7 Books Netflix Should Adapt Next

Who else binged Bridgerton and then found themselves snatching up what remaining copies of the books they could find? What about Firefly Lane? Or the classic Rebecca (I still dream of the wardrobe from that movie)? Book adaptations are nothing new, but they are, thankfully, gaining in popularity. 

Netflix - and other streaming companies - has started to bet big on book adaptations. In the last year, over a dozen movies and limited run series based on novels came out on Netflix alone, and 2021 is proving to be another huge year for adaptations. I’m a sucker for book adaptations; I watch them with keen eyes eager to see what is different from the books while also deciding at the end which version I liked best. So far, the book always wins. 

As we await the next adaptation, here is a list of seven novels I think Netflix should add to their future production list and whether I think it should be a produced as a movie or limited run series:.

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin
Limited Run Series

This Indie French novel is little known in the States, but is gaining notoriety quickly and with good reason. The writing is gorgeous and the scenes of a small town in Bourgogne are charming and vivid. The quaint French countryside begs to be on screen, and the melancholic story of Violette Toussaint, caretaker at a cemetery, would be best captured in a limited series. Cool tones, a rich violin and piano soundtrack, and frequent shots of the countryside are exactly what an adaptation would need to do this book justice.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Movie

Hannah’s works are familiar with being adapted - Firefly Lane was released earlier this year on Netflix and The Nightingale is coming to theaters in December of 2021. Her 2017 novel, The Great Alone, should be next. A father, changed by his time as a POW during the Vietnam war, drags his family to the Alaskan wilderness to live off the grid and become survivalists. The push-pull storylines of the family battling a true, brutal wilderness while working to survive underneath a volatile man is the amount of drama that, done right, could be Best Picture material.

Greenwood by Michael Christie
Limited Run Series

Seventeen years from now dust is thick in the air and what forests are left are dying. Sound apocalyptic? It is, and it’s not - at least, not in the zombies ruling the world realm. This book tells a multigenerational story of a family’s crimes, secrets, and connections to forests as the world dries up due to man’s greediness and carelessness. The intricate storytelling across decades would be best for a limited run series. In this format, viewers would be able to follow the story better and have more time to connect to the characters as they unfold and grow. It would also allow for more forest shots that can properly capture trees as the true main characters of the story.

The Most Fun We’ve Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Movie

Being raised by parents who seemed to be truly in love was annoying and embarrassing for their four daughters; it also instilled in each of them unrealistic expectations of relationships and love. As each grows into a radically different woman, they learn for themselves that love takes a lot of work and that their parent’s marriage may not have been what it seemed. This novel is another multigenerational story, but it covers fewer decades. A film is best for this book adaptation because while it’s a great story, it’s a bit too cliche at times for a drawn out series. Two hours and lots of city shots is all you’ll need to be pulled into the family’s complicated dynamics and the daughters’ tenuous relationships with love and loss.

All the Acorns on the Forest Floor by Kim Hooper
Limited Run Series

I confess, I bought this book only because of it’s fun, quirky cover. But, then I read it and fell in love. Across thirteen short stories, motherhood and marriage is examined with a sometimes painful lens. Few books discuss in detail the grief and struggle a miscarriage can bring, or what it means to discover in midlife that you were adopted. There is a rawness and truth to these stories that should be seen. Although they are short stories, they contain overlapping characters and references, making it a perfect fit for a limited run series.

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
Movie

Young actors continually impress me with their maturity and skill. Some of the best ones can tap into complex emotions with such calculated pose you marvel what they’ll be able to do in ten years. I chose this book because in addition to enjoying the book, I feel a skilled young actress could bring immense power to the story and its message. A teenage girl in rural Nigeria desires an education so she can become empowered, but she is faced with heart wrenching obstacles that threaten to make her dream impossible. Determined to stay the course, she keeps her spirit high and reminds herself she needs to find her “louding voice.”

The White Nights by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Movie

I hope this pick doesn’t seem too disconnected from the rest, but it is one of my favorite short stories. Typical of Russian classics, the story surrounds feelings of loneliness, despondency, and unrequited love. The main character finds solace walking the streets of Saint Petersburg at night. On one such “white night,” he comes across a woman and they connect over their shared loneliness and lovelessness. Is their story a meet-cute? Or, is it destined for pain before it even takes off? For four nights, you follow the narrator and this woman on their walks and learn more about what brings them out at night and what they truly want. With Rebecca, I saw that Netflix is able to properly do a classic novel justice while enhancing small details to fit the modern audience. I think they could do wonders with this novel, so long as they stick true to the cast and stray from getting actors to mimic Russian accents - it hardly ever bodes well.