A while back, 2017 to be exact, I did a blog about books that had been developed into movies or TV series. Recently, I became aware of how many shows I have been watching that were based on books,  so I thought it might be good revisit this topic again.

In my review of books I read in 2021 I listed Anxious People as one of my best reads of the year. Much to my delight, a few weeks later, Netflix released a short TV series based on the book and my husband and I binged watched it. It was delightful! Developed and produced in Sweden with Swedish actors, it grounded you in that place. The actors were a great mix, but three stood out, the father/son police officers and the eccentric and disingenuous owner of the apartment. Funny and soulful, it was a happy and necessary reminder of the good heartedness that still exists in our world.

A Handmaids Tale is another TV series that we have been watching on Hulu. By turns horrifying and almost too close to reality for comfort, this show keeps you on the edge of your seat season after season. It is NOT for the faint hearted, however. With four seasons completed and a fifth season in the works, the TV series has moved well beyond the story line Margaret Atwood first portrayed in her original novel, but the writers have been true to the sprit of her vision and have created a world, storylines and characters that Atwood should be proud of.

All Creatures Great And Small has been remade and it is a wonderful series on PBS! I loved the original series so much so I was afraid that the remake would fall flat, but I was enchanted with the first season and am looking forward to watching season 2 which they have just released. If you love animals and the high production values you get from ‘British TV you will enjoy this show as well!

I think everyone has those “junk food” books that they read just for fun. For me it is the Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs. There have been several false starts in putting these books on film, starting with the disastrous casting choice of Tom Cruise for two Reacher movies. This time it seems like they have made better decisions on casting, so I am interested to see how they develop the rest of the cast and story lines. The show preimiers on February 4th on Amazon Prime. The struggles Childs and company have had is a reminder that developing books for TV and movies is a delicate and complicated endeavor.

Those who have been developing the Wheel of Time Series, written by Robert Jordan and continued by Brandon Sanderson after Jordan’s death, have experienced first hand the complicated nature of taking on a beloved classic with devoted fans. It cannot have been easy to cast and develop the story lines into something that would work on screen while trying to remain faithful to the books. I was a bit skeptical at first, but  by the end of the first season I became a comitted fan! The casting is great, with Rosamund Pike in a lead role. The diversity of the casting and the amazing sets really take you into the world created byJordan. You can see Wheel of Time on Amazon Prime.

Shadow and Bone is another fantasy series that has been adapted for TV (Netflix.) With ardent younger fans and Leigh Bardugo as a prolific author, these books are full of creative and magical worlds. Season 1 was very well done and Netflix has ordered another season, so we should be enjoying this series for awhile!

Finally, Outlander, the adaptation of Diana Galbodon’s time travel series is wonderful! This story about a man and a woman from different times who fall in love, is brought to life with a keen attention to detail and historical accuracy. The casting is superb and the scripts quite entertaining. Originally released on STARZ, seasons 1-4 are currently available on Netflix. Season 6 will be released on March 6. My husband has finally caught up with me so we plan to watch this next season together!

I hope you enjoy this collection of recommendations for books developed for the silver screen!