Fourteen books that would make amazing movies or TV shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

This week’s TTT topic is: a Freebie 

I got my idea from Lindsey from @lindseyreads ! She chose to talk about the book to movie adaptation coming in 2023 and that inspired me to list books that I think (and hope) would make amazing movies or TV shows! I hope some of you know someone at Netflix or Amazon Prime or ….

As is customary, I couldn’t stop at ten because obviously choosing seems very difficult for me 🙂

In Fantasy

No one will be surprised to find Sorcery of Thorns on my list!
It would make an excellent movie because the universe is amazing with great libraries and talking grimoires. It has a medieval feel so we’d get plenty of costumes. And there is the incredible banter and pairing between bookworm Elisabeth Scrivener and sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn! We even get demons!
Universe, banter and action!

The Black Witch Chronicle should be a Netflix show!
Laurie Forest has written a powerful and riveting series filled with flawed characters, where good will oppose evil in a magic race to save the world from tyranny. We have witches,shifters,fae,demons and more.
A huge diversity in species and sexual preferences. A love triangle with two very sexy males. An epic story with the fight against racism and purity that reminded me of the rise or nazism. And magic! And love! And action! And…

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Because of the pairing of curmungeondly professor Emily and social butferfly Wendell.
Because of the fae lore, the nordic setting, the villagers… This book is a cozy fantasy, grumpy sunshine all rolled into one. It is charming, whimsical and smart.

Jackaby! If there is an overlooked but amazing series it’s Jackaby! Yet it’s amazing. It’s so deliciously odd and kooky being a blend of adventure, mystery, paranormal, humor and quaint characters!
Because it’s sherlock set in a world with dangerous creatures. It has mysteries to solve, an atypical hero, his faithful assistant and a lot of lore! Jackaby is eccentric character lost in his own world filled with trolls, banshee, werewolves that few others could see . Add to it the spunk of Miss Rook and you’d have a real blockbuster!

Empire of the Vampire.

This book is epic fantasy. It reads like a crossover between Brandon Sanderson and John Gwynne’s books but with a distinctive Jay Kristoff’s signature in Gabriel’s sarcasm and dry humor. It’s a dark epic medieval tale happening in a world where the Deads slowly overpower the livings after an eternal night fell on that planet.

This truly is in the spirit of “Interview with a Vampire” but better!

Switching between the now and two past periods, Gabriel’s teenage years at San Michon and a more recent past, Gabriel’s story slowly unravels, told to Jean-François vampire and Historian of Margot Chastain. Gothic setting with a morally grey hero. Priory, vampires, gore, fight against his own inner demons. ..

Dark Academia

Ninth House and Hell Bent
This book is gifted with the cutting personality of Alex Stern morally grey character ig-f there was ever one, tons of mysteries and dangerous rituals set at YALE. Magic in a prestigious academy!
The topic of riches can escape anything with just a tap on the wrist is really at the center of the story too!
Ghosts, posession, a quest in hell and Darlington the ever gentleman!You have mystery, murder, magic, action, betrayal, horror, morally grey and complex characters with a dash of gentleman mentor on top. And let’s not forget the building of a crew throughout the story.

Science fiction

Red Rising! If there was ever a book that needs to be made into a TV show it’s Red Rising!
Because the plot is incredible, full of twists you never see coming! Pierce Brown is a plotter like none other! You’ll be surprised at every turn of the book! You have social class fight, a wounded hero, the planet Mars as background, fierce competition, unhinged and irreverant second character…and tons of very interesting side characters who will add so many layers to the story!
With Darrow’s flair to achieve the impossible, the special effects would be amazing!

Iron Widow
Think of Goldorak but with Chinese chauvinism where women have bandaged feet and are used to death by warriors and with a woman so strong she is defying all odds! You have huge robots called Chrysalis whose pilots use the live energy and brain of theri concubines to move said chrysalis and fight an invader!
Add a rebel noble and a handsome prisoner turned warrior with some MFM action in the mix or at least hinted at!
So let’s sum this up:

-amazing futuristic world building set in a deeply traditional and patriarchal society;

-a fight for the human race survival against alien Hundun;

-a strong willed heroine forced to cooperate with a criminal pilot and longing after her best friend.

And many plot twists!

Aurora Rising
Because you have a ragtag crew, found family, lots of humor and banter.
Different species fighting together to save the galaxy. Love, enemies to lovers, impossible escapes, thief of spaceships, twists… there is non stop action and tons of humor!

Skyward
Because of the duo Mbot and Spensa.
A kickass heroine who began as the underdog and had to fight teeth and nails to reach her goal;
A new crew, comrades in arm;
A villain who is not the most obvious one in the story;
An incredible set of characters, extremely well fleshed out to make them feel like your real friends or foes once again;
A quest with many ordeals;
A fantastic world building;
Very important messages and lots of wisdom that I think many kids and adults should soak and ponder.
The incredible fights with airspaces would make for an amazing spectacle!
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Thrillers

And here are some incredible thrillers that would have you at the edge of your seat!

Thanks for reading!

Sophie