The best adaptations of the century so far

It’s a tricky task, selecting the best adaptations of the century so far. What does “best” even mean when there’s so much variety in what we expect an adaptation to do?

The answer, of course, is nuanced, and we think that’s a good thing.

Adaptations can be beautiful interpretations that remain pretty close to the original. They can also breathe new life into beloved works by switching up timelines and settings, or making them more diverse (or diverse, period). An adaptation might turn a familiar story completely on its head, subverting tropes and trappings with fresh perspectives.

From the fiercely faithful to the irreverent and anachronistic, we believe a good adaptation is largely in the eyes of the beholder. Some of our favorites include:

A record-breaking film based on a soapy, glamorous rom-com Several different takes on Austen, from a film full of 90s nostalgia to an Emmy-winning web series An infinitely quotable cult classic based on a teen comedy A fresh animated take on a classic superhero story

Check out the full list of the best adaptations of the century so far.

SWEET VALIDATION

Readers report highest levels of well-being

brown skin tone hands holding book in bathtub with flowers

“The more we read or listen … the better we feel,” Storytel Group’s CEO wrote in the introduction to The 2026 Story Report.

In news you’ll use to defend that book hoarding habit, a higher percentage of people who read or listened to books in the past six months self-rated their well-being as “good” or “very good” compared to non-listeners, according to the report commissioned by European audiobook platform Storytel and conducted by independent, Stockholm-based agency Trackit.

Storytel isn’t alone in identifying connections between reading and well-being.

The findings of one review of 43 papers on reading for pleasure suggest that it “enhances processes such as feelings of positivity, self-understanding, empathic relations.” A National Literacy Trust research report explored the connection between reading, writing, and young people’s well-being. Any number of factors might contribute to higher well-being scores among people with the privilege of time and space to read for pleasure, but these findings point to real causal benefits.

Hungry for more bookish takeaways? The more than 5,000 adults across five European countries interviewed about their personal reading habits offered these interesting tidbits to chew on:

“Relax and unwind” topped the list of reasons respondents turned to books, with “escape into another world” coming in second. Crime/Thriller was the #1 genre listened to in four out of five countries (Fiction slid in just ahead in the Bulgarian market) The top audiobook multitasking scenarios were “while walking” (Sweden), “while traveling” (Norway), “while doing household chores (Finland and Poland), and “when I’m alone” (Bulgaria).

TOGETHER WITH THRIFTBOOKS

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ZERO TO WELL-READ

A timeless novel turns 10

underground railroad by colson whitehead

Colson Whitehead ran the table in 2016 with The Underground Railroad, a work of speculative historical fiction in which enslaved people use an actual railroad running under the South to escape to freedom.

The novel is one of only eight books to win both the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. When Whitehead won the Pulitzer again in 2020 for The Nickel Boys, he joined an even more elite club, becoming one of just four authors to take home two Pulitzers. (William Faulkner, John Updike, and Booth Tarkington are the others.) Clocking in at #7 on the New York Times list of the 100 best books of the 21st century so far, The Underground Railroad is the newest book in the top 10.

🎧 Join us as we revisit the powerful novel that cemented Whitehead as the greatest living American novelist.

ADAPTATION NATION

5 times I cried while watching Heartstopper Forever

Heartstopper Forever, the much-anticipated movie that concludes the Heartstopper TV series, made me cry…a lot. Here is an incomplete list of the moments that made me cry while watching (and rewatching):

This will contain spoilers, and I’m leaving out some of the most obvious tearjerker moments, but rest assured, I cried during those, too.

The title card: I was already feeling emotional from the opening credits, which have photos from the first season, but the title card combining title card animations from the previous episodes made me tear up in recognition of this being the end… and that’s when I knew I was a goner. Alfie: Charlie has come so far, to be able to be the protector he needed when he was younger! And how incredible for the young queer kids at his school, to have a popular, openly gay student as a role model. Elle’s speech: The speech that Elle gives about how terrified she is as a trans woman today, and how her rights have been stripped away, is painful and necessary. It was written with input from Yasmin Finney, the actress who plays Elle, and it feels so honest. The older gay couple at the café: Like most queer people, seeing an older queer couple really tugs at my heartstrings. It’s more poignant because the couple is played by Derek Jacobi and his real-life husband. “At the Beach, in Every Life”: In an AU comic of Nick and Charlie that Alice Oseman wrote, they include the line, “I like to think we would find each other in any universe.” At the end of the author’s note in the final volume of Heartstopper, Alice Oseman wrote, “Nick and Charlie will forever be in my heart, hand in hand on a beach somewhere.” So, when the song “At the Beach, in Every Life” started playing, with the lyrics “You would find me at the beach / In every life, through every door,” I cried—and I have been playing it on a loop since. —DE

TOGETHER WITH RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS

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Immersive world-building, high-stakes adventure, and intrigue.

