Reese Witherspoon is a bona fide badass in our books. Not only is she a talented actress, but she founded a production house, Hello Sunshine, that is dedicated to telling the stories of women (all women), and she runs a book club that is responsible for probably 50 per cent of my reading choices in the past few years.
If you’re a fan of the Reese’s Book Club, chances are you’ll know that many of these titles have been developed into films and series which are just as phenomenal as the books that birthed them. And if you’re new to this world, trust that you have just fallen into a gold mine of captivating stories.
Here are some of the best titles from Reese’s Book Club and a list of movies and films based on them, too.
Reese Witherspoon’s best book club screen adaptations
Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
The September 2023 book choice for Reese’s Book Club is Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon and it has been described the following way:
“The perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery” (Kellye Garrett, award-winning author) in this lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.
The selection has been so successful that it has been picked up by Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. And while it is unclear what the adaptation will look like, the Hollywood Reporter shares that “Kaplan’s Kapital is known mostly for its TV fare”.
Watch this space!
In the interim, you can shop the book from Amazon for $22.46 for a hardcover.
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
This novel absolutely consumed book lovers after it was selected as a top pick in Reese’s Book Club in September 2018. The story is summarised as:
For years, rumours of the ‘Marsh Girl’ have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life – until the unthinkable happens.
Available from $12.00 on Amazon
The film adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, Michael Hyatt, Sterling Macer Jnr and David Strathairn.
Where the Crawdads Sing is available to stream on Prime Video now. Watch the trailer here.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Reese’s Book Club pick for September 2017 was Little Fires Everywhere. Described as “…a riveting novel that traces the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives,” the book won hearts quickly, so naturally, a series followed soon after.
You can purchase the book from $33.79 for a hardcover copy.
The eight-episode series Little Fires Everywhere starred Kerry Washington alongside Reese Witherspoon herself, and the gripping watch is available to stream on Prime Video.
If you haven’t yet seen it, you can check out the trailer here.
From Scratch by Tembi Locke
Tembi Locke’s novel From Scratch was Reese’s Book Club pick for May 2019. It’s described as a touching exploration of grief, so be prepared for a good cry if you pick this book up.
The synopsis reads as follows:
A poignant and transporting cross-cultural love story set against the lush backdrop of the Sicilian countryside, where one woman discovers the healing powers of food, family, and unexpected grace in her darkest hour.
You can buy the book from Booktopia for $20.35 right now.
Netflix subscribers flocked to watch its recent adaptation of the book starring Zoe Saldana and Eugenio Mastrandrea. The eight-episode series version of From Scratch has been a huge hit, albeit an incredibly emotional one.
You can watch From Scratch on Netflix now. Here’s the trailer.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine was the top pick for Reese’s Book Club for June 2017, and it became a top-selling title that readers obsessed over for years after.
The synopsis of the novel from Penguin reads as follows:
Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.
But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.
You can buy the book from $11.20 on Amazon.
In early 2022, it was announced that Fleabag director Harry Bradbeer would be directing a film adaptation of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine with Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter producing for Hello Sunshine. Watch this space for more updates on this project – people are going to be hugely excited to watch.
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Reese’s Book Club pick for March 2019 has taken off in popularity since that date, especially in the BookTok scene.
The story is described this way:
Everybody knows Daisy Jones and the Six.
From the moment Daisy walked barefoot on to the stage at the Whisky, she and the band were a sensation.
Their sound defined an era. Their albums were on every turntable. They played sold-out arenas from coast to coast.
Then, on 12 July 1979, it all came crashing down.
They were lovers, friends, brothers. But they were also rivals.
This is the story of their legendary rise and irrevocable fall. A story of ambition, desire, heartbreak and music.
Everyone was there. Everyone remembers it differently. Nobody knew why they split. Until now…
You can buy it from $12.00 on Amazon.
Daisy Jones & The Six is so popular, in fact, that Prime Video turned it into miniseries starring Sebastian Chacon, Riley Keough (the granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley) and Sam Claflin.
The synopsis of this series reads as follows:
Following the rise of Daisy Jones and The Six’ rock band through the ’70s LA music scene on their quest for worldwide icon status.
You can find the hugely popular series streaming on Prime Video now. You can watch the trailer here.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave was Reese’s Book Club choice for May 2021. The #1 New York Times bestselling mystery grabbed the attention of the masses and has been described this way:
With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.
You can grab this title from $10.08 for a paperback copy.
The Last Thing He Told Me has been adapted for the small screen by Apple TV. Hello Sunshine and 20th Century are behind the project, with names like Jennifer Garner, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Aisha Tyler making up the cast lineup.
The series began streaming in Australia on April 14. You can read more on the series here. You can also check out the trailer here.
These titles are certainly not the only ones from Reese’s Book Club that are making the jump from page to screen, and they won’t be the last, so keep a close eye for updates on other exciting projects to come in this space.
If you’d like the full list of novels included in Reese’s Book Club, you can find that here.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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