It has become commonplace for books to be adapted to movies and television shows. With the popularity of this phenomenon growing at a thunderous rate, reading the book before the adaptation releases has become necessary. While many readers compare the printed and Hollywood formats, as well as the actors chosen to play their favorite characters, I try to judge them own their own merits. Today I'm showcasing a few of the hit book-to-television adaptations that have a growing viewership and, more importantly, have spawned an interest in reading for many.
First is the adaptation of the epic fantasy, Game of Thrones, written by none other than New York Times best-selling author George R.R. Martin. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series airs on HBO and tells the story of seven noble families that are fighting for control of the mythical land of Westeros.
Recommended to readers that enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, drama and action-packed adventures with a fair amount of deception amongst the families.
Book Rating: A+
TV Adaptation: A+
Series Reading Order
- A Game of Thrones
- A Clash of Kings
- A Storm of Swords
- A Feast for Crows
- A Dance with Dragons
- The Winds of Winter (due for release in 2015)
- A Dream of Spring (due for release in 2019)
The latest adaptation is quite a thriller. NBC has centered its latest creation, Hannibal, around the characters and elements of Thomas Harris' novel Red Dragon. Currently the show focuses a great deal on the connection between Will Graham, an FBI special investigator, and Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a forensic psychiatrist.
Recommended to readers that enjoy enthralling mysteries, thrillers and drama.
Book Rating: --
TV Adaptation: A+
Series Reading Order
- Red Dragon
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Hannibal
- Hannibal Rising
HBOs True Blood is the adaptation of New York Times best-selling author Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, also known as the Southern Vampire Mystery series. This Anthony Award winning series follows Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress and telepath in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana.
Readers that enjoy enthralling mysteries, paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy, romance, and the supernatural will thoroughly enjoy the series. Each book in the thirteen book series is a complete story and can be enjoyed as a standalone mystery. I recommend reading the entire series to fully enjoy the plot.
Book Rating: -- A+
TV Adaptation: B
Series Reading Order
- Dead Until Dark
- Living Dead in Dallas
- Club Dead
- Dead to the World
- Dead as a Doornail
- Definitely Dead
- All Together Dead
- From Dead to Worse
- Dead and Gone
- Dead in the Family
- Dead Reckoning
- Deadlocked
- Dead Ever After
The Vampire Diaries, airing on CW, is a supernatural drama based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series takes place in Mystic Falls, Virginia, a small town haunted by supernatural beings. The CW adaptation focuses on the love triangle between Elena Gilbert and vampire-brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore. The award winning adaptation of The Vampire Diaries is quite popular and has garnered a spin-off, The Originals, that is set to premiere in October of this year.
Recommended to readers that enjoy paranormal, fantasy, urban fantasy, romance, and the supernatural will thoroughly enjoy the series.
Book Rating: --
TV Adaptation: B
Series Reading Order
- The Awakening
- The Struggle
- The Fury
- Dark Reunion
- The Return: Nightfall
- The Return: Shadow Souls
- The Return: Midnight
- The Hunters: Phantom
- The Hunters: Moonsong
- The Hunters: Destiny Rising
- The Salvation: Unseen
- The Salvation: Unspoken
The Walking Dead is based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The AMC series follows sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world dominated by flesh-eating "walkers". Grimes sets out to find his family and encounters many other survivors along the way.
The season three finale of The Walking Dead had a total of 12.4 million viewers, becoming the most-watched drama series in basic cable history.
Recommended to readers that enjoy post-apocalyptic novels, dystopian, thrillers, horror and drama at its very best.
Comic Book Rating: --
Book Rating: B
TV Adaptation: A
Series Reading Order
- The Walking Dead: The Rise of the Governor
- The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury
- The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor (Release date: September 2013)
The Fox network's adaptation of Bones, based on Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennan series, is an amazing crime drama. It is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains. Bones is lightly based on the experiences of forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs.
Recommended to readers that enjoy mysteries, thrillers, and crime dramas.
Book Rating: B
TV Adaptation: A
Series Reading Order
- Deja Dead
- Death du Jour
- Deadly Decisions
- Fatal Voyage
- Grave Secrets
- Bare Bones
- Monday Mourning
- Cross Bones
- Break No Bones
- Bones to Ashes
- Devil Bones
- 206 Bones
- Spider Bones
- Flash and Bones
- Bones Are Forever
- Bones of the Lost (Release date: August 2013)
Dexter airs on Showtime and centers around Dexter Morgan, a blood spatter pattern analyst for Miami Metro Police Department. Dexter also happens to live a double life as a serial killer. The first novel of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter series, Darkly Dreaming Dexter was the basis for the creation of this intense crime drama. Sadly, Season eight is set to be the conclusion of this long running series.
Recommended to readers that enjoy mysteries, thrillers, and crime dramas with a twist.
Book Rating: A
TV Adaptation: A
Series Reading Order
- Darkly Dreaming Dexter
- Dearly Devoted Dexter
- Dexter in the Dark
- Dexter by Design
- Dexter is Delicious
- Double Dexter
- Dexter's Final Cut (Release date: August 2013)
