Best Shows Based on Books to Watch on Netflix

Looking for some wonderful bingeworthy content to watch on Netflix? Don’t worry – we have you covered! Here’s a list of our best shows based on books to watch on Netflix. Some of these are English, some are Indian. But regardless, these are all wonderful shows with  great plots and memorable characters. You might have heard of most of these – they’re so good that most of them have generated quite a buzz. But if you haven’t watched them, this is your cue to drop everything and do so!

Shadowhunters

Based on the hugely popular Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, this show centres around our protagonist Clary, who can see things others can’t. Soon she is drawn into a world of vampires, werewolves, warlocks and other magical creatures. She herself is a shadowhunter. Shadowhunters are a group of skilled people charged with ridding the world of demons. The series follows Clary as she accepts her identity and confronts her own father, the evilest demon of all.  

Shadow and Bone

Leigh Bardugo’s hugely popular YA series was recently adapted by Netflix into a TV show, and the audience seems to be loving it just as much! The series is set in a fictional world called Ravka, torn apart into two factions by the Shadow Fold. This is an area of utter darkness where dangerous cannibalistic creatures lurk. Alina Starkov is our protagonist, and she accidentally unleashes a great power and saves the life of her best friend when he is in danger. As a response, she is taken to the magical court to commence her training to become a member of the Grisha. But not everything is as it seems, and the stakes are high. With such awesome worldbuilding, a strong plot and Jessie Mei Li in the lead role of Alina, you’re sure to love this!

House of Cards

Quite a popular TV show, this is the story of Francis Urquhart. It follows his political journey – he knows all dirty secrets of the US politics and is willing to betray them to become the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, political correspondent Mattie Storin comes across a scandal that she must expose in order to preserve her integrity. A brilliant novel by Michael Hobbs, this is one of the few books whose small screen adaptations have lived up to the original.

13 Reasons Why

This series made quite a buzz in the cinephile community when it came out in 2017. Based on a novel of the same name by Jay Asher, this show shows Hannah Baker who commits suicide. As she takes this drastic decision, she leaves 13 tapes for the 13 people who contributed in some way to her decision. These tapes contain the 13 reasons she decided to end her life. One of the recipients of these tapes is our male protagonist, Clay Jensen – a sweet boy who crushed on Hannah. From here, the story follows Clay as he follows Hanna’s journey. It’s quite a heavy show to watch, but one that sends an important message of mental health.

A Suitable Boy

Originally released by BBC in English, the Hindi version of this wonderful series is also popular. Based on Vikram Seth’s celebrated novel of the same name, this series is about Lata and her life as she chooses her life partner from among three suitors. Set in postcolonial India of the 1950s, this story recreates a distinct social and cultural panorama for our generation. Fine actors like Tabu, Ishaan Khatter and Ram Kapoor are a part of the cast and have shone as usual, but the debutantes like Tanya Maniktala and Namit Das have worked wonders as well.

Bridgerton

One of the most recent shows that Netflix released based on books was Bridgerton. This historical fiction series by Julia Quinn gives strong Pride and Prejudice vibes and is a set of eight novels. Each of these eight novels follows one of the eight children of the late Count Bridgerton. These close knit siblings discover love, family and meaning in life and the show chronicles their journey. Full of latent, beautiful romance and yestertime adventure, this is a great show with a great cast to watch.

Sacred Games

Sacred Games is perhaps one of the most watched Indian web series, and has its roots in Vikram Chandra’s novel of the same name. The series, directed with flair by none other than Anurag Kashyap, is the story of a crime lord and his interactions with the inspector. Well received by critics and audiences alike, this series stars Nawazuddin Siddique, Radhika Apte, Saif Ali Khan, Kalki Koechlin and other prominent names in the industry.

Leila

The dystopian series Leila, based on the book Leila by Prayaag Akhtar, generated a lot of buzz when it released. Set in the near future taken over by a totalitarian regime, this novel follows Shalini who searches for her missing daughter, Leila. With Huma Qureshi essaying the lead role, our expectations from this series were high. And it did not let us down.

Also Read: 10 Books That Will Boost Your Emotional Intelligence