Book to TV Adaptations

In my humble opinion, books are better than their on-screen counterpart. However, I am not above being swayed by the silver screen, or in other words, a television in the comfort of my own home. Many beloved tales, and perhaps some contemporary favorites, have been turned into TV series across many streaming platforms. These adaptations bring our favorite stories to life right in front of our eyes, no longer just a mirage in our minds. CDPL provides a collection of adapted works that may have inspired your latest 3-season-binge.

Dearest gentle readers will be thrilled to find “The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After” by Julia Quinn (FIC Qui) offers fans of the Netflix regency romance a few “2nd Epilogues” to their favorite narratives of the blooming series. Will your burning questions about the Bridgertons finally be answered? The stand-alone romance, “One Day” by David Nicholls (Fic Nic) could be your next date night go-to or early night-in read, giggling at the utter infectious banter. Following Emma and Dexter, two recent grads, they kindle a spark that ignites a twenty-year kinship (yeah, this one’s a true slow-burn).

Liane Moriarty found raving success adapting her works to television series beginning with “Big Little Lies” (Fic Mor) which focuses on an accidental murder involving three mothers. Added success was instituted with other works such as “Nine Perfect Strangers” (Fic Mor). Characters create a chemistry on the page that was equally achieved on screen with actors such as Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy. Most recently, “Apples Never Fall” (Fic Mor) relays the tale of a tennis-driven family on the precipice of ruin when a newcomer enters the situation. Moriarty capitalizes on themes of family drama, mystery, suspense, and ingenious storytelling.

If you enjoyed Moriarty’s critical evaluations of families’ intertwined fates, check out “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng (Fic Ng). The dueling personalities of two mothers in the same neighborhood leave more than just their lives and dignities aflame. For fans of shows like “Star Trek: Discovery” (DVD TV FIC Sta) and “3 Body Problem”, “Beacon 23” a book by Hugh Howey (Fic How) will be right up your galactic system. Cosmonauts explore themes of solitude, insanity, peace, and forgiveness in an isolated galactic lighthouse.

When you’ve satiated your fictional narrative need, check out stories based on real life! Lindy West divulges realities amongst challenging conventional attractions as a woman in “Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman” (818.6 Wes). Cheryl Strayed in “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar” (070.4 Str) utilizes a compilation of her work as an advice columnist to help readers deal with love, loss, and hardship.

Other titles in our collection deal with more difficult topics such as “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America” by Beth Macy (362.29 Mac) which uncovers the epicenter of America’s opioid epidemic. Lawrence Wright, author of “The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11” (973.931 Wri), earned a Pulitzer Prize for the novel, uncovering the disquieting details of FBI counterterrorism prior to 9/11.

You can find all these titles and more in our 2nd floor display as well as some of their on-screen adaptations in our TV Series DVD collections, available with a library card. For more library news, check out what’s happening here on our website at or call us at 765-362-2242. Our regular open hours are Monday-Thursday 9 am-9 pm, Friday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm, and Sunday 1-5 pm.