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HBO has long been home to some of television’s most acclaimed dramas, but many of its biggest successes have something unexpected in common: they all started on the page. From sprawling fantasy epics to sharp social satires and emotionally charged coming-of-age stories, the network has repeatedly turned bestselling novels and memoirs into award-winning television.
More recently, adaptations have continued to dominate the cultural conversation, proving that audiences are still eager for richly developed stories adapted from existing source material. Discussing the network’s strict dedication to textual accuracy for upcoming franchises, HBO Content Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys made it clear that they do not intend to dilute franchises with endless original spin-offs, stating, “The idea is not to […] turn it into a DC or a Marvel. The idea is to go in and do the books.”
As anticipation builds around HBO’s upcoming adaptation of the “Harry Potter” novels, and with HBO executives openly discussing why adaptations remain such an important part of the network’s programming strategy, there’s never been a better time to tune in to the books that have become bingable watches. And if you find yourself completely hooked on these gripping on-screen page-turners, then take a quick scroll through what to read next if you loved any of these popular thriller books to find your next major obsession.
Big Little Lies was adapted from Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel
Before it became one of HBO’s biggest limited series, “Big Little Lies” was an international bestseller by Australian author Liane Moriarty. Originally published in 2014, the novel follows three women whose seemingly perfect lives unravel as secrets, domestic abuse, parenting pressures, and murder collide in an affluent seaside community. The television adaptation relocated the story from Australia to Monterey, California, while largely preserving the novel’s central mystery and emotional core.
Starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, and Zoë Kravitz, the series became both a critical and commercial success, earning multiple Emmy Awards. While the first season closely follows the book, HBO later commissioned a second season that expanded beyond Moriarty’s original ending, with the author providing a new story outline specifically for the series.
If you loved watching the Monterey drama explode on screen, diving into the source material can provide a whole new layer of obsession. Fans in the r/biglittlelies subreddit emphasize that reading the book is entirely worth your time because it serves up a ‘more thorough understanding of the characters, which was missing from the show,’ according to one user. Over on the r/books subreddit, readers also note that the book’s major plot twists feel ‘much more subtle‘ because you’re living inside the women’s heads, altering how clues are dropped compared to the TV adaptation.
Sharp Objects faithfully brought Gillian Flynn’s psychological thriller to life
Years before audiences became obsessed with HBO’s unsettling adaptation, “Sharp Objects” introduced readers to journalist Camille Preaker, a reporter forced to return to her hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls. Written by Gillian Flynn, the 2006 novel explores trauma, family dysfunction, self-harm, and memory through Camille’s increasingly unreliable perspective.
Amy Adams stars as Camille in HBO’s adaptation, with Patricia Clarkson delivering an Emmy-nominated performance as her manipulative mother, Adora. Critics praised the series for capturing the novel’s slow-building tension and unsettling atmosphere, while Flynn herself served as an executive producer, helping preserve much of the original story’s tone.
Unlike many adaptations that significantly change their endings, “Sharp Objects” remains remarkably faithful to Flynn’s novel, including its shocking final reveal. Fans on the r/books subreddit highly recommend the book for being a ‘brutally honest’ exploration of the protagonist’s psyche, arguing the text provides a deeper, more visceral experience than the television adaptation.
The Undoing was inspired by Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel You Should Have Known
Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant headlined one of HBO’s most talked-about mystery dramas when “The Undoing” premiered in 2020. While many viewers assumed the series was an original screenplay, it was actually adapted from Jean Hanff Korelitz’s 2014 novel “You Should Have Known.” The story follows therapist Grace Sachs, whose seemingly perfect life begins to unravel after a shocking murder exposes long-buried secrets about her husband.
Although the television series keeps the central premise intact, it makes several notable changes, including the setting, pacing, and the identities of certain supporting characters. Creator David E. Kelley streamlined some of the novel’s psychological introspection in favor of a tighter TV mystery, while expanding the courtroom drama element during the final episodes.
According to Goodreads reviewers, Jean Hanff Korelitz’s slow-burn domestic suspense focuses deeply on the early warning signs people ignore in relationships. It leaves out the heavy police-procedural plots of the television series entirely — giving husband Jonathan Sachs a completely different narrative path while focusing on Grace’s painstaking journey to rebuild her life. If you love unraveling tangled family secrets and want to fill up your bookshelf before the weather cools down, take a look at edge-of-your-seat mystery & thriller books to add to your fall TBR.
My Brilliant Friend transformed Elena Ferrante’s beloved novels into prestige television
Among HBO’s most acclaimed international productions is “My Brilliant Friend,” adapted from Elena Ferrante’s globally celebrated series, “Neapolitan Novels.” Beginning with the first book of the same name, the series chronicles the lifelong friendship between Elena Greco and Raffaella “Lila” Cerullo as they grow up in post-war Naples and navigate education, ambition, marriage, and social class.
Rather than condensing the story into a single season, HBO adapted each novel individually, allowing the series to mirror Ferrante’s expansive storytelling. Much of the dialogue is performed in Italian, and the adaptation earned widespread praise for preserving both the emotional intimacy and historical detail that made the books such an international phenomenon.
If you want to experience the true, heartbreaking depth of Elena and Lila’s lifetime of shared trauma and fierce devotion, cracking open the gorgeous and immersive, fans on the r/blogsnark subreddit recommend reading the novels first. One user suggests, “… Read the books just so you enjoy the HBO series even more. It’s that beautiful.”
The Leftovers expanded Tom Perrotta’s novel beyond its original ending
When “The Leftovers” premiered in 2014, audiences weren’t quite sure what to expect. Based on Tom Perrotta’s novel of the same name, the story begins three years after 2% of the world’s population mysteriously disappears without explanation. Rather than focusing on the supernatural event itself, both the novel and the HBO series examine grief, faith, identity, and how ordinary people cope with unimaginable loss.
The first season closely follows Perrotta’s book, with the author serving as a co-creator alongside Damon Lindelof. However, once the adaptation reached the end of the novel, the remaining two seasons ventured into entirely new territory, developing original storylines while maintaining the emotional themes established in the
Instead of relying on supernatural flair, the original novel takes its time navigating suburban grief, faith, and the bizarre ways people try to cope with the unexplainable. According to Goodreads reviewers, Perrotta excels at mapping a macro-level catastrophe down into microcosms of humanity, without ever passing judgment on how his broken characters behave.
