Winter Reading List: 34 Books to Read Before They're Movies
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There could not be a cozier Winter cliche than the idea of curling up with a book beside a fireplace, so let's just run with it. For the hands-down snuggliest indoor activity, we have a whole list of books — books that also happen to be next on Hollywood's list to adapt. Check out this list of books that will be movies soon, and you can decide for yourself if the book was better (it always is).
01
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Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
- What it's about: A glamorous 20-something New Yorker hides a dark secret in her past.
- Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but Reese Witherspoon is producing the movie.
02
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The Circle by Dave Eggers
- What it's about: A young woman, Mae Holland, takes a job at a Google-like tech company where she quickly climbs the corporate ladder.
- Who's starring: Emma Watson is starring as Mae, alongside Tom Hanks and John Boyega. James Ponsoldt is directing.
- Watch the trailer for The Circle.
03
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Silence by Shusaku Endo
- What it's about: Set in 17th-century Japan, the book follows the story of Jesuits who are trying to bring Christianity into Japan.
- Who's starring: Andrew Garfield is playing Father Rodrigues in the film, which is directed by Martin Scorsese. Adam Driver and Liam Neeson are also playing priests.
- Watch the trailer for Silence.
04
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Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
- What it's about: Set in the Prohibition Era of the '20s, the novel tells the story of a Boston thief who finds success as a rum runner.
- Who's starring: Ben Affleck is writing, directing, and starring in the film, marking his second time adapting one of the author's books (his directorial debut came with the adaptation of Lehane's Gone Baby Gone). Chris Messina, Zoe Saldana, and Sienna Miller are costarring.
- Watch the trailer for Live by Night
05
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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
- What it's about: Teenager Wade Watts gets sucked into a virtual universe in a dystopian future society in 2044.
- Who's starring: Tye Sheridan will play Wade, Olivia Cooke will play his love interest, and Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, and Simon Pegg will costar in the sci-fi flick, which is being directed by Steven Spielberg.
06
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Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
- What it's about: After her mom, Bernadette, disappears, 15-year-old Bee dives into emails, documents, and secret correspondence to find her.
- Who's starring: Richard Linklater is set to direct the film, and Cate Blanchett has been cast as Bernadette. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber — the writers behind (500) Days of Summer — are set to write the screenplay.
07
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Fifty Shades Freed
- What it's about: The final book in the Fifty Shades saga, Christian and Ana navigate their most dangerous, treacherous relationship yet: marriage.
- Who's starring: Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson fill the shoes of Christian and Ana again, while newcomers like Arielle Kebbel will join the franchise. Here is the Fifty Shades Freed cast so far and all the details we have.
08
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The Silent Wife by A. S. A. Harrison
- What it's about: The book changes perspective between a couple who has been together for 20 years while she takes care of him and he cheats on her.
- Who's starring: Nicole Kidman will produce and star in the adaptation as the wife.
09
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Home Is Burning by Dan Marshall
- What it's about: Marshall's memoir tells the story of his return home as a 20-something to help take care of his mother and father, diagnosed with cancer and ALS, respectively.
- Who's starring: Miles Teller will star and produce, and Jonathan Levine is directing.
10
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In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
- What it's about: Writer Nora attends the bachelorette party of a friend she hasn't seen in 10 years, and on the weekend away, things go from drinks and fun to heart-pounding mystery.
- Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but Reese Witherspoon is producing.
11
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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- What it's about: In this young adult romance, a girl named Violet falls for Finch, a boy who is intent on ending his life.
- Who's starring: Elle Fanning is starring, and Miguel Arteta is directing.
12
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Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
- What it's about: Roxane, an American soprano, travels to South America to perform a private concert, which is then crashed by guerrilla forces.
- Who's starring: Julianne Moore will star as Roxane, alongside Ken Watanabe and Demian Bichir. Paul Weitz will direct.
13
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Witness For the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
- What it's about: The short story follows a courtroom drama of a murder case with lots of twists, turns, and marital intrigue.
- Who's starring: Ben Affleck will direct and star in the movie.
14
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Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
- What it's about: In this YA drama, two teens — one of whom suffers from a rare disease that makes her allergic to nearly everything — fall in love.
- Who's starring: Amandla Stenberg and Nick Robinson are costarring.
15
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Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household
- What it's about: The classic British novel follows a man who attempts to assassinate a dictator, but is hunted by authorities himself after he fails.
- Who's starring: Benedict Cumberbatch will produce and star.
16
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A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
- What it's about: Fourteen-year-old Meg Murry's father goes missing after working on a government project, setting off Meg's fantastical journey through space and time.
- Who's starring: Ava DuVernay will direct the adaptation, and the three Mrs. have been cast: Reese Witherspoon will play Mrs. Whatsit, Mindy Kaling will play Mrs. Who, and Oprah Winfrey will play Mrs. Which. See the whole cast here.
17
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The Son by Jo Nesbo
- What it's about: A young man is in prison because he has confessed to the crimes of others, but he breaks out to avenge his murdered father.
- Who's starring: Jake Gyllenhaal will star with his Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve at the helm.
18
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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
- What it's about: Two sisters in France end up in different positions during WWII; one fights with the resistance and one becomes a prisoner.
- Who's starring: No one has been cast yet, but screenwriter Ann Peacock will write the screenplay, and Michelle MacLaren will direct.
19
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The Game
- What it's about: Former self-described AFC (average frustrated chump) Neil Strauss got fed up with being a mediocre dater and infiltrated an underground society of pick-up gurus. The book is part memoir, part how-to guide.
- Who's starring: James Franco will both produce and star in the film as pick-up artist Mystery.
20
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My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
- What it's about: The classic novel tells the story of Philip and his mysterious cousin Rachel, who may or may not be guilty of murdering another of their family members.
- Who's starring: Rachel Weisz and Sam Claflin will star as Rachel and Philip.
21
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Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
- What it's about: It's the true story of the unsung heroes of NASA — the black female mathematicians who quietly enabled the biggest achievements in space in the 1960s.
- Who's starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, and Kevin Costner are starring.
- Watch the trailer for Hidden Figures.
22
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The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
- What it's about: This true story follows the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, who helped to save hundreds of people from the Nazis in World War II by smuggling them into empty cages.
- Who's starring: Jessica Chastain stars with Daniel Brühl in the movie.
- Watch the trailer for The Zookeeper's Wife.
23
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Wonder by R.J. Palacio
- What it's about: Wonder tells the story of Auggie Pullman, a boy who is born with a facial deformity, and his struggle to fit in at a new school.
- Who's starring: Room's Jacob Tremblay is playing Auggie, and Julia Roberts will play his mother.
24
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The Lost City of Z by David Grann
- What it's about: In this true tale, Grann tells the story of how British explorer Percy Fawcett got lost searching for an ancient, fabled civilization in the Amazon in 1925.
- Who's starring: Charlie Hunnam will play Fawcett, and Robert Pattinson and Sienna Miller will costar in the film, which will be directed by James Gray. Here's all the info about the adaptation.
25
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The Dark Tower by Stephen King
- What it's about: Stephen King's magnum opus is a series that follows "gunslinger" Roland Deschain as he moves through a magical society, looking for the titular Dark Tower.
- Who's starring: Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey have both joined the adaptation. See who else has been cast.
26
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The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin
- What it's about: Two strangers on a charter plane crash in the wilderness and have to depend on each other to survive.
- Who's starring: Idris Elba is playing the male lead opposite Kate Winslet.
27
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Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- What it's about: The classic mystery follows fictional detective Hercule Poirot as he pursues a murder on a famous train.
- Who's starring: Kenneth Branagh is directing and will play Poirot, alongside Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Hamilton star Leslie Odom Jr.
28
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Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
- What it's about: In this thriller, a biologist sets out on an expedition to a mysterious area to find out what killed her husband there.
- Who's starring: Natalie Portman, Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez, and Tessa Thompson will costar. Oscar Isaac also joined the cast of the film, which will be directed by Ex Machina's Alex Garland.
29
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The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- What it's about: The memoir of Jeannette Walls chronicles her unconventional and sometimes bizarre upbringing and relationship with her parents.
- Who's starring: Brie Larson will head up the movie cast as Jeannette, with Naomi Watts and Woody Harrelson as her parents.
30
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Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
- What it's about: Spanning decades, the book kicks off in 1962 on the Italian coast, following the ups and downs of a love affair that ends in Hollywood years later.
- Who's starring: Imogen Poots will play Dee Moray, and Sam Mendes will produce and potentially direct the film adaptation.
31
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The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
- What it's about: This coming-of-age tale tells the story of a boy and his fascination with a tiny but special painting.
- Who's starring: John Crowley will direct, and though the adaptation has not been cast yet, we have many ideas about who should star.
32
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- What it's about: After WWII has come to an end, while London writer Juliet Ashton is looking for inspiration for her next book, she becomes acquainted with a wild crew on Guernsey Island after receiving a letter. She becomes drawn into the world of the man who wrote to her and his friends under Nazi occupation.
- Who's starring: Michiel Huisman and Lily James will costar in the adaptation.
33
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The Darkest Minds
- What it's about: In the futuristic YA novel, the government tries to intern and suppress young people with special abilities, including 16-year-old Ruby.
- Who's starring: Amandla Stenberg will play Ruby.
34
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It by Stephen King
- What it's about: An ancient evil takes the form of Pennywise the Clown and terrifies a group of children, then later, comes back for them as adults.
- Who's starring: Bill Skarsgard is playing Pennywise the Clown, and Andrés Muschietti, who directed horror movie Mama, is at the helm.