Looking to update your reading list? This year is off to a strong start with a slew of adaptations of some best-selling novels. Here's a quick list to consider.
Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
A period romantic piece, this story takes place in 1850s Gold Country California. It's about a character named Angel who was sold into prostitution as a child and knows no other life. Angel meets a man named Michael who is determined to win her affection, which he believes is God's wish. Angel is skeptical but warms to him. Rivers’s book is a retelling of the Bible’s Gomer and Hosea story, dealing with the central notion that God’s love can redeem wrongdoings.
Redeeming Love, starring Abigail Cowen, Nina Dobrev, and Tom Lewis, is in theaters now.
Munich, by Robert Harris
A World War 2 story, this is about UK Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and his desperation to preserve peace as he negotiates the ill-fated 1938 Munich agreement with Adolf Hitler, who is ready for war. It's exciting as a spy thriller and is fact-based historical fiction told through the eyes of two civil servants: one German and one English. These two young men were friends at Oxford University but now find themselves on opposite sides. Witnessing the dawning of Europe’s darkest hour as it unfolds, the novel’s tense dramatization is carefully balanced on the precipice of war.
Munich - The Edge of War, starring George MacKay, Jeremy Irons, and Jannis Niewöhner, is streaming on Netflix.
The Moon and the Sun, by Vonda N. McIntyre
Interweaving science fiction and historical romance, The Moon and the Sun is set in 17th-century France under Louis XIV’s rule of glory, wealth, and fortune that knows no bounds. He tasks a philosopher with seeking immortality in the form of endangered, mythical sea monsters, the flesh of which will supposedly imbue the consumer with eternal life. Marie-Josèphe, a low-ranking member of Louis’s court, is happy to assist her philosopher brother; she sketches the creatures and discovers they are not monsters but mermaids. She must now convince the court of her discovery, that is if anyone will listen.
The King’s Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan, Kaya Scodelario, and Benjamin Walker, is in theaters now.
Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand
Cyrano is an adaptation of the 2018 theater show, itself based on Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play, Cyrano de Bergerac. The eponymous protagonist is infatuated with Roxane, the most beautiful woman in Paris, who is in love with another man, Christian de Neuvillette. Love feels out of reach for Cyrano, who believes his appearance and class ranking will make his destiny a lonely one. However, he realizes he can use his poetic penmanship on Christian’s behalf to write declarations of love to Roxane, allowing her to fall in love with his words with no preconceptions.
Cyrano, starring Peter Dinklage, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn, is in theaters now.
Killing Floor, by Lee Child
Child’s Jack Reacher series, comprising 27 novels, has already been the basis of two film adaptations: Jack Reacher and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, both starring Tom Cruise. Now the first of Child’s Reacher novels, his 1997 award-winning debut, Killing Floor, will be the basis of a Prime Video original show. Reacher, an ex-military policeman, is an enigma drifting through life, cities, and worlds. It is when he passes through Margrave in Georgia that the jaws of fate catch up with him; he’s arrested for a murder he didn’t commit and thrown into a criminal underworld.
Reacher, starring Alan Ritchson, Willa Fitzgerald, and Kristin Kreuk, is streaming on Amazon Prime Video February 4.
Death on the Nile, by Agatha Christie
Is it possible the most cursed casting of the year has peaked in February? It will be hard to top Death on the Nile, an adaptation of Christie’s classic Hercule Poirot detective novel, in which a luxury cruise is headed straight for tragedy. The film is a follow-up to Murder on the Orient Express and observes a couple’s tranquil holiday on Egypt’s River Nile as it turns deadly. When a body is found, Poirot is entrusted to solve the crime before the killer strikes again. A tale of blood-stained lies, deceit, and death, this adaptation will certainly cause a stir.
Death on the Nile, starring Kenneth Branagh, Armie Hammer, Gal Gadot, and Letitia Wright, is in theaters February 11.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, by Paul Gallico
Mrs. Harris is a salt-of-the-earth Londoner, a working-class widow who is a house cleaner for the homes of the upper-class. While tidying Lady Dant’s wardrobe, she comes across a stunning Dior gown and is awestruck by its beauty. She sweeps her modest ambition to the side and begins saving to travel to the House of Dior in Paris in search of another haute couture dress. Lesley Manville is at the helm as the indomitable Mrs. Harris, and if her exemplary performance and knowledge of textiles in Phantom Thread is anything to go by, she’s perfect for this role.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, starring Lesley Manville, Isabelle Huppert, and Jason Isaacs, is in theaters March 4.
A Breath of Snow and Ashes, by Diana Gabaldon
The sixth book in Gabaldon’s Outlander series of novels, A Breath of Snow and Ashes is the basis for the eight-episode sixth season of Outlander. With more than 1,400 pages to adapt, season six has plenty of choices for where to take its time-traveling couple. The story takes place in 1772; Jamie is called upon by the king to protect the land, yet he already knows what the future of this action will hold. Central to this narrative is the effort to manage the present while avoiding disaster in the future. With plenty of drama, brutality, and romance, A Breath of Snow and Ashes makes for rich adaptation material.
Season six of Outlander, starring Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, and Sophie Skelton, premieres on Starz March 6.
The Bad Guys, by Aaron Blabey
This crime-comedy Scholastic book series centers on a gang of notorious criminals who are renowned for their legendary heists in a world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist. Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Ms. Tarantula have the desire to be reformed villains and put their lives of crime behind them to avoid jail time. However, they may have bitten off more than they can chew when it comes to being agents of good who restore peace; a new villain has arrived, and the gang’s commitment to behaving like model civilians is waning.
The Bad Guys, starring Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, and Anthony Ramos, is in theaters April 22.
