Escape the lockdown time loop with books made into movies

Fable EditorsFebruary 3, 2021

From Firefly Lane to Nomadland to Earwig and the Witch, check out books made into movies that you can read and stream!After almost a year of lockdowns around the world, many people feel like they are stuck in an endless time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. It’s just like “Groundhog Day,” one of the more than 50 films and shows that have featured characters stuck in a time loop, repeating the same day like a broken record. This plot device is more relevant than ever these days, showing up in hits like “Palm Springs” and “Russian Doll." The earliest time loop reference we found online was a 1941 science fiction short story called "Doubled and Redoubled" by Malcolm Jameson.“The Magicians” author Lev Grossman is bringing us a new time loop story this month, as “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things” follows the adventures of a teenager named Mark who enjoys being stuck in a time loop — until he meets a girl who joins him in the endless adventure. Grossman directed the film, based on a short story he wrote for the young adult anthology called “Summer Days and Summer Nights.” You can watch his film on Amazon Prime Video this month. “I know people are saying the premise is like Palm Springs," writes Grossman, referencing a time loop story on Hulu last year. “Because it is! -- but it's actually based on an old short story of mine from 2016. We were already filming by the time we heard about Palm Springs. Parallel evolution.”Read the Summer Days and Summer Nights anthology on Fable and watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/xKN3Ksw84Tw

What to read and stream in 2021

If teenage romance and time loops aren’t quite your style, there are lots of new shows and movies adapted from great books—streaming across platforms, from Hulu to Apple TV to Netflix to Video on Demand.

Nomadland (Hulu)

Oscar-winner Frances McDormand travels America in a van as a 21st Century nomad, in a critically acclaimed film directed by Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao.The film is based on a nonfiction book by Jessica Bruder who took a similar journey through the country, meeting everyone from a minister to a motorcycle cop to a McDonald’s executive during her travels. The book focused on Linda May, a woman who worked as a cocktail waitress, Home Depot clerk, and contractor.Director Zhao wrote the script, giving Linda May a role in the film, finding inspiration in the stories of resilience in ordinary people. Read Nomadland by Jessica Bruder on Fable and then watch the trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sxCFZ8_d84

Firefly Lane (Netflix)

"That was the thing about best friends. Like sisters and mothers, they could piss you off and make you cry and break your heart, but in the end, when the chips were down, they were there, making you laugh even in your darkest hours.”

That's a quote from Kristin Hannah’s novel of friendship and family, "Firefly Lane." The new Netflix series follows the story of life-long friends Tully and Kate as they experience a life-time of milestones together. The book covers more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, a powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives. Read Firefly Lane on Fable and then watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/xdHwNt4GXfM

Earwig and the Witch (HBO MAX)

Studio Ghibli, the animation studio behind epic children’s stories like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and more, adapted the novel with the studio’s signature style. The film includes planning work from Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki. Read Earwig and the Witch on Fable and watch the trailer! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk5YWIbwzRE

News of the World (Netflix)

This movie tells the story of Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a retired soldier who performs live readings from newspapers in the mid-1800s. Captain Kidd is offered a 50fifty-dollar gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives near San Antonio, and this assignment will change his life forever.One reader had this review:

“Having read the book a few years ago, I felt the book left a bigger impression on me than the film. Both are about trauma and defining ourselves within the context of our own stories, as well as choosing education and kindness over ignorance.”

Read News of the World on Fable and watch the trailer for this classic Western.https://youtu.be/zTZDb_iKooI

Dickinson (Apple TV+)

The second season of Dickinson is still streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes dropping every Friday. This season includes Samuel Bowles, a real-life journalist and friend of the poet. In this season, Hailee Steinfeld plays the poet struggling with fame and attention. The show explores the constraints of society, gender, and family from the perspective of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson.Read Emily Dickinson's poetry on Fable and learn more about the unfolding second season with this featurette.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy-FDCFpZkA

The Mauritanian (Video on Demand and in theaters)

Kevin Macdonald directed this adaptation of the memoir, “Guantánamo Diary” by Mohamedou Ould Slahi. It tells the story of his long detention in Guantanamo Bay and his legal fight for release. Jodie Foster and Shailene Woodley play two of Slahi key legal allies, and the great Benedict Cumberbatch plays the military prosecutor in the case. Slahi wrote this book from prison, and its pages contain around 2,500 redactions by government censors. One reader was deeply affected by these blacked-out passages:

“Amazing book. I remember going through it and slowly becoming adjusted to the redactions, and then suddenly being confronted with pages of black lines. The censorship of Slahi's story is, quite ironically, the most revealing thing about the entire book.”

Read Guantánamo Diary on Fable and watch the trailer.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziaunYauFbcInterested in starting a Fable Reading Club with one of the books from our list? Find out how here!Still want more book recommendations? Check out our Fable Folios for great suggestions from renowned experts!

Fable Editors