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Is the book always better than the movie? As a books editor, I can tell you there’s only one way to find out! There are a ton of great books being adapted for the silver screen this year, from the controversial Wuthering Heights to the much-anticipated Christopher Nolan adaptation of The Odyssey. Some of the movies have already been released, and others we have marked on our calendar to watch later this year.
Whether you’re a die-hard bookworm or a Letterboxd fanatic, add these books to your TBR to prepare for the upcoming adaptations. Judge for yourself whether the book or the movie is better! With these blockbuster books, you can’t go wrong. Don’t forget to join the GH Book Club for more great book recommendations every month.
1) Berkley People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Rom-com queen Emily Henry just had her first of many adaptations make it to the screen—several of her novels have been optioned for film.
People We Meet on Vacation follows best friends and opposites, spontaneous Poppy and introverted Alex. They used to vacation together every year until a rift in their friendship. When they reunite for one last trip, they must confront their shared past and complicated feelings. The book has been adapted by Netflix.
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Berkley People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
amazon.com
$10.54
2) Puffin Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Lovers of intense and gothic romance shouldn’t miss Emily Brontë’s breathtaking prose in this supernatural tale of obsession, tragedy, and revenge on windswept moors.
Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Jacob Elordi (Saltburn) bring the tortured longing of Catherine and Heathcliff to the bold adaptation, released on February 13.
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Puffin Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
amazon.com
$13.48
3) Ballantine Books Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Author Andy Weir is no stranger to Hollywood adaptations—his book The Martian became a smash-hit blockbuster starring Matt Damon. Project Hail Mary is another pulse-pounding blend of sci-fi and action, following a middle school teacher turned amnesiac astronaut who must work with an alien to prevent an extinction-level event threatening to put out the sun.
Watch Ryan Gosling race to keep the world from going dark in the film adaptation that was released on March 20.
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Ballantine Books Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
amazon.com
$22.69
4) The Odyssey by Homer
There’s no need to brush up on your ancient Greek, but it’s well worth your time to read this translation of the epic poem. After the Trojan War, Odysseus must brave the vengeful whims of the gods and the dangers of the wine-dark sea on his 10-year journey home.
The film adaptation by director Christopher Nolan (Inception, Oppenheimer) promises a star-studded cast—Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Anne Hathaway, and more—facing, we hope, cyclops, sirens, and sea monsters. It comes to theaters July 17.
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The Odyssey by Homer
amazon.com
$33.49
5) Verity by Colleen Hoover
Verity is another film adaptation of a Colleen Hoover book—the first was It Ends With Us. This one is part psychological thriller and part romance. In it, struggling writer Lowen (Dakota Johnson) is asked to ghostwrite for comatose best-selling author Verity (Anne Hathaway).
But as Lowen falls in love with Verity’s husband and unearths Verity’s disturbing unpublished autobiography, her second chance begins to feel more like a nightmare. Follow the twists on the big screen when it is released on October 2.
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Verity by Colleen Hoover
amazon.com
$15.27
6) HarperCollins Children’s Books The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
Though it’s the sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, this is a prequel set 1,000 years before the events of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
Two children encounter magic rings that whisk them to an enchanted wood, leading to the creation of the famous lamppost, the evil White Witch, and Narnia itself. The movie, directed by Barbie’s Greta Gerwig, is slated for theatrical release in November.
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HarperCollins Children’s Books The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis
amazon.com
$15.00
7) Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
The latest Hunger Games prequel (find all the references to the original series) is another hit, expanding on the history of Panem and its deadly games.
Haymitch—later Katniss’s alcoholic mentor, but here a teenager—is chosen for the second Quarter Quell, the 50th annual Hunger Games. He must fight twice as many other tributes as usual as he struggles to start a rebellion and return to his girlfriend in District 12. The movie will be in theaters on November 20.
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Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
amazon.com
$15.02
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