7 can’t-miss book-to-screen adaptations in Summer 2025

Movies are one of the best parts of summer. Whether you’re watching from a projector in your backyard or catching the newest blockbuster adaptation on the big screen, there’s something about the experience that just makes summer complete. Of course, there are always plenty of book-to-movie adaptations that make it to the big screen and this summer 2025 is no exception. Whether you’re a fan of comic books, sci-fi, fantasy, action, or mystery, this season’s lineup of books being adapted into movies and TV shows has something for everyone.

So grab your snack of choice—for me it’s always something Reese’s—and head to the Libby app to check out these must-read books before (or after) they hit the screen. Spoiler alert: The answer to “Is the book better than the movie?” is almost always yes.

Murderbot by Martha Wells
🎧 Audiobook
📅 Release date: May 16 (Apple TV+)

I didn’t start reading the books in The Murderbot Diaries series until the last year or so, but they quickly became a favorite for me. It’s the perfect pairing of action and humor, and if you’re an audiobook fan, I highly recommend it.

Murderbot is a security android who struggles with its emotions while trying to balance dangerous missions. Ultimately, all it really wants is to stay away from humans and watch reruns of space soap operas. Relatable, right? This show brilliantly blends deadpan humor—think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—with action, adventure, and sci-fi.

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
🎧 Audiobook
📅 Release date: June 13 (In theaters)

This is one of my favorite animated movies, so when I heard they were making a live-action version, I was… naturally wary. Actually seeing the movie has now convinced me otherwise, and this should be the gold standard for live-action remakes.

If you’re unfamiliar, the story centers around Hiccup, the son of a Viking chief, who doesn’t exactly live up to his father’s vision of what he should be. He finds a dragon in the forest, befriends him, names him, and learns that the war they’ve been fighting for years isn’t what they thought. If you’re like me, you really just want to see a CGI of Toothless on the big screen.

The Institute by Stephen King
🎧 Audiobook
📅 Release date: July 13 (MGM+)

Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of horror, despite having read several Stephen King books. But if you’re a fan of Stranger Things and need something to watch in between teaser trailers, then this story of kids confronting evil might just be what you need.

The Institute is a mysterious organization that “recruits” kids with special abilities. Although their reasons are unclear, 14-year-old Luke finds himself kidnapped and being held with several other teens, all with the same special talents as him. When he finds out that no one ever checks out of the Institute, he becomes even more desperate to escape. If not, he graduates to the “Back Half,” where no one is ever heard from again.

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan-Arquette
📅 Release date: July 18 (In theaters)

If you wondered if you’d somehow time traveled back to 1997, you’re not alone! In what I can only describe as part remake, part sequel, this iteration follows a similar plot to its 1997 counterpart.

Five friends cause an accident and make a pact to keep it a secret, then cover up their involvement. Why doesn’t anyone learn from these? But of course, a year later, they come face to face with the realization that… someone knows what they did last summer. Roll credits. But in a surprise twist, they turn to the survivors of the 1997 massacre for help.

If you’re a fan of the original or just a horror fan in general, you can’t go wrong with this serial killer thriller.

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
🎧 Audiobook
📅 Release date: Aug. 1 (Netflix)

If you’re looking for a break from superhero or horror movies, this may be just the break you need. Anna is determined to fulfill a childhood dream of studying at Oxford. And at 24, she finally makes it to England on a scholarship and meets Jamie, a local who just so happens to be teaching her English Lit course. Enter a late night drink and a casual fling mixed with secrets, and you’ve got a recipe for a summer romance with just the right amount of drama.

RELATED READ: 11 compelling audiobooks narrated by Julia Whelan

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
🎧 Audiobook
📅 Release date: Aug. 28 (Netflix)

This might be the one non-superhero movie I’ve been most excited about this summer. I love Richard Osman and this series—and this cast is absolutely stacked (Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley, and more).

The Thursday Murder Club follows a group of senior sleuths who love solving mysteries and get unexpectedly thrown into an actual murder that needs solving. It’s not exactly the retirement home content we expected, but it’s exactly the retirement home content we need. The best part is that Richard Osman got his inspiration from this series from his own mother’s retirement home community.

Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston
🎧 Audiobook
📅 Release date: Aug. 29 (In theaters)

Rounding out our list is the crime thriller based on the Charlie Huston novel of the same name. Set in the 1990s (which makes me feel very old on many levels), the story follows a retired baseball player turned bartender who finds himself thrown into the middle of a crime ring he can’t escape. Flash forward 24 hours and he’s running on rooftops, riding subways with a dead body, and counting more cash than he’s ever seen in his life. That all seems a little unbelievable, but what are movies for if not suspension of disbelief? It thrillers are your go-to genre, this one is definitely worth a watch!

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Published Jul 24, 2025

Sarah Filiberto

Sarah Filiberto spent 10 years in public libraries planning programs, doing community outreach, and answering every question under the sun. In her spare time, she loves to craft and try new hobbies, go to comic cons, and spoil her pets... not necessarily in that order.