How Netflix Adaptations Are Heating Up the Top 10 and Bestseller Lists

Back to All News

How Netflix Adaptations Are Heating Up the Top 10 and Bestseller Lists

Entertainment

23 April 2026

Global

Link copied to clipboard

Download all assets

Today, books are consumed in many different forms. If you've spent the first three months of 2026 watching Netflix series or films, odds are you were enjoying stories that started on the printed page.

In the first 13 weeks of this year, new or returning book adaptations appeared on our Global Top 10 lists every single week. From the Regency-era romance of Bridgerton to the psychological thrillers like His & Hers, the impact of a Netflix series or films now extends beyond "views" - it translates directly into "sales" and "listens.

This follows a massive 2025 where book-based titles drove over 9B global views, representing nearly 20% of all hours watched on our service. With adaptations hailing from 14 different countries already this year - including Norwegian crime noir, Turkish dramas and Korean romance - our adaptations have become global phenomena that transcend language and format.

A Legacy of Literary Success

As we celebrate World Book Day today, the connection between these adaptations and their original source material has never been stronger.

His & Hers The thriller spike: Our newest entry to the Most Popular TV list. The hit limited series propelled Alice Feeney's novel to #15 on Amazon's bestseller list. On Spotify, audiobook listens surged by 494%.

"I really admire what Netflix is doing to help the sale of books and equally how literature has given Netflix some of its biggest hits," says William Oldroyd, co-showrunner of His & Hers. "Long may it continue.

People We Meet on Vacation A true romance renaissance: After the film debuted at #1 on the Global Top 10, Emily Henry's novel popped back up on The New York Times' bestsellers list. On Spotify, the audiobook saw a staggering 515% jump in global listens.

Emily Henry's bestseller, People We Meet on Vacation, which already has nearly 3 million copies in print, skyrocketed back onto the New York Times bestseller list and saw a significant 97% increase in sales across all formats in the two weeks after the film's release, said Ben Lee, Senior VP, Backlist for the Penguin Publishing Group.

Finding Her Edge The Global Reach: For Jennifer Iacopelli's novel, a Netflix announcement was the catalyst for 13 new international translation deals. The paperback version, featuring a "Netflix" tie-in cover, has already sold 500% more copies than the original hardcover. On Spotify, the audiobook experienced a 990% increase in global listens and a stunning 1300% surge in global searches following the series premiere.

"Within a matter of weeks after the [show's] announcement, we had a UK publisher and 13 further translation deals in place, said Alice Sutherland-Hawes at ASH Literary. On top of that, the authors catalog has gained renewed international interest, garnering translation sales across her forthcoming titles and backlist."

Jen Klonsky, President and Publisher of Putnam Books for Young Readers, shared, Originally published as a hardcover in 2022, Jennifer Iacopelli's Finding Her Edge paperback with a Netflix burst released in December 2025 and has sold 500% more copies in just eight weeks compared to the hardcover.

In the UK, Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery saw a 4x lift in sales, while sales of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series tripled alongside the Season 4 premiere.

We continue to see growth for books that Netflix adapts, said Jennifer Hart, SVP/Deputy Publisher, William Morrow/HarperCollins US. Most recently, we saw a four times lift in sales for Agatha Christies Seven Dials Mystery with the release of the Seven Dials miniseries, and with the streaming of the fourth season of Bridgerton, sales of the Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn rose three times.

While for Vladimir, "Q1 2026 sales across all formats of VLADIMIR are already up 130% over total sales in 2025 as readers discover the incredible book behind the series, said Meredith Vilarello, Vice President and Associate Publisher, Avid Reader Press.

Other 2026 adaptations now streaming include: Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole, The Lincoln Lawyer Season 4, The Museum of Innocence, The Night Agent Season 3, Run Away and Virgin River Season 7.

The Next Chapter

The momentum isnt slowing down. We are currently gearing up for a massive rest of the year, headlined by the highly anticipated debut of Shelby Van Pelt's Remarkably Bright Creatures on May 8. The "first look" announcement alone nearly doubled sales for the novel, which has now surpassed 4M copies sold.

"Remarkably Bright Creatures has now sold over 4 million copies across all editions, and is on track to outpace 2025 sales in the lead up to the release of the Netflix adaptation in May 2026, said Miriam Parker, VP, Associate Publisher, Ecco. We're thrilled at the reaction to the first look announcement for Remarkably Bright Creatures sales across all formats almost doubled.

This past weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Van Pelt and Remarkably Bright Creatures director Olivia Newman discussed bringing the bestseller to the screen.

And there is more to be excited about as Geek Girl returns to Netflix soon - here is a first look at the second season:

Whether it's a Jo Nesb thriller or a timeless Jane Austen classic, Netflix remains the ultimate engine for literary discovery, proving that a great story never really ends - it just finds a new way to be told.

LINK:	https://about.netflix.com/en/news/how-netflix-adaptations-are-heating-...
	See more stories from netflix

North America Stories