Books that feel like TV Shows
From Books to TV Shows: A Guide for Those Who See Stories in Technicolor
I’m not exactly the most exciting person on the internet, and without oversharing too much, I’m really just a walking, talking trilogy of three topics: TV, working in TV, and books. Ask me about the latest series, and I’ll happily talk you to death about every plot twist and character development. Want to hear about the red carpet I just organised for some film premiere? I’ll send you the call sheet, the travel schedule, the whole shebang. And if you’re curious about what I’m currently reading? Brace yourself I’ll pull up my Goodreads and give you a mini-lecture on why each book got the rating it did.
I think it’s the whole right brain thing visual, overstimulated, constantly craving more. But with books? I need the story to play out like a film in my head. The words have to translate into images, otherwise, I’m out. I’m not just reading; I’m watching it happen in front of me.
So if you are like me and always want a little bit more out of the books you are reading, here is a list of Books which feel like TV Shows:
Book: Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
Show: New Girl
Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating and New Girl are essentially the same warm, chaotic, heart-swelling experience, just with slightly different settings. Both are packed with lovable, eccentric characters who are fully and unapologetically themselves. Hazel, much like Jess, is a glorious mess spontaneous, awkward, and always just a little too much in the best way. Then there’s Josh, who is basically a perfect cocktail of all the boys from the loft, with just the right amount of groundedness to balance out Hazel's whirlwind energy. It’s the classic "we’re not dating" slow-burn with so much tension, where chemistry simmers quietly in the background while the characters dance around it. Like Jess and Nick, Hazel and Josh's romance is built on a rock-solid friendship, and that makes everything feel achingly real. Both the book and the show nail that balance of humour and heart, delivering awkward moments that make you laugh until your stomach hurts, but also finding space for those moments of emotional depth. It’s a cocktail of charm, vulnerability, and connection that you just can't get enough of
Book: The Long Game
Show: Ted Lasso
The Long Game by Elena Armas and Ted Lasso are like a warm hug in narrative form if that hug also involved a few tears, awkward moments, and a whole lot of personal growth. Both are about the underdogs, the ones who start out fumbling their way through life (or a job, or a football team) and somehow find their way to something better. It's not so much about the winning, but about the trying, the growing, and let’s be honest the laughing through the mess. In both, you have characters who deeply believe in the goodness of people, even when everything’s falling apart. They lean into vulnerability, form beautiful, messy friendships, and allow themselves to grow in ways they didn’t think were possible. The humour is another deliciously vital ingredient whether it’s Ted Lasso’s unapologetic dad jokes or the book’s self-deprecating wit, it’s that perfect balance of finding joy even when everything feels hard. It’s the kind of story that reminds you that it’s not about getting everything right it’s about learning, stumbling, and showing up for the people you love, no matter what. Also, if you don’t read Cameron Caldani as Roy Kent then that's on you.
Book: The best way to bury your husband
Show: Bad Sisters
The Best Way to Bury Your Husband and Bad Sisters are basically two peas in a darkly comic pod. Both are all about complicated family bonds, secrets that can’t stay buried, and a healthy dose of revenge served with a side of black humour. In Bad Sisters, the Garvey sisters go full throttle to protect each other, no matter the cost. Meanwhile, in The Best Way to Bury Your Husband, the protagonist is trying to make sense of her husband’s death, blending grief with a desire for justice. Both stories are like puzzles, constantly making you question who's trustworthy, with moments of humour that cut through the tension. At the heart of it all, though, they explore the messy, often blurry lines between loyalty, right, and wrong.
Book: Your’s Truly
Show: Greys Anatomy
Yours Truly and Grey’s Anatomy could practically be twins, separated at birth. Both are set in the world of medicine, where life-and-death drama is the backdrop for slow-burn romances, messy emotions, and career meltdowns. The characters, whether in scrubs or paperback form, spend half their time navigating the chaos of their careers and the other half untangling their complicated hearts. It’s all about vulnerability, isn’t it? Whether they’re falling in love, picking up the pieces after a heartbreak, or leaning on a friend who gets it, there’s this beautiful, messy push and pull between self-discovery and healing. The protagonist in Yours Truly faces her own mix of professional pressures and personal trauma, just like the doctors of Grey’s Anatomy, proving that whether it’s romance or a career crisis, emotional growth is always the real plot twist.
About Twenty Five Reset
Hi, I’m Niamh, and everyone was right—25 really is a turning point. I finally know who I am, what I want, and my purpose… but it’s nothing like I expected.
I work in TV, but it doesn’t define me. This space is my reset—embracing the mess, reflecting, and creating again. You can expect:
Pop Culture and a lot of chats about 2000 - 2020 TV Shows
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This is such a clever and witty way to make one either read a book or watch a tv show! I am adding The Long Game (book) and Bad Sisters (tv show) to my to read & to watch list!