34 Books You Need to Read Before They Become TV Shows in 2022

Published on 11/30/2021 at 6:45 PM

Whether you love a good thriller or you've been eagerly awaiting the next Game of Thrones-style fantasy epic to hit the small screen, there's a must-see book-to-TV adaptation coming your way in 2022. Hollywood's love affair with the world of books is showing no signs of slowing down, with the upcoming year boasting 30-plus adaptations for bibliophiles to look forward to.

Among the books being adapted are novels from the likes of George R.R. Martin, Jenny Han, and Taylor Jenkins Reid. Additionally, there's going to be a major influx of graphic novels turned into TV hits thanks to streamers like Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video, as well as a few nonfiction titles getting the small-screen treatment. No matter what kind of books you love to read, you can bet on finding at least one new show to look forward to on this list of all the books becoming TV shows in 2022.

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

What it's about: Big Little Lies showrunner David E. Kelley is behind this adaptation, which follows an elite British couple after the husband is accused of rape. While the wife is determined to stand by her husband's side, the prosecutor in the case vows to uncover the truth.
Who's starring: Michelle Dockery, Sienna Miller, and Rupert Friend.
Read Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn.
Release date: TBA on Netflix

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

What it's about: Renowned adventurer Phileas Fogg sets off on a journey to traverse the world in 80 days alongside his companion Passepartout. The BBC/PBS adaptation will also include a journalist named Abigail Fix, who joins the men in order to chronicle their adventures.
Who's starring: David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma, and Leonie Benesch.
Watch the trailer for Around the World in 80 Days.
Read Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
Release date: Jan. 2 on PBS

Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen

What it's about: Former detective Andrew Yancy is working as a restaurant inspector in Florida when a tourist finds a severed arm while fishing. This leads Andrew to investigate the dark underworld that exists both in Florida and the Bahamas.
Who's starring: Vince Vaughn.
Read Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney

What it's about: Best friends and Dublin university students Frances and Bobbi do everything together, including on-stage poetry readings. However, when an older, married couple infiltrate their friendship, they soon find themselves taking opposing sides.
Who's starring: Alison Oliver, Sasha Lane, Joe Alwyn, and Jemima Kirke.
Read Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney.
Release date: TBA on Hulu

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

What it's about: Set in the 1970s, Daisy Jones & The Six documents the rise and fall of an iconic rock-and-roll band. Beginning when the gifted Daisy meets Billy Dunne, the lead singer of The Six, the series will delve into the mystery surrounding the band's messy split.
Who's starring: Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone, Suki Waterhouse, Josh Whitehouse, and Nabiyah Be.
Read Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Release date: TBA on Amazon Prime Video

Devil in Ohio by Daria Polatin

What it's about: Inspired by a true story, Devil in Ohio tells the story of a teen girl who escapes from a Satanic cult. But when her psychiatrist brings her home to live with her family, things begin to get weird.
Who's starring: Emily Deschanel, Sam Jaeger, Madeleine Arthur, Xaria Dotson, and Naomi Tan.
Read Devil in Ohio by Daria Polatin.
Release date: TBA on Netflix

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

What it's about: Set in 1893, the story follows the recently widowed Cora Seaborne, who starts a new life in Essex after her abusive husband's death. She soon becomes fascinated by a local superstition about a creature known as the Essex Serpent, which puts her in conflict with the town's pastor.
Who's starring: Claire Danes, Tom Hiddleston, Clémence Poésy, and Frank Dillane.
Read The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

Evidence of Love by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson

What it's about: This real-life tale focuses on two churchgoing couples in Texas who seem totally normal. That is, until one of the wives becomes an actual axe murderer.
Who's starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Krysten Ritter, Jesse Plemons, Patrick Fugit, and Lily Rabe.
Read Evidence of Love by John Bloom and Jim Atkinson.
Release date: TBA on HBO Max

The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee

What it's about: The Expatriates, which will be called Expats on Amazon Prime Video, tells the story of a group of expats living in Hong Kong. Their tight-knit community can also be a cutthroat one, as status is everything and any and all private dramas are destined to play out in front of everyone.
Who's starring: Nicole Kidman, Ji-young Yoo, Jack Huston, Brian Tee, and Sarayu Blue.
Read The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee.
Release date: TBA on Amazon Prime Video

Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin

What it's about: Set 300 years before the events in Game of Thrones, HBO's House of the Dragon is set to chronicle the Targaryen civil war. It's based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, which is a historical account of how the Targaryen family turned on one another.
Who's starring: Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Milly Alcock.
Watch the trailer for House of the Dragon.
Read Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin.
Release date: TBA on HBO and HBO Max

Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink

What it's about: Five Days at Memorial is a nonfiction book that chronicles the first five days in a New Orleans hospital after Hurricane Katrina hit. The Apple TV+ series will dramatize the experiences of the doctors and nurses who worked under such dangerous and chaotic circumstances.
Who's starring: Vera Farmiga, Cherry Jones, Adepero Oduye, and Michael Gaston.
Read Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

The Girl Before by JP Delaney

What it's about: A woman recovering from a traumatic event moves into her dream, minimalist house. However, there's a catch: she must follow the increasingly bizarre rules put in place by the home's architect.
Who's starring: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, and Jessica Plummer.
Read The Girl Before by JP Delaney.
Release date: TBA on HBO Max

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

What it's about: Set in British grammar school, this charming YA love story follows Nick and Charlie as they fall in love. Along the way, the couple deal with mental health issues, coming out, and typical teenage relationship drama.
Who's starring: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Corrina Brown, Kizzy Edgell, and Cormac Hyde-Corrin.
Read Heartstopper by Alice Oseman.
Release date: TBA on Netflix

Last Light by Alex Scarrow

What it's about: As the world is thrown into chaos, one family may be able to avert a potential apocalypse. Petro-chemical engineer Andy may hold the key to staving off an impending apocalypse, but he also needs to bring his own family back together first.
Who's starring: Matthew Fox and Joanne Froggatt.
Read Last Light by Alex Scarrow.
Release date: TBA on Peacock

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

What it's about: Although the Amazon Prime Video series will take place in Middle Earth, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings shouldn't expect the series to be about Frodo and his pals protecting the One Ring. Instead, the series is set thousands of years before the books during the Second Age, when Sauron first rose to power and was subsequently defeated.
Who's starring: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Charles Edwards, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, and Amelie Child-Villiers.
Read The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Release date: Sept. 2, 2022, on Amazon Prime Video

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

What it's about: An editor named Susan Ryeland is given an unfinished manuscript that changes her life forever. Suddenly, she finds herself drawn into a real-life murder mystery, and she may be the only one who can solve it.
Who's starring: Lesley Manville, Conleth Hill, and Timothy McMullan.
Read Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz.
Release date: TBA on PBS

The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis

What it's about: An alien arrives on Earth during a key moment in history. It quickly becomes apparent that the fate of the world is in his hands, but first he must learn what it means to be human.
Who's starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Jimmi Simpson, and Rob Delaney.
Read The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis.
Release date: TBA on Showtime

The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike

What it's about: While the Mike Flanagan series will pull from a number of Christopher Pike's YA horror novels, The Midnight Club revolves around a group of terminally ill teens who get together at midnight to swap scary stories. They also have a deal that whoever dies first will try to contact the others from beyond the grave.
Who's starring: Matt Biedel, Annarah Cymone, James Flanagan, Zach Gilford, Samantha Sloyan, and Igby Rigney.
Read The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike.
Release date: TBA on Netflix

Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson

What it's about: Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Pakistani American who loves superheroes, struggles to fit in until she develops powers of her own. Now she's set to model her persona after her favorite hero, Carol Danvers.
Who's starring: Iman Vellani, Aramis Knight, Saagar Shaikh, and Zenobia Shroff.
Watch the trailer for Ms. Marvel.
Read Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson.
Release date: Summer 2022 on Disney+

Naomi by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker

What it's about: A supernatural event in her hometown leads Naomi to embark on a journey through the DC multiverse to discover her true origins. Meanwhile, she'll still have to contend with normal high school drama, too.
Who's starring: Kaci Walfall, Cranston Johnson, Alexander Wraith, Mary-Charles Jones, Barry Watson, and Mouzam Makkar.
Watch the trailer for Naomi.
Read Naomi by Brian Michael Bendis and David F. Walker.
Release date: Jan. 11, 2022, on The CW

The Old Man by Thomas Perry

What it's about: A retired CIA agent is living a quiet life off the grid until an assassin shows up at his door. After the encounter, the aging operative realizes he has to face his past in order to ensure he can live out his final years in peace.
Who's starring: Jeff Bridges, John Lithgow, Amy Brenneman, and Alia Shawkat.
Read The Old Man by Thomas Perry.
Release date: TBA on FX on Hulu

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

What it's about: Pachinko is an epic novel that spans four generations of Korean immigrants who move to Japan. The multigenerational story covers a massive time period, with the story beginning in 1883 and ending in 1989.
Who's starring: Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho, Jin Ha, and Anna Sawai.
Read Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan

