It’s November, which means Sweatah Weathah — a.k.a. heaven for indoor kids like me. As the leaves fall and the days get shorter, it’s the perfect time to catch up on the films, TV series, and books you haven’t had the chance to enjoy. Since my favourite hobby is consuming media — reading, watching, and listening to things – I thought I’d share 11 great book adaptations that were released as films or TV series this year. 

From offbeat dark comedies, to powerful docu-series, to coming-of-age stories, to steamy romances — there’s a little something for everyone on this list. And in case you’re looking for a little something more, you can check out our list of recommendations for what to watch this November, or build a reading list from my most anticipated books this Fall.

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder

Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch is a brutal, bizarre, and unforgettable story about motherhood and feminism. Following an artist who lives at home full-time with her two-year-old, she finds herself lonely, exhausted, and struggling. Her husband is always travelling, and she fears she may lose her mind. Strange and surprising things begin one night when her son won’t fall asleep. Her canines are sharper, she’s got a new appetite, new instinct, and strange new patches of hair… and from deep within, there’s a new voice. This is a subversive and darkly comic novel that has been adapted into a film starring Amy Adams and directed by Marielle Heller, expected to release this December.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

I first read Holly Jackson’s #BookTok phenomenon A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder this year, and loved it so much, I haven’t been able to stop talking about it. The book was turned into a series, which released on Netflix this summer.  Set in a small town called Fairview, this book follows Pop, a high school senior who decides to do a project on the tragedy that shook up her town five years ago: the disappearance of popular high school senior, Andie Bell, believed to have been murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh, who later killed himself. This tragedy still haunts the town, and Pip can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to what happened that day. Although she was only a child at the time, she remembered Sal being kind to her, and still has a hard time believing that he could have done this. As she starts to reexamine the closed case, she discovers a dark trail of secrets… but she also soon discovers that someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around, and now her own life may be in danger…

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko is one of my favourite books of all time, and the TV adaptation (available on Apple TV+) released its second season this fall. It’s a multi-generational saga, starting off in the early 1900s, following Sunja, the teenage daughter of a crippled fisherman, who lives in Korea, and falls for a wealthy stranger. He promises her the world, but when she discovers that she’s pregnant, and that her lover is married, she decides to accept an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister who becomes aware of her situation while he’s passing through on his way to Japan. She doesn’t realize, but her decision to abandon her home, and reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a series of events with ramifications that will echo through generations. This is a powerful, and devastating story of love, sacrifice, family, and loyalty, full of incredibly written characters.

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Co-authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows’ My Lady Jane is a hilarious, quirky, and romantic young adult fantasy that shares an alternate historical fantasy version of Lady Jane Grey. In the tradition of The Princess Bride, this book features a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history. At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and gets caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. This is a laugh-out-loud funny story, and you’ll soon find yourself falling in love with its cast of characters. After reading the book, you can watch the first season of the TV series on Prime Video. 

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These is set in 1985, in a small Irish town, in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and a family man, prepares for his busiest season, until early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery that forces him to confront his past, as well as the silence and complicity of a town controlled by the church.  The film stars Cillian Murphy and is in theatres November 8th.

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Candice Carty-Williams’ Queenie was released as a TV series this summer (and is now available to stream on Disney +).  The book follows Queenie Jenkins, a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures, but seamlessly fitting into neither. She works at a national newspaper where she’s constantly comparing herself to her white, middle-class peers. After a messy breakup with her long-term boyfriend, Queenie searches for comfort in all the wrong places — including with several men who do a great job of occupying her mind, and a terrible job of affirming her self-worth. As Queenie makes one questionable decision after another, she finds herself wondering who she is, and who she wants to be. This is a coming-of-age story that’s both complicated and messy (like many of us).

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women is a true story about the sex lives of three real American women, based on nearly a decade of reporting. In the suburbs of Indiana, we meet Lina — a homemaker and mother of two — whose marriage has lost its passion after a decade. Starved for affection, and battling daily panic attacks, she reconnects with an old flame on social media, and soon embarks on an affair that soon consumes her. In North Dakota, seventeen-year-old Maggie is a high school student, who allegedly has a clandestine relationship with her handsome, married English teacher – the ensuing criminal trial will turn their quiet community upside down. Finally, we also meet Sloane, a gorgeous, successful, refined restaurant owner who is happily married to a man who enjoys watching her have sex with other men and women. Coming from years of immersive reporting, this is a tender and human account, introducing readers to three very real, very unforgettable women. The TV series, starring Shailene Woodley, Blaire Underwood, and Betty Gilpin, debuted this fall on Crave.

The Knowing by Tanya Talaga

The Knowing is one of my favourite books of this year, and I can’t stop talking about it. It’s partially a personal history – written by critically-acclaimed, award-winning journalist and author Tanya Talaga, as she traces the life of her family and tries to learn what became of her great-great-grandmother in the tragic aftermath of residential school and institutionalization. It’s also an urgent exploration of the residential school system, the ways bureaucracy erases us, and the story of Indigenous peoples’ relationships with settlers, from first contact. This book is expansive and immersive — tying together the author’s own story with a partial history of this country. It’s informative, it’s electrifying, and it’s so powerful. A must-read for all Canadians. The 4-part docuseries, chronicling Talaga’s experiences writing the book, and finding her great-grandmother, is available to stream on CBC Gem.

The Outrun by Amy Liptrot

Amy Liptrot’s The Outrun is a powerful and devastating memoir. At the age of thirty, Amy Liptrot finds herself washed up back home on Orkney, trying to come to terms with the addiction that has taken over the last decade of her life. As she spends her mornings swimming in the frigid sea, her days tracking local wildlife, and her nights searching the sky – Amy discovers that the wild can restore life and renew hope. The film, starring Saoirse Ronan, released last month.

Joan by Joan Hannington

In the 1980s, Joan Hannington was the most notorious female figure in London’s criminal underground, earning her the nickname ‘The Godmother’. With her beauty and glamorous wardrobe, she was constantly underestimated. But she ended up using this to her advantage, becoming a mastermind in high-stakes jewelry theft, getting away with millions of pounds in diamonds, through elaborate disguise and great planning. Joan is her story, in her own words, chronicling her violent, loveless childhood, to becoming a mother, and being trapped in a terrible marriage. When her husband goes on the run, Joan seizes the moment to leave her old life, motivated by her desire to care for her daughter, and getting swept up in an exhilarating and dangerous world of crime. The mini-series, starring Sophie Turner, is available to stream on CBC Gem.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

Robinne Lee’s The Idea of You is for people (like me) who dream about being swept away by a rich, hot celebrity. The book follows Solène, a thirty-nine-year-old divorcée and the owner of an art gallery in LA, who reluctantly takes her daughter Isabelle in order to meet her favourite boy band. The last thing she expects is to connect with one of the members of the world-famous August Moon, but Hayes Campbell is confident, clever, and charming, and the attraction is immediate. The fact that he’s only twenty further complicates things. What starts as a series of clandestine trysts quickly becomes a passionate and genuine relationship, spanning continents, as they navigate each other’s worlds. However, when their romance becomes public, Solène and her daughter become the target of rabid fans and insatiable media, and Solène must come to terms with how her romantic life has impacted the lives of those she cares about most. The film, starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, debuted on Prime Video earlier this year.

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz