Movie or TV series adaptations of books are either hit or miss. No matter the adaptation, I will always read the book before watching it. Today, I’m going to cover some books that I believe should be brought to our screens, whether it’s the small or big screen!
Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
For Penny Lee high school was a total nonevent. Her friends were okay, her grades were fine, and while she somehow managed to land a boyfriend, he doesn’t actually know anything about her. When Penny heads to college in Austin, Texas, to learn how to become a writer, it’s seventy-nine miles and a zillion light years away from everything she can’t wait to leave behind. Sam’s stuck. Literally, figuratively, emotionally, financially. He works at a café and sleeps there too, on a mattress on the floor of an empty storage room upstairs. He knows that this is the god-awful chapter of his life that will serve as inspiration for when he’s a famous movie director but right this second the seventeen bucks in his checking account and his dying laptop are really testing him. When Sam and Penny cross paths it’s less meet-cute and more a collision of unbearable awkwardness. Still, they swap numbers and stay in touch—via text—and soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.
I think this would make a great movie adaption for many reasons. One, it’s a beautiful story of love and friendship and supporting someone even though you don’t know them. Penny and Sam support and worry about each other even though the only connection they have is Penny’s roommate. The plot would make a great movie and it’s a standalone so you wouldn’t have to worry about a waiting for new seasons. I think it would be good to see the varying relationships portrayed in the book on screen, both the toxic and good ones. Plus with Choi’s focus on mental health in the book, I think that could be a good thing to see on screen. I really just loved the story so much that I want to have it brought to my screen just so I could experience it again for the first time.
Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern) by Anne McCaffrey
To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright. But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa’s world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world. . . .
When I tell you this has been the one series I have wanted to see on any kind of screen for as long as I can remember, I am not exaggerating. Not only do I think this series is underrated, but I think it definitely deserves some time as either a TV show or series of movies. Growing up there weren’t as many female heroines in book as there are today, and Lessa is a very interesting character. Her relationship with her dragon Ramoth and her on again off again relationship with F’lar is something that I would love to see come to life. Plus she’s one of the only people in the series that can talk to all dragons so it would be funny to see that on screen as well. I think seeing dragons on screen are the biggest reason I want this story told, but the story itself is very good. I think it would really bring a lot of new fans to the series and with special effects being great now it would be a good time to monopolize on the series.
X-Men Dark Phoenix by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Kevin Auster
Gathered together by Professor Charles Xavier to protect a world that fears and hates them, the X-Men had fought many battles, been on adventures that spanned galaxies, grappled enemies of limitless might, but none of this could prepare them for the most shocking struggle they would ever face. One of their members, Jean Grey, has gained power beyond all comprehension, and that power has corrupted her absolutely. Now they must decide if the life of the woman they cherish is worth the existence of the entire universe.
I know that there is two movie adaptations of this story already….but it’s not really the right story. The true story of The Dark Phoenix is so much better. Now that Marvel actually has the rights to X-Men again I feel like this story would be a great one to finally give a good adaptation to. There are others I would want to see, Days of Future, Age of Apocalypse, House of X/Powers of X, and House of M, but The Dark Phoenix is the one story I want a good adaption for. I know that Marvel is looking to bring the X-Men to the MCU, so I hope at some point we will see some of these stories adapted.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.
This should be the next big fantasy adaption! I love the parallels of the four different London’s in different times and all the different moments. It’s such a good trilogy and I hope I get to see it on the big screen or even the TV screen soon! Kell is a good protagonist and I would really be interested to see this story come to life! I think it would honestly make a little better of a TV show mostly because there’s a lot of story and it could use the TV format more. It’s a phenomenal trilogy and I suggest people to read it!
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.
Picture this: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in 1920’s China. It’s a more modern retelling of Romeo Juliet set in the roaring 20’s. Gang wars, romance, 20’s costumes, what more could make this into a great story to movie adaption? I have always enjoyed Shakespeare, not necessarily the biggest fan of Romeo and Juliet, but in this setting I loved it! Chloe Gong really brings a more interesting take to the old story and I think it would be a fantastic story to tell. With the success of Crazy Rich Asians, I think the something like this could be as big. We have both books in our YA section here at the library.
The Red Palace by June Hur
Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. Now, with the evidence pointing to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.
I will never stop raving about how good this book is! Honestly any June Hur book would be a great movie or TV adaption, but I think The Red Palace will make a fantastic TV show. (In particular I think it should be picked up as a K-Drama.) If you don’t know what a K-Drama is, it’s a Korean Drama that usually consists of 16-24 episodes. They rarely go past the one season so the whole story finishes in the one season. Why I think The Red Palace would be a great K-Drama is because it’s set during a very significant event in history and there are K-drama’s around that event. However this story deals with dealing around that event and it adds an extra fun perspective on it. I highly recommend checking Hur’s three books out; The Red Palace, The Silence of Bones, and The Forest of Stolen Girls.
All of these books are available to put on hold or available in our library now. Let me know if you think these books would make a great movie or TV show!