Winter Reading List: 47 Books to Curl Up With Before They're Movies

By Shannon Vestal Robson

Updated on 2/21/2018 at 1:45 AM

There's nothing more hygge than grabbing a good book and reading in front of a roaring fire during this cold weather — but you need tools for that. While you will have to figure out your own fireplace situation, we can furnish you with reading inspiration. There are some excellent books being made into movies and TV shows next year, and we have a big, handy list of all the books that are in the process of being adapted. Some hot recent titles like The Hate U Give are in here, along with titles from authors of other successful adaptations, like Big Little Lies' Liane Moriarty.

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

  • What it's about: The book changes perspectives 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.
  • Release date: TBD
The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook

The Aftermath by Rhidian Brook

  • What it's about: In a war-torn post-WWII Germany, a British colonel moves into Hamburg to rebuild the city with his wife. They move into the home of a German man and his daughter, which has deep consequences for all of them.
  • Who's starring: Jason Clarke is playing the colonel, Keira Knightley is starring as his wife, and Alexander Skarsgard is playing their German host.
  • Release date: TBD
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

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 Demián Bichir. Paul Weitz will direct.
  • Release date: 2018
The Mothers by Brit Bennett

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

  • What it's about: A secret haunts the residents of a black community in a Southern California town.
  • Who's starring: Kerry Washington will produce with no word on whether or not she will also star.
  • Release date: TBD
Every Day by David Levithan

Every Day by David Levithan

  • What it's about: Sixteen-year-old Rhiannon has fallen in love — with a spirit that goes by the name "A" and which inhabits a different body every single day.
  • Who's starring: Angourie Rice plays Rhiannon; Maria Bello and Justice Smith also star.
  • Release date: Feb. 23, 2018
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

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. Kristen Wiig, Billy Crudup, and Judy Greer are also set to star. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber — the writers behind (500) Days of Summer — are writing the screenplay.
  • Release date: May 11, 2018
The Black Hand by Stephan Talty

The Black Hand by Stephan Talty

  • What it's about: Set in the Summer of 1903, a detective investigates a crime outbreak that has ties to the beginnings of the mafia in America.
  • Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio will star in and produce the adaptation.
  • Release date: 2018
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

  • What it's about: Following the end of World War II, London writer Juliet Ashton is looking for inspiration for her next book when 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. The movie will simply be called Guernsey.
  • Who's starring: Michiel Huisman, Lily James, and Glen Powell will costar in the adaptation.
  • Release date: 2018
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

  • What it's about: An awkward genetics professor falls for a woman who does not fit into his ascribed criteria, the titular Rosie.
  • Who's starring: Ryan Reynolds is attached to potentially star.
  • Release date: 2019
The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz

  • What it's about: In the first book since David Lagercrantz took over the Millennium trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson, Lisbeth investigates an organization called the Spider Society.
  • Who's starring: Claire Foy is playing Lisbeth Salander, taking over from Rooney Mara.
  • Release date: Oct. 19, 2018
First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen

First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen

  • What it's about: The life of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
  • Who's starring: Ryan Gosling is playing Neil Armstrong in the biopic, which reunites him with La La Land director Damien Chazelle. Claire Foy is playing his wife, Janet, and Jon Bernthal also costars.
  • Release date: Oct. 12, 2018
Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household

Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household

  • What it's about: The classic British novel follows a man who attempts to assassinate a dictator who is hunted by authorities himself after he fails.
  • Who's starring: Benedict Cumberbatch will produce and star.
  • Release date: TBD
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll

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.
  • Release date: TBD
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

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 Ansel Elgort will play Theo; here's the rest of the cast.
  • Release date: TBD
Dune by Frank Herbert

Dune by Frank Herbert

  • What it's about: The cult-classic novel weaves an interstellar epic in a not-too-distant future.
  • Who's starring: Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve will direct the adaptation, which hasn't been cast yet.
  • Release date: TBD
The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

  • What it's about: In the 1960s, single Kitty owns a bookshop but dreams of a life where she's married with children — and she starts to blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
  • Who's starring: Julia Roberts will play Kitty.
  • Release date: TBD
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

  • What it's about: The timely novel (one of our favorites of the year) tells the story of young Starr Carter, who witnesses her best friend being killed at the hands of a police officer.
  • Who's starring: Amandla Stenberg is playing Starr; Regina King will play her mother, and Anthony Mackie, Common, and Issa Rae all costar.
  • Release date: TBD
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

  • What it's about: A suburban couple attend a disastrous barbecue in this mystery.
  • Who's starring: Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon (who both star in another Moriarty adaptation, Big Little Lies) will produce the adaptation, though there is no news yet on whether either actress will star.
  • Release date: TBD
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

  • What it's about: Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty spins a tale of three women linked by a devastating secret.
  • Who's starring: Blake Lively will star as Cecelia.
  • Release date: TBD
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

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.
  • Release date: TBD
The Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellström

The Seconds by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellström

  • What it's about: A convict works undercover for the FBI infiltrating the mob's drug trade in NY.
  • Who's starring: Rosamund Pike, Clive Owen, Ana de Armas, and Joel Kinnaman are starring.
  • Release date: Aug. 17, 2018
The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson

