Read it First: Streaming Stories

Daphne Bridgerton has a problem. In Regency London, a young lady must bewitch and beguile her eligible suitors across the ballroom. But Daphne is too kindhearted for these games and so she goes through the seasons uncourted and unwed. The Duke of Hastings has a problem as well. As the most eligible bachelor in all of London, ambitious mothers hound him at every turn. As Daphne approaches old maid status and the Duke aims to avoid matchmaking, the two concoct a plan to save them both from society’s pressure. But the longer the charade plays on, the less of a game it seems. Julia Quinn’s The Duke and I is the first part of the Bridgerton book series. You can catch the popular adapted television series on Netflix.

When his identical twin brother cuts off his own hand, Dominick Birdsey is forced to face the severity of Thomas’ paranoid schizophrenia. In caring for his brother, Dominick is confronted with secrets from his past and must contend with his family history to reclaim his life and happiness. The HBO limited series I Know This Much is True is an adaptation of Wally Lamb’s novel of the same name.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng explores the power of the maternal bond and the devastating effects of secrets. When single mother Mia and her teenage daughter Pearl rent a house from the Richardson family, it sets off a chain of events that will change everyone’s lives forever. As Pearl grows close to the Richardson children, secrets long swept under the rug emerge. The Hulu television series Little Fires Everywhere is a direct adaptation of Ng’s novel.

On a road trip through New England to find his missing father, 22 year old Army veteran Atticus Turner encounters both the everyday horror of racism in 1950’s America and supernatural terrors. With his Uncle George and friend Leticia, he will uncover magic, mystery and the possibility of true freedom. Matt Ruff’s critically acclaimed Lovecraft Country combines horror, pulp and a sharp look at race in America. You can watch the first season of the television adaptation on HBO. 

Sally Rooney’s immensely popular novel, Normal People, is a tale of deep friendship and irresistible love. Connell and Marianne are unlikely friends but the popular boy and the wallflower find an unexpected connection when they first talk. When they head to Trinity College together, their roles reverse and their profound connection is tested. At the root of their mutual fascination lies an intense friendship, but will that be enough to overcome their vast differences? The Hulu show Normal People is a limited series based on Rooney’s book. 

Orphaned at eight years old, Beth Harmon retreats into herself and her grief after being placed in an orphanage. But all of that changes when she is introduced to chess and discovers she has both a prodigious talent and a passion for the game. As she rises in the chess rankings, the stress of her successful career and her struggles with addiction may derail her dreams of reaching Grandmaster status. Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit is a coming-of-age novel that looks at addiction and feminism through the thrilling story of one determined chess prodigy. You can catch the award-winning television adaptation on Netflix.

Historical fiction meets magical realism in Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Underground Railroad. After her mother escapes from the plantation they are enslaved to, Cora becomes an outcast and her treatment at the hands of her master and fellow enslaved deteriorates. When Caesar approaches her about escaping, she reluctantly agrees. To make their way north, they must find the underground railroad, a series of actual subterranean rail lines that ferry formerly enslaved people to freedom. Colson’s riveting tale follows Cora through her tragic and violent escape towards a better life. You can watch the critically acclaimed television adaptation on Amazon Prime.

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots is Deborah Feldman’s memoir recounting her life in and eventual escape from a Hasidic community in Brooklyn, New York. Having spent her life being told what she could wear, eat and say, Feldman finally found the strength to choose her safety and happiness over her upbringing. The Netflix show Unorthodox is a fictional story inspired by Feldman’s biography.

The immensely popular series The Witcher Saga by author Andrzej Sapkowski has been adapted into a movie, two television series, a graphic novel series, and three video games. Consisting of six novels and 15 short stories, it introduces readers to the world of witchers, hunters who develop supernatural powers and battle magical creatures. The first season of the newest television adaptation is based on Sapkowski’s two books of short stories, The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny, which precede the book series. In these stories, we learn of the witcher Geralt of Rivia and his many encounters with supernatural creatures. The show can be watched on Netflix.