Books

6 Books To Read Before You Watch These New Netflix Additions

by Melissa Ragsdale
Columbia Pictures

Every month, I look forward to seeing everything leaving and coming to Netflix. In November 2018, the haul of movies and shows coming to Netflix is especially exciting because it's filled with titles that are based on books or connected to book. I've got all the information on these TV shows and movies below.

Look, you and I both know that book-to-screen adaptations are a hot-button issue. There's nothing readers love more than loudly proclaiming that the book was way better than the movie. But of course, the only way you get to revel in that literary superiority is by reading the book first. So, before you get ready to marathon-watch Netflix's newest additions, why not try out the book versions?

To tell you the truth, I'm pretty excited to watch all of the below movies, specials, and TV shows — after all, a few of them are based on truly spectacular books. There are plenty of classics and award-winners on this list that are sure to leave you awestruck. Plus, isn't it just plain fun to read a story, then see it told in an entirely different way?

Bustle already published a full list of what's leaving and coming to Netflix in November 2018, but here are six literary suggestions:

Watch 'Angela's Christmas': Read 'Angela and the Baby Jesus' by Frank McCourt

You may recognize Frank McCourt as the author of Angela's Ashes, a classic memoir about his childhood growing up poor and Irish Catholic in Limerick, Ireland. McCourt also wrote a short story called "Angela and the Baby Jesus" (which you can find as a beautiful picture book), which tells the story of how when his mother, Angela (yes, the same Angela), was six years old, she felt sorry for the baby Jesus, and set out on a mission to rescue him. Whether you're reading, watching, or both, this is a lovely story to kick off the holiday season.

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Watch 'Bram Stoker's Dracula' (Nov. 1), Read 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker

Halloween may be over, but that doesn't mean there isn't room in your life for some good ol' fashioned horror. Watch or read this classic, and get ready for a sleepless night.

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Watch 'Julie & Julia' (Nov. 1), Read 'Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen' by Julie Powell

In this endearing memoir, Julia Powell recounts how she decided to cook every recipe in Julia Child's 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking over the course of a year. Amy Adams and Meryl Streep star in the brilliant adaptation, written and directed by Nora Ephron.

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Watch 'The English Patient' (Nov. 1), Read 'The English Patient' by Michael Ondaatje

This book won Man Booker Prize (and The Golden Man Booker), and the film adaptation won nine Oscars. The English Patient is the story of four people whose lives intersect in an Italian villa at the end of WWII, including an Englishman who was severely burned in a plane crash and is haunted by flashbacks.

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Watch 'House Of Cards' Season 6 (Nov. 2), Read 'House of Cards' by Michael Dobbs

If you've made it all the way to House of Cards Season 6, you definitely need to pick up the political thriller that started it all. The book is centered on the political world of the U.K.— but don't worry, it's still got heaping helpings of power struggles, corruption, and intrigue.

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Watch 'Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia' (Nov. 20), Read 'Born a Crime' by Trevor Noah

The Daily Show host's new comedy special Son of Patricia pays tribute to the lessons he learned from his mother, as does his #1 New York Times bestselling book, Born A Crime.

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