I am an absolute SUCKER for a book to movie adaptation. I know a lot of people don’t like them, are skeptical of them and are generally quite disappointed by them but seeing books come to life on a screen really appeals to me. Especially books I already love!
I’m also much more inclined to watch a film if I know it’s based off a book and then of course, read the book afterwards. I’ve also had times where I’ve watched the film version of a book first which has helped my imagination with the world-building when I read the book afterwards. This was very much the case with The Book Thief and The Prestige – two favorites of mine.
And I’m always SOOOO excited when I hear about books I’ve read being made into movies. Even if I didn’t particularly like the book, I’ll still watch the movie because I find consuming the story in a different medium gives me a completely different view of it entirely.
But there are of course plenty of books that I love that I haven’t included on this list for a bunch of reasons. The story wouldn’t lend itself well to a visual adaptation or some for the pure selfish reason that I love the book so much and my own little movie of it in my head that I don’t want anyone else to ruin it (please someone tell me if you relate?)
For the most part, I’m usually quite impressed with movie adaptations, which is why I love them so much. But I completely understand those that don’t! Today I want to share some books I think would make great movies and I’d love to see if you agree!
Here are 6 books I loved that I think would make amazing movies!
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Am I using this first one as a cop-out because it actually already IS being made into a movie? Yes, definitely. But I think anyone who’s read this book can attest to the fact that it would make an absolutely beautiful film – and I hope the ACTUAL film does it justice.
Where the Crawdads Sing is so beautifully descriptive and visual, that the story should lend itself to an electric and jaw-dropping on-screen equivalent. I’m dreadfully excited for the film to come out of this. I just hope they do the book justice!
One of Us is Lying by Karen M. Mcmanus
One of Us Is Lying would absolutely make a wicked YA movie and I’m sure everyone who’s read the book will agree with me there!
This is actually the one one of Karen M. Mcmanus books I’ve read although I’m aware she has loadsss more out now which are well and truly on my to-read list when I can finally get around to it.
I think with the right cast to portray the diverse mix of students in this book, the potential movie version of One of Us Is Lying would be absolutely stellar!
The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
This is one of my most recent reads having only read it last month so it’s well and truly still on my mind but I think again, if the casting was one right and the book was done justice, the movie would be fantastic.
This book in general has a lot of important themes running through it, most notably the nature of being a black male and gun violence against them, so a movie version of this book would be a great option right now, potentially as a Netflix original? Yo, Netflix, where you at?
The Kingdom by Jess Rothenberg
I read this book last year (I think?) or earlier this year? (Idk, I swear all the years are merging together at the moment) and I still regularly think about it. It’s definitely one of the best books I’ve ever read, probably going in my top 20 all-time.
With the visual effects we have available to us now, The Kingdom would be a breath-taking movie – if done right.
When trying to explain this book to people I say it’s like a mixture between Disney and the TV show Humans. Imagine that on the big screen!
The Sisters by Claire Douglas
I read absolutely everything that Claire Douglas writes and to be perfectly honest, all of her books would make great Thriller movies. But I’ve gone with The Sisters as it’s one of her earliest and the first novel of hers I read and the one that got me well and truly hooked on her writing.
In fact, I already have a main character cast for this movie – Emilia Clarke. As that’s who I pictured when I read this. Sooooo if there’s any casting directors out there willing to make this a movie, I’d love to be involved in the decision making process! *wink wink*
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
And finally, I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. This man could write absolutely anything I would be besotted by it. And although arguably I Am the Messenger isn’t as poignant, heart-breaking and emotive as the likes of The Book Thief, it’s still a work of art, beautifully written and MADE for the big sccreen!
I think it’s the richness of the characters, the world-building and storylines all in one which makes anything that Zusak writes perfect for visual viewing. I know a lot of books don’t need a movie to make them what they are but there’s some that I think really would come to life even more so with the right actors and production – this is one of them.
I’d LOVE to hear which books you love that you think would make great movies! Do you agree (or disagree) with any of these? Let me know in the comments!
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