Top Ten Books I'd Love To See On Screen

Top Ten Tuesday was created by (and topics are given by) The Broke and The Bookish.

We did this topic back in 2013 (here are my picks from then, which I still stand behind... especially my GOT-scope Lunar Chronicles show), so all of these picks are going to be books I've read since then. And, as in that case, this takes place in a perfect world in which any TV or movie adaptation would be a flawless one, because I will not accept less.

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman
Seraphina was on my list last time as a movie adaptation to make up for the Eragon train wreck, but after reading Shadow Scale, I would like to see an entire TV show based around Seraphina and her world. It's intricate and it has so many unique and interesting characters to explore, plus the politics would add a lot of conflict and tension throughout. Another one that could be incredible in Game of Thrones scope.

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley
This would be an awesome movie like Cadet Kelly (Hilary Duff DCOM) but with darker undercurrents and more intense drama. I would be all over a visual representation of this story of girls entering the boys' club and taking down the misogynistic secret society that plagues it while proving that they're just as badass. How empowering and exciting would that movie be?

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
A group of young Victorian girls trying to solve a murder while hiding its occurrence from all the adults around them? Can you imagine the crazy shenanigans that would take place in that movie? I'm picturing some Matilda and Home Alone elements but with a fun historical flair.

Nil by Lynne Matson
This could be an awesome Lost style TV show with teens trying to survive and escape Nil. Beginning with Charley's arrival and spanning at least through the end of the sequel, Nil Unlocked (and maybe even through the as yet unpublished third book), we could have a fantastic cast of characters and some high stakes, heart pounding drama as they try to solve the island's mysteries as some teens arrive and some leave... one way or another.

Maids of Honor series by Jennifer McGowan
Maid of Secrets and Maid of Deception are the first two books in the series, each following two different members of Queen Elizabeth I's special circle of five young women who act as her personal spies. Seeing their spy work would be fun and exciting, and watching their interactions with each other, with members of the court, with their supervisors, and with Elizabeth herself would create some fantastic dynamics to grow with. Plus there would be plenty of gorgeous costumes and hot guys, à la CW's Reign, so... win-win.

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee
I think that this story of a growing friendship in a time of desperation would be a powerful and moving one as two young women disguise themselves as boys to run away from their lives and take on the Oregon Trail. I also think it would be a fantastic look into that time in history. The cast of characters is so great (especially Samantha, Annamae, and the little group of cowboys they meet), there's plenty of adventure, people seem to love "journey" movies, and I always want more visual content set in the past because I love seeing it come alive. Plus how awesome would it be to have a movie led by two young women of colour? Seriously.

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
A princess who has lost her kingdom and must infiltrate another while working with a group of fellow orphans from her old homeland to try and get her throne back, all while she keeps crossing paths with a mysterious vigilante? Oh yeah, and there's magic, too? Holy awesome story. This one might make a good movie (as long as there's a sequel!) or could be a really cool miniseries, depending on how they worked it. The miniseries would give more opportunity to flesh things out, which might be ideal since there's so much going on here and even things I wished had been explored more in the book. Either way, I want.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Similarly to The Orphan Queen above, this one has so much going on and such a rich fantasy world to pull from that it could also make an incredible movie series or TV miniseries. It would be dark and gritty but would also have incredibly visually beautiful moments. It has conflicted characters as well as muddled motivations and goals. There's so much storytelling potential here as well as a ton of visual opportunity. I'd love to see it come to life!

The Starbound series by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
These Broken Stars and This Shattered World, plus the upcoming Their Fractured Light could, I think, make up a really cool show kind of in the scope of The 100, following different groups of people at different times as they face interconnected and largely unknown troubles across planets as they all fight against the "big bad" of LaRoux Industries in different ways. The timelines would have to be shifted a little to make it work as a TV show but hey, they've done that before.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab
I want a Vicious movie so bad, guys. So bad. I want Dane DeHaan as Victor Vale and I want Dave Franco as Eli Ever. I want to see their relationship grow and their science develop and then I want to see it all crash down around them. I want to see their powers. I want the shades of grey that they both embody so well. I want the dark, super not-hero-but-not-quite-villain movie that this could be.