get turned into TV series. Here’s a list of the best books to get turned into shows!
1 – His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
A mockery of Christianity, this series was infamous for its anti-religious sentiments. God was considered evil, and hordes of interesting worldbuilding became the center for the iconic series.
Whilst it is imaginative, the television series failed to elicit much nostalgia from me (mainly because I didn’t read the books) but those looking for a series with the Chosen-one trope might be delighted.
2- The Last Kids on Earth
A fun show that can be watched with the family, I absolutely adored drowning myself in Hot Cheeto Puffs and binging the first 3 seasons. An imaginative and creative twist on the typical apocalypse book.
The Last Kids on Earth brings humor and the outlook of children into what’s considered the gruesome setting of a world beset with deadly aliens and survival.
3- When Dimple met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
An amazing romance novel, this story is about the serious and driven Dimple and the boy she meets at coding camp: Rishi. A sweet story about love and knowing your future, anyone can enjoy this series.
Written by an Indian author, the book shows the typical life of an Indian girl as she aims to learn Javascript and get a Ph.D. Clearly, Dimple is goal-oriented and ready to get her life in motion… Too bad her parents keep pushing her to get married. Meanwhile, Rishi believes in a 60s style love story. What are we viewers gonna do with these two?
4- The Witcher
A series of books written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski was first adapted for a series of popular video games. Sadly, those videogames are entrenched with misogyny, as is most medieval series. Luckily, the tv adaptation has plenty to offer, with limited research, you’ll find that it features many loveable characters, such as the alluring Yennefer of Vengerberg, the child on a quest (aka the White-haired princess), or even the Witcher himself, whose name is entirely irrelevant because his title simply encompasses his whole being.
I loved watching the trailers (I’m not exactly allowed to watch the show), but there are many positive reviews all around, and if making Netflix’s Top 10 this week when season 2 came out isn’t a good indicator of its quality, I don’t know what is.
5- Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan
A long series that people attribute to pain and heavy recapping was turned into a show with amazing effects and featuring powerful women. In a society where only women can wield magic, the power difference or traditional gender roles are somewhat flipped as the Aes Sedai are superior.
An interesting show with unique lore and a different type of magic system, people are sure to love the television adaptation of the high-fantasy series. Oh, and did I mention that Rosamund Pike is in the show? Get ready for some phenomenal acting!
6- Vampire Diaries
Although the show is known for being problematic due to issues with racism against one of the lead actors Kat Graham, nobody can argue that Vampire Diaries isn’t prolific in nature. A whole 8 seasons long with two spinoff shows, vampire diaries became the center of many young girls’ lives when it still aired live.
I personally dislike the vampire romance genre, but for those who haven’t given it a go—who knows? Maybe, you’ll enjoy the show!
7- A Series of Unfortunate Events
A clever series about a clever three siblings, ASFUE is a riveting children’s book series that I vividly remember reading in fifth grade because all my friends and classmates were crazy (me included).
The famous book series by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) was adapted into the beloved children’s show featuring Melina Weissman, Louis Hynes, Presley Smith, and most famously: Neil Patrick Harris. Who, by the way, apparently met my fifth grade teacher, a story of which was the topic of one of my most interesting lessons spent with her.
8- The 100
A TV-14 show recently changed to having a TV-MA rating, there’s no hope of me getting past episode 3 of the acclaimed sci-fi drama. As a sucker for sci-fi and fantasy books, my favorite sci-fi books revolve around futuristic space travel, but nonetheless, I still dislike Star Wars and Star Trek (the narrative of the first being too convoluted to follow, and the latter having such a daunting amount of content to watch that I’m intimidated from even beginning.)
Regardless, the plot about Earth becoming inhabitable (COUGH global warming COUGH) is intriguing to say the least, and while im sure many people have already watched it, I recommended you rewatch.
9- Anne With an E
A dramatic and heart-wrenching show for all audiences, Anne with an E is based on the book Anne of Green Gables and shows what it’s like to be an orphan in Canada in the 1800s, where prejudice and sexism run rampant.
The imaginative girl dreams and eventually becomes an author and impresses me with her outgoing and brave personality. I loved this show, and I think you will too!
10 – Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo
A great show if you ignore its shortcomings. Definitely strays from the source material, making it fresh and enjoyable for anyone regardless of if they’ve read the book series or not. I absolutely loved the series, which led me to read the first book in the trilogy.
I would recommend this show to anyone who likes fantasy. While the first episode might be confusing, I slowly began to understand despite not having a clue about the Grishaverse. An admirable show with great actors such as Freddy Carter and Ben Barnes, people will be sure to enjoy this fantastic show!