Top 5 Book Adaptations on Netflix for Avid Fans to Explore

It's no news that most movies and TV shows are based on pre-existing literary works, even if only loosely. And Netflix may be the top producer of book-based shows.

Here are just five series on the streaming service that were adapted from books and cycles of novels.

13 Reasons Why (2017-2020, 4 seasons, 7.5 on IMDb)

Based on Jay Asher's novel Thirteen Reasons Why, this teen drama explores the aftermath of the suicide of high school student Hannah Baker, who leaves behind a collection of videotapes that explain what led her to take her own life and cast a shadow over many of the people around her. The show centers on Clay Jensen, Hannah's schoolmate, who one day receives the tapes that change his life forever.

You (2018-present, 4 seasons, 7.7 on IMDb)

This hit psychological thriller about Joe Goldberg, a charming and extremely obsessive serial killer, is based on Caroline Kepnes' cycle of novels of the same name. Originally premiering on Lifetime, the show follows Joe as he stalks the people he is infatuated with and obsesses over, eliminating every obstacle in his path. Season 5 is expected to be released sometime this year to conclude the series.

Maid (2021, 1 season, 8.3 on IMDb)

Adapted from Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, a memoir by Stephanie Land, this miniseries tells the story of Alex Russell, a young mother who has just escaped an abusive relationship and is forced to live in a shelter with her toddler. To support herself and her child, Alex takes a job as a cleaning lady while struggling to raise her daughter, find help from the government, and keep her dream of becoming a writer alive.

The Queen's Gambit (2020, 1 season, 8.5 on IMDb)

Starring Anya Taylor-Joy and adapted from Walter Tevis' novel of the same name, this hit period drama centers on Beth Harmon, a Kentucky orphan who happens to have a talent for chess. Set in the 1950s and 1960s, the show chronicles Beth's rise to the top of the chess world, as well as her drug and alcohol addictions.

Mindhunter (2017-2019, 2 seasons, 8.6 on IMDb)

Adapted from John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker's true crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, this psychological thriller tells the founding story of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit, which pioneered the practice of criminal profiling in the US law enforcement. The show focuses on FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench and staff psychologist Wendy Carr as they interview serial killers to determine their behavioral patterns, which can help solve other cases.