Here's the Next Great Book You Should Read Based on Your Favorite TV Show

By Brandon Miller
A cozy reading nook with an open book resting on a soft blanket, accompanied by a cup of hot beverage on a bedside table, inviting relaxation and leisure.

These enticing tales will draw you in, just like your latest streaming obsession.

The TV shows at the top of your queue say a lot about who you are — including which types of stories keep you coming back for more. That’s why we rounded up 11 must-read books for you to check out based on your favorite shows. Intrigued by dark psychological thrillers? Obsessed with true-crime docs? Can’t get enough of the latest cooking show? We’ve got the book for you. And don’t worry — no spoilers.

A gripping novel by alex michaelides, 'the maidens': a mix of classic art, mystery, and psychological intrigue, as signified by the fragmented statue and the hint of blood.

If you love Killing Eve… read The Maidens

By Alex Michaelides

Both Killing Eve and The Maidens feature female protagonists who are hell-bent on catching a criminal. In Eve, the titular character pursues an assassin named Villanelle to the detriment of all other relationships. In Alex Michaelides’s latest thriller, Mariana Andros knows in her bones that Greek tragedy professor Edward Fosca has murdered one of his students — and she’ll do whatever it takes to prove his guilt. Both the show and the book are perfect for fans of darkly intelligent thrill rides that don’t let you go until the very end.

A novel titled "the whisper man" by alex north featured on a book cover with a graphic representation of a butterfly created by black handprints and fingerprints, also displaying the accolade of being a new york times bestseller.

If you love The Outsider… read The Whisper Man

By Alex North

HBO’s The Outsider is based on Stephen King’s 2018 horror thriller of the same name, so it goes without saying that the show delivers the chills. And just like the show, Alex North’s The Whisper Man grips you with a small-town murder mystery of nightmarish proportions. The bestselling novel is set in Featherbank, where newly arrived resident Tom Kennedy hopes to make a fresh start with his son after the sudden death of his wife. But evil lingers on the periphery. Twenty years ago, a serial killer prowled the streets of Featherbank, luring victims to their doom by whispering at their windows at night. When a young boy goes missing, rumors swirl that the Whisper Man is back. Then Tom’s own son starts hearing whispers at the window....

A book cover with a natural landscape viewed through cut-out letters of the title, "the plot," suggesting a story deeply rooted in intrigue and mystery.

If you love Losing Alice… read The Plot

By Jean Hanff Korelitz

Losing Alice, a buzzy Israeli psychological thriller currently streaming on Apple TV+, has much in common with Jean Hanff Korelitz’s bestselling novel The Plot. Both are rich with twists and suspense, and they explore the blurry line between honesty and deceit, drawing on themes of egotism, ambition, and authorship. Alice follows a 48-year-old film director whose career is on a downswing until she meets a beguiling young screenwriter and becomes obsessed with her work. In The Plot, a washed-up college professor named Jacob Finch Bonner decides to steal his dead student’s unfinished novel in a desperate attempt at finding success. While Bonner’s new work of fiction is a smash hit, someone knows his secret.

If you love Chef’s Table… read Finding Freedom

By Erin French

If you like to go behind the scenes at a restaurant or peek into the life of a chef — like on Netflix’s Chef’s Table, for exampleyou’re sure to love Erin French’s memoir, Finding Freedom. In her bestselling book, French discusses her trials and triumphs, including struggles with addiction and anxiety, the highs and lows of motherhood, and her hugely successful restaurant The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine. And if after finishing French’s memoir you’re still hungry for more, you’ll be happy to hear that the author just launched her own show! The Lost Kitchen is broadcast on the Magnolia Network and is available on Discovery+.

City skyline at dusk with a dramatic overlay of the book title 'last call' and the tagline 'a true story of love, lust, and murder in queer new york' by elon green.

If you love I’ll Be Gone in the Dark… read Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York

By Elon Green

If you watched HBO’s engrossing true-crime docuseries I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, you’ve likely already read the true-crime book on which it’s based: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, by the late Michelle McNamara. In a similar vein to I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Elon Green’s Last Call tracks a vicious killer who evaded justice for years. Green’s powerful work centers on the Last Call Killer, a man who preyed on gay men in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Both offer harrowing insights into true crime and the depths of human brutality.

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

If you love The Flight Attendant… read Red Lotus

By Chris Bohjalian

The Flight Attendant was one of the buzziest shows of 2020, earning multiple award nominations for its portrayal of a boozing flight attendant who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. The show is based on a book of the same name written by Chris Bohjalian. Bohjalian’s follow-up novel, Red Lotus, is a must-read for all fans. In Red Lotus, Bohjalian weaves a thrilling tale packed with twists and turns — this time the story focuses on a man who goes missing in rural Vietnam and that man’s ER doctor girlfriend who’s determined to find him.

A bold and colorful book cover for "no filter: the inside story of instagram" by sarah frier.

If you love The Circle… read No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram

By Sarah Frier

If you’re a fan of Netflix’s The Circle, wherein participants compete in a popularity contest without ever actually meeting in person, chances are good that you’re fascinated by social media, selfie culture, and technology’s impact on human interaction. No Filter by Sarah Frier is a fantastic companion to the show, as it unpacks how Instagram came to define a generation of Internet users. A key element of the book is Frier’s quest to illustrate just how much Instagram has changed things. Hey, if The Circle’s existence is not example enough, we don’t know what is.

Book cover of "darius the great is not okay" featuring two figures looking out over a cityscape with prominent architectural silhouettes against a dusk-colored backdrop.

If you love Never Have I Ever… read Darius the Great Is Not Okay

By Adib Khorram

Both Netflix’s Never Have I Ever and Adib Khorram’s Darius the Great Is Not Okay are heartfelt YA narratives about teenagers trying to find their place in the world. Yet they’re also stories about family, race, and identity. Never Have I Ever has been heralded for its nuanced portrayal of an Indian American teenager dealing with the death of her dad. In Darius the Great Is Not Okay, a half-Persian boy is forever changed by a profound friendship on his first visit to Iran.

A stylishly illustrated book cover featuring a glamorous woman in sunglasses and earrings titled "rich people problems" by kevin kwan, author of "crazy rich asians," with a tagline announcing a forthcoming book titled "sex and vanity" coming in summer 2020.

If you love Bling Empire… read Rich People Problems

By Kevin Kwan

If Netflix’s Bling Empire reminded you of Crazy Rich Asians, you’re not alone. Various reviews noted the comparison, so it makes sense to recommend another of Kevin Kwan’s books for fans of the glitzy reality show. Rich People Problems is the final novel in the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, and it has similar themes of love, family, status, and jealousy. And yes, it boasts the same level of glamour and affluence that fans of Bling Empire and Crazy Rich Asians love

Cover of "the searcher," a novel by tana french, featuring a dark, tumultuous sky over a turbulent sea, conveying a sense of mystery and tension.

If you love Big Sky… read The Searcher

By Tana French

Big Sky and The Searcher are both evocative mysteries that place tremendous emphasis on setting. Big Sky takes us to a sparsely populated stretch of Montana where the open skies and snowcapped mountains play as large a role as the mysteries at the heart of the show. Similarly, Tana French’s The Searcher is an atmospheric crime novel about a child’s disappearance, set in a picture-perfect Irish village with secrets to hide.

Share with your friends

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Related Articles

Malcom Gladwell is the influential author of runaway bestsellers, but what does he like to read? We compiled some of his personal recommendations.
From biscuits and gravy to sweet potato pie, some of the most delicious dishes in the world hail from our Southern states. If you’re hankering for a taste, now’s the perfect time to get back in the kitchen with a new cookbook.
These transporting narratives will sweep you away just like Min Jin Lee’s bestseller.

Celadon delivered

Subscribe to get articles about writing, adding to your TBR pile, and simply content we feel is worth sharing. And yes, also sign up to be the first to hear about giveaways, our acquisitions, and exclusives!

Two compact discs (CDs) with shiny, reflective surfaces are overlapping each other on a white background. The discs display a spectrum of colors due to the light reflection, creating a rainbow-like effect.

"*" indicates required fields

Step 1 of 8

Who would you rather spend time with?*

Connect with

Celadon

Sign up for our newsletter to see book giveaways, news, and more!