  • What it's about: The unbelievable true story of Daniel Burnham, the architect responsible for the construction of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, a serial killer who used the fair to lure victims to his own "World's Fair Hotel" — and to their deaths.
  • Who's starring: Leonardo DiCaprio will play the sick-minded Holmes, though there's no word yet on who will step in as Burnham. Martin Scorsese will direct.
  • Release date: TBD
Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton

Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton

  • What it's about: It's the true story of a special forces mission into Afghanistan after the 9/11 attack.
  • Who's starring: Chris Hemsworth, his wife Elsa Pataky, and Moonlight's Trevante Rhodes star in the adaptation, retitled 12 Strong.
  • Watch the trailer for 12 Strong.
  • Release date: Jan. 19, 2018
Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

  • What it's about: The follow-up to 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, this Hercule Poirot mystery has the famous detective investigating a murder on the Egyptian river.
  • Who's starring: Kenneth Branagh will likely reprise his role as Poirot and direct as well.
  • Release date: TBD
The Rhythm Section by Mark Burnell

The Rhythm Section by Mark Burnell

  • What it's about: When a woman loses her whole family in a plane crash, she seeks revenge after being recruited by an intelligence agency.
  • Who's starring: Blake Lively (who has been unrecognizable on set) is playing Stephanie. Jude Law costars.
  • Release date: 2019
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

  • What it's about: New York-based Nick brings his girlfriend, Rachel, home for a wedding in Singapore, where she discovers he's vastly wealthy — and that she may not fit into that world.
  • Who's starring: The movie adaptation has a huge, well-known cast including Constance Wu and Ken Jeong. Jon Chu is directing.
  • Release date: Aug. 17, 2018
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertelli

  • What it's about: In this coming-of-age novel, high school junior Simon hasn't come out yet, but he's forced to do so when a classmate finds out.
  • Who's starring: 13 Reasons Why's Katherine Langford will play the female lead, Leah, and Everything, Everything's Nick Robinson will play Simon. Greg Berlanti will direct.
  • Watch the trailer for Love, Simon.
  • Release date: March 16, 2018
Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

Boy Erased by Garrard Conley

  • What it's about: A young gay Baptist is forced to go to a conversion program put on by his church.
  • Who's starring: Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Joel Edgerton are starring.
  • Release date: 2018
Fifty Shades Freed by EL James

Fifty Shades Freed by EL James

  • What it's about: In 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.
  • Watch the trailer for Fifty Shades Freed.
  • Release date: Feb. 9, 2018
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

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: Sam Claflin is starring, and Michelle MacLaren will direct.
  • Release date: Jan. 25, 2019
Love May Fail by Matthew Quick

Love May Fail by Matthew Quick

  • What it's about: A woman dealing with the breakup of her marriage heads back to her hometown to clear the name of a former teacher.
  • Who's starring: Emma Stone will star in the movie, which is being adapted by Mike White.
  • Release date: TBD
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

  • What it's about: In the first novel of the Chaos Walking series, Todd Hewitt and Viola Eade, two teens living on an Earth-like planet, are affected by a plague called The Noise but discover a way to control it. The movie adaptation is being called Chaos Walking.
  • Who's starring: Daisy Ridley is playing Viola, and Tom Holland will star as Todd.
  • Release date: 2019
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

  • What it's about: The inspirational self-help guide that posits that a person can will their desires into reality with thought.
  • Who's starring: Katie Holmes will star in the adaptation, in which she's playing a widow who meets a handyman who believes in The Secret.
  • Release date: TBD
The Death Cure by James Dashner

The Death Cure by James Dashner

  • What it's about: In the final book in the Maze Runner series, Thomas finally attempts to take down the organization WICKED.
  • Who's starring: Dylan O'Brien is reprising his role as Thomas, with much of the same cast returning.
  • Watch the trailer for The Death Cure.
  • Release date: Jan. 26, 2018
The Son by Jo Nesbo

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.
  • Release date: TBD
The Game by Neil Strauss

The Game by Neil Strauss

  • 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.
  • Release date: TBD
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

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.
  • Watch the trailer for A Wrinkle in Time.
  • Release date: March 9, 2018
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch

  • What it's about: Called a "feminist fairy tale," the story follows a princess who has to save her prince from a dragon while clad in the titular paper bag.
  • Who's starring: While Elizabeth Banks and Margot Robbie are both producing, Robbie is the only one of them who may star.
  • Release date: TBD
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

  • 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, and Mandy Moore will play a doctor.
  • Release date: Sept. 14, 2018
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

  • What it's about: In the May 2017 novel from the writer of The Girl on the Train, the bodies of a woman and that of a teenage girl are found at the bottom of the same river in a small town.
  • Who's starring: The novel was optioned in February by Dreamworks, but no one has been cast yet.
  • Release date: TBD
Witness For the Prosecution by Agatha Christie

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.
  • Release date: 2019
The War With Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith

The War With Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith

  • What it's about: A young boy has to give up his room for his grandpa's use, so he devises a series of pranks to drive him out.
  • Who's starring: Robert De Niro plays the titular grandpa; Uma Thurman and Christopher Walken costar.
  • Release date: Feb. 23, 2018
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

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.
  • Watch the trailer for Annihilation.
  • Release date: Feb. 23, 2018
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

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 and screenwriter Natalie Krinsky is adapting the screenplay.
  • Release date: TBD
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

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.
  • Release date: TBD
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

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.
  • Release date: March 30, 2018