Books, Streaming, Television, What to Watch
Feb 25, 2021

Page To Screen Adaptations Surge At Netflix

Books adapted as Netflix series surge in sales, as viewers consume them with voracity.

Image Credit: Netflix PR

Many of us first fell in love with stories like The Queen’s Gambit, Bridgerton, Lupin  and Firefly Lane through the books that these popular series are based on, and went on to binge them as on screen adaptions. As Netflix members embraced these shows, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see them find new audiences in print through bestseller lists, book clubs and more. People who read the books have flocked to watch them on Netflix and vice versa, where many viewers are discovering these well written gems on screen for the first time are running to book stores online and in person to read the printed versions.

In fact, led by Bridgerton, half of the Top 10 titles on The New York Times Best Sellers list this month are books tied to Netflix series, and they’re not alone in having a literary revival:  

  • As it became Netflix’s biggest series, the popularity of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton novels ballooned – at one point five books from the series were on the New York Times Best Sellers list, with The Duke and I holding steady at #1 for four weeks.
  • Kristin Hannah’s Firefly Lane first appeared on the Top 10 list a month ahead of the show’s release as interest in the series grew. The book hit #1 just three days after its Netflix premiere, and 13 years after its first publication.
  • Three weeks after the Netflix limited series premiered, Walter Tevis’ The Queen’s Gambit appeared on the list for the first time since it was published 37 years ago; and went on to stay in the Top 10 for 11 weeks. 
  • After Lupin premiered, Maurice Leblanc’s original book (written in 1907!) began trending in several countries such as Italy, Spain, the US, the UK and Korea, with sales reaching the equivalent of one year’s worth in just 15 days. Ten days post-premiere, the book ranked in the Top 5 bestsellers on Amazon and Fnac.

So, what other books could be back as a bestseller? Here are some of the noteworthy adaptations coming soon to Netflix: 

We can’t wait to see , and read, what’s up next.  Speaking of “Up Next” one of the most highly anticipated adaptations we’re on the edge of our seat for is Shadow and Bone. We’ve attached the teaser trailer below for you. We can hardly wait to see the world of the Grishaverse come to life!