Characters are an important aspect of any novel and give depth to books, especially in the mystery and thriller genres. As a visual reader, I picture the atmosphere, the characters and their actions every time I binge a new book. Years ago, every time I started a new novel, I took notes on my iPhone, writing down which actors and actresses I imagined would play particular characters. This habit eventually led to the creation of my Instagram feed where I share books I read and who I think would play the characters in the movie adaptation. Here are 11 books that should be made into movies ASAP.

Final Girls by Riley Sager

This novel is my go-to recommendation. Need something thrilling? Final Girls. Something to escape your stressful life? Final Girls. Something to get over a breakup? Final Girls. This book was written to distract you from your life and is a glorious example of an immersive read. It is ‘psychological thriller meets horror movie meets mystery’ and would make a fantastic movie or miniseries. I cannot help but hope that when and if this becomes a movie, Ashley Benson is chosen for Quincy. I also think Eva Green is the epitome of who Samantha Boyd is.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll

Knoll has captivated America’s obsession with reality television and turned it into a brilliant psychological thriller with a plot that is razor-sharp and addictive. I am obsessed with this book. I recently found out it has been optioned for series and I just need to say…Sophia Bush commented on my Instagram post and I would love to see her as Jen Greenberg. I would love to see her use her brilliant acting chops to show America that this miniseries has the potential to be the next Big Little Lies. Also, Elizabeth Olsen could be the character of Brett Courtney because who doesn’t love her? She’s smart, funny, beautiful, and would be fantastic as reality TV’s sweetheart with a few secrets of her own.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Never in my life has a 450-page book flown by like this one. I know everyone knows that this has already been optioned for film but I gush about this book whenever I have the opportunity. It is claustrophobic, dark and psychologically mesmerizing. The way this story flows is the epitome of perfect pacing. Can we say brilliant plot twists and plenty of OMG moments? Amy Adams has been cast as the lead Anna Fox, and I cannot wait to see what she does with this role. I originally envisioned Sarah Michelle Gellar because she is seriously so underrated as an actress, but Amy Adams is also a brilliant choice.

It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell

I cracked this book open by the pool last summer and lost my mind. Campbell’s writing is amazing and this novel features everything I love. A twisted and jaw-dropping opening, strong female lead characters and alternating chapters between their lives now and their time together in college. My casting ideas were the It Girls of the ’90s as this novel travels over quite a few years. Neve Campbell, Alicia Silverstone and Sarah Michelle Gellar. Side note: I eagerly await Michele Campbell’s next novel so much that I get butterflies in my stomach when I think of it.

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

This novel is amazing. It’s atmospheric and brutally terrifying. It takes place in Vermont and alternates between a boarding school in the 1950s and the present. The Broken Girls features a small and non-distracting supernatural element that really tied everything together for me and I was shocked at how perfect I think this story is. I obviously wanted Amy Adams (the queen of novel adaptions) as Fiona Sheridan, Armie Hammer as Jamie Creel and Bailee Madison as Kate Winthrop because she is growing into a great actress who could really do dazzling things with this role.

The Liar’s Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard

The plot to this novel is so unique and eerie that there’s no way I will ever forget it. Our main character fell in love in college during the time there was an active serial killer and boom… finds out the serial killer was her boyfriend. And that’s just the beginning. Now a decade later, he has a confession and only wants to confess to the girl he loved at the time of his arrest. What happens next is similar to Alice falling down the rabbit hole in a novel with one mesmerizing timeline and a gritty plot – Catherine Ryan Howard is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to storytelling. I picked Emilia Clarke for Alison, and the brilliant Jeremy Allen White as Will because he can be charming, dangerous and is great in Shameless.

The Sandman by Lars Kepler

I was terrified of this novel within the first 20 pages. The Sandman features a storyline of a cold case and a serial killer all mixed in with a psychological thriller. Could a novel get any better? This book was so brooding and harrowing, and is comparable to The Silence of the Lambs and Seven if it were adapted into a feature film. Daniel Craig would be so brilliant as the charming serial killer Jurek Walter. Jennifer Lawrence would make the perfect Saga Bauer. This one is genius crime fiction at its finest.

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Let’s be honest, Riley Sager could write about aliens having food poisoning on planet Mars and I’d be dying to get my hands on a copy. His writing is masterful and captivates you as a reader. The plot seems very Pretty Little Liars meets Friday the 13th meets psychological suspense and I am here for it. I cannot wait to see what Sager does with this novel as his previous effort left me nothing short of breathless.


Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison

J.T. Ellison’s Lie to Me was such a great read of 2017 and this one sounds like the kind of novel that will give me life. Ellison’s writing is addictive and complex and the plot of this novel is seemingly twisted. Not that I should (but we are all mostly guilty of it), but I would buy this one based on the cover alone. It looks so creepy and has an ominous ’90s vibe. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one.

The Last Thing I Told You by Emily Arsenault

A psychological thriller featuring murder, a multi-layered plot and is set in New England? Sign. Me. Up. This one sounds so brutally dark and incredibly original. I have read the plot to this one over and over just trying to wrap my head around all of the things I would have to keep track of and I am so excited to be overwhelmed by this read. The Last Thing I Told You promises an unreliable narrator and shocking ending, which are two major things I look for in a memorable read.

All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth

First of all, look at the cover to this one – so ominous. I am in it to win it with this one. All These Beautiful Strangers features a mysterious disappearance and a secret society, all wrapped up in a psychological bow. I don’t know about you, but that is the kind of read that will make me turn off my phone and allow it to overtake my life. July is going to be a great month.