With the release of film adaptations like “People We Meet On Vacation,” “Wuthering Heights” and “Project Hail Mary,” if there’s one thing this year’s batch of blockbusters has proven, it’s that 2026 is a great year for movie and book lovers alike – and this summer is no exception.
If you’re like me, you might want to read, or at least get loosely acquainted with, the source material before diving into its film counterpart. And with so many adaptations on the horizon, here are some books to read before they come alive on screen this summer.
“Girls Like Girls” by Hayley Kiyoko
Hayley Kiyoko’s next film “Girls Like Girls” takes adaptation to the next level by having not one but two pieces of source material.
Not only is the film adapted from Kiyoko’s 2023 book of the same name, but the book is based on her viral 2015 song “Girls Like Girls” and its accompanying music video. The book follows Coley, a teenage girl who is forced to move to rural Oregon after her mother’s death. Already heartbroken, Coley isn’t sure she can risk opening up again; that is, until she meets Sonya. While Coley battles her own worries of unworthiness, Sonya is uncertain if she can truly embrace their connection, having never dated another woman.
Maya da Costa and Myra Molloy will star as Coley and Sonya in Kiyoko’s feature film, scheduled to premiere worldwide June 19. And with both the movie and book set in the summer, there is no better time than now to dive into Kiyoko’s world.
“Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely
If there is one film genre I love, it’s a good old-fashioned superhero movie. That’s why director Craig Gillespie’s upcoming film, “Supergirl,” set to release globally June 26, has been at the top of my watch list since DC Studios and Warner Bros announced its official release date in May 2024.
Starring Milly Alcock as Supergirl, the film will be set between James Gunn’s 2025 film “Superman” and his upcoming 2027 “Superman” sequel, “Man of Tomorrow.”
Although these films will share some similarities in characters like Supergirl and Superman as well as general nostalgic superhero film aesthetics, they differ a lot more in source material. While Gunn’s “Superman” was inspired by several different “Superman” comics, the upcoming “Supergirl” will be directly adapted from the comic series “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.” This miniseries follows Supergirl, or Kara Zor-El, as she leaves Earth to help a young alien named Ruthye Marye Knoll hunt down Krem of the Yellow Hills, a vicious space pirate and assassin.
Featuring bold colors and a design nostalgic of earlier “Supergirl” stories, this series is one of the most beautiful representations of Supergirl’s story that I’ve seen. The plot is equally as complex and brilliant, as it dives into the survivor’s guilt Kara struggles with after watching her home planet Krypton get destroyed.
“The Odyssey” by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson
Whether it was assigned to you in a high school English class or you’re a big fan of Greek literature, it’s a good bet you’ve come across Homer’s epic “The Odyssey” at least once.
The famous poem follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, an island off the coast of Greece. As he makes a 10-year journey home following the Trojan War, Odysseus encounters mythological beasts, Greek gods and enchantresses that delay his return. While he is away, his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, face challenges of their own as they try to defend Ithaca against Antinous, the leader of a group of violent suitors that invade their home.
Homer’s grand epic is set to be adapted into a feature length film by Academy Award-winning director Christopher Nolan, with Matt Damon as Odysseus. If you’re trying to decide which version of the story to read, I suggest the 2017 translation by Emily Wilson. Not only does this version use more modern language that makes it easier to digest as a reader, but Nolan himself told Empire that it was lines from Wilson’s translation that he used to open up the film.
“The Odyssey,” is set to release worldwide in theaters July 17, giving fans just enough time to read – or at least skim – this nearly 3,000-year-old classic before the movie comes out.
“The Dog Stars” by Peter Heller
For those that like to read high-stakes, post-apocalyptic novels, Peter Heller’s “The Dog Stars” is for you. The book follows a pilot named Hig who, after surviving a global health disaster, learns to adapt to his new environment alongside his dog, Jasper, and neighbor, Bangley. When Hig is flying and picks up a message from another pilot about more human life, he and Bangley make the journey across their near barren landscape to locate the origin of a mysterious radio transmission.
This dystopian story will be brought to life in theaters worldwide August 28, with Ridley Scott, known for popular science fiction films such as “The Martian” and “Prometheus,” spearheading the film as director. Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin will star in the film as Hig and Bangley, respectively.
“The Dog Stars” tells a story of what it means to not just survive but really learn to live in a broken world. And with a couple more months until the movie releases, there’s still plenty of time to read Heller’s book.
