Need some ideas for your next read? Each month, Booked & Screened looks at film and television releases in the weeks ahead. Take a look below and be prepared for what’s next coming to the screen.

For fast readers:

‘Lucky’ by Marissa Stapley

“Lucky” is an action-packed thriller based on the book of the same name by Marissa Stapley. It follows Lucky (played by Anya Taylor-Joy in the series) as she’s forced to go on the run after her husband goes missing and a lucrative heist goes wrong. Timothy Olyphant stars as John, Lucky’s father in the series. Also starring Annette Bening, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and William Fichtner, the series is set to premiere on Apple TV on July 15. 

‘The Five-Star Weekend’ by Elin Hilderbrand

“The Five-Star Weekend’ by Elin Hilderbrand centers on Hollis (Jennifer Garner in the forthcoming film), who suffers a life-changing loss. She spirals as she learns of marital issues, faces pressure to keep up with fans and butts heads with her daughter. She decides that hosting a weekend with close friends at her Nantucket house would be the perfect pick-me-up while also appealing to her fans. 

She chooses four friends from different stages in her life—her childhood, her 20s and her 30s and invites a mysterious guest as well. Her goal is to offer these five women a weekend of “five-star treatment.” Things don’t go according to Hollis’ perfectly laid plans and secrets are exposed along the way.

Also starring Chloë Sevigny, Regina Hall and Olyphant, the film hits theaters July 9. 

For medium-pace readers:

‘The Map of Longing’ by Alice Kellen

The 2019 novel “The Map of Longing” by Alice Kellen tells of Greta (played by Alicia Falcó in the series), a woman who believes her sole purpose is to save her sister with leukemia through a stem cell transplant. But when her sister Lucy (Georgina Amorós) dies, it leaves Greta with an existential void. The Spanish-language miniseries also stars Pablo Álvarez and is set to start streaming on Netflix on July 17. 

‘The Odyssey’ by Homer

If you weren’t one of the lucky ones who was made to read this classic epic poem in high school or college, here’s your excuse to take a stab at it. “The Odyssey” tells the story of Odysseus, played by Matt Damon in this adaptation from Christopher Nolan. The Greek hero and his troops spend a decade trying to get back home after the Trojan war. Meanwhile, his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), tries to fend off the advances of suitors who seek to lay claim to Odysseus’ kingdom of Ithaca. It really is worth the read as many of the mythical creatures and adventures in this sprawling tale show up time and time in other books, movies and pop culture. It’s worth it, I promise. The film hits theaters July 17. 

For readers who like to take their time:

‘The Shards’ by Bret Easton Ellis

“The Shards” by Bret Easton Ellis actually started out as a serialized audiobook in 2023. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about Bret (played by Igby Rigney in the series) and takes place in 1980s Los Angeles. The horror story follows wealthy teens at a prep school who have everything they could want—fancy cars, access to drugs and the craziest parties. But when new student Robert (Homer Gere) joins the group of students, suspicions begin to mount. The series, which premieres on Hulu on Aug. 5, also stars Wes Bentley, Kaia Gerber and Evan Rachel Wood. 

‘Late Fame’ by Arthur Schnitzler

Like “The Odyssey,” this is a bit of an older book, written in 1894. “Late Fame” by Arthur Schnitzler tells the story of Eduard Saxberger (played by Willem Dafoe in the film), who achieves literary success and fame years after publishing a collection of poetry. Eduard is suddenly surrounded by admirers who are artists themselves. 

The film is directed by Kent Jones and also stars Greta Lee and Edmund Donovan. It hits theaters Aug. 8. 

About the writer

Danielle Haynes is the co-founder and co-editor of Booked & Screened, covering book-to-screen adaptations, film and TV development.