15 Books Netflix Should Adapt

3:02 PM


Netflix has been acquiring rights to a lot of books lately. And I'm overwhelmed with excitement and nerves!!!!!!!! For obvious reasons. Let's not get into how greedy I'm feeling. BECAUSE, LIKE, I'VE GOT SOME SUGGESTIONS. Let's pretend I'm just brainstorming all the books that they NEED to adapt next for ~fun. Not because I'm considering the whole blackmailing approach and poking the good, kind, wonderful people at Netflix. Why, I never. 


Recently, okay fine, a few months ago, it was announced that Netflix has bought the rights to at least 50 titles. After the initial shock of this and the fact that we're going to be seeing a lot of other, non-original content leaving by the start of next year, I found myself considering all the titles I want the streaming MVP to look into.

And with the recent hits they've had on their hands with Bird Box, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, The Kissing Booth, Alias Grace and Dumplin', and the highly anticipated sequel to TATBILB and their upcoming dive into Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse, I have a feeling their catalogue of book adaptations is only going to grow.

Which is exciting and ABSOLUTELY TERRIFYING in a fun way. It's like being stabbed by a faerie. It's like, oh, shit, that's scary, I was stabbed. But, by a faerie. Which is kind of exciting.

While there are always a lot of changes made when translating a story from page to screen, I feel like Netflix has had a pretty solid run with various books' source material. I don't necessarily follow the news of their properties quite well enough, or who has the rights to what books in general, but I still thought it'd be fun to chat about you all with what books I'd personally love to see on screen.

*Or, in a few's case: remade.

And maybe not necessarily on Netflix but, it was the first to come to mind. Let's face it, Netflix has changed the game and essentially taken over a good chunk of our lives. I'm watching something on it right now, you know?

Also, okay, MAYBE I lied and maybe there's more than 15 books here because of my honorable mentions. What can I say? I'm extra and also COULDN'T not add some of these to the list in some capacity.

Hollywood-ish

Each of these books are special in their own way. With the elements of the entertainment business sprinkled in each of them, and the real life issues explored, they all would be perfect for television or film. Mireille has an almost dangerous glitz and glam quality, but has a lot more to offer than that. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo--do I even have to explain that one? And of course, Everything Leads to You is the perfectly sweet, summery feeling WLW coming of age story.

Honorable Mentions:


Scratch that Gossip Girl Itch... Sorta


Sometimes, we need a little glamorous fluff in our life. The Thousandth Floor is fun and futuristic, and gives off all the Gossip Girl books vibes. I am basically a walking, talking trashcan for it. The A-List, meanwhile, is that perfectly entertaining combination of Gossip Girl and 90210. It'd also be fun to explore it in the timeline it was published--in the early and mid 2000s. Which is a throwback now and I'm pretending that doesn't make me feel old. Lastly, Addicted is one of my favourite series of all time and one of the only NA series that I've followed closely--it'd be perfect on screen.

Honorable Mentions:  

Mysteries, Thrills and Chills... Oh, my!

So many books, so little time. I'm not gonna lie to you guys, I honestly just made a list of all the books I would love seeing on screen and pointed at random titles. Truly Devious is a fairly honest reason why--it's smart, has great pacing and the mysterious setting is a blast. S.T.A.G.S. has a similar vibe in terms of setting and would definitely appeal to Pretty Little Liars fans on the surface. Then, there's Dangerous Girls, who's ripped-from-the-headlines feeling would appeal to many.

Honorable Mentions: 

Is This Just Fantasy? 

I feel like the book community got pretty ripped off when it came to the Vampire Academy movie. It was too good to be true--the team behind it, the cast, the source material. Something didn't translate right from page to screen but we could surely get it right via television, right? The Belles is one of those novels that is a hit or miss with readers, but with some adjustments it could be a sparkling gem of a show that is both serious and indulgent. Not to mention diverse. Its biggest adjustment would have to be in ditching the bury your gays trope. As for Caraval, we all know that is one of my big obsessions and obviously I'd sell a kidney to get it on screen.  

Honorable Mentions: 

The Ones With the Emotions on High...

Sometimes, it's good to cry over something fictional. Our emotions often run high in our day-to-day lives and there are moments when we channel those feelings into what we're watching or reading. In the case of these novels, they all are special in their own right and are packed with emotions. Some of my favourite emotionally charged stories are:

Invincible features a character who was told she'd have only so long to live and ended up surviving--now, she's trying to figure out how to live. Again. A Girl Like That is a retrospective on one girl's life and how poorly it treated her, leading up to her ultimate death. It quite literally tore me apart in a really gorgeous way. And Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now which is about a girl who's faced with a new life with the father she scarcely knows--the story itself is heartbreaking and heartwarming and also gives an honest portrayal of specific mental health issues.

Honorable Mentions:




 What are some books you'd love to see ANYONE adapt?

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