What it's about: Set in 1988, the acclaimed comic-book series follows four tween newspaper delivery girls who become embroiled in a war between time travelers. Soon the girls are traveling to the past and the future as they try to figure out how to save the world.
Who's starring: Sofia Rosinsky, Camryn Jones, Riley Lai Nelet, Fina Strazza, Ali Wong, and Nate Corddry.
Read Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn.
Release date: TBA on Amazon Prime Video

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

What it's about: Andrea thinks she knows everything about her mother, but when a shocking act of violence exposes her mom's hidden past, Andrea is sent down a rabbit hole that will change her life forever.
Who's starring: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Joe Dempsie, and Terry O'Quinn.
Read Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter.
Release date: TBA on Netflix

The Power by Naomi Alderman

What it's about: Set in a dystopian future where women develop the power to electrocute people with their hands, women across the globe rise up to seize power from the men of the world.
Who's starring: Leslie Mann, Auli'i Cravalho, John Leguizamo, Tim Robbins, Edwina Findley, Alice Eve, and Rob Delaney.
Read The Power by Naomi Alderman.
Release date: TBA on Amazon Prime Video

Roar by Cecelia Ahern

What it's about: Roar is a collection of short stories that explore the female experience in all of its forms. As a result, the anthology series will devote each episode to a different woman.
Who's starring: Nicole Kidman, Cynthia Erivo, Merritt Wever, and Alison Brie.
Read Roar by Cecelia Ahern.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

What it's about: Based on Neil Gaiman's beloved comic-book series, The Sandman begins in 1916, when the King of Dreams is imprisoned during an occult ritual. After being held captive for 105 years, he escapes and sets off to retake his kingdom.
Who's starring: Tom Sturridge, Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Boyd Holbrook, Asim Chaudhry, Jenna Coleman, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, David Thewlis, and Stephen Fry.
Watch the trailer for The Sandman.
Read The Sandman by Neil Gaiman.
Release date: TBA on Netflix

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

What it's about: After a brutal assault, a Chicago journalist is determined to hunt down the man who attacked her. But as her search intensifies, she begins to notice that reality around her seems to be in a state of flux.
Who's starring: Elisabeth Moss, Wagner Moura, Jamie Bell, Amy Brenneman, and Phillipa Soo.
Read The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

What it's about: After making a rookie mistake, MI5 officer River Cartwright is exiled to Slough House, where aging and disgraced spies are sent when they can longer do their jobs. River is desperate to return to his job, and when a kidnapping case comes up, he thinks he's found a way to get back to work.
Who's starring: Jack Lowden, Gary Oldman, Olivia Cooke, Jonathan Pryce, Antonio Aakeel, and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Read Slow Horses by Mick Herron.
Release date: TBA on Apple TV+

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

What it's about: A teen girl named Belly lives for summers at her family's beach house. However, things become complicated when she is torn between two boys — brothers she's known since childhood — whom she develops feelings for.
Who's starring: Lola Tung, Rachel Blanchard, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Jackie Chung, and Tom Everett Scott.
Read The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.
Release date: TBA on Amazon Prime Video

The Terminal List by Jack Carr

What it's about: After his platoon is ambushed, James Reece struggles to readjust to normal life. As he investigates the incident, he slowly begins to realize there are forces working against him at the highest levels of the government.
Who's starring: Chris Pratt, Taylor Kitsch, Constance Wu, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Riley Keough, and Jai Courtney.
Read The Terminal List by Jack Carr.
Release date: TBA on Amazon Prime Video

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

What it's about: Claire and Henry's relationship is more complicated than most thanks to Henry's penchant for time traveling. As a result, each of them experiences their romance in a different order than the other.
Who's starring: Rose Leslie, Theo James, Desmin Borges, and Kate Siegel.
Read The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Release date: TBA on HBO and HBO Max

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding

What it's about: Based on the classic novel by Henry Fielding, the story follows the titular Tom Jones, who is taken in by a wealthy family when he's just a baby. As an adult, he finds himself entangled in a number of scandalous love affairs.
Who's starring: Solly McLeod, Sophie Wilde, Pearl Mackie, and Hannah Waddingham.
Read Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.
Release date: TBA on PBS

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

What it's about: Based on the nonfiction book Three Women, the series will follow a journalist and three women who are at a crossroads in their lives. There's Maggie, a student who accuses her English teacher of being in an inappropriate relationship; Lina, a homemaker who begins having an affair; and Sloane, a woman whose open marriage becomes complicated when a new couple enter the mix.
Who's starring: Shailene Woodley, DeWanda Wise, Betty Gilpin, and Gabrielle Creevy.
Read Three Women by Lisa Taddeo.
Release date: TBA on Showtime