Hello lovely people!

By now you probably know that I love reading and anything book related. Another pastime that I love as much as reading is binge-watching TV shows. I will happily stay up until 4am to finish off a season of a show. There's this perception that books are good and TV is bad but, to me, both are works of art and should be appreciated.

I've compiled a list of 6 TV show book adaptations that have made lasting impressions on me and which are available to watch right now.

Available on BBC iPlayer:

Killing Eve (Luke Jennings)

Eve Polastri is recruited by MI6 to chase an international assassin, Vilanelle, however the hunt ends up turning into an obsession. Killing Eve is a fantastic show; the chemistry between Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer is exceptional and it really gives depth to the show. I found the book to be a bit of a slow burner but I enjoyed learning more about Villanelle's backstory. The third season has met with some criticism because it's not as action packed as the previous two, however, we are learning more about the characters which is adding profoundness and the tension is slowly building up.

Noughts & Crosses (Malorie Blackman)

Noughts & Crosses follows the story of Sephy and Calum who are trying to have a friendship, and later on a relationship, in a society which is full of prejudice and inequality, and which puts them in danger. Whilst there are quite major differences in the TV adaptation, the series still manages to capture the reality of racism and a divided society very well. The only thing I didn't enjoy about the series was the ending, it just didn't have the same effect on me as the book did. I rarely cry but the ending of the Noughts & Crosses book was heartbreaking. Due to the ending, I presume we could potentially see a continuation of Sephy and Callum's story on screen.

Normal People (Sally Rooney)

Normal People follows the story of Marianne and Connell's complex friendship and relationship. Normal People has a very realistic potrayal of relationships; Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal have done a magnificent job at recreating the relationship and the characters. The book and show touch on some important themes such as sexual consent, depression, social status and more. I have to admit, whilst I enjoyed the book, I didn't love it as much as the TV show. Perhaps, I read it too fast without actually taking it all in so I might give it another read. Also, good news for fans of Sally Rooney, her novel Conversations with Friends is going to be adapted too!

Looking For Alaska (John Green)

Miles Halter goes to boarding school to seek the 'Great Perhaps', there he meets a girl called Alaska who changes his life dramatically. The show is quite philosophical and touches upon themes of death, grief and the meaning of life. It's mostly aimed at teenagers but we are constantly trying to find ourselves throughout our lives so it's definitely worth a watch for adults too. Looking For Alaska was one of my favourite novels growing up so I was ecstatic when I found out that it was being turned into a TV show. I think the show and the actors really reconstructed the story in a beautiful way.

Available on Netflix:

YOU (Caroline Kepnes)

YOU has become a huge Netflix hit so most of you have probably heard of it if not yet seen it. YOU follows Joe Goldberg, a bookshop manager, who loves obsessively and goes to extreme lengths to get  the woman he loves. Penn Badgley portrays the character of dangerously charming Joe perfectly. His behaviour is appalling but you can't help falling a little bit in love with him. Whilst the book is slightly different from the TV show, I have to say I enjoyed both equally. I have yet to read the second book, which is Hidden Bodies, but the reviews are less positive than of the first book so I'm not going to be expecting too much from it but I may be pleasantly surprised, you never know!

Have you seen any of these shows?

Would you be interest in reading some more in-depth comparisons between books and their TV/film adaptations?

Love,
Sylvia

Photography: Sylvia Freda