The Best Netflix Series Based on Books

Even if you love reading, there are times when you might not want to get your entertainment fix […]

November 8, 2017, 3:33pm

Even if you love reading, there are times when you might not want to get your entertainment fix from a physical book and want to turn to television instead.

Thankfully, plenty of books have been adapted into films and TV shows over the years, and streaming giant Netflix happens to be home to quite a few series based on both classic and lesser-known books.

Videos by PopCulture.com

From Netflix originals to fan-favorites that are now off the air, read on to get your reading on, without doing any actual reading, that is.

MORE: Netflix’s Best Cooking Shows

‘Orange Is the New Black’

The women of Litchfield Penintentiary were actually inspired by Piper Kerman’s memoir Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. The series began with a focus on Piper Chapman, a woman living in New York City who ends up in the minimum-security prison after being sentenced for drug trafficking. The series is currently one of Netflix’s most successful original outputs.

‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’

Based on Lemony Snicket’s popular children’s series, A Series of Unfortunate Events was given the Netflix original series treatment earlier this year. The show follows the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus and Sunny, as they deal with the nefarious Count Olaf, his various henchmen and a mysterious organization known as V.F.D.

‘Friday Night Lights’

“Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose” is a phrase all Friday Night Lights fans know by heart, but the inspiration for the Dillon Panthers actually came from H. G. Bissinger and his 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream. First adapted into a movie, the Emmy-winning series ran for five seasons and will forever give us couple goals in the form of Eric and Tami Taylor.

‘Sherlock’

The beloved British series is just one of the many iterations of the iconic detective, first created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887. The show stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular detective and Martin Freeman as his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson.

’13 Reasons Why’

The latest Netflix original series to make a major splash in the collective consciousness of today’s culture, this grim look at teen suicide was inspired by Jay Asher’s 2007 novel of the same name. The series revolves around high school student Clay Jensen and a series of tapes left behind by his friend Hannah Baker after she commits suicide.

‘The Vampire Diaries’

This teen favorite, which aired on The CW for eight seasons, is based on the series of novels by L.J. Smith and follows vampire brothers Stefan and Damon Salvatore as they become involved in a love triangle with high school student Elena Gilbert.