Virgin River and more Netflix shows based on book series

There are so many great books out there that have been adapted into television shows and movies. And while those who bring these stories to the screen are of course talented, it’s thanks to the authors of the books that came up with the ideas first. Netflix has developed many great original ideas like Stranger Things, Outer Banks, and Ozark. The streaming giant has also produced some of the best adaptations from book series.

Sweet Magnolias, Haunting of Hill House, The Last Kingdom, and The Witcher were all concepts based on books. So thank you to those awesome authors, and then a thank you to Netflix for bringing them to our screens!

There’s so many others that have been adapted. Some of Netflix’s most popular titles actually come from novels.

Netflix shows based on book series

Virgin River

The beloved romantic drama, Virgin River is based on a book series by author Robyn Carr. The first book is of the same name, with a total of 22 novels. Plenty of material for Netflix to work with! When a recently widowed Melinda Monroe sees an ad calling for a midwife/nurse practitioner in Virgin River, she decides the remote and small town may help with her heartache. But she’s in for a surprise when she gets there – the cabin is a dump, the roads are treacherous, and the local doctor can’t stand her. Virgin River season 4 should be coming out sometime in 2022 and has already been renewed for a fifth season.

Bridgerton

Speaking of romance, no other show does it better than regency-era series, Bridgerton. Season 2 broke Netflix records and I have no doubt the show will continue to be a massive success. The nine-book series, written by author Julia Quinn, starts with The Duke and I which focuses on Daphne Bridgerton. Each following book centers around one of the eight Bridgerton children, and concludes with a short story about their mother Violet – The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After. The first season of the Netflix show follows the first book pretty closely, but the writers decided to shake things up and took their own spin on the adaptation in season 2. Seasons 3 and 4 have already been renewed by the streamer.

Shadow and Bone

The Shadow and Bone book series already had a big following before it was even known to Netflix viewers. And now, it’s become one of the streamer’s top original series. The television show shares the same name as the first book of the trilogy. The first novel follows Alina, a lonely orphan who discovers a unique power that brings her into the kingdom’s magical elite – the Grisha. The kingdom of Ravka is fighting The Shadow Fold which is destroying the once great nation. We’re currently waiting for Netflix to announce a Shadow and Bone season 2 release date.

You

You has become another audience fan-favorite. The show is based on the thriller novel of the same name by author Caroline Kepnes. The book is all about Joe Goldberg, a man who becomes obsessed with Guinevere Beck. Joe thinks she’s his perfect match, but there’s more to Joe than Beck realizes and more to Beck then her seemingly perfect self. Their mutual obsession spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences. There’s currently three You books, and the author is working on a fourth. You season 4 has begun filming.

The Queen’s Gambit

Another show that took the world by storm was The Queen’s Gambit. Everyone fell in love with this show and wanted more. Unfortunately, it was made to just be a miniseries and also only has one book. The Queen’s Gambit is a 1983 American novel by Walter Tevis, exploring the life of chess prodigy Beth Harmon. The story covers themes of adoption, feminism, and substance abuse. It had a satisfying ending, but I wouldn’t say no to another part down if the creative team is listening!

Did you know these shows were based on books? Have you ready any? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!