7 Books You Need To Read Before Their TV Adaptations Premiere

With the rise of streaming services and on-demand viewing, many networks and platforms are coming out with their own exclusive TV shows to entice people to subscribe. Some of these are original prospects, and others are based on works of literature. Let’s face it, TV shows based on books are nothing new — in fact, book-to-TV adaptations are about as old as television itself.

However, there has certainly been an influx of these adaptations in the new millennium. Quite a few have come out this year already, with more on the way in the coming weeks, months, or years. If you’re looking for something to read, this list is something you’ll want to check out, because all these books, regardless of genre, have TV adaptations coming, meaning there’s no better time to read them.

‘Pride and Prejudice’ (1813)

Image via T. Egerton/ Whitehall

Pride and Prejudice is a literary classic and a very important piece of English history. Written by Jane Austen, this feminist romantic drama is about social norms and expectations in historical England, especially regarding arranged marriage and the limited roles that women have in society. The story is about five sisters, whose parents are trying to arrange marriages for them. But of course, some of them don’t want to marry a strange man they’ve never met before; they want to marry somebody that they actually love.

This legendary novel has seen countless film adaptations, which is natural since it was very popular and came out over 200 years ago. However, this is not the first time it has been adapted into a TV show. It’s the first time in the 21st century, though, and the first TV adaptation of the work since 1995. Note that this only counts pure adaptations and not reinventions or retellings in different settings. In any event, if you’re into period dramas, feminist literature, or romance, this is a book you absolutely must read before the TV show comes out.

‘Flawless’ (2022)

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Flawless is the first book in the Chestnut Springs series of Western romance novels. Elsie Silver is primarily a romance author, who has a lot of experience in the genre, and it shows in this critically-acclaimed novel. The story is about Rhett, a professional bull-rider who ruins his career in a disgraceful drunken brawl. To clean up his image, Rhett’s agent has their daughter accompany him everywhere, only for the two to end up falling deeply in love.

If you’re into small-town romance or Western romances, this is a book you simply must check out. This is especially true considering a TV adaptation is well under way. It’s still in the early stages of development, but all that’s known is that it’s being handled by Netflix, and that there is no confirmed release date yet. However, this is better since you can take your time and maybe read the whole series before the TV show comes out.

‘Carrie’ (1974)

Image via Doubleday

Carrie is a Stephen King horror novel that was adapted into a pretty famous film shortly after its release. In fact, it’s actually King’s debut novel, which sparked a long-lasting horror legacy that continues to this day. The story is about a girl named Carrie, a girl from a house of abusive religious zealots who is struggling in her social life. After her classmates play a cruel prank on her during high school prom, Carrie uses her telekinetic powers to exact revenge on those who made her life miserable.

There are actually four film adaptations of this book, with the earliest coming out in 1976. However, in 2019, it was announced that a TV miniseries was in the works, helmed by FX and MGM. In 2026, that miniseries is finally becoming a reality, with a release date set for sometime in October. Better still, it’s being directed by Mike Flanagan, who is known for his modern horror masterpieces. If you haven’t read the book before, now is definitely the best time to do so.

‘The Good Daughter’ (2017)

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The Good Daughter is a mystery thriller that received critical acclaim and many awards. The main character is Charlotte, who is more commonly referred to as “Charlie.” She lives in the small town of Pikeville, which was relatively quiet until a devastating crime left her mother dead. 28 years later, Charlie has become a lawyer, just like her father, which is perfect timing because the violence has also returned. Charlie happens to be the first person to witness the crime, bringing back her repressed memories of her mother and reopening the case that ruined her family.

The Good Daughter is absolutely loaded with bombshell plot twists, so it manages to keep its reader hooked from start to finish. The hit Karin Slaughter novel is actually set to become a TV show this year, helmed by Oscar-winner Steph Green. Charlie will be played by Meghann Fahy, who has done a lot of drama and romance roles. The release date is November 12 of this year, so there’s still plenty of time to read this thrilling novel before it makes it to the small screen.

‘Fourth Wing’ (2023)

Image via Red Tower Books

Fourth Wing is one of the most popular fantasy novels right now, so it’s no surprise that it got quickly scooped up by Prime Video. The series is primarily a romantasy, with some pretty raunchy content that is definitely not for kids. Granted, this is probably one of the reasons the book got so popular in the first place. Fourth Wing is actually the first in the Empyrean series, which currently consists of three novels and a short story collection, though two more novels are planned.

The plot follows a college for dragon riders during wartime, specifically a 20-year-old student named Violet. Things aren’t as simple as they seem, however, as other students are willing to kill in order to secure a bond with a dragon — assuming the dragons don’t kill you first, that is. This book is full of romance, political intrigue, and backstabbing, and has been very popular in the romantasy community. The release date for the show hasn’t been confirmed yet, but Amazon gave it the green light in May of this year, so it’s safe to say it probably won’t be long before it’s gracing our screens. In the meantime, now is a great time to read the first book.

‘The Way of Kings’ (2010)

Image via Tor Books

The Way of Kings is the first book in the ongoing The Stormlight Archive series, written by Brandon Sanderson. The series is part of his shared literary universe called the Cosmere. In the Cosmere, each series or stand-alone novel takes place on its own planet within the same galaxy that each has its own magic systems. Stormlight is set on the barren world of Roshar, which has little to no plant life, and which is constantly blasted by hurricane-like events called highstorms. As a result, all native life forms are crustaceous, so they can take shelter from the storms inside their shells.

Plot-wise, it’s about the indigenous Parshendi people, a race of crab-like humanoids who begin waging war against humanity using an ancient form of magic that hasn’t been seen in over 1,100 years, prompting humans to respond and fight in a war for their very survival. Or so it seems, anyway. The magic system is really complex, but very enjoyable. The book can be daunting considering it’s about 1,000 pages long (and this is the shortest one in the series), but it’s well worth the time it takes to read. Recently, Apple TV secured the rights to Sanderson’s Cosmere universe, with plans to release a Mistborn movie and a 10-episode season of The Stormlight Archive. It’s still early days right now, but with how much time it takes to read these books, it’s best to start soon if you intend to finish them before the show comes out.

‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (1997)

Image via Scholastic

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is the first book in the Harry Potter series, which likely needs no introduction. The books started a massive cultural phenomenon which is still ongoing to this day. Pretty much everyone knows the story by now: an orphaned boy discovers he is a wizard and is whisked away to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to study magic. Shortly after the release of the first book, they also saw a multi-billion dollar series of film adaptations, famously starring Daniel Radcliffe in the leading role. However, HBO recently released a trailer for a TV remake, which is scheduled to come out this Christmas.

Sure, this is an adaptation that a lot of fans aren’t particularly excited about, but there are still plenty of fans who have jumped right on the hype train. It’s set to be a much different take on the story, so it’ll be interesting to see what it brings. The first book isn’t particularly long, so if you’ve been meaning to get in on Potter-mania, there’s no time like the present. You’ve got until Christmas, after all.

Harry Potter

Release Date

2026 – 2026

Showrunner

Francisca Gardiner

Directors

Mark Mylod

Writers

Francesca Gardiner