This year has been a great one for book lovers on the big screen. Adaptations like The Odyssey, Project Hail Mary and Wuthering Heights have drawn audiences to cinemas, proving that some of the best stories still begin with a book. Their success has also sparked renewed interest in the original novels, with readers keen to discover, or revisit, the stories behind the films.
If you’ve enjoyed this year’s book-to-screen releases, there’s plenty more to look forward to. Here are some books to read now before their adaptations arrive.
The Love Hypothesis
By Ali Hazelwood
When PhD candidate Olive Smith kisses a professor to convince her best friend she’s dating, she never expects him to become her fake boyfriend. But as their pretend relationship starts to feel very real, Olive discovers that love may be the one thing she can’t explain away with science.
🎬 Coming to screens: September 2026
Starring: Lili Reinhart, Tom Bateman, Rachel Marsh and Nicholas Duvernay.
The Book of Magic
By Alice Hoffman
The Owens family has lived under a centuries-old curse when it comes to love. As secrets are uncovered and the family faces a new threat, generations of Owens women must use their magic to change their fate. This final novel in Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series has inspired the upcoming film Practical Magic 2.
🎬 Coming to screens: September 2026
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King and Lee Pace.
Verity
by Colleen Hoover
Struggling writer Lowen Ashleigh accepts the opportunity to complete a bestselling author’s unfinished series. But while working in Verity Crawford’s home, she discovers an unpublished manuscript filled with chilling confessions that leave her questioning everything she thought she knew.
🎬 Coming to screens: October 2026
Starring: Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway and Josh Hartnett.
Whalefall
by Daniel Kraus
After his father’s death, 18-year-old Jay Gardiner dives into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California to search for his remains. But when Jay is swallowed by a sperm whale, he has just one hour of oxygen to escape—and confront the guilt he has carried since his father’s death.
🎬 Coming to screens: October 2026
Starring: Josh Brolin, Elisabeth Shue, Jane Levy and Austin Abrams.
Sense and Sensibility
By Jane Austen
Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood navigate love, heartbreak and society’s expectations in this beloved classic. Through their very different experiences of romance, they discover that love requires both sense and sensibility. This 2026 adaptation brings Austen’s timeless story back to the screen.
🎬 Coming to screens: October 2026
Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, George MacKay and Esmé Creed-Miles.
The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
By Suzanne Collins
Return to the world of Panem in this prequel to The Hunger Games series. Follow a young Haymitch Abernathy as he is chosen as a tribute during the 50th Hunger Games and faces the events that shape his future.
🎬 Coming to screens: November 2026
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Ralph Fiennes, Elle Fanning and Maya Hawke.
The Housemaid’s Secret
By Freida McFadden
When Millie takes a job cleaning a luxurious penthouse, she’s warned never to enter the guest bedroom or meet her employer, Mrs Garrick. But when she discovers signs that something is terribly wrong, Millie is determined to uncover the truth – even if it means confronting secrets of her own.
🎬 Coming to screens: Expected 2027
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Michele Morrone, Kirsten Dunst and Paul Anthony Kelly.
The Nightingale
By Kristin Hannah
In Nazi-occupied France, sisters Vianne and Isabelle face the dangers of war in very different ways. While Vianne fights to protect her family, Isabelle joins the Resistance and risks her life to help others.
🎬 Coming to screens: Expected 2027
Starring: Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Mark Rylance and Shira Haas.
Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
By C.S. Lewis
When Digory and Polly discover a mysterious passage that leads to another world, they find themselves at the beginning of an unforgettable adventure. As they witness the creation of Narnia and face a powerful enemy, they discover a world filled with magic, danger and wonder.
🎬 Coming to screens: Expected 2027
Starring: Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep.
Beach Read
By Emily Henry
When romance writer January Andrews and literary novelist Augustus Everett become neighbours for the summer, they make a deal to swap genres and challenge each other to break through their writer’s block. But as their writing experiment brings them closer, they may discover that their agreement not to fall in love is harder to keep than they expected.
🎬 Coming to screens: Expected 2027
Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Kevin Bacon and Andie MacDowell.
Children of Blood and Bone
By Tomi Adeyemi
In the kingdom of Orïsha, Zélie Adebola sets out to restore the magic that was stolen from her people. Joined by her brother and a rogue princess, she must evade the crown and confront a ruthless king determined to destroy magic for good.
🎬 Coming to screens: Expected 2027
Starring: Idris Elba, Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
It Happened One Summer
By Tessa Bailey
Piper Bellinger’s glamorous life changes when she is sent to a small fishing town to learn responsibility. There, she meets gruff sea captain Brendan, and the two discover that sometimes the most unexpected places can lead to love.
🎬 Coming to screens: In production
Starring: Nina Dobrev, Gavin Leatherwood and Tyler Hoechlin.
Ready to get reading? Visit your local Brimbank Library or browse our online catalogue to find your next read before it reaches our screens.