In Fablehaven author Brandon Mull’s Forbidden Mountain, children bond with guardians, spiritual guides that can give them enhanced abilities. Some guardians promise greatness and glory, while others, destruction and death.

This epic fantasy follows two kids, Mako and Arden, whose paths collide in their efforts to stop an ancient evil threatening the empire.

Don’t miss the deluxe hardcover edition with stunning sprayed edges featuring gold swords.

ROMANTASY

Catch up with Fourth Wing before the new book this fall

threshing day cover with blurred background

If you’ve been looking to get into the series that has had the fastest-selling adult book in 20 years, Rebecca Yarros just announced what might be a cute lil intro into it.

Last week, the author posted on Instagram that a new book set in the world of the Empyrean series will be coming out in September, but it’s not quite a sequel to the last book (Onyx Storm). Instead, Threshing Day is a collection of 13 stories surrounding Conscription Day—or Threshing Day—in the series.

For those still unfamiliar with the series, Threshing can get messy. Like incinerated-by-a-dragon and hunted-by-your-fellow-cadets messy. It’s a day in which the first-year cadets of Basgiath War College venture into a forested valley to find the dragon they will bond with for life.

And listen, excitement for the new book from already-existing Fourth Wing fans is palpable. There are already predictions for who the stories will be about (apparently not the dragons, since they “know too much”), which fallen characters may be revisited, and even some preliminary memes.

The Fourth Wing fandom is active. Here’s how to get into it (or how to get refreshed in time for Threshing Day’s release):

This 15-minute summary of Fourth Wing: Right off the bat, we learn that Violet’s mother, General Lilith Sorrengail, is keen on signing her up for the Riders military quadrant (yes, as in dragon riders), the branch in which Violet is most likely to die. With opps like her mother, who needs enemies? Here’s an Empyrean Study Guide on Fourth Wing and Iron Flame and a funny Iron Flame wrap up by BookTokker @kierralewis75 (there are spoilers). There’s also a guide from Today if you’re not feeling the video format. This is an “unhinged plot summary of Onyx Storm,” replete with a recap of the first two books (again, spoilers). If you want to be absolutely throttled by a book, it seems like Onyx Storm is the way to go. A few common reader reactions: “Wtf just happened?” “We’re gonna talk about those 12 hours for the next three years..😅” *General crashing out*

Threshing Day is out September 29 and is available for preorder now. —EE

LITERARY ACTIVISM

Senate Republicans introduce nationwide book ban bill

If you’re struggling to keep track of the number of anti-LGBTQ+ education bills that would lead to widespread book bans across the U.S., know two things. First, you’re not alone. Second, that’s the point, and it’s precisely why the Senate has now added their own book banning legislation to the mix.

Senate Bill 4925 is the companion bill to H.R. 7661, which passed out of the House Education Committee in the spring and is now eligible for full House review. Senate Bill 4925 would withhold funding from public schools if they engage in teaching or providing “sexually oriented material.” More specifically, schools would be barred from using anything related to “gender dysphoria” and “transgenderism” [sic]. Senate Bill 4925 makes exceptions for classic texts and art… so long as they’re materials included in one specific Christian Homeschool curriculum or the 1990 edition of the Great Books of the Western World. That’s right—no books newer than 1990! Companion bills like this are an indication of legislative priorities, so it’s not in error that the language is nearly identical to the House’s 7661 proposal.

S. 4925 is now in the Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). That also happens to be where H.R. 2616—the national “don’t say trans” bill—is right now. The timing is intentional, as both can be considered together.

The timing is also intentional because Republican legislators hope no one pays attention to them during the quieter summer session. Indeed, it took three weeks for news of S. 4925 to even surface—the bill was introduced June 24.

This is your time to act. Contact your Senators in opposition to S. 4925. If your Senator is on the HELP subcommittee, it is especially important you reach out to them. The HELP committee is in session today, July 22, but as of writing, this bill–nor H.R. 2616–are on the agenda. —KJ

TOGETHER WITH THRIFTBOOKS

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Looking for the best books of 2026? You’ve come to the right place. ThriftBooks has selected 140 of the best books of the year so far across today’s most popular genres, from literary fiction and contemporary novels to romance, mystery, fantasy, young adult, children’s books, and non-fiction.

Whether you’re searching for an award-worthy novel, the latest BookTok favorite, an unforgettable thriller, or an inspiring non-fiction read, this curated list highlights the standout books readers are talking about in 2026. Every title is available at ThriftBooks, where you’ll find millions of new and used books at prices you’ll love.